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With an Old Firm derby to come this weekend, you’d be forgiven for thinking Rangers’ sole priority lay there.

However, after winning the title, they can wipe the league from their mind and focus directly on their European ambitions. A strong run in the Europa League could well be game-changing for their transfer plans.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, Rangers are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Aaron-Salem Boupendza from Hatayspor this summer.

The winger has lit up the Turkish league and is having an outstanding season, so much so that he’s attracted the eyes of Celtic too.

Also in the race to sign Boupendza are several sides in the English Premier League. It’s thought that Arsenal and Tottenham are both monitoring his situation while Boupendza is fielding interest from, Leicester, West Ham, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Brighton and Wolves.

The Gabon international is currently valued at just £6.3m according to Transfermarkt.

Bye-bye Kent

A mass exodus from Ibrox this summer given their success would be surprising. That being said, with English clubs doing the rounds of Scotland on a regular basis, it could happen.

Alfredo Morelos is consistently linked with a move away while Ryan Kent has caught the eye of Leeds United for the best part of two years now.

If Boupendza arrives, it could well give Steven Gerrard the freedom to move the former Liverpool winger on.

That’s because Rangers’ transfer target plays in a similar position to Kent. On top of that, he’s also more clinical.

Kent has been one of the Gers’ best players this term, finding the net on 11 occasions and providing 13 assists. Boupendza, who is currently playing in Turkey, has been red hot in front of goal.

The 24-year-old has racked up 18 strikes in all competitions and has made himself a nuisance for nearly every defender in the Super Lig.

So far this term, Boupendza has recorded 2.7 dribbles per game; attempting 109 take-ons throughout the course of the current campaign. His agility and quick feet are scintillating to watch, and trumps that of anyone in Gerrard’s side.

For context, Joe Aribo is the Glaswegian’s top dribbler this term, completing two per match.

Consequently, not only would they seal an upgrade here, but the SPFL winners would also land themselves a player capable of giving them something different in the final third.

It remains to be seen how Boupendza would transition to live in Scotland, but judging by the dazzling skills he’s shown out in Turkey, he could tear the Premiership to shreds.

He is a lively ball of energy, a player who could well usurp Kent if he’s signed in the summer.

AND in other news, Wilson shouldn’t rush transfer decision on Rangers ace Gerrard dubbed a “real threat”…

After bursting onto the scene at Arsenal as a fresh-faced teenager, Cesc Fabregas developed into one of the finest midfielders of the Premier League era.

The Spaniard would rack up an incredible number of assists in his seasons both at Highbury and the Emirates – 92 to be precise – before he eventually left for Barcelona.

Since then, a number of players have tried to take his throne as the Gunners’ next big thing in the middle of the park, not least Jack Wilshere. Injuries of course stopped the English ace from realising his full potential, but in 18-year-old Miguel Azeez, Mikel Arteta may finally have Arsenal’s perfect successor to Fabregas.

Described as “phenomenal”, Azeez possess a lot of the same characteristics that made Fabregas stand out at such an early age. The play-maker can operate deeper in midfield as well as further forward, and Football.London paint a very impressive picture of the kind of player that he is.

They wrote: “He possess excellent technique, which can see him cause real trouble in and around the box. He is known for his impressive final ball, but also has a keen an eye for goal.”

Arsenal youth expert John Williamson spoke to that innate leadership skills in Azeez, saying: “I feel he could be captain material in years to come, he knows what he wants from those around him and on the pitch, he isn’t afraid to speak his mind.”

That maturity and responsibility, as well as his enormous talent, is something that has already turning heads by those already in the dressing room at the Emirates, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang himself name-checking him as one for the future earlier this season.

The Arsenal captain said: “We saw a few more young players in our last European game and we also have them joining with training quite a lot lately and one player who I think looks really good is Miguel Azeez.

“Miguel is going to be a great player in the future. He’s really calm and mature so I’m sure he’s got what you need to be a success and have a big career.”

With the seal of approval from Aubameyang himself, it’s fair to say those within the club are already impressed by what the teenager could potentially offer.

