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Rangers chief Ross Wilson will be working hard over the next few months to bring new signings to Ibrox in the summer transfer window.

Gio van Bronckhorst’s side will be competing in Champions League qualifiers next month and may want recruits to come in ahead of those matches to fight for a place in the group stage.

One player that the club are reportedly interested in signing is HNK Rijeka midfielder Ivan Lepinjica, as the Gers look to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

According to Football Insider, Rangers and Premier League side Wolves are both keen on a deal which would see him arrive in the UK this summer. It is also claimed that the Light Blues have had their eye on him for at least a year, as Wilson attempted to snap him up ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Van Bronckhorst’s own Paul Pogba

The Dutch head coach must seal a deal for the 22-year-old this summer in order to land his own version of departing Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.

Lepinjica has previously had his playing style compared to the Frenchman, with both players standing at 6 foot 3, and this highlights the immense potential that he has, with the player said to be highly-rated in his native Croatia.

Croatian football expert Ivan Zezelj previously hailed the midfielder, saying: “Lepinjica is a natural number six; young and very talented. He can play as a number eight as well, in my opinion.

“He’s very mature for his age. Last season, he was promoted to the senior squad and instantly played like an experienced pro.”

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig also dubbed him “very talented” and listed passing, vision, positioning, tackling, heading, and anticipation as the 22-year-old’s biggest strengths.

A tall, talented central midfielder with a knack for passing and making tackles… that does sound like a certain Frenchman who has played south of the border in recent years.

At international level, Pogba has shown that he can excel in both of those areas, making three tackles and interceptions and two key passes per game at the European Championship last summer.

Meanwhile, Lepinjica created three ‘big chances’ and made 2.3 tackles and interceptions per match in eight league appearances for Rijeka last term. These statistics suggest that he has the potential to be a player capable of making an impact at both ends of the pitch, just like Pogba for France.

At the age of 22, Rangers can sign him for the long-term and develop him into van Bronckhorst’s own version of the France international, which is why they must beat Wolves to this signing in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, “Looking at..”: Transfer insider drops exciting Rangers claim that supporters will love…

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in capturing the services of a certain Chelsea midfielder.

What’s the word?

The player in question is Conor Gallagher and it is a move that Midlands-based football journalist Josh Holland “could see” happening this summer, as per GIVEMESPORT.

As stated by the media outlet, the 22-year-old is believed to be attracting interest from a number of Premier League clubs following his successful loan spell at Crystal Palace in the 2021/22 season, with Villa Park listed as a possible destination for the England international.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT on Villa’s chances of securing a deal for Gallagher, Holland said: “That’d be a move I could see.

“It probably won’t be a permanent deal, they’d have to settle for a loan move, but the logistics of it are whether (Steven) Gerrard and the Villa chiefs would want to loan a rival’s player, making him a better player and then in a year’s time be worse off without him.

“And Chelsea will be benefiting, so that’s one for Gerrard to decide, I’m sure.”

Gerrard surely delighted

Quite simply, the signing of a player like Gallagher could well be one which helps to take the Villans to the next level.

With both Philippe Coutinho and Emi Buendia being primarily attack-minded options, John McGinn is the one senior Villa midfielder who can efficiently cover both phases of the game. Douglas Luiz is much more defensive-minded, which could cost Villa throughout the transitional phase to attack.

With eight goals and three assists in 34 games, Gallagher had a breakout season at Selhurst Park; and amidst uncertainty over the regularity of game-time at Chelsea, he may look to pastures new this summer, with a World Cup dream with England still entirely possible given that three of his four caps have come this year.

A move back to Crystal Palace in some capacity would seem an obvious one, but with recent reports of a tactical change by Patrick Vieira to embed a five-at-the-back setup, that may prove too much of a gamble for the 22-year-old.

Villa represent the perfect level of ambition, judging by their transfer activity in recent months, and would likely be able to offer Gallagher a starting place. It’s a move which could work wonders for both parties, and it needs to happen this summer.

