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Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst has now turned his attentions towards defender John Souttar as the Ibrox side look to make some further additions in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to The Glasgow Times’ Chris Jack, the Gers have now made their move to sign Souttar, whose contract at Hearts comes to an end in the summer.

His report added: “Championship clubs Sheffield United, Blackburn Rovers and Nottingham Forest are all interested in the Scotland defender but Rangers are keen to add Souttar to their ranks amid ongoing doubts over the long-terms futures of several defensive options.

“Van Bronckhorst will be given some of the funds raised from Nathan Patterson’s £12m to Everton as he seeks to put his own stamp on the Ibrox squad. But Souttar has been identified as a key Bosman target to bolster his defensive options and Rangers will attempt to convince him to turn down a move to England this summer.”

Would be a superb signing

With his extensive experience in the Scottish Premiership, and the fact he would be available on a free transfer given his contract expires soon, this has all the hallmarks of being a transfer masterstroke for the Gers.

Former Hearts boss Craig Levein once raved about the centre-back’s combination of defensive prowess and ability on the ball, saying: “I’ve known him since he was 12 years old and he’s just got better and better. When he came here from Dundee Utd, we just needed to give him time. He’s grown into the player that I hoped he would be and for me he’s the best centre back in Scotland.

“Just for the fact that he can do wonderful things. His passing of the ball Saturday was fantastic, but he is also now capable physically of competing with any centre forward. His pace is very, very good and he’s strong, focused and aggressive.”

As per Whoscored, his 77.4% pass accuracy is the second-best of any Hearts defender this season in the Scottish Premiership, while his 58.1 passes per game is the second-best among any of his teammates, regardless of position – exactly the kind of modern-day defender Van Bronckhorst will surely be looking for.

Gers fans will surely be buzzing with signing the 6 foot 1 Souttar on a free.

Meanwhile, Rangers are eyeing this Championship goalkeeper…

Leeds United are thought to be preparing a seven-figure bid for FC Nantes’ Andrei Girotto in January, according to Homme du Match.

The Lowdown: Girotto profiled

The defender has been with the Ligue 1 club since 2017 and has made 130 appearances for his current employers. The 29-year-old has started every Ligue 1 game this season and has scored three of his eight goals for Nantes during the current campaign.

Capable of playing as a centre-back or in a defensive or central midfield role, the versatile 6 foot 1 beast is on £21,000 per week in France and has been on Leeds’ radar for some time.

The Latest: Bid expected…

Homme du Match shared a story on Tuesday, suggesting that the Whites are expected to make a January bid in the region of €5m (£4.2m) for Girotto.

The report describes the Brazilian as a player who would perfectly fit the Premier League, and it appears as if Leeds will attempt to bring him to Yorkshire over the coming months.

The Verdict: At last…

Andrea Radrizzani is yet to make a significant purchase in January while Marcelo Bielsa has been in charge at Elland Road, with the majority of business finalised in the summer, but it seems as if that may change with a possible swoop for Girotto.

The 29-year-old has been compared to West Ham’s Tomas Soucek by FBRef and has made more tackles and pressures than the Czech Republic international this season.

On that basis, bringing in the Brazilian could be a shrewd piece of business in a deal under £5m. He would give Bielsa another option in midfield, where the Whites are arguably short, can provide cover at the back and would bring a welcome physical presence, sanding just two inches shorter than Soucek.

In other news: Beren Cross spots ‘important’ Leeds ace back in training after four-man boost. 

Everton can form a scary duo in the January transfer window after being linked with a move for Derby County midfielder Jason Knight.

With the Rams currently in financial turmoil, it’s highly likely that Rafael Benitez’s charges could seal a bargain deal for the £5.4m-rated maestro if they can convince him to move to Merseyside.

Derby’s administrators recently revealed that they’re hoping to have completed the sale of the club by late January, although they’ve refused to rule out selling some of the most talented players in Wayne Rooney’s first-team squad over the winter window.

That raises the prospect of Knight departing Pride Park over the coming weeks, with the 20-year-old being one of Derby’s most promising prospects.

As a result, a host of Premier League clubs are believed to be circling for the Republic of Ireland international, including West Ham United, Wolves, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Leeds United, Burnley and Newcastle United, according to Football League World.

Benitez can form a scary duo

If Benitez can convince the highly-rated Knight to join his revolution at Everton, beating off the extensive competition for his signature, then the 61-year-old could form a scary duo in midfield.

Earlier this year, Manchester United legend Rooney dubbed the Derby academy graduate a “manager’s dream” who “gives everything,” and his presence in the Toffees’ engine room would be warmly welcomed.

