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Former Glasgow Rangers manager Alex McLeish believes it is “amazing” that the Gers are said to be interested in Sampdoria midfielder Jakub Jankto.

Jankto on radar

Reputable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that the Gers were “so close” to signing 24 year-old Jankto. In the end, though, he ended up staying in Italy.

The fact that the 54-time Scottish champions were linked at all appears to have delighted McLeish. He told Ibrox News:

“It’s amazing to see Rangers getting linked with young international players like this after playing catch-up for four or five years.

“I think that they’ve been pretty studious in terms of the players that are brought in. A lot of them do have young legs and are learning the game but they’ve adapted really quickly.

“A lot of players can come and become a household name in Scotland. You saw Virgil van Dijk come here, spread his wings and go on to be a superstar. 

“But it’s not easy coming to play for Rangers – you have to stand up and be counted.”

Shows how far the Gers have come

Indeed, this is a big boost for the Gers even if they were unable to actually get their hands on the player in the end. Jankto is a player who has 28 caps for the Czech Republic, and has also previously been linked with Italian giants Juventus. The fact that the Gers were even in with a chance is a big statement of what they are trying to achieve at Ibrox.

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Currently valued at £8.55m (Transfermarkt), he would not have come cheap, and after two goals and one assist in six matches in Serie A so far this term for Sampdoria, his current employers may have decided against selling him. This level of player, though, is one the Gers should be targeting on a regular basis if they want to get back to where they belong.

In other news, Rangers fans surprisingly laud this Scotland star.

Loads of Everton fans have been hailing a transfer link to Weston McKennie as Bild reported that the Merseyside club as well as fellow Premier League rivals Fulham and Southampton are interested in signing the FC Schalke 04 ace in the summer window.

According to the outlet, the Saints are willing to pay 22 million euros for McKennie, which is the equivalent of around £19.8 million.

Previous reports have also linked the Toffees’ bitter rivals Liverpool as well as Steve Bruce’s Newcastle United to the USA international player.

Indeed, McKennie would arguably be an upgrade on what Carlo Ancelotti currently has at his disposal in the central midfield position, as he averaged more interceptions, clearances, blocks, shots and key passes than Fabian Delph, Tom Davies and Andre Gomes in their respective domestic leagues in the 2019/20 season, as per Whoscored.

McKennie has also been described as a ‘born leader’ for both his club and his country, which at just 21 years of age is high praise as he may turn out to be a key figure in the dressing room at Goodison Park should he sign for the Blues.

These EFC supporters hailed the news on Twitter:

Evertonians, would McKennie be a good signing? Comment below!

Speaking to talkSPORT, ex-Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara has insisted that most Lilywhites would swap Dele Alli for linked Aston Villa star Jack Grealish – with the Billericay Town player-manager going on to laud the playmaker as a player Spurs ‘need’.Â

Grealish, who has been touted with a move to north London in the past, with supposed swoops from chairman Daniel Levy ultimately failing in recent years, appears to be out of the club’s price range.

Indeed, the Daily Mirror claimed recently that the Englishman would not leave Villa Park for less than £80 million – a far cry from the £25m bid Spurs lodged for him back in the summer of 2018.

Given Grealish’s lofty valuation, it’s now highly unlikely that Tottenham supporters will get to see him in Jose Mourinho’s midfield, but O’Hara has now claimed that most Lilywhites would take up a swap deal to potentially lower the price tag.

If such an opportunity were to arise, the ex-Spur insists Alli would be gladly placed on the chopping block in favour of landing Grealish – who has just earned his first ever England international call-up following Harry Winks’ withdrawal from the squad.

The £100,000-per-week star, O’Hara says, is a different player to Alli and one ‘that Spurs need’ – with Tottenham’s current midfield maestro apparently preferring to make runs in-behind rather than operate as a playmaker.

Since Christian Eriksen’s departure to Inter Milan, the club have failed to find a suitable creative replacement in his mould – and that position could soon become a priority behind Spurs’ need for a Harry Kane striking back-up.

Lilywhites, would you swap Dele Alli for Jack Grealish? Have your say in the comments below…

Ever since Mousa Dembele left Tottenham back in January of 2019, the north London side have greatly missed their former midfield maestro.

