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Rangers FC boss Steven Gerrard hasn’t made it no secret that he wants a new midfielder at Ibrox before the transfer deadline and it appears his pursuit has taken a new direction…

What’s the word?

According to Bosnian outlet Sportske, the Scottish giants are eyeing up a move for Everton outcast Muhamed Besic, who isn’t in the plans of Carlo Ancelotti this season.

It’s claimed that the deal is most likely a loan but the possibility of it being a permanent switch isn’t completely disregarded. He could be available at a “low-price” as per the report.

The 28-year-old cost the Toffees €5m (£4.5m) back in 2014 and he has since been sent out on loan three times.

Ferguson-like enforcer

Clearly, Gerrard isn’t happy with his current options in the Gers engine room. An ageing Steve Davis is one of the first names on the teamsheet and then it’s anyone’s guess from the likes of Scott Arfield, Glen Kamara and Ryan Jack.

Perhaps the Ibrox outfit are missing a player similar to the legendary Barry Ferguson – a justified fan favourite who brought ferocity, tenacity and power to the middle. Not to mention his 15 trophies at the club.

And that’s what Besic is, just without the illustrious career.

The Bosnian has played over 100 times in English football, many of which coming in the Premier League, so he’s cut the mustard amongst some of the best throughout his career.

His former boss at Goodison Park, Roberto Martinez, has talked up his abilities in the past. He said:  “[Besic] is strong and aggressive, but Mo has a natural balance. He is a complete player. Besic has a high level of football intelligence. In addition to excellent physical qualities.”

Throughout his career, Besic has averaged 1.9 tackles, 1.3 dribbles and 0.8 key passes per game, via WhoScored, which only emphasises his potential capability of being that enforcer in the heart of Gerrard’s midfield.

Earning around £30k-per-week, the Everton powerhouse could well be the cheap answer to the Gers boss’ demands. Ross Wilson must sanction this move.

AND in other news, Rangers can land the perfect Steven Davis alternative in Bongani Zungu

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action once again as their quest to qualify for the Europa League ends this evening.

Jose Mourinho’s side welcome Israeli outfit Maccabi Haifa to north London knowing that a victory would see them into the group stage at long last.

Spurs have already played two matches this week, drawing to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday before they defeated arch-rivals Chelsea in the Carabao Cup just two days ago.

With fixtures coming thick and fast, Mourinho has had to rotate his side frequently, so how will the XI look tonight? Here’s what we are predicting…

The Special One could make as many as eight changes from the side that beat the Blues on penalties just 48 hours ago.

Spurs skipper Hugo Lloris remains between the sticks as the issue of physical fitness shouldn’t be a problem for the Frenchman, although there’s a viable alternative in Joe Hart if needed.

Mourinho could revert to a four-at-the-back formation with only Eric Dier keeping his place having picked up the Man of the Match award in midweek. He’s joined by Davinson Sanchez, who replaces Toby Alderweireld.

Whilst both wing-backs are replaced by Ben Davies and Matt Doherty.

In midfield, summer arrival Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is welcomed back to partner Harry Winks whilst there’s also a place for Giovani Lo Celso in the advanced position.

It means both £40.5m-rated Tanguy Ndombele and fellow Frenchman Moussa Sissoko are dropped, and there’s still no spot for Dele Alli either, though he could feature from the bench.

The only other player to keep his place from midweek is Steven Bergwijn as he pairs with Lucas Moura on the wings whilst through the middle, Harry Kane starts after a rest against Chelsea.

Sergio Reguilon, Serge Aurier, Gedson Fernandes and Japhet Tanganga are likely to be on the bench.

AND in other news, Spurs’ £18m transfer target is shades of Kyle Walker…

Key information about Silverlake Stadium

Silverlake Stadium was opened for business in 1957 and is now the home of Eastleigh FC. The ground is located in Eastleigh in Hampshire and is also known as Ten Acres with Silverlake Stadium being the name given to it due to sponsorship purposes.

Its current maximum capacity stands at 5,192 – with 2,700 seated places – and it has a pitch that measures 111 by 73 yards. The surface is covered with grass and there is no running track surrounding it.

The record attendance of 5,025 at Silverlake Stadium was set during Eastleigh’s clash with Bolton Wanderers on 9 January 2016.

A history of Silverlake Stadium

Before eventually moving to Silverlake Stadium way back in 1957, Eastleigh FC played their football over at Walnut Avenue. And initially, when the move finally happened, the ground was actually known as Ten Acres and its first iteration, needless to say, was a far cry from what the stadium is right now.

Of course, being a home to a National League side, it is no Wembley and it has a modest, traditional look to it, but Silverlake Stadium was vastly improved over the years. In fact, it didn’t take long for their new residents to start the redevelopment. In 1976, they had already installed floodlights and the construction continued into the new millennium.

And yes, it would be decades before any major projects were undertaken but then finally, in 2004, following the club’s promotion into the Isthmian League, the old wooden stand was knocked down and to be replaced with a new 352-seat grandstand that was constructed on the halfway line. Two years later, the roof was widened across the Silverlake Stand to cover the whole width of the field.

