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The Athletic journalist Jordan Campbell has revealed that both Nikola Katic and Stephen Kelly are ‘likely to leave’ Glasgow Rangers.

The Lowdown: Out of favour

Katic and Kelly have both fallen out of favour at Ibrox, with the former being sent out on loan to Croatian side Hajduk Split last season, while the latter has only made three senior appearances for the Gers, and has not featured at all this term (Transfermarkt).

Katic has only played 59 times for the Light Blues, and has not made an appearance since 2020 (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: To leave?

Taking to Twitter, Campbell has revealed that both players are ‘likely to leave’ this transfer window:

“Would take something huge to alter Rangers’ plans for the squad this season. Katic & Kelly likely to leave but everyone else will play a role.”

The Verdict: Get rid

Given their lack of game time over the past couple of campaigns, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team should be looking to get rid of both Katic and Kelly.

Earning £9,000 and £1,600-per-week respectively, the Teddy Bears could free up space on the wage bill, without really harming the squad.

They already have a whopping 35 players in their current squad at the moment, and could do with trimming that down before the window closes, with Katic and Kelly surely near the top of their list in terms of players to let go.

Nonetheless, with the seven signings that they have made so far, Katic and Kelly’s minutes are likely to be cut short even more.

Leeds United have been keeping tabs on Martin Terrier for quite some time…

What’s the word?

That’s according to CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs, who revealed to GIVEMESPORT that the Yorkshire giants have done a lot of work surrounding the Stade Rennes striker.

“Terrier is the one that Leeds have kind of liked for a long, long time,” he said.

“And whilst looking at Kalimuendo, they were concurrently determining whether there was any possibility of signing him. And they’ve tracked him for a long time, they’ve put in a lot of work, they’ve done a lot of analysis.”

The 25-year-old is likely to cost in the region of £30m, as per The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

Shades of Sadio Mane

It’s now on director of football Victor Orta to end Leeds’ hunt for a new striker by making his move for the Frenchman.

Terrier is fresh off a campaign that saw him score a whopping 21 goals across 37 league appearances, also providing seven assists in all competitions, which took his total for the Ligue 1 club to 30 goals.

Meanwhile, the Whites had to suffer in front of goal in the same season. Leading talisman Patrick Bamford was restricted to nine outings in the Premier League because of injury and the recently-departed Raphinha led the team for goals (11) and creativity (1.9 key passes per game).

Therefore the need for a new frontman could be crucial to ensure that another relegation battle does not happen.

Terrier is an exciting target, seeing as he’s been likened to former Liverpool star Sadio Mane in terms of statistical profile by FBref.

When compared to other European players in his role as a seconary striker or winger, having been deployed out wide several times too, the 25-year-old gem ranks inside the top 3% for non-penalty goals (0.61 per 90), the top 9% for total shots (3.1 per 90) and the top 15% for touches in the opposition box, also via FBref.

This ability to cut inside and unleash a shot has also earned comparison to that of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who just like Mane, played both on the right and through the middle.

“He’s a very quick, left-sided right-footed attacking player whose trademark is coming in off the left flank and whipping shots in; a-la Thierry Henry,” claimed European football writer Tom Williams to the Sky Sports Transfer Talk podcast.

Terrier has also been lauded as a potential “real coup” for Leeds by journalist Pete O’Rourke during an interview with Football FanCast.

As such, the Spanish chief must look to seal a move for the Rennes frontman before deadline day, which is less than two weeks away. At £30m, it could be a risk worth taking as Leeds would be getting a monster that is shades of Mane, who was a lethal threat in the top-flight for several years.

AND in other news, Orta could seal “amazing” signing with late Leeds bid for £15m “maverick”…

Everton are reportedly interested in signing Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga this summer.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Tuttomercatoweb, the Toffees are one of the clubs – alongside fellow Premier League sides Leeds United and Newcastle United, as well as AC Milan – who are in the mix to sign the defender.

A product of Spurs’ youth system, the 23-year-old has made 121 appearances for the north London club across their senior and youth teams, chipping in with six goals and three assists along the way.

He’d be a “special” signing

Despite playing only 11 league games last term, the Englishman amassed some impressive statistics, demonstrating defensive solidity that would make him a special addition to the Everton backline.

