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This article forms part of our The Ones That Got Away feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern take a look back at players linked with moves in the past, and see how they would have made an impact had they signed for the interested side.

Alex McLeish had already missed out on a number of players in the past whilst manager of Rangers that went on to become Barcelona stalwarts, with the likes of Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta having both been on his radar at some point in the early ’00s.

Indeed, it is always difficult to assume and picture how well a player will turn out during their career. Some players appear to have it all, whilst others have a great start and then fall into obscurity – Freddy Adu might be a player that can fall into that category – Pele did compare him to Mozart, after all.

However, it would seem McLeish also had the opportunity to bring a player to Ibrox before he made himself a star name at Barcelona (and elsewhere), although he missed out as he decided the player was not his ‘top signing priority’.

According to a report by BBC Sport in 2002, Rangers were one of a number of British clubs thought to have been interested in acquiring Samuel Eto’o when he was still playing his football with Real Mallorca and could have, potentially, been available for a knock-down fee with the Balearic Island outfit thought to have been in financial trouble.

Speaking to the club’s official website (via the report), though, it appeared McLeish did not take as much of a liking as he, perhaps, ought to have as he said: “Samuel Eto’o is a player I like, but there are a lot of players out there that I like. He is not the number one target.

“There were a number of excellent players on show in the Cameroon-Argentina game which Andy watched, including Marc-Vivien Foe, who is a midfield player.

“There are a lot of players out there who we would love to bring to Rangers, but we will do it when the time is right.”

Eto’o had gone on to score 66 goals in his 154 appearances for Real Mallorca before completing a deal thought to be worth US$29.41 million (approx £22.8m in today’s market) to join Barcelona in 2004.

Once with the Blaugrana, the Cameroonian legend appeared to take his ability to find the net up another level, as he managed to bag 130 goals in his 199 appearances for the Catalans (TransferMarkt).

In those appearances, he helped Barcelona to three La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys, two Spanish Super Cups and two Champions League titles as he ended his time in Spain trophy-laden.

Of course, Eto’o would go on to turn out for Inter Milan, Anzhi Makhachkala (where he became one of the world’s highest-paid footballers), Chelsea, Everton and spells in Turkey as he winded down his rather prolific career – 359 goals in 718 total appearances.

Indeed, Rangers (and Steven Gerrard) now have their own prolific forward leading the line in Alfredo Morelos and his goals have helped turn the club back into the competitive force they once were and to the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Having bagged 14 goals in 19 matches so far this season, the 23-year-old Colombia international has been deadly for the Gers, with 62 goals in 110 games – a record that could, perhaps, be argued is similar to Eto’o’s whilst he was at Mallorca due to the nature of competition in Scotland.

Morelos may have only cost Rangers £1m from HJK Helsinki and has gone on to prove that he was a masterstroke of a deal for Pedro Caixinha, however McLeish could have completed his own in 2002 as he would have been able to partner the Cameroonian with the likes of Tore Andre Flo, Shota Averladze, Michael Mols and Peter Lovenkrands at Ibrox (per TransferMarkt).

Rangers fans, do you think the club would have ever been able to bring Eto’o to Ibrox? Let us know your thoughts by sharing them below!

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Everton host Manchester City on Saturday in a match which could really test the resolve of their players, but one individual in particular will likely be looking forward to the clash.

On the chalkboard

That man is Fabian Delph, who made the £10m switch from the Citizens to Goodison Park this summer and will be looking to get one over his former team. Man City, though, are hot off the back of a 8-0 demolition against Watford, a danger Everton will need to be wary of.

As a result, the 29-year-old could be key to Everton’s chances of success, particularly his handling of Kevin De Bruyne, a player whose attributes he should be better prepared for than his teammates, considering he played with him for four years in Manchester.

However, the Belgian is in excellent form and seemingly has a point to prove after missed out on parts of last season through injury, already tallying two goals and eight assists in only eight games this term.