That same year, a metal back and roof were added to the area opposite the grandstand along with an electronic scoreboard on the roof of the Premier Telecom stand. And then, in 2009, more seats were added to boost the capacity even further and get the necessary ground rating to compete in the Conference South playoffs.

But one of the biggest redevelopment projects at Silverlake Stadium was just around the corner and it arrived in 2014. New pitch side fencing was soon installed after the previous one was damaged in the championship winning clash versus Basingstoke and the construction of new stands followed shortly after.

The East stand at Sandy Park was refurbished along the premier telecom side, enabling the club to ensure accommodation for 2,000 supporters behind the clubhouse goal. In December that same year, a 2,290-seater South Stand was erected as well and a year later, the Mackoy Community Stand was officially opened too.

Needless to say, this was a huge thing for the club and the fans alike with the record attendance getting broken two times in a short period of time, first in the game that celebrated the opening of the Mackoy Community Stand and then, a year later, when 5,025 fans flocked in to watch the host’s FA Cup third round game against Bolton.

Finally, the latest redevelopment project at Silverlake Stadium that was started in 2017 will see an extension to the Silverlake Stand, catering to the ever-increasing popularity of both the stadium and the club among the fans.

Tickets to watch Eastleigh FC at Silverlake Stadium

All tickets to watch Eastleigh FC play Silverlake Stadium can be found and purchased on the club’s official website. Adult tickets can be bought for around £12 to £15, depending on the stand chosen and the time of purchase. Tickets bought on the matchday are somewhat more expensive.

The club also offers a season ticket scheme and more information can be found on the aforementioned website.

Related links

https://www.eastleighfc.com/ – Official website of Eastleigh FC

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has ‘tried in vain’ to persuade Andreas Pereira to stay at Old Trafford this summer, according to reports. 

According to Esporte Interativo, as cited by @ManUnitedZone_, Pereira is ready to leave the Red Devils after finding himself on the fringes of the first team.

The Man United manager made it clear that he wanted the academy graduate to stay and fight for his place in the starting lineup, despite hardly featuring at all in recent weeks.

Recent reports revealed that Old Trafford is set for a huge summer clear out as at least nine players are considered surplus to requirements.

The 24-year-old struggled during Jose Mourinho’s time in charge at Old Trafford and his chances haven’t improved under Solskjaer, as he has only played 62 minutes of football following the Premier League restart.

The Brazilian, who has won one cap for his country, seems to be below the standards that the Red Devils will need to challenge for trophies next season. From 25 games in the Premier League last term, the midfielder only managed to find the back of the net once.

Many United fans on social media were delighted by this “amazing” transfer update, with one fan dismissing Pereira as “deadwood”.

Scroll through some of the scathing reactions so far…

United fans, do you think Ed Woodward should sell Pereira in the summer? Let us know your views by commenting below!

After completing his takeover of Leeds United back in 2017, Andrea Radrizzani has helped inspire a major turnaround in fortunes at Elland Road.The club looked completely lost under Massimo Cellino, with seven managers in three years, and three bans to boot too.

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So when Radrizzani came in, you would have been forgiven for not being overly excited by the arrival of another businessman.

But instead, the Italian has orchestrated Leeds’ triumphant return to the Premier League, and in the early hours of Saturday morning, sent another message on Twitter to share his thoughts.

Whilst Marcelo Bielsa and the players will inevitably take a lot of the credit, the likes of Radrizzani and Victor Orta have helped massively in restoring Leeds’ identity, and removing some of the bad stench that Cellino had built up.

It hasn’t been an easy journey at all, with bumps and bruises along the way, but it’s fair to say that Radrizzani’s work at the club has been fully vindicated following their confirmation as a Premier League side once more.

Despite confirmation that Jan Vertonghen has signed a contract extension that will see him still be a Tottenham player until the remainder of this season, it looks likely that the Belgium international will eventually be heading for the exit door this summer.

Reports in recent days have suggested that a few Serie A sides, including the likes of AS Roma, Inter and Napoli, are all interested in signing Vertonghen on a free, and so Spurs will surely be in the market for a replacement for the veteran centre-back.

And according to German publication, Bild, Jose Mourinho’s side have set their sights on Freiburg defender Robin Koch, with Juan Foyth also expected to leave the Lilywhites once the campaign is over.

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The report adds that Koch has already informed his club that he will not be signing a new contract with them, and that could see Spurs pounce this summer.

And when you look at the kind of performances he has put in for Freiburg, it’s clear to see why Koch’s arrival could wave goodbye to Foyth, and also usher in a promising post-Vertonghen era too.

Described as a “warrior” by the Bundesliga side’s head coach, Christian Streich, the 6 foot 3 powerhouse is a defensive machine, who reads the game superbly.

As per Whoscored, he averages 1.1 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game this season, whilst according to Sofascore, he has a very impressive duel success rate of 60% (he wins a total of 5.6 duels per match).

