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Back in January 2020, Ben Williamson put pen to paper on a new deal to extend his stay with Glasgow Rangers, keeping him at Ibrox until 2021.

Fast forward a year later, and Rangers farmed the highly-rated teenager out on loan at Scottish Championship club Arbroath after he agreed a further contract extension and he has thrived since his Ibrox exit.

On loan at Arbroath, Williamson has made quite the impression this season thus far. Having already featured in seven Championship games for Dick Campbell’s side so far this season, the 19-year-old is certainly making up for lost time.

Learning the ropes under Campbell’s tutelage, the Rangers loanee is starting to fulfil his untapped potential. As a player who ticks so many of the boxes needed to have a long and illustrious career at Ibrox, it’s notable to see how he continues to improve in his development as a player.

Against Queen of the South, in only his first of seven starts for the club so far, he was involved in nearly all of the action in the middle of the pitch, completing four successful dribbles from six attempts and recording a pass completion of 70%, via Wyscout. For context, even Steven Davis has only managed an average of 0.6 dribbles per 90 in the Scottish Premiership this season thus far, as per WhoScored.

However, with new arrivals such as Nnamdi Ofoborh and Bongani Zungu and the return of Ryan Jack, youngsters like Williamson and Stephen Kelly have been forced to move elsewhere in search of game time, which has raised question marks over their futures at the club.

But don’t let that fool you so easily. Rangers B-team coach Kevin Thomson recently singled Williamson out for special praise for the role he played in the 0-0 draw in the Glasgow Cup, which just goes to show just how highly he is rated by his boyhood club.

“I thought Ben Williamson was a mountain in the middle of the pitch as well doing the dirty work, the stuff that people don’t know but I know because I used to do it myself so I am delighted for the boys.”

His adopted club were also effusive in their praise for his “outstanding” performance following the 1-0 win over Raith Rovers on Saturday.

Therefore, whether he returns to Ibrox at the end of this season, where he would no doubt be welcomed with open arms by Rangers fans, or remains at Gayfield Park on loan for another few months, Williamson’s future looks bright and filled with so much promise, provided he can keep playing regularly at a decent level.

AND in other news, Rangers are leading the race to sign KV Oostende striker Fashion Sakala…

David Moyes should overlook Blackburn Rovers demanding £25m for Adam Armstrong and still look to bring the striker to West Ham United in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, the Ewood Park natives have set a club-record fee for a player sold if Armstrong is to leave the Championship side at the end of the season.

Moyes is thought to be leading the charge for the 20-goal forward, having carried out personal checks as he continues to assess options to fill the void left by Sebastien Haller.

Damien Duff’s £17m move to Chelsea in the summer of 2003 and Roque Santa Cruz’s transfer to Manchester City for the same fee six-years later remain the highest sums received by the Lancashire outfit to date.

Blackburn believe they can now demand a new record sum for the departure of Armstrong, following the moves from the Championship to Premier League made by the likes of Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma.

Watkins joined Aston Villa in September for £28m rising to £33m, while Benrahma initially signed a £5m loan deal with West Ham that the east London outfit turned permanent this January for a further £20m with £5m in potential add-ons.

Rovers also feel they have to demand a lucrative sum despite Armstrong being a free agent in 2022, as his former side Newcastle United will be due 40% of any profit on the £2m paid.

Moyes had considered making an £8m move to sign the 24-year-old during the recent winter market, but resisted the idea in favour of receiving further scouting reports ahead of an idealistic £10m summer bid.

Fulham and Everton are also said to be admirers of the second-tier hotshot but only consider Armstrong as a squad option for now, while the forward would not be opposed to rejoining his boyhood club Newcastle.

Should West Ham sign Armstrong?

West Ham paying £25m outright for Armstrong will instantly place the 24-year-old among the Irons’ most expensive purchases in club history, with only the arrivals of £45m Haller and £36m Felipe Anderson setting the London Stadium natives back a higher initial fee.

If Moyes had hoped to only spend around £8m to £10m on Armstrong, it could make a deal for the attacker far more difficult than he imagined. Yet the Hammers boss should overlook the hike as the Blackburn star has been a sensation in the second-tier.

