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Rangers returned to winning ways in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday as they beat Dundee 1-0 away from home.

Steven Gerrard’s side had been held to a 1-1 draw by Motherwell in their last league match, although they did beat Livingston 2-0 in the cup during the week.

Joe Aribo scored the only goal of the game as the Gers picked up the three points and moved to the top of the table this weekend.

Despite the win, there were some negatives to Rangers’ performance and one of them was the display of midfielder Ianis Hagi.

The Romanian international is reportedly closing in on a move to Italian giants Roma, with the two clubs said to be working on a deal ahead of the January window. Perhaps the speculation over his future got to his head and caused him to lose focus in the game, with question marks surrounding his position at Rangers in the long-term potentially playing on his mind.

It is also worth mentioning that it was his first Premiership match since August due to Covid, but his performance was worrying all the same.

Defensively, he offered very little to the team. Per SofaScore, he won 50% of his duels on the pitch and failed to make a single block, clearance, tackle or interception. This suggests that he did not put in the hard yards for his team off the ball and did not press well enough throughout the match to win possession back for his side.

Perhaps he could get away with some lapse play off the ball if he provided quality in possession. However, he was also unable to make his mark offensively. Per SofaScore, he gave the ball away 16 times in his 73 minutes on the pitch, whilst also having three shots blocked and failing to produce a single key pass in his time on the pitch.

Therefore, Gerrard will surely be frustrated and feeling let down by Hagi’s display against Dundee FC.

It was a disastrous performance and he will need to up his game if he wants to have a regular spot in the starting XI in the coming months.

He could also need to be wary of how his form could affect a potential exit, with Roma likely to be watching his displays for Rangers closely if they are trying to add him to their squad.

AND in other news, Forget Aribo: Rangers beast with 93 touches stole the show for Gerrard’s side…

Liverpool are reportedly one of the Premier League clubs keeping an eye on Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz over the possibility of a potential future deal.

What’s the story?

This comes after Germany-based journalist Christian Falk shared a post on Twitter revealing that Liverpool, along with fellow Premier League sides Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have been “intensely” scouting the 18-year-old starlet.

Falk added that Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich are “leading the race” to secure a deal for Wirtz in 2023.

Liverpool fans will be thrilled

Wirtz joined Leverkusen’s under-19 team back in the 2020 January transfer window from FC Koln for a fee of £180,000.

After making just four appearances for Leverkusen’s under-19s, scoring two goals and providing three assists in the process, the £40.5m-valued teenager (Transfermarkt) made his senior debut for the club in May 2020 in a 4-1 win over Werder Bremen.

Since then, the attacking midfielder has made a total of 54 appearances for Gerardo Seoane’s side, scoring 15 goals and providing 12 assists along the way.

Impressively, Wirtz has managed to score six goals and provide four assists for Leverkusen in just seven appearances across all competitions this term, with his latest goal coming in the 4-0 win over Celtic in the Europa League.

In our view, taking into account his impressive goals and assists record for Leverkusen, particularly this season, it’s easy to see why so many clubs, including Liverpool, have their eyes firmly on the player.

Additionally, with the teenager recently becoming the youngest player to reach 10 Bundesliga goals after scoring the winner in their 1-0 win over Mainz -which led to Seoane calling him a “very talented player” – it’s safe to say that he is very much one to watch out for in the future.

In regards to Liverpool, with the Reds currently lacking a player who predominantly plays in the attacking midfield position in their squad – and some questioning why they did not directly replace Philippe Coutinho, who like the teenager can also play off the left – we feel that Wirtz could be a great addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad if they can land his signature, especially since he can play on both wings too.

In other news: Forget Thiago: Liverpool must unleash “talented” gem v Man City, he could be game-changing

Liverpool could finally replace departed winger Xherdan Shaqiri after being linked with a move for Porto ace Luis Diaz.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish outlet TodoFichajes (as relayed by CaughtOffside), the Reds are one of several sides interested in securing the highly-rated 24-year-old’s services.

The report also lists Bayern Munich, Barcelona and AS Roma as potential suitors for Diaz, while his current club are thought to value their prized asset at a minimum of £43m.

Edwards must sanction Liverpool move

Colombia international Diaz arrived at the Estadio do Dragao from his homeland back in 2019 and quickly established himself as a key player for the Dragons. In 106 appearances for Sergio Conceicao’s charges, he has bagged 30 goals and provided a further 14 assists for his teammates, playing a pivotal part in their domestic double in 2019/20.

He then featured heavily for his nation last summer in the Copa America, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with four strikes.

Diaz scored the winning goal for Colombia as they won 3-2 in their third-place play-off with Peru, earning the praise of teammate Juan Cuadrado, with the former Chelsea man insisting that Los Cafeteros wouldn’t have won without the skillful forward.

