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Glasgow Rangers suffered defeat in the final of the Scottish League Cup last weekend and are now in danger of ending the campaign without a trophy to show for their efforts.

Michael Beale’s side have already been knocked out of Europe, after failing to progress from their Champions League group, and are nine points off the top of the Premiership table.

This means that the Light Blues’ last realistic chance, barring a late collapse from Celtic in the top flight, of winning a trophy is the Scottish Cup, in which they face Raith Rovers in the quarter-finals later this month.

A trophyless season for Rangers would be a disappointing end to the campaign and one that could signal the end of an era heading into Beale’s first summer transfer window in charge of the club.

The English head coach may want to refresh his squad by bringing in upgrades on the current old guard and one player who could come in is Norwich’s Angus Gunn.

Would Angus Gunn be an upgrade on Allan McGregor?

Rangers are reportedly interested in the former England U21 international and the shot-stopper could come in as a big upgrade on first-choice goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

Gunn, who was signed for £5m from Southampton, has enjoyed a fantastic season in the Championship this term. The titan has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 and saved 75% of the efforts on his goal, whilst also completing 0.7 run-outs per game.

McGregor, 41, has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.80 across 16 appearances in the Premiership and saved 61% of the shots against him – making just 0.3 run-outs per match – with that suggesting the veteran has not been outstanding at stopping shots or sweeping for his defence.

These statistics indicate that the Englishman would be a big upgrade between the sticks for the Gers because of his exceptional ability to keep the ball out of the net, his general performance level, and his sweeping skill, which makes him a well-rounded, impressive, goalkeeper.

His former Norwich coach Daniel Farke once stated that the gloveman was at a “perfect” age and that remains the case as the 27-year-old is a whopping 14 years younger than the Gers number one.

This means the Canaries giant could be a long-term signing for Beale and someone who could be the first choice for many, many, years to come, which would allow the club to nail down that position for the foreseeable future.

The 6 foot 5 colossus would, therefore, be an upgrade on McGregor for Rangers both in terms of what he can offer on the pitch right now and what the gem can provide the club moving forward, irrespective of whether or not the veteran stays on for another year.

Sunderland returned to Wearside without any points for their efforts as they came away from Rotherham with a 2-1 defeat in the Championship on Tuesday night.

Tony Mowbray’s side had been on a five-game unbeaten run in the second tier but goals from Ollie Rathbone and Shane Ferguson ensured that they tasted defeat.

Joe Gelhardt struck his first goal for the club, since joining on loan from Leeds in January, with a superb header in the second half but it was not enough to mount a comeback for the Black Cats.

There were a number of subpar performances on display but one player who may now be fearing for his place in the starting XI is central midfielder Dan Neil.

How has Daniel Neil performed for Sunderland recently?

In his last six appearances for the club, the dynamo has only recorded a Sofascore rating of 6.9 or higher once – against Queens Park Rangers – and he was given a score of 6.6 for his performance against the Millers.

The Englishman had recorded a Sofascore rating of 7.0 or higher in eight of his 11 outings in all competitions prior to his last six games, which shows that his form has taken a significant dip in recent weeks.

Against Rotherham, Neil lost seven of his 13 individual duels – including 100% of his aerial battles –  and was dribbled past twice in the middle of the park, whilst failing to complete a dribble and managing one long pass from six attempts – as per Sofascore.

The dud, who had 70 touches of the ball, was also unable to create a single chance for his teammates during the game and struggled in and out of possession throughout the match, which included being “caught” – per journalist Phil Smith – on the ball for Rotherham’s second goal.

Neil has been able to produce moments of quality throughout the campaign in the Championship – scoring twice and assisting four goals in 32 appearances – but his recent dip in form could see him axed from the side.

Head coach Mowbray will be looking at his bench and seeing the likes of Pierre Ekwah and Abdoullah Ba, who are both young and hungry players who could relish an opportunity to play, and wondering whether or not it is worth giving them a shot.

The current first-choice in midfield, alongside Edouard Michut, has left a lot to be desired with his recent showings – the latest being the disappointing display on Tuesday – and dropping him to the bench for a few matches could motivate him to rediscover the form he showed earlier this season.

