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Glasgow Rangers starlet Robbie Ure reportedly wants to quit Ibrox after being offered a new deal on less money.

The Lowdown: Ure’s contract expiring

Ure’s contract expires in the summer, meaning that he can leave Rangers as a free agent.

The 18-year-old has made two senior appearances for the Light Blues, scoring once, and has been very impressive at youth level this season, netting 19 times and supplying a further eight assists so far (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Ure wants to quit Rangers

As per Football Insider, Ure wants to quit the Premiership club after they offered him a new contract, but on less money. He rejected their first contract offer in January and now has his sights set on a move in summer.

Clubs did not want to match his asking price last month, so Ure could instead leave on a free transfer come the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Verdict: Big blow for Rangers

It would be a big blow for the Gers to lose Ure on a free transfer this summer.

Hailed by journalist Josh Bunting as a player with ‘quality’, he has also shown his pedigree at international level, scoring twice in five matches for Scotland’s under-19s.

With Alfredo Morelos’ contract expiring in the summer as well, the teeange striker could have a clearer path into the first team in 2023/24, but now it looks like the Light Blues will have to prepare without him.

Aston Villa could be in the market to add a goalscorer to their squad before the end of the January transfer window after agreeing the sale of Danny Ings to West Ham.

The current Villa centre-forward is reportedly set to complete a transfer to the London Stadium for a fee in the region of £15m and his exit will leave a gap in the roster.

Johan Lange and Unai Emery have completed the signing of Jhon Duran from Chicago Fire, but the 19-year-old is new to European football and scored just eight goals in 27 MLS appearances in 2022.

Ings is currently Villa’s top scorer in the Premier League this season, with six goals in 18 appearances, and no other player in the squad has managed more than four goals.

This means that the club are set to lose a proven, experienced goalscorer, and as it stands thet have replaced him with an inexperienced young forward who is playing on the continent for the first time.

Therefore, bringing in another striker to compete with Ollie Watkins could be a shrewd move by Villa, as it would allow Duran more time to settle into life in Europe instead of throwing him in at the deep end at such a young age.

One player that the club are reportedly interested in signing this month is Genk attacker Paul Onuachu, who is said to be available for a fee in the region of €25m (£22m).

Emery could now land Villa’s next Christian Benteke by signing the Pro League marksman, as the Villans have already enjoyed success from signing a number nine from that particular Belgian club.

They snapped up Benteke from Genk in the summer of 2012 and the Belgium international went on to plunder 49 goals and 12 assists in 101 matches in all competitions for Villa, providing a goal contribution more than once every other game.

Onuachu could now be the next centre-forward from the Belgian outfit to arrive at Villa Park and have a huge impact on the pitch, as he has been in terrific form in recent years.

The striker, who was once dubbed a “goal king” by John Fashanu, has scored 68 goals in the Pro League since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, including 33 in 38 appearances in the first season of that sequence.

Onuachu, who journalist Oliver Young-Myles once dubbed one of the most “prolific” strikers in Europe, has found the net 14 times in 13 starts in the Belgian top flight this season.

He is a proven, experienced goalscorer who, at 28, could come in and have an instant impact in the Premier League if he can adapt to English football.

The forward could follow in Benteke’s footsteps and be a prolific scorer for Villa in the years to come, given his incredible goal return for Genk over the course of several seasons, and that is why Emery must swoop for him before the end of the month.

Newcastle United progressed through to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night as they beat Leicester City 2-0 at St. James’ Park under the lights.

The Magpies dropped out of The FA Cup at the weekend, after losing to League One side Sheffield Wednesday, but are well on their way to being in with a strong chance of picking up silverware this season in the EFL Cup.

Eddie Howe’s side produced an impressive performance against the Foxes as they dominated the match from the first whistle to the last and created a number of high-quality chances.

Sean Longstaff and Bruno Guimaraes both came close to opening the scoring in the first half but the opening goal eventually came in the second half when Dan Burn burst into the box and calmly rolled the ball into the far corner.