Current Everton midfielder Allan has racked up more than 400 appearances throughout his career for club and country, with the 30-year-old enjoying success with Udinese, Napoli and Vasco da Gama before his switch to England.

The Brazil international has become renowned for his dribbling skills, tough tackling and positional intelligence throughout his career, assets which would compliment Knight perfectly.

After making his senior debut back in 2019, the 5 foot 6 dynamo has gone to score 11 goals and provide three assists in 94 appearances for the Midlands outfit, firmly establishing himself in the starting XI.

Knight’s surprising ability in the air, leadership qualities, ability to retain possession and youthful energy could see him strike up a formidable partnership alongside the experienced Allan.

Whether Everton follow up their apparent interest with a formal offer remains to be seen, but it’s a move that Benitez should carefully consider in the weeks ahead.

In other news… Benitez can seal big Everton coup by signing “unbeatable” £27m-rated gem, he’s “incredible” 

Everton’s season is in need of an injection of positivity following a poor run of results, and the emergence of a homegrown talent could be the ideal solution.

The Toffees have picked up just one point from a possible 12 in recent weeks as Rafa Benitez’s charges have struggled to cope with a lengthy list of absentees, increasing the pressure on the Spaniard.

A lack of goals following Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s enforced absence has been a constant source of frustration, but the solution could already be within the club.

Rhys Hughes has caught the eye over the last couple of campaigns for both the U18s and U23s, supplying the grateful strikers with a constant stream of quality crosses and through balls from out wide.

Since the start of 2019/20, the 20-year-old has bagged seven goals and provided a further 15 assists in 50 appearances for Everton, highlighting his top-class potential.

His eye-catching exploits for the youth teams led to Hughes signing his first professional contract in January 2020, before U23 manager David Unsworth lauded his technical ability.

“He’s got ability. What we’ve looked at is where do we play him,” said the tactician in a recent interview. “We felt playing off one of the sides, coming into the pockets, getting on the ball on the half-turn, was probably his best opportunity.”

However, Unsworth then suggested that the Wales U21 international needs to spend another 12 months in the youth setup to improve his physicality, although expressed his excitement at the potential of the dead-ball specialist.

“He has to get quicker, he has to get stronger, he has to develop physically, but this all happens naturally.

“He’s got the ability, he needs to build his stamina and his physicality but if you’re talking a footballer, he is an outstanding footballer with great technique and a great set-ball delivery. Those type of players are worth their weight in gold and after another year of development, we’ll see where we are with him.”

With Alex Iwobi still unable to discover his best form on Merseyside, the opportunity for Hughes to impress could be just around the corner, and his breakthrough may well be the catalyst Everton need to resurrect their faltering campaign.

And, in other news…Everton could find a new Holgate in £50k-p/w dud who’s an “accident waiting to happen” 

Many Sunderland fans have been slamming the performance of Elliot Embleton despite their 2-0 win at home to Ipswich Town on Saturday.

The Black Cats had to wait until the 85th minute at the Stadium of Light before Luke O’Nien broke the deadlock, with Aiden McGeady making sure of the points in injury time.

Embleton did not have his best game in a Sunderland shirt, losing out on three of his duels, while he also failed to record a shot on target, accurate cross or long ball from midfield. He lost possession of the ball on 14 occasions as well, the fourth-most out of any of his teammates (SofaScore).

Sunderland fans slam Embleton

These Sunderland supporters slammed Embleton’s performance on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he ‘makes me miss Chris Maguire’, a winger who left them for Lincoln City after just five goals and five assists in the Championship last season (Transfermarkt), while a couple of others claimed that the 22-year-old was ‘awful’ against Ipswich:

“Watching Gooch and Embleton really makes me miss Chris Maguire.”

Credit: @iain_lane

“Neil tried but Embleton was anonymous and O’Nien can’t play the holding role by himself. Saying that, Evans was poor today. Distribution was woeful. Definitely a smash and grab but you’ll take it.”

Credit: @kingsway79

“Gooch and Embleton were very poor today”

Credit: @76skelly

“I thought Embleton second half especially was awful and could’ve been off 10 minutes earlier. Was typical Gooch too I thought, loads of effort and the ball but so wasteful and frustrating”

Credit: @JHerra18

“Embleton was awful as well”

Credit: @kylesafc_73

“Embleton the myth”

Credit: @JordCook2

In other news, find out which other Sunderland player also felt the flak from some fans at the weekend

A number of Aston Villa fans hailed the performance of midfielder John McGinn on Saturday despite their calamitous late collapse in the Midlands derby against Wolves.

