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Sky Sports News journalist Michael Bridge expects Rangers duo Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo to be the subject of interest ahead of the summer transfer window. 

The lowdown

Both players have already been linked with moves to English Premier League clubs in recent months.

The Daily Mail have claimed that former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is keen on a reunion with Kent at Aston Villa, while a report from Football Insider in the autumn claimed that Crystal Palace were eyeing up Aribo.

The Gers have already sanctioned one lucrative sale to a top-flight club south of the border in 2022, agreeing to let Nathan Patterson join Everton for £16m.

The latest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Bridge said that Rangers could well receive approaches for the duo, feeling ‘sure’ that the form of Aribo in particular won’t have gone unnoticed.

The journalist claimed: “I do expect Kent, and I do expect Aribo to get interest, I really do. I know you’ve touched on Aribo before with Palace, and I’m sure clubs will look at him. He’s a really, really, really good player.”

The verdict

From Rangers’ point of view, there’s potentially a business decision to be made here.

At the end of this season, both Kent and Aribo will be into the final 12 months of their contracts. If neither of them has penned a new deal by January, then they will be able to negotiate pre-contract terms with clubs outside Scotland.

That could see the club lose two of their most valuable assets – they both rank in Transfermarkt’s top three in terms of market values for Rangers-owned players – for nothing.

Their first choice may be to keep both Aribo and Kent at the club, but if that isn’t realistic, cashing in on them when they can maximise income from their sales could be a smart move.

In other news, read this injury expert’s claim on Aaron Ramsey

One of the stand-out Championship players this season has been on-loan Sheffield United star Morgan Gibbs-White, who has been a revelation since joining temporarily from Wolves.

At the end of last season, the midfielder was valued by Transfermarkt at just £5.4m, but after scoring seven goals and contributing six assists from midfield in 23 Championship appearances this campaign so far, his value has soared up to £8.1m.

His development this year has been nothing short of exceptional, and he finally looks ready to play Premier League football in the near future.

“It’s benefited me massively,” he said. “Getting a full season playing at my age is what I need, it’s helping me as a player.

“There’s a smile on my face every time I go on the pitch. I love the fans, the fans have been brilliant with me, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Blades’ captain Billy Sharp labelled the 22-year-old as “influential” in an interview a few months ago, but his list of admirers hasn’t stopped growing there.

With Ruben Neves being targeted by a number of top clubs in Europe including Barcelona, and Joao Moutinho’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, there will be a big opportunity for Gibbs-White to become one of Wolves’ key creators for next season – and he could save the club millions in doing so.

While Gibbs-White typically plays further up the field, he has started a couple of times this season as a central midfielder – scoring twice and assisting once, averaging a match rating of 7.49 compared to when he plays as a central attacking-midfielder where he averages a 7.48.

The midfielder has made on average just under two key passes per game, as well as 1.3 successful dribbles, 2.2 shots and just under one tackle per game in a Sheffield United side currently vying for promotion.

Wolves boss Bruno Lage typically sets up in a 3-4-3, but his two wide attackers often tuck in and operate as attacking midfielders – meaning that the England U21 international won’t have to adapt his playing style too much to fit into the team next season.

Based on his ability to create and remain strong in physical battles, he seems pretty well equipped to replace Moutinho next term.

In other news: Lage must now axe Wolves’ “sensational young player”, he’s cost them £13.5m per assist 

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has shared the latest team and injury news ahead of their crunch FA Cup clash with West Ham United this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Saints without trio…

The Saints, going on a brilliant six-game unbeaten run since late January, have picked up head-turning results against members of the traditional Premier League top teams in that time.

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Hasenhuttl’s side bravely held English champions Man City, ran out victorious away to Tottenham and snatched a 1-1 draw against Man United at Old Trafford.

More recently, they’ve had to maintain this imperious form without the trio of Nathan Tella, Alex McCarthy and Lyanco – with it now confirmed that Southampton are still without the latter man also.