Joelinton then sealed the victory and Newcastle’s progression through to the last four as he raced onto a brilliant through ball from Miguel Almiron and slotted the ball past Danny Ward.

The Brazilian winger assisted the opener and scored the winner and, because of that, deserves plenty of plaudits for his involvement in the win. An unsung hero, however, for the Magpies was central midfielder Sean Longstaff.

Newcastle’s academy graduate put his big miss early in the match behind him to produce a sublime, high-intensity, display in the middle of the park.

The Magpies constantly put pressure on the away side in order to win the ball back in the opposition’s half and Longstaff played an important role in the tactical set-up.

He won eight of his 11 ground duels and made three clearances, one interception, and three tackles throughout the match, as per Sofascore. This shows that he was able to physically dominate the Leicester midfielders and this allowed Howe’s team to control the game and pile on Ward’s goal time and again.

Longstaff also showcased his ability in possession as he created three chances and completed 88% of his attempted passes from his 58 touches of the ball, as per Sofascore.

The dynamo made a big impact on and off the ball throughout the match and his intensity in and out of possession, alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Joe Willock, set the tone for the match.

He may not have scored or assisted any of the goals but his aforementioned statistics show that Longstaff played a pivotal role in the win and that is why the gem was the unsung hero.

Manchester United are reportedly keeping tabs on Genk star, Paul Onuachu, as manager Erik ten Hag continues his quest for a new centre-forward addition.

What’s the word?

According to French outlet, Jeunes Footeux, the former Ajax boss is believed to be an admirer of the Nigeria international, albeit with the Old Trafford hierarchy seemingly not in full agreement over whether to make an approach.

The report suggests that the imposing 28-year-old could prove to be ‘financially accessible’ for the Red Devils this month, with the Premier League outfit reportedly eyeing low-cost options to fill Cristiano Ronaldo’s attacking void.

The piece goes on to add that with the striker having just 18 months remaining on his existing deal in Belgium, United could be able to strike a deal for a fee in the region of €25m (£22m), albeit with Aston Villa, West Ham United and Everton also named as potential suitors.

Ten Hag’s next Haller

Despite not being a particularly high-profile name, Onuachu has clearly illustrated his “crazy” ability – as per teammate Rasmus Carstensen – in recent times, having proven truly prolific for the Belgian outfit.

The towering marksman boasts a ridiculous tally of 83 goals and ten assists in just 130 games for the Pro League side, including a remarkable haul of 15 goals in just 18 games across all fronts so far this term.

The former FC Midtjylland man now has an overall club career tally of 162 goals to date in 325 games, having proven himself something of a “goal king” of late, according to former Wimbledon man, John Fashanu.

Not only a clinical asset in the final third, the 16-cap menace would also provide that real attacking focal point that Ten Hag is seemingly craving, as a result of his impressive 6 foot 7 frame.

United’s recent links to 6 foot 6 hotshot Wout Weghorst would appear to indicate that the 52-year-old is seeking a more physical presence to lead the line, offering an alternative to the current number nine option of Anthony Martial.

In Onuachu, Ten Hag may be looking to replicate the success he had with Sebastian Haller up front during his previous stint in Amsterdam, with the Ivory Coast international having thrived in that lone centre-forward berth.

The 6 foot 3 powerhouse would score 47 goals and provide 16 assists in just 66 games for the Eredivisie side after joining from West Ham in January 2021, notably netting 11 goals in just eight Champions League outings for the club.

After having utilised Dusan Tadic in a false nine berth in the years prior to Haller’s arrival, Ten Hag showcased his tactical flexibility by reverting to a more traditional, out-and-out centre-forward, all while still enjoying success – having won the league title in each of the last two seasons.

Having that focal point in the forward line has clearly worked well previously for the United boss, with the addition of Onuachu potentially set to allow him to find his next Haller to lead the attack at the Theatre of Dreams.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Moisés Caicedo to the London Stadium in 2023.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that David Moyes has identified the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder as a long-term replacement for Declan Rice in central midfield – with the 23-year-old England international being heavily linked with a move away from east London at the end of the current campaign.

