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Crystal Palace have been linked with a move for Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo as Patrick Vieira looks to add further reinforcements to his first team squad at Selhurst Park.

What’s the story?

According to Football Insider, the Eagles are interested in securing the 25-year-old’s signature over the coming months after impressing during his time in Scottish football.

The report stated: “An industry source has told Football Insider that Aribo is on Palace’s radar going into next year and his situation at Ibrox will be closely monitored.”

Aribo’s current contract at Ibrox expires in the summer of 2023, so the upcoming January window may be the last opportunity for Rangers to secure a high price for the versatile forward.

Crystal Palace fans will be buzzing

After joining the Glasgow giants on a free transfer following his departure from Charlton Athletic back in 2019, Aribo has established himself as one of the Scottish Premiership’s most exciting attacking talents.

In 106 appearances for Rangers, the Nigeria international has scored 19 goals and provided a further 17 assists for his teammates, playing a pivotal part in the club’s league triumph last season.

His exploits at club level have also earned him seven caps for his national side and have led to several impressed onlookers lauding his ability on the pitch, with former Rangers player Steven Thomson hailing him as “phenomenal”.

Therefore, Palace fans will surely be buzzing to learn that the club’s hierarchy are reportedly tracking the £5.85m-rated gem ahead of a potential move.

Vieira brought in Conor Gallagher and Will Hughes to begin the overhaul of his engine room over the summer, and the former has already made a big impression in south London.

However, Gallagher is only on a season-long loan from Premier League rivals Chelsea, so the French tactician is already sensibly planning ahead for the 21-year-old’s inevitable exit.

During his time north of the border, Aribo has become renowned for his dribbling skills and ability to pick out a pass, as well as being comfortable sticking a foot in and dispossessing opponents, all traits in which Gallagher excels.

It remains to be seen whether the Eagles make a formal offer for Aribo, but chairman Steve Parish must sanction a swoop for the African, duly providing Vieira with the tools he needs to keep making progress at the Selhurst Park helm.

In other news… “He was raving about..” – Tom Barclay drops CPFC claim which should delight fans 

Despite defeat in their midweek fixture, Mark Warburton has seen his Queens Park Rangers side get off to an impressive start in their 2021/22 Championship campaign, with the Rs picking up 12 points over their opening seven games of the season.

However, having conceded 10 goals so far this term, the most of any team in the top half of the table, there is a clear area of the pitch in which the 59-year-old must improve should he wish for his side to be considered genuine contenders for promotion: defence.

While Warburton’s main back three have highly impressed, with Robert Dickie, Jordy de Wijs and Yoann Barbet ranking as QPR’s first, third and sixth-best performers respectively so far this season – as well as loanee defender Sam McCallum appearing to have the left wing-back spot nailed down following a commanding display against Bournemouth – the right wing-back position has been something of a problem area for Warburton.

Indeed, over Osman Kakay’s four Championship appearances so far this term, the 24-year-old has averaged a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.53. Summer signing Moses Odubajo has also done nothing to convince his manager that he should be the club’s first choice in the position, averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.42 over his five league fixtures.

Adomah could be the answer

As such, it would seem wise for Warburton to mix things up in the position in the club’s upcoming fixture against Bristol City this afternoon, with versatile winger Albert Adomah appearing to be a strong candidate for the role.

Indeed, having been brought on at left wing-back in QPR’s 3-3 draw with Reading last weekend, the 33-year-old impressed over his 18 minutes on the pitch, registering one assist, making two key passes and creating one big chance for his teammates, returns which saw the £720k-rated man earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.3.

The £18k-per-week forward put in an equally impressive display after being brought on for Kakay with 35 minutes left to play against Bournemouth on Tuesday, making three key passes, three interceptions and three tackles, seeing him earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.3.

As such, in posing a clear threat going forwards, as well as appearing solid defensively, the man who Sabri Lamouchi dubbed a “positive” player could well be the answer to Warburton’s right wing-back woes, with Adomah being released in that role potentially being a game-changing move by the 59-year-old.

In other news: QPR handed major injury boost ahead of Bristol City clash, Warburton will be buzzing

An update has emerged on Hibernian striker Kevin Nisbet, regarding Rangers’ interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

Journalist Hugh MacDonald has revealed that Rangers manager Steven Gerrard was keen on signing Hibernian centre-forward Kevin Nisbet in the summer transfer window.

