Steven Gerrard’s ability to keep Scott Arfield will define their bid for next season’s Scottish Premiership. The 30-year-old is vital to the club’s plans and his departure would signify a deeper-lying issue.

Football Insider have claimed the Gers’ manager shares the view of the board on Arfield, and that’s the stance he’s not for sale, as he is key to Gerrard’s plans. That’s no real surprise, but it’s whether his head is turned by Premier League clubs that will be the question Rangers fans will want to have answered.

The Canadian has been a bargain since he arrived on a free transfer and signed a four-year deal in summer. He’s scored 10 and assisted seven in 25 appearances for the Gers this season and has been used right across the midfield and as a supporting striker. He’s been a jack of all trades!

That contract made him the highest paid player in Scottish football according to Football Insider, but money might not be enough to keep him at Rangers. According to the Mail Online earlier this month, Southampton are readying a £3m summer bid, and he could be tempted away.

If Gerrard loses him, it means one of his most senior players will be gone, and he still needs those considering the youth he’s trying to bed in too. But, in the bigger picture, it proves that Rangers just don’t have the pulling power to bridge the gap to Celtic, and that’s key.

Keeping Arfield puts them in a great position to fight for the title, both mentally and physically. Losing him creates the sense that every time Rangers start to build something, it’ll be pulled apart by other clubs.

Rangers fans, who would you replace Scott Arfield with if he leaves in summer? Join the discussion by commenting below.

Another day, another Tottenham Hotspur academy product. The likes of Harry Kane, Harry Winks, Oliver Skipp and Kyle Walker-Peters have all starred this season, and the Lilywhites are desperate for Marcus Edwards to do similar next season. The 20-year-old is currently on-loan at Excelsior in the Eredivisie, and his Spurs future is up in the air.

Seeing as the weekend just gone had very little in the way of action or talking points for Tottenham Hotspur fans, Football.london’s Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold decided to do a Spurs Q&A to give the fans their fix, and one question that came in surrounded the future of Edwards. Back in summer 2016, the youngster impressed Mauricio Pochettino during pre-season, but nothing has come of him yet.

After that summer, Pochettino made the grave mistake of comparing Marcus Edwards to Lionel Messi and to this day the young midfielder has been unable to shake the comparison. It seems to have hindered him a lot more than it’s helped him, and attitude issues have apparently held him back too. However, the fans are desperate for him to come good and would be more than happy to give him another chance next season when he returns from his loan.

You can read the Lilywhites’ thoughts on Marcus Edwards’ future here:

The Lilywhites are desperate for Edwards to make it at Spurs and will hope the 20-year-old can prove himself to Poch upon his return in the summer.

What an embarrassment that was! Manchester United’s 4-0 loss at Everton was one of the lowest post-Sir Alex Ferguson moments, and it should wake up Ed Woodward to the mess he has to sort out in summer.

The squad is full of players who don’t look like they’re putting their all in for the club, and the prime suspect is probably (in our opinion) the supposedly world-class Paul Pogba. Most blamed Jose Mourinho for their lack of desire, but it’s clear now that it wasn’t his fault at all.

Aside from some genuinely below-par players such as Ashley Young and Phil Jones, there’s clearly toxic talent in the dressing room spearheaded by Pogba. The club need to get rid of him and anyone else who isn’t fully committed to the club, and that includes Anthony Martial and David De Gea.

It’s laughable that arguably the biggest club in the world seems to be run like an old circus with the animals’ cages left unlocked. It’s not been the ringmaster’s fault in the case of Jose Mourinho or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but it’s certainly been the man with the keys, and that’s Ed Woodward.

The club will struggle to move forward with him at the helm, but if he is to stay, there’s one hell of a job to do in summer. If he didn’t realise that last May, he certainly knows it after that defeat on Easter Sunday. United are a laughing stock, but the players don’t seem to care.

To challenge for the title, half the squad needs to be changed, and that’s no overstatement. The players with the quality haven’t got their heads in it, and those that aren’t good enough can’t even force performances despite trying. What a job Woodward has on his hands!

United fans, who needs to leave United in the summer before the club can be successful again? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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Scott Brown has finally had his say on the media backlash directed at him after March’s Old Firm, and Celtic fans will surely love his verdict.

Never before has a player been the victim of three separate red card incidents in one match, two of which were correctly penalised by the referee on the day while Ryan Kent was banned after the fact, only for the media to paint said victim as the bad guy.

That’s exactly what happened with Brown after Celtic’s 2-1 win against Rangers, so much so the Bhoys skipper was even cited by the SFA for “not acting in the best interests of the game”, whatever that means.

And now, the 33 year-old has hit back at the bizarre reaction to his involvement in the incidents involving Alfredo Morelos, Kent and Andy Halliday.