However, the report goes on to suggest that the Hammers are not the only Premier League club interested in the 21-year-old Brighton starlet, as Newcastle United are also believed to be keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Ecuador international – who the Seagulls are thought to value at a figure in the region of £60m.

Dream Rice heir

While it is undeniable that losing a player of Rice’s ability would come as a huge blow to Moyes and his side next summer, should the 59-year-old manage to bring Caicedo in as a successor to the academy graduate, it would very much appear as if the Scot will have landed something of a dream heir to the Englishman.

Indeed, over his 14 Premier League appearances so far this season, the £33.5m-rated talent has been in sensational form, making an average of 3.1 tackles – the joint ninth-most in the league – making 1.4 interceptions and winning 6.0 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per game.

For comparison, over Rice’s 15 top-flight fixtures this term, the 23-year-old has made an average of 2.4 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and has won 4.2 duels – at a success rate of 61% – per match.

Furthermore, the Brighton “wonderkid” has also impressed going forwards, having scored one goal and created one big chance for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 1.1 key passes, playing 2.2 long balls and completing 47.1 total passes – at a success rate of 87% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the £15k-per-week midfielder who Aden-Jay Wood claimed “has everything” average a rather remarkable Sofascore match rating of 7.12, not only ranking him as Roberto De Zerbi’s fourth-best performer in the league but also as the 48th-best player in the top flight of English football as a whole.

Putting some of the 21-year-old’s metrics into a wider context, FBref currently rank the 28-cap international in the top 16% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for tackles per 90, as well as the top 17% for blocks, the top 26% for interceptions, the top 27% for passes completed and the top 33% for aerials won.

As such, it would indeed appear as if Caicedo would make something of a dream heir to Rice in the heart of the Hammers’ midfield, leading us to believe that Moyes simply must do everything in his power to beat Newcastle to the signing of the Brighton gem next year.

Leeds United sold star man Raphinha for a whopping £55m during the summer after an impressive spell in Yorkshire and were linked with several possible replacements.

In the end, director of football Victor Orta managed to secure a deal for Luis Sinisterra from Feyenoord but as a natural left winger, he may not be the long-term heir that manager Jesse Marsch needs.

One player who could’ve been was Hakim Ziyech.

An outcast at Chelsea this season, the versatile Morocco attacker has excelled at the World Cup for the north African underdogs on their way to the quarter-finals.

Back in June, CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs revealed that the Whites were eyeing up the 29-year-old as a replacement for Raphinha. He told ‘The Done Deal’ show:

“Barcelona and Arsenal are the two leading clubs at the moment, but don’t be surprised if Chelsea advance their interest if they bring Hakim Ziyech into the equation, because my understanding, talking to Leeds sources, separate to Raphinha is that Ziyech has been a player on their radar.

“There might be a possibility to do some business with Raphinha going one way and Ziyech being given to Leeds, because Leeds don’t just want a chunk of money for Raphinha, they’d love a ready-made replacement and they see Ziyech as a viable option, and that will remain the case even if Raphinha goes elsewhere.”

It’s easy to see why Leeds viewed the former Ajax maestro in this light, seeing as he offers the same sort of flair and unpredictability as the Brazil international, something we have witnessed in Qatar over the last couple of weeks.

From his four outings – three group games and a last-16 win over Spain – the Blues man has scored once and registered two ratings of 7.4 or better, as per Sofascore. He has also notched more minutes at this tournament than he has in the Premier League all campaign.

Despite never really being the main man at Stamford Bridge, the Moroccan sensation has garnered pretty respectable returns in the final third, with 24 goal contributions across 92 appearances, which ends up being a goal or assist every 194 minutes (one every two games), via Transfermarkt.

Morocco boss Walid Regragui praised Ziyech as his own Neymar or Lionel Messi, telling reporters:

“He’s my little one. He could have given me right or wrong, but the people felt he had something to give. We must give him responsibilities and love. It’s like Neymar, [Kylian] Mbappe or Messi. He gives me everything on the field.”