Filling in Fabregas’ shoes is a massive ask for anyone, but Azeez seems to have the talent and level-headedness to deal with that kind of expectation on his shoulders.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League footballer Carlton Palmer has rejected the idea of Liverpool needing to replace Roberto Firmino to become title challengers again.

Firmino has come under scrutiny this season for his lack of goals, and some have now suggested that the Merseyside club need to sign a new No.9 if they are to enjoy more success in the future. Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland is one name that has popped up, with former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique urging his old side to go all out for the 20-year-old’s signature.

For Palmer, though, Liverpool’s main problem this season has been at the back following the long-term injury to Virgil van Dijk.

When asked whether he thinks the Premier League champions need to bring in a new No.9 to replace the £180,000-a-week ace this summer, the retired England international told FFC:

“No, I don’t. Listen, every club would always like players who score goals, but how you win leagues is by not conceding goals. As you’ve seen from Man City, that gives the confidence to your front players to go and score you a goal.

“They know it’s 0-0 and they’ve got the ability they have like Man City at the moment, that’s the basis of their resurgence, the fact that they’ve started keeping clean sheets. They were conceding too many goals. So, you know, that’s where Liverpool need to get back to now.”

Undoubtedly, defence is a huge concern for manager Jurgen Klopp right now. On top of losing Van Dijk, the German has also seen Joe Gomez and Joel Matip fall victim to season-ending injuries.

Bearing that in mind, trying to re-establish a solid and stable back four may be the solution for Klopp next term, rather than forking out on a new forward to replace Firmino.

One of Jose Mourinho’s worst nightmares at Tottenham Hotspur could become a reality in 2021…

What’s the word?

According to Defensa Central, Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is ‘interested’ in signing Heung-min Son as neither Kylian Mbappe nor Mohamed Salah are likely to arrive at the Bernabeu.

They believe the Frenchman dreams of signing the impressive South Korean sensation but accepts that any deal would far exceed €100m (£90m).

Progress over contract talks with the 27-year-old have slowed down in recent weeks due to a change in representation, but it is thought that Spurs are prepared to offer him a bumper £200k-per-week deal, as per the Telegraph.

Worst nightmare

Madrid’s interest in Son could potentially throw a spanner in the works, though, especially as Daniel Levy has previously noted a special “partnership” with the La Liga giants after the sales of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale in the past.

The £81m-rated left-winger has firmly established himself among the Premier League’s best players in last 18 months, bringing home very lucrative attacking returns alongside Harry Kane.

Indeed, Son has scored 16 goals in all competitions this term alone, which at the moment is one fewer than the England skipper.

The pair have combined for 13 goals in the Premier League, tying a long-standing top-flight record set by Blackburn Rovers duo Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton back in 1994/95.

They are also three behind Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard for the record of lifetime goal contributions of any pairing.

12 of Spurs’ 29 league goals have come from Son too, so that only emphasises how important his role is under Mourinho right now and whilst interest in his services was always going to arrive given his form, it would serve as a cold reminder that they are still some way off the very top level.

As Darren Bent told Football Insider, an injury to Son could seriously “derail Spurs’ season massively” and the same has to be said if he’s at all swayed by the latest transfer interest.

Even in Kane’s absence last season, Martin Keown dubbed the enigmatic inside-forward a “revelation” on Match of the Day 2 [16/02, 10:45pm], which shows that in some ways Son is of even more importance to Spurs as he has stepped up without the prolific striker beside him.

We saw how difficult it was to replace Modric all those years ago – none of the likes of Paulinho, Lewis Holtby or Gylfi Sigurdsson could fill that void, and perhaps it wasn’t until Christian Eriksen’s arrival that Spurs finally found that midfield playmaker once again.

The same effect could certainly repeat itself if Son were to swap north London for Madrid this year.

AND in other news, Levy could find their next Ricky Villa in “rare” £36m speed demon…

Former Leeds United player Noel Whelan, who is part of BBC West Yorkshire Sport’s commentary team for Leeds United fixtures, has been discussing the future of Whites defender Gaetano Berardi.

