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Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a late blow over one of their mooted January transfer window targets this week…

What’s the word?

There were reports suggesting that Spurs had agreed on a deal with AC Milan for midfielder Franck Kessie, who is out of contract in the summer, after sporting director Fabio Paratici tried to sign him immediately instead of waiting until the end of the season.

However, it appears as if he won’t be joining this month – if at all – as according to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari, the 25-year-old star has verbally agreed to join LaLiga giants Barcelona in June.

“Verbal agreement between #Kessie and #Barcelona for June when the contract with the midfielder’s #Milan will expire. No signature for the moment but the #Blaugrana aim to get to the definition of the details with the player’s entourage,” he tweeted.

Gutting blow for Conte

This will come as devastating news to Antonio Conte, who has previously been said to have requested Kessie’s signature heading into this month – and it’s easy to see why.

The £25m-rated Ivory Coast powerhouse would be an instant upgrade to the bulk of the Italian’s options, especially as the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso are free to leave before Monday’s deadline.

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Kessie is capable of not only providing a physical presence in the engine room but also goals with his set-piece talents and ability to drive the ball forward into the final third.

Indeed, only Zlatan Ibrahimovic (15 goals) found the net more times than the AC Milan midfielder (13) last season, whilst he also averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.2 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

That sort of style has earned comparison to former Premier League star Yaya Toure after Antonio Cassano also dubbed him “devastating” to Bobo TV (via MilanLive).

Elsewhere, Kessie has been described as an “extraordinary player” by his ex-Milan boss Vincenzo Montella.

Therefore, Conte will be truly gutted to have missed out on a player that he’s asked for, one that has been regularly linked with the north Londoners in recent months.

It comes late in the window, so Paratici and co will have their work cut out to find an alternative with just a handful of days remaining.

AND in other news, “In talks”: Sky Sports journo drops huge Spurs transfer update, Conte will be buzzing…

As Rangers headed into the international break they will have done so with glee as the Gers sat top of the league with everything appearing to be rather rosy at Ibrox.

There was a Scottish League Cup semi-final to prepare for and Steven Gerrard will have been confident about Rangers making the final.

However, he is no longer in Glasgow. The Gers have lost their title-winning head coach to south of the border and instead of a straightforward break, they had to work harder than ever to replace him.

The new boss is well known at Ibrox and brings with him a CV that eclipses that of Gerrard.

On Thursday afternoon, it was confirmed that Dutch coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst would become the 17th permanent manager of the club.

He has won the Eredivisie with Feyenoord in what stands out as his proudest achievement to date as a manager. However, his expertise guided the Netherlands-based side to two cup triumphs too.

The 46-year-old will also bring with him an experience of managing some of the finest players to grace European football. That list includes Liverpool hero Dirk Kuyt and Premier League winner Robin van Persie.

The former Arsenal star was a revelation under van Bronckhorst’s watchful eyes, bagging 25 times in 45 matches under the new Rangers manager’s tutelage.

Of course, it is hard to compare van Persie to anybody in the Gers squad but their head coach will undoubtedly require somebody who can fire in the goals on a regular basis.

Ryan Kent will, of course, be vital to retaining their Premiership crown but Alfredo Morelos will also need to start firing.

El Bufalo has been out of form this term with just four league strikes but it surely won’t be long before he becomes his ruthless self again.

The £33k-per-week earner may see a new manager as the perfect opportunity and if he starts scoring regularly again, he will become van Bronckhorst’s next van Persie in Scotland.

Morelos has been consistently linked with a move away from Glasgow but ahead of the January window, Ross Wilson and co must ensure he stays put.

He is a man capable of carrying them to the title and if we consider his goal record, it becomes clear why he’s being mentioned in the same breath as one of the Netherland’s great modern centre-forwards.

The dominant Colombian forward has beaten the goalkeeper on 101 occasions since arriving at Rangers and his iconic playstyle has earned some eye-catching appraisals.

“He was like a jungle cat who hadn’t been trained,” former coach Carlos Restrepo said of his youth days.

“He has a body type like an ox,” Restrepo added in an interview with The Athletic.

Van Persie was more technical than physical, something Morelos typifies, but their goalscoring records certainly match up.

Van Bronckhorst will surely relish the opportunity to coach him each day.

AND in other news, Rangers sealed dream deal over “physically powerful” £230k gem, GVB will love him…

Gio van Bronckhorst is set for his first Scottish Premiership match in charge of Rangers today as the Glasgow giants look to build on their 2-0 win on Thursday in the Europa League.

