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According to 90min.com, Glasgow Rangers and Steven Gerrard are interested in bringing out-of-favour Liverpool forward Divock Origi to Ibrox this summer.

The Lowdown: Gers looking to improve

The Gers enjoyed a fantastic campaign last time out as they won the Premiership for the first time in 10 years.

That means they qualified for the Champions League as a result, meaning the Ibrox outfit must improve their squad to be able to compete at that level. They have so far brought in Fashion Sakala (rangers.co.uk) and John Lundstram, but they will no doubt want to add to those new arrivals.

The Latest: Gers eye Origi

As per this latest report, Rangers are interested in signing Origi this summer.

A number of other clubs are also in pursuit however, with West Ham, Crystal Palace, Southampton, Newcastle and Celtic also named.

The Verdict: A coup

While Origi is not particularly high up the pecking order under Jurgen Klopp at the moment, he would still be a huge coup for the 55-time Scottish champions.

With 59 goals in 284 career games to his name (Transfermarkt), he is not the most prolific, but two goals in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona in 2019, as well as a strike in the final, show he can perform at the highest level and does not suffer under pressure – that is crucial under the intense expectations on both sides of Glasgow.

In the past, Klopp has called him “outstanding” (sportskeeda.com) – there is no doubt Origi would provide some additional quality at Ibrox. Valued at £10.8m (Transfermarkt), it is unlikely he would come cheap, but if the Gers want to compete in the Champions League, the Belgium international would be very welcome north of the border.

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this Club 1872 move.

Following on from their disappointing 2-2 draw against AFC Wimbledon which saw Sheffield Wednesday blow a 2-0 lead in their previous League One clash, Darren Moore side are in action again on Tuesday night with a league clash against Cambridge United.

Ahead of tonight’s game at the Abbey Stadium, Wednesday will be without Sam Hutchinson and Lewis Gibson through injury but should have Dennis Adeniran available after he missed out at Plough Lane on Saturday with a minor muscular injury.

Taking this into account, here’s how we feel Wednesday will line up against Cambridge, with three changes from the side which started against AFC Wimbledon.

In goal, we think Moore will go with Bailey Peacock-Farrell after trusting Joe Wildsmith against AFC Wimbledon as he let in two goals to see the Owls’ commanding lead slip.

For the defence, assuming Moore preserves his 3-4-1-2 formation, we think he will stick with the trio of Dominic Iorfa, Cheyenne Dunkley and Liam Palmer as Wednesday’s centre-backs.

On the right, we can see Jack Hunt keeping his place in the team as an attacking threat considering that he sent in five accurate crosses at the weekend. On the left, however, we think Moore will go for Marvin Johnson ahead of Jaden Brown, who failed to impress on Saturday.

The 22-year-old earned a rather disappointing overall match rating of 5.8/10, which made him their lowest-rated player on the day according to SofaScore.

For the central midfield roles, we think the manager will stick with the pairing of Barry Bannan, who grabbed an assist against AFC Wimbledon, and Lewis Wing to see if they can help the team pick up all three points here.

Further up the pitch, even though Oluwafisayo Dele-Bashiru played most of the match against AFC Wimbledon, we reckon Moore will freshen up his side even further by putting Saido Berahino in the starting XI alongside Callum Paterson and Lee Gregory, who scored both of Wednesday’s goals in their previous match. The 20-year-old could then get a rest after his heavy involvement on Saturday.

Whether or not Moore decides to go with this exact starting XI that we have suggested, we feel as though this game against 18th-placed Cambridge will provide the Owls with an ideal opportunity to secure another win and put their disappointing draw in south London behind them.

In other news: Forget Brown: Moore must unleash £1.35m-rated SWFC gem v CUFC, could be game-changing – opinion

According to Portuguese source A Bola. as shared by Sport Witness, some transfer news has come out of Tottenham Hotspur involving Benfica star Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Spurs in race…

As previously reported elsewhere, the Lilywhites and transfer chief Fabio Paratici are well in contention to sign one of the most in-demand attacking stars in Europe right now.

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90min shared late last month that Spurs are one of the clubs who have made contact with Nunez’s representatives with the attacker telling Benfica he is ‘ready to move this summer’.

The Daily Express also claimed this week that Tottenham officials were sent on a Benfica scouting mission to run the rule over their star striker as they faced off against Liverpool in the Champions League.

