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Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that he is “inviting players like” Brighton’s Yves Bissouma to Villa Park.

Bissouma has been in superb form for the Seagulls this season, boasting some good numbers for dribbling when compared to the rest of Graham Potter’s squad (via WhoScored), and is now being linked with an Amex exit.

According to The Times, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City have all looked at the player, while there is also said to be interest coming from France.

Hendrie, however, would love it if Dean Smith could lure the 24-year-old midfielder to his old club.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about Bissouma, the ex-Villa player said:

“I did a chat with myself and Paul Merson on Soccer Saturday a few weeks ago talking about Bissouma, and we highlighted what he actually does. I mean, his stats are absolutely phenomenal, the way he breaks the game up, his forward play.

“He’s got a good football brain. Like I said, when you’ve got someone who breaks the game up so well and can go join in and play, I’m inviting players like that to the football club.”

Villa look in danger of losing one of their midfielders in Douglas Luiz, with Manchester City weighing up whether to trigger a buy-back clause, so Smith may find himself needing to dip into the market to sign a new man for the middle of the park.

Former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that the Owls moving Jordan Rhodes on was “good business”.

Wednesday recently announced their retained list, with Rhodes’ name not being on it.

The 31-year-old striker has since gone on to rejoin Huddersfield Town on a free transfer, previously playing for the Championship outfit between 2009-12.

Rhodes was supposedly on £35,000 a week during his time at Hillsborough and, on that kind of Money, Palmer feels the League One club had no choice but to part ways with the Scotsman.

On Rhodes, the ex-Wednesday player said:

“I believe he’s a nice lad. From what I hear, my pal who’s a Norwich City supporter said he was great when he went down, but still not a massive goal return again.

“He’s good to have around the dressing room and whatever. Well, that’s alright for me if I’m not paying him that type of money, do you know what I mean? So, you know, it’s good business for Wednesday to move him on, good business for them to move him on.”

While Rhodes did manage to find the back of the net a few times in the last part of the season, he did struggle throughout the majority of the campaign.

The former Blackburn Rovers forward finished the term with seven league goals in 36 appearances, while his overall record at Wednesday was far from prolific.

Furthermore, perhaps this fresh start was needed for everyone and could give Rhodes the chance to rediscover his goalscoring touch again.

Former BBC pundit Noel Whelan has tipped Tottenham Hotspur defender Joe Rodon to leave the Lilywhites in the summer and join a newly-promoted Premier League club.

The Lowdown: Rodon’s position

According to a report by Football Insider, Spurs have informed the Wales international that he is free to find himself a new club when the transfer window opens.

The 24-year-old was keen on leaving Hotspur Way in January, with the likes of Brighton and Newcastle interested in signing the defender, but a move away from north London failed to materialise.

Rodon has shone on the international stage, drawing praise as ‘flawless’ and ‘special’ from journalist Ian Mitchelmore.

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The Latest: Whelan’s claim on Rodon

Whelan has claimed that if Rodon aims to stay in the Premier League, he should consider joining a newly-promoted team as the defender is not the sort of player Conte wants.

Speaking with Football Insider, the former Leeds striker said of the 24-year-old: “He’s not in the category Conte wants in a centre-half. I don’t expect him to have a life at Tottenham.

“There are teams like Fulham who have already been promoted. There will be teams who look at him because of the Premier League status that he has had at Tottenham.

“Also, the fact that he’s an international and could be going to the World Cup. You never turn your nose up at a young centre-half.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if people who are promoted want to look at him as a possibility to take on.”

The Verdict: Needs a move

The Welshman has made just one appearance in the league this season, and with Conte’s desire to sign a new left-footed centre-half, it would appear that Rodon’s career with the Lilywhites is over. Therefore, if the player hopes to reinvigorate his career at the top level, a move elsewhere will be crucial in doing so.

Having enjoyed a number of strong performances with the Welsh national team, Rodon will be hoping that will be enough to secure a transfer away from N17 in the summer and reignite his career elsewhere.

In other news: Rodon isn’t the only Tottenham player being discussed over a possible exit

Everton have made three signings during the January transfer window, however, they have not made any further additions since they sacked Rafa Benitez over a week ago.

Though, with less than a week to go they have been linked with a player who could potentially change the fate of their season.

The Toffees are struggling in the Premier League so far this term, finding themselves teetering on the edge of the relegation zone only three points clear of the drop.

Their defensive record has been shocking, with the side scoring 11 fewer goals than they have conceded and several shocking performances at the back that have cost Everton points, most recently Michael Keane’s own goal at Carrow Road which led to their tenth defeat and the firing of Benitez.

Further bolstering the defensive line is something Farhad Moshiri and Duncan Ferguson should be looking closely at in the last week of the transfer window, with Malang Sarr linked with a move to Goodison Park.

