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Manchester City brought in Pep Guardiola to make them part of Europe’s elite, and if he fails to win the Champions League during his time in Manchester he’ll be seen as a failure.

When he joined the club in 2016 City’s chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak told the club’s official website: “I have no doubt that he will transform our team to a new level.” It’s clear he’s done this within the style of play you see at the Etihad, but what Al Mubarak really meant, was to dominate Europe.

City had won the Premier League title twice before Guardiola, they’d also played some brilliant football, scoring over 100 Premier League goals during Manuel Pellegrini’s title-winning season of 2013/14, but the Champions League had eluded them.

Even when they got to the semi-final against Real Madrid in 2014/15 it felt the occasion got too much for the players and the manager, and they chose to play more conservatively, only having one shot on target in each leg, eventually losing 1-0 on aggregate. The mentality for European domination seemed worlds away.

With Guardiola comes confidence, and the players have felt it. After a disastrous first season, the club have looked capable of going all the way last year and this year too. Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp were the stumbling blocks last season but their meeting at Anfield this season, despite it being a 0-0 draw, showed he’s now capable of outsmarting Klopp.

The domestic plan ran smoothly last season with only a hiccup at Wigan knocking them out of the FA Cup, but the Champions League requires a touch of fortune and experience. City’s squad are still lacking in European experience, but that’s the hill Guardiola must climb to make the club’s unprecedented heights become the norm. It’s not going to be easy, but he has to succeed.

People are still quick to point the finger at Lionel Messi as being the reason he won the two Champions Leagues he did at Barcelona, but it’s clear his management played a huge part. If he wins the European cup with City, he will have taken the club to the next level Al Mubarak speaks of.

If he doesn’t, then City will still feel as if they’re yet to arrive on the European stage.

Would Guardiola be a failure if he doesn’t win the Champions League at Manchester City?

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left buzzing over some news on Juan Alegria.

As per the official website of the Ibrox faithful, Alegria scored two goals at Rangers Training Centre as Rangers B won 3-0 against Partick Thistle in the 2021/22 City of Glasgow Cup.

Ross McCausland scored the opening goal, but it was Alegria in particular who caught the eye after his brace.

The 19-year-old had already scored a hat-trick earlier on in the season, and given that the Teddy Bears already have a Colombian striker in Alfredo Morelos, who has become a hero at the club for all of the goals and iconic moments, it is exciting to see another youngster seemingly with huge potential coming through the ranks.

Rangers fans on Alegria

These Light Blues were left buzzing as the news of Alegria’s second goal was shared on Twitter, with one Gers supporter even going as far as to claim that he is a ‘baller’:

“This boy is a baller btw”

Credit: @SIMA1872

“Surely needs a crack with the first team”

Credit: @LetsGio55

“This lad is looking class”

Credit: @Drazek89

“Get him promoted, Roofe is out and now’s the time!”

Credit: @MacKaMac

“Better prospect than Morelos and quicker, which is not hard to be, being honest. You might even get a newspaper below Alegria’s feet as well”

Credit: @Berti_Robertson

“Send that beast to the first team. Need someone to replace Mr Setback.”

Credit: @SteveGSmith_

In other news, find out whose display against St. Johnstone was slammed here!

Manchester United and Leeds United both want to bring Ruben Amorim to the Premier League.

That’s according to reports recently relayed by The Express [via TEAMtalk], and as to be expected, a number of Man United fans have been reacting to the links via social media.

Ralf Rangnick has been brought in by the Red Devils in interim charge until the end of the season, when he will then move into a two-year advisory role.

The likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag have been linked with a move to Manchester in 2022, but it now seems as if Amorim is also in United’s thoughts, with the Red Devils keen on the fledgling coach, according to The Express.

The 36-year-old is currently in charge of Sporting Lisbon, guiding them into the Champions League last 16, and has averaged over two points per game in each of his three managerial positions. Amorim has a £25.4m release clause, with Leeds also keen on the Portuguese coach as a possible replacement for Marcelo Bielsa.

United fans react

Well-known Twitter channel The United Stand asked their followers if they would like to see Amorim at Old Trafford following the links. Here is what these United supporters had to say in reply…

“This is crazy”

Credit: @thahala_moses

“We can have our own Naglesmann you.. Am excited already…”

Credit: @incredible_mua

“If he beat Pep then yesssssss. I trust every guy coming from Lisbon”

Credit: @Vbj38864507

“Yessss”

Credit: @DianeMo68212313

“Class manager”

Credit: @UCLVarane4

“To everyone asking who he is, I’ll say it. He’s the best manager in Portugal, have to admit. He was in a weak Braga and was destroying everyone and placing 3rd (amazing). He was bought by sporting and in his first year won the Liga NOS (Sporting had not won since 2002[sic]).”