The Latest: Hasenhuttl confirms Lyanco out…

Indeed, Hasenhuttl will be without the Brazilian for tonight’s FA Cup clash with West Ham.

Speaking to the press, when asked if Lyanco, Tella and McCarthy remained the only Saints men sidelined, the Danish boss replied: “That’s right.”

The Verdict: Blow for Ralph…

Not having Lyanco back in time for this evening comes as a blow.

The 25-year-old had started to edge his way into the Southampton’s starting eleven since late November, with Hasenhuttl giving Lyanco the nod in five of his last eight Premier League games before the player was sidelined.

The Saints boss has been very impressed with his 2021 summer signing in recent months, showering praise on the South American he is in ‘love’ with and a character who ‘fits perfectly’ at St. Mary’s (Yahoo Sport).

He’s also been called an ‘incredible’ player by sports journalist Josh Stewart and one who could help to guide Southampton back to Europe, so Hasenhuttl will want him back as soon as possible.

In other news: Journalist: Southampton now ‘trying to poach’ versatile in-demand ace from European giants! Find out more here.

Everton manager Frank Lampard should cash in on “dreadful” defender Michael Keane this summer and re-build the club’s defence.

According to a report in The Daily Star, West Ham United would be keen on buying the 29-year-old if the Toffees are relegated from the Premier League.

We think that they should sell him regardless of what league they’re in next season and use the money to improve the rest of the team. He is rated at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, a far cry from the £30m they paid for his services in 2017.

It would be unfair to say that Everton don’t have any talented players, however, they simply haven’t been performing good enough this season and they find themselves in a real survival battle as a result.

They have conceded the fifth most amount of goals this season and have only kept six clean sheets in the league, and at the heart of that is Keane who has made 28 appearances.

When you analyse his statistics they further highlight Everton’s defensive worries. He is in the bottom 15% compared to other defenders in the league this season when it comes to progressive carries, proving that he isn’t great at playing out from the back. He’s also netted two own goals this campaign.

Last month former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy blasted Lampard for continuing to pick Keane in his team saying that “he’s physically gone” and didn’t understand why he kept being played.

The simple answer is that the Toffees don’t have many better options. Yerry Mina who is arguably the best defender at the club has been out injured for the majority of the season, with his current hamstring injury coming in February.

It won’t be long before Keane is the wrong side of 30, at which point his value will start decreasing and Everton will get even less of the money they paid for him back. It’s not all doom and gloom though; he has had a pretty decent career overall which includes 12 appearances and a goal for England.

But ultimately he can’t cut it at the top level, and with the position they’re in, now is the time for the Toffees to build for the future. They have a perfect manager in Lampard to do this, he even has experience managing in the Championship if they do end up being relegated.

IN other news: More misery: Alan Myers drops four-word Everton claim that’ll leave supporters fuming…

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst is heading towards the end of the 2021/22 campaign and in his first half a campaign in charge, he still in with a chance of bringing two pieces of silverware back to Ibrox.

The title is all but impossible to secure at this point, with the Gers six points behind their arch-rivals with three games left, but Rangers are in the semi-finals of Europe and the final of the domestic cup.

Van Bronckhorst can end his first season in charge at Ibrox with two cups to add to the trophy cabinet, and he has been able to get this far in the competitions because of some of the impressive players in his current squad.

One player who has been particularly brilliant in recent months at Rangers is central midfielder John Lundstram, who is proving that Ross Wilson played a blinder by signing him for free last summer.

Lundstram at Rangers

The 28-year-old has caught the eye in both the Premiership and the Europa League and is quickly establishing himself as one of Van Bronckhorst’s key players at Ibrox.

Former Gers full-back Maurice Ross recently lavished the Englishman with praise, saying: “Steven Davis is kind of moving out now. Surround Lundstram with good young players, and he can be the cornerstone of a team.

“Lundstram was strolling about the pitch like Graeme Souness! There’s a clip from the Rangers archives where I see Souness in an Old Firm game just turn and clip a pass out to Davie Cooper standing right on the touchline.