Indeed, he made 2.7 clearances, 1.09 tackles, 1.4 blocks and 1.5 interceptions per game, while seeing just five other Spurs players rack up a higher percentage for successful pressures than him (32.7%).

The Toffees have lost two of their opening three league games of the new season, and thus, adding a new defender to the squad who has experience of playing in the Premier League could be a smart move for the Merseyside club, particularly when he’s as young and hungry as Tanganga.

Everton have already brought in Conor Coady and James Tarkowski from fellow English clubs this summer, so securing a move for Tanganga would make it a hat-trick for the Toffees.

Praised by Gary Neville for his “special” performance against champions Manchester City last season, he could be exactly that at Goodison, particularly when you consider his superb displays against the Premier League’s elite sides.

Indeed, Neville also stated of the defender: “He handled Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish in that channel, with Sanchez and Højbjerg, brilliantly. I couldn’t have done that on my own 20 years ago – and I was a good full-back, played for Manchester United, played for England.”

Also lauded as a “beast” by Nick Reilly, Tanganga’s versatility would be another notable boon to Lampard, with the defender able to play as a right-back, which could also make him a useful figure for the manager considering the injury issues to the likes of Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina.

The defender has not played a single minute of league action for Antonio Conte’s side so far this season, so potentially making a move to Goodison Park – where he may have a better chance of playing regularly and proving himself on a regular basis – could be a very tempting prospect for him, and something which could benefit all parties.

With a reported price tag of €12m (£10m), this is a deal that Everton should not be reluctant to pursue before the summer transfer window closes. Based on the above, it could well be a special addition that digs the team out of the current rot they sit in.

Rangers midfielder Stephen Kelly could be heading for a late Ibrox exit amid interest from the Scottish Premiership, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Underwhelming impact

The 22-year-old returned to Glasgow earlier in the summer following a loan spell with Salford City, but has since failed to make an impact on the senior first-team.

The maestro is yet to make an appearance under Giovanni van Bronckhorst which has now seen him being linked with a move away, and it sounds like there could be a potential suitor closer to home than expected.

The Latest: Kelly set for Rangers exit

According to Daily Record, Kelly is ‘wanted’ by Livingston after failing to make GvB’s plans, with boss David Martindale having ‘made his move’ to ‘rush through a deal’ before the end of the window.

He is also ‘on the radar’ of several other Scottish Premiership clubs, with a host of League One and Two sides said to be ‘keeping tabs’.

It’s stated that he would be ‘allowed to leave’ if the ‘right deal’ could be negotiated with Gers.

The Verdict: Correct decision

Bronckhorst clearly doesn’t see Kelly as part of his long-term plans, so whilst it’s a shame it hasn’t worked out, it’s definitely the right decision to let him go.

Hailed as a ‘manager’s dream’ by his former boss John Hughes, he’s been shipped out on loan three times, but now just needs to settle and find somewhere he can call home.

Kelly will need regular game time if he wants to be successful at an international level with Scotland, and a Rangers exit in the final 24 hours of the window might be what he needs to do just that.

Despite Crystal Palace only winning one of their opening four Premier League matches, there won’t be many supporters complaining.

Patrick Vieira nearly won against Liverpool at Anfield and led his side to a two-goal advantage against Manchester City, although they eventually lost 4-2, the game is all about fine margins and Palace are certainly a team that could be one to watch this season.

The Frenchman has recruited solidly this summer, adding Cheick Doucoure, Chris Richards, Sam Johnstone, and young talent Malcolm Ebiowei but with a few days left of the window, there could be another one or two additions.

With the club officially launching a bid for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher to boost his options in the middle of the park, Vieira should also be doing everything he can to sign fellow countryman Houssem Aouar with whom the Eagles registered an interest in earlier this month.

He’s Coutinho esque

Their first four league matches have seen the London side net six goals so scoring doesn’t seem to be a problem. However, adding in a creative player such as Aouar, who can play either as a ten or out wide, would be a shrewd move for Vieira.

The £60k-per-week talent is still just 24, though, it feels like he has been around for a lot longer than that. Andy Brassell once described him as someone who “should become something special” in 2018 and his talent was destined to take him to the top.