Therefore, the manager must ruthlessly ditch Neil from the starting XI for the club’s clash with Coventry this weekend and hand a chance to another player to showcase their quality in that position.

An update has emerged on Leicester City and their attempts to bolster their squad on deadline day of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Leicester Mercury reporter Jordan Blackwell has confirmed that the Foxes are eyeing up a swoop to sign Jack Harrison from Premier League rivals Leeds.

When asked by a supporter whether or not the club are looking into a deal for the winger, the journalist replied: “City are genuinely interested in adding Harrison to provide competition for Tete and Barnes.

“A right winger was always the priority, so I think it’s doubtful that City would be chasing Harrison now if they hadn’t managed to get Tete in, but as I’ve said further down, it was always their intention to bring in two wingers last summer, and so it makes sense that they would still want two wingers now.”

Marc Albrighton upgrade

Blackwell has claimed that Brenden Rodgers wants competition for Tete and Harvey Barnes out wide and that is something that current forward Marc Albrighton is unlikely to provide.

The English winger has served the Foxes well over the years but his two goals and three assists in 23 Premier League appearances since the start of last season do not suggest that he is able to deliver on a regular basis for the club in the present.

He has created three ‘big chances’ for the side in that time and Leicester could land a big upgrade on the 33-year-old veteran by bringing Harrison in before the deadline.

The Whites forward, who was once hailed as being “explosive” by Leeds boss Marsch, has contributed with one goal and four assists, whilst creating six ‘big chances’, in 17 top-flight outings this season. 

His form this term comes after the gem produced 16 goals and nine assists in his first two Premier League campaigns for the Yorkshire-based side – creating 13 ‘big chances’ in that time.

The £50k-per-week attacker, previously of Manchester City, has proven that he can deliver goals and assists on a semi-regular basis in the English top-flight and his track record in the division indicates that Leicester could land an Albrighton upgrade by signing him.

Harrison, 26, is seven years younger than the current Foxes man and boasts a far more impressive return at the top end of the pitch in recent Premier League seasons, which is why Rodgers must now push for this deal to get over the line in the coming hours.

Pundit Noel Whelan has backed ‘massive’ West Ham United signing Danny Ings to become the first-choice striker at the club for the rest of the season.

What’s the word?

The former Aston Villa man joined the Hammers earlier on in January for a reported £15m transfer fee. He arrives in east London to provide David Moyes with an option up top alongside Michail Antonio and Gianluca Scamacca.

The forward actually made his debut for the club on Saturday as West Ham beat Everton 2-0 at home. Ings came off the bench for the last 18 minutes of the game, with Antonio leaving the pitch to make way for the new man.

Scamacca is currently out with a knee injury and so played no part against the Toffees and in his absence, Whelan has backed Ings to establish himself as the best option at the club up top.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “I think Ings is a massive signing. I don’t think the fans will appreciate just how big of a signing this is. He was Villa’s top scorer, he’s a great finisher, he scores in different ways – I think he’s the first choice.

“From now until the end of the season, I think he will be very hard to remove from that starting eleven.

“West Ham need to get the best out of Jarrod Bowen, and I think Ings can do that as well. He can bring others into play, he’s strong, he can pass.

“Maybe Scamacca can come in if Moyes wants to play a two-man strikeforce, but Ings has to be the main man now.”

Big call up top

While Antonio played on the weekend, there is no guarantee he remains at the club this winter amid links to Wolves and Everton. What’s more, a £25m bid for Lorient and Nigeria striker Terem Moffi, suggests that the club may be keen on adding more than just Ings to their ranks in January.

The new man did at least bring something to the win over Everton on debut. Indeed, while his cameo was short and the game was already won at that stage, Malik Ouzia noted in the Evening Standard that Ings: “brought energy, both on the pitch and to [the] crowd”.

As mentioned before, Scamacca is out for the time being and while he has done okay this term – with three league goals to his name – Ings is more Premier League proven (and also has six league goals so far ), so Moyes may prefer the Englishman up top.

It remains to be seen how it all plays out but with so much uncertainty over Antonio’s future, and with Scamacca injured, the former Villa man should at least get the chance to impress over the coming weeks.