“I was reminded of that when Lundstram did a similar thing against Celtic, zipping one out to James Tavernier. The way Lundstram goes in with 100% commitment to tackle – bang – then goes calm. That’s a gift.”

The £22k-per-week midfielder has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.92 across 26 appearances in the Premiership. He has won 60% of his duels in the league and made 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game, whilst also completing 90% of his attempted passes.

Lundstram has also been instrumental for Rangers in the Europa League, with 12 outings – 10 from the start – and an average SofaScore rating of 6.94. The 28-year-old has been a defensive lynchpin for his side in Europe with three tackles and interceptions and 3.1 duels won per game, breaking up play in the middle of the park to cut out opposition attacks and regain possession for the Gers.

These statistics, and the high praise from Ross, highlight how impressive Lundstram has been for the Light Blues this season, illustrating why Wilson pulled off a blinding deal by bringing him to the club without paying a penny in transfer fees.

AND in other news, Forget Ramsey: GvB must land “massive signing” for Rangers, he’d be “world-class”…

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly now ‘keeping tabs’ on Ross Stewart ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Play-off heroics

Stewart scored the only goal of the game as Sunderland beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 in the first leg of their play-off semi-final on Friday night, charging down defender Sam Hutchinson before eventually poking the ball home, with his work rate earning high praise from Black Cats legend Kevin Phillips.

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Earning the nickname the ‘Loch Ness Drogba’ dating back to his time at Ross County thanks to his battering ram style up front, that was his 25th goal of what has been a great season for him individually.

The Latest: Rangers lurking

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke has shared that the Ibrox faithful are now ‘keeping tabs’ on Stewart ahead of the summer, and it would be ‘hard’ for him to turn them down:

“It looks like he’s obviously on their wanted list, Ross Stewart. It’s been talked about now for quite a few weeks that Rangers are keeping tabs on him.

“If Rangers do come calling, it’s going to be hard for somebody like Ross Stewart – a Scottish player – to turn down their advances.”

The Verdict: Sign

Given injuries to Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe recently, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team could do with another striker in the squad, especially going into another season with an added European campaign.

Dubbed a ‘menace‘ by journalist Philip West, who writes for renowned SAFC podcasters Roker Report, Stewart has certainly proven that he knows where the goal is, and given that he has already played in Scottish football, he should be able to settle in nicely at the Teddy Bears.

Nonetheless, he has not hit his prime yet at 25 years of age, and so the summer presents the perfect time to buy him.

In other news, find out who Gers now face a ‘big fight’ to keep here!

Manchester City have one of England’s most exciting young prospects in their ranks in the shape of Phil Foden.

As a product of City’s youth system, the 21-year-old has made 210 appearances for the club across their under-18, under-23 and senior teams. In that time, the midfielder has scored 66 goals and delivered 46 assists along the way.

Even though the club have made a big statement by securing a deal for one of Europe’s top young players in Erling Haaland, the Citizens now have the chance to sign another top talent who could go on to form a deadly pairing with Foden.

Earlier this season, the Premier League champions were linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Imagine Bellingham and Foden

After working his way through Birmingham City’s youth ranks and making it into their senior side, the Englishman joined the German giants two yeas ago in a deal worth an initial £25m.

Since then, the 18-year-old has gone on to make 89 appearances for the Bundesliga club across all competitions, scoring 10 goals and delivering 17 assists along the way. This shows how much of an attacking and creative threat he can offer from midfield in a similar way to Foden.

With four more league games under his belt this season than the City star, the former Birmingham prospect has racked up a higher pass completion percentage, as well as more shot-creating and goal-creating actions.

From a defensive point of view, Bellingham has made more tackles, blocks, pressures, clearances and interceptions than his fellow countryman, showing that he is perhaps a more well-rounded midfield option than Foden.

