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Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, ex-Rangers defender Michael Ball believes Billy Gilmour made the right decision choosing Norwich City over a return to Scotland.

According to the Daily Record, Steven Gerrard was keen on bringing the former Rangers youth product back to the club after Chelsea made him available for loan.

However, in the end, 20-year-old Gilmour opted to remain in England and the Premier League by joining Daniel Farke’s side.

For Ball, it would have been great if Gilmour had returned to the club. However, the retired full-back understands the midfielder’s thinking.

“I can understand the decision going to Norwich,” Ball said. “Rangers, it would have been sort of more on the romantic side.

“Going to Norwich, better for his career, but it would have been great for him to go back to Rangers. For him to win a Championship title at Rangers would have been a dream come true for Billy.”

When you look at Gilmour’s passing ability, of course, he is a player who would have brought a lot to Rangers’ midfield.

The £43,000-a-week Scotland international seemed to have a lot of Premier League admirers, though, with Newcastle United another team who were said to be interested, so trying to lure him back to his homeland was always going to be a hard task.

A number of Liverpool supporters are excited after journalist David Ornstein claimed the Reds are keen on signing Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have enjoyed a good season so far, even though their Premier League title chances now appear to be hanging by a thread.

There has been a feeling that Liverpool’s squad is looking tired, however, with only one signing made last summer, and both injuries and COVID wreaking havoc of late.

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Midfield is arguably the Reds’ weakest area of the pitch at the moment, with Jordan Henderson and James Milner both heavily criticised in the draw at Chelsea last weekend, highlighting the need for summer reinforcements to come in in the middle of the park.

According to The Athletic‘s Ornstein [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], Liverpool are keen on bringing in Tchouameni this summer, with the 21-year-old arguably one of France’s most promising young players – his ‘defensive action’ map is quite remarkable, winning duels all over the pitch.

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Liverpool fans love Tchouameni rumour

These Reds fans reacted to the update on Twitter, showing their happiness at the claim.

“My top midfield target”

Credit: @TheKopEnd0619

“Please”

Credit: @nasir_l

“Tchouameni links finally”

Credit: @lfchpw

“Fantastic”

Credit: @NegusSabali

“This is definitely a good idea”

Credit: @Olufolarin9

“On my knees”

Credit: @kazwyv

In other news, some Liverpool fans have erupted over a transfer rumour. Read more here.

Everton could secure their next Mikel Arteta after the Toffees linked with a move to bring Real Madrid midfielder Isco to Goodison Park ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the story?

Spanish outlet Defensa Central reported a few months ago that Rafa Benitez was keen for a reunion with the 29-year-old at Goodison Park after managing him at Madrid between 2015 and 2016.

However, Super Deporte have now provided an update on Isco’s situation, claiming that fellow Premier League side Newcastle United and Serie A giants Juventus have joined the race for his signature.

With Los Blancos keen to offload some fringe players ahead of Kylian Mbappe’s expected arrival, and Isco far down Carlo Ancelotti’s pecking order, an imminent exit appears to be on the cards.

Benitez needs him

It’s been many years since Everton had a diminutive, technically gifted, attack-minded Spanish maestro pulling the strings in the middle of the park, with Mikel Arteta the last to do so.

The now Arsenal boss departed the Blues back in 2011, though, and they’ve missed the guile and imagination of a player in his mould ever since.

In Isco, director of football Marcel Brands could finally replace the attributes that Arteta brought to the engine room throughout his six-year stay, providing Benitez with the creativity he needs for a successful season in the process.

The Spain international has played a pivotal part in Madrid’s success over the last few years, scoring 52 goals and providing 56 assists in 342 appearances for the club. Arteta, meanwhile, provided exactly 35 goals and 35 assists in 209 outings for the Merseyside outfit.

Isco’s impressive exploits helped the capital club claim four Champions League crowns, two La Liga titles and one Copa del Rey during his time in Madrid, earning praise from several impressed onlookers, including former international teammate Andres Iniesta.

“He is a fantastic player, with an incredible talent,” Iniesta told reporters back in 2017. “For many years, he has been doing things very well, and he is playing for one of the best teams in the world.

“He is an important player not just in the national team but in his club. He is young and has many years to grow and improve.”

However, injuries and drop-off in form have resulted in Isco being reduced to a bit-part role in recent years, and he’s only been awarded two starts in all competitions during 2021/22, failing to complete a full 90 minutes on either occasion.