Credit: @alves_115

In other news: ‘Next joke please’ – These Man United fans fume as exit rumour emerges

West Bromwich Albion are interested in a deal to bring Liam Kitching to The Hawthorns in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Sunday Mirror (via Football League World), who claimed that Valerien Ismael is keeping a very close eye on his former Barnsley centre-back ahead of a potential move in the current transfer market.

However, the report added that West Brom are facing competition from Birmingham in their pursuit for the 22-year-old, with Lee Bowyer also thought to be keen on a swoop for the defender this month.

Imagine him & O’Shea

While it is true that Barnsley have not enjoyed the best of seasons following Ismael’s move to West Brom last summer – with last season’s play-off semi-finalists currently sitting bottom of the Championship – Kitching has nevertheless proven that he is a player who possesses a great deal of potential for the future.

Indeed, over his 16 league outings in the current campaign, the £270k-rated defender has been one of Barnsley’s few bright sparks, helping his side to keep three clean sheets and registering one assist, as well as making 1.3 interceptions, 1.9 tackles and 3.8 clearances per game and winning 59% of his duels.

These returns have seen the £3k-per-week defender average a SofaScore match rating of 6.71, ranking him as Barnsley’s joint 10th-best performer in the division, and that score would likely be much higher if it weren’t for his team’s awful form.

While he is still just 22 years of age, Kitching certainly seems like a player who has the potential to go on and become a top-level centre-back, something which would only be aided by the youngster playing alongside West Brom’s own 22-year-old defensive colossus in Dara O’Shea. The Irishman’s 7.26 Sofascore rating put him top of the Baggies’ squad.

Indeed, should Ismael go on to land a deal for the Tykes starlet this month, O’Shea and Kitching could well form two-thirds of the Frenchman’s three-man defence for many years to come. That will undoubtedly be an exciting prospect for the Albion faithful, and the centre-back would be a signing that Ismael would clearly love to get over the line, adding to his one January acquisition so far in Daryl Dike.

In other news: Ismael could repeat Oli Burke disaster as West Brom plot January bid for “horrible flop”

An exciting Newcastle United transfer claim has been made, regarding Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has revealed that the Magpies could target the German international at the end of the season.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I could foreseeably see them, if they stay up, looking to bring in a new goalkeeper in the summer and changing things up in the goalkeeping department.

“I think Bernd Leno is someone they would be interested in given his experience in the Premier League already.”

Buzzing

Newcastle fans will surely be buzzing with this claim as Leno could be an excellent addition to the squad ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He is a proven top-flight performer who could come in and improve the team, as he has shown over the years that he can make some excellent saves. The German has a career average WhoScored rating of 6.71, compared to Dubravka’s 6.66, and has played for teams with high expectations in Bayer Leverkusen and Arsenal, showing that he can handle pressure.

Only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stopped him from being the Gunners’ Player of the Season in the 2019/20 campaign, which proves that he was able to produce consistently impressive displays in the Premier League.

Eddie Howe may want a goalkeeper who is able to play out from the back in order to build a progressive style of play and that is what the 29-year-old could offer him. He averaged a pass completion rate of 64.1% or higher in all of his top-flight seasons for Arsenal, averaging 72.3% or higher in each of the two leading up to the current one.

The current Magpies shot-stopper, meanwhile, has averaged a pass completion rate of less than 60% throughout his time at St. James’ Park. This suggests that he is not as accomplished on the ball and may not have the ability to effectively play out with his feet.

Leno could also be more effective in controlling his area. He ranks in the top six percent of goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues in the last year, whilst Dubravka is in the top 38 percent. This means that the German could alleviate pressure from his defence by coming out to claim the ball, rather than being hesitant and causing confusion at the back.

Therefore, fans would surely love to see the shot-stopper arrive in the summer and will be buzzing with the club’s big plan to bolster their goalkeeping department at the end of the season.

AND in other news,  Imagine him & Burn: Howe must now unleash “big” NUFC gem who’s massively “underrated”…

Celtic could still look to sign another winger and defender in the January transfer window, according to The Daily Record’s Scott Burns. 

The Lowdown: Three in the door

The Hoops officially announced the signings of Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi on Friday morning.

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The trio have been linked with moves to Scotland for some time, with Celtic confirming the news just hours before the January window opens.