“We won because of Lucho, he has an excellent level, and he will achieve great things,” Cuadrado said after the game.

With former Liverpool attacker Shaqiri departing for Lazio in the previous window, manger Jurgen Klopp is currently light on options in the final third of the pitch.

Therefore, director of football Michael Edwards must sanction a swoop for Diaz, providing the German with a plethora of options across the front three, allowing him to rest and rotate his star performers.

Although Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have started the new campaign in impressive fashion, the pair are approaching their 30th birthdays and Diaz’s arrival at Anfield could ensure Liverpool remain a potent attacking force for years to come.

In other news… Report reveals exciting Liverpool transfer update, fans will be absolutely buzzing 

Crystal Palace came back from two goals down to salvage a draw against Leicester City at Selhurst Park in their Premier League clash over the weekend.

Kelechi Iheanacho caught centre-back Joachim Andersen napping just after the 30-minute mark to dispossess the Danish defender before racing away and providing the Foxes with a rather undeserved lead.

Veteran striker Jamie Vardy then doubled the visitor’s advantage going into halftime, but Palace went to recover well after the interval, ensuring they head into the international break in 14th position.

And one player was arguably more responsible for the capital club’s comeback than most. Summer signing Michael Olise entered the field of play as a 53rd-minute substitute, and it didn’t take him long to make an impact.

The 19-year-old winger got on the end of a Tyrick Mitchell cross, hitting his initial effort into a Leicester defender. He then reacted to the loose ball in emphatic fashion, smashing a volley past the helpless Kasper Schmeichel to bag his first goal for the south London outfit.

Olise then played a pivotal part in Jeffrey Schlupp’s equaliser. It was his initial ball into the opposition box that caused the danger, providing the Ghana international with the chance to score against his former employers.

As a result, the youngster was awarded a match rating of 7.5 out of 10 by SofaScore, the highest total received by any of his teammates.

And when looking at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why. He only played 17 minutes during the match but made a devastating impact against Leicester. Olise achieved a passing accuracy of 82%, won three of his four duels (75%) and played two key passes.

Those would have been handy numbers for a starter, let alone a second-half substitute. Together with Schlupp, Palace looked a real threat. Yet, it was undoubtedly Olise who was the most exciting of the pair.

It was an extremely promising showing from the ex-Reading forward who is yet to feature from the off for the Eagles due to an injury. He’ll now surely be hoping to make his first start for the club after his heroic showing for Patrick Vieira’s charges on Sunday.

And, in other news…Parish must seal Palace move for “perfect” 23y/o maestro, Vieira needs him 

A number of Liverpool supporters are frustrated that Atletico Madrid will have more time to prepare for their Champions League clash with the Reds.

Jurgen Klopp’s side returned to Premier League action on Saturday lunchtime, making the trip to Watford in what was Claudio Ranieri’s first match in charge.

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The Reds now don’t have much time to rest after the game, however, with a testing trip to Atletico looming on Tuesday night.

Diego Simeone’s side will have a nice rest before the match, with it being confirmed [via Anfield Watch on Twitter] that their La Liga clash with Granada has been postponed, due to their players’ international commitments.

The reigning Spanish champions are in good form, winning three of their last four matches.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-7/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans react to Atletico postponement

These Liverpool fans have reacted angrily to the news on Twitter, suggesting the Premier League could take a leaf out of La Liga’s book.

“Postpone should be banned”

Credit: @Supermarriott88

“They can postpone fixtures just because they got a UCL match??? The league is not serious”

Credit: @bruhstfu6969

“I don’t understand why the Premier league couldn’t do this”

Credit: @icy7_YNWA

“And us? Of course, it’s about money we’ll not get anything from the PL…”

Credit: @Seyjith

“JUST WOW!”

Credit: @zubinofficial

“Absolute farce scheduling when South American qualifiers finish early hours Friday morning & LFC given a 12:30 kick-off Saturday! Alisson & Fabinho probably missing, while over in Spain Real & Atletico Madrid have Sunday games postponed to help them with midweek UCL games…”

Credit: @SportsPaulH

In other news, some Liverpool fans flock to Fabrizio Romano update. Read more here.

A number of Aston Villa supporters have criticised Ollie Watkins’ ineffective performance against Arsenal in his side’s 3-1 defeat on Friday night.

Dean Smith’s side produced a lifeless showing at the Emirates, as they were deservedly beaten by the Gunners.

Thomas Partey gave Mikel Arteta’s men the lead and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s penalty on the stroke of half-time doubled the hosts’ advantage.

The game was effectively ended as a contest when Emile Smith Rowe added a third in the second half, and while Jacob Ramsey scored a wonderful consolation, there was very little to celebrate from a Villa perspective.

