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Rangers centre-back Leon Balogun sent a strong message to sporting director Ross Wilson on Sunday as he put in a sublime performance against St Mirren.

Steven Gerrard admitted that the centre-back was a doubt heading into the game after he suffered an injury against Brondby last Thursday.

He told The Herald: “We are hoping we have got to it before there is a tweak or any muscle damage.

“We are hoping it is a little bit of tightness and we will know in the next 24 hours. I will certainly be praying tonight. He felt something in his hamstring. That’s what he came off with, but he wasn’t sure if he felt something or whether it was a bit of tightness.

“We will work that out in the next 24 hours and hopefully he will pull through because he is important for us. I thought his performance was top tonight as well.”

The Nigeria international was able to pull through and produce an excellent display at the back alongside Connor Goldson to ensure the Gers won 2-1 and it should serve as a reminder to Wilson that he has a big decision to make.

Balogun is out of contract at the end of the season and the club hold an option to extend it by one year. Firstly, Wilson must trigger this extension and ensure that he stays for another season at least. Secondly, the Gers chief must negotiate a longer-term deal and keep him at Ibrox in the long-run.

At the age of 33, he is still going strong and producing consistently impressive performances in the Scottish Premiership. This suggests that he is not slowing down, despite his age, and could have more than one year left in the tank.

The defender recorded a SofaScore rating of 7.0 against St Mirren and was a rock at the back in front of Jon McLaughlin. Per SofaScore, he won nine of his 14 duels, whilst making two tackles and four clearances throughout the game as no opposition player managed to dribble past him. He also completed 89% of his passes, highlighting the quality he provides in possession as well as out of it.

This was not a one-off performance from the experienced battler. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.10 in the Premiership this term, winning 62% of his duels and completing 86% of his passes over the course of the campaign so far.

He is proving that age is merely a number and Wilson must act now to ensure that he does not end up leaving Rangers and weakening Gerrard’s squad. His departure would be a huge blow for the club, given the nature of his performances on the pitch, and that is why they must act now to secure his future in Glasgow.

AND in other news, Forget Roofe & Morelos: Rangers beast with 82% duels won was immense vs St Mirren…

Aston Villa captain Tyrone Mings is ‘at risk’ of losing his place in the team, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

Mings, a Villa mainstay, has started 29 of their 31 Premier League matches so far this season, with only injury or suspension keeping him out of the line-up.

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Villa paid just over £20million to sign him from Bournemouth in the summer of 2019, and he signed a contract extension in September 2020. His £80,000-per-week deal runs until the end of the 2023/24 season.

Mings has faced criticism in recent times, with journalist Zach Lowy insisting in February that he was ‘far too error-prone to be a starter, let alone captain’ and urging Villa ‘to move on from him and upgrade with a new CB this summer’.

Steven Gerrard has said he will pick his ‘long-term’ skipper in the summer and admitted that he could recruit someone from elsewhere to don the armband.

The latest

Jones, speaking to GMS, says Gerrard will be considering Mings’ ‘position in the side’ in light of a succession of errors in recent seasons.

He explained:

“I think his position in the side has to be at risk at this stage,” he said. “He has also made quite a few errors over the past couple of years.”

The verdict

Since Villa were promoted to the Premier League, Mings has made five errors directly leading to an opposition shot and four leading to a goal and given away two penalty kicks (via SofaScore).

And those figures don’t account for more subjective errors.

It seems that Gerrard is determined to strengthen at the heart of his defence, with Football Insider claiming he plans to approach his old club Liverpool over a deal for Joe Gomez.

Gomez, valued at £19.8million by Transfermarkt, is described as his no. 1 target.

His public comments about the captaincy might have been a veiled challenge to Mings, who could be fighting for his spot in these final weeks of the campaign. If he can respond, then perhaps it will be enough to avoid the axe.

In other news, Villa could make this move after Sean Dyche’s sacking.

A number of Manchester United supporters have been left fuming at Bruno Fernandes’ ineffective performance against Newcastle United on Monday night.

Ralf Rangnick’s side returned to Premier League action after 16 days without a game, as they looked to respond to wins for the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham in the race for top four.

