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Davie Provan has suggested Glasgow Rangers are in line for a £70m windfall, which explains why they are bankrolling Steven Gerrard.

The Lowdown: Gers in with Champions League chance

The Gers cantered to the Premiership title last term as they topped the table by 25 points from their closest rivals Celtic (thefishy.co.uk).

As such, they have a chance to reach the Champions League group stages – they need to get past Malmo and through one other round to do that. Should they reach that level of the competition, they will be set for a big financial boost.

The Latest: Provan makes Gers claim

Writing in The Scottish Sun, Provan says the Gers are set for a big windfall. He wrote:

“Nine years ago, Rangers were doing the rounds at Peterhead, Annan and Elgin. Across town Celtic were beating Barcelona on their way to the Champions League knockout stage.

“Now? Rangers are favourites to make the groups while Celts have a scrap with Jablonec to stay in the Europa League. You couldn’t make it up.

“Sure, you could argue Rangers are pushing the boat out to bankroll Steven Gerrard. But if he gets them into the groups this season and wins the Premiership, Rangers will be £70m better off.”

The Verdict: Not quite right

Provan is certainly right in that the Gers’ coffers should be set to swell – that is what the Champions League can do, and it is certainly something that Celtic have benefitted from in the past. However, to suggest Gerrard is being bankrolled is perhaps a little too much.

So far this campaign, Rangers have spent just £750,000 across three transfers this summer transfer window. That whole sum was spent on one player, Charlie McCann (The Manchester Evening News), who will join the Gers’ B side.

The two new additions to the first-team squad, John Lundstram (rangers.co.uk) and Fashion Sakala, did not cost a penny in transfer fees. Acting wisely in the transfer window is not the same as being frivolous.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid with this journalist’s tweet.

Derby County ‘fear they may start next season in League One’ instead of the Championship, with the EFL plotting their next steps regarding the Rams’ financial irregularities.

The Lowdown: Derby future clouded

The Rams have been fined £100,000 for some of their accounting policies and the EFL can appeal against the verdict, potentially leading to a points deduction as well.

That could mean Derby are relegated to League One to the benefit of Wycombe Wanderers, following the latter’s 22nd-place finish last season.

The Latest: Key update provided

A key update has now been provided by Sky Sports‘ Rob Dorsett on Twitter, who states that Derby are concerned that they will be playing League One football in 2021/22.

He also says “I’m told Derby bosses are privately fuming” that next season’s Championship fixture have been confirmed with Wycombe’s involvement in the competiton not ruled out, while the EFL are now plotting a potential appeal against the £100,000 fine.

The Verdict: Worrying news for Derby fans

Wayne Rooney’s side secured safety by the skin of their teeth last month, and while there was positivity in the air after the 3-3 draw with Sheffield Wednesday, that has been replaced by trepidation.

The thought of Derby playing in the third tier of English football doesn’t bear thinking about – that hasn’t been the case since 1991/92 – so the hope is that further punishment is avoided.

In other news, Derby have been linked with a summer move for an international player. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace could appoint their perfect manager this summer in the shape of Rafael Benitez, as the search for Roy Hodgson’s successor continues.

What’s the story?

The 73-year-old departed Selhurst Park after last season’s conclusion following four relatively successful years in south London, but his replacement is yet to arrive.

It seemed as though former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo was set to fill the vacant Palace hot seat until a last-minute U-turn, leaving the club’s hierarchy back at square one.

Palace’s perfect manager

Whoever takes over the reins at Palace will be faced with a daunting task. A major squad overhaul is required, and the absence of Eberechi Eze and Nathan Ferguson until the new year through injury will only complicate matters further.

An experienced head, therefore, seems the logical route to go down.

Several potentially exciting managerial prospects have been linked with the capital club, including Steve Cooper, Frank Lampard and Valerien Ismael, although the job at hand may be too much for those prospects to handle given their relative inexperience.

On the other hand, someone else who has been linked with the job, and someone who has been there and seen it all before is Benitez. The ex-Liverpool and Newcastle United man has taken charge of 340 Premier League games throughout his career, achieving a very respectable 49% win rate.

During his time at St.James’ Park, the Spaniard showcased his ability to extract results and performances far beyond the sum of his parts.

It’s a skill that will be required for any prospective Palace boss as they attempt to guide the Eagles to top-flight safety next season while working on a shoestring budget.

Key players such as Gary Cahill, Patrick van Aanholt and James McArthur may be allowed to walk out the exit door as the south London outfit enters a new chapter, but replacing them with similar quality stars will be a tricky assignment.

While bringing in a younger, more attack-minded manager may bring more excitement to the club’s supporters, pragmatism and experience are what is needed at this moment in time to steady a very rocky ship.