Dean Smith’s side found themselves two goals to the good with little over 10 minutes left to play at Villa Park, the Scot’s deflected shot on 68 minutes putting them 2-0 up and seemingly out of sight. However, the visitors staged a dramatic late comeback, turning the game on its head and coming away with a 3-2 victory after Ruben Neves, off whom the ball deflected for McGinn’s goal, saw his free kick take a deflection on its way into the net, leaving the home side stunned. [Sky Sports]

Despite the extraordinary surrendering of what had seemed a comfortable lead for Villa, their Scottish midfielder can come away from the match feeling pleased with his own personal contribution.

Aside from the goal he netted – his second in a week after bagging for Scotland against Israel on international duty – he also claimed an assist for Danny Ings’ opener yesterday and gave an all-round strong performance. As per SofaScore, he had three successful dribbles, won four tackles and came out on top in eight of his 13 duels.

His display won the praise of Birmingham Live’s Ashley Preece, who wrote that the midfielder (who turns 27 tomorrow) “did everything that was asked and more”. It also made an impression on numerous Villa fans on Twitter, one of whom called McGinn an “elite level” player.

Check out some of the online reaction below.

Aston Villa fans praise John McGinn

“When in form, John McGinn is practically unplayable. Such a dynamic, Swiss Army knife of a footballer.”

Credit: @CianByNature

“John McGinn has reached elite level. Been saying it all season but today he’s something else. #AVFC”

Credit: @greggevans40

“So many fans on here with egg on their face, Super John McGinn is on another level, performances like today sets him above any other player at the club, but I’ve been saying this since day dot, some of our fanbase really don’t know football. Super @jmcginn7  MOTM @AVFCOfficial”

Credit: @MrPJLinton

“Shout out to the meatball…..levels above anyone else on the pitch today @jmcginn7 #avfc”

Credit: @deano7villa

“John McGinn is on another level this season! #AVFC”

Credit: @7500toHolte

“John McGinn is a machine. Best @AVFCOfficial player since God”

Credit: @CallumK54024687

“We’re so lucky to have John McGinn, what a player”

Credit: @JoeSpencerAV

In other news, one of McGinn’s team-mates got a rather frostier reaction from some Villa fans for his performance yesterday

Wolves have been given fresh hope in their quest to sign Roma and Guinea midfielder Amadou Diawara, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Wolves linked with Diawara move

Bruno Lage was linked with bringing in the 24-year-old during the summer transfer window, seeing him as someone who could bolster his options in the middle of the park.

Instead, Diawara ended up staying put at Roma, but he has only appeared in Serie A for seven minutes so far this season, with Jose Mourinho not seeing him as a key pat of his plans.

The Latest: Signing could still happen

It appears as though Wolves’ hopes of signing Diawara are not over, however, with Calciomercato [via Sport Witness] claiming that he could leave Roma in the near future.

That comes off the back of the Italian side’s humiliating 6-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League on Thursday, with the 12-cap Guinea midfielder described as ‘largely insufficient’ in the game.

The Verdict: Great addition

Diawara could be an ideal signing for Wolves in January, with his expertise in front of the defence something that could add more steel to the side.

He averaged 1.4 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per game in last season’s Europa League, racking up 64 successful tackles across the campaign, and he could add a little more dynamism than the likes of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho.

At 24 years of age perhaps he just needs a fresh start, and could turn out to be a perfect long-term successor to Moutinho.

In other news, some Wolves fans are excited about one transfer claim. Read more here.

Leeds United youngster Jack Jenkins has extended his stay with the Whites, signing a new deal that will keep him at Elland Road until 2024.

The Lowdown: Jenkins excites at Leeds

Kalvin Phillips may be Leeds’ undisputed main man in midfield for the first team, but Jenkins has similarly caught the eye for Under-23s.

The 19-year-old has made 24 appearances for the Whites’ youth team in total, including 22 in Premier League 2, registering five assists along the way.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Youngster rewarded with new deal

On Monday, Leeds’ official Twitter account confirmed that Jenkins had penned a new deal that will see him remain at the club until at least 2024.

The midfielder joins Whites duo Charlie Cresswell and Liam McCarron in agreeing new contracts.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-17/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: One for the future

It is important that Leeds build towards the future and Jenkins is someone who could become a key figure if his form at youth level translates to the senior game, highlighting the importance of tying him down.

