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Rangers have been linked with a move for Gary Cahill recently and if he were to arrive at Ibrox, it could spell the end for Nikola Katic in Steven Gerrard’s side.

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, Rangers are interested in signing the veteran centre-back following his exit from Crystal Palace earlier this summer, and are prepared to offer him a significant wage in order to bring him to Ibrox.

Should the 35-year-old arrive, it would leave Gerrard with a plethora of options at centre-back, which suggests that at least one from his current squad would leave, with Katic one of the most likely options.

The Croatia international missed the entirety of last season through injury and whilst he made his return in the pre-season game against Brighton recently, it is difficult to see him reclaiming a regular first-team spot in Gerrard’s side, when you consider the superb performances of Connor Goldson and Filip Helander last season.

Rangers would concede 13 goals in the Scottish Premiership, with their superb defensive record key to them finishing the league season unbeaten, which suggests that Gerrard won’t make too many changes at the back as he prepares for the season opener later this month.

Should Rangers swap Cahill for Katic?

Katic has been linked with a loan move to Italian side Spezia in recent weeks and sending him out on loan could be the ideal way for him to regain fitness and prove to Gerrard that he has a future at Ibrox, as before his injury he was a key player in the 41-year-old manager’s side.

Therefore, bringing in someone of Cahill’s experience could be an excellent short-term option for Gerrard and Rangers, as he will add some Champions League know-how ahead of the Gers’ return to the elite club competition.

The former Chelsea man was a regular for Crystal Palace in the Premier League last season, which suggests that he has what it takes to play consistently in the Scottish Premiership, and former manager Roy Hodgson praised his leadership qualities, saying:

“He’s also brought us leadership qualities, he’s been very good leadership-wise. He’s the best type of leader; he’s the quiet leader people don’t see from Row Z in the stand. He’s the leader we see in training week to week.”

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This certainly sounds like the type of player any manager would love to have in his squad, and therefore it would make a lot of sense if Ross Wilson were to sign him on a free transfer this summer and then perhaps send Katic out on loan to regain his fitness and confidence after his terrible injury problems last season.

And, in other news… Wilson can sign Rangers’ next Defoe with swoop for “exciting” wonderkid

Andriy Yarmolenko ‘wants to reassess’ his future at West Ham United this summer, according to The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas.

The lowdown

West Ham signed the Ukrainian from Borussia Dortmund in 2018 for a fee of £17.5m and he has gone on to make just 54 appearances in an injury-disrupted spell at the club, scoring 10 goals.

Yarmolenko only made one Premier League start in 2020/21, notching a further 14 substitute appearances, but he has shone for Ukraine at Euro 2020 so far, scoring a sublime goal in a 3-2 defeat to the Netherlands before finding the net again in the subsequent win over North Macedonia.

Yarmolenko is valued at £3.6m by Transfermarkt and has one year remaining on his contract.

The latest

Thomas reported for The Athletic that Yarmolenko is considering his options after a season of limited involvement at the London Stadium. West Ham could look to offload the 31-year-old, who has been earning more than £100,000 per week, as a means of raising funds.

Thomas added that Ukraine manager Andriy Shevchenko told Yarmolenko prior to the tournament: ‘You need to remind everyone how good you are for the national team’.

The verdict

If West Ham are keen to sell Yarmolenko, they’ll be licking their lips after his exploits at the Euros. He might well have doubled his value by reminding the footballing world of his quality.

He could be a decent option next season if the Hammers are looking to rotate during the Europa League group stage, while Irons team-mate Declan Rice has raved about the 31-year-old’s ‘special’ technique and his ‘beautiful’ left foot.

If he does move on, however, West Ham fans may be tempted to ponder what might have been. Yarmolenko has shown devastating ability in flashes, but injury has consistently stalled his West Ham career. Having finished sixth last season with him playing only a peripheral role, he would not seem a major loss if he were to depart.

In other news, a La Liga expert has issued his verdict on this West Ham target. 

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith is eyeing a surprise move for Burnley striker Chris Wood this summer.

What’s the story?

Villa were heavily reliant on last summer’s signing Ollie Watkins to lead the line during the Premier League campaign, and to his credit, the former Brentford man rose to the occasion, scoring 16 goals in all competitions for his new club.

Football Insider claimed that the Clarets forward is being targeted as someone to add more firepower to Smith’s side, adding that Villa “are one of three top-12 Premier League clubs keeping close tabs on Wood.”

Premier League proven

The 29-year-old has been described as a “natural goalscorer” in the past by former Leeds manager Garry Monk, whilst former Millwall teammate Scott Malone believes “he’s frightening” to play against.