It proved to be a hugely disappointing evening at St James’ Park, however, with Newcastle the better team for much of the night and deservedly taking home a point.

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It was a match that saw numerous United players underperform but Fernandes was arguably the worst of the lot, giving the ball away an eye-watering 26 times (Sofascore), by far the most on the pitch.

Gary Neville was unhappy with the former Sporting CP man’s whinging towards the younger players, criticising both Portuguese superstars after a bad night at the office for Cristiano Ronaldo too (Sky Sports).

Man United fans fume at Fernandes display

These United fans took to Twitter to lay into his woeful display.

“Anyway that was a disgrace. We lucky to get a draw. Attack has been abysmal for so long now. Can’t keep relying on Ronaldo. Bruno and Rashford are my favourites players but good lord they’ve been horrendous for so long”

Credit: @MUtdDub

“Bruno Fernandes is a disgrace, take him off”

Credit: @dribblelikebest

“Bruno Fernandes has lost possession 52 times in his last two games vs relegation fodder. I’m a fan of Fernandes however he simply cannot be so careless in possession. There’s a difference between risk-taking and carelessness. 60 yard passes fall in the latter”

Credit: @Utd_Analytics

“These days Bruno Fernandes doesn’t read well before making a long pass he just play it anyhow. Playing silly passes over and over again”

Credit: @Ndubisi941

“I tweeted it before game man Bruno has been woeful glad he’s suspended he needs to see the bench. Rashford has been abysmal also let’s hope for a reaction Thursday”

Credit: @UsmaanTalksUTD

“Lol for real him and Bruno were just absolutely disgraceful. Ronaldo obviously had zero impact either but in his defence he was hardly getting the ball lol”

Credit: @Amonmrk

In other news, United are targeting a Premier League goalkeeper in the summer. Find out who it is here.

Former Wolves defender Matt Doherty could still seal a return to Molineux in the January transfer window, according to journalist Michael Bridge.

The Lowdown: Doherty linked with Wolves return

The 30-year-old has had a disappointing time of things at Tottenham since joining from Wanderers in 2020, failing to score in 42 appearances for the north London club and not getting a single Premier League start this season.

Doherty has been linked with a move back to Wolves this month in order to end his Spurs nightmare and return to the club where he thrived for so many years.

There is still time for a move to happen in the next couple of weeks and it has once again been talked up by some in the media.

The Latest: Bridge backs up Doherty return claim

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Bridge said that he believes the transfer could happen before the end of January.

The journalist claimed: “I’ve heard about this Wolves interest and I’ve read in some places that it’s going to happen.”

The Verdict: Good business if it happens

Doherty may have celebrated his 30th birthday on Sunday but he is still a player who has plenty to offer, and he could be a strong addition at Wolves.

That doesn’t mean he would come in and oust Nelson Semedo from the team instantly, but the Irishman would increase the squad depth at Bruno Lage’s disposal, allowing for more rotation in the coming months.

Doherty has been hailed as ‘sensational’ by Match of the Day pundit Jermaine Jenas in the past and his tally of 69 goal involvements for Wolves (28 goals, 41 assists) speaks volumes about the quality he could add.

It’s quite pleasing to hear Bridge stating his strong belief that the 30-year-old could again be lining out in Old Gold before the transfer window closes.

In other news, some Wolves fans are delighted after an update on one player’s future. Find out who it is here.

Flocking to Twitter, a number of West Ham fans have gone into meltdown following a deadline day update from Hammers insider ExWHUemployee.

The Athletic’s West Ham correspondent Roshane Thomas has reported that as it stands, the Hammers are not expecting to sign a player this window.

This comes following numerous transfer links, many of which have come in the past week, with a number of deals seemingly close to being agreed.

Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car was one deal fans expected to go through following multiple discussions between the two clubs. However, the negotiations came to a halt as an agreement could not be made regarding the structure of the deal. West Ham were looking for a loan deal with an option to buy, whereas Marseille were demanding a permanent sale.

Just today West Ham had a bid rejected for Benfica star Darwin Nunez, as the club looked to bolster their attacking options with a new striker. It was thought that the club were considering an improved offer, but it appears unlikely that this eventuality materialises.