Under the 61-year-old Benitez, Palace would likely come out the other side of this transitional period with their Premier League status intact, and their playing squad revitalised, leaving the perfect foundation for a more ambitious tactician to take over further down the line.

And, in other news…Get it done: Parish must sanction Palace swoop for “outstanding” £14.4m-rated prodigy 

A major update has emerged regarding Rangers dud George Edmundson, it could lead to Ross Wilson needing to make a strong decision. 

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Rangers have received and rejected several offers for centre-back Edmundson following the end of the defender’s loan spell with English Championship side Derby County. The report claims that a number of English clubs are keen on signing Edmundson and have tested Rangers’ resolve with opening salvos.

Edmundson spent the second half of the 2020/21 campaign on loan to Derby after being slapped with a seven-game ban by the Scottish FA for breaking Covid-19 regulations. The 23-year-old attended a party alongside teammate Jordan Jones during lockdown and was punished for his actions with the ban, leading to his exit from Rangers on loan during the January window.

After Edmundson was found guilty of breaking the protocols, former Scotland international Gary Caldwell suggested that Steven Gerrard “can’t trust” the defender on or off the pitch. He told BBC Sportsound, as transcribed by the Daily Record:

“If you can’t trust the players to adhere to Covid regulations, how can he trust them on the football park? To mark a man from a set piece?

“It’s disappointing for Rangers but also disappointing for Scottish football.

“The situation clubs find themselves in financially, they’re going to need help at some point so we need to be showing Scottish football in the best light and unfortunately, we didn’t do that.”

Wilson must axe him

The time is up for Edmundson at Ibrox and director of football Ross Wilson must now ruthlessly axe him from the club this summer. He has shown, as Caldwell explained, that he cannot be trusted off the pitch and the trust between himself and Gerrard may have been affected in terms of his on the pitch responsibilities as well. The fact Gerrard wanted to send him out on loan to Derby suggests that Edmundson is not part of his immediate plans and Rangers could benefit from moving him on as swiftly as possible.

Wilson needs to take advantage of the interest in Edmundson to bring in a respectable transfer fee for the defender, which could then bolster his own transfer plans. If Rangers can get a six or seven-figure offer for Edmundson then they could use that to bring in Gerrard’s targets to bolster the squad ahead of next season.

The £3.7k-per-week dud also failed to catch the eye on loan at Derby. In 10 Championship appearances for Wayne Rooney’s side, Edmundson averaged an unimpressive WhoScored rating of 6.62 at centre-back. Meanwhile, Connor Goldson, Filip Helander and Leon Balogun all averaged WhoScored ratings of 7.06 or higher in the Scottish Premiership for Rangers at centre-back. This suggests that Edmundson is not even close to Gerrard’s other centre-back options in terms of quality before you even take his off-field issues into considerations. So, Wilson now needs to facilitate an exit for Edmundson and send him back to England this summer.

AND in other news, Wilson must seal deal for £720k-rated ace likened to Pogba, Rangers fans would love it…

An update has emerged on Robin Olsen, regarding West Ham’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to TuttoMercatoWeb journalist Gianluigi Longari, as transcribed by Transfer Tavern, West Ham have identified Roma goalkeeper Robin Olsen as a potential signing following his strong performances at the European Championships for Sweden.

The report claims that Real Sociedad and Lille also hold a strong interest in landing the shot-stopper and that they will be competing with the Hammers to land his signature in the coming weeks of the transfer window.

Moyes needs him

West Ham must sanction a swoop for the experienced goalkeeper this summer to bolster their ranks between the sticks. Lukasz Fabianski, 36, and Darren Randolph, 34, are in the latter stages of their career and the time could be right to bring in a younger shot-stopper to potentially take over from Fabianski or provide tougher competition for his place in the side.

Whilst Olsen is not exactly a spring chicken at the age of 31, he does have five years on Fabianski – who has been West Ham’s number one in recent seasons – and that suggests that he could be the club’s first-choice for several seasons if he arrives this summer. This is why his age, especially in comparison to Fabianski and Randolph’s, should not be a major concern for the club.

His quality should also not be in doubt. The Sweden international enjoyed a terrific tournament at the European Championships, averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.80 and earning one Man of the Match award from four appearances for his country. After a stunning display against Spain earlier in the competition, his Swedish teammate Alexander Isak hailed the “incredible” giant and promised that he would give him a hug to say thanks for his superb performance.

He said:

“He was absolutely incredible.

“He was fantastic, he saved us. I am going to give him a big hug and say thank you.”

The £43k-per-week monster could be an excellent addition to West Ham’s squad. In seven Premier League appearances on loan at Everton last season, Olsen averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.70. Fabianski and Randolph, meanwhile, managed scores of 6.62 and 6.52 respectively.