Since making the step up to the Premier League, the New Zealand international has been a very effective presence for the Clarets, with 47 goals in 136 top-flight games, leading Alan Shearer to rave about him.

The former Newcastle striker said: “I like him, I like what he does for the team and he is the focal point for them. He is very good at occupying two centre halves. He is a get out for Burnley if they want because they are not afraid to knock it long.

“He can keep hold of it and bring other players into the game. He is horrible to play against and he won’t give defenders a moment’s peace.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/aston-villa-dean-smith-transfer-window-premier-league-villa-park-emi-buendia-gregg-evans-gossip-rumours-update-news” title=”Read the latest Aston Villa transfer rumours and news!”]

The £7.2m-rated ace is the kind of Premier League-proven option who would offer Smith the chance to rotate with Watkins or even partner him next season.

Meanwhile, Dean Smith could sign Villa’s new Dion Dublin in this star…

A number of Liverpool fans are excited about the prospect of Leeds United winger Raphinha heading to Anfield in what is effectively a swap deal with Harry Wilson.

Jurgen Klopp is sure to be eyeing up potential signings this summer as he looks to take his Reds squad up another level. Liverpool need to be back in a position where they are challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title, with a few additions likely to be required for that to happen.

One player who has been linked with a move to Merseyside is Raphinha, with the Brazilian one of Leeds’ star performers throughout the 2020/21 campaign – WhoScored ranked him as their best player in the recently-concluded season, during which he scored six goals for the Whites and set up another nine.

According to Futbol de Inglaterra [via Watch LFC on Twitter], Leeds are in negotiations for the signing of Wilson, who could be used as part of a deal which sees Raphinha going the other way. The Welsh winger has fallen out of favour under Klopp, spending numerous spells out on loan and making just two senior competitive appearances for Liverpool, so he looks highly likely to move on this summer.

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Liverpool fans talk up Wilson-Raphinha swap deal

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the proposed swap deal between Wilson and Raphinha.

“Why this deal makes sense for all parties”

Credit: @Bearded_Kop

“I hope this goes through”

Credit: @Terminal_Ad

“Let hope it’s a direct swap”

Credit: @Deepstweets86

“Now this would be top transfer business if we can pull this off btw”

Credit: @TypicalFirmino

“Please”

Credit: @ffion_james_

“£25M + Wilson that sounds like a fair deal”

Credit: @FplFlynn

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to an announcement regarding a huge Reds player. Find out who it is here.

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass has told The Transfer Tavern in an exclusive interview that he can imagine Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey at Tottenham.

Lamptey, 20, is currently being linked with a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Sky Sports reporting earlier this month that the north London club are interested in signing the right-back.

Meanwhile, talk of Serge Aurier returning to Paris Saint-Germain to reunite with Mauricio Pochettino has emerged, meaning a move for Lamptey really could be on the cards.

Asked by TT whether Lamptey would be a good addition to Spurs’ squad, Windass said:

“Yeah, he’s got bags of pace, hasn’t he? You know, I was surprised that Chelsea let him go. And Brighton, they’d have been delighted probably or surprised as well that Chelsea let him go. So, yeah, I can see it.”

If Tottenham can land Lamptey this summer, he would surely be a smart capture. The English youngster was brilliant down that right flank last season before picking up a serious injury.

He earned recognition from Gary Neville, arguably one the greatest right-backs the Premier League has ever seen, after his display against former club Chelsea, where his quality was on show.

Especially if Aurier does end up leaving this summer, Lamptey could be a great a signing for this Spurs team.

Ipswich Town are keen to overhaul their defensive ranks with the free transfer acquisitions of Sonny Bradley and Callum Connolly in the coming days. Luton Town skipper, Bradley is out of contract at Kenilworth Road and appears to have rejected advances to extend his stay in Bedfordshire. Meanwhile versatile defender-cum-midfielder Callum Connolly is also in talks regarding a permanent switch to Portman Road having enjoyed a season-long loan spell with the Tractor Boys in 2017/18.

It would be something of a coup for Ipswich boss Paul Cook to convince Sonny Bradley to drop down from the Championship to play for League One Town. Bradley has been a towering presence at centre half for the Hatters, helping Nathan Jones’ men to solidify their position in the second tier. However, with Ipswich under new American ownership since April, there is renewed ambition and investment, with the long-term goal of restoring the Suffolk side to the top table of English football.

In addition, Cook is a Championship manager in every sense of the word, having excelled during his time at Wigan prior to the Latics’ off-field issues. He was hotly tipped for the Sheffield Wednesday vacancy earlier this year, which eventually went to Darren Moore.