This comes after Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa recently indicated that the former Switzerland international is on track to rejoin the Whites’ first-team in training next month, having been out of action since July due to a cruciate ligament rupture.

What has Whelan said about Berardi’s Leeds United future?

Berardi’s contract with the Yorkshire club is set to expire this summer, with the ‘cult hero’ signing a new deal back in October after his previous contract expired in the summer after he got injured while helping the Whites to win the 2019/20 Championship title.

Speaking to Football Insider, after praising the club for handing Berardi a new deal, Whelan shared some uncertainty over how much game time the 32-year-old is likely to enjoy on his return.

The pundit acknowledged that Berardi will offer Bielsa ‘another option’ but went on to say that the Yorkshire club has ‘progressed in the area that he plays’ and recruited ‘international players’ who he believes ‘will always be above’ Berardi in the Leeds pecking order.

Transfer Tavern take

It will be interesting to see how much game time Berardi enjoys between his return and the end of the 2020/21 campaign, as even though he is the longest-serving player at Elland Road, the fact that he is 32 and coming back from a long-term injury – combined with him likely being some way down the pecking order – could work against him in terms of the club choosing to offer him another new deal.

However, Berardi is a versatile player, with the Swiss defender having made a plethora of appearances at fierce loyalty could work in his favour with regard to having a future at Elland Road, despite Whelan’s comments.

Given that he has been out of action for so long, his performances in the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign will likely play a significant role in determining how much time Berardi has got left at Leeds. If Whelan is right and Berardi is now some way down the pecking order, maybe his chances to prove what he can offer will be few and far between.

In other news, Jack Harrison has revealed why he “struggled” at first under Marcelo Bielsa.

Leeds United will face their next Premier League challenge as they host West Ham at Elland Road this evening. Marcelo Bielsa has already revealed his starting lineup amid a double injury blow which sees both centre-backs Robin Koch and Diego Llorente sidelined.

The backline must be on-form tonight as the Whites vie for three points, but they have a good chance of keeping the Irons at bay as they will be without attacking threat Michail Antonio.

One man who has a big opportunity to prove himself is Illan Meslier, following some unfair criticism.

Meslier can make big statement vs West Ham

Mark Lawrenson recently told BBC Sport that he “wasn’t convinced” by the Frenchman’s ability in between the sticks. Whilst he may have had a few sub-par performances this season, to doubt his skills as a goalkeeper seems unfair given his efforts so far.

Meslier helped Leeds win the Championship last campaign and secure promotion after 16 long years out of England’s top flight. Adapting to the demand and the intensity of the Premier League has been tough for Marcelo Bielsa and his team, but they are currently doing better than the likes of Sheffield United, who enjoyed strong finish in the league last season.

With Antonio out of David Moyes’ squad, Meslier won’t have to worry about facing the clinical striker. He will still need to put in a solid display but he can take the glory for himself if Leeds keep a clean sheet.

With both Koch and Llorente out, the £20,000 per week youngster has a huge chance to hit back at his critics and prove that he is the man Bielsa can rely on moving forwards.

In other news, Signing Dean Henderson will only hinder growth of Illan Meslier…

Manchester United moved level with Premier League rivals Liverpool at the top of the table after beating a stubborn Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Friday night.

A goal apiece from Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes proved to be more than enough to secure all three points as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side started the New Year with a bang.

But that doesn’t excuse the fact that Solskjaer will have every right to feel aggrieved by a couple of poor performances, namely Scott McTominay, as the young Scotsman struggled to get a foothold in the game.

McTominay, who reportedly earns £70,000-a-week, has arguably been one of Solskjaer’s most-improved players so far this season but this was a night to forget for the midfielder at Old Trafford.

The Scotland international was also sloppy in possession, as he lost control of the ball 13 times in total, via SofaScore.

In actual fact, as per SofaScore, the 24-year-old received a miserable rating of 6.1 for his abysmal display, which was the worst out of any player on the pitch from both sides by quite some margin, as he looked like he had run out of steam.