MacDonald has said that he does not know why the move did not get over the line, but has confirmed that there was an interest from Gers in the Scotland international.

He told PLZ Soccer, via Ibrox News:

“I know he was keen on bringing in quality.

“He was keen on bringing in a striker, I know he was keen on Nisbet, and for whatever reason, he couldn’t that over the line.”

Fans would love it

Rangers chief Ross Wilson must secure a January deal for Nisbet after failing to sign him for Gerrard in the summer window. Fans would love it if the club moved for the striker in the winter market as he could be an excellent addition to the side.

Nisbet could improve Rangers’ striking options and add some extra firepower to Gerrard’s squad, whilst also allowing for more rotation in selection across the front three. Alfredo Morelos scored 12 goals in 29 Premiership matches last term, with Kemar Roofe’s 14 the most by any Gers player in the league.

This suggests that there could be room for a player to come in and be a consistent goalscorer in the Rangers side, with a number of players currently sharing the load. Former Rangers man Ian Durrant once hailed Nisbet as a ‘natural goalscorer’ when speaking about what he can offer Scotland at international level. He said:

“He’s gone to Hibs and had an absolutely superb season in terms of scoring goals.

“This is what Scotland have been crying out for for years – a natural goalscorer.

“Nisbet seems to have hit a rich vein of form at the right time, and he’s a good goalscorer.”

Nisbet produced 18 goals and eight assists for Hibs in all competitions last season, including 14 goals and four assists in the Scottish Premiership. This was in a Hibs team that only scored 48 times in the league, compared to Rangers’ tally of 92.

Therefore, he could thrive with better service around him and improve on his 14 Premiership goals over the course of a campaign playing at Ibrox. He has shown that he can score regularly in a side that is not free-scoring, which suggests that his numbers could skyrocket if placed in a team creating chances on a regular basis.

This is why Rangers fans would be delighted to see him arrive at the club in January. He could add to their goalscoring threat in the short-term as competition for Morelos and Roofe, with the long-term goal of being the go-to starting number nine.

AND in other news, Gerrard could unearth Kamara 2.0 in 19y/o Rangers gem with “excellent personality”…

Celtic target, Legia Warsaw’s Josip Juranovic, could be a Hoops player by the weekend, according to STV News.

The Lowdown: Fee agreed

A move for the Croatia international, who can play as a right-back, right-midfielder or a centre-back, started to gather real pace on Tuesday.

Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas revealed that Celtic and Warsaw have agreed on a £2.5m deal for the 26-year-old, with talks regarding finer details ongoing.

Juranovic is on £6,100-a-week in Poland (£317,200-a-year) and will now discuss personal terms with the Hoops.

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The Latest: Signing by the weekend

STV News shared a story on Tuesday evening regarding Celtic and Juranovic.

Within their report, they claimed that Juranovic could make the switch to Celtic Park by the weekend – that would mean crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s in the next 48 hours.

Should a move officially go through at the price reported by Thomas, Juranovic would become the club’s eighth addition of the window and fourth over £2m, taking Celtic’s summer spending to £17m.

The Verdict: McKay giving Postecoglou what he wants

Postecoglou wanted a right-back and a winger before the end of the window, and it appears Dominic McKay will be supplying a player capable of playing in both positions in Juranovic.

He’s primarily a right-back but all six of his starts this season have come as a right-midfielder, so he could potentially challenge for a spot further forward in Postecoglou’s 4-2-3-1 system.

Hopefully STV News’ claim is correct and Juranovic is a Celtic player by the weekend, as he may then make his Scottish Premiership debut the following weekend in the first Glasgow derby of the campaign.

In other news: Ange’s phone call: Celtic set sights on 6ft ‘phenomenon’; he likes the sound of a Parkhead move. 

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern, Wolves journalist Luke Hatfield believes Sven Botman would be a big signing for the club.

Wolves are in the market for a central defender before the transfer window closes and Botman is thought to be high on their list.

According to Sky Sports, the Midlands outfit are interested in signing the Lille youngster but face strong competition for Sevilla.

Wolves have already been able to strengthen that central defensive position this summer by bringing in Yerson Mosquera from Atletico Nacional. However, Hatfield is convinced they would like another addition, suggesting Botman could be perfect.