Despite standing at 6 foot 1, the Belgian was fleet of foot, and glided past players with ease. Such was the incredible impression that he made in his time at Spurs, Mauricio Pochettino paid him one of the greatest compliments he could by comparing him to some of football’s greats.

He said: “I can only talk about him because I know very well him after nearly four years. And I told you and then some people use my words to describe him as a genius of the football. And for me he is this type of player, I think I told you in my book, I put him next to Ronaldinho, Maradona, Okocha – players that I was lucky to play with.”

Can you name every one of Spurs’ top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

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But since Dembele’s exit to the Chinese Super League, Spurs haven’t had a midfielder in a similar mould to the Belgian; capable of starting from deep, carrying the ball forward, and being a threat with both his passing and strength further up the pitch.

However, if the latest reports from Foot Mercato are to be believed, then the Lilywhites could be finding Dembele’s perfect heir in Lazio powerhouse Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

At 6 foot 3, the Serbia international is similarly tall and powerful, and whilst his physical attributes match up, he is equally as impressive with the ball at his feet too.

This season, the 25-year-old has been in imperious form for Lazio in Serie A, racking up five goals and four assists in 27 games across all competitions. Aside from being defensively sound, averaging 1.8 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, he has been a monster when marauding forward.

He has averaged two shots, 1.3 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game, and that ability to go through the gears from the middle of the park is exactly what Spurs have been missing since Dembele’s departure.

It’s no surprise that his agent, Mateja Kezman, spoke highly of his abilities, saying: “He has remarkable attributes and you’ll not find another player in the world with that power, muscular structure and height combined with technique and tactical awareness.”

It’s a signing that could add a different dimension to Spurs’ midfield, and one that will surely have people reminiscing about the good old days of Dembele.

Tottenham Hotspur are still interested in signing Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson this summer, according to Football.London’s Alasdair Gold.

Recent reports revealed that Tottenham are the front-runners to sign the 28-year-old England international, with Gold stating that their interest remains.

Spurs have already agreed a fee with Southampton for former Saints captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who is undergoing a medical on Monday, and Wilson could be about to become Jose Mourinho’s second summer recruit, despite enduring a tough season with a struggling Bournemouth side.

There had been questions over his match fitness but those concerns have dissipated after he played in all but three Premier League games for the Cherries last term to wash away any lingering doubts.

This isn’t the first time that the Lilywhites have been linked with Wilson, after the forward was expected to move to north London last year with rumours of a raid from former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, although a move never materialised in the end.

The Englishman, who has won four caps for his country, has told Bournemouth that he will not sign a new deal at the Vitality Stadium and Spurs are reportedly leading the race to sign him in the summer, amid interest from Newcastle and West Ham.

A versatile player who knows what it takes to score goals in the top flight, Wilson is surely a safer option than splashing the cash on an unproven striker who hasn’t played in the Premier League before. Gold points out that he ‘ticks so many boxes’ for Mourinho, as he could either be a useful backup for Harry Kane or play alongside his international teammate instead.

Despite his obvious struggles last season, as Wilson only scored eight goals in the top flight, he is still in the prime of his career and could turn out to be a shrewd signing in the future. It is worth remembering that he scored nearly double that tally in the previous season.

Rumours have claimed that he could be available for as little as between £10m and £20m. Working on the assumption that Wilson will cost no more than £20m, he could be an absolute bargain as he has shown that he can find the back of the net in the Premier League.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sign Wilson in the summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho is still hoping to appoint Luis Campos as the club’s Sporting Director, per The Guardian.

What’s the word?

Mourinho raided Lille’s technical staff after his appointment as the club’s manager, recruiting Joao Sacramento as his assistant and Nuno Santos as his goalkeeper coach.

And the report now states that the Portuguese remains hopeful of bringing in Campos, who is also of interest to Manchester United and Chelsea.

The 55-year-old is currently the Sporting Director of the Ligue 1 club and has a remarkable track record of bringing in exceptional talent.

He has signed such players as Fabinho, Bernardo Silva and Nicolas Pepe, now at Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal respectively, before their respective breakthroughs.

The report states that he is set to consider his options in the summer.

A necessity

Spurs need someone to head recruitment.

Reports suggested that Mauricio Pochettino and chairman Daniel Levy routinely disagreed over their transfer strategy, which was often characterised by indecision.

No clues whatsoever: Which seasons do these iconic Spurs images belong to?