Moyes needs Olsen at the London Stadium. He could be a brilliant signing to come in and compete with Fabianski and eventually be his long-term replacement, as he has shown he is capable of producing a higher standard of performances than the Poland international and Randolph.

Hopefully, West Ham will be able to get a deal over the line and fans can watch Olsen fill up the goal in the Premier League for the Hammers.

AND in other news, The Athletic drops West Ham update on £20m “goal king”, fans will be buzzing…

Matty Longstaff reportedly wants to leave Newcastle United once the summer transfer window opens.

The Lowdown: Longstaff barely played

Longstaff barely played for the senior side under Steve Bruce in the 2020/21 season, featuring in just five matches in total in the Premier League (Transfermarkt).

With the likes of his brother Sean Longstaff, Isaac Hayden, Jonjo Shelvey and Jeff Hendrick seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order in the centre of the park, it is hard to see how he will get much more game time once again going into the new campaign.

The Latest: Longstaff furious

As per Football Insider, Longstaff was reportedly left ‘furious’ after he was not brought on when the St. James’ Park faithful beat Fulham away from home on the last day of the top-flight season.

A source from the North East club has told the news outlet that he was left both ‘angry and upset’ at the fact that Hendrick was brought on in front of him.

As a result, these frustrations seemed to have grown to boiling point, resulting in Longstaff wanting to move on from Tyneside once the market opens.

The Verdict: Longstaff deserves to move on

Longstaff has every right to feel anger at the fact that Hendrick was brought on in front of him against the Cottagers, given that the former Burnley man has not exactly proven his worth to the team in far more appearances, recording just two goals and a further assist in 23 matches in total over all competitions last term (Transfermarkt).

The Englishman, who currently earns £24,000-per-week at the Toon, should be playing regular football at 21 years of age, but it is clear that he will not get that if he stays.

Thus, the Magpies should demand a suitable fee to sell him, in a move which would suit all parties involved, as they could then reinvest that money into a new player, and Longstaff could play more regular football.

In other news, find out which ace with an £88m release clause NUFC have enquired about here!

According to a report by reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold, the Lilywhites would ideally like to sign two new centre-backs this summer, but they will need to sell players in order to do so.

The Lowdown: Tottenham defensive crisis

Perhaps summed up during their dismal 3-1 defeat against Leeds, it’s no secret that Spurs have desired reinforcements at the back for some time.

Reports have recently linked Tottenham to a host of central defenders, including the likes of Nikola Milenkovic, Lewis Dunk and Joachim Andersen (football.london).

As far back as last year, Spurs were attempting to bring in a marquee centre-half, with the club targeting Inter Milan colossus Milan Skriniar.

Technical performance director Steve Hitchen even flew to Italy for negotiations but to no avail, with Spurs instead settling for the promising Joe Rodon from Swansea City.

The Latest: Gold shares update on Spurs transfer plans

Writing for football.london, Gold explains that Tottenham ideally won’t just settle on one new centre-back.

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Indeed, he outlined that Spurs are now keen to sign two defenders in that position as current crop Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld fail to impress (Give Me Sport).

However, amid the global pandemic and ensuing financial plight, Tottenham will need to adopt a sell-to-buy policy and offload surplus-to-requirements players before fulfilling their transfer ambitions.

The Verdict: Priority position…

Centre-back should be the priority position for Spurs, and reports have suggested that it is that role on which Spurs will focus this summer. Sky Sports also reported that centre-backs will be targeted this summer and that the Lilywhites have already made inquiries for the likes of Jerome Boateng and Jannik Vestergaard.

In our opinion, the standout targets for Tottenham should be both Nikola Milenkovic and Joachim Andersen. The former, a 6 foot 4 colossus, averages more aerial duels won per game than anyone in the Tottenham squad (WhoScored) and is still only 23 years old.

Meanwhile, Andersen imposes similar physical stature and has been praised for his form in the Premier League this season, with pundit Don Hutchison describing the Fulham loanee as a ‘leader’ (via The Boot Room).

In other news: Some Tottenham fans flock to ‘best news’, find out more here.

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit and BBC regular Noel Whelan has been left stunned by a recent alleged development that Tottenham are very close to selling Serge Aurier to Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain.

The Lowdown: Aurier on verge of Spurs exit…

As explained by Football Insider, the Ivorian’s exit to PSG is apparently ‘all but done’, with Mauricio Pochettino’s side now closing in on the re-signing of Aurier, who left Paris for Spurs in 2017.

Indeed, it is reported that Tottenham have accepted a bid for the 28-year-old, who is close to sealing a move back to the French capital.

