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Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is keen for additions to bolster their chances at a genuine run at the title and this week, he’s been linked with a move for a former Ibrox star.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Scottish giants have joined the race to clinch Josh Windass from Wigan Athletic this summer with his loan club Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough also in the hunt.

It’s claimed that the Gers are keen to bring him back to Glasgow just two years after he was sold on deadline day for £2.5m.

Meanwhile, leading talisman Alfredo Morelos is edging ever closer to an exit after Lille opened negotiations with Rangers over a record-breaking £17m deal, so a new threat is certainly going to be required in the attack.

Smart call?

Windass’ time in Scotland was pretty decent overall, providing 19 goals and 13 assists in 73 appearances, via Transfermarkt, and ultimately, he was a player that Gerrard didn’t want to let go in the first place.

The 26-year-old revealed in an interview with Open Goal, via the Scotsman, that the Rangers boss was keen to keep hold of him – “He basically said, ‘you’ve got a decision to make. The board have accepted this offer, I don’t want you to go but obviously it’s down to you’.”

Whilst the former Reds midfielder labelled Windass a “good boy” but claimed that he couldn’t guarantee him starts as a number nine, and now it appears that time may have arrived.

This season, the attacking maestro has split time between Wigan and the Owls, where he has netted seven goals from 25 matches whilst averaging 2 shots, 0.9 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per game playing predominantly through the middle, via WhoScored.

Those at Ibrox know Windass all too well and given the uncertain future of Morelos, bringing back the former midfielder could be a wise decision for Ross Wilson to make.

AND in other news, Rangers should dump Bongani Zungu move in favour of long-term Gerrard target…

Brighton are reportedly among several Premier League clubs hoping to sign Rhian Brewster on loan from Liverpool.

Goal.com reported that the Seagulls have made enquiries about a potential loan move for the 20-year-old, with Newcastle, Aston Villa and Burnley also among the interested clubs.

According to Goal.com, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will evaluate the youngster in pre-season and then decide on whether or not to loan him out for the 2020/21 campaign.

Brewster goes into the new season buoyed by a prolific loan spell at Swansea last term, when he found the net 11 times in 22 games and helped them to reach the Championship play-offs. He also has a Champions League winner’s medal from his time at Liverpool and won the Golden Boot in England’s Under-17 World Cup triumph three years ago.

Opportunities have been limited for him so far at Anfield, with his only three senior Reds appearances all coming in domestic cup competitions, and the 20-year-old has yet to feature in the Premier League.

He may well get the chance to do so at Brighton, even if Neal Maupay would be difficult to displace after the Frenchman hit 10 top-flight goals in his debut season at the Amex Stadium. The emergence of Aaron Connolly into the first team picture would provide further competition for Brewster if he joins the Seagulls, while veteran Glenn Murray is also at Graham Potter’s disposal.

However, the potential loan arrival of the Liverpool youngster could spell bad news for two men at Brighton whose own loan moves haven’t been as fruitful. Jurgen Locadia has been loaned out to Hoffenheim and FC Cincinnati, with a somewhat respectable haul of six goals in 15 games for those two clubs.

Florin Andone’s fortunes have been even less encouraging, with just two goals in 12 appearances at Galatasaray as his spell in Turkey was ended prematurely by injuries.

Brewster’s goal haul may have come in the Championship but he has nonetheless been in flying form in recent months, which is more than can be said for Locadia and especially Andone.

If Brighton can beat off stiff competition to sign the 20-year-old on loan from Liverpool, it could leave the two Seagulls outcasts facing an even bleaker future at the Amex. Indeed, it may prompt them to seek a future elsewhere, particularly if the Reds youngster picks up where he left off with Swansea.

Brighton fans, can you see Brewster coming to the club on loan for the 2020/21 season? Share your views in the comments section below!

Despite signing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Southampton earlier this summer, it appears Tottenham aren’t done with beefing up their midfield options.

According to Italian publication Il Secolo XIX (via Football Italia), Jose Mourinho’s side are interested in Sampdoria ace Ronaldo Vieira.

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The report claims that the Italian giants are looking to offload numerous players this summer in order to raise some funds, with Vieira amongst those who could be gone. However, Spurs are set to face competition from the likes of Leeds United (his former club), West Ham, Burnley, Southampton, Leicester and Everton, and that he is likely to cost €10m (£9m).

Having made the move to Serie A, Vieira has somewhat fallen off the radar, but there can be no questioning that he has developed into an impressive holding midfielder.

As per Sofascore, the 22-year-old averaged 1.2 tackles and 3.7 duels won per game last season in the Italian top-flight. Vieira also picked up an astonishing 11 yellow cards and one red in those 27 games for Sampdoria, and that combative approach could see him be a decent back-up to someone like Hojbjerg.

After seeing him deliver a particularly dominant performance for Leeds back in 2017, then Derby County boss and former England manager, Steve McClaren, said: “(Ronaldo) Vieira, wow. At 18 years old he’s got a bright future. He ran the show tonight and gave us a bit of a lesson.”