In other news: “Surprised…”: Reliable journalist drops big Villa transfer claim, Gerrard must act 

Tottenham Hotspur could hijack Arsenal’s deal to sign Man City star Gabriel Jesus as talkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor shares what he’s ‘heard’.

The Lowdown: Spurs in hunt?

The Lilywhites are reliably believed to have been in contention for the Brazil international before their north London rivals stole a march and entered advanced talks.

Spurs boss Antonio Conte is reportedly eyeing a new striker before the start of the 2022/2023 Premier League season, coming after they sealed deals for Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster and Yves Bissouma.

Richarlison is also said to be on the radar of transfer chief Fabio Paratici with Conte’s side seemingly scouring the market for a world class forward addition.

The Latest: Agbonlahor makes Jesus claim…

Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa striker Agbonlahor has shared what he’s ‘heard’ from a ‘good source’ on the future of Jesus – believing Spurs could well hijack a move from the Gunners.

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He explained:

“Gabriel Jesus, apparently, doesn’t want to play as a centre-forward,”

“I heard that from a good source. Apparently, he wants to play on the wing, he prefers it there.

“If he is going in as a winger you can understand it. Some people may think he won’t want to be second choice for Harry Kane but he won’t be because he might be on the right, fighting with Kulusevski.

“Then you’ve got Son on the left with Kane. Maybe that’s where Spurs are at. He could be that competition on the right-hand side.

“Arsenal better be careful [Spurs] could easily hijack that deal. He’s not going to play as a striker for Spurs, he’s going to play as a right-winger.

“That would be a scary front three. Jesus, [Heung-min] Son and [Harry] Kane with [Dejan] Kulusevski as an option.”

The Verdict: Do it?

The 25-year-old, who thrived on the right-wing at points under Guardiola last season, has been called an ‘enigma’ by South American football expert Tim Vickery.

Given his rich vein of form at the back end of 21/22, proving Jesus knows where the net is, it’s unclear which role he would suit best at Tottenham in our view – but it’s clear he would add a degree of quality both as a deputy for Kane and as competition for Kulusevski.

Reportedly valued at around £55 million by City, the player’s age and quality indicates this price tag is more than fair.

Nottingham Forest are looking for ways to strengthen their squad ahead of their long-awaited return to the Premier League next month, and a new potential transfer target has now emerged.

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic, the Reds are preparing a bid for Huddersfield Town ace Harry Toffolo.

As per the report, Forest are looking to offer the 26-year-old the role of left wing-back and will continue to pressure Liverpool into selling right-back Neco Williams so that he can line up on the opposite flank to form the new wing-back duo in their progressive defence.

Cooper will love him

Forest manger Steve Cooper will likely want to continue playing attacking football in the Premier League despite coming up against more challenging opposition, and Toffolo can help them to achieve that, so the Welshman will surely love working with the player.

The 26-year-old dynamo had an impressive 2021/22 season with Huddersfield Town, playing a huge role in the team as they reached the Championship play-off final at Wembley, where of course they lost to the Garibaldi.

Making 40 league starts, Toffolo scored six goals, delivered seven assists and created five big chances, along with making one tackle and two clearances per game. He won the majority of his ground and aerial duels combined (53%), proving that he can be a quality asset to his team in terms of both attacking opportunities and defensive play. [Sofascore]

The £2.25m-rated gem has been the recipient of high praise, with former Huddersfield manager previously Danny Cowley hailing the player (via Yorkshire Post) as he said: “He’s a down-to-earth, honest, hard-working boy with three kids and a lovely family. It’s nice when good things happen to good people.”

The worst thing that Cooper could do is to come up to the Premier League and stop playing the entertaining and tenacious football which served his Forest side so well throughout their outstanding campaign in the Championship, so applying pressure in the left and right channels is something that the 42-year-old will likely want to achieve.

The signing of Toffolo would be a huge coup for Cooper and would allow him to stick with the style of play which has seen his team thrive over the last 12 months into the new Premier League season.