Bringing Campos in would solve that problem at a stroke and also show Spurs genuinely mean business.

After all, he is something of a guru when it comes to transfers and could not only turn Spurs a profit but also bring in some stars who are first-team ready.

Mourinho will have to hope that this deal gets done as it could be vital to the club’s summer of recruitment, his first as the club’s manager.

Meanwhile, one Spurs ace was terrible against Bayern Munich. 

Name: Tommy Doyle

Club: Manchester City

Date of Birth: 17 October 2001

Position: Midfielder (Central/Defensive)

Tommy Doyle – his career so far

Tommy Doyle has been a life-long Manchester City fan and a big part of their academy ever since he joined the club back when he was only eight years of age. Before actually moving to the Etihad, the now 18-year-old midfielder has been plying his trade over at Sandbach United FC, a club he’s been a part of since he’s been four, even bagging 80 goals per season until he was snatched up by the Citizens.

Even though he only has a couple of senior appearances under his belt up until this point in his young career, Doyle is a promising midfielder who has excelled during his stay in Man City’s academy.

So far, he featured for the Citizens’ U18, U19 and U23 squads but definitely has the potential to move further up in the world in the not so distant future. Interestingly enough, his success at all the junior levels has been well documented as Doyle has won numerous tournaments with the junior sides, winning the Premier League Player of the Tournament for three successive years as well as several other prestigious individual honours.

Now, he can boast with a tally of 25 games for the U18s, scoring three goals and assisting five in the process as well, and one goal and one assist across eight games played for their UEFA U19 squad.

But by far the biggest role he’s ever had is with the U23s as he has already mustered a total of 32 games for them, even scoring and assisting five goals under his belt as well.

He has represented England at U15s, U16s, U17s, U18s and U19s level and is currently captaining the latter side with five goals and two assists on his account so far.

Still, despite all the talent, he only experienced two games for the senior team of Man City, starting and finishing their victory over Southampton in the EFL Cup in 2019 and then making an appearance in the 4-1 FA Cup victory over Port Vale in 2020.

Transfer latest

Doyle penned his first professional contract in October 2018 and apart from making his first couple of senior appearances in the years that followed, there haven’t been any Manchester City news that would give us a clear update on his future.

At the very moment, he seems set to stay at the Etihad, safe from all the transfer rumours and transfer news that might start flocking in this summer. He is, however, one of the fringe players that will need to be given more game time in the near future.

Doyle might be only 18 years of age but with a lengthy tenure in Man City’s academy, the youngster is bound to want a bigger role and a clear path for progression from the upper hierarchy.

And given that he is still highly valued within the Citizens’ ranks, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to give him more senior exposure once football finally returns.

Player profile

Doyle has often been described as a really dynamic midfielder capable of both shifting play and dropping into more of a deeper and defensive role when necessary. His technique and control of the ball allow him to successfully orchestrate play and dictate the tempos of games.

But when he does surge forward, he has the ability to cause damage to the opposition either by scoring the goals himself or simply setting his teammates up for great assists. The biggest thing about him, however, is the fact that he seems far more mature than his age might indicate.

And this is visible both in his winning mentality and the ability to bounce back from setbacks like injuries, and his decision-making on the pitch itself.

His intelligent movement and late arrivals in the box have a knack of confusing the defenders and he uses his superior technical skills to manoeuvre past them and rattle the inside of the opposition’s net.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Wolverhampton Wanderers kept their unbeaten run ticking on Sunday afternoon, which meant they matched a club-record streak from 1973.

The west Midlanders needed to ride their luck slightly as Sheffield United really should have scored more than just their second-minute opener from Lys Mousset – the visitors recorded more shots on target with four.

Right wing-back Matt Doherty turned out to be the saving grace as he headed home a cross from striker Raul Jimenez halfway through the second period.

It means Wolves are now unbeaten in nine matches in the Premier League.

The recent form of their goalscorer has been imperative to that run continuing, none more so than in the last three games.

The 27-year-old, who is valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, endured a somewhat slow start to his campaign having suffered ongoing knee problems right up until last month.

But Doherty has appeared to elevate his game back to how Wolves fans know him, or even in some circumstances, well past that.

In the build-up to the January transfer window, the club have been linked to Royal Antwerp right-back Aurelio Buta, and while it is no secret that they need some added depth in the role especially with Adama Traore lighting it up further forward, he could be seen as a viable option in his own right.