“It would be a big signing for Wolves, Sven Botman,” the Express & Star journalist said. “He’s been linked with plenty of clubs, clearly a talented player.

“It’s a position that Wolves probably want to strengthen in as well. He’d be a really good signing; I think Wolves fans would get really excited about that one.”

As for centre-backs currently at the club, Conor Coady had been linked with a move away from Molineux earlier in the transfer window.

According to Football Insider at the start of August, Tottenham had opened preliminary talks to sign the Wolves captain as former manager Nuno Espirito Santo eyed up a reunion.

An update has emerged regarding Leeds’ reported interest in Torino midfielder Sasa Lukic.

What’s the talk?

According to Tutto Mercato Web, the Whites are interested in a deal to sign the 24-year-old this summer. Leeds are keen on the Serbian, as are Russian giants Spartak Moscow, and could make a move for him before the end of the transfer window.

The midfielder recently commented on speculation over his future, saying: “I don’t read the newspapers much. It’s normal for a player to be the subject of rumors (about his future) but I don’t think about that.

“I am a Toro player and I plan to do well this season. It’s my fifth year (at the club) and I feel like home.

“Every year I try to do the best I can: last year I got off to a good start, then Covid stopped me for a few weeks and I couldn’t go back like before. But I am working hard. I hope to have a good season, myself and the whole team.”

Fans would be fuming

Leeds chief Victor Orta has to avoid making a costly blunder with Lukic this month. He must avoid lashing out a big fee on the Serbian as it could represent a blunder in the transfer market given his form throughout his career in Serie A.

There are a couple of reasons why this could work for Leeds. For starters, his versatility has seen him play as a holding, central and attacking midfield player for Torino in Italy. This shows that he is capable of adapting to several different roles, which could come in handy for Marcelo Bielsa should injuries or suspensions arise.

Lukic also has room to improve at the age of 24. This means that he is not the finished article and could have more development left in him, which Bielsa could potentially unlock through his coaching. These two reasons are why he could be a decent addition if the price is minimal.

However, there has been nothing to suggest that this will be a loan deal or one where Torino are happy to let him go on the cheap, especially when there is interest from multiple clubs, which could spark a bidding war. If Leeds do need to shell out a sizeable fee for him, then they must avoid it completely.

Fans would be frustrated to see the club take a gamble on Lukic given his performances for Torino in recent years. Last season, he averaged a lowly WhoScored rating of 6.48 in Serie A across 32 appearances, which was still an improvement from the 6.31 he managed in 30 games the previous campaign.

This shows that his performances have been statistically poor in Italy, which is why Leeds fans might not be happy to see him join unless it’s a loan or on a very cheap deal. If he has been unable to perform consistently in Serie A, that might well also be the case in the Premier League, so  Orta must avoid a costly howler with Lukic in this transfer window.

AND in other news, Leeds handed boost over maestro who has “something special”, Bielsa will be delighted…

Former Rangers star Michael Ball was left shocked by the defeat to Malmo in the Champions League, insisting that the club should be embarrassed by the performance.

The Scottish club have not even made the group stages, losing to the Swedish side in the third qualifying round.

It means they will drop into the Europa League qualifiers, so they may still have the opportunity to play European football this season.

The defeat will come as a particular blow because Malmo scored both of their goals in the 2-1 second leg win when they were down to 10 men.

The first leg also ended with a 2-1 win for Malmo, and Ball was left disappointed by the club’s performance.

It comes as a particular shock after Rangers’ performance in the Scottish Premiership last season, where they went unbeaten.

This season, already, Rangers have also been beaten by Dundee United in the league.

Ball said in an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern: “Very disappointing, very shocked really. Steven’s record at the club has been fantastic since he’s been there.

“They let themselves down in the first leg but then Steven asked the fans to turn up in their numbers and get behind the boys and the fans did that, they got themselves 1-0 up but unfortunately it was pretty embarrassing, really, how they capitulated, especially against 10 men.”

Glasgow Celtic are interested in a deal to bring Yan Couto to Celtic Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Sky Sports, who claim that Hoops are looking to secure a season-long loan deal for the Manchester City right-back ahead of the new Scottish Premiership season.

However, the report goes on to state that Ange Postecoglou’s side are facing significant competition for the 19-year-old’s signature, with a number of clubs in Portugal also believed to have registered their interest with the Premier League champions.