That means he is one of several key threats in the City side, but if Delph can disrupt the flow of the game and get in the face of his opponent then he could have some luck in negating the visitors’ threat.

Since joining the Toffees he has shown that he is capable of performing that role with an average of four tackles from the five games he has played, as per WhoScored, although his success in that department could rely on how often Everton choose to press.

A failure to close down the midfielder will likely lead to goals for the visitors. De Bruyne is brilliant at finding his forward, as evidenced by his average of 4.5 key passes per game, and failing that he is not afraid to go for goal himself.

According to WhoScored he has averaged almost three shots per game so far this campaign, a complete contrast to Delph, whose defensive role will have to continue on Saturday if his side are to get anything from the game.

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Looking at the stats, De Bruyne could dominate in all departments, with even his rate of interceptions matching that of the Everton man despite occupying more of an attacking role in his team.

However, Delph has got on the ball often and used it well for his team. Against Sheffield Wednesday he was a key outlet to his team with 78 touches, and a pass accuracy of 87% this season shows he doesn’t often give the ball away.

If he can stick to De Bruyne and limit his influence, which is he capable of, then he should help to reduce the threat posed by Guardiola’s side and perhaps even earn Everton a surprise result.

Loads of Tottenham Hotspur fans on Twitter have been drooling over former target Ricardo Pereira’s latest Leicester City performance.

The Telegraph reported in June 2017 that the Portugal international was Mauricio Pochettino’s first choice to replace Manchester City-bound Kyle Walker, with Nice demanding around £20m for his services.

However, The Independent saying later in the summer that Daniel Levy was finding a deal more difficult to do than was first anticipated.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Spurs eventually ended up bringing Serge Aurier to north London instead on August 31, with Ricardo turning up at the King Power Stadium the following summer.

The 25-year-old has certainly made a big impact at full-back for the Foxes, and scored an excellent solo goal in the 5-0 win against Newcastle United on Sunday.

Tottenham supporters were quick to have their say on the Leicester right-back having seen their own one sent off in the first half for two bookable offences on Saturday, and it’s fair to say that many weren’t impressed with chairman Daniel Levy.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Following Ralph Hasenhuttl’s confirmation that Nathan Redmond could miss the next 2-3 weeks with the injury that he picked up against Fulham in midweek, you would think that there would be a chance for someone else to take full advantage.

Who could benefit?

Well, Danny Ings has already made three Premier League appearances this term – two of them being starts – so he doesn’t really need to take advantage.

Aside from the former Liverpool striker, the Saints have 32-year-old Shane Long who could potentially step in, although with Hasenhuttl a fan of playing young players such as Yan Valery, we feel that the 19-year-old forward Michael Obafemi would’ve been firmly in his thinking.

The teenager started the midweek win over Fulham and scored the game’s only goal, courtesy of a Redmond assist, and was chosen ahead of Long which suggests that the academy graduate is ahead of the Irishman in the pecking order now.

Redmond’s injury unlikely to offer a huge chance to Obafemi

With Redmond missing for at least two weeks, Obafemi would presumably have been licking his lips at the prospect of filling in for the former Birmingham man in the Premier League.

The teen seemingly had the chance to take advantage of Redmond’s absence with the visit of Manchester United on Saturday, but he will miss it himself with a touch of cramp.

No bother, right? Doesn’t he have a few more games to deputise before Redmond’s return?

No.

Unfortunately for Obafemi, whilst his cramp only looks set to rule him out for a single game, he will not get the chance to impress in Redmond’s absence as a two-week long international break follows the match against the Red Devils, by which time Redmond will most likely be back fit and in contention for a start.

Whilst the Saints as a whole will be glad to see a key player not miss too many games, Obafemi could quite rightfully be gutted with the timing of this international break purely for selfish reasons.