Indeed, last season Aouar certainly demonstrated that he can be special on his day, scoring eight times and registering four assists as Lyon struggled to a disappointing eighth-place finish, missing out on European football this season.

He could add some competition to the Palace midfield area and using the security of a solid defence behind him and Doucoure alongside him, he can get the freedom to roam free and contribute heavily to the team’s attack.

The similar player model on FBref has compared Aouar with Brazilian star Philippe Coutinho and the two have very similar play styles. Both are goalscoring attacking midfielders who love the creative freedom to display their skills, and this is backed up by the 13 goals scored between the pair last season.

In terms of shot-creating actions, Aouar (3.67 per 90) and Coutinho (3.44) both show willingness to produce opportunities as often as they can. They are also rather similar when it comes to driving forward with the ball, as the former registered 7.30 progressive carries over a distance of 141.5 yards per 90 minutes. As for the Villa sensation, he registered identical yardage but amassed 8.19 progressive ball carries.

The Frenchman is a better passer statistically, with a completion rate of 87.3% compared to the Brazilian’s 82.8%, but this could add another dimension to the Palace attack.

Following his loan move to Aston Villa in January last season, Coutinho had an immediate impact on the side, netting four times and grabbing three assists in his first nine matches. If Aouar links up with Vieira at Palace, he could well make a similarly devastating impact, meaning this signing is an absolute must.

Current Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard was always destined to leave Rangers not long after guiding them to their 55th league title and first in a decade, while also improving their reputation on the continent.

The move to the Premier League hasn’t quite gone to plan so far, winning only 13 of his 36 matches in charge of the Villans in all competitions, and has found himself under some pressure due to Villa’s poor start to the current campaign.

It might have been different had the club moved for someone else, however, with the newly appointed Chelsea manager Graham Potter being touted for the Villa job before Gerrard was appointed.

Villa should have appointed Potter

The club missed their opportunity, however, luring Gerrard away from Rangers to take over at the Midlands and it certainly looks like the wrong choice now.

Potter has had a wonderful rise through the coaching ranks, starting off at Swedish side Ostersund where he led them to Swedish Cup glory and a stunning Europa League run in 2017/2018 before leaving to take charge at Swansea City.

His spell in Wales was short-lived, having led them to a tenth-placed Championship finish as well as a FA Cup quarter-final run, he joined south coast side Brighton and Hove Albion, where his career really began to take off.

Potter guided the club to finishes of 15th, 16th and ninth during his three full seasons in charge at Brighton, while also overseeing some incredible victories.

He leaves them in fourth spot in the Premier League table having succeeded Thomas Tuchel as Chelsea manager, but he could have been an excellent manager for Villa and would surely have them sitting higher than the lowly 15th position they currently find themselves in.

After all, this is a manager who has consistently overachieved in his coaching career to date, with that trend likely to have continued if he joined a club with big visions and money like Villa.

Emma Hayes, the Chelsea women’s manager has described the 47-year-old as an “amazing leader” and with his results and rise to the very top of the managerial game, this appears to be his greatest strength, particularly when you consider his degree in social science, something that has developed his man-management skills immensely.

Aston Villa’s loss currently looks like Chelsea’s gain and it will be interesting to see just how well he does at a club who are expected to win nearly every week.

Bayern Munich are interested in signing Tottenham striker Harry Kane as they eye up a new No.9 in the near future, according to Sky Sports man Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: Kane linked with Bayern move

The 29-year-old is Spurs’ star player of the modern era, scoring bucket-loads of goals and becoming one of the best strikers in Premier League history.

Worryingly, Kane has been linked with a move to Bayern recently, however, as the Bundesliga champions look to fill the void left by the legendary Robert Lewandowski.

Now, a new update has emerged, as talk over the England captain’s future refuses to go away.

The Latest: Sheth confirms interest

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Sheth confirmed Bayern’s search for a striker, suggesting that Kane could be the man to come in:

“That’s not to say that Bayern Munich aren’t interested. And they are, as I’ve been told by the Sky Germany reporters, a ‘number nine club’. They love a number nine.