Vertonghen’s numbers are eerily similar to that of Koch, registering 1.6 interceptions and 5.8 duels won per game in the Premier League. But at 23, the latter of course is a decade younger than his Spurs counterpart, and could well be the long-term successor to the Belgian centre-back in north London.

And after Foyth’s agent opened the door for an exit by revealing his client is good enough to play for Inter, Koch’s arrival would surely be the final nail in the coffin for the Mauricio Pochettino signing, and allow him to finally leave the club this summer.

Bringing in Koch would serve two important purposes for Mourinho. Paving the way for Foyth to leave, and ensuring a ready-made replacement for Vertonghen’s potential exit too.

Arsenal should do everything that they can to sell Mohamed Elneny as he has threatened to derail a potential transfer deal with Turkish outfit Besiktas, as per Askam.

According to Hurriyet (via Askam), the defensive midfield player, who issued a warning to the administration on the grounds that he could not get a  €1.3 million debt, has tied the hand of Besiktas, who were experiencing economic difficulties.

Elneny, who said that he would not play the remaining eight games of the season if he did not get his debts on top of this, drew an ultimatum to Besiktas, as per Askam. The 27-year-old, who said he could leave the team, may not be in the team in the remaining matches if he does not receive his money. However, the football player continues to negotiate on salary.

Indeed, Elneny has made 28 appearances in all competitions so far in Turkey, making two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

However, he is due to return to north London after his loan spell is finished, where it will be up to Mikel Arteta and the board as to what they would like to do with him.

The Egyptian international has never really nailed down a place in the Gunners’ starting eleven. He has made 89 appearances in all competitions over five campaigns, but has never featured in more than 14 Premier League games in one term (via Transfermarkt).

He is also technically not Arteta’s man, and arguably has the likes of Lucas Torreira, Granit Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi to try and overtake in his position.

The Spanish coach should look to sell Elneny to raise some possibly needed extra funds for the transfer kitty in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Gooners, would you sell Elneny? Comment below!

Monday marked the three-year anniversary of Leeds United being purchased by current chairman Andrea Radrizzani and plenty of supporters have taken to social media to celebrate.

It’s also been an opportunity for some to rave about the Italian businessman considering the turn in fortunes the club has seen under his stewardship.

Radrizzani paid £45m for the club and is said to have invested a whopping £100m or more since.

The Whites have effectively finished in the top three in the Championship in back-to-back seasons and are set for a return to the big time after a 16-year absence.

Radrizzani’s money and contact book has been a major factor in this given he convinced Marcelo Bielsa to manage in the second tier of English football and funded the signings of Patrick Bamford, Kiko Casilla and Helder Costa.

Would Leeds be where they are today without his input? Arguably, no. He was the man to put a stop to Massimo Cellino’s tumultuous tenure – one that saw managers like Steve Evans and Dave Hockaday at the helm.

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It’s clear to see that many in west Yorkshire are rather grateful for his involvement in the club with him being lauded as the ‘best owner’ the club has ever had as well as being ‘outstanding’.

Here’s how fans have celebrated this week…

AND in other news, Phil Hay sheds light into Leeds’ summer transfer plans

Tottenham Hotspur fans may have not seen much of him, but they have been fawning over young defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott after he posted some footage to social media.

Spurs boss Jose Mourinho handed the 18-year-old his senior debut back in March as the north Londoners were knocked out of the Champions League by RB Leipzig with Fagan-Walcott getting a brief one-minute cameo late on.

Aside from that appearance, he has played 19 times this term for the U23 side across competitions such as the Premier League 2 and the EFL Trophy.

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Back in November, the centre-back agreed on terms over his first professional deal, so that’s certainly a sign that the club rates him highly and given Mourinho’s trust in fellow graduate Japhet Tanganga this season as well as reports suggesting there will be a lack of a transfer budget this summer, might Fagan-Walcott garner more opportunity?

Plenty of supporters seem to hope so going by their reaction to the clip above. There are also doubts over the future of Jan Vertonghen (as per Gazzetta dello Sport via Daily Mail), who is out of contract this summer – if he were to depart, then there’s certainly going to be defensive void to fill.

Here’s how the Spurs faithful have been reacting to Fagan-Walcott’s post…

AND in other news, Spurs fans react to transfer report on Ligue 1 marksman…

Leeds fans have taken time to sing the praises of Reading’s Ovie Ejaria after his display against the Whites on Tuesday evening.

Journalist Graham Smyth suggested he “flattered to deceive” but many supporters disagree, suggesting he is a skilful and classy player – with one even declaring him to have been the best player on the pitch.

The 22-year-old has been in good form for the Royals this season with three goals and two assists in the league, but he is most adept at taking on opposition players with the ball at his feet.

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He has averaged 3.1 dribbles per game in the Championship this term, and his four against Leeds no doubt helped him to convince many of the talents he has.

As well as praising his performance, other fans commented that they’d like to see him play for their side, and believe that under Marcelo Bielsa, and in a team with greater attacking prowess, Ejaria would be even better.

Here are some of the reactions to Smyth’s statement.

After the Reading match Leeds fans were also vocal in their criticism of one of their own players, who has disappointed not for the first time.