All change at Portman Road this summer

There have been some eyebrows raised as to the extent of the Portman Road clear-out. On the surface, most of Ipswich’s first team players have long been viewed as too good for League One level, but too few of them have demonstrated this on a consistent enough basis.

In addition, Cook is said to have been exasperated at his squad’s lack of fitness when joining the club. He has long been revered for his front-foot, high intensity style of play and in the last couple of months he could not hide his frustrations at his squad’s inability to play in this manner. He even attempted double training sessions, but this was soon canned due to the players’ lack of conditioning and heightened injury risks.

Certainly, the concertinaed 2020/21 League One campaign will not have done the Blues’ squad any favours when it comes to playing Paul Cook’s way. Recent studies involving Huddersfield University and Edge Hill University, in collaboration with the University of Münster in Germany, found that fixture congestion affects high intensity running on the pitch. Sprints and high intensity movements, which are invariably required to create and score goals, are down during busy periods despite players still being capable of running the same distances over the full 90 minutes.

Sonny Bradley: An ideal replacement for Luke Chambers

With long-serving captain Luke Chambers departing Ipswich Town after almost ten years of service, an experienced centre half such as Bradley is needed to fill that void. Bradley is also a left-sided centre back, which calls into question Luke Woolfenden’s long-term future at Ipswich. It was thought that Bradley’s likely destination for the 2021/22 season would be Preston North End or Hull City, with a move back up north on the cards following the passing of his father last year. However, the East Anglian Daily Times revealed that Town lead the chase for his signature.

Callum Connolly’s versatility a major attraction for Blues boss Cook

Meanwhile 23-year-old Callum Connolly is due to depart Everton permanently this summer, having been with the Toffees since the age of nine. Connolly has spent time on loan with multiple Championship and League One clubs in recent seasons, with his most recent spell this year at Fleetwood seeing him dominate at centre half too. It’s possible Cook is looking at Bradley and Connolly as a central defensive pairing, with both very comfortable on the ball.

Alternatively, Connolly could be utilised as a holding midfielder, replacing Flynn Downes who is thought to have handed in a second transfer request to Paul Cook following the conclusion of the 2020/21 campaign. Town blocked a move to Crystal Palace for Downes last summer and he remains on the radar of several leading Championship and Premier League outfits.

In terms of other new arrivals at Portman Road this summer, reports coming out of Suffolk suggest that Ipswich and their incoming CEO, Mark Ashton, are looking to recruit players as a ‘Championship club in waiting’. Egyptian box-to-box midfielder Sam Morsy is another target for Paul Cook, who is keen to be reunited with the former Wigan captain. Meanwhile talented Portsmouth centre back Jack Whatmough is also said to have held informal talks with Cook regarding teaming up again at Ipswich, with Cook having worked closely with the 24-year-old during his time at Fratton Park.

Steven Gerrard’s hopes of signing Jonson Clarke-Harris for Rangers this summer have taken a blow after Peterborough earned promotion to the Championship on Saturday, which will surely make it harder for Ross Wilson to tempt him to Ibrox.

According to Football Insider, Rangers have been tracking the former Bristol Rovers striker in recent weeks and sent scouts to watch him play in a game against Accrington Stanley, where he hit an impressive hattrick in a 7-0 win.

The 26-year-old striker, who was signed as a replacement for the outgoing Ivan Toney last summer, has enjoyed a superb campaign in League One, one which recently saw him named as the Player of the Year.

He was the saviour once again on Saturday, as his brace helped Peterborough come from 3-0 down to earn the point they needed against Lincoln City to secure promotion back to the Championship.

This could prove to be a huge blow to Gerrard’s chances of signing him this summer, as the Posh will surely be able to demand a significant fee for their talismanic striker, whilst he is also perhaps much more likely to want to stay now that they have earned promotion.

Clarke-Harris looks nailed on to finish as the top scorer in League One this season, with a remarkable 31 goals to his name in 45 league appearances for the Posh.

This has helped him average an excellent 7.36 rating for his performances, which ranks him as the seventh-best player in the division so far this season.