Sky do not mention whether or not Pep Guardiola is willing to sanction the defender’s temporary departure this summer, although, with the Brazil U20 international having been sent on loan last season, it would seem as if there could well be a deal there to be done for Celtic.

Couto could solve Celtic’s biggest issue

With Celtic’s desire to bring in a new right-back this summer being no secret whatsoever, in addition to the sheer amount of raw potential Couto appears to possess, should Postecoglou manage to get a deal over the line for the defender this summer, he could well have found a solution to the Bhoys’ biggest issue at present.

Indeed, over his 22 LaLiga2 appearances while on loan at Girona last season, the £3.6m-rated man helped his side keep six clean sheets, as well as making an average of 0.7 interceptions, 1.1 tackles, 0.5 clearances and winning 3.5 duels per game.

The 19-year-old also impressed in an attacking capacity for Michel’s side, scoring one goal, registering four assists and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.5 shots and making 0.7 key passes per match.

These returns saw the man dubbed “the new Dani Alves” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.69, playing a key role in Girona’s run to the LaLiga2 play-off final.

As such, the signing of Couto would not only appear to be a huge coup for Celtic, but the youngster also clearly possesses the ability to make a real difference in the club’s bid to retain their Scottish Premiership crown, in addition to curing what is likely to be Postecoglou’s most severe positional headache ahead of next season.

In other news: Celtic could sign 30-goal gem once tipped to become “world-class”, he’s a big upgrade

Fabrizio Romano has shared some further details on Aston Villa’s pending move for Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey.

The Lowdown: Villa’s post

Villa posted on their official Twitter page on Saturday afternoon, revealing they have reached an agreement with the Bundesliga side for the 23-year-old.

A medical and finalising personal terms are still required before he Jamaican officially becomes an Aston Villa player, and Romano has shared when fans can expect a move to go through.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano, who has been on the ball this summer when it comes to Villa-related transfers with Emiliano Buendia and Jack Grealish’s possible exit, posted on Twitter on Saturday afternoon regarding Bailey.

The transfer expert believes a deal will cost Villa £30m and are offering Bailey a five-year deal in the Midlands.

He shared some further details on a potential move less than an hour on from Villa’s post, admitting a ‘medical and official announcement next week’ – a significant six-word update.

“Leon Bailey deal will be officially completed next week for £30m to Bayer Leverkusen. Aston Villa are offering Bailey a five-years contract, they’re set to reach the agreement on personal terms too. Medical and official announcement next week. What a deal for Villa.”

The Verdict: Brilliant business

Reports back in April suggested that Villa wanted two wide forwards ahead of the new season, and it seems as if they’ll be getting them in Buendia and Bailey.

Buendia was involved in 32 league goals last season, whereas Bailey contributed to 26 goals in all competitions.

Should Grealish depart for Manchester City in a £100m deal, at least Dean Smith will have two impressive wide men to call upon in Buendia and Bailey and Villa may even look to bring in more creative firepower to possibly replace the club captain.

In other news: ‘That’s a deal breaker’ – Lots of Villa fans go wild at ‘class’ club post. 

Sunderland-born Steve Howey believes that the loss of Charlie Wyke is going to be a major blow for the Black Cats.

Following a goal-shy first two seasons at Sunderland, the striker scored 31 times in League One last season to help the north-east giants finish in the top-six.

However, despite being named as the club’s Player of the Year, Wyke he rejected the opportunity to extend his stay at the Stadium of Light and was therefore available to sign on a free transfer.

And Wigan did exactly that, securing Wyke’s services earlier this month, leaving Sunderland manager Lee Johnson with a tough job on his hands to replace his goals ahead of their fourth straight season at League One level.

Howey exclusively told Football FanCast:

“Well, it’s a blow, if somebody scores 30 goals a season, it’s going to be a blow. But the lad got his move from it.

“But Sunderland are in a situation where they can’t afford to be paying players sums of money that if you’ve had a good season, you’re going to get offered by other teams.”

With Wigan in the same division as Sunderland, this did appear a surprise move for Wyke and one that he perhaps accepted due to the Latics offering a better financial package.

In terms of chances of getting promoted, the Black Cats are firm favourites to end their stay at League One level and win the title, whilst Wigan are expected to challenge for the top-six.