Yerry Mina has recently returned from injury and adding a high quality centre back partner could be the change that Everton need to reignite their campaign and save themselves from a relegation battle at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Sarr can play both left back and left sided centre back, which would complement Mina on the right side perfectly, with the £5.4m-rated titan being hailed by his current manager Thomas Tuchel, who said:

“I have the feeling that he knows his role very clearly, he appreciates being in the team and when necessary, he steps up and shows he can be a strong teammate and a strong player.”

The 22-year-old is not currently first choice at Chelsea, making just ten appearances so far across all competitions but has clearly impressed his manager due to the praise he has received, and even his little experience playing in a competitive and successful side could be something that could add value to the Everton defence right now.

Ferguson could form a terrifying defensive duo by deploying Mina and Sarr together, with the 6 foot 3 Everton defender returning to the side.

The Colombian will offer a fresh perspective in the backline following the confidence knocks the other central defenders are likely to be rocked by after several poor performances this season.

Combine that with Sarr’s eagerness to prove he is good enough for first-team football, whilst offering experience of playing alongside some of the most pedigreed defenders in football like Thiago Silva, and it bodes well for the future of the Toffees’ backline.

There has been no official approach or bid made for the young Chelsea defender, but this could change in the last week of the window as Moshiri will surely be keen to make sure Everton have everything they need to stay in the Premier League next season.

In other news: Moshiri could cause chaos by appointing Vitor Pereira

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.

An update has emerged on Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, regarding Crystal Palace’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to The Guardian, they have identified Celtic forward Edouard as a potential target ahead of next season as they attempt to bolster their attacking ranks following the arrival of Patrick Vieira as manager.

Palace’s development coach Saïd Aïgoun worked with the striker at PSG and has a pre-existing relationship with the Frenchman, which could help the English side in any possible deal.

Fans would be furious

Celtic fans would be furious if the club allowed Edouard to leave this summer. It could represent a first howler during Ange Postecoglou’s reign, as selling the forward could be a big mistake following the exit of Kristoffer Ajer earlier this week.

Brentford officially confirmed the signing of Ajer for an undisclosed fee, which could reportedly end up being worth £17.5m if all add-ons are achieved. The Norweigan had one year left on his deal at the club and Celtic did well to garner such a fee for his services from the newly-promoted Premier League side.

Edouard also has 12 months to run on his current contract, but the Hoops cannot afford to cash in on him in the same summer as Ajer. Out of all the players to start ten or more league games for Celtic in the Premiership last season, the pair both ranked in the top five performers in terms of WhoScored ratings – Edouard 2nd and Ajer 5th.

Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon once hailed the forward for his abilities, saying:

“I trust him with the penalties, he’s only missed one since I’ve been here. He’s scored goals in cup finals, he’s scored goals in big games from the penalty spot and he took it brilliantly today. He looked far more like himself today and I thought he was magnificent. He’s a joy to watch at times, so he’s had a good day as well.”

This highlights how important the Frenchman is to the club and why selling him should not be an option unless a huge bid comes in for his services.

It would not send out a positive message to supporters if both of their star men were sold after losing out on the title to Rangers. Cashing in on one of them for big money and reinvesting that to build around Edouard – even if just in the short-term – could be a more appealing way of going about it.

Therefore, Postecoglou must ensure that the attacker stays at Celtic Park until January at least, to help battle against the Gers to win back the Premiership.

If it gets to midway through the campaign and the club are not fighting for the title and Edouard is continuing to turn down contract extensions, then a sale could be facilitated with less frustration from the supporters.

AND in other news, Journalist drops Fraser Forster verdict amid new Celtic transfer link…

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce is making a major mistake over Florian Lejeune as Chris Waugh delivers a crucial update on his future.

What’s the story?

The centre-back joined Alaves on a season-long loan after an injury-ravaged time at St James’ Park, but has been a virtual ever-present for the La Liga side this season, making 32 appearances in all competitions.

And now, writing for The Athletic, Waugh said: “With Lejeune turning 30 later this month, there has been no indication yet that Newcastle will look to extend his deal and, as things stand, perversely, he actually appears to be the most likely defender to leave. Alaves, who are fighting relegation, are keen to keep him if they survive, and both Lejeune and Bruce may feel it is best for the Frenchman to move on.”

Bruce making a mistake

Dubbed by Waugh as someone who’s got “everything”, the journalist added: “The Frenchman, who is both comfortable in possession and an excellent reader of the game, is arguably Newcastle’s best all-round defender.”

And that belief is something that was reflected by former Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez, who seemed to absolutely adore the man he signed at St James’ Park. Speaking back in September 2018, he said: “Then, in the months after he came back, he settled down because he is strong mentally, and then he was passing the ball and giving confidence to the team and all the players around. He became a very important player for us.

“Florian has been a big miss for us in terms of what he means for us as a crucial member of the team. The style of football he brings and helps us to adapt to is something we have lost.”