Also previously lauded for being a “big player” and a “busy, technical creator”, it’s clear to see that Orta and co may have missed out on an absolutely perfect heir to Raphinha’s throne at Elland Road.

AND in other news, Orta “set to begin” talks with “dangerous” £35m Leeds “beast”, it’s great for Marsch…

New Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is already being linked with a reunion with some of his players from Villarreal, including exciting winger Samuel Chukwueze.

Journalist Dean Jones spoke about Villa’s interest in the 23-year-old in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT.

He said: “It’s being played up a lot and it seems like he is a player that Emery has clearly got on his radar for January. 

“Managers always want to bring in somebody that they recognise and a game-changer is, obviously, something they all look for too. It comes hand-in-hand with an appointment like this, that they’ll be looking for someone like Chukwueze.

“He won’t want him to go anywhere else either. If he’s actually going to make a transfer, they want to be at the front of the queue.”

Last season saw the Nigeria international contribute an impressive three goals and three assists in La Liga for Villarreal, averaging a strong 6.78 rating from WhoScored for his performances, so it is easy to see why Emery might want to bring him to the Premier League.

Despite only starting 12 games in the Spanish top flight, coming off the bench in 15 of his 27 appearances, Chukwueze would still average an eye-catching 2.5 dribbles per game, which is more than twice as many as the most of any Villa player this season, with Leon Bailey leading the way with 1.2 per match.

Samuel Eto’o was full of praise for the youngster in 2020, suggesting that “he has the quality and ability” to add more goals to his game.

It is perhaps his dribbling ability that makes Chukwueze so similar to another winger who is lighting up the Premier League, in Arsenal’s Brazilian sensation Gabriel Martinelli.

The 21-year-old, who is the second-most similar winger to Chukwueze according to FBRef when compared with other players across Europe’s top leagues, has been a star man for Mikel Arteta’s table-toppers this season, contributing five goals and two assists in the Premier League.

The two players have registered very similar numbers with regard to pass completion rate (74.4% vs 75.5%), shot-creating actions per 90 (both 4.34) and shots per 90 (2.51 vs 2.34), which emphasises how dangerous both can be in the final third.

WhoScored also suggest that both Martinelli and Chukwueze’s main strengths are dribbling and their ability to play key passes, so they are clearly very similar types of player.

Considering how good the Arsenal wide man has been this season, Emery would surely be foolish to turn down any opportunity to bring his former winger to Villa Park in January.

Liverpool lost their second consecutive Premier League game last night at Anfield against Leeds United and there is no doubt that Jurgen Klopp will be deeply concerned with the performances that his team has been putting in over the season so far.

The Reds lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest last week and have now shipped defeat to Jesse Marsch’s side which has left them ninth in the league table, eight points adrift from Newcastle United in fourth.

Despite having 69% possession, more shots on goal (22 v 14), more big chances created (3 v 2) and completing more than twice as many accurate passes (554 v 192), Liverpool were still unable to dominate whilst in possession of the ball.

One of the biggest concerns of the night which translated into the performance and the result was the fact that Leeds outran Liverpool by 11 kilometres over the 90 minutes, further proving that the tired and uninspiring efforts of the players in red are plaguing their chances of picking up positive results.

In the first half, the story of the Merseysiders’ season quickly unfolded when they conceded first from a fourth-minute strike by Rodrigo after Joe Gomez failed to recover the ball and laid it on the plate for the Leeds man with a stray backpass, but was quickly returned with an equaliser just 10 minutes later when Mohammed Salah found the net.

In the second half, the lazy work ethic of Liverpool continued as they struggled against Illan Meslier to find a winning goal, which inevitably cost them dearly when Crysencio Summerville stole the points with an 89th-minute killer goal to make it 2-1.

Indeed, while Gomez’s early mistake in defence will be a huge talking point in Liverpool’s failure last night, there was one player who let Klopp down even more elsewhere.

Harvey Elliott put in an anonymous appearance at Anfield last night after his manager put his trust in the youngster to deliver his usual creative spark and hard-working attitude against Leeds.