AND in other news – “Huge move..”: Fabrizio Romano delivers Forest transfer update that’ll excite supporters

Raphinha could yet remain a Leeds United player heading into 2022/23.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Brazilian publication UOL (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite the interest of both Barcelona and Chelsea in a £60m move for the 25-year-old, there is now a realistic possibility that the winger could remain a part of Jesse Marsch’s side beyond the end of the summer transfer window.

The report goes on to state that, due to the Brazil international’s preference for a move to the LaLiga side – who are, at present, yet to agree a fee with the Whites regarding a deal for the forward – Raphinha could well travel to Australia with the rest of the Leeds squad on the 10th of July for their pre-season tour.

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Raphinha has been for Leeds since his £17m move to LS11 back in October of 2020, in addition to the fact that the Brazilian is very much one of the supporters’ favourites at Elland Road, the suggestion that the winger could yet remain with Marsch’s side heading into the new Premier League campaign is sure to have left the Leeds faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 30 Premier League appearances in his debut campaign, the £40.5m-rated talent was in electric form for the Whites, scoring six goals, registering nine assists and creating 12 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.2 shots, making 2.1 key passes and completing 1.9 dribbles per game.

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These returns saw the 25-year-old average an incredibly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.14, not only ranking him as Marcelo Bielsa’s second-best outfielder in the league but also as the joint 30th-best performer in the division as a whole.

The £63k-per-week forward once again caught the eye over his 35 top-flight outings in 2021/22, bagging 11 goals, providing three assists and creating ten big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.5 shots, making 1.9 key passes and completing 1.8 dribbles per fixture.

These metrics saw the former Stade Rennais starlet earn a SofaScore match rating of 6.97, ranking him as Marsch’s second-best outfielder in the league – playing a starring role in the Whites securing their Premier League status last season.

As such, considering the fact that Victor Orta has already secured a number of impressive signings in the summer transfer window – including the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca, Tyler Adams and Luis Sinisterra – the prospect of Raphinha linking up with this glut of new talent next season is sure to be an incredibly tantalising one for Leeds supporters – with UOL’s latest update sure to have delighted everyone involved with the club.

AND in other news: “We can say that..”: Italian journo drops big Leeds transfer update, Orta surely livid

Tottenham Hotspur could make another two or three new signings this summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge, who delivered a fresh update live on air on Tuesday afternoon. He said on the Sky Sports Transfer Centre:

“I think maybe two or three more [new signings].

“Djed Spence is widely known [as a target], they want at right wing-back, they’re still negotiating a fee with Middlesbrough. The player wants to come, so Spurs and I imagine Chris Wilder and Boro want to get this done as quickly as possible.

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“Djed Spence wasn’t part of Middlesbrough’s pre-season training camp in Portugal, so I expect that to happen.

“I think they want a more attack-minded central midfielder – someone a bit more creative.

“I thought maybe at the start of the summer that might have been Christian Eriksen but hearing from a couple of people that they think Christian Eriksen is looking for maybe a new challenge. Spurs is maybe not a new challenge for him as he was there for seven, eight years.”

Conte will be buzzing

With the Lilywhites competing in the Champions League this season, it would make sense to add strength in depth to the squad, enough to make them challenge on all fronts.

It would allow manager Antonio Conte to rotate his side without losing out on quality. The toll of two matches per week, after a rigorous pre-season camp, could easily take its toll by Christmas.

Spurs have already added some key names to the side, such as Richarlison from Everton and Yves Bissouma from Brighton. Two experienced Premier League talents that only bolster already-stacked departments.

Meanwhile, the likes of Ivan Perisic and Clement Lenglet provide the Italian with solutions to gaps in the squad.

In total, the north Londoners have made five signings, so if Bridge’s claim turns out to be true, then sporting director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy could well hit the seven or eight mark, for the first time in a very long time.

Spence is likely to be one of those additions, as Bridge explains, whilst a new no.10 or creative-minded midfielder wouldn’t go amiss given the struggles of Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso, who could both leave permanently, too.