“They’ve had one of the best in the business for the last seven or eight years in Robert Lewandowski, who’s now left, and now they’re trying to play in a different way. They’ve brought in Sadio Mane, not necessarily playing with someone like Lewandowski.”

“They tried to get Erling Haaland, but that was never going to happen once City had come in with that bid and whatever they were paying him in wages.

“But it hasn’t really started as well as they would have liked in the Bundesliga, at least anyway, for Bayern Munich. And so, I think they’ll be looking at that position to strengthen, and they’ve been huge admirers of Harry Kane for a long, long time.”

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The Verdict: More likely to stay

While this is clearly a concerning rumour for Spurs supporters, it still feels more likely that Kane will end up signing a new deal beyond his current 2024 expiry date.

The England man will be desperate to break Alan Shearer’s Premier League goal record and that won’t happen if he leaves next summer, while the Bundesliga is arguably an inferior league at the moment.

Losing Kane is something that doesn’t bear thinking about it and he continues to be the most influential player at Spurs – hopefully, that will be the case for the next four or five years.

Celtic have made notable astute decisions in the transfer market in recent times, although that’s not to suggest that there hasn’t been the odd blunder or two, with the Parkhead outfit having missed out on a few potential stars of late.

One such figure who could well have shone for the Old Firm side is former Aberdeen man, Lewis Ferguson, with the impressive midfielder having been tipped for a move to Glasgow in the past few years.

Pundit Kevin Graham notably suggested back in October 2020 that the club were playing the “long game” with regards to the young Scotsman, before going on to suggest that he did think the move would happen at some stage.

Despite the player’s Rangers connections – as he is the son of Derek Ferguson and nephew of Barry Ferguson, having also been part of the club’s youth set-up – a move to Celtic Park was seemingly not off the table, with his uncle having even stated:

“Lewis is his own guy, he’d make his own decision. I don’t think it would be a factor in Lewis making that decision that his dad and his uncle played for Rangers. He’s got a good head on his shoulders and I don’t think that would worry him.

“Whether Celtic are interested in him, I don’t know, I know there’s been a lot of talk about Celtic and Rangers. If I’m being honest, I do think he’s good enough to play for both of those teams”.

Pundit Noel Whelan also suggested at the time that he would be “delighted” to see the Hoops sign what he described as a “damn good player”, although he could not foresee a move taking place due to the number of midfield options already at the club.

As it proved, no move did come to fruition as the 5 foot 11 ace remained at Pittodrie over the next few seasons, proving a constant thorn in the side of the Bhoys with a stunning record of seven goals and two assists in 16 appearances against the Scottish Premiership giants.

That tally included a goal in all three league encounters with Ange Postecoglou’s side last term, with the former Hamilton Academical man’s total tally for the Dons standing at 16 goals and one assist during that 2021/22 campaign in all competitions.

Such form ultimately saw him make the “brave” move – in the words of former boss Jim Goodwin – to join Serie A side Bologna on a £3m deal in the recent window, with that representing something of a bargain fee for a player who had provided 60 goal contributions in 169 games at Aberdeen.

Much like with the case of compatriot Josh Doig – who joined fellow Italian side Hellas Verona this summer – Celtic have seemingly missed a trick in not signing the four-cap machine, with Ferguson having more than proven his quality after regular terrorising the club in recent years.

While the 23-year-old has endured a slow start to life in his new surroundings – with just two appearances to date – the expectation is that he will leave the Hoops ruing their inaction even further in the years to come.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has a big call to make as his side travel to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League tonight.

The Italian head coach will be without his usual first-choice right wing-back Emerson Royal after his careless red card in the defeat to Arsenal but recently offered a savage response over his two likely replacements in Djed Spence, signed in a £20m deal this summer, and Matt Doherty, who has long struggled to cement his place at the club.

“The fans have to be fans. The fans is the fans, I understand they can think everything but I see every day what happens during the training session,” he said when asked about the England U21 international (via the Mirror), before adding: “If I didn’t decide to pick one player it’s maybe because he’s not ready.

“Also Doherty last season played every game. Now I’m not seeing him in the right way to start the game. I’m not stupid, I don’t want to lose. I try to put the best team, to pick the best team.”

It does leave more questions than answers when it comes to his potential starting lineup this evening, though we may have already seen a successful alternative.