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West Ham fans fume at Ex’s post

A Hammers fan shared The Athletic’s report on Twitter, asking popular insider ExWHUemployee for confirmation of the news.

Ex confirmed the news, saying: “That’s my feeling at this point yes. Unless something dramatic changes.”

Fans flooded the comments with hysteria, with many entering into meltdown following the club’s lack of transfer activity. Here’s what some of them had to say…

“I think this will be the final year of my season ticket until they are gone, if we don’t sign anyone”

Credit: @Jimlad66

“Never even come close to having a bid/offer accepted all month. Something seriously wrong with how we handle our business.”

Credit: @WestHamXtra

“Pathetic, oh well Declan knows the ambition now”

Credit: @tayloriw

“Thats Rice and Bowen leaving in the summer and us back to relegation battles”

Credit: @lynnfan99

“Only 6:20 but can we go to bed Ex?”

Credit: @Perkins_SZN

“We’re a joke.”

Credit: @HammerForLife

“It’s embarrassing now”

Credit: @andrewgreen1970

In other news: West Ham United: Fans fume at disappointing Caleta-Car news

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Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continued the extraordinary turnaround of their season – save for the loss to PSG last week – with a 2-0 victory over top-four rivals Chelsea in the FA Cup 5th round, meaning that they progress to a quarter final clash with Wolves.

The win also meant that Solskjaer’s record at the Old Trafford helm extended to 11 victories in 13 games since taking over from Jose Mourinho in December and so the Norwegian’s case for remaining in the role beyond the end of the season grows, while the pressure mounted on his Chelsea counterpart, Maurizio Sarri.

On paper, the Blues have one of the strongest midfield’s in the league – few boast a World Cup winner or a Ballon d’Or nominee and Chelsea have both in N’Golo Kante, but the Frenchman was uncharacteristically dominated in the middle of the park as his side were knocked out of the FA Cup on Monday night.

A huge part of United’s 2019 success has been the incredible form of Paul Pogba, who, against Chelsea, scored and assisted for the ninth and sixth times, respectively, since the ‘Baby-Faced Assassin’ took the wheel.

It has long been clear that relieving the former Juventus man of his defensive duties would help him to become the free-roaming, game-controlling, all-conquering midfielder that United thought they were getting when they splashed a then-world-record £89m to bring the number 6 back to Old Trafford in 2016.

However, even with the likes of Nemanja Matic and Fred in the side – both were intended to give Pogba as much attacking freedom as possible – it still didn’t click with Mourinho in charge. Now, though, the whole camp seems a lot more comfortable with what is being asked of them and the 2018 World Cup winner’s teammates seem far more willing to work hard for him, as well as for Solskjaer.

The former striker has done in a matter of weeks what Mourinho failed to do in over two years and that is to get the best out of Pogba, but a huge part of the 25-year-old’s new-found ‘freedom’ can be attributed to the performances of those around him, a transformed Marcus Rashford included.

Rashford’s runs in behind have meant easy assists for Pogba, but the numbers put in by a different player show exactly why the midfielder was allowed to completely boss the Blues on Monday.

Ander Herrera put in an enormous shift alongside the giant Frenchman and his tireless defensive work meant Pogba could get up the field and into dangerous areas to, first, assist, then score.

The former Athletic Bilbao man completed an impressive 6 tackles and 5 interceptions as he made Kante look like Kevin McDonald and, while Pogba stole the headlines, Herrera took as many touches (58) and also got on the end of the number 6’s inch-perfect cross to nod the visitors ahead on the half-hour mark.

Often known for their eye for a pass, Spanish midfielders are rarely recognised for their physical presence but Herrera won the most aerial duels (2) in the United ranks and was only bested by compatriot Marcos Alonso (3) on the pitch.

If the 29-year-old can continue putting in performances like this, Pogba will rule the midfield for years to come.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

Despite having an average squad age of 27.1 according to Transfermarkt, some of Liverpool’s oldest players are located in their midfield with the likes of Jordan Henderson (31), James Milner (35) and Thiago Alcantara (30) being three of the four oldest players in their squad.