The Uruguayan, who’s scored an incredible 28 goals in 35 appearances across all contests this season, looks set to be one of the big name transfers of this summer as A Bola (via SW) now share an update.

The Latest: A Bola share Nunez update…

According to the newspaper’s sources, Tottenham, and by extension Paratici, have indeed made their first move, emerging as one of the sides who have been in touch before the summer to get more information over signing Nunez – opening a dialogue.

However, in some potentially bad news, A Bola also say that the striker’s club want a lofty €100 million (£84m) to let him go in the next transfer window.

The Verdict: Turn away?

Nunez’s quality is no secret, with Anfield Index podcaster Hari Sethi branding the South American ‘rapid quick’ and an ‘absolute beast’ of an attacker (Twitter) after their clash in mid-week.

His form and obvious ability, though, has seemingly allowed Benfica to demand huge money with Tottenham arguably not in the best financial position to smash their transfer record.

Their mounting club debt off the field could mean Spurs may have to turn elsewhere for a striking back-up to Harry Kane, unless of course they have to end up replacing the England international after receiving a big enough bid.

In other news: Tottenham eye agreement ‘in the coming weeks’ as they make offer for exciting midfielder, find out more here.

Pundit Michael Dawson was left shocked by something that he saw the Aston Villa players doing during the first half of their game away at Wolves in the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Derby to forget

It was ultimately a Midlands derby to forget for Steven Gerrard’s team, who found themselves 2-0 down within the first 36 minutes of the match, while Lucas Digne was forced off injured after only 13 minutes.

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They simply had no answer for Jonny’s early goal, while Ashley Young putting through his own net summed up their afternoon. The hosts picked them apart on the counter-attack, even despite Ollie Watkins scoring late from the spot.

The Latest: Dawson reacts

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Gillette Labs Soccer Saturday (15:50pm), former Tottenham Hotspur and England central defender Dawson was left shocked by how many men Villa were throwing forward just before half-time, with the score only at 2-0:

“You’re only 2-0 down, it’s nearly half-time, it’s ridiculous what I’m seeing.

“Gerrard looks absolutely fuming.”

The Verdict: Detrimental

The fact that Villa seemed to lack any tactical nous in the first half was ultimately detrimental on them getting any kind of result.

They should have known that while the Wanderers do not concede many goals, they do not score many either judging by the table, and so there was still a way to get back into the game in the second half without needing to play quite so last-ditch.

Instead, they almost threw it away by playing gung-ho football, and ultimately poor defending and not enough creativity going forward has ended up costing them.

In other news, find out who Villa have now been linked with in a club-record move here!

Michael Ball has dropped a key claim on Rangers centre-forward Alfredo Morelos’ future…

What’s the talk?

Former Rangers defender Michael Ball has claimed that Alfredo Morelos ‘will’ leave the club as the Gers will want to maximise their profits on him.

He told This is Futbol:

“We know he will move on in the future, Rangers will want to capitalise on a good fee for him but it’s down to him, he’s got to be the key player week in and week out.”

Frustration

Rangers fans will surely be left feeling frustrated by this key transfer claim from Ball. Why is it inevitable for the club to sell star players? Supporters will want to see some ambition from Ross Wilson to retain Steven Gerrard’s top performers, rather than conceding that they will 100% leave.

Of course, there is sometimes little that can be done if a player is desperate to go and play for a top European side who are competing for the best trophies in football. For example, if Real Madrid, Manchester City or Chelsea came calling then you could excuse a player for wanting to move on, but is competing in midtable in the Premier League better than winning trophies with Rangers?

It is a subjective question and one that there is little point arguing over right now, but Wilson needs to put up a convincing case for the Gers in order to keep hold of players like Morelos. The Colombian striker has proven his worth in the Scottish Premiership and losing him would be a huge blow for Gerrard’s side.

Speaking anonymously to The Athletic in 2019, a Scottish Premiership player labelled Morelos as “non-stop” and praised the way his movement made him difficult to defend: “In my experience, he is just non-stop.

“There’s never a time when he’s walking about or not interested in the game. He’s always involved, whether that’s taking you away or dragging you closer to the ball.

“He’s kind of dropping deep now and going out wide. That’s a nightmare for defenders because he’s your player that you’re meant to be man-marking but then you’re dragged out of position and you’ve got midfield runners taking his space. That means you need to start talking to your full-backs and centre-mids to start swapping players, which makes it a lot more difficult.”