With James Rodriguez’s departure leaving a sizeable gap in Benitez’s forward line at Everton, the £13.5m-rated Isco could be the ideal candidate to plug it, adding the extra firepower that the Spanish tactician so evidently needs.

And, in other news…Forget Gbamin: Benitez must unleash £80k-p/w EFC beast, he made a “huge difference” 

Everton have seen many players coming the Merseyside club over the past few years, some for very significant amounts of money in terms of transfer fees.

However, looking back along, there has one player on whom the Toffees should have been much quicker to splash the cash, only to miss their opportunity.

According to former Toffees manager David Moyes (via Daily Express), the club were chasing the Belgian while he was at Lille before making his way to England with Chelsea, but a lack of sufficient funds meant that a potential move to Goodison Park wouldn’t have been possible.

Moyes said: “We knew all about Hazard because of Marouane Fellaini and the Belgium boys. But it was always going to be biggish cash for us – and we’ve had a few like that, I can tell you!”

During his time at Lille, the winger scored 50 goals and provided 53 assists in 194 appearances before joining the west Londoners in 2012 in a deal worth a reported £32m.

In 352 appearances with Chelsea across all competitions, the 31-year-old scored 110 goals, provided 92 assists and won numerous titles and individual awards along the way. This shows just how brilliant a piece of business it was from the west London club to bring him to England.

Having left the Premier League in the summer of 2019 for a move to Real Madrid, the Belgian has found goalscoring rather hard, only scoring six times in 65 appearances while also struggling with numerous injuries.

Labelled an “unbelievable” player in his prime by former Chelsea team-mate Ruben Loftus-Cheek and called a “superstar” by Jamie Carragher, Hazard has totalled 166 goals and 155 assists in 611 senior club appearances throughout his career.

Taking all this into account, mostly the goal contributions the Belgian delivered during his time in England, it’s safe to say that it was a real calamity from Bill Kenwright to somehow not find the funds for Everton to swoop in and sign Hazard before Chelsea set their sights on him.

Had the Toffees been able to bring the attacker to Goodison Park when they had him on their radar, he could have been a crucial figure for the club for many years due to his immense talent.

In other news: Alan Myers drops four word Everton update which will leave supporters relieved

Aston Villa are pushing to sign Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma, according to French journalist Nabil Djellit.

The Lowdown: Bissouma links

Villa have been heavily linked with a move for the 25-year-old for the majority of the January transfer window.

They now have just a few hours to get it over the line, with Brighton reportedly wanting at least €45m (£37.4m) for their star midfielder, who is into the final 18 months of his contract at the Amex Stadium.

Villa have already had a £25m bid rejected by the Seagulls for Bissouma, with Premier League rivals Manchester United and Tottenham also showing an interest.

The Latest: Djellit’s post

Journalist Djellit took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to provide an update on Bissouma’s future.

He claimed that Villa are pushing for the 25-year-old, adding that Steven Gerrard ‘loves’ the Mali international. Djellit also stated that Spurs are still interested.

The Verdict: To be continued?

Djellit ended his post with a cryptic ‘to be continued’ message, and that may well be the case regarding Villa’s and Spurs’ interest in Bissouma.

It could prove to be too tricky for NSWE to push through a transfer in the final hours of the January window, but Villa are expected to be in for the player in the summer.

Who knows, his €45m (£37.4m) valuation may drop ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. Should his situation remain the same by then, he will be into the final year of his Seagulls contract.

He’s clearly a long-term target at Villa Park, and hopefully the club will secure his services – it’s just a question of when that might happen.

In other news: ‘Hats off to the board’ – Sky Sports pundit purrs at ‘amazing’ out-of-the-blue Villa transfer news

While West Bromwich Albion have started life under Valerien Ismael well, with the Baggies having lost just one of their 11 Championship fixtures under the Frenchman, there have nevertheless been questions raised regarding Albion’s lack of an out and out goalscorer.

Indeed, while Ismael did secure the services of Norwich City centre-forward Jordan Hugill on a season-long loan deal this summer, the 29-year-old is yet to find the back of the net over his seven second-tier appearances for the club.

That’s something that has caused West Brom problems at times, none more so than when the Baggies failed to win three consecutive fixtures against Millwall, Derby County and Preston North End – with Albion scoring just two goals in these games.