The Gers beat Sparta Prague in the Dutchman’s first official game as Steven Gerrard’s permanent successor, with Alfredo Morelos scoring both of the goals in the game.

He opened the scoring with a fine, first-timed, finish in the first-half before nodding in a second after a defensive calamity at the back for the Czech outfit.

How many changes will Gio make to the side? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three alterations to the team, with Juninho Bacuna, Nathan Patterson and Fashion Sakala coming in.

With games now coming thick and fast heading into the festive period, it could be beneficial for Rangers to make use of their squad in the coming matches. Van Bronckhorst has a healthy number of players to choose from, with Kemar Roofe and Leon Balogun the only major absences heading into this clash, which could allow him to make a few changes to freshen up the XI.

The first change we are predicting is Nathan Patterson in for James Tavernier at right-back. Gio could want to take a closer look at the young defender from the start and it would allow the ex-Newcastle man to have a rest, after giving the ball away 27 times against Sparta.

Patterson has started one Premiership match this season and registered one assist. This match against Livingston could potentially provide him with a platform to show that he deserves more minutes on the pitch, but it will be down to him to put the performance in and prove to Gio that he warrants a place in the XI.

In midfield, £14k-per-week gem Joe Aribo could be axed from the XI.

Football FanCast published an article explaining why he should be taken out of the team and we predict that Gio will remove him from the side, with Juninho Bacuna replacing him in the number 10 role. The ex-Huddersfield man managed a goal and an assist in the club’s last Premiership match and could provide an attacking spark in an advanced position.

Finally, we are predicting that Fashion Sakala will replace Ianis Hagi on the right wing. This is not a slight on the Romanian’s performance against Sparta and is simply a case of rotation and keeping players fresh for this grueling set of games in the next month. The Gers coach will need his players in a good condition in case they are needed for an extended period due to injuries, which is why it is worth sharing the minutes in these matches.

AND in other news, Time’s up: Gio must brutally axe “languid” £14k-p/w Rangers gem vs Livingston…

Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield has dropped a big claim on his future at Ibrox beyond the end of this season…

What’s the latest?

The Gers gem has admitted that his representatives will be speaking to the club over a new contract in Glasgow, with his current deal due to expire next summer.

He told Sky Sports:

“When you’re on the pitch you’re not thinking about contracts, you’re not thinking about money, you’re not thinking about security, you’re thinking about winning the game for the football club.

“It’s easy for me to think about that and harder for me to think about other things; if you ask my wife she’ll probably say a different thing.

“(It becomes clearer) when they talk to me. I’ve got representatives that will be speaking to the club.

“I haven’t done so at this minute in time but as I say, I’m all about football and they can talk about contracts at different times.”

Delighted

Rangers fans will surely be delighted by this news as Arfield has shown some promising signs since Gio van Bronckhorst’s arrival at the club.

This update may not have come at the best time after his frustrating performance against Hearts on Sunday, but the nature of his displays in recent weeks have been encouraging. His movement off the ball has been crucial to the Gers and how the Dutchman wants to play and he has played a key role in recent wins.

The £16k-per-week midfielder has played in all six of the 43-year-old’s games in charge at Rangers in the Premiership and Europa League, with the club picking up five wins and one draw in that time as he scored once.

It may not come across in his match statistics, but his runs in behind are crucial. He has a knack for knowing when to make the right run into a channel to either drag a defender out of the way or run onto a pass himself.

The former is how he can make a big impact without touching the ball as he can take players out of the game to afford more space for the likes of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos to do their damage in.

This is why fans will surely be delighted by Arfield’s comments about his representatives speaking to the club over the possibility of a new deal. He would be a useful option for van Bronckhorst to call upon with his intelligent movement and work rate off the ball, whilst he has also chipped in with two goals this season.

AND in other news, GVB could save Rangers millions with “lovely” £3.1k-p/w colossus who has “everything”…

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that he was confused by Jose Mourinho’s tactics in Sunday’s north London derby.

Following a wretched run of form, the Spurs boss has become slightly more expansive in recent weeks which has seen Tottenham win four matches on the bounce in all competitions, scoring 13 times in the process.

But Mourinho went with a familiar cautious approach at the Emirates, despite picking up attacking line-up, which included Tanguy Ndombele, Lucas Moura, Gareth Bale, Heung Min Son and Harry Kane – with Erik Lamela’s Rabona goal their only registered shot in the first-half.

