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Glasgow Rangers have been involved in some of the most entertaining games in the Europa League so far but Steven Gerrard’s side are still unbeaten in all competitions this season, writing their names in the history books every single step of the way.

In fact, Rangers have scored at least one goal in each of their three games in the Europa League so far this season, which just goes to show how utterly dominant they have been on the front foot.

However, the Gers were punished for their defensive errors as they squandered a two-goal lead against Benfica at the beginning of the month, and these fine margins could prove to be the difference if they are to qualify for the knockout stages.

It’s hard to pick holes in Gerrard’s side but if there’s one area they need to tighten up before tonight’s game, it’s a tendency to neglect their defence, as they cannot afford to make the same mistake again against the Portuguese giants, and it seems they could have an ace up their sleeve in the shape of Calvin Bassey.

Former Rangers defender Alan Hutton has spoken admirably about the 20-year-old in the past, as he believes the colossus could become an even better left-back than his teammate Borna Barisic at Ibrox.

Bassey, who joined the Gers in the summer, has been electric every time he has come off the bench this season, as he is averaging 3 tackles, 2 clearances and one key pass per game in the Europa League, via WhoScored, which is exactly what you want to see from an impact substitute from the bench.

By comparison, the 28-year-old has mustered just one clearance and only slightly more than one tackle per game in the European competition, as per WhoScored.

It’s unlikely Bassey will be able to provide the same amount of assists as Barisic, as the Croatia international has created three assists so far this season, but his ability to track back and block shots could give the Gers a decisive edge in a game which could go right down the wire, as his former coach at Leicester City Steve Beaglehole said “even by Premier League standards, he is very, very quick.”

Jorge Jesus showed he can neutralise their attacking threat by fighting fire with fire but Bassey did a great job of keeping Standard Liege at bay in the Europa League last month, winning five of his seven duels and completing two tackles. He could be the perfect super-sub for Gerrard tonight, following in the footsteps of Kyle Lafferty in 2018.

AND in other news, Davis and Hagi start, no room for Kemar Roofe: Glasgow Rangers Predicted XI vs Benfica…

Liverpool are looking a little short in the defensive department, so it’s no surprise to see them linked with an array of players and they could land themselves a centre-back bargain if latest reports are to be believed.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, the Premier League champions’ financial constraints have pretty much written off any chances of making a move for either Kalidou Koulibaly or Diego Carlos.

Though, a move for Real Betis powerhouse Aissa Mandi is “cheaper and more realistic”.

It’s believed that the La Liga outfit want €12m (£11m) for his services following a €10m (£9m) bid earlier this month, as per Dario de Sevilla, via Sport Witness.

Lovren successor

The Reds offloaded Dejan Lovren for £10.9m to Zenit St Petersburg in July, leaving only three senior centre-backs at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal, so they’d be rather wise to use that money to land Mandi this summer.

He may not be as luxurious as Koulibaly nor a stonecold beast like Carlos, but he’d still be a huge bargain at that price.

The 28-year-old is very much a class ball-playing defender having averaged 62 passes per game at an accuracy rate of 89.7%, which also includes a whopping 4.7 long attempts, too, via WhoScored.

Mandi has also managed 3 clearances, 1.3 interceptions and 1.1 tackles each appearance in La Liga this season.

Earlier in the campaign, he was part of the Betis side to shutout title-winners Real Madrid at the Bernabeu – keeping a front three of Eden Hazard, Karim Benzema and Rodrygo at bay is certainly no mean feat.

Only Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique have been better at playing out from the back than the Betis colossus.

Michael Edwards should absolutely sanction a move for Mandi as he’ll be filling a vital need all for a very decent price.

AND in other news, Liverpool must sell two outcasts to land Klopp TARGET…

It’s safe to say Leeds have already enjoyed a lively start to the new season.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were hugely unlucky to be on the wrong side of a 4-3 thriller in their opening Premier League game of the campaign against Liverpool, before bowing out on penalties to Hull in the Carabao Cup in mid-week.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…



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Now, the Whites turn their attentions back towards the league, with a clash against fellow newly-promoted side Fulham at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.