With this in mind, it seems as though the Merseyside club could be adding a young midfielder to their squad as a potential long-term replacement for one of those three previously mentioned players.

What’s the news?

In a recent report from the Daily Mail, football agent Jorge Mendes has been trying to get Fulham midfielder, Fabio Carvalho, a move to Liverpool with the youngster in the final year of his contract at the west London club.

As a product of Fulham’s youth system, the 19-year-old, who is currently valued at £225k according to Transfermarkt, made his senior debut for the club back in September 2020 in a Carabao Cup victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

Since then, the teenager, who has been described as a “fantastic” player by current Fulham manager Marco Silva, has made 13 appearances for the first team where he has managed to score four goals and provide one assist in the process, highlighting his attacking talents from midfield at such a young age.

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In addition to this, in the seven Championship appearances he’s made this season, the youngster has managed to rack up an average of 1.9 shots per game and 1.7 key passes per match, showing that he is certainly an attack-minded midfield player.

With all of this in mind and given how Thiago has only managed to rack up an average of 1.2 shots per game and one key pass per game in the Premier League, Carvalho could well be a perfect long-term replacement for the Spaniard at Anfield with his young age giving him plenty of time to grow and develop into the finished product.

Also, with current Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards revealing that he will be leaving his position at the Merseyside club at the end of the season, securing a low-price deal for Carvalho that could well go on to have a big future at Liverpool would be a great leaving present to the club.

In other news: FSG could seal perfect Salah heir at Liverpool with “unpredictable” £63m-rated machine – opinion

According to reports out of Spain, West Ham United and by extension manager David Moyes have set their sights on Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic as the Galacticos reportedly make a decision on the player’s future.

The Lowdown: West Ham set for interesting summer?

As the Hammers now become outside contenders for a top four place, with London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal seemingly in better positions, their pull in the next transfer window could hinge on whether they qualify for the Europa League or if they even go on to win the competition this season.

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Moyes has reportedly earmarked the signings of a centre-half and striker as major priorities for the club, with moves attempted in the winter, including for the likes of Darwin Nunez (Benfica) and Duvan Zapata (Atalanta).

As those transfers failed to come to fruition, West Ham must now look to the summer in an effort to boost Moyes’ options for 2022/23, with news now surfacing on a brand-new striker target in Galacticos forward Jovic.

The Latest: West Ham ‘fight’ for Jovic…

As per Spanish sources, West Ham and Moyes are eyeing a move for the Serbia international, who is allegedly ‘fed up’ with life at the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid, who are also eager to see him leave the capital, are ‘looking for the Balkan striker’s exit’ as the Irons ‘fight’ for his signature alongside their Premier League top-four competitors Spurs and Arsenal.

In addition, with both player and club eager to see Jovic depart, this report claimed that ‘all roads reach an imminent agreement’ with any interested club willing to negotiate.

Indeed, it seems that if West Ham take their interest further, a quick-fire summer deal could be on the cards.

The Verdict: Make a move?

Jovic’s return for Eintracht Frankfurt points towards a striker with much ability when at the very peak of his powers. The 24-year-old notched a brilliant 17 goals and five assists over 25 Bundesliga starts in the 2018/19 season, perhaps illustrating why West Ham and Moyes have set their sights on him.

In more recent times, during Jovic’s brief return to Frankfurt on loan last year, their ex-manager Adi Hutter lavished the forward with praise, branding him a ‘world-class’ player after a brace against Schalke 04.

Still fairly young, and reportedly on the market for around €30m (£25m), West Ham could give Jovic a new lease of life in the English top flight and take advantage of Real Madrid’s willingness to strike a quick agreement.

In other news: Blow for Moyes as journalist says ‘underrated’ West Ham ace is now ‘ready to leave’, find out more here.

Speaking to Hammers News, Nathaniel Kay of the Chelsea Chronicle claimed that there is a ‘strong possibility’ that West Ham target Armando Broja will be sold by his parent club.