Maeda will sign on loan with a compulsory purchase clause included for the summer, whereas Hatate and Ideguchi will pen four-and-a-half-year contracts, subject to the usual conditions and international clearance.

However, it seems as if the Hoops may not stop there, with two more possible arrivals over the coming weeks.

The Latest: Burns’ late-night news

Burns shared a story in the Daily Record late on Thursday evening regarding Celtic’s moves for Hatate, Maeda and Ideguchi.

Within his report, he revealed that ‘a move for another wide player and another possible defender haven’t been ruled out’, with the Hoops possibly receiving funds by moving on some fringe players.

The Verdict: Who could go?

It appears as if any further signings in January could be subject to offloading players, with the club reportedly looking to part ways with Vasilis Barkas and Boli Bolingoli.

Barkas cost £4.5m and Bolingoli £3m, so if the Hoops can receive fees anywhere close to what they paid for the two of them, it could be seen as excellent business, especially when you consider that Barkas and Bolingoli have made just four appearances combined under Ange Postecoglou.

It’s good to see that Celtic have acted quickly when it comes to securing the Japanese trio, and attention could now turn to departures before looking at further arrivals. Exciting times lie ahead…

In other news: Dressing room source shares big update on Ange’s plan for Celtic ace with ‘tremendous composure’

New Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst has got his reign at Ibrox off to a great start by winning all four games he’s taken charge of, with the latest being their recent 3-0 win over Dundee FC in the SPFL.

Now, with the January transfer window on the horizon, it seems as though the club could have identified who Van Bronckhorst’s first signing as Rangers boss could be.

What’s the news?

In a recent interview with Foot Mercato, Dundee United midfielder Jeando Fuchs revealed that Rangers are one of the clubs that have contacted him and his agent over a potential transfer.

Since joining United back in October last year from Spanish side Alaves, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £720k according to Transfermarkt, has made 45 appearances for the club across all competitions, chipping in with just one assist in the process.

This season has seen Fuchs start 13 of the 15 SPFL games he’s appeared in, showing how important he is for the side.

In those league games, Fuchs has shown what a defensive unit he has been for United by racking up an average of two interceptions per game and 2.3 tackles per game.

As well as his impressive defensive output from midfield this season, Fuchs’ overall league performances have earned him a season rating of 6.72/10, making him the fifth-highest rated United player to have made more than four appearances this season according to WhoScored.

Despite sitting at the top of the league table at the moment, Rangers have conceded four more goals than Celtic have and only one fewer than Hearts in third place, which could make a potential transfer swoop for Fuchs a smart move for the club and just what Van Bronckhorst needs to secure the title at Ibrox this season.

Looking ahead to the January transfer window, Rangers’ sporting director Ross Wilson should definitely consider making a move for Fuchs, who has “unbelievable energy” according to Micky Mellon, to see if he can help push the team to the title and end Van Bronckhorst’s first season at Rangers on a high.

Also, with two of Rangers’ current midfield options – Scott Arfield and Steven Davies – being well into their thirties, Fuchs could be a suitable long-term replacement for the duo given his fairly young age. With all of the aforementioned positives in mind, this would surely be a dream deal for the club’s new manager.

In other news: GVB handed big boost as Rangers update emerges on “highly respected” £5.4m-rated beast – opinion

Aston Villa may have had a busy January transfer window in terms of bringing new players into the club such as Calum Chambers, Lucas Digne, Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen.

However, it seems as though deadline day could see the Midlands club strike a deal that would see one of their current players leave Villa Park in the coming hours.

What’s the news?

According to a recent Twitter post from The Athletic’s Villa journalist Gregg Evans, Istanbul Basaksehir are hoping to sign Trezeguet on loan. 

Since joining the Villans back in the 2019 summer transfer window from Kasimpasa in a deal worth a reported fee of £8.75m, the winger has gone on to make 64 appearances for the Midlands club across all competitions but has only managed to score nine goals and provide five assists along the way.

After recovering from a serious knee injury back in December that he picked up back in April last year, the attacker has only played 10 minutes of action for Villa this season which came during their 2-1 away defeat against Brentford in the Premier League.

Fans will be thrilled

Taking into account the 27-year-old’s inconsistent goal contributions since becoming a Villa player and the fact that Steven Gerrard recently admitted that Trezeguet will find regular game time hard to come by this season, fans will surely be thrilled to see the Egyptian international leave the club, freeing up space on the wage bill of more recruits down the line.

After all, this is a player who has bagged just nine times in 64 outings.