Having run the changes for the game against Hull on Wednesday, Bielsa will no doubt revert to type, and go with his more senior options. And with that in mind, below is a look at how Leeds could line up against Fulham.

Despite naming him as captain against the Tigers, Kiko Casilla is likely to drop back to the bench, with Illan Meslier coming back in to take the starting goalkeeper slot.

In front of him, Bielsa will further ring the changes, with a complete revamp of the back-line that started against Hull, with Luke Ayling, Robin Koch, Pascal Struijk and Stuart Dallas all taking their places in the starting line-up.

Kalvin Phillips, Mateusz Klich and Pablo Hernandez should form the central midfield trio, with Jack Harrison coming in on the left flank. One key decision Bielsa may be tempted to do, is keeping Ian Poveda in the team, and hoping that a game at home to Fulham – which should theoretically be the ‘easiest’ game of the season given the Cottagers earned promotion via the play-offs – could see him finally make his mark for the club.

And up front, the sooner Rodrigo starts firing the better, and what better chance to do that then on Saturday?

Predicted XI: Meslier; Ayling, Koch, Struijk, Dallas; Phillips, Klich, Hernandez, Harrison, Poveda; Rodrigo

Manchester United have entered ‘advanced’ talks with Jadon Sancho, according to The Daily Express.Â

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has identified the Borussia Dortmund star as the signing he needs to rebuild the Red Devils in the summer.

Man United have been chasing Sancho for several years now, but it seems they are now one step closer to bringing him to Old Trafford.

Ed Woodward has the difficult task of striking a deal with Dortmund so Sancho can travel to the Theatre of Dreams in time for next season.

Nicolo Schira tweeted both sides are in close negotiations as the Englishman would like to leave Germany and return to his homeland.

Recent reports revealed the executive vice-chairman will launch a bid worth £80m once Champions League football is secured.

However, Dortmund are still demanding more than £100m for the club’s top scorer, and it seems as though United will fall short of their asking price.

If United do sign Sancho before the start of next season, it is likely they will have to break the record set by Paul Pogba in 2016.

Woodward has warned the board’s spending may be limited in light of the unprecedented circumstances, so it seems a deal is far from certain.

Indeed, this contradicts a claim from The Daily Mirror’s John Cross, who suggested talks between the two clubs have stalled, as they have not been able to agree on a fixed price.

Once again, everything hinges on whether or not United will qualify for the Champions League, which is not guaranteed.

If Solskjaer fails to sign Sancho in the summer, it will be a huge personal blow for the Norwegian, as he has made it his mission to sign him for the past couple of years.

United fans, do you think Woodward will sign Sancho this summer? Let us know down below!

According to reports, Aston Villa are in the race to sign Liverpool winger Harry Wilson.

What’s the word?

The Wales international spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, but couldn’t help the Cherries avoid relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the season.

Now, The Sun claim that Villa are ready to battle top-flight new boys Leeds United for the signing of the £20m-rated star, with Wilson himself keen on a permanent move away from Anfield rather than another loan.

The Greatest Bargains in Premier League history – How much did they cost?

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The report adds that whilst the 23-year-old still has hopes of fighting for a first-team spot on Merseyside, he is ready to move on this summer to secure regular football.

Premier League quality

Whilst Wilson may have been a part of Bournemouth’s relegation to the Championship, it was not down to a lack of effort from the Welshman himself.

He scored seven goals in 31 top-flight games, ranking him second amongst all of Cherries players, and netted against the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham too.

Described as “incredibly talented” by his former teammate at Hull, Jackson Irvine, Wilson has been roundly praised by the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Frank Lampard.

Klopp said earlier in the 2019/2020 season: “Of course he can (succeed at Anfield). It would have been difficult for Harry and I would have loved to have had him here if we had another choice, especially when Shaq (Xherdan Shaqiri) was injured. His shooting is world-class. Find me five players who shoot better than him.”