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

What has he said?

Asked about winding up his rivals, he told The Daily Record: “I’m doing something right! If people hate me it puts a smile on my face. It must mean I’m either playing well or I’m noising somebody up in the wrong way.

“I don’t care. I think for me I celebrated with my team-mates and a fight kicked off and I walked away from it.

“Somebody elbowed me in the face and I walked away from it. Somebody punched me in the face and I walked away from it. If I was a hooligan I’d have started a brawl in the middle of the pitch.

“But I just walked away from it all, I didn’t want to get myself booked or suspended. I think I acted quite well on the day.”

Never change!

Brown’s first four words that “I’m doing something right” should be music to the ears of Celtic fans, because it means he has no intention of changing his ways.

There is nothing wrong with a bit of extra bite, especially in derbies, and Brown’s ability to get under the skin of opposition fans and players is all part of what makes him such an effective player and leader.

If the Hoops ace was to sacrifice that in the hopes of placating some moaning media members, then he wouldn’t hold anywhere near the level of adoration he currently gets from the Parkhead faithful.

In short, he is never going to change, and that’s the best news Celtic could possibly get.

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Alfredo Morelos has scored 29 times in 45 appearances for Rangers this season, and 47 in 88 games in total for the Scottish giants since arriving in 2017.

At his best, the 22-year-old is a devastating striker.

At his worst, though, he can be a real problem.

Three red cards in the league this season – including during the last meeting with Celtic on March 31 – means that his position in the XI for this weekend’s clash with the Hoops is far from secure.

Indeed, it has been suggested that Jermain Defoe could get the nod against Celtic, who have already wrapped up the league title.

It will be fascinating to see what Steven Gerrard decides to do on Sunday afternoon, and a number of Rangers fans have been on social media offering their views.

Whilst some want Morelos to be handed a starting berth this weekend, others clearly feel that the Colombian cannot be trusted.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Southampton have been on the up since Ralph Hasenhuttl replaced Mark Hughes as manager just before the new year.

Not only have results improved, but the Saints have also been playing a much more entertaining brand of football with Hasenhuttl at the helm.

There is, however, still much work to be done at St. Mary’s with a series of poor transfer windows leaving the club in quite the mess.

Big money has been spent on the likes of Mohamed Elyounoussi and Sofiane Boufal in recent summer windows, and such an approach to the market has yet to produce any results.

Following those failures, the Daily Mail reports Southampton will now turn their attention to signing British players instead, believing a homegrown core will be more ready for the demands of English football than a bunch of exports from other divisions.

The Saints have had a lot of success in the past from building their team around players such as Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Nathaniel Clyne. And, now Nathan Redmond and Ryan Bertrand have helped Southampton succeed this season, so it would make sense to adopt the homegrown strategy.

Whatever the case, director of football operations Ross Wilson, who is set to spearhead Southampton’s recruitment drive in the summer (also per Daily Mail), cannot allow for any more duds to be brought through the door.

That does not mean Southampton have to exclusively sign homegrown players; there are plenty of jewels spread across European football, as the south coast club have shown in the past after signing Sadio Mane among others.

But if doing so means less Boufals and more Nathan Redmonds, then it is perhaps the way to go for the Saints.

So, Wilson could uncover more Southampton transfer gems if the report is true as the likes of Nathan Redmond, Rickie Lambert and Ryan Bertrand have all made a name for themselves at St Mary’s.

Southampton fans, would you like to see the arrival of more homegrown players this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below.

كشفت صحفية “بيلد” الألمانية، عن محاولة نادي مانشستر يونايتد الإنجليزي، التعاقد مع أحد لاعبي فريق باير  ليفركوزن الألماني، في نافذة الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية.

مانشستر يونايتد كان يريد التعاقد، مع جناح هجومي، في الصيف الماضي، وحاول التعاقد مع جادون سانشو من صفوف بوروسيا دورتموند، ورفض النادي الأصفر.

ثم وجه يونايتد أنظاره، تجاه الدولي الفرنسي، موسي ديابي، جناح باير ليفركوزن، حيث حاول التعاقد معه، وفقًا لما ذكرته الصحيفة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. بعد ارتباطه بمانشستر يونايتد.. بوتشيتينو: مستعد للعودة إلى التدريب

وأوضحت الصحيفة، أنّ مانشستر يونايتد عرض ما يقرب من 45 مليون جنيه إسترليني للتعاقد مع ديابي صاحب الـ”21″ عامًا.

وقالت إنّ إدارة النادي الألماني، رفضت عرض مانشستر يونايتد، نظرًا لأهمية اللاعب داخل الفريق، وخاصًة بعد بيع كاي هافيرتز لـ تشيلسي الإنجليزي.