Only Brentford forward Ivan Toney (25) has scored more often in the Championship this season than Armstrong (19), who ranks first in the division for shots taken per game (4.7) and efforts struck on target (2.1), per WhoScored.

Armstrong additionally offers 1.1 successful dribbles per game, the eighth-most by forwards who have featured more than five times in the league this term and enough to rank fifth among all current West Ham players.

The Rovers star’s mobility is a key aspect of his game with Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray praising Armstrong for his “speed and dynamic movement,” while recently stating how the 5 ft 8 frontman is “special” and has “Premier League quality”.

That could make Armstrong the ideal back-up to Michail Antonio, who is lauded for ‘distracting and deforming’ defences through his movement to see that the 30-year-old does necessarily need to score to fulfil his role in West Ham’s attack.

So, if Armstrong is on the market – like is expected to be the case – Moyes should not let Blackburn’s valuation prevent West Ham from making a wise purchase.

AND in other news, David Moyes is hopeful of West Ham landing an injury boost ahead of hosting Leeds United…

Liverpool’s injury woes look to have worsened after James Milner was forced off in the 3-1 defeat against Leicester City on Saturday, and the timing arguably could not be worse.

The Reds have endured a nightmare start to 2021 which has seen them drop off the top of the Premier League table and knocked out of the FA Cup by rivals Manchester United.

Whilst long-term injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have made things extremely difficult for Jurgen Klopp’s side, it looks as if they will be providing a feeble defence to the title they won so impressively last season.

In their current rut, Klopp will be relying on his experienced players to help Liverpool get back to their best, with the likes of Jordan Henderson and Milner providing experience on the pitch and aiding the inexperienced backline.

Therefore, to lose Milner through injury ahead of the Champions League game against RB Leipzig is horrible timing for Klopp, as the midfielder has been a big part of the Reds’ success since joining on a free transfer from Manchester City in 2015.

Following the game against Leicester, Klopp revealed that the 35-year-old had an issue with his hamstring and that is why he was forced off at the King Power Stadium, and it seems likely, therefore, that he will miss the trip to Budapest on Tuesday evening.

Back in December 2018, Georginio Wijnaldum was full of praise for Milner after he reached 500 Premier League appearances, saying:

“It is [incredible to reach 500 Premier League games], and also that he is still so fit. He’s a machine.”

Therefore, it seems clear that Milner, who earns £140k per week at Liverpool, is a well respected by his teammates and is still a vital part of Klopp’s side despite his age, so it is undoubtedly a blow that he has suffered an injury and could miss some important upcoming fixtures.

And, in other news… LFC ace lost possession 45 times vs Leicester; he was so wasteful

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, West Brom have now entered pole position on deadline day to sign Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles on loan in this transfer window.

What’s the story?

With the England international struggling to get consistent starts under Mikel Arteta this season in the Premier League – he’s started just once in the Gunners’ last seven top-flight games – it’s no surprise that recent reports have indicated he is generating a lot of interest from sides keen on signing him on loan.

It was suggested early on deadline day that Southampton were leading the race to take Maitland-Niles, but Ornstein has delivered a fresh twist in this developing saga.

The journalist claims that West Brom have reignited talks to sign him, and that a deal should get done, with Arsenal reluctant to send him to a rival and Maitland-Niles himself not wanting Southampton.

Edu must intervene

Whilst the allure of consistent first-team football makes this a pretty good move on the face of it for both Maitland-Niles and Arsenal, for the Gunners in particular, it’s a very dangerous move.

The north London side have already been burned before when it’s come to sending young talent to the wrong clubs on loan, with Serge Gnabry of course the most high-profile example when he played just three times under Tony Pulis at the Hawthorns.

Whilst Maitland-Niles may play more regularly than the German did in his time with the Baggies, the styles of football are so distinctly different between Arsenal and West Brom that it just doesn’t make sense from the north London side’s point of view.

Is letting the 23-year-old go to a club who rank bottom for possession (40.8%), bottom for shots per game (7.9), 19th for dribbles per match (6.5), and fifth-highest for long balls per game (63) the wisest decision? Maitland-Niles wouldn’t be playing his football in the kind of environment that Arsenal have developed over the years, and it could set his progress back considerably, as it did for Gnabry.