And when Wilson was on loan at Derby County a couple of seasons ago, then Rams boss Lampard remarked: “It’s one thing to have a desire to score goals, and Harry has that, but it’s another thing in the real real moments to step up and take responsibility to score the goal. There is probably more risk than reward in terms of if you miss how much people will remember it, so I’m pleased with that from him. The whole stadium felt the pressure but fair play to Harry, he kept a cool head.”

At £20m, Wilson could be absolute steal for Villa.

After returning from a loan spell at Aston Villa last season that saw Dean Smith’s side earn promotion to the Premier League, Axel Tuanzebe may have hoped he would be featuring prominently in Manchester United’s first-team this year.

Unfortunately for him, Harry Maguire’s big-money move to Old Trafford has undeniably locked down one of the centre-back positions for the years to come, leaving just one remaining spot for several defenders to fight for. And so far, the winner of that contest has been Victor Lindelof, who has played 18 games across all competition. Tuanzebe on the other hand has made just the nine appearances.

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But against Colchester in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, the 22-year-old put in the kind of composed display that would have made Ole Gunnar Solskjaer no doubt sit up and take notice from the touch-line. The obvious caveat will be that the Red Devils brushed aside a team in ninth in League Two, and so any conclusions must be taken with a pinch of salt. But the ease in which Tuanzebe commanded the game from the back should really give him a major boost for his potential first-team chances.

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Lining up alongside Magure in what was a relatively strong United eleven, the academy graduate shone bright in the 65 minutes he was on the pitch. He carried out his defensive duties in supreme fashion, and dealt with any danger with authority and purpose. As per Sofascore, he made two tackles and three interceptions, whilst he won all four of his ground duels too.

And whilst his defensive stats look particularly impressive, his numbers in possession were arguably even more stand-out. He lost the ball just once over the hour and a bit that he played, whilst he registered an unbelievable 98% pass accuracy with his 57 passes. Not to mention the fact he successfully completed both of his two long balls as he looked to spread the point of attack.

Get over 80% on this quiz to prove you’re a true Manchester Derby expert…

His composed display came alongside Maguire, the undisputed number one centre-back at United. So whilst Solskjaer has looked at Lindelof as the man to partner the former Leicester star, Tuanzebe certainly made his case to usurp him over the coming weeks. If he can shake off the knock it looked like he may have picked up when going off, he could be in-line to be a major presence in the United back-line sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, Manchester United fans have a rather surprising reaction to news this ace could leave next summer.

Manchester United are considering a cheaper alternative to Jadon Sancho, according to reports from Italy. 

The Red Devils have been linked to Sancho for a number of months and the winger has reportedly told Borussia Dortmund that he wants to return to England. However, despite reports suggesting that United are the front-runners to sign him, nothing has materialised as of yet.

The board have now apparently turned their attention to AS Roma star Cengiz Under in the event that they cannot sign Sancho in the upcoming window. Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, as relayed by Daily Express, claimed that Roma are looking to make a profit this summer.

Under, who has been capped 20 times by Turkey, has scored three goals in 15 appearances in Serie A this season, taking 1.7 shots per game, averaging 1.6 key passes and completing 1.9 dribbles per game on average (via WhoScored).

Corriere dello Sport claimed that United have spoken to former Tottenham director Franco Baldini, who was involved in Chris Smalling’s loan deal and has offered the attacking midfielder to several Premier League clubs.

The Giallorossi are now willing to sell the 22-year-old for around £26.8m, amid interest from Arsenal and Everton. Turkey’s former manager Mircea Lucescu once compared Under to Liverpool superstar and Roma alumnus Mohamed Salah.

Nevertheless, it is worth pointing out he has received a lower WhoScored rating than Sancho for his performances so far.

Failing to sign Sancho would be a bitter blow for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Indeed, the manager has made it clear that the England international is his top transfer priority, while he missed out on signing high-profile target Erling Braut Haaland last year.