The 19-year-old playmaker – who journalist Phil Casey claimed had a “shocker” – lost the ball every 2.8 touches, failed to complete 100% of his crosses and lost 80% of his duels, while also being dribbled past once and failing to attempt a single dribble before he was hooked by Klopp in the 60th minute.

There is no doubt that the Liverpool manager will be furious with how his team took on the challenge against Leeds, who hadn’t won a game since August, and will surely be regretful that the Reds did not invest in their midfield over the summer.

There are just two Premier League fixtures left for the Reds before the World Cup, and when they return after Christmas, the January transfer window will shortly follow. It’s something that Klopp and FSG must take advantage of if they have any hope of recovering Liverpool’s ailing season.

Pep Guardiola has been handed a huge double injury boost ahead of Manchester City’s game against Borussia Dortmund tonight, with John Stones and Aymeric Laporte fit enough to be included in the 21-man squad.

THE LOWDOWN: INJURY ISSUES

Both Stones and Laporte have been unlucky with injury this season, with City enduring their fair share of absentees, which has flown under the radar somewhat due to their ruthless winning momentum.

England international Stones has made just seven appearances in all competitions for City this season due to a hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, Laporte has fared even worse, making just four appearances having endured knee surgery over the summer.

THE LATEST: A DOUBLE BOOST

Despite their lack of action for the Citizens this season, the pair are fit enough to be included in the 21-man squad to face Erling Haaland’s former side, Borussia Dortmund, in the Champions League tonight.

Announced on the official Manchester City website, the defensive duo have overcome their respective setbacks at just the right time amid the condensed fixture schedule ahead of the World Cup, which is just around the corner.

THE VERDICT: BIG OPTIONS AT THE BACK

Featuring in their last game against Brighton & Hove Albion, Laporte was thrown into the deep end upon his return, facing the in-form side in what was his third full start in all competitions since returning from his spell on the sidelines.

His minutes have been carefully managed, and having got through the recent spell of fixtures, he will build on his previous two Champions League outings against FC Copenhagen, which resulted in two clean sheets.

Stones was on the bench for the 3-1 win against Roberto De Zerbi’s side, with his inclusion in the squad coming as more of a shock due to the fact that he has not played for the side in over a month.

It remains to be seen how many minutes the pair will be granted this evening, but their inclusion in the latest squad is very promising for their stability after overcoming their respective injuries.

Aston Villa could unearth their next Jacob Ramsey in Travis Patterson.

The 16-year-old attacking midfielder was named in the Guardian’s ‘Next Generation 2022’ list that profiles up-and-coming stars across the Premier League.

Earning recognition from a national newspaper so early in your career is certainly an encouraging sign of what may lie ahead, particularly as the likes of Aaron Ramsey (2019) and Ben Chrisene (2020) were all named on this exciting list in the past.

Patterson could be the next youngster to make the breakthrough at Bodymoor Heath.

The teenager is described by journalist Ben Fisher as an ‘athletic and determined’ playmaker, capable of playing as a no.8 and at full-back, and such an ability has already seen him feature for the U23 set-up at such a young age.

‘He is a dynamic, versatile player who is technically proficient and fluid in possession,’ the reporter added, earning some likeness to Ramsey – the former academy graduate now a big part of the first team.

Having signed a scholarship only in July, the Wolverhampton-born Patterson is playing well beyond his years, racking up eight appearances in the Premier League 2, as well as one outing in the EFL Trophy, thus far.

According to Football Insider, the 16-year-old has also attracted interest from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in recent months too, so his performances aren’t just making soundwaves in Birmingham.

Birmingham Mail writer John Townley has suggested that the Villa gem has been “excelling” through the ranks at Bodymoor Heath, only adding to his incredible potential for the club and maybe one day soon, it’ll catch the eye of first-team boss Steven Gerrard.

In Patterson, the Villans manager could well discover the club’s next Ramsey and whilst such recognition may increase the pressure on such a youthful talent, his versatile ability is evidently a big positive right now.

AND in other news, Better than Douglas Luiz: Aston Villa must rue not signing £25m “Rolls-Royce”,,,