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Crystal Palace enjoyed an excellent 2018/19 campaign from a defensive aspect, showcasing their organisation and positional discipline under Roy Hodgson on numerous occasions.

The formidable partnership of Mamadou Sakho and James Tomkins helped the Eagles record the sixth-best clean sheet record in the Premier League last term with 12 shutouts, although a new face has emerged who could potentially break the duo up.

Gary Cahill.

The 61-cap England international arrived at Selhurst Park on a free transfer this summer after leaving Chelsea and has quickly taken to life in the No.24 shirt at Palace.

Cahill impressed the Eagles supporters on Twitter after his match-winning debut against Manchester United at Old Trafford and followed that performance up with a clean sheet against his former side Aston Villa in a 1-0 win at Selhurst Park.

Despite his undoubted influence, leaving either Sakho or Tomkins out of the side would be a big shout, so let’s look at how Hodgson could incorporate them all into the same XI…

In this system, a 3-4-2-1 formation is being used in order to get the three centre-backs into the same side.

Patrick van Aanholt, a full-back who absolutely loves to attack – the Dutchman has 17 goals in his last five Premier League seasons before 2019/20 – should suit a left wing-back role to perfection.

However, Joel Ward – who plays on the opposite side to the former Chelsea defender – is far from suited to an attacking role given his lack of pace, so we have put Andros Townsend at right wing-back – he is a strong defensive contributor, as per his WhoScored page.

Luka Milivojevic and Cheikhou Kouyate would provide the steel in midfield to cover the attacking wing-backs, while Max Meyer and Wilfried Zaha offer some attacking inventiveness behind the lone striker, Jordan Ayew.

It would definitely be a bold and unusual system for Hodgson to use, although it would arguably be the best formation to deploy in order to utilise his three best centre-backs alongside each other.

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Aston Villa are interested in signing Stoke City defender Moritz Bauer before the end of the week, according to the Birmingham Mail.

Bauer, 27, has already been linked with a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers this month.

The Austrian made 15 Premier League appearances for Stoke in the second half of last season, as per Transfermarkt.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

The right-back was effectively frozen out by Gary Rowett in the first half of the 2018-19 campaign, but has been recalled to the starting XI under new boss Nathan Jones.

There remains huge uncertainty surrounding the defender’s future, however, and according to the Birmingham Mail, Villa want a deal this week.

The Villa Park faithful have been offering their views on the situation.

And it would be fair to say that the majority are struggling to agree whether it would be a good move by the club, who are still hoping to secure a top-six position this season.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Paris Saint-Germain are known for their big-money signings, at least since they were taken over by QSI in 2011, but this transfer window has been surprisingly understated. Not that they haven’t been busy at all – Abdou Diallo, Idrissa Gueye and Pablo Sarabia are the newest recruits in the French capital. Those three have cost the club £73.8m overall but the return of Leonardo, who did not cost a penny, as the club’s sporting director, is the Ligue 1 champions’ best bit of business of the whole summer.

Recent windows in Paris have seen some of the biggest stars in world football join the revolution. Last year, Kylian Mbappe completed his switch from Monaco on a permanent deal for £166m following his one-season loan spell, and in 2017, Neymar arrived from Barcelona for a world-record fee of £200m. In fact, PSG have spent more than £100m in all but three seasons – one of which is the current one – since the takeover.

However, despite those shiny new arrivals and enough talent to fill two quality starting XIs, things have not gone swimmingly at Le Parc des Princes. Despite dominating domestically – they have won 21 of the 32 trophies available to all French clubs since 2011 – they have failed miserably in Europe. So far, they have not made it beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and their attempts to lift European football’s most prestigious prize has produced some humiliating moments. Who will ever forget how they blew a three-goal advantage in the dying minutes against Barcelona in 2017?