The Lowdown: West Ham need a striker

David Moyes has fared very well considering he has just one first-team striker at his disposal in Michail Antonio. However, the Jamaica international has struggled for consistent goalscoring form this season. He emphatically scored four goals in the Hammers’ opening three Premier League matches, but has only been able to add four more in his following 19 games.

However, winger Jarrod Bowen has stepped up to the plate by scoring six times, filling the Hammers’ void as their main threat in the final third. This has allowed the club to push on, with the Irons holding on to a place inside the top five.

Nonetheless, it is clear that West Ham need to bring in an extra striker to challenge Antonio, or even to start ahead of him when he’s struggling for form. This need has been exacerbated by the Hammers’ bid for automatic Champions League qualification as they fight for a place in the top four.

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The Latest: Broja is a ‘strong possibility’ for West Ham

According to Chelsea Chronicle reporter Kay, there is a ‘strong possibility’ that West Ham target Broja will be sold by the Blues, rather than being loaned out again.

The journalist told Hammers News: “I think there is a pretty strong possibility of selling him. Chelsea are clearly not lacking in attacking players and Thomas Tuchel will want to get the best out of those who have generally struggled (Werner, Havertz, Lukaku).

“The board are usually pretty good at sniffing out a good deal. If they can get £20m plus for a player they raised through the academy, that will be seen as decent business. Plus, they’ve sold to West Ham already this season with Kurt Zouma, so it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if they did so again.

“I think the performances of the likes of Lukaku, Werner and Havertz will play a massive part in this potential move .. [and] if they can all get 10-15 goals or more before the campaign concludes, then Broja may be viewed as a spare part.

“After succeeding with Southampton, he won’t want to play back up to Chelsea’s current crop of forwards. With the Hammers in Europe – and if they get into Europe again – the thought of changing capital city allegiance would be even more enticing.”

The Verdict: Broja could be the perfect solution

The Albanian striker has proved that he is clinical in the final third, having scored five Premier League goals this season, plus a further two strikes in two Carabao Cup games, making him Southampton’s top scorer.

Moyes has been on the hunt for a new striker for the last two years, with his search being made all the more critical when the club sold Sebastien Haller to Ajax in last year’s January transfer window.

The “dangerous” Southampton loanee, as his manager Ralph Hasenhuttl recently described him, could prove to be the man to solve Moyes’ attacking dilemma, and at just 20 years of age, he could be the solution to West Ham’s centre-forward shortage for many years to come.

In other news: Contract talks are now underway for this West Ham stalwart

Coming off the back of two impressive wins against Arsenal in the Premier League and FC Porto in the Champions League, scoring six goals and keeping two clean sheets in the process, Liverpool are back in action once again this weekend with a league clash at home against Southampton.

Unfortunately for Reds manager Jurgen Klopp, it seems as though he will have to work around the fact that he will be without two key senior players on this occasion.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by the Liverpool Echo, prior to Klopp’s press conference, that Reds duo Roberto Firmino and Naby Keita were not seen in the club’s Thursday training session and are presumably unexpected to feature in the clash against the Saints, which would surely have Klopp fuming.

Both players have been suffering from hamstring injuries with Keita’s coming during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion and Firmino’s in their 2-0 home win against Atletico Madrid.

In addition to Keita and Firmino, the report also claims that Curtis Jones and Joe Gomez were also not involved in the latest training session.

Keita and Firmino have managed to rack up six goals and two assists between them in the Premier League so far this season, showing how useful they have been in an attacking sense alongside the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah who have 18 league goals between them.

Looking ahead to the Southampton game, if the pair aren’t fit enough to play, Klopp will be left hoping that the likes of Mane and Salah will be able to secure victory against a stubborn Southampton defence which has only conceded three more goals than the Reds at this stage of the season.

Liverpool’s two previous games may have shown that they may not necessarily be struggling without the injured duo. However, given the hefty number of fixtures coming up for the Reds across the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup, Klopp will undoubtedly be hoping that they will be able to make full recoveries sooner rather than later so that he has more options at his disposal and more opportunities to rotate his players and give some a rest if they need it.

In other news: FSG can seal Klopp’s dream Mane heir with Liverpool swoop for £150k-p/w “competitor”