Granted, he won’t necessarily be a first-team regular for a while – it may even be after Marcelo Bielsa eventually moves on – but long-term planning is essential.

Jenkins has one first-team appearance to his name, coming against Crawley Town in the FA Cup last season, and the hope is that it is the first of many.

In other news, Graham Smyth was disappointed with one Leeds player against West Ham. Find out who it is here.

Producing top-class young talent is nothing new for Manchester United and they may have their next superstar already waiting in the wings at the Theatre of Dreams.

Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Scott McTominay have all graduated from the Red Devils’ youth system in recent years, and there could soon be another name to add to that illustrious list.

The Guardian newspaper recently published their annual Next Generation list where they profile the next crop of talent rising through the ranks at Premier League clubs, and named amongst the division’s current crop of wonderkids was United’s very own Ethan Ennis.

After making the controversial switch from fierce rivals Liverpool, the 16-year-old bagged a 15-minute hat-trick as a substitute on his FA Youth Cup debut against Sutton United last season, illustrating why the 20-time English champions were so keen to add him to their setup.

The teenager looked set for a bright future at his boyhood club but rejected a scholarship offer from the Merseysiders, putting other top academies on red alert.

With both Chelsea and United vying for the forward’s signature, Ennis eventually decided to make the switch from one northwest powerhouse to another, announcing his decision to sign for the 20-time English champions on Instagram.

“I am delighted to announce that I have signed for Manchester United,” he wrote. “Grateful for this opportunity, can’t wait to get started.”

Ennis added two more goals and an assist for United’s under-18s in the remainder of the campaign after his treble against Sutton, earning praise from several impressed onlookers, who are already tipping him for greatness.

“He is two-footed, commanding in the air, and jet-heeled. In recent years United have produced Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood: might Ennis be next to hit the big time?” wrote The Guardian’s Jamie Jackson.

Famed for his eye for goal, impressive dribbling ability and brilliant passing range from his favoured number 10 position, there’s a genuine possibility that United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could unearth Juan Mata’s natural heir in the 16-year-old.

The 33-year-old Spaniard is nearing the end of his time at Old Trafford, and with Jesse Lingard, Paul Pogba and Donny van de Beek all being linked with moves away as well in recent months, the club’s engine room may be in need of a refresh over the coming months.

Whether Ennis is ready to make the step up to first team football anytime soon remains to be seen, but he’s certainly one of several exciting academy products at United worth keeping an eye on.

In other news… Report shares promising Man Utd update which should leave fans delighted 

Ainsley Maitland-Niles may have blown his final chance to impress manager Mikel Arteta as Arsenal advanced into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

The Gunners picked up their third win in a row across all competitions by defeating League One minnows AFC Wimbledon 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

Alexandre Lacazette bagged an early penalty before he turned provider for substitute Emile Smith Rowe late in the second half. Eddie Nketiah then wrapped things up with a deft backheel past the visiting goalkeeper.

But for all the positives on the night, it was another worrying sign that time may be running out for Maitland-Niles, particularly after the controversy towards the end of the summer transfer window.

As explained by the Evening Standard in their post-match ratings column, it wasn’t the first time that the Hale End graduate had failed to impress in what is his preferred position, central midfield.

‘Some nice touches but did not bring any real incision and was sloppy in possession. Another opportunity in his prefered position that rather passed him by,’ they wrote.

The 24-year-old requested to leave the north Londoners just before deadline day and even shared his frustrations in a social media post. After ‘clear the air’ talks with Arteta, the England international was given assurances over his playing time this season, as per Goal’s Charles Watts.

He started the match against Norwich in midfield, where he was said to have ‘struggled’ despite their win, so it certainly seems like he hasn’t made the most of a rare second opportunity.

The £14.4m-rated dynamo, who earns around £52k-per-week at the Emirates Stadium, was the only Gunners starter to be graded lower than a 6.8 as he earned a 6.3, via SofaScore.

Against a side two divisions below, he failed to assert his dominance as a deep-lying playmaker in Arteta’s set-up. He won just two of eight duels (25%) and was dribbled past on two occasions, suggesting the opposition had his number frequently throughout the match.

Furthermore, Maitland-Niles lost possession 17 times – the second-most in the game – and didn’t produce anything going forward as he did not record a single dribble, key pass or shot, as per SofaScore.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, Arteta may want to think again should Everton return with interest in the versatile Gunners man.

It was yet another disappointing effort from the academy product, so he may well have messed up one of his final chances to play in his preferred role.

AND in other news, Once valued £45m, now worth 56% less: Gazidis had a nightmare over Arsenal “liability”…