This also highlights how much of a balance the duo can have for Pep Guardiola in City’s midfield and what a scary prospect they could be if paired together in an attacking sense.

City’s new signing Haaland even claimed that it is “crazy” how good Bellingham is at such a young age, with the two having played together at Dortmund.

With Fabrizio Romano claiming that the Manchester giants will be looking to sign a midfielder this summer, it could be worth a shot for the Citizens to try and negotiate with Dortmund again to see if they would be willing to allow their English midfield talent return to his homeland and reunite with Haaland.

In other news: David Ornstein drops behind-the-scenes MCFC development, Guardiola will be sweating

Liverpool have ‘registered an interest’ in signing “complete” defensive midfielder Aurélien Tchouameni this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider sources, the AS Monaco player is thought to be one of Liverpool’s top targets over the next few months as they look to bring him to Anfield as a long term replacement for captain Jordan Henderson and veteran James Milner.

A recruitment source told the outlet that the Reds have registered an interest in the Frenchman fter learning that Monaco are prepared to sell the player. It’s likely it will take a fee of no less than £50m to secure his services.

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However they are not the only ones interested, Football Insider also revealed last month that the Reds’ rivals for the Premier League title Manchester City also want him.

Klopp needs him

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp needs to sign a top-class midfield player this summer as he can’t keep relying on Jordan Henderson and James Milner. They are not only ageing but also aren’t up to the level of teammates Thiago and Fabinho.

The Reds have been competing on all levels this season and find themselves in a third Champions League final in five years. If they are to keep competing amongst Europe’s elite then they need to make improvements to their midfield.

Signing Tchouameni would represent that upgrade. Although he might not possess the experience or leadership of Milner or Henderson, he is better technically.

He has made 33 Ligue 1 appearances for Monaco this season and has been directly involved in four goals.

If you look at his defensive actions this season he has tackled a higher percentage of dribblers than both Liverpool players with 44.3% compared to Milner’s 41.2% and Henderson’s 30.2%.

He also has a higher pass completion percentage than both of them with 86.9% compared to Milner’s 81.8% and Henderson’s 83.2%.

Overall there is not much to separate the trio but the big difference is that he has much more room for improvement, and working under a manager as good as Klopp would allow him to reach his potential and be a key player at Anfield for years.

Liverpool have been linked with a whole host of midfielder but Tchouameni should very high on the list and would be considerably cheaper than some other options.

IN other news: Liverpool could finally replace Wijnaldum by signing £23.4m-rated “elite presser”…

Richarlison would jump at the chance to swap Everton for Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to one-time BBC radio pundit Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Richarlison linked with Spurs move

On 11 May, The Telegraph reported that the Toffees star is one of three players that the Lilywhites are keeping their eye on ahead of the summer transfer window.

Earlier this month, Football Insider shared the news that Everton are likely to accept offers in excess of £50m for the 25-year-old, and they further revealed that the Brazil international is intent on a move away from Goodison Park.

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The Latest: Whelan’s claim on Richarlison

Whelan, who once worked as a pundit for BBC Radio Leeds, has claimed that Spurs would have a big pulling factor in Richarlison’s transfer decision if they decide to go all-in for the Everton man.

Speaking with Football Insider, the 47-year-old proclaimed:

“Tottenham are an attractive proposition. When you look at the training ground facilities, look at the new stadium, the players they have already got there at the club, they could be in the Champions League.

“You look at Everton’s season this year. It would be a massive enticement when you’ve had a battle down at the bottom of the Premier League.

“It’s also London, where a lot of these stars want to be, it’s cosmopolitan. You’ve got to look at the geographic bit as well.

“There’s no doubt it’s a step up. If they’re in the Champions League, they’ve got that enticement for a player as well which is usually the key.

“I don’t know how he would fit into the front three of Tottenham right now. He would be sitting on the bench in my opinion. You always need strength in depth. He probably would fit into the style of play at Tottenham, there’s no doubt about it.