The Baggies’ style of play isn’t what’s best for the £16.2m-rated ace’s development. Edu should intervene and either keep him at the Emirates and let him fight for his place, or find another suitor for him. Letting him join West Brom would be a grave mistake on the technical director’s part.

Meanwhile, this Arsenal transfer target showed he could be Thomas Partey’s perfect midfield partner…

Tottenham Hotspur could continue a worrying January trend amid reports linking them with a move for a Premier League outcast…

What’s the word?

According to ESPN journalist Rob Dawson, Spurs are among the teams that have registered an interest in signing Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard this month.

The 28-year-old has dropped down the pecking order at Old Trafford this season but Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is yet to make a decision over his immediate future, despite his contract expiring in 18 months time.

It’s claimed that Lingard is desperate for regular game time having only featured three times so far this campaign.

Lewis Holtby Mk. II

Daniel Levy’s record in the winter transfer window is hardly encouraging, to say the least. Prime examples ranging from the likes of Danny Murphy, Louis Saha and Ryan Nelsen of yesteryear to more recently, Gedson Fernandes.

And a move for Lingard would certainly fall into this bracket as he’s just not needed whatsoever.

In some ways, there are comparisons to be had to the £1.5m signing of Lewis Holtby in 2012/13. Despite Andre Villas-Boas having a wealth of attacking midfield options at his disposal, Levy still sanctioned a move for the German maestro.

In reality, he was never going to start matches over Christian Eriksen, Aaron Lennon, Nacer Chadli, Paulinho or Gylfi Sigurdsson. Indeed, in his first full season in N17, Holtby was restricted to only eight top-flight starts before being loaned out to Fulham.

Each of the aforementioned quintet all started at least 14 matches that year.

Lingard is quite versatile and is able to play both on the wing and in the middle, but these are two areas that Mourinho has a wealth of riches, particularly on the right flank where there are three players (Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn & Gareth Bale) vying for one starting place alone.

He’s unlikely to usurp either of Tanguy Ndombele, who bagged his third goal of the season on Sunday, or a fit Giovani Lo Celso, so it really would be a pointless move this January, thus adding to a long list of previous winter failings.

The 28-year-old only started nine times last campaign and managed a mediocre 0.9 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game, via WhoScored, which would rank him behind Heung-min Son and Harry Kane for chances created, and behind eight other Spurs players in terms of being a threat from wide areas.

We know that Mourinho is a massive fan of Lingard from their time together at United. He once dubbed him “magic” whilst the 24-time England international enjoyed his best returns under the ‘Special One’ by providing 20 goals and 11 assists under his stewardship, more than any other Red Devils boss.

But despite all that, it would be a waste of money to swoop for the £90k-per-week misfit, he’d only go onto become another Holtby rather than the next Teddy Sheringham.

Levy must avoid this deal at all costs.

AND in other news, Forget Lingard: Mourinho should turn to teen prodigy with a “HUGE future”…

Peter Lawwell can solve Celtic’s woes by hiring former Hoops star Shaun Maloney to replace under-fire head coach Neil Lennon at Parkhead.

What’s the word?

According to The Times, Maloney is among a list of potential candidates being considered for the Parkhead hot seat should Lawwell and majority owner Dermot Desmond call time on Lennon’s tenure and fire the Northern Irishman.

Celtic’s hopes of claiming ten Scottish Premiership titles in succession have been dealt a drastic blow by a dire start to the campaign, with Lennon’s stewardship so far returning 11 fewer points than bitter rivals Rangers ahead of Sunday’s fixtures.

Lennon is determined to prove himself to Desmond and Lawwell over the festive fixtures and earn enough points ahead of facing Steven Gerrard’s Gers on January 2 to save his job, with the Hoops at home to St. Johnstone, Kilmarnock, Ross County and Dundee United while only travelling to basement boys Hamilton.

But should he fail, Lennon may find himself replaced by a man who won three league titles and two cups with Celtic in Maloney, who currently sits beside Roberto Martinez in the dugout of the Belgian national side.

The answer to Celtic’s woes?

While Maloney is yet to take charge of a side in his post-playing days, with spells as the assistant manager in Celtic’s Under 20s and reserves before joining the Belgium set-up, the 37-year-old could be the man to solve the Hoops’ woes.

