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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…

Southampton Chief Executive Martin Semmens must prioritise giving Oriol Romeu a new contract this season, with the Spanish midfielder’s current deal set to expire at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

The 29-year-old has been an important part of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side so far this season, having made eight appearances in the Premier League, in which he has averaged a superb 7.15 rating, which ranks him as the Saints’ fourth-best performer in the league so far this campaign (per WhoScored).

The defensive midfielder has been a regular with the South Coast club since joining from Chelsea in 2015, as he has gone on to make 198 appearances for the Saints, contributing six goals and two assists (per Transfermarkt).

Therefore, it is clear that he is a key part of Hasenhuttl’s squad and after his superb start to this season, Semmens must now ensure that the midfielder is given a well-earned new contract with the club. Otherwise, they risk losing him on a free transfer, especially as foreign clubs would be allowed to begin negotiations with him in January on a pre-contract deal.

The Spaniard is also currently one of just two defensive midfielders in the Southampton squad, following Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s departure to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, which again highlights the importance of keeping him.

Ibrahima Diallo is the Saints’ only other defensive midfielder, and with just 18 minutes of Premier League action under his belt thus far, the 21-year-old is perhaps not ready to step up as a first-team regular in the event that Romeu leaves at the end of this season.

Hasenhuttl is clearly a big fan of Romeu too, as he suggested after his goal in the 2-0 win over West Brom earlier this year that:

“I have never seen a professional like him before in my entire managing career. He’s one of the most professional guys I’ve ever seen.

“When you see him as a professional, how he reacts when he’s not first choice, it’s unbelievable. He’s always the first on the pitch, always hard-working. I think for this, they love him here.” (per Daily Echo)

Therefore, it seems clear that Semmens and the rest of the Southampton board must work hard to ensure that Romeu is rewarded with a new contract in the near future, as Hasenhuttl clearly wouldn’t be happy if he was allowed to leave on a free transfer.

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.

Cameo Clubs: Which obscure teams did these football legends play for?

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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.

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…

Newcastle United come off the back of a 100% record so far in the 2020/21 season, first beating David Moyes’ West Ham United 2-0 away from home at London Stadium in the Premier League and then beating Championship club Blackburn Rovers 1-0 at St James’ Park in the Carabao Cup second round.

The visitors to the northeast this time are Graham Potter’s Brighton and Hove Albion, who themselves come off the back of a rather convincing 4-0 home win at the Amex Stadium against League One club Portsmouth.

Nonetheless, the Tynesiders will be looking to bag another three points and thus maintain their perfect start to the season so far. However, to do this they will have to play without Fabian Schar, Martin Dubravka, Matty Longstaff and Paul Dummett, who all remain on the sidelines through various injury woes (via BBC).

Steve Bruce went with a trusted 4-4-2 system against the Hammers and the Rovers but he may well switch to a 4-3-3 formation for the match against the Seagulls to accommodate a lot of new faces from the team that played Blackburn.

With nine changes in all, only Javier Manquillo and Ryan Fraser may keep their places from that side, with the rest making up the bulk of the team that started against West Ham:

Fraser may be rewarded with a start after his fine goal, but Miguel Almiron may count himself unlucky to miss out after providing the assist.

Andy Carroll would be the player to make way from the team that beat West Ham as Bruce may decide to pack the midfield given Brighton’s passing style of play.

One player who fans of the Magpies may be delighted to see on the teamsheet is Allan Saint-Maximin following the £25.2m-valued ace’s injury scare after the match against Blackburn.

If the Toon were to come out of the game with all three points, then Saint-Maximin could well have a major say in the outcome, having provided four goals and six assists during his first season at the club.

Geordies, what do you think the score will be? Comment below with your predictions!

We’ve been hearing about Manchester United’s quest to bring Jadon Sancho to the Premier League for months now. Borussia Dortmund, however, are seemingly not willing to budge and are adamant on either keeping their young star or letting him go for a price north of £100m.

It goes without saying that the young Englishman is one of the best and brightest talents on the planet right now but it’s also true that the current climate has limited what clubs can do on the transfer market.

Even for a club of Man United’s stature, splashing such a sum right now is impossible. For that reason, as Daily Mail report, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might turn his attention back to Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish instead.

The Villains star is valued at around £75m and while that may not be a low figure, he’s still more affordable than Sancho. And besides, there is no doubting the 24-year-old’s ability either.

He’s an elite chance creator and a player who was linked with Man United on numerous occasions before. Now, as it seems, he’s back on their radar and could be one of their targets in the ongoing summer transfer window.

Of course, Sancho is still very much the number one priority but it’s becoming increasingly likely that he’ll stay in Germany. This may be a now or never situation for the Red Devils but even they can’t afford the English star at this very moment.

Verdict

It’s been a ‘will he, won’t he’ situation with Grealish and Man United for quite some time now. Of course, with them turning their attention to Sancho, Aston Villa’s man was sort of left behind once again.

But he is more attainable and could offer a similar dose of quality as well. However, at the end of the day, he is not Sancho, not least because despite there being some similarities, especially in both players’ creative approach, they are different players with different roles on the pitch.

Only time will tell whether he’d be a good alternative or not.

Former Arsenal star Charlie Nicholas has stated that Mikel Arteta must get rid of Mesut Ozil, Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi during the summer transfer window, in order to redevelop his defence.

Arsenal finished their Premier League campaign with a very disappointing 43 points behind champions Liverpool – ending up in eighth place. One main factor behind this terrible season was the Gunners’ defence. Arsenal conceding a disastrous 48 goals, which was the second-worst record out of all teams in the top half of the table. In addition to this, David Luiz conceded five penalties this season – a new Premier League record.