If he can take his chance, he could end up establishing himself as the club’s main man.

Everton are looking to potentially bring the Villarreal forward, Arnaut Danjuma, to Goodison Park this month, according to Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the latest?

Everton once again find themselves struggling at the wrong end of the Premier League table and it seems as if Frank Lampard is looking to provide some firepower up top this month.

There have been reports that the Toffees are looking to bring in a new striker this month with the likes of Ben Brereton-Diaz and Viktor Gyokeres ahead of the winter window.

However, a new name has emerged as a potential option to add in the 25-year-old, Danjuma, who is currently playing his football out in Spain after making the move from Bournemouth back in 2021.

And speaking on the House of Champions YouTube channel, the Italian transfer guru has claimed he is a player who Lampard would be keen to bring to Merseyside this month:

(17:30) “Let’s see what happens with Danjuma from Villarreal. He’s appreciated by many clubs in England, he could leave on a loan with a buy clause included in the contract.

“Unai Emery knows the player very well, but also Everton want him, I think it could be a very interesting move for the January final weeks.”

Desperate times

After a pretty poor start to the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, it does feel as if this month’s transfer window feels like a huge opportunity for Lampard to bring in some quality to help in their battle against the drop.

Only two other sides have scored fewer than the Toffees this season with Lampard’s men finding the back of the net just 14 times in their 18 games so far.

And this can be put down to the injury issues felt by Dominic Calvert-Lewin who has only been able to provide one league goal since returning from his knee issue.

Over the summer, Everton spent £20m on Neal Maupay to help fill in for the injury issues regularly sustained by Calvert-Lewin, however, since arriving at Goodison, the Frenchman has also only coughed up one league goal this season.

With this in mind, we think it is essential Everton nail their next striker singing otherwise they could find themselves struggling to climb away from the relegation zone in the second half of the season.

And looking at Danjuma’s output for the Spanish side this season, there have to be question marks over whether he will be a man to arrive on Merseyside and guarantee them goals.

The Dutchman has provided six goals this season, however, only two of them have come in La Liga and both of those goals came in one game back in October (via Transfermarkt).

Last season saw the 25-year-old impress with 10 league goals as well as six in the Champions League, but on the back of his recent struggles in front of goal and through injury earlier in the season, it does feel like another potential risk.

Manchester United midfielder Fred is reportedly a transfer target for Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain. 

The Lowdown: Fred’s season so far

So far this season, the Brazil midfielder has made 17 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions but has only started seven times, scoring one goal in the process.

United recently triggered a one-year option to extend the £120k-per-week midfielder’s contract at Old Trafford to the end of the 2023/24 season.

Despite that, one of the big hitters in the Champions League have set their sights on signing the 29-year-old, who recently returned from Qatar having made four appearances for his country in the World Cup.

The Latest: PSG eyeing move for Fred

According to a recent report from The Sun, the French giants have been long-term admirers of the midfielder and are looking to secure a ‘shock’ move for him.

The report adds that, while the Red Devils would only consider selling the Brazilian for a minimum of £30m, Erik ten Hag is apparently a big fan of Fred and has been impressed by his attitude on and off the pitch at Old Trafford.

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The Verdict: A decision for the summer

Even though he has only started a handful of games this season, Fred has still shown how useful a player he is for United, for whom he now has 174 appearances to his name.

From an attacking point of view, the 29-year-old has the highest rate of shot-creating actions per game (4.52) at the club, along with the third-highest rate of shots at goal per 90 minutes (3.17).

However, his overall performances have only earned him a rather disappointing season rating of 6.38/10 from WhoScored, making him one of the lowest-rated players in the squad.

With that in mind, we feel that unless he improves and forces his way into the team consistently in the second half of the season, United should consider cashing in on Fred once next summer’s transfer window comes around, assuming there are still suitors for him at that point.

Arsenal are currently leading the chase for Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his squad in the January transfer window.

What’s the news?

According to Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the Premier League pace-setters are ‘in the lead’ to sign the 27-year-old ahead of Juventus and AC Milan.