One player who really struggled all evening was Watkins, with the striker failing to complete a dribble or play a single key pass during the game, making 14 fewer successful passes than his own goalkeeper, Emi Martinez.

Villa fans lambast Watkins display

The 25-year-old’s performance didn’t go unnoticed by these Villa fans on Twitter, who took to the social media platform to lay into him.

“Watkins is doing nothing. AGAIN!”

Credit: @razorrudd

“Tyrone is slow, sloppy and arrogant. The same system doesn’t work against every opponent. Our midfield looks tired and out of ideas. Watkins is bang out of form. We have a very good squad but absolutely no identity”

Credit: @JosephBrimson

“Wouldn’t mind seeing the back of Watkins for the right price tbh”

Credit: @avfcdvd

“Watkins’ work rate has dropped off massively and you take that from his game you are left with a distinctly average player”

Credit: @dicktonksy

“Watkins looks defeated this season. Buendia must be better than what we’ve seen, right? With the personnel in the squad it’s blindingly obvious that there is only space for 1 striker in Villa’s best team. Worrying how Villa now ship goals like 19/20 when 20/21 they were “

Credit: @BannisterMonty

“Watkins. Where is our Ollie? Totally lost this season. Bailey. Changes the game for us. Ramsey. Energy. Buendia. Struggled this evening. Axel. Doesn’t work in a back 3. Targett. Poor & left flanks empty. Smith. Caught out and stubborn. Needs to improve. Quick.”

Credit: @amc89avfc

In other news, another Villa player’s performance against Arsenal was also criticised. Find out who it is here.

A number of West Ham supporters have criticised Lukasz Fabianski’s performance in the Hammers’ Premier League clash away to Aston Villa.

David Moyes’s side started the day in fourth place in the Premier League, showing what an impressive start they have made to the season.

There was an added incentive going into the Villa game, with victory enough to take them level on points with reigning champions Manchester City, further highlighting their current fortunes.

The Hammers went into the interval 2-1 in front, with Ben Johnson and Declan Rice on target, but Fabianski will surely feel that he could have done better for Ollie Watkins’ equaliser in the first half, having been off-balance when the Villa striker shot. He did redeem himself somewhat with a fingertip save to deny the ex-Brentford marksman shortly before the hour mark.

Also, as per SofaScore, the Polish veteran had one of the lowest passing accuracy rates among the Irons’ players and lost possession on numerous occasions throughout the match.

West Ham fans react to Fabianski display

These West Ham fans took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on Fabianksi’s performance, with many less than impressed with his efforts for Villa’s first half goal.

“Fabianski should have done better for their goal”

Credit: @DutzyDolan

“Fabianski needs to be dropped Areola in please”

Credit: @Monster19754334

“Need to drop Fabiański! He’s costing too many goals!”

Credit: @7govscott

“Need to defend better and need to retire Fabianski but in general playing well. Should have had a penalty as well. Need to play better 2nd half as been sloppy”

Credit: @WHU_EUFC

“Fabianski, YOU are the weakest link, goodbye!”

Credit: @sibeex

“Fabianski, he’s got to go blud”

Credit: @Bill_WHU23

In other news, some West Ham fans are delighted at a training ground photo that emerged. Read more here.

Manchester United have suffered a potential setback in their plans to tie down star midfielder Paul Pogba to a new contract.

What’s the story?

The 28-year-old has been attracting the attention of a host of top European clubs for several months after refusing to put pen to paper on fresh terms at United.

Pogba has entered the final 12 months of his current deal at Old Trafford, and although the club’s hierarchy have reportedly offered him £400,000 per week to stay put, an agreement has not yet been reached.

According to Spanish outlet AS, the World Cup winner will not put pen to paper on any contract until April.

Their report stated: “The feedback United has received from Mino Raiola, Pogba’s agent, is that it will not be until April that they will discuss the future of the international Bleu.

“A waiting time that benefits Real Madrid and the rest of the player’s potential suitors. It is also a maneuver to see what happens to the situation of Pogba himself in the plans of the Red Devil.”

Manchester United fans may be worried

Ligue 1 outfit Paris Saint-Germain were heavily linked with a move for Pogba over the summer before their shock move for Lionel Messi meant that his arrival was no longer a financial possibility.

Since then, the 6 foot 2 maestro has been largely impressive for United, with an outstanding haul of four assists in the opening game of the season earning praise from teammate Bruno Fernandes.

The 27-year-old told MUTV after the emphatic victory over Leeds: “I’m pretty sure Paul could do five or six (assists) in one game! Paul is a quality player; we all trust him, we all know his qualities.

“The point is making those performances and to help the team do better and I’m pretty sure Paul is here to do that.”