With Villa having a number of players in their squad that can play on the wings such as Emi Buendia, Bertrand Traore, Philippe Coutinho and Leon Bailey, it’s not hard to see why Gerrard thinks Trezeguet may have a challenge on his hands to play regularly. Therefore, it makes a potential loan move away beneficial for the winger and the Villans.

Moving forward, if the £9m-rated attacker does end up leaving Villa on loan before the January transfer deadline and ends up having a successful time in Istanbul, perhaps this could be the first step towards the attacker eventually leaving the club on a permanent basis and putting an end to his spell in England with the Midlands side.

In other news: Lange must seal late AVFC swoop for “massive” £29k-p/w machine, Gerrard would love him – opinion

Everton are in interested in signing versatile Hoffenheim ace Florian Grillitsch according to The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones.

The lowdown: Plenty of suitors

The 26-year-old is set to become a free agent at the end of the season when a contract in Germany expires and there would appear to be a host of clubs keen on acquiring the Austrian’s services.

Formerly of Werder Bremen, Grillitsch has plied his trade in the Bundesliga since 2015, racking up 178 German top-flight appearances to date.

Following an initial report from The Telegraph citing major interest from Leeds United and Arsenal, it would now appear that the Toffees are also in the mix…

The latest: Everton interest emerges

As per the report, Jones writes that there is interest from Everton in signing the 33-cap Austria international.

It’s claimed that there is also admiration from West Ham United and Newcastle United, whilst both Leeds are Arsenal are once again mentioned.

The report states that the man once dubbed as ‘extraordinary’ by Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, ‘appeals’ to Everton as Frank Lampard prepares to oversee a squad overhaul at Goodison Park.

The verdict: No-brainer

As a potential free agent capture, this truly is a no-brainer for the Merseyside club, particularly with the future of Allan uncertain beyond the upcoming summer window.

Still holding a market value of £14.4m despite the dwindling contract (Transfermarkt), adding Grillitsch – who can play as a central defender or in a variety of midfield positions – to the Blues’ ranks would be a shrewd move.

As a defensive midfielder, the Austrian’s numbers suggest that he is in the same mould as Liverpool star Fabinho and Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets, according to FBRef, making the potential capture ahead of other Premier League suitors all the more impressive.

In other news, financial expert makes exciting Bramley Moore claim!

Newcastle United are on course to avoid relegation from the Premier League and will have the chance to kick on in the top-flight next term.

They are nine points clear of the bottom three and PIF appear set to splash the cash in order to take Eddie Howe’s side up another notch.

The Chronicle recently reported that the club are set to make strides in the transfer market in the summer and named Ryan Gravenberch as a potential target.

This has not come out of thin air, though, as PIF were touted with an interest in the Dutch central midfielder earlier this season.

Get it done

The Magpies owners must now get the money out to seal a deal for Gravenberch in the summer as he would be an excellent signing for the short and long-term future of the club.

De Telegraaf journalist Marcel van der Kraan recently heaped praise on the midfielder.

He told the BBC: “This is maybe why he stood out so early and why Ajax picked him, with his great skills and technique, and brought him to the academy. They could easily put him three or four years above his own age. That’s when people started to find out this kid was only 12. They thought he is going to be a world-beater.

“This happens to almost every kid who is tall and of Surinam background. He gets that label – ‘this is the new Frank Rijkaard’.”

His former youth coach, Brian Tevreden, also said that he is a “better version of Pogba” and his form for Ajax at such a young age shows that he is well on his way to being just that. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.16 in the Eredivisie this term, winning 58% of his duels and contributing with two goals and five assists.

Gravenberch caught the eye as a teenager in the Champions League in the last two campaigns. The Dutchman averaged 4.3 tackles and interceptions per game, whilst scoring once and winning 7.0 duels per match last season, whilst he has made 2.6 tackles and interceptions and won 5.9 duels this time around.

Pogba, meanwhile, has struggled in the competition this term. He has averaged 1.4 tackles and interceptions per game, whilst failing to contribute with a single goal or assist in six outings and winning 4.2 duels per match – recording a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.55.

This suggests that the Dutch teen is already performing to a higher level in Europe’s premier competition. To be putting in consistently brilliant displays at the age of 19 shows that he has immense potential and the ability to showcase his talent in the here and now.

Ajax reportedly want £30m (€35m) for his services and Newcastle, for the reasons stated above, must put themselves in the race to land him.

AND in other news, Body blow: Craig Hope “told” worrying NUFC update that’ll leave supporters fuming…