This can partly blamed on a clash of egos in the PSG dressing room and since his arrival, Neymar has done nothing to alleviate those issues. On the pitch, he has been fantastic, scoring 51 goals in 58 games for Les Parisiens, but off it, he has been a nuisance. He has refused to train, has made it clear that he wishes to leave and has even been banned whilst not even being on the pitch. There are even worries that Neymar’s huge ego is rubbing off on Mbappe as well after the France international fuelled exit rumours with his speech at the Ligue 1 end of season awards earlier this year.

Leonardo, however, has already shown that he will not allow the former Santos star to bully PSG, or use them as a pawn. He has said that Neymar “can leave” if an offer suits the club, and is even understood to have laid into the Brazil international in front of the whole squad (Sport via The Daily Express) after the training incident. And president Nasser Al-Khelaifi trusts the 49-year-old so much that he is willing to give him “full sporting power” to allow him to correct some of the club’s fundamental problems. Someone must put their foot down, and so far, the former Brazil international has done just that.

His other task, of course, will be to bring in new faces. Even in a short period, there has been a change in transfer policy. As stated before, the stars have been replaced by pragmatic choices who, whilst not likely to bring in commercial success, will offer squad depth and intelligent options. Gueye was one of Everton’s best performers last season and will provide defensive stability in the middle of the park, whilst Diallo and Sarabia are also players who will contribute to the squad in their attempts to finally triumph outside of France.

The transfer track record of Leonardo at PSG is already something to envy. Under his previous stewardship, club captain Thiago Silva, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani, the two highest-scorers in the club’s history, as well as others such as Marco Verratti and Marquinhos all made Paris their home. Honourable mentions must go to Blaise Matuidi and Maxwell. In the time between his two spells, however, only Angel Di Maria, Neymar, Mbappe and, to a lesser extent, Thomas Meunier, have made memorable impressions.

Leonardo has a big job on his hands in Paris. But there is a reason why Al-Khelaifi has brought him back to the club. If he can live up to his boss’ expectations, he will end up being their unsung hero.

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Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Dean Jones of Eurosport has dropped a big update on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger.

The Lowdown: Spurs working on agreement?

As per reports in the media over these last few weeks, Tottenham are very much in contention to sign the Germany international as a free agent despite him plying his trade across London for one of their biggest rivals.

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Rudiger’s current contract at Stamford Bridge expires this year with no extension in sight as things stand, alerting some of Europe’s top clubs alongside Spurs.

The likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Paris-Saint Germain and Barcelona are all in the race to sign Chelsea’s star defender, according to Sky, and the fact that overseas clubs can formally secure him to a pre-contract this month puts Antonio Conte’s side at a disadvantage.

Nevertheless, Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici has apparently been in constant contact with Rudiger’s entourage as he attempts to seal an agreement for the player ahead of next summer (Football Insider).

Sharing news on the situation, Jones has dropped a significant update.

The Latest: Jones drops big Rudiger to Spurs update…

According to the reporter’s sources, Tottenham are making a ‘very attractive’ offer which has ‘definitely’ turned the 28-year-old’s head.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, he explained: “From a financial standing, the offer Spurs are making to Rudiger is very attractive. It has definitely turned his head but he has to be convinced of the football side of things.”

The Verdict: Promising…

With half the job seemingly done in terms of convincing Rudiger with their wage package, Spurs fans will be hoping that the player could decide to join Conte and be part of the Lilywhites’ rebuild.

Currently in his prime and playing well, signing the centre-back would come as one of Paratici’s best possible coups if he can manage to convince the 28-year-old to make the move across London.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan certainly agrees, going as far as to claim he would be ‘one of the biggest signings ever’ if he joined Tottenham (Football Insider). Ex-Sunderland front man Kevin Phillips is also a big fan, stating that Rudiger has been ‘amazing for a number of years’ and any club would be ‘lucky to have him’ (Football Insider).

Bypassing his £31.5m valuation and signing him for nothing would be nothing short of a Paratici masterstroke, and perhaps Conte’s ‘big-name’ manager status could further tempt Rudiger.