This highlights the problems he can cause defenders in Scotland, which is why Wilson must avoid a disaster over the gem. Fans will be frustrated if the club actively looks to sell him on without trying to pin him down to a new contract to keep him at Ibrox.

AND in other news, Gerrard must unleash “exciting” £4.5m-rated Rangers beast, he may get fans off seats…

Spartak Moscow have revealed they are not in talks to sign Glen Kamara from Glasgow Rangers this summary despite speculation to the contrary.

The Lowdown: Spartak linked to Kamara

The 22-time Russian champions have been linked with a move for £5.4m-valued Kamara (Transfermarkt) this summer.

They are even said to have been in talks for the Finland international (RB Sport), but there has been an update on the former Dundee man’s situation.

The Latest: Spartak respond to speculation

Speaking to Sky Sports News, A Spartak spokesman has denied these claims. He said:

“Spartak are not interested in Glen Kamara, and are not negotiating with him or his representatives.”

The Verdict: Good news

This, of course, will come as a relief to Rangers supporters – Kamara is not a player they will want to lose. Since making the switch to Ibrox in January 2019, he has made 104 appearances for the club, scoring four goals and providing five assists.

A whopping 51 outings came last term as the Gers won their 55th league title (Transfermarkt), proving just how crucial the Finland star is to Steven Gerrard’s plans.

Of course, there has been plenty of speculation surrounding the midfielder’s future, with the likes of Watford (Gianluigi Longari) and Everton (Eurosport) linked with a move, and the Gers’ failure to reach the group stages of the Champions League could convince Kamara to move on.

However, the Glasgow outfit will be desperate to keep him, and Spartak’s denial means one less potential suitor is interested.

In other news, Rangers want to sign this Championship midfielder.

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have been left ecstatic following reports of what GSB and the club are planning in January.

The upcoming mid-season transfer window could be the the club’s most crucial one in a very long time as David Moyes’ men continue to fight on all fronts.

Top of their Europa League group and third in the Premier League, West Ham are also set to play London rivals Tottenham in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

Depending on how they fare in the cups as they also aim to qualify for next season’s Champions League, Moyes could have it all to do, with a very congested festive schedule already awaiting him.

As such, West Ham may need to sign fresh faces in January to bolster the Scotsman’s chances of success, especially considering the lack of a natural backup option to Michail Antonio and Angelo Ogbonna’s cruciate ligament injury blow.

The Evening Standard shared an update on transfers after Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky officially bought a 27% stake in the club. They claimed that, while GSB aren’t planning a winter spending spree, Moyes will be sufficiently backed to bring in a centre-back, a striker and possibly 2020/21 loan star Jesse Lingard.

Flocking to this news from a reliable source, it’s little wonder that so many West Ham fans are ecstatic, as this development could plug most of their squad’s holes. As they voiced their opinions on Twitter, many heaped praise on GSB’s “brilliant” transfer plan for Moyes.

Check out some of their best verdicts below.

West Ham fans erupt over GSB transfer plan…

“Make it happen Moyeseyyyy”

Credit: @Kayron27

“This sounds positive”

Credit: @SamanthaWalsh1

“I’d be over the moon with that”

Credit: @RobWaldon

“That will do for me”

Credit: @bartong2011

“Yes yes yes, that would do me very nicely!”

Credit: @_samhowell

“This would be brilliant”

Credit: @colbyjaytait09

“a central defender, a striker and Lingard is a spending spree to us!”

Credit: @Hammer1966

“Hlozek, Lingard and Tarkowski and we’ve basically won the quadruple”

Credit: @AndrewIron85

In other news: ‘Huge’ – Sky pundit thrilled as West Ham eye ‘massive signing’ for Moyes, find out more here.

An update has emerged on Frank Lampard, regarding Rangers’ thoughts on potentially appointing him as their new manager.

What’s the talk?

According to Gers media partner Hearts & Hand Podcast, the club are not interested in a deal to bring the ex-Chelsea coach to Glasgow to replace his former England teammate Steven Gerrard in the dugout.

They Tweeted: “Just spoke to club: Lampard and Knutsen not on radar. Gio stuff already broken by Sky. Rangers engage with certain media outlets and not others. Don’t pay attention to the ones on the outside – they haven’t a clue.”