And goals from Martin Odegaard and Alexandre Lacazette saw Arsenal turn the game around – with Mourinho’s team only throwing caution to the wind once Lamela was sent off in the latter stages for elbowing Kieran Tierney.

Their attacking intent was nearly rewarded with a point, with Kane striking the post before Davinson Sanchez’s effort was cleared off the line by Gabriel.

But Windass doesn’t understand why the Tottenham manager is so defensive in games against the traditional top-six.

He told Football FanCast:

“I couldn’t believe what I was watching. There were so many players strolling around, it was like an end of season game, they were strolling around, there was no intensity. Harry Kane was very isolated, very quiet, even though he had a couple of chances. It was a bad day at the office. I fancied Tottenham, it was one of those games where you don’t have them very often.

“His tactics change against the top teams, maybe that’s why he gets a lot of criticism. When he does play against the top teams, he parks the bus a little and allows them to come on, they defend very deep and get them on the counter-attack.

“That’s probably why he takes a lot of flack and that’s why he has lost all of those games against the top-six. But then he’ll go to West Brom and be more expansive, I don’t get it.”

Tottenham have now lost five straight matches away at the ‘so called’ big six, suggesting Mourinho’s approach isn’t working and a Plan B is required.

David Moyes will surely be buzzing for the return of Pablo Fornals after the international break, with the West Ham United midfielder expected to overcome his injury.

That’s according to Claret & Hugh, who claim that Fornals will be available for the Irons’ trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers on April 5th.

The Spanish maestro missed his side’s defeat to Manchester United and the 3-3 draw with Arsenal this month due to a groin issue sustained in the build-up to kick-off at Old Trafford, forcing Moyes to make a late change to his line-up.

Fornals was expected to make a quick return from the minor injury but failed to be passed fit for the Gunners’ visit to the London Stadium, despite Moyes confirming that the 25-year-old had been showing signs of improvement.

“We’ve got just about everybody the same [as against Manchester United],” Moyes said last Friday. “Pablo Fornals is improving, and, on the injury front, Angelo Ogbonna is closing in and getting much closer to fitness but he’s a wee bit away.”

Fornals had enjoyed a solid run in the West Ham side before being sent to the treatment room, with the £16m-rated playmaker opening three-straight Premier League games after being given just six minutes of action in the previous three combined.

The arrival of Jesse Lingard in January played a key role in Fornals’ falling to the side, with the Manchester United loanee taking over the Spaniard’s place in the XI at Aston Villa and instantly establishing himself with a debut double.

It was somewhat a surprise when Moyes opted to recall Fornals for last month’s London derby win over Tottenham Hotspur, but the two-time international justified his start with a lively showing.

Fornals again displayed his endless energy and ever-present drive to prove a handful against Manchester City the following week, before producing one of West Ham’s star performances at home to Leeds United to help the Hammers midfield establish a foothold.

Moyes will surely be buzzing to have Fornals back fit for West Ham’s trip to Wolves after the international break, so that he can once again unleash the ball of energy that the former Villarreal talent almost always promises to be.

The Irons boss has previously praised the £67,000-per-week playmaker for his energy and impact on the pitch, noting ahead of October’s trip to reigning Premier League champions Liverpool:

“Pablo has done really well. He’s a really likeable boy and works really hard for the team. We’re always demanding more from him because we want assists and goals for him, and he’s been doing that. His energy and enthusiasm is incredible.

“We have the makings of a young group of players who are doing well and giving us energy and we want to keep on doing that.”

Fornals went on to score at Anfield for his second of the Premier League season after finding the back of the net against Leicester City, in a match in which he also provided his second assist of the campaign.

But goals and assists dried up for the 25-year-old after the Merseyside defeat, making it no surprise that he lost out to Lingard. Yet Fornals was seemingly back on track before his injury with an assist against Tottenham to end a 14-game run with no contribution to the scoring. Moyes will be very happy to have him back to face Wolves.

AND in other news, a West Ham ace who joined at the “perfect moment” has seen his market value of crash by £16.5m…

Tottenham Hotspur are now attempting a move for star Villarreal defender Pau Torres as claims emerge from Spain in the last week.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites fail with bid…

Torres, who has been a crucial player under former Arsenal boss Unai Emery at the La Liga side, is absolutely no stranger to Lilywhites supporters.