The Latest: Whelan can’t believe Aurier development

Baffled by the development, former Leeds striker Whelan believes that Aurier should be counting his lucky stars if PSG re-sign him.

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“If Aurier gets the chance to go to PSG he’s the luckiest man in the world,” the pundit explained to Football Insider.

“He’s won the lottery. If he’s not good enough for Tottenham, I can’t see how he’s going to be good enough for PSG.

“It’s their money, they may have seen something they like. They must be seeing a different player.

“I think the two right-backs, that’s been a nightmare as well for Tottenham. There’s been a few signings that have not worked out.”

The Verdict: Right to be baffled?

Despite an imperious start to the season which earned praise from Alasdair Gold, Aurier has arguably dipped in form and it has resulted in him becoming one of the top candidates to be sold by Spurs this summer.

Reports have even suggested that he could be offloaded for as little as €12m (£10m), but this Football Insider claim doesn’t go into detail of the alleged bid accepted by Tottenham.

PSG’s interest and possible signing of Aurier this summer could be motived by finding a cheap defensive option to firm up Pochettino’s squad.

Even though Whelan is perhaps right to be baffled by this development, if the 28-year-old does complete a move back to France, we would advise him not to expect much game-time at the Parc des Princes.

In other news: Spurs fans warned as Levy eyes ‘big name’ manager, find out more here.

Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish would choose to move to Manchester City over their rivals Manchester United should interest come to fruition,  according to reports (The Athletic via Birmingham Mail).

Both sides are looking for further creative nous in order to bolster their attacking options. Following on from agonising European final defeats to Villareal and Chelsea respectively, it appears they could compete for the Villians talisman’s signature in a deal which could cost up to £100 million [Birmingham Mail].

Statistically, the England international enjoyed a sparkling 2020/21 campaign. Impressively, he has registered seven goals and 12 assists in all competitions [Transfermarkt].

Forming a fruitful partnership with fellow England hopeful Ollie Watkins, he aided his boyhood club to an impressive 11th place finish [BBC].

Owing to his consistent performances, he is surely likely to be a major player for England at EURO 2020, and loads of Villa fans have flocked to the latest claim on his future.

Villa fans react to Grealish claims

Fan forum Aston Villa News relayed the news, here is how some fans reacted to a potential Grealish move to Manchester:

“Jack grealish why would he want to go to any other club, he is the heart and soul of a group of players at the right age moving in the right direction and Villa are a club with ambition, thats now being backed by its owners.”

Credit: @lobobehan

“nah i thought he was going to slum it at arsenal. their fans seemed so sure.”

Credit: @bruhfam2020

“”it is claimed” = we have made this up”

Credit: @JimiVillan

“I’d prefer Merc to a BMW, still happy driving my Audi.”

Credit: @stevewhite034

“Aw right it must be true because the great trustworthy paper The Athletic are claiming it. Thanks The Athletic yous have just ruined my summer”

Credit: @gearoid1874

“More newspaper trash , give it a rest”

Credit: @deniswhite1114

In other news, lots of Villa fans had something to say about the latest on Douglas Luiz’s future! 

According to a report by Football Insider, GSB have ‘made progress behind the scenes’ in recent days as they look to sign Celtic star Odsonne Edouard – with West Ham United now climbing into pole position. 

GSB making progress for Edouard

The Frenchman has bagged an impressive 20 goals in all competitions for the Hoops and continues to attract serious interest as a result, including from GSB and West Ham.

Edouard has been scoring goals prolifically north of the border for many seasons, totalling 57 SPFL strikes since the 2017/2018 campaign – as well as assisting his teammates 25 times (Transfermarkt).

His form at Parkhead has prompted West Ham to prepare a swoop as they lay the groundwork and enter pole position, according to Football Insider, and the outlet even claim he could leave for as little as £8 million. 

As explained, GSB have allegedly ‘made progress behind the scenes’ as they hope to get a deal in place before the window opens.

Transfer Tavern take

Former boss Neil Lennon, often blown away by Edouard’s performances before his dismissal, most recently called him ‘magnificent’ after a wonderful outing away to Hamilton (Glasgow Live).

And we believe the striker definitely has what it takes to be a success in the English top flight judging by his consistent goal return over the last few seasons.

If Football Insider’s information on the ridiculously cheap price tag of £8m comes to fruition, signing Edouard seems like a real no brainer for West Ham and manager David Moyes – even if he didn’t step up to the plate in England, there is little risk involved.

Arguably, going by this fresh update, Edouard should even be up there with the likes of Tammy Abraham and Ivan Toney as a priority Hammers striker target.

In other news: West Ham gifted injury boost over ‘sensational’ ace, find out more here.