Delight

This update from a Rangers insider will surely leave fans delighted as it means that Ross Wilson has avoided a disaster. We published an article urging the Gers chief to avoid Lampard after it was reported that the club were set to hold talks with the 43-year-old over the role, however, this twist now suggests that was not the case.

His managerial C.V does not suit Rangers’ needs at this moment in time and he would represent a gamble Wilson does not need to take. The Scottish giants are currently top of the Scottish Premiership and need an experienced coach with a history of winning to ensure that they get over the line and are able to build on what Gerrard created at Ibrox.

Gerrard ended Celtic’s dominance of Scottish football by winning the league last season and has left the club four points clear of the Hoops after 13 games in the current campaign. This shows that he has built the foundations of a winning team and bringing in a coach who has not proven that he can win trophies in the dugout could derail their attempts to be the dominant force in Glasgow long-term.

Lampard has only managed two full seasons in his career, one of which came in the second-tier of English football with Derby, and is yet to win a single honour. He lost in the play-off final with the Championship outfit and in the FA Cup final with Chelsea, whilst finishing sixth and fourth in their respective divisions.

This means that he does not have the requisite experience required to suggest that he is the right man to come in and see out the job for Rangers this season. Therefore, fans will be delighted that Wilson is not even considering him as an option.

AND in other news, Davis 2.0: Rangers could sign new metronome in gem who “quietly impressed” ex-EPL boss…

West Ham manager David Moyes has now made Torino star Andrea Belotti one of his side’s main transfer targets…

What’s the story?

According to WestHamFans.org, the Italy international has been identified by the Irons boss as one of his principal striker targets, and the 28-year-old has recently snubbed a move to the likes of Newcastle and Al-Hilal.

The report adds that West Ham would be able to sign him on a pre-contract deal for this summer due to his contract expiring rather than right now in this January transfer window.

Fans will be buzzing

If Hammers fans wanted a genuinely proven option up front to help compete with Michail Antonio, then Belotti certainly does fit that bill to a tee.

Vastly experienced with his time in Italian football, the forward was of course part of the Italy side that won last summer’s EUROs, and has got a phenomenal goal-scoring record, bagging 107 goals in just 238 games for Torino, and 137 goals over his senior club career.

Joe Hart, who played with Belotti in his time at Torino, praised him for his “instinct for goals”, and that kind of knack is something that you just don’t lose.

In the £25.2m-rated Belotti, they would be getting someone who has been banging in the goals in Serie A for a number of years now. The 28-year-old is the man who wears Torino’s armband, and has been hailed as a “real captain” for his performances for the club.

As well as the supply of goals that he would bring to the table, Belotti would bring some real leadership too, and fans will surely be buzzing at seeing him join.

Meanwhile, West Ham are also eyeing this “unplayable” winger…

Fulham have been dealt a boost to their hopes of keeping Harrison Reed at Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by The Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth, who revealed in a recent Q&A session on the newspaper’s website that Leeds United do not currently have the 26-year-old on their list of summer transfer targets, despite him being a player who is admired by the club.

This news comes following a report by the Daily Mail earlier this month that suggested Marcelo Bielsa’s side were plotting a summer swoop for the £9m-rated Fulham man, however, following Smyth’s update, this does not appear to be the case.

Fans should be buzzing

Considering just how important Reed has become within the Fulham team over the past two seasons, the news that the midfielder looks on course to remain at Craven Cottage ahead of next season should leave fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, over his 25 Championship appearances during his debut season with Scott Parker’s side back in 2019/20, the £31k-per-week man registered one assist and created one big chance for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.9 tackles and winning 4.5 duels per game.

These returns saw the former England U20 international earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.81, ranking him as the club’s joint 16th-best performer in the league, with his displays helping the Cottagers earn promotion to the Premier League.

Over his 31 top-flight appearances the following season, Reed provided two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.6 interceptions, two tackles and winning four duels per match.

These returns saw the man Shane Long dubbed an “immense” player earn an improved average SofaScore match rating of 6.90, ranking him as Parker’s 11th-best player in the Premier League.

As such, it would very much appear as if keeping Reed at the club this summer is key to Fulham’s hopes of going on to secure an immediate return to the top flight of English football next season, meaning that the news Leeds are not considering a move for the 26-year-old is fantastic for everyone involved with the Cottagers.

In other news: Major Fulham managerial development confirmed, Khan will be buzzing