The Serbian midfielder also has no intention of extending his contract, which is due to expire in 2024, which means that Arsenal can secure his signature for a fee of just €50m (£43.6m) according to the report.

Arteta’s own Jude Bellingham

Milinkovic-Savic was in Qatar representing Serbia at the World Cup, where he earned a 7.00 Sofascore rating despite his team finishing bottom of their group, and he has performed commendably at club level in recent years.

Last season, he registered a stunning 22 goal contributions in Serie A (11 goals and 11 assists) from the heart of Lazio’s midfield, and having a genuine attacking threat from the middle of the park could be vital for Arteta heading into the second half of the campaign.

Furthermore, in 2021/22 the Serbian also created 11 big chances, made 1.4 key passes per match and took 81.2 touches per game, so it’s no wonder that he was described as “magic” by Lazio team-mate Ciro Immobile earlier this season.

Arteta could even land his own version of Jude Bellingham by signing the midfielder. According to FBRef, the sought-after Dortmund star is the second-most similar player to Milinkovic-Savic; and considering just how good the Englishman is at only 19, it isn’t a bad comparison to have.

This season has seen the two players register similar statistics when it comes to goals (three each), dribble success rate (46.9% to 43.3%, Bellingham first), goal-creating actions (6 to 10), and aerial duels won (62.9% to 58.5%), which shows that they are both excellent all-round midfielders.

Indeed, over the previous 365 days, the Lazio star has been one of the continent’s finest players, ranking in the top 5% for non-penalty goals, assists, touches in the attacking penalty area and progressive passes recovery among positional peers.

With the Spaniard ideally looking to add another midfielder and centre-forward to his squad during the January transfer window, he should be looking to tie down a deal for Milinkovic-Savic as soon as possible.

Given the aforementioned quote of just £43.6m, Arsenal could have their own Bellingham for a fraction of the £130m that Borussia Dortmund are demanding for their prized asset, and this is a move which could help the Gunners to land their first league title in 19 years if it comes off.

Chelsea are due a rebuild with many players coming to the end of their contracts or in the latter stages of their career and now a reliable source has revealed a potential long-term target.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Chelsea are “in the race” to sign Palmeiras forward Endrick.

Romano told GIVEMESPORT:

“The three clubs are fighting and Chelsea are in the race. They want to try and they want to discuss.

“Palmeiras want €60million. That is the value of the release clause, but they could accept a different kind of structure of the deal with the package, including add-ons and bonuses.

“Remember the player would be joining in 2024, so it’s a long-term project around Endrick and not a short-term project, but Chelsea are there.

“They have a chance to sign Endrick. As of today, yes, but it could change in a day because there are three clubs fighting for Endrick and there are also many rumours about Barcelona and Manchester United.”

He’d be Willian 2.0

There is no doubt that Chelsea are in desperate need of reinforcements especially when you look at their current Premier League form, so it is clear that Todd Boehly will need to consider even more investment into the team.

The West London giants are currently eighth in the league table after a string of three consecutive defeats leading up to the World Cup break and the poor performances have seriously hindered Chelsea’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League next season.

Indeed, the Blues have endured a lot of change over the last six months with a new owner, Thomas Tuchel’s sacking and Graham Potter’s arrival at Stamford Bridge but the struggles now could lead to success if the recruitment powers at the club make the right investments in future stars.

As a result, the potential of signing Endrick would be a great prospect for Chelsea in their pursuit to dominate English and European football once again.

The £52m Brazilian wonderkid – who was hailed a “phenomenon” by Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus – is already giving glimpses of his potential by scoring nine goals and delivering one assist with a goal contribution every 60 minutes so far which is extremely impressive.

Chelsea could even land their next Willian if they can secure the signature of the teenage sensation with both players hailing from Brazil. Before coming to the latter stages of his career, he was a natural finisher and incredibly dangerous in the final third, with his flair rivalled by very few at Stamford Bridge.

Willian scored 63 goals and registered 62 assists over 339 appearances, while winning two Premier League titles, a Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.

With that being said, if Endrick continues to flourish and delivers a similar consistency in his goal contributions over the coming months, snapping him up would be a big addition, particularly if his career is as successful as Willian’s.