Throughout the campaign, Arteta switched between playing four and five at the back, with plenty of rotation of his defenders. Sokratis has become out of favour since the restart of the Premier League, and Mustafi has been injury-prone.

“This has been a tough test for Mikel Arteta, but I think Arsenal have realised they have got to go all out and sort the defence out,” Charlie Nicholas told Sky Sports.

Nicholas also believes that once the Gunners defence is sorted, they will start moving up the table and competing for the title. Though, in order for this to happen some of the older players need moving on so they can freshen up their decaying squad.

Despite this, Sokratis’ agent dismissed claims of the Greek leaving the Gunners and is adamant that the centre-back will stay and fight for his place.

Verdict

There is no doubt that Arsenal must sort out their defence ahead of next season, though it is a bit harsh saying that these three players specifically must leave the club.

Many Arsenal fans will disagree, but it is vital having experienced players in your squad and depth is needed to compete with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.

Darren Bent believes Tottenham ace Lucas Moura is at an all-time low following a drop in form since the nationwide lockdown. 

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Spurs striker insists Jose Mourinho has not given Moura the chance to prove himself on a consistent basis.

The Brazilian was left out of the squad altogether for the opening game against Manchester United, although he started the next three games, before being dropped to the bench when Spurs travelled to the South Coast to face Bournemouth.

Moura was famously dropped for the Champions League final by Mauricio Pochettino, despite scoring a hat-trick in the semi-final to send Spurs to Madrid, and Bent is convinced nothing much has changed under Pochettino’s successor.

Bent told Football Insider “it’s probably his confidence because listen, Lucas Moura, he’s got to be the unluckiest footballer that’s out there.

“I’ve seen him play exceptionally well, fantastically well, brilliant – as we spoke about last year, the Champions League final where he scores a hat-trick in the semi-final to get his team to the final and then gets dropped.

“I remember other big games, he scores a couple goals and then gets dropped. For Lucas Moura, I don’t think he’s been allowed to build up any real consistency at Spurs.

“He hasn’t looked the same player since he came back from lockdown, that’s maybe a little bit of rust, maybe he’s not sure with how the team’s playing.

“First and foremost, he’s not sure if he’s going to be playing this week or that week.”

It is hard to argue with Bent here, as Moura hasn’t scored since the 2-0 victory over Manchester City in February.

He has been unable to maintain the momentum, as Mourinho has a wealth of wide options to choose from, including Son Heung-min, Steven Bergwijn and Erik Lamela.

Competition for spaces on the wings is arguably hotter than it ever has been before, as Son is the club’s second-highest goalscorer this season.

Bergwijn always seems to turn up for big occasions, as he netted on his home debut against the Citizens, before striking against top four rivals Wolves and Manchester United.

Understandably, his confidence seems to be shot to pieces, as his form has taken a downturn in recent weeks.

He actually excelled against the Hammers, which was his first game back since the Premier League restart, but his performances have tailed off ever since.

Moura was a part of the side that slumped to a disappointing defeat at Sheffield United, and he was one of the main culprits, as he only completed 76% of his passes and wasted three crosses completely. To make matters worse, his only effort all game wasn’t even on target.

The future had seemed bright for Moura, but he now finds himself marginalised under Mourinho, and he will want to quickly make sure he doesn’t become a fringe player in the future.

Tottenham fans, should Mourinho give Moura another chance? Let us know down below!

Fulham are expecting a further £10m from Liverpool following the transfer of Harvey Elliott.

The two clubs are set to hold a tribunal in order to establish compensation for the deal and the Cottagers are holding out for a healthy sum of money from the Premier League leaders (via Daily Mail).

Elliott signed for the Reds last summer and has already made his senior debut with the Merseyside outfit. This season, the teenager has tallied four goals and nine assists across all competitions and has featured for Liverpool’s first team seven times (via Transfermarkt).

Elliott made history during his Premier League debut, marking himself as the youngest-ever player to feature in the top flight at 16 years, five months and 22 days (via LFChistory).

The news, relayed via @AnfieldEdition, has attracted a lot of speculation from Reds fans. After the club failed to sign transfer target Timo Werner, many are worried about Liverpool’s finances. One supporter has even tweeted that they think the Reds will be “bankrupt after this”.

Read more replies from the Anfield faithful here:

Do you think Harvey Elliott will become a Liverpool star in the future? Have your say in the comments below…

A recent transfer report has divided Liverpool supporters on social media this week.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the Reds have submitted an offer for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele which is a loan that comes with an option to buy.

Many at Anfield believe this would be a superb move with some left drooling by the prospect of Jurgen Klopp working his magic on the Frenchman.

The 23-year-old previously broke through at Borussia Dortmund under the German boss, resulting in a big-money move, thought to be around £135.5m, to La Liga giants Barcelona.

This season, Dembele has played just nine times in all competitions due to an ongoing hamstring problem, which may give a reason to why he could potentially be available.

Can you spot your Xabi Alonso from your Bruno Cheyrou? This Liverpool quiz will have you questioning your knowledge…

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However, several members of the Reds faithful have used this to suggest why he must be avoided this summer.

Some fans also hinted towards his attitude as a reason to why he’d be a bad addition at Liverpool.

As a result of his injuries and reported attitude problems, there were a couple of comparisons made to former Liverpool players such as Mario Ballotelli and Daniel Sturridge.

Many in Merseyside are desperate to see the addition of Timo Werner, and one supporter claims a move for Dembele would curtail their pursuit of the RB Leipzig talisman and that he could even be a replacement for Mo Salah – even though the 27-year-old is under contract until 2023.

It remains to be seen if this story has any legs whatsoever, but you’d imagine it would be very hard for any attacking player to break into the starting XI given the impressive form of Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in recent months.

AND in other news, Liverpool fans react to update on Timo Werner…