In other news: Bid made: TV broadcaster shares news as Spurs lodge offer to sign ‘extraordinary’ £66.8m man, find out more here.

An update has emerged on Rangers and their efforts to make further additions to their squad at Ibrox in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

According to TEAMtalk, the Gers are among a number of clubs who are keen on a deal to sign Manchester City midfielder James McAtee before the end of the month, with Southampton, Leicester, Brighton and Aston Villa among the other teams eyeing him up.

The report claims that Giovanni van Bronckhorst is hoping that his friendship with Pep Guardiola will give the Scottish giants a leg-up in negotiations.

Kent 2.0

The Gers could land the new Ryan Kent in a deal to sign McAtee on loan from the English champions this month, as he is an exciting, talented young forward who could have a big impact at Ibrox.

He has 19 goals and five assists in all competitions for Man City this season, playing for the under-23’s and the first team. The youngster has featured for Guardiola’s side in the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup and the Premier League, although he is yet to make his Champions League bow.

McAtee’s 24 goal involvements in 23 games means that he has directly contributed to a goal every 0.95 matches on average.

City academy coach Brian Barry-Murphy once dubbed the forward a “very intelligent player” and his emergence at first-team level suggests that Guardiola has also seen that in him. His sensational record in terms of goals and assists also proves that he knows how to make an impact in the final third, much like Kent does for the Gers.

The ex-Liverpool winger has 29 goals and 35 assists in 149 games for the Scottish giants. This shows how impressive he has been over the years under Steven Gerrard and now Van Bronckhorst, with McAtee potentially able to follow in his footsteps at Ibrox.

If Rangers are able to get a deal over the line for the Cityzens maestro, he could be a fantastic addition to the squad. His goals and assists for City at youth level suggest that he has the potential to be a key player for Van Bronckhorst in Scotland if he is able to translate some of that form over to the Premiership, which is why he could be the new Kent for Rangers.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst must now sign “exciting” £1.8m-rated gem who was “almost certain” to join Rangers…

Leeds United ambassador Noel Whelan has backed Diego Llorente and Robin Koch to start at centre-back together against Burnley this weekend.

The Lowdown: Leeds host Burnley

The Whites get their 2022 action underway on Sunday afternoon, with the Clarets making the trip to Elland Road. It is a crucial game at the bottom of the table as Marcelo Bielsa’s side desperately look to find some form and pull themselves clear of danger.

Leeds have been injury-plagued at centre-back throughout the season but Llorente and Koch are both fit for the weekend showdown, with the pair in contention to start.

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The Latest: Duo backed to start at centre-back

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan backed the duo to face the Clarets on Sunday in the absence of the injured Liam Cooper, saying:

“This is what we bought them for. We bought these players to be our regular centre-halves.

“It’s only due to injuries when they first came into Leeds United. You’ve had Struijk who came into some really good form and started pushing and competing for these places.

“I would love to see the two of them start together. I think a lot of the fans will love to see that partnership try and develop over a space of time, especially when you’ve got Liam Cooper out.

“You can get yourself Luke Ayling back to the right wing-back role, which is fantastic. That’s where he’s got all the energy. Then pop Dallas back into that central midfield area, where we know he loves to play in that position.

“I think you’ve got to look at those two. You’ve got to stop putting round pegs in square holes here and play two quality, international centre-halves together.”

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The Verdict: Form a partnership

Having a settled centre-back pairing is crucial to any team’s success, laying the foundations and allowing two players to build a strong on-pitch relationship.

Llorente and Koch may well be tasked with doing that in the coming months, with Cooper expected to be out until March, and Sunday could be the first test of their credentials.

Both players have suffered injuries of their own this season – they have only started 15 league games between them – but now is the time for them to show their worth, hopefully playing their part in Leeds rising up the table.

In other news, Leeds have suffered another big injury blow. Read more here.