With Nathan Jones now confirmed as the new Southampton boss, he will be handed this weekend’s Premier League fixture before an unprecedented World Cup break will allow him to truly assess his squad and implement his ideas.

Inheriting a team sitting in the relegation zone, it is clear that this season has been a tumultuous one for the players.

Whilst some stood up and announced themselves as fine options for Ralph Hasenhuttl, plenty have wilted and offered little in the way of their push for safety.

Jones must now quickly work out who he can rely on for the second half of the season.

One man who is quite clearly a problem for the Saints is Theo Walcott, who made a romantic return to the club he started his career with after being released by Everton in the summer of 2021.

Joining on a two-year deal, the 33-year-old was handed a mouth-watering £75k-per-week contract despite having hardly starred during his loan spell with the club.

He had scored three and assisted a further three but given his age and declining ability, it was clear he would not be a starter.

Since then he is yet to score or assist again, and this season has featured just twice in the Premier League.

It marks a rare transfer blunder from the south coast outfit and hands Jones the perfect way to endear himself to his new fans by binning off this ageing waste of money.

What made the initial deal even more baffling was that he had clearly been a declining force for the Toffees, with just 20 goal contributions across 85 appearances.

So to make him their highest-paid player, which he remains today, seems to completely abandon the model usually employed by Southampton.

Back in 2017, Kevin Campbell and Glenn Hoddle launched a joint assault on Arsenal for not allowing him to blossom into the player that the latter believed should have been “world-class”.

With an impressive career under his belt, but one which likely should have yielded more from the talent that burst onto the scene at just 16 years old, it seems a shame that he will likely have his career brought to a close by the incoming manager.

However, it will be a decision that fans will likely agree with wholeheartedly.

A club have reportedly made their first move to sign an "outstanding" Everton player, with the Blues demanding more than £40m for his services.

Everton transfer news

The Blues are in such a better place than they were earlier in the season, excelling under Sean Dyche and reacting superbly to their 10-point deduction in the Premier League. Four straight wins in the league without conceding a goal is a testament to how well Everton are doing, and while their midweek EFL Cup exit at the hands of Fulham was disappointing, the positives are clearly outweighing the negatives at the moment.

Dyche is getting a huge amount out of his current squad, but the Toffees boss surely wouldn't be against the idea of bringing in new signings once the January transfer window arrives.

A permanent move for Jack Harrison has been mooted recently, with the Englishman impressing on loan from Leeds United, while Iliman Ndiaye has also been linked with a move to Everton, even though he only joined Marseille during the summer.

However, there is always the threat that some of the Blues' most influential players could be wanted by other clubs – and one such rumour has recently emerged.

Everton dealt Amadou Onana blow

According to Marca [via Sport Witness], Barcelona are interested in signing Everton midfielder Amadou Onana and have "already had some contacts" with him over a move to Camp Nou.

The Blues won't allow the Belgian to leave on the cheap, however, and will demand at least €50m (£43.3m) for his signature should Barca want to get a deal over the line. The La Liga giants see that as a "considerable figure" to have to pay.

On the plus side, the report does state that "there is no option" for Onana to move to Spain in January, so it looks as though a summer transfer is more likely.

Losing Onana would be a massive blow for Everton, with the 22-year-old such a dominant physical presence in the midfield, but also a strong technical footballer.

Former England international Darren Bent has labelled him as "outstanding" in the past, and he has played a big part in the Blues' good form of late.

Onana has started 12 games in the Premier League so far this season, winning an average of 2.8 aerial duels per match and 2.5 tackles per outing. There is still so much to come from him in his career given his age, so to suddenly see him head off to pastures new would be a setback.

Amadou Onana's Premier League stats this season

Total

Appearances

13

Goals

1

Aerial duels wins per game

2.8

Tackles per game

2.5

Pass completion rate

85.4%

That being said, the lure of moving to Barca can be great for many footballers, even though they arguably don't have the same pull that they may have had in previous years, so it would be hard to begrudge him moving there at the end of the season.

One thing's for sure, Everton simply have to remain in the Premier League if they want to keep hold of the Belgium international, but that does look likely, given their current form.