يُذكر أنّ ديابي هذا الموسم مع ليفركوزن، خاض 6 مباريات في الدوري الألماني، وسجّل هدفًا وحيدًا.

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Southampton are edging closer towards securing their Premier League safety after opening up a five point gap on 18th-place Cardiff City.

With Ralph Hasenhuttl at the helm it seems like the Saints should have enough to remain in the division this season, but they cannot afford to spend another season treading water following two thoroughly underwhelming campaigns.

The summer transfer window will be key to providing Hasenhuttl with the tools he needs to transform Southampton into the top-ten side they once were.

A recent report from The Sun earlier this week suggests that the club have already identified a summer target in the shape of Birmingham City hitman Che Adams, although Everton, Burnley and Norwich City are also interested.

And the rumour has sparked plenty of debate at Football FanCast towers regarding Adams’ potential to thrive in the top-flight and whether he would actually represent an upgrade on Danny Ings.

Take a look at what our writers have said about Southampton’s link to the Championship goal-machine…

James Beavis

“He wouldn’t be an upgrade on Ings, but I would be interested to see him playing alongside Ings next season. Ralph Hasenhuttl has preferred a 4-2-2-2 system in his previous jobs, and the duo could form a strong partnership together. Ings is undoubtedly a penalty-box striker and given his consistent injury issues, he could do with someone alongside him to do the running for him. Step forward, Adams. The impressive striker is something of an all-round centre-forward given his pace, strength and work rate. In my opinion, they’d be Saints’ best striker partnership since Pelle and Mane.”

Matt Dawson

“Undoubtedly. Adams has been a revelation for Birmingham this season and definitely deserves a Premier League move. It’s unlikely there will be a shortage of suitors this summer and it would be extremely exciting to see how he’d fare under Ralph Hasenhuttl. He’s an extremely progressive coach and Adams would suit Southampton perfectly.”

Jack Saville

“I’m a huge fan of Adams and it could prove to be a stroke of genius if Southampton sign him for the £15 million which Birmingham are believed to be demanding for his signature. While Ings has the potential to be a fantastic top-flight striker, his torrid record with injuries proves that he cannot be relied upon for more than a few weeks never mind a full season. Bringing Adams in to the club would give the Saints a talisman for the fans to worship and he certainly has the potential to establish himself ahead of Ings in the pecking order.”

Harry Elnaugh

“I think he could be an upgrade on Ings. Southampton’s front line has been plagued by injuries this season and, while Ings is a fantastic finisher who could score 15 goals a season under Hasenhuttl, he isn’t guaranteed to stay fit, so relying on him so heavily for goals could be a mistake. Adams, meanwhile, has played 40 games in the league for Birmingham this season and epitomises the never-say-die attitude that Hasenhuttl has instilled at St Mary’s. He’s got raw pace, power and an incredible engine, all of which are attributes that make him the perfect man to lead a high-intensity front line.”

وافق النادي الأهلي على بيع أحد لاعبيه لصفوف بيراميدز خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.

وقال مصدر داخل الأهلي لـ”بطولات” إن الأهلي تلقى عرضًا من بيراميدز لضم أحمد الشيخ.

وأضاف المصدر: “الجهاز الفني للفريق بقيادة بيتسو موسيماني رحب برحيل اللاعب في الفترة القادمة”.

طالع أيضًا.. عاجل ورسميًا.. الأهلي يعلن التعاقد مع بدر بانون 4 مواسم

يذكر أن بيراميدز قد قدم أحمد فتحي لاعبه الحالي والظهير الأيمن للأهلي السابق في مؤتمر صحفي خلال الأسبوع الحالي.

جدير بالذكر أن الأهلي يستعد لملاقاة الزمالك في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا وذلك يوم 27 من نوفمبر الجاري.

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Southampton are on the brink of securing their Premier League status for next season after a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road on Tuesday night, a result that saw them go within three points of the 40-point target.

The result continued an impressive run for the Saints that has seen them win four of their last nine games, including wins against Tottenham and Wolves, and an impressive showing against Manchester United and Liverpool as well.

Despite their resurgence under Ralph Hasenhüttl, one player has come under particular criticism from the Saints’ faithful.

25 year-old Jack Stephens has been subject to much online criticism throughout Southampton’s bid for survival, but has remained involved under the Austrian manager despite some difficult individual performances.

These fans weren’t afraid to show how they feel about Stephens…

Southampton fans have enjoyed a plethora of talent in the centre-back position, with World Cup finalist Dejan Lovren, Southampton legend Jose Fonte and Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk all wearing the red and white stripes in recent years.

Despite the quality that fans have had the pleasure of enjoying in that position, there are many who continue to support Stephens amongst all the criticism, and have taken to Twitter to defend the centre-back, who’s been at the club since 2011.