Either way, Conte has been backed to the hill this summer and their spending spree isn’t done yet, so you have to presume that he’s absolutely buzzing with their business.

AND in other news, After Djed Spence: Journo drops exciting Spurs transfer claim…

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has made an intriguing claim involving Tottenham Hotspur forward Bryan Gil.

The lowdown: Hot prospect

Signed from Sevilla for £21.6m (Sky Sports) just under a year ago, the 21-year-old only provided one assist in 20 outings for Spurs before returning to Spain to join Valencia on loan in January until the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

The Spanish youth international made 17 appearances for the La Liga outfit and had previously been part of the under-19 national team which lifted the European Championship title in that age category.

Having now returned to his parent club for pre-season duty, Gil started the 6-3 victory over the K-League Stars in South Korea during the week, and one well-informed onlooker has suggested that the Spaniard could play a part in Antonio Conte’s side next season…

The latest: ‘Great opportunity’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke claimed that the 21-year-old could save Tottenham from re-entering the transfer market.

The journalist said: “It could be a great opportunity for Gil. He’s obviously hit the ground running in pre-season.

“If he catches the eye of Antonio Conte over the next few weeks, he could play his way into his plans going forward and he could save Spurs a bit of money in the transfer market if Gil does show what he has previously shown in Spain.”

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The verdict: Fringe role at best

Irrespective of how the talented Spaniard fares over the coming weeks, it still seems unlikely that Gil will earn a major role in Conte’s plans at Tottenham.

With wide options such as Lucas Moura, Dejan Kulesevski, Son Heung-min and summer signing Richarlison all in situ, there is already fierce competition to start in the big games.

However, the youngster – who was praised for his ‘incredible energy and pressing’ by Spurs writer Seb Jenkins during the recent K-League Stars clash – could still remain on the periphery of the squad and potentially play a leading role in the domestic cup competitions in what looks set to be a gruelling season for Conte’s charges.

Therefore, despite links to Marseille, Tottenham would be wise to retain Gil for the upcoming term, especially if the reported admiration for Anthony Gordon fails to come to fruition.

Everton have been linked with a move for free agent Jesse Lingard this summer, and now a new update has emerged on the player’s future.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, Everton remain interested in the former Manchester United star’s services this summer.

In a more detailed report from the Daily Mail, Lingard continues to weigh up his options with a £10m-per-year offer tabled by a Saudi Arabian club and talks held with MLS teams last week, as well as a number of Premier League clubs vying for the signature of the player.

Lampard’s very own Odegaard

It is no secret that Frank Lampard is keen to bolster and improve his squad following a relegation scrap in the Premier League last season and Lingard could certainly add some much-needed quality to the team if Everton can seal a deal this summer.

The Manchester United academy graduate spent a decade at Old Trafford scoring 35 goals and delivering 21 assists, but with his game time dwindling at the club, he joined West Ham United on a six-month loan in the second half of the 2020/21 season – proving his worth to the football world and former manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer.

Over 16 Premier League appearances for the Hammers, Lingard – who was hailed “infectious” by Andy Cole – scored nine goals, delivered four assists and created six big chances, as well as making an average of 1.1 key passes, hitting the target with 1.4 shots and winning 3.4 duels per game.

Lampard could even land his very own Martin Odegaard with the signing of Lingard ahead of next season, as the Arsenal star was named as the most comparable player to the former Red Devil last season.

Despite Odegaard making more appearances (36) and offering more goal contributions (11), Lingard outperformed his position peer with a better shot-on-target accuracy (75%), better pass completion rate (85.2%) and was more successful in his dribble intercepting tackles (66.7%).

With that being said, the signing of Lingard would be a major coup for Lampard as he sets out to improve the creativity and performances in his Everton team and the 30-year-old could definitely have a positive influence on that.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals big transfer development that’ll have Everton supporters livid 

Celtic have been dealt an injury blow ahead of their first game of the 2022/23 Premiership season against Aberdeen.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Video Celts, Moritz Jenz is now a doubt to play in Sunday’s clash after picking up a knock which forced him off the pitch in a recent training match.