If Spurs are looking for someone to rotate with Hojbjerg next season in the Premier League, then Vieira could be a shrewd signing for Mourinho.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked to many a centre-back this summer but none seem more apt than the latest name hitting the headlines…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, Spurs have entered the race to land highly-rated Brighton sensation Ben White following an impressive loan spell at Championship-winning Leeds United.

They are joined by the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea but the Seagulls have slapped a fee in excess of £50m on his head.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have already had three bids rejected by the south coast side, the latest of which was around £35m.

Next John Terry?

Following the departure of Jan Vertonghen to Benfica, Jose Mourinho could well be in need of a new centre-back with Eric Dier likely to remain in the role alongside Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld.

The Portuguese has been blessed with many elite defenders over his long and industrious managerial career, ranging from Ricardo Carvalho, William Gallas and John Terry at Chelsea to Sergio Ramos and Pepe at Real Madrid.

And in White, Mourinho could land himself a player fit to fill the boots of his former Stamford Bridge skipper.

Sky Sports’ FL pundit Andy Hinchcliffe believes the 22-year-old is a “bit of John Terry or Gary Cahill” whilst Keith Andrews was impressed by his “elegant way they have of stepping out from the back and picking the right passes more often than not.”

Terry was never a man-mountain of a centre-back, but what he lacked in height he more than made up for in his physical, aggressive, tough-tackling and ball-playing nature.

White, who has been tipped for Three Lions stardom, is only one inch shorter than the Chelsea legend and proved his defensive credentials as a regular figure in Bielsa’s league-leading backline.

Per WhoScored, the “special” talent averaged 2.8 aerial duels won, 2.7 clearances, 1.6 tackles and 56 passes per appearance in the Championship last term.

£50m might seem like a lot of money, but Daniel Levy could land Spurs their future at the back and there’s no one better than Mourinho to transform White into the next Terry.

AND in other news, Levy could kill two birds with one stone in £90m swoop for “magical” superstar Poch wanted…

West Ham United are leading the race to sign Monaco right-back Djibril Sidibe, who spent last season on loan at Everton, according to 90min.

Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United are also said to be interested in the 28-year-old, but the Hammers are closest to striking a deal, which would likely be a loan with an option to buy.

While some may consider this an improvement, if David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady, usually referred to as GSB, were to move for him, it would be a massive blow for Ben Johnson.

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As things stand, the academy graduate is the back-up right-back, behind Ryan Fredericks, despite having put in some impressive performances when given a chance in the team.

This includes his most recent display, against Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup, in which he completed two tackles, two dribbles and two key passes – there was also the occasional moment of eye-catching skill.

Having struggled for fitness last term, the 20-year-old is finally in a good position to get some minutes under his belt, especially after Jeremy Ngakia’s departure.

However, that would be taken away from him if the Hammers were to sign the Frenchman, as he would surely go ahead of the youngster in Moyes’ pecking order.

This follows on from GSB’s decision to sell 22-year-old Grady Diangana, which caused outrage and disappointment among plenty of people involved with the club, as reported by The Guardian.

While this decision wouldn’t see Johnson leave London Stadium, it would definitely strike a blow to another promising youngster.

Tottenham Hotspur may have bounced back from an opening day defeat with an emphatic victory on Sunday afternoon but there was still a major issue bubbling above the surface.

Jose Mourinho’s men, well the duo of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, rocked Southampton with a 5-2 thrashing at St Mary’s with the pair combining for the handful of strikes.

However, Danny Ings twice found the net by pouncing on crucial mistakes in the Spurs backline, raising the question does Mourinho need a new centre-back before that back-up striker spot?

Davinson Sanchez was handed a start over Toby Alderweireld and it didn’t really pay off with the Colombian colossus losing possession a whopping 20 times as well as recording a disappointing 64% passing accuracy. He was also dribbled past once and committed one foul, per SofaScore.

For someone that cost the club £42m and is on wages of around £65k-per-week, it just isn’t good enough.

Perhaps following the fan-happy signing of Gareth Bale, Spurs’ recruitment team can look to bolster their defence instead of finding someone willing to play second fiddle to Kane.

The addition of the Welsh legend could open the door for Son to play in a more-advanced role whilst the England talisman showed signs of why he could be an ideal number ten with four assists and four key passes (50% of his total all game).

Tottenham conceded 47 goals in the Premier League last season, the second-most of any top seven team but only the wide areas have been improved with the additions of Matt Doherty and Sergio Reguillon, who are undoubtedly in for their attacking prowess more than anything.

You’d have to be worried if you were a Spurs fan going into the season with Eric Dier, Alderweireld and Sanchez as your three senior options in the heart of defence.

The 24-year-old badly let Mourinho down, though it’s not his fault. A new centre-back should be their number one priority now.