As such, it would appear likely that Ismael is already starting to consider entering the January market for further additions up top, however, perhaps the 46-year-old could find a solution to his problem much closer to home.

Lukaku 2.0

West Brom have developed something of a reputation for developing promising young players in recent years, with the likes of Aston Villa’s Louie Barry and Crystal Palace’s Nathan Ferguson both being graduates of the Baggies academy.

However, unfortunately for the Championship side, they have often been unable to keep hold of their most exciting prospects, with many leaving The Hawthorns on free transfers, while others have been picked up by Premier League teams for a relative snip.

And, it would now appear as if West Brom have yet another diamond on their hands, this time in the shape of 17-year-old Reyes Cleary – who is already reported to be attracting the interest of Borussia Dortmund as well as many others.

Indeed, it is not difficult to see why there is significant interest in the teenager, as, over his four U18 Premier League appearances for Albion this season, Cleary has scored a brace in each fixture – which just so happen to have been against Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur.

The teenager has also bagged two goals over two appearances for the Baggies’ U23 side, taking his total haul so far this season to ten goals – in addition to one assist – in just six games.

Furthermore, it is not only transfer interest that Cleary is attracting, but also extremely high praise, with West Brom’s U18 coach Peter Gilbert dubbing the striker a “powerful” player who is an “excellent” finisher – while the youngster has also been compared to former Baggies loanee and current Chelsea star, Romelu Lukaku.

Considering Ismael’s reputation for involving up and coming talents in his first-team squad, in addition to Hugill’s distinct lack of goals, it would seem a wise move for the Frenchman to begin exposing Cleary to senior football before potentially dipping into the transfer market this winter – as the teenager could well go on to save Albion millions in transfer fees.

In other news: “In talks” – Journo drops fresh West Brom claim on £30k-p/w beast, Ismael must act

When Celtic enter the League Cup on Sunday afternoon, they will take plenty of confidence into the clash.

The Hoops have now recorded three victories on the trot and have totted up back-to-back clean sheets. Both of those were rarities last season, so Ange Postecoglou’s men should savour that.

On the chalkboard

That being said, Celtic will have to be wary this weekend because their opposition are Hearts, a team who caused them grief on the opening day of the Premiership campaign.

The Bhoys were miles from their best as a late goal from John Souttar ensured a losing start to Postecoglou’s league reign two weeks ago. However, they are now in a very different place after scoring 13 goals in their last three outings across all competitions.

Their new signings have hit the ground running too, but one player who is yet to be seen at Parkhead or in Celtic colours is James McCarthy. The Irishman signed on the same day as Joe Hart, but with no pre-season minutes under his belt having been a free agent, he is some way behind in terms of his fitness.

Postecoglou has claimed that it could be a while before we see the midfielder in full action, but with the League Cup right around the corner, now feels like the perfect time to hand him his Hoops debut.

Celtic didn’t win a single trophy last season, so the cup competitions will hold a little more significance than normal. However, with weary legs setting in against Jablonec last Thursday, the manager may favour rotation.

Tom Rogic stood out in that match but tired significantly. With an important clash with AZ Alkmaar coming up, the Australian should be given time to recover with McCarthy coming in.

The former Crystal Palace man won’t be completely fresh himself but he’s an experienced campaigner who should be able to replace him and perform reliably at the base of midfield. Dubbed “top-class” by Postecoglou, the 30-year-old could be the heir to Scott Brown in the middle of the park.

Callum McGregor has performed admirably in a deeper role but McCarthy is more accustomed to playing there. During his last full season with Palace, he won 2.5 tackles per game, proving that he can stick his boot in and win the ball when it matters.

On that evidence, the 30-year-old might be the perfect player to combat Hearts, so Postecoglou needs to hand him some sort of role on Sunday.

AND in other news, Celtic close to signing £2.5m “creative monster”, he’s perfect for Postecoglou…

Crystal Palace are reportedly one of several Premier League clubs tracking Rangers forward Joe Aribo ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to the Daily Mail, the Eagles are joined by newly-promoted duo Brentford and Watford in the hunt for the 25-year-old’s signature.

Aribo has entered the final 18 months of his current contract with the Glasgow giants, and as a result, new manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst may be tempted to offload the creative talent during the winter window.

The report states that: “Rangers will be reluctant to lose key man Aribo who has started all but one of their games this season.