Further assists against Southampton and Newcastle United have taken his tally up to seven for the season, while he is the squad’s third-best performer in 2021/22 as per WhoScored metrics, but the engine room operator’s red card for a horrendous challenge on Naby Keita against Liverpool last time out has somewhat tarnished his solid start.

It remains to be seen where Pogba’s long-term future lies, but many United fans may well be worried at this latest revelation coming out of Spain.

In other news… Worse than Shaw: Man Utd calamity who made zero tackles had a disaster against Liverpool

Speaking on the Calciomercato Show, as broadcast live on CMIT TV, Italian reporter Furio Focolari has made a Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: Spurs chase Serb…

Even long before the arrival of new manager Antonio Conte in what has been a whirlwind few days for the club, Tottenham managing director Fabio Paratici was allegedly trying to bring Vlahovic through the doors at N17.

Indeed, Spurs were linked with a move for the free-scoring Serbia international through the summer transfer window with reports from Italy even suggesting that they failed with a multi-million pound bid for his services (Fanta Calcio).

However, following on from the huge update recently that Vlahovic refused a new Fiorentina contract which would have made him the highest paid player in the club’s history (La Viola owner Rocco Commisso via Sky), Spurs may be in a better position to negotiate his signing.

Conte’s appointment at Spurs has only intensified reports linking the Lilywhites with another attempt to sign Vlahovic as reporter Focolari drops a live TV transfer claim.

The Latest: Vlahovic claim dropped…

Speaking to the Calciomercato Show, as broadcast live on CMIT TV, Focolari thinks the £45 million-valued star will now join Spurs instead of fellow competitors for his signature, Juventus.

“I don’t think Vlahovic will go to Juventus. I think he will go to Tottenham, given the arrival of Conte. Vlahovic is a top player. ”

The Verdict: Spurs fans wouldn’t be disappointed…

Going by his numbers and praise from Italian football critics over this season and last, it’s safe to say Spurs supporters certainly wouldn’t be disappointed by his arrival at the club.

The 21-year-old, who would come with huge sell-on value given his age and potential, has already racked up ten goals and an assist in just 12 appearances across all competitions (Transfermarkt) – he scored a stunning hat-trick just this past weekend against Spezia.

Highlighting his proficiency in front of goal, Vlahovic has averaged more shots on goal per 90 domestically this season (3.3) than any Spurs player – even last season’s PFA Team of the Year members Son Heung-min and Harry Kane (WhoScored).

He has also attracted more fouls per 90 (2.5) than any Tottenham star, indicating he is an absolute nightmare to play against and could be a real asset for Conte at Spurs with his physicality up front.

Lilywhites fans are surely hoping that Focolari is right and Vlahovic does indeed choose north London over Turin.

An update has emerged on Rangers defender Borna Barisic, regarding interest from an English team…

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, Steven Gerrard is eyeing the Croatian international as a potential January target for his new Aston Villa side.

The report claims that the ex-Liverpool man is not afraid of raiding the Gers for some of their top players, as he believes they are good enough to play in the Premier League.

Instant stitch-up

The club are reportedly closing in on the appointment of Dutch boss Gio van Bronckhorst to replace Gerrard and Rangers chief Ross Wilson must avoid stitching him up instantly. It would be a difficult situation for the 46-year-old to deal with if one of the better players in his squad is taken away from him half-way through the campaign.

Rangers are fighting for the Scottish Premiership title and will need their top performers to be available week-in-week-out to give themselves the best chance of pipping Celtic to the crown. Therefore, selling one of them could dampen their chances and leave van Bronckhorst with a harder job than it would be otherwise.

Barisic has averaged a terrific SofaScore rating of 7.18 in the Premiership this season, providing two assists from the left-back position. This is after he averaged a score of 7.40 last term, as he produced one goal and six assists for the club.

Former Gers player Alex Rae previously hailed the Croatian’s ‘terrific quality’ on the ball, saying:

“He performs at good level week-in, week-out and has terrific quality in the final third of the park.”

Mark Wilson added: “He’s the best left-back in the country. He’s improved his defending and supplies assists and is a threat at set pieces.”

This shows that he has the ability to be a top player by Premiership standards and could be a vital cog in the machine van Bronckhorst wants to build at Ibrox.

Therefore, Wilson cannot allow him to leave in the January window as the club are in the midst of a title challenge. It could disrupt their plans and leave the Dutch coach stitched up and left scrambling to solve a problem position.

Worst comes to worst, Rangers should attempt to see out the season with Barisic in the side before allowing him to leave, should he want to, at the end of the campaign. This would then give van Bronckhorst and Wilson the entire summer to source a replacement and prepare them for the 2022/23 season.

AND in other news, Behind-the-scenes: Report delivers Rangers manager detail that’ll leave fans buzzing…