During the 6-2 rout of Leicester City before the international break, Conte deployed Ivan Perisic on the right, which allowed Ryan Sessegnon a place on the left and it evidently paid dividends.

Between them, they created all three of Spurs’ big chances, as per SofaScore, which included an assist from the Croatian veteran.

The Seagulls are likely to favour a similar wing-back system, so the duo could get opportunities aplenty to influence the game at both ends of the pitch and even if the home side reverts to Roberto De Zerbi’s long-standing 4-2-3-1 now he’s had more time at the helm, it’ll only benefit Sessegnon and Perisic more as there will be fewer bodies to defend them out wide.

Once lauded as a “huge talent” who could become “one of the world’s best in his position” by his former Fulham teammate Stefan Johansen, the 22-year-old dynamo is yet to truly stamp down his mark ever since that £25m switch in August 2019.

But Conte’s system suits his talent and potential to a tee.

From what little game time he’s had this campaign, Sessegnon has shown glimpses of being the long-term solution in the role, having managed a better tackle success rate per 90 than the 33-year-old by 10%, via WhoScored, whilst also registering fewer unsuccessful touches and dispossessions per 90 than other key names like Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Dejan Kulusevski and Perisic once again.

As such, it would be wise to return to that wing-back tandem at the Amex Stadium this evening as it’s one that could ultimately fire Spurs to success and they’ll be desperate to get back to winning ways, with the Seagulls just three points behind them in the standings before kick-off.

AND in other news, Paratici could form scary Spurs duo by signing £35m “prodigy”, imagine him and Romero…

Arsenal head into Thursday evening’s Europa League meeting with Bodo/Glimt in an exceptional run of form, with Mikel Arteta’s side having won five fixtures in all competitions on the bounce – with the Spaniard undoubtedly hoping that the Gunners can continue this impressive run in Norway tonight.

However, with a tricky trip to Leeds United coming up for Arsenal this weekend, perhaps it would be wise for the 40-year-old manager to somewhat shuffle his pack against the Eliteserien side, handing a number of his first-team regulars a much-needed rest from the Gunners’ relentless schedule, as well as affording some of his fringe players the opportunity to impress.

And, one such player who would appear well worth a start is Fabio Vieria, the club’s £34m summer signing from FC Porto who has so far been handed just three starts for the Gunners, despite having caught the eye with a number of impressive cameos.

Indeed, in his one Premier League start so far this season – the 3-0 victory over Brentford last month – the £30.5m-rated talent highly impressed in the number 10 role, enjoying 52 touches of the ball, boasting a pass completion rate of 81%, making one key pass and scoring the Gunners’ third of the game with a spectacular long-range drive that crashed in off the post.

These metrics saw the Portugal U21 international earn an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.1, while Arteta also praised the 22-year-old for his display in west London, stating (via Planet Football):

“He’s having a good progression because he missed pre-season due to injury. But we know his talent and why we signed him and what he can bring to the team. He showed his character and his quality.

“He is a creative player, he needs to play with his instinct and we need to create as many scenarios as possible for him. The goal here and the way he went about the ugly part of the game, I was really impressed with.”

The attacking midfielder also caught the eye in the reverse fixture of tonight’s meeting with Bodo/Glimt last week, scoring one goal, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as completing 100% of his passes and making three key passes – with these returns seeing the £45k-per-week playmaker earn a sensational SofaScore match rating of 8.0.

This display saw the former Porto starlet earn significant praise from Joe Cole, with the former England international stating of the Portuguese sensation (via Eurosport):

“He is brimming with confidence. He has finished beautifully into the roof. He is one of those technicians that everything he does he does it with purpose. He has an absolute velvet left foot. He can do anything. He has competition with [Martin] Odegaard, one of the club captains, but he is a fantastic player.”

Indeed, Cole is correct in stating that Vieira does face extremely strong competition for a starting spot in the number 10 role from the increasingly incredible Odegaard.

However, with squad rotation being absolutely key for Arteta if he hopes to keep Arsenal’s challenge for trophies in both domestic and European competitions alive this season, the Spaniard simply must unleash the 22-year-old tonight – as he has more than proven himself as a game-changer for the Gunners.