Maloney played under Martinez at Wigan Athletic between his Celtic exit in 2011 and joining MLS outfit Chicago Fire in 2015, a period which saw the Latics shock English football to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup Final only to be relegated from the Premier League days later.

The 47-time Scotland international left an impression on Martinez, though, as Maloney displayed an “elite” coaching mentality that set him aside from the usual breed of British players he had worked with before.

“There are certain individuals who stand out because they are not normal players brought up in the British structure. Shaun wasn’t built in a system. He was built on an appreciation of space and his technical ability,” Martinez said, via quotes by The Scottish Sun in 2018.

“He caught my eye straight away when I was playing in Britain. He looked different to what was around him. When we started working together at Wigan, I realised he was a deep thinker. He had incredibly high standards and was someone who was ready to mature.

“Moving to Aston Villa opened up his mentality and from that point on you could see he had an elite brain. Shaun has a great mind for detail. He’s very natural on the training ground and has a kind feeling for all the players.”

Lawwell and Desmond may look fondly on Maloney’s ability to bring a fresh approach should they decide to fire Lennon at a time of crisis, while the former Motherwell midfielder’s ability to understand the players will help ease any tensions at Lennoxtown.

“Over the course of his career, he has developed an incredible understanding of how a footballer’s brain goes through different situations,” Martinez added. “He understands what it’s like to go away from your comfort zone and perform in international football. That was always a big enjoyment.

“Shaun’s coaching career will take him wherever he chooses to go and he could also one day be a manager in his own right.”

AND in other news, Celtic would be heading for disaster handing a raw coach his “dream job”.

Ross Wilson could give Steven Gerrard the perfect Alfredo Morelos replacement by signing Piast Gliwice striker Jakub Swierczok from his parent club PFK Ludogorets Razgrad.

What’s the word?

According to Polish publication Newonce Sport, Rangers are keeping tabs on Swierczok’s transfer situation ahead of the winter transfer market, as Morelos has once again attracted attention from a whole host of clubs across Europe.

Swierczok is widely regarded as one of the best players in the Ekstraklasa after he established himself as a first-team regular starter at Ludogorets Razgrad following his arrival from Zaglebie Lubin in 2018.

The 27-year-old spent two years with Ludogorets, during which time he scored 36 goals and supplied 10 assists in 83 games for the Eagles in all competitions, before leaving on loan for Piast Gliwice in the summer, where the in-form striker has continued his red-hot streak.

Swierczok is currently under contract until June 2021 and is expected to leave in the upcoming winter transfer market or in the summer.

Perfect Morelos replacement

If Rangers decide to sell Morelos in January, they will need a sure-fire replacement, and Gerrard, Wilson and the rest of the club’s hierarchy will be hard pressed to find a striker better suited to Scottish conditions than the former Poland international.

Despite their spending spree in the summer, it’s inevitable the Light Blues will need to find players to replace aging veterans Jermain Defoe and Greg Stewart at some point in the not too distant future, and Swierczok has the potential to become Gerrard’s new Morelos, which seems a little strange as he is three years older than the Colombian star striker.

Valued at £2.16m via Transfermarkt, the right-footed forward is considered to be one of the best players in the Polish top flight and he’s shown that he can be a force to be reckoned with, with four goals in his past ten games in the league, via WhoScored.

Standing at 5 ft 8 in tall, the diminutive striker isn’t the tallest of centre-forwards, but he makes up for his lack of height with guile and cunning, and he could be a real bargain, as he will be available for a free transfer in the summer.

Per SofaScore, Swierczok won two ground duels, created one big chance and was fouled at least once on average per game during the 2018/19 Europa League season, which suggests that he was a real menace throughout the campaign.

This kind of combative nature is exactly what Gerrard will need to replace if and when the time comes for Morelos to leave the 54-time Scottish champions, as the Colombia international is fouled at least once per game in the Europa League this season so far, as per SofaScore.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers chief Ross Wilson must deliver Billy Gilmour or face consequences…

After looking so close to clinching a vital three points, Sunderland saw their hopes of a first win in four dashed in dramatic fashion by Doncaster on Saturday afternoon.