AND in other news, Spurs could find Mourinho’s next Ibrahimovic in £27m colossus…

Former Bari sporting director Stefano Antonelli has claimed that Udinese were keen on selling Rodrigo de Paul to Leeds United during the European transfer window.

Spending just under £100m during the transfer window, Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa was also linked with a move for De Paul but nothing materialised before Monday’s deadline passed.

With interest in the Argentine midfielder emerging over the last month, Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth opened up about the potential of a bid, claiming that such interest had been used as a ‘smokescreen’ by the Elland Road outfit as they looked at other targets.

That being said, Viola News claimed the interest was ‘genuine’ with the Udinese midfielder’s agent reportedly waiting for the nod from the English club.

Udinese happy to sell £27m-valued De Paul to Leeds

De Paul, who netted seven goals and supplied six assists in Serie A last term, is valued at £27m by Transfermarkt. It has now been claimed by Antonelli that Udinese were happy to sell the midfielder to Leeds if the right price was agreed.

Antonelli is quoted as telling Italian outlet Tutto Mercato (via Inside Futbol): “I have been working there for 21 years with continuity and I know the Pozzo family, they have always been a selling club.

“If they had the right offer they would have sold him because they know cycles end.

“They know De Paul’s cycle is over, but an offer never arrived.”

After missing out on a potential deal for De Paul, Bielsa is now reportedly keen to bring in young Norwich midfielder Todd Cantwell with personal terms said to have been agreed prior to next Friday’s closure of the domestic transfer window.

No De Paul, no problem

A move for De Paul would certainly have handed Bielsa an additional attacking threat, but having spent substantially during the transfer window, a big-money move for the Udinese man could have been frivolous.

Indeed, Cantwell may be a better option, considering he performed well at Carrow Road last season despite Norwich’s relegation.

Leeds have been in good form so far this season and Bielsa will not want to change too much at present with things going so well.

Do you think De Paul would have been a good signing for Leeds? Let us know in the comments section below…

West Ham United appear to have missed out on signing David Moyes’ natural heir to Manuel Lanzini, after failing to secure a deal with Cagliari for their Uruguayan playmaker Nahitan Nandez this summer.

The Hammers were touted as one of two potential destinations for Nandez in the Premier League by La Gazzetta dello Sport, via TransferMarketWEB, earlier in the year, when the Italian outlet claimed the 24-year-old could depart the Sardegna Arena if his €36million (£32.6m) release clause was met in full.

Nandez was lured to Italy last year from Boca Juniors on a contract running until 2024, and impressed in his debut season under Rolando Maran and later Walter Zenga with two goals and four assists to spark transfer interest from Inter Milan, AS Roma and SSC Napoli alongside West Ham and Crystal Palace.

The Punta del Este-born creator is yet to get off the mark for either goals or assists under new Cagliari boss Eusebio Di Francesco, who has called on Nandez to start each of his side’s three Serie A fixtures held prior to the international break.

But Nandez displayed the skill that set West Ham up to track his situation this summer in Uruguay’s win over Chile on Thursday night, despite entering the action with just 34 minutes left on the clock to earn a 32nd international cap.

Substitute and one-time West Ham target Maxi Gomez secured the win for Uruguay in the third minute of stoppage-time, after former Manchester United and Arsenal winger Alexis Sanchez slid an angled effort into the net to counter Luis Suarez’s first-half opener.

Nandez had to wait until the second-half to enter the action when he eventually replaced River Plate’s Nicolas De la Cruz, but provided a constant outlet for Uruguay once on with 26 touches and 15 completed passes from 17 attempts for one key ball, per SofaScore.

The 5 ft 7 playmaker also beat his marker with two of his three attempted dribbles, delivered an accurate cross from his only attempt, played one long ball and was fouled three times whilst winning five of six ground duels.

Nandez’s cameo would have displayed to David Moyes all the reasons why West Ham were interested at the start of the summer, and why he would have made the ideal midfield signing had funds been raised from the expected sale of Lanzini.

Lanzini proved last season that his best days in east London are in the past with an underwhelming campaign featuring just three assists and no goals in 25 outings, and has only been awarded minutes in the Carabao Cup this term with Moyes only feeling fit to name the 27-year-old among his substitutes for Premier League matches.

Controversy somewhat overshadowed the result for Uruguay on Thursday with Chile players furiously confronting the match officials at full-time, having felt multiple penalty decisions went against them during the affair.

Suarez’s strike to break the deadlock in the 39th-minute came from the spot after the Paraguayan referee Eber Aquino spent a long period of time scouring over replays of the ball bouncing up off Sebastian Vegas’ body as he slid in to block a shot before it struck his arm.

Chile’s frustrations mounted further when Aquino refused to consider two later penalty shouts, including one blatant handball nearing full-time that could have prevented Reinaldo Rueda’s men from starting their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign in defeat.

AND in other news, West Ham could land David Moyes’ ideal defensive partner for Angelo Ogbonna in a Championship talent his current side landed for £4m.