“But his contract situation, with his deal expiring in 2023, has left them vulnerable and given hope to his admirers that they may be able to prise him away in either the January window or next summer.”

Crystal Palace could seal a dream deal

After joining the Gers on a free transfer following his departure from Charlton Athletic back in 2019, Aribo has established himself as one of the Scottish Premiership’s most exciting attacking talents.

In 116 appearances for the Ibrox outfit, the Nigeria international has scored 21 goals and provided a further 18 assists for his teammates, playing a pivotal part in the club’s top-flight title victory in ten years last season.

Speaking after a particularly impressive performance against East Fife, former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard lauded Aribo’s talents.

 “I am not sure how many good players have been at this stadium, but I don’t think you will see many better than Joe,” said the now Aston Villa manager.

“Top players turn up anywhere, it doesn’t matter if it is in front of 50,000, or 1500, your standards are always the same, and from day one, Joe has done that. He was outstanding from start to finish.

“He can go as far as he wants. I hope he stays alongside me for many years, but he’s got the world at his feet.”

With loanee Conor Gallagher expected to return to his parent club Chelsea at the end of the season, Patrick Vieira will need some engine room reinforcements over the coming months, and Aribo could be the dream replacement.

He’s cultivated an enviable reputation for his dribbling skills and ability to pick out a pass, as well as being comfortable sticking a foot in and dispossessing opponents during his time north of the border, all traits that would allow him to adapt to the Premier League with ease.

And, in other news…Imagine him & Eze: Palace could form deadly duo with “ruthless” £9m-rated “powerhouse”

Reliable Celtic correspondent Kieran Devlin has had his say on the Hoops’ reported move for Kawakasi Frontale left-back Reo Hatate.

The Lowdown: More Japanese talent?

Celtic have reaped the rewards this season after signing Kyogo Furuhashi for £4.86m over the summer, with the forward comfortably into double figures in front of goal in his first campaign in Glasgow.

Reports last month suggested that the Hoops are confident of bringing forward Daizen Maeda to the club in the New Year, and it seems as if Hatate could also now be moving to Scotland during the winter window.

According to Stephen McGowan of The Scottish Daily Mail (via 67 Hail Hail), Celtic are closing in on a move for Hatate, who can play in midfield or at left-back.

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The Latest: Devlin’s reaction

Devlin ran a Q&A on The Athletic ahead of Celtic’s game with Aberdeen on Sunday.

Here at The Transfer Tavern, we asked Devlin if he has heard anything regarding the Hatate rumours. This is what he had to say in reply:

“Not heard anything myself, but the reports in Japan and here are both from credible people so I imagine they’re true. Will put something together on him either this upcoming week or week after depending on how work on features go.”

The Verdict: Shrewd move…

It appears as if the links are solid, and from the outside looking in, a swoop for Hatate appears to be an extremely clever one.

He is out of contract at the end of January, so if Celtic pay a fee for the versatile 24-year-old, you’d expect that it would be a minimal one. Hatate is also used to winning trophies with his current employers, picking up four honours over the last two years.

Celtic could do with another left-back with Greg Taylor out injured, and Hatate also be able to provide competition in midfield, with Ange Postecoglou relying on Callum McGregor, David Turnbull and Tom Rogic when fit.

In other news: Celtic handed transfer message as ‘quick’ £20k-p/w beast admits he’s ‘open’ to Parkhead move

Former Rangers defender Michael Ball hopes that Ryan Kent stays at the club for one more season.

The winger has been linked with a move to the Premier League this summer with the Daily Mirror claiming Leeds United are interested and the Rangers man is somebody that manager Marcelo Bielsa has liked for a long time.

Kent featured in Rangers’ Scottish Premiership opening day 3-0 victory against Livingston over the weekend.

The left-winger scored 13 goals and provided a further 15 for his teammates in all competitions and helped Rangers to their first league title in a decade.

After continuing to impress for Rangers, former Ger Michael Ball is hoping that Kent stays at Ibrox for one more season, exclusively telling Football FanCast: “I think they’ll be disappointed if Ryan moves on this summer, hopefully, fingers crossed for Steven and the Rangers fans that Ryan can entertain the Ibrox fans for one more season.”

Steven Gerrard will no doubt be hoping to keep hold of one of his prized assets this summer and build on last season’s success.

After opening up with a victory on Saturday in the SPL, attention will now turn to the UEFA Champions League qualifying match against Malmo on Tuesday night.