The Portugal U20 international has progressed through every age group for his nation and was named in the European U19 Championship Team of the Tournament for 2016.

Doherty is now in the form of his life after netting his 20th goal in four seasons, surely he has been spurred on by the prospect of his manager Nuno Santo adding some healthy competition to his position.

Per SofaScore, Irishman amassed 100 touches on the ball on Sunday and three successful dribbles but his performances over the last three games up that onto another notch.

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He has managed two key passes, six tackles, four clearances and has won a total of 15 aerial duels, via WhoScored, proving to be a nuisance at either end of the pitch.

Doherty’s partnership with Traore along the right flank has been imperative to Nuno’s fortunes.

Long may it continue.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Since Phil Parkinson took over at Sunderland it is fair to say that the majority of his players in his squad have let him down.

Senior players like Will Grigg and Aiden McGeady simply haven’t shown enough, but they’re not the only two, and that’s why Parkinson has lost seven out of 11 games in charge and overseen just 13 goals scored.

It would be understandable if the Black Cats’ boss was desperate to change his playing personnel, and his actions in a recent FA Cup game indicate that he may already be running out of patience.

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He made the bold call to start Brandon Taylor at centre-back against Gillingham, who subsequently performed very well and credited his manager for the faith shown in him.

That suggests there could be a path for young players to enter the first-team, particularly as those in the first-team aren’t pulling their weight.

Taylor also spoke highly about his peers Jack Bainbridge and Lee Connelly, who also made the matchday squad against Gillingham in that encounter, and the latter is one to keep an eye on.

Sunderland U23s have disappointed as often as the first team and sit bottom in Premier League 2 with no wins, but despite that, Connelly has shown just what he has to offer.

The striker has four goals in nine games in that competition, despite a lack of service, but his knack of knowing where the target is means he has a lot of skill and could be of good use.

Parkinson lacks strikers in his squad, especially with Charlie Wyke out injured, and it seems that Connelly may fair better under the new boss than under Jack Ross, who sent him on loan to South Shields at the beginning of the season.

The 20-year-old needs experience, as he has some way to reach the level Josh Maja was showing at the same age. But like the now Bordeaux forward he has shown qualities in the youth set-up, and deserves his chance – after all it’s not like Will Grigg is on fire.

In other Sunderland news, bringing in a Director of Football is another step the club need to make, as it could reap multiple benefits.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Fabian Schar has been Newcastle’s best defender this season so it is testament to Steve Bruce’s abilities that his side picked up a win last week despite the Swiss’ absence through injury – he will also miss the clash with Bournemouth today.

On the chalkboard

The centre-back had been a regular performer in the Newcastle back five prior to sustaining a knee injury, and though the Magpies had to re-jig things with Ciaran Clark coming in, they looked comfortable last weekend.

The Irishman got on the scoresheet, too, but his one tackle meant he fell short of Schar, who has averaged two tackles per game in the 2019/20 Premier League.

In fact, his tackle success rate is one of the best for players outside of the top-six clubs, and he has only been dribbled past 11 times despite coming up against players Son Heung-min, Marcus Rashford and Willian, proving himself worthy of his £40,000-a-week salary.

No Newcastle defender has made more interceptions than the 28-year-old, either, so the defence would have been forgiven for struggling a little more against the Hammers, and the fact they looked as organised and resolute as always – except for the last minute – means Bruce should be commended.

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Strength in depth

Recent matches have shown that the work Bruce is implementing at Newcastle is beginning to pay off, and but for Robert Snodgrass’ last-gasp strike they would have only conceded three goals in the past four games.

That is an impressive return, even more so when you consider the fact that Bruce hasn’t added to his centre-back options, and is therefore making the most of the players brought to the club by Rafa Benitez.

The additions he has made in the full-back areas, Jetro Willems and Emil Krafth, have settled in well and added to the defence, with the former in particular impressing.

He deserves credit for the organisation of the team, and the manner in which they bounced back from the 5-0 defeat at Leicester, as players easily could have lost confidence and morale, but instead defeated Manchester United.

If the Magpies can maintain their resolute defence, with or without Schar in the side, then they have the foundations in place for a successful campaign, and if the front-three can find that extra bit of quality at the other end of the pitch they will have an effective balance in the team.