The £40k-a-week earning titan has proven his fitness at Alaves this season, and news that he looks like the defender most likely to leave this summer seems incredibly baffling given the high regard both those inside and outside the club hold him in.

The Magpies haven’t exactly been a defensive fortress this season either, with their total of 56 goals conceded in the Premier League only better than three other teams in the entire division – two of them being in the relegation zone right now.

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Lejeune, at the very least, deserves a chance to impress in pre-season and prove that he can stay fit here in England just like he has been doing over in Spain, but this latest update just shows that Bruce is making a major mistake.

Meanwhile, Newcastle must finally offload this star after a major transfer update…

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst is closing in on his first transfer window at Ibrox following his move to the club in November.

The January transfer window is just over a week away and with it comes heaps of speculation regarding players coming to and leaving Glasgow.

One player who could be on his way out is midfielder Ianis Hagi. It was recently reported that Galatasaray are set to have a meeting to discuss a potential swoop for the Romanian international, whilst Aston Villa have also been touted with an interest in his services.

Bye-bye Hagi

Rangers may well be waving bye-bye to Hagi if Galatasaray and Villa firm up their interest in the playmaker, but the Gers could sign a dream replacement in the form of Bologna’s Andreas Skov Olsen.

Italian outlet il Resto del Carlino recently claimed that Ross Wilson has made an enquiry to see if a deal is viable next month and the forward could solve a major problem for van Bronckhorst in terms of replacing Hagi should he leave Ibrox.

FFC published an article explaining why it could be beneficial for Rangers to sell the Romanian to kickstart a business model based around buying young talent and selling them on for profit. This would require the Gers to use a portion of their profits to sign prospects who could be worth more in the future and the signing of Olsen would tie in with this strategy.

The 21-year-old winger fits the profile of player the club should be looking at to continue to develop talents that they can sell on; young, experienced, potential, pedigree. He has already played 67 games in the Serie A and been capped 15 times by Norway at senior level, showing that he has been able to play regularly at the top despite his age.

Olsen has also shown promise with an impressive record in attack. He has scored 51 goals for his club sides and 19 for Norway at youth and senior level, meaning that he has 70 career strikes to date. In his last ten World Cup Qualifying outings for his country, he has averaged a superb WhoScored rating of 7.39 – with five goals and three assists to his name.

Consider those stats and his lethal left-foot, and it becomes clear to see why he models his game on Dutch legend Arjen Robben.

Therefore, the £5.85m-rated gem could be the perfect candidate to replace Hagi as his statistics suggest that he has the quality in the here-and-now to make an impact in the final third for Rangers to make up for the ex-Genk man’s exit.

Olsen also has the potential, given he is only 21, to improve further and be sold on for a profit further down the line, which could benefit the Gers in the short and long-term.

AND in other news, “He’s not going to” – Huge Rangers claim made that’ll have GVB and fans running scared…

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…

A number of Sheffield Wednesday fans have criticised Lewis Wing after he produced a poor performance in the Owls’ 2-1 defeat to Oxford United.

Darren Moore’s side were in League One action on Saturday afternoon, hoping to build on their impressive 2-1 win at Wigan Athletic in midweek. Instead, Wednesday produced a hugely disappointing showing, losing 1-2 at Hillsborough and conceding yet another stoppage-time goal, having equalised earlier on in the match.

It was a match in which various Owls players failed to impress as they took another step backwards in an increasingly frustrating season.

One player who had a particularly poor day was Wing, who received a four-out-of-10 rating from Yorkshire Live’s Dom Howson and was described as “off the pace” by the journalist. The 26-year-old also lost possession 17 times overall, conceded three fouls and came off second best in five of his eight duels.

Sheff Wed fans slam Wing showing

The midfielder’s performance didn’t go unnoticed with some Wednesday fans, who took to Twitter to slate his “shocking” display against Oxford.

“Also how Johnson starts over Brown confuses me, sorry but Wing has offered nothing this season yet”

Credit: @Bananaman1982

“Dunkley, Iorfa, Johnson, Wing all awful yesterday. Never seen 2 CB unable to pass, head or organise as bad as those 2. Desperately missed Hutchinson at the back”

Credit: @alexstocks3

“The team isn’t good enough! There are players in that team that aren’t good enough. Whoever’s involved in our recruitment & scouting needs to go! ALL NEED TO GO!!! Wing, Johnson, Dunkley are woeful. There are a few others that played today that need to look at themselves”

Credit: @MFF_abdul

“Lewis Wing stinks”

Credit: @harrison_h1

“Dom Iorfa showing why nobody came in for him this summer. BPF, Johnson, Wing, Dunkley absolutely shocking”

Credit: @JonOwls1867

“Where is this Lewis Wing? You know, the one we were told we were lucky he even agreed to play in League One”

Credit: @GeoffSWFC

In other news, Sheff Wed have reportedly started contract talks with one player. Find out who it is here.