Earlier in the season, Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson was full of praise for Clarke-Harris, saying:

“He was our number one target when Ivan Toney left and we had to work hard on his fitness when he first got here, but he’s been an outstanding signing and a real pleasure to work with.“His fitness has been excellent. He had Covid around Christmas and he wasn’t quite right when he came back, but his performance levels have remained high. He’s been brilliant so far.”[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]Considering the striker is contracted until 2024 and has earned a promotion in his first season with the Cambridgeshire side, it could be very difficult to prise him away this summer, which will surely frustrate both Gerrard and Wilson in their hopes of signing him.And, in other news… Bye-bye Kamara: Wilson should swoop for “very good” 22 y/o this summer – opinion

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, Dean Windass, who made 402 appearances during his career, has claimed that Nathan Ake would like to sign for Tottenham Hotspur as he is not good enough for Manchester City.

Ake was signed for £40 million last summer following Bournemouth’s relegation to the Championship, however, injuries have seen him sit on the sidelines for 105 days this season, with his big blow coming while on international duty.

The former Bournemouth defender has been handed more starts towards the end of the season as Pep Guardiola rested his star players for the Champions League, with Ake starting three of the last four Premier League matches.

Speaking on how Ake isn’t good enough for Man City and if he would think a move to Spurs would be good, Windass exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“I don’t think he’ll stay at City because I don’t think he’s good enough to play for them in my opinion but also, I can’t see him going back to Bournemouth.

“He’s an athlete, he looks easy on the eye as he’s good on the ball, a threat from set-pieces and he’s quick. So I think that would be a good fit and the alarm bells would start ringing for him if he knew Tottenham wanted to sign him. That would be a massive, massive club for him to go to.”

Ake has established himself as a quality Premier League centre back having made 155 appearances since making his debut for Chelsea during the 2012/13 season before he was sold to Bournemouth in 2017.

Pep Guardiola appears to have found his much-desired centre back partnership in John Stones and Ruben Dias who have helped City concede just 26 goals in the league all season.

Outgoing Sheffield Wednesday star Tom Lees could join Bristol City this summer, as he moves on to the next chapter in his career.

The Lowdown: Lees moving on

The Owls suffered a heartbreaking 2020/21 season, with their relegation to League One confirmed on the final day, following a 3-3 draw away to Derby County.

Darren Moore now has the job of masterminding Wednesday’s return to the Championship, although he will have to do it without a host of established, soon to be out-of-contract players.

Lees is one of those after seeing out his current deal, so the centre-back is now on the lookout for a new club, having been described as ‘fantastic’ by former manager Garry Monk in the past.

The Latest: Bristol City keen on move

According to the Bristol Post,the 30-year-old is wanted by Bristol City, after they missed out on signing Hull City man Reece Burke.

Manager Nigel Pearson, formerly Wednesday captain, is keen on bolstering his centre-back options and considers Lees a potential acquisition.

The Verdict: Blow for Moore

In an ideal world, Lees would have extended his stay at Hillsborough, but the lure of playing Championship football has made that impossible.

At 30, the defender may not be at his absolute peak now, but he is still a hugely experienced player who could be a shrewd addition for a team of City’s ilk, and will no doubt be a big miss for the Owls.

He played 38 times in the league in 2020/21, leaving a big gap which Moore now needs to fill. Not only that, the experience of a man with seven years and nearly 300 appearances with the club could have been extremely useful in propelling the Owls back up at the first time of asking.

In other news, Dom Howson has provided an update on a rumoured Sheff Wed transfer target. Find out who it is here.

Gillingham’s Scottish manager Steve Evans has revealed that “four or five” Premier League bosses have called him to ask about Glasgow Rangers defender James Tavernier.

Evans discusses Tavernier

Evans managed Gers captain Tavernier at Rotherham, and the two remain in touch to this day.

Speaking to the Daily Record, the 58-year-old has revealed that several bosses in the English top flight have asked him about the Ibrox right-back. He said:

“I believe Premier League clubs have come in for James. I’ve spoken to four or five bosses who wanted a character reference on him. That’s just in the last six months.

“But James loves being at that club. Some days when he’s out for a run, he’ll go past Ibrox – just to have a look at the place.

“He’d never say that in public but that tells you how much the kid loves it there.”

Vital to the Gers

Tavernier is undoubtedly one of Steven Gerrard’s most important players this season. As skipper, he has led the team by example – the 29-year-old has managed more goals and assists than every other player in the squad (Transfermarkt), while he has been part of a backline which has shipped just 10 goals in the Premiership (BBC).

It is hardly surprising to hear that teams south of the border are interested in his services. Fortunately for the 55-time Scottish champions, it appears that his future remains at Ibrox. He recently signed a new contract which will keep him at the club until 2024 (rangers.co.uk), and as Evans explained, he is loving life in Glasgow. English sides can try all they want to sign him – their actions will most likely be in vain.

In other news, Rangers eye a move for this 14-goal winger.