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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…

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…

Since Andrea Radrizzani walked into Elland Road, he has transformed the face of Leeds United.

They have gone from a mid-table Championship side to a team now playing some of the most eye-catching and high-intensity football in the Premier League.

He has also made some high-brow transfers. Rodrigo walked through the door last summer for a club-record fee of £30m but their spending could get even greater in the years to come after new investment from the San Francisco 49ers.

However, for all of the money they’ve spent in recent years, it was one of the Italian’s very first signings that has stolen the headlines in Yorkshire. That happens to be Pablo Hernandez.

The Spaniard has won the club’s Player of the Season award on multiple occasions, proving to be a creative and goal-scoring genius for the Whites. He epitomises class and despite his age of 35, has matured like a fine wine.

Hernandez has scored 36 times in the white of Leeds, laying on 41 assists in the process. Clearly, he has been a huge influence for Leeds and his 18 goal involvements last year helped significantly in their bid to be promoted.

Since the former Swansea man signed for the club, Radrizzani and Victor Orta have made some brilliant additions. Rodrigo’s arrival last summer was the peak of them but Patrick Bamford has also been a steady acquisition. He is the club’s top goalscorer this term but hasn’t found the net in his last four outings.

Bamford has a great deal to offer to Leeds but he isn’t the most prolific. After all, Marcelo Bielsa’s men had the fifth-worst conversion rate in the Championship last season (12.5%), despite finishing top of the league.

It wasn’t the best of seasons in front of goal with Bamford finding the net 16 times. Now, that isn’t bad but when you consider his expected goals tally was 34.77, it proves how wasteful he was.

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Thus, the addition of a new forward, particularly a clinical one could prove incredibly beneficial for the Whites. It’s hard to knock the fact that Bamford hasn’t been a good signing in terms of his performances this term, but if they can lure Andy Delort to England, it could well be their best investment since the aforementioned Hernandez.

Why’s that? Well, he has everything you need in a striker, particularly for one who may arrive in England. Delort, who was linked with Leeds last week, admitted in 2020 that he is “crazy about scoring” and in his nine strikes this term, that’s certainly evident. It’s a tally that falls below Bamford but he has also contributed six assists and has blistering pace.

In fact, the Montpellier forward has been clocked at speeds that surpass both Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. Furthermore, he’s a mighty figure in the air. The Frenchman has won 4.4 aerial duels this term for instance.

His influence in Ligue 1 has been incredible, netting 35 for his current team, and in terms of providing goals and assists in equal measure, he could replicate the sort of performances we’ve seen from Hernandez at Elland Road.

They play in different positions but as we’ve seen, they’re both capable of producing magic moments. You only need to look at his display against Strasbourg earlier this term. He scored twice, claimed an assist and won six aerial duels.

Delort is the complete striker and if we’re looking at players who can grab the bull by the horns, he certainly falls into that category.

He has dug Montpellier out of numerous holes, something Hernandez has done on a regular basis for Leeds since signing.

This would be a stellar addition from Orta if they can conclude a deal in the remaining days of the window.

AND in other news, Bench him: £15k-p/w Leeds liability who lost possession 12x let Bielsa down on Tuesday…

David Sullivan must boost Robert Snodgrass out of West Ham United in the January transfer window amid claims the midfielder may be sold as David Moyes looks to improve his squad.

What’s the word?

According to The Telegraph, Moyes is keen to take his Hammers squad to the next level with the addition of a new forward in the winter market while looking for a back-up left-back.

Moyes is keen to avoid overloading Aaron Cresswell after losing Arthur Masuaku following knee surgery, and is likely to target the loan market in search of a suitable stand-in.

West Ham are not expected to go crazy in the January sales but will keep an ear to the ground for deals they consider to be good value, with Said Benrahma’s late summer arrival seen to have eased any pressing concerns.

Outgoings are not thought to be vast, either, with Snodgrass the sole member of the West Ham first-team to be seen as facing an uncertain immediate future after featuring for just four minutes of Premier League football so far this season.

Snodgrass made his campaign debut as a last-minute substitute in the Irons’ 3-3 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in October, before two brief cameos in the closing stages of last month’s 2-1 win at Leeds United and 1-1 draw with London rivals Crystal Palace.

Time to go

Snodgrass had been touted for an uncertain future in claret and blue in recent weeks by West Ham insider ExWHUemployee, who claimed the east London outfit may consider loan and permanent offers with his £40,000-per-week contract set to expire in the summer.

No concrete bids are believed to have fallen West Ham’s way as of yet, but a winter exit is surely a must for Sullivan to orchestrate to prevent being further bled dry by an unwanted player Moyes has struggled to find space for.

Celtic may yet revisit Snodgrass’ availability after seeing a late bid fall short in the previous window for a midfielder who former Hammers and Hoops forward Frank McAvennie lauds for being “a fighter”.

Moyes has not needed the 33-year-old’s determination thus far this season outside of the Carabao Cup, where the gritty 28-cap Scotland international was able to score twice and provide an assist in three appearances.

His potentially final goal in claret and blue came against Everton to avoid a total obliteration of his market value, with Snodgrass now seen to be worth just £3.5m as he labours into the final six months of his contract with a whimper.

AND in other news, West Ham are considering offering a 6 ft 1 brute with a “terrific range of passing” a mid-season move to the London Stadium…

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…

Fulham’s defensive woes this season have been there for all to see, but perhaps they wouldn’t have been in this mess if they’d have gotten one thing right over a decade ago.

The Whites were on the trail of one of the best young goalkeepers on the planet back in 2009 as they had 16-year-old Jan Oblak on trial, but for one reason or another, the Slovenian rejected the chance to sign for the London club.

Oblak instead opted to head back to his home country to continue his development with Olimpija Ljubljana, and Fulham have to be kicking themselves whenever they see him performing at the very highest level with Atletico Madrid these days.

Oblak is now rated as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, he has been ranked as the number one stopper on the planet by FourFourTwo and transfermarkt have him down as the most valuable goalie in the game right now, rating him as an £81m player.

It’s hard to believe that Fulham faced an impossible task in trying to ply him away from Olimpija back in 2009, and if they’d have thrown bigger wages at him they would have landed one of the biggest bargains in the club’s history.

Fulham have a history of great goalkeepers at the club, Edwin van Der Sar ranks amongst the greatest of all-time, while Mark Schwarzer was one of the most consistent stoppers of the Premier League era.

Alphonse Areola is the Cottagers’ current number one, and despite having the pedigree of being PSG’s first choice a few years ago, it’s impossible to argue that Oblak wouldn’t be the better option.

11 years have passed since Oblak had a trial at Fulham, and it must be incredibly painful for anyone involved with the club to look back on that and not be absolutely gutted that they couldn’t secure his signature.

Oblak is certainly the one that got away in recent times at Fulham.

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…