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Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici has held a serious interest in the 25-year-old before with Torres even confirming himself that the club made a summer approach before 2021/2022.

The Spain international claims Tottenham even offered him a better deal in terms of salary than Villarreal.

However, Torres goes on to say that his club’s presence in the Champions League was a deciding factor in rejecting Paratici’s advances.

Now, as per La Razon (via Sport Witness), as Antonio Conte’s side chase qualification for Europe’s most elite competition, they are back in the picture to sign him.

The Latest: Tottenham attempting Torres move…

It is claimed that Spurs are ‘seem to be trying’ to sign the central defender this summer.

As well as this, Villarreal have decided to green-light the player’s summer sale if any interested side can offer around €60 million (£50m).

The Verdict: Get it done?

An accomplished centre-half is reportedly among many of Conte’s transfer demands this summer with The Telegraph believing he could demand as many as six fresh faces.

Bearing this in mind, Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy will have to operate smartly in the market and offload surplus players like Tanguy Ndombele before making such huge investments.

As Spurs allegedly attempt to sign Torres, there is no denying they have a better chance of doing so than last year as things stand, especially as they chase a top-four finish.

His £50m price tag remains a huge obstacle, but if Paratici can work his way around the finances and Tottenham’s homegrown quota problem this summer, there is little denying he would be a major upgrade.

Spain manager Luis Enrique, calling Torres and Aymeric Laporte ‘sensational’ due to their defensive partnership at international level, is arguably proven right by the player’s impressive La Liga stats this season.

Over his 28 league starts, the colossal defender has averaged more successful aerial duels per 90 (1.9) than anyone under Emery whilst also making the second-most clearances behind Raul Albion (WhoScored).

A crucial mainstay, only goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli has played more top flight minutes over 2021/2022, backing just how integral he is to Villarreal.

If Conte can snap him up, there is no reason why he cannot become just as pivotal in north London.

In other news: Tottenham in pole position to sign ‘unreal’ 6 foot 3 powerhouse for Conte! Find out more here.

David Sullivan should be all over a bargain deal to sign Watford defender Craig Dawson permanently as West Ham United strive to clear a path for Jesse Lingard’s arrival.

What’s the word?

According to talkSPORT, the Irons could explore activating their option to purchase Dawson after seemingly winning the race to sign Lingard on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window.

Lingard is said to be keen on leaving Old Trafford this month after being cast into the wilderness by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, which sparked a number of Premier League and European clubs to monitor his situation.

West Ham are ready to finalise their deal for Lingard to move to the London Stadium ahead of Monday’s deadline, in an initial six-month agreement that could feature an option to buy the £9m-rated maestro at the end of the season.

The Irons must first clear a hurdle before their deal for Lingard can be ratified, as Premier League rules dictate clubs can only have two domestic loan signings and David Moyes’ side currently have Dawson and Brentford-owned playmaker Said Benrahma.

It has been speculated that West Ham are ready to move forward their £20m obligation to buy Benrahma in the summer to the January transfer window, though talkSPORT claim that Dawson’s situation is the most likely option to be resolved this month.

Reports at the time of Dawson’s move to east London during the final week of the last transfer window claimed the Hammers took hold of a £2m option to purchase the centre-half, having failed with a £30m bid for Burnley defender James Tarkowski.

Should West Ham purchase Dawson?

Dawson’s move to West Ham was met with a lot of pessimism from corners of the fanbase at the time of his unveiling, and had to wait a long while to make his debut with Moyes not fielding the 30-year-old until his side’s 0-0 draw with Southampton last month.

Moyes even opted against naming Dawson on the bench over the first seven available Premier League games before seating the Rochdale-born enforcer in the dugout through until matchday 16.

But Dawson has been a rock at the back for West Ham since stepping foot onto the field, to help the east London outfit go five-games unbeaten in the Premier League and win their last four to now sit fourth in the standings after beating Crystal Palace on Tuesday night.

Rarely does he put a foot wrong beside Angelo Ogbonna, either, with Dawson’s efforts at Everton shackling England international Dominic Calvert-Lewin and again locking down Christian Benteke this week with the Belgian silenced in the air.

Dawson even struck his first top-flight goal in claret and blue at Selhurst Park to help seal the turnaround after Wilfried Zaha’s early opener, to demonstrate yet another aspect of how he has made a genuine difference at West Ham after the Irons conceded twice to Brighton and three at Chelsea last month.