If that wasn’t bad enough, he won just 2 of his 13 duels and touched the ball a mere 43 times, which was significantly fewer than the 69 touches his teammate Paul Pogba managed himself. McTominay also conceded five fouls as Villa started to win the individual battles in the midfield, so it’s no wonder he was replaced by Nemanja Matic in the second half.

The Manchester Evening News gave him a low grade of 5/10 and claimed he was ‘overshadowed by his fellow central midfielders and not as purposeful with his passing,’ while The Sun were equally scathing in their assessment, criticising him for being ‘very clumsy with his passing and wayward feet ended a few promising United breaks.’

This isn’t the first time McTominay has been criticised for his perceived lack of an ability to control possession and dictate play, with club legend Gary Neville previously insisting he isn’t good enough to start in the midfield.

Speaking to Sky Sports, as quoted by Goal, Neville said: “McTominay, when I watch him, I’m not sure he’s actually good enough on the ball to be a Man United midfield player.

“I do think he’s the type that it’s good for him to play games in there.”

Not only was he lethargic, he was also uncharacteristically lightweight, with both Pogba and Fred managing more tackles between them.

With a FA Cup tie at home to Watford next on the agenda, McTominay ought to be wary with Fred, Matic, Pogba and even Donny van de Beek competing for a place in the starting line-up. He’s hardly done himself any favours whatsoever, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Forget Fernandes: Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka was brilliant vs Aston Villa…

Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson must consider axing Denver Hume from his starting line-up after the Black Cats product offered a wasteful showing against Ipswich Town in Tuesday night’s 2-1 victory.

Parkinson opted to hand Hume his ninth start of the League One season at home to the Tractor Boys, with the 22-year-old retaining his spot on the left-flank for a fifth game in succession having only sat out October’s 2-0 win away to Swindon Town to date.

Hume has consistently had the backing of Parkinson across all competitions this term, with the Northumberland-born youngster also yet to be substituted when fielded in the third-tier, EFL Trophy or EFL Cup, despite scoring his only goal of the campaign in the Papa John’s Trophy against Carlisle and assisting efforts in league meetings with Peterborough and Portsmouth.

The natural full-back failed to strike his first league goal of the season against Ipswich after providing a wasteful display as Sunderland strived to secure back-to-back wins, while occasionally being caught out defensively to leave Tom Flanagan exposed against Alan Judge and Teddy Bishop.

Tuesday night’s clash with Ipswich at the Stadium of Light was not the first occasion where Hume has struggled to impress against the Tractor Boys, either, with former Black Cats boss Jack Ross forced to substitute the 22-year-old during the break at Portman Road last season.

“I said to him after Ipswich when he was taken off and didn’t play well that it was how you respond to it,” Ross said, via quotes by the Chronicle. “To be a professional footballer for the next 10, 15 years he’s going to have to do that.

“We knew how we wanted to play on Saturday [against Wimbledon], and we knew our full-backs would get out and I thought it was important we had that balance on that side of the pitch. We knew we’d have him high up the park and that’s where his strengths are.

“To be able to do it at 20-years-old was good, pleasing and he’ll be able to take confidence from that. I’m pleased he had a good performance because it was a difficult couple of games for him. He’s a young man still and it’s great to see him take opportunities and play well.”

Hume was unable to demonstrate his offensive strengths against Ipswich in his latest meeting with the Tractor Boys, as the Sunderland product could only win two of his 11 duels – both coming from nine attempted ground battles – and delivered just one accurate cross from five attempts, per SofaScore.

His efforts ensured the natural left-back recorded the lowest match rating by a starting member of the Sunderland XI at 6.3 out of 10, having also lost possession 17 times, committed one foul, attempted zero efforts on goal, attempted just one dribble, offered no tackles or interceptions and completed a lowly 14 passes.

One of Hume’s 18 attempted passes that did find a teammate led Sunderland to having a shot on goal, while also completing each of his three long balls and registering three clearances. But Parkinson will need to see a great deal more from the 22-year-old in training if the Black Cats boss intends to field him against Mansfield Town in Saturday’s FA Cup clash.