“I’m just not sure whether that’s the right move. Look, there’s no doubt he’s got talent, there’s no doubt he will increase chances of where they play next year. If they are in the Champions League it gives them that pot of money to take him from Everton.”

The Verdict: Good target for Spurs

With the likes of Steven Bergwijn possibly on the way out of N17, the arrival of Richarlison would be a good addition to Antonio Conte’s squad.

Having impressed for the Brazil national team with 13 goals in 34 caps, Selecao team-mate Neymar has previously hailed the Everton winger as a “really great player and a really nice guy”.

With such high praise from one of the world’s top players, it’s easy to see why Spurs fans may be excited at the proposition of signing Richarlison. However, Everton manager Frank Lampard may have other plans for him if his side can claw their way to Premier League safety, having recently labelled the 25-year-old a “huge talent”.

Either way, the Brazil maestro would prove to be a strong and welcome addition to Conte’s Lilywhites squad if he were to swap Merseyside for north London.

In other news: Sky Sports reporter backs Pau Torres/Spurs claims

Glamorgan rack up their third-highest first-class score on soporific Oval surface

ECB Reporters Network22-Sep-2021Chris Cooke led from the front with a relentless captain’s innings of 205 not out as Glamorgan spent day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship second division match against Surrey constructing a mammoth total of 672 for 6 declared, the home side responding with 45 for no wicket in the final hour.It was the first double-hundred of 35-year-old Cooke’s 12-year first-class career, beating a previous best of 171 scored seven years ago, and also the highest individual innings by a Glamorgan wicketkeeper, eclipsing Eifion Jones’ unbeaten 146 against Sussex at Hove in 1968.Cooke was joined by Dan Douthwaite in a 51-over sixth wicket stand of 189, and that followed a slightly more urgent partnership of 140 in 37 overs with Kiran Carlson, who was on 45 overnight and reached 69 before being quite brilliantly caught by a diving Dan Moriarty at square leg as he swept hard at Will Jacks’ offbreak.Douthwaite was eventually caught at long-on by Jacks soon after tea, for a curiously restrained 146-ball 59 that contained only two fours, giving offspinner Amar Virdi a hard-won third wicket.Related

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On a soporific surface showing little sign of predicted turn, Glamorgan resumed on 379 for 4 and accumulated ruthlessly, if perhaps over-cautiously, in warm sunshine before declaring at what is the third highest first-class total in the Welsh county’s history. The highest remains 718 for 3 declared, against Sussex at Colwyn Bay in 2000, while their highest score against Surrey is still the 702 for 8 declared made at the Oval in 2009.The declaration, greeted by some ironic cheers, left Surrey 15 overs to bat before stumps, and openers Jamie Smith and Ryan Patel reached 23 and 22 not out respectively, although Smith could have been stumped on 13 in offspinner Andrew Salter’s first over if Cooke had gathered the ball cleanly behind the stumps.Cooke, who began the day on 44, batted for five minutes short of six hours, facing 299 balls and hitting a six and 18 fours. Five of his previous six Championship innings were single-figure scores but – strong particularly through square cover – Cooke looked largely untroubled throughout and closed Glamorgan’s 177-over batting marathon five minutes after he reached his double-century by slicing slow left-armer Moriarty just over mid-off for two, attempting on 199 to go past 200 in the grand manner.It was his eighth first-class score of 100 or more and, as Surrey manfully and quite successfully kept as tight a control as they could on Glamorgan’s scoring rate, Cooke added an unbeaten 54 for the seventh wicket with Callum Taylor, who swept Jacks for six and also in the same over cover drove and cut him for fours in a breezy 57-ball 38 not out.Glamorgan scored 87 in 34 overs before lunch, hitting just two boundaries in a turgid opening session, and then 145 in 32 overs between lunch and tea. It was unspectacular stuff though overall, especially given a flat pitch and summer-like conditions, but Cooke will argue the ends justify the means if Glamorgan can put Surrey under scoreboard pressure during the last two days of this second division match.