If West Ham are to sign Lingard and thus need to free a loan slot, Sullivan should absolutely be jumping at Dawson’s £2m clause and locking up the no-nonsense centre-half Moyes feels is “sensational”.

That fee would also allow West Ham to spend on a striker to replace Sebastien Haller, with the Irons yet to add depth behind Michail Antonio this month.

AND in other news – Exclusive: Pundit drops verdict on West Ham’s links to £7m-rated striker.

Liverpool jumped to fourth place in the Premier League table with an impressive 3-0 victory over Burnley on Wednesday night, significantly boosting their Champions League qualification hopes.

Although the scoreline was eventually convincing, Jurgen Klopp’s men struggled to get a foothold in the game after a fast start from their hosts, who were evidently keen to impress the 3000 home fans.

It could have been a much different outcome had New Zealand international striker Chris Wood finished a golden opportunity when he got in behind the Liverpool defence, but the Reds dug deep and eventually overcame their much-improved opponents.

A cool and composed Roberto Firmino finish just before half-time swung the game in the visitor’s favour, however, a far less celebrated member of the Liverpool side was the real hero in midweek.

Nat Phillips has been thrust into the limelight this season due to the season-ending injuries picked up by Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, and after a tough start to life in the top-flight, the 24-year-old has put in a string of improved performances in recent weeks.

None, though, were as impressive as his display last night. As per SofaScore, the centre-back recorded a rating of 8.9/10, the highest mark out of anyone on the Turf Moor pitch.

Phillips also won 13 of his 19 duels, made nine clearances, one of which was a goal-saving clearance off the line, and also had a passing accuracy of 79%. It was a solid, all-around performance from the Englishman who appears to be growing in stature week in week out.

To top off his fine evening’s work, Phillips popped up with his first senior Liverpool goal, crashing in a fine header to secure the three points and put the Anfield outfit one game away from securing their place in next season’s Champions League.

The result made it four consecutive league wins for Klopp’s charges, and after the 4-2 victory over bitter rivals Manchester United last week, the German manager was full of praise for Phillips and his defensive partner Rhys Williams.

“The concentration level (Phillips and Williams) showed (on Thursday) night again is immense, absolutely insane what they did there. Against this front four of United, it’s not easy,” Klopp said (via Liverpoolfc.com).

Liverpool are now sitting in fourth position in the Premier League standings, level on points with Leicester City but with a superior goal difference. Victory over Crystal Palace on the final day of the season should secure their return to Europe’s elite cup competition despite the odds being stacked against them for most of the season.

And, in other news…Asking price set: Edwards must act to sign Reds target with a pass accuracy of 87.1%

An official Police Scotland document has branded Glasgow Rangers’ players and staff as “disgraceful” following their celebrations when they beat St. Mirren earlier this year.

The Lowdown: Gers closed in on title

On March 6th, the Gers beat St. Mirren 3-0 at Ibrox to all but confirm their status as Premiership champions. Following the match, the players celebrated with supporters outside Ibrox from the stadium’s windows.

The title was confirmed to be going to Rangers the following day when Celtic could only draw 0-0 with Dundee United (The Guardian).

The Latest: Police Scotland slam Rangers

Now, an official document has been released through a Freedom of Information request by the Scottish Government which criticised the Gers supporters. The memo said (via The Daily Record):

“On conclusion of the event engagement with Police Scotland and Rangers FC continued to encourage the Club to strongly support a stay at home message.

“Whilst assurances were given this did not materialise.

“Further engagement did not result in any further statement relating to fan behaviour or responsibilities being issued, despite numerous statements encouraging celebration, including from the Manager.

“Both the Manager and players actively engaged from within the stadium with fans gathered in disgraceful displays of encouragement, in solid opposition to the public safety issues arising, to their responsibilities given the privileges under which football operates, and to the commitments they had made around public communications.”

The Verdict: Fashionable

At the moment, it seems to be fashionable to criticise Rangers. In this situation, the fans themselves had already congregated outside the stadium as the Gers won what would be prove to be a decisive match. It is only understandable that the players and staff would acknowledge their presence at Ibrox.

We have seen gatherings across Glasgow in recent weeks, such as the Solidarity for Palestine demonstration. Yet, despite that, it is only Rangers supporters that appear to be blamed for disregarding coronavirus regulations. It should not be one rule for some and another one for others, regardless of the reason for people taking to the streets.

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this article.