The Black Cats took the lead just before half-time thanks to an absolute scorcher from Grant Leadbitter, but were pegged back by a late goal by Fejiri Okenabirhie. 

With boss Phil Parkinson already under intense pressure following a dismal defeat to MK Dons last weekend, a win would have done him the world of good. And one man who massively let him down when he really needed him the most, was Charlie Wyke.

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The striker had scored seven goals in 15 games this season, but was absolutely shocking in the League One clash on Saturday. As per Sofascore, he lost an incredible 13 of his 17 total duels and much of that was down to his inability to actually hold the ball up, particularly in the second-half.

Far often than not, his touch let him down or he was just bullied off it too easily, and it meant Sunderland just couldn’t keep a period of possession together to stop the Doncaster momentum.

And when his team needed an out ball, he was generally nowhere to be found, registering just 26 touches and only 14 passes in total. To put that into context, Sunderland goalkeeper Remi Matthews had far more touches and passes than him.

After seeing strike partner Will Grigg hooked for Saturday’s game after a shocking display against MK Dons last time out, Wyke may be fearing for his place after his own clanger.

If reports are to be believed, this could be a defining game for the future of Slaven Bilic at West Brom.

The Telegraph’s John Percy claims that his position as manager will be under scrutiny should his Baggies side fail to put in a good display at the Hawthorns this lunchtime.

Standing in their way is the small ask of Jose Mourinho’s rampant Spurs side, they could well take sole possession of top spot in the Premier League with a win themselves, so there is a lot at stake.

Last time out, Albion were embarrassingly defeated by relegation rivals Fulham, but will the Croatian tinker his side? Here’s the XI we’re predicting…

There could be as many as four changes from the side that was defeated last Monday in southwest London.

The back five remains very much the same barring a change at right-back as young academy graduate Dara O’Shea replaces Darnell Furlong.

This Baggies side had leaked more goals than any other top-flight side going into the weekend, so the versatile Irishman shores up the backline a little more with Heung-min Son in town.

Albion skipper Jake Livermore, who earns £46k-per-week, has been withdrawn early in back-to-back outings, so perhaps Bilic drops him from the starting XI entirely this time around.

It gives a chance to Romaine Sawyers, who has not started a match since the 2-0 defeat to Southampton. He could partner Conor Gallagher with Matheus Pereira finally coming back to the no.10 role.

£10.8m-rated winger Grady Diangana’s performances on the left flank have been questionable since his permanent switch to the Midlands, he faces the axe along with Filip Krovinovic too.

Instead, the Croatian could turn to £7.2m-rated Callum Robinson and Matty Phillips on the wings to spark some sort of reaction.

Karlan Grant will continue to lead the line.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit tips 66 y/o to replace Slaven Bilic…

Liverpool have confirmed the return of key player Sadio Mane and recent signing Thiago Alcantara to training. Both recently tested positive for Covid-19 and were forced to self-isolate, but both are now back at Melwood ahead of the weekend.

The Reds were without the influential duo in their most recent Premier League match, which ended in a dismal defeat. Aston Villa fired seven goals past the reigning champions, who struggled with performances all over the park. As they head into the weekend, Everton wait to host them at Goodison Park.

A massive boost ahead of Everton

Their Merseyside rivals are currently in fiery form and top the Premier League table on maximum points. Carlo Ancelotti is spearheading the Toffees to a perfect start and they will definitely fancy a win on home soil over their neighbours. Jurgen Klopp must make sure the Villa defeat doesn’t rest on his side’s shoulders.

Mohamed Salah was responsible for both goals scored at Villa Park as the team lacked the support of Mane on the opposite wing. With both now fit and firing, Everton won’t want to make many mistakes as they will be on high alert for the infamous Liverpool counterattack.

Thiago will equally be a strong asset and could start alongside Jordan Henderson in the midfield. With Fabinho protecting them in front of the defence, it will allow the pair to power forwards and contribute to the attack. If the Blues are instructed to heavily defend, it will take a lot to break down their backline.

Naby Keita was recently confirmed to have tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss the derby. Given his recent positive form he will be a miss in the middle of the park, but Thiago will be a suitable replacement for conjuring up the creative play to feed Liverpool’s front three.

In other news, Liverpool and Jack Butland could help each other out of a rut…