Benching Hume after a poor showing against Ipswich could see Parkinson benefit in a likewise manner to how Ross profited upon his return to the starting line-up against Wimbledon in 2019, though, with the 22-year-old failing to vividly impress since September’s victory over Peterborough when he assisted the sole goal of the affair.

AND in other news, a Sunderland ace Phil Parkinson labelled as “accomplished” has delivered the Black Cats a fraught reminder.

Leeds United could bag an ideal replacement for loan signing Jack Harrison, who could be set to return to Manchester City at the end of the season. Whilst the winger is yet to make an appearance under Pep Guardiola, there’s no confirmation of whether he will be leaving the Etihad on a permanent deal.

Despite the fact that Phil Hay believes the Whites could snap up Harrison full-time, the club must be exploring other options. The transfer market can be a very cruel place where absolutely anything can happen in the blink of an eye. Victor Orta cannot afford to place all of Leeds’ eggs in Harrison’s basket.

Indeed, the Championship title holders have been tipped to sign Daniel James by Paul Robinson, who believes that Marcelo Bielsa has enough to lure him away from the interest of Everton (via Football Insider).

Why Leeds should sign Daniel James

Aside from Ezgjan Alioski, who is more of a midfielder than a winger, Leeds have no options out wide to occupy the left flank. If they cannot secure a permanent move for Harrison, the Manchester United man would be a very smart transfer to pursue.

The Wales international is out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and has made just three Premier League appearances this season, all of which have been in an unnatural position. James has played on the right and up front for the Reds this term and is clearly not being utilised to the best of his ability.

Last season, the 23-year-old notched a respectable three goals and six assists in the league alone (via Transfermarkt). Working under a coach like Bielsa could really take James’ game to the next level as it’s more than likely he would start the majority, if not every match for Leeds. He certainly has the talent to bring to the table, with Wales boss Ryan Giggs generously comparing some of his attributes to a young Cristiano Ronaldo last year.

The winger’s current £80,000 per week contract will keep him at Old Trafford until 2024, so Orta may have his work cut out in striking a deal with United. However, should Harrison return to Man City, the Whites mustn’t wait around when exploring their options and with Everton also circling James, they must act fast.

In other news, Pablo Hernandez has one last chance to save Leeds United career…

Victor Orta has had an incredible redemption arc at Leeds over the past 12 months or so.

The Spaniard has gone from being the subject of much criticism to being the man of the hour amongst the Leeds fanbase, and while it’s great to see the tables turning like this, it has to be said that the original complaints were warranted.

Orta had a dangerous knack of leaving things too late in the transfer window, and with Marcelo Bielsa often giving his new signings a lot of time to bed in and learn his training regimes and tactics, this was a strategy that often backfired.

Eddie Nketiah wasn’t given a start until December after joining on deadline day last summer, Jean-Kevin Augustin never got up to speed after joining late in January, while the infamous Daniel James deal never got over the line due to the fact Leeds left it too late.

Fortunately, the Spaniard seems to have learnt from these mistakes, getting most of Leeds’ business done early this time around, and while a couple of late signings are still expected, the squad is largely built, and that was more important than ever this season.

Leeds had two very winnable games in the opening weeks of the season against both Fulham and Sheffield United, and they managed to get the job done on both of those occasions, with their new signings proving to be the heroes on both occasions.

Illan Meslier, who signed on a permanent deal this summer, was lauded as the hero on Sunday, while Helder Costa’s brace secured the points for United against Fulham.

These two had already been at the club for a year on loan deals before making permanent switches, and they may not have been able to have such an impact if United instead opted for a whole host of fresh faces this summer.

Bielsa’s way of operating means that new signings need to learn the system before earning a starting berth, and in positions that were in desperate need for reinforcement, Orta made sure business was done early, with Rodrigo and Robin Koch signed in late August, weeks before the campaign kicked off.

It’s taken a number of attempts to kick the habit of leaving it late, but Orta has finally got it right this time around.

In other news, one Leeds loanee showed exactly what he can do last weekend.