Dortmund currently value their ace at a staggering £115m, which has made Ed Woodward reconsider his options. Although the Englishman remains at the top of the board’s agenda, they are now drafting a list of possible replacements if the Bundesliga club refuse to budge.

United fans, do you think Ed Woodward should sign Cengiz Under over Jadon Sancho? Let us know in the comments below!

Wolverhampton Wanderers clinched their place in the knockout stages of the Europa League with a 3-3 draw in Portugal on Thursday evening.

Nuno Santo’s side let slip of a 3-1 lead against SC Braga but it was still enough to see them into the next round making their final Group K match with Besiktas in two weeks inconsequential.

Raul Jimenez’s header in the 13th minute of the match set Wolves on the comeback trail after the home side had opened the scoring inside three minutes.

The west Midlanders then went into the break with a two-goal advantage after right-sided duo Matt Doherty and Adama Traore both got on the scoresheet in quick succession.

Braga were able to squirm their way back in the second half to salvage a draw with many supporters believing that midfielder-turned-defender Romain Saiss was majorly at fault.

‘Liability’ and ‘poor’ were just two words used to describe the 29-year-old’s performance while one supporter went as far as saying that loan flop Jesus Vallejo would have defended better than him.

Another member of the Molineux faithful claimed Saiss had a mare and a further fan believed it was the worst he has ever seen the Morocco international.

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Here’s the best of the reaction:

In other news, Nuno Santo may be chasing ‘the next John Stones’ if reports are to be believed…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Dusan Tadic has revealed in an interview with The Guardian why he feels grateful towards Southampton.

The Serbia international left St Mary’s in the summer of 2018 after joining Ajax in a deal worth £10m, after making 162 appearances for the south coast side following a £10.9m move from FC Twente.

Tadic scored 24 goals and grabbed 35 assists for the Saints during his time at the club, so it feels strange that Southampton agreed to take a tiny loss on the forward who was largely impressive during his time on the south coast.

Now, however, the Ballon d’Or nominee has revealed why that was the case.

What did he say?

Tadic told The Guardian: “A lot of clubs were really interested but I said to Southampton that I only wanted to go to Ajax. Perhaps they wanted me to go to another club, but I was immediately clear. I said: ‘This is the only club that I want to go to.’

“I really appreciate that they let me follow my feeling, because they probably would have received more money from other clubs.”

Kind gesture from Southampton

During his time as the Saints’ No.10, Tadic caused huge problems for opponents with his vision and incisiveness in the final third, and one feels that the club surely could’ve got more than £10m for the Serbian star.

However, as Tadic reveals, he only wanted to go to Ajax, and it was a kind gesture from the Saints to grant him his wishes when, in reality, they could’ve been a lot sterner from a business sense.

The switch to Amsterdam has certainly done wonders for the 31-year-old’s career, as he has been involved in a quite impressive 87 goals in just 82 appearances since moving back to the Netherlands, while also making the semi-finals of the Champions League and earning a nomination for the Ballon d’Or.

It is good to see that there is still respect from Tadic towards the Saints, and that he is appreciative of what they did for him.

In other news, Southampton are coming across as slightly deluded with their valuation over one of Tadic’s former teammates at St Mary’s…

Leeds United fans have been in awe of Tyler Roberts after the club’s official Twitter account shared a clip of a goal he scored in training.

You can understand why the fanbase were all buzzing as the Welshman bagged a volley from just outside the box with pinpoint accuracy.

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The Whites have struggled to score in recent weeks, netting more than once in just one of their previous eight matches, but with Roberts scoring against QPR last Saturday it seems as if he could hit a bit of form in front of goal.

This strike he netted in training would be good enough to win any team’s Goal of the Season award, but it’s just a shame that it was netted at Thorp Arch rather than at Elland Road.

That hasn’t stopped fans getting excited about it though, as social media was flooded with supporters paying tribute to the youngster after this goal.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…