The defender only joined Celtic last week as he signed a season-long loan deal from French club Lorient, a deal which has an option to buy included.

To highlight the defensive attributes that he’d be able to offer the Bhoys when fit, in 17 Ligue 1 appearances for Lorient last term, the German ended the campaign with 17 successful tackles, 173 pressures, 32 blocks, 33 interceptions and 60 clearances.

This shows just what the 23-year-old will be able to offer to the Scottish champions and why he will be a big miss for them against Aberdeen.

Postecoglou will be fuming

This injury blow will surely have Ange Postecoglou fuming given how the player has only just arrived at the club and only having a certain amount of time left to prepare for the season before it commences.

Bearing in mind how the Hoops have had Carl Starfelt out with an injury he picked up while on international duty earlier in the summer, it would surely be a worry for Postecoglou to have him and Jenz both unable to play at the weekend.

Also, with Christopher Jullien only making one appearance for the club last season and being linked with a move away from Parkhead, it may not be in Postecoglou’s thinking to play him at the weekend.

With Stephen Welsh also being mentioned with a Parkhead exit this summer, the Bhoys could be rather light at the back by the time Sunday arrives.

Taking all this into account, it seems that the Hoops could be relying on Cameron Carter-Vickers to help get their season off to a good start by keeping things tight at the back with whoever he ends up playing alongside on this occasion.

The best thing Celtic can do is hope that Jenz can recover in time for Sunday’s opening match of the season and avoid any other injury scares, or else his loan spell could end up going south and not working out for anybody involved in the deal.

AND in other news: Celtic given green light for £3.3m target, it would be a “beauty” for Postecoglou

Manchester City playmaker Jack Grealish ‘might end up back’ at Aston Villa if his performance levels don’t improve this season. 

That’s according to former Villa striker Tony Cascarino, who was speaking to talkSPORT.

The lowdown

City paid a British record transfer fee of £100m to sign Grealish from Villa last summer, but on paper the 26-year-old didn’t set the world alight in his first season at the Etihad Stadium, notching just six goal involvements in the Premier League (three goals, three assists) and 10 overall (six goals, four assists).

For context, seven different Villa players – Ollie Watkins, Danny Ings, Jacob Ramsey, Philippe Coutinho, Emiliano Buendia, Matty Cash and John McGinn – recorded more goal contributions in last season’s top flight.

The latest

Cascarino reckons that City could run out of patience with Grealish if he fails to live up to his price tag this season.

He thinks that the England international, who has too often produced ‘six out of tens’, could find himself on the loan or transfer list come next summer, and that may present an opportunity for his former club.

Cascarino said of Grealish: “At the end of the season, if he doesn’t pick up his standards, what we know he’s capable of and why they paid £100m for him, he’ll probably be loaned out or he might end up back at Villa.

“He’s not playing well enough consistently for Man City. I’m not talking about being OK, six out of tens. He should be eight or nine. He’s got so much quality.”

The verdict

There may be some Villa supporters who dream about the prospect of Grealish returning to the Midlands.

The 26-year-old, who scored 32 goals and provided 43 assists for the club, made the Championship Team of the Year when they got promoted in 2019 under Dean Smith and won Villa’s Player of the Year prize after helping them to survive in the top flight the following season.

He has also expressed his admiration for Steven Gerrard in the past, tweeting in 2014 that the then-Liverpool captain was an ‘unreal’ player whose ‘passion is the best’.

Furthermore, he insisted following his departure from the Midlands that he would ‘always be a Villa fan’, and perhaps he privately plans to make a comeback towards the end of his career.

However, Grealish’s underlying statistics in his first season at City suggest that he could make a much bigger impact this term.

Only three players – Kevin De Bruyne, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah – could better his record of 0.3 expected assists per 90 last term, and if his team-mates are more clinical this time around, his headline numbers could improve dramatically.

If they do, City definitely won’t be entertaining the idea of letting him go back to his former stomping ground.