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Glasgow Rangers return to Scottish Premiership action away to Dundee United later today, with the Ibrox giants looking to continue their unbeaten start to life under new boss Michael Beale with another positive result.

After four successive victories following the World Cup break, the Light Blues saw that winning run come to an end at home to their bitter rivals on Monday, with that Old Firm showdown seeing the Hoops snatch a point late on.

Despite slipping up in the closing stages, the Gers will no doubt take encouragement from their resilient comeback after having conceded in the opening few minutes, with that performance showcasing that they truly can go toe-to-toe with the Scottish champions.

As Rangers look to reduce the gap at the summit back down to nine points this afternoon, here’s how Football FanCast predicts that Beale’s men will line up:

(4-2-3-1) (GK) McGregor; (RB) Tavernier, (CB) Goldson, (CB) Davies), (LB) Barisic; (CDM) Lundstram, (CDM) Jack; (RM) Sakala, (CAM) Tillman, (LM) Kent; (ST) Colak.

The former Queen’s Park Rangers boss still has a number of injury woes to contend with involving the likes of Filip Helander, Ridvan Yilmaz and Tom Lawrence, although the Englishman can be encouraged by the fact that Ianis Hagi and John Souttar appear to be edging closer to a long-awaited return to action.

With squad depth still somewhat tested, we predict that Beale will likely name a similar side to the one that was held by Ange Postecoglou’s men last time out, with there potentially just two alterations to be made for today’s meeting with the Tangerines.

While there are not expected to be any tactical tweaks in the defensive unit, one change could well be made in the centre of the park, with Ryan Jack – who featured off the bench against the Bhoys – set to replace Glen Kamara in midfield.

The latter man – who was previously described as a “class act” by Steven Gerrard – endured ‘not his best afternoon’ against the league leaders, according to Glasgow Live’s Alan Galindo, with the £21k-per-week machine losing possession on ten occasions in that clash.

The more advanced midfield berths will likely be taken up by Ryan Kent, Malik Tillman and Fashion Sakala once again, with the Zambian speedster having been electric against the Parkhead outfit, notably winning a penalty just after the break.

The only further alteration could lie in attack, with Alfredo Morelos – who missed two big chances last time out – set to make way for Antonio Colak, with the Croatia international having been in “standout” form earlier this term, as per pundit Alex Rae, with 11 goals in just 14 league games.

Glasgow Rangers secured their place in the League Cup final with a 2-1 win last Sunday, and Michael Beale has a chance to claim silverware just a couple of months into his reign at Ibrox.

Despite the victory, there are still vast improvements to be made, and the tie could easily have ended in defeat for the Gers had Anthony Stewart not received his marching orders just before the final whistle.

With the January transfer window in full swing, Beale will surely be aiming to sign a couple of new players for the Light Blues, especially with the multiple contract dilemmas facing the club.

At the end of the season, Rangers could potentially lose Scott Arfield, Ryan Jack and Steven Davis, who are all set to be out of contract, while James Sands and Malik Tillman could return to their parent clubs after their respective loan spells.

According to Mark McDougall of Football Scotland, Rangers “made contact” with midfielder Ahmed Kendouci last month but no move has materialised as of yet. If Beale does manage to secure a deal for the 23-year-old, though, he could be the perfect heir to Davis at Ibrox.

The 38-year-old is likely to have played his final game for the club having suffered an injury in training which means he will subsequently miss the final few months of the season. The Northern Irishman has been a wonderful player for the club in two different spells, playing 360 times for the Gers while registering 97 goal contributions, and his experience will be sorely missed.

Kendouci could slot into a central midfield role with ease and become the long-term heir to Davis if he moves to Rangers. He has already been impressing for ES Setif in Algeria, registering 41 goal involvements in 107 matches for his current club, and he can also play further up the field in a more attacking midfield role.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig lavished praise on the Algerian in 2021, describing him as “a complete midfielder with a left foot made of gold”, and his qualities would certainly fit in with Beale’s philosophy.

The 23-year-old has 18 months left on his current contract, and this could potentially be used as leverage by Rangers in order to secure a move on the cheap this month.

However, Beale will need to act fast in order to secure the players that he wants before the transfer window shuts in two weeks’ time; and with uncertainty over the future of several members of the first-team squad, securing a new midfielder or two could be a wise move before the summer.

Journalist Ryan Taylor has tipped Arsenal to go out and add Ferran Torres to their attacking options this January as he could be “available” in the market.

What’s the word?

It’s no secret the Gunners are in the market for a new forward this winter and they looked as though they would be signing Shakhtar Donetsk ace Mykhailo Mudryk before Chelsea swooped in and picked him up in a deal worth £88.5m.

Consequently, Mikel Arteta and co will now have to weigh up a number of alternative options over the coming weeks. One possible player who could be of interest is Barcelona’s Torres.

Indeed, while talking on his own YouTube channel, Taylor suggested the Spaniard could be a ‘very good fit’ for the Premier League side while adding that he might be on the market too.

The journalist explained: “One name that I would put forward – I don’t know if there is interest, but one name that I would say could potentially fall under interest is Ferran Torres.

“He really does fit that kind of profile that Arsenal are looking for in terms of a versatile forward that can play multiple positions across the frontline.

“I think stylistically, in terms of his technical qualities, I think he’s a very good fit for Arsenal. He could potentially be available as well this month, I think. Barcelona squad’s very inflated, there’s a lot of options in there, particularly in attack.”

Mudryk alternative?

Torres, who has been labelled as “clinical”, certainly could come in and help add some depth to a number of different positions as he can operate anywhere across the front three. Indeed, while he has predominantly operated on the right wing, the 22-year-old can play down the middle or on the other flank.

What’s more, as he used to play for Manchester City – where Arteta used to work as an assistant manager – the Arsenal boss should be able to find out exactly what to expect from the attacker, even though they weren’t at the club at the same time.

After the blow of missing out on Mudryk, the Gunners need to act fast in the market to bolster their squad as they look to hold their lead at the top of the league table. With his versatility and past experience of English football, Torres could be a decent option to come in and make an immediate impact if Barcelona are indeed willing to let him go.

Tottenham Hotspur have had an official bid to Sporting for right wing-back Pedro Porro rejected, with the offer believed to have consisted of cash as well as a player.

What’s the latest?

Spurs have earmarked the Spanish wing-back as their priority for the January transfer window but it is believed they are unexpected to pay his release clause.

The north London club have now been linked with the wing-back for the entirety of the January window but with less than two weeks remaining have only just submitted an official offer.

And with Spurs slipping out of the top four and failing to bring in any other players in this winter window, it has seen Spurs fans vent their frustrations with the owners.

However, Fabrizio Romano has now claimed on his YouTube channel that the Lilywhites have made an opening bid turned down for the 23-year-old in a cash-plus-player deal as they seek to bolster their squad:

“We have to mention Tottenham because Tottenham have made an official bid for Pedro Porro from Sporting.

“From what I’m told, a bid around €35m with a player included. I’m still checking who was the player but I’m told it’s [a] defender. So Tottenham discussed about this possibility with Sporting, but Sporting said no.”

“Tottenham are really pushing to sign Pedro Porro in January. Conversations will continue in the next days.”

Mystery player offered

It is interesting to hear Romano suggest Spurs were looking to offload a player to potentially bring in Porro this month, which does raise the question of who it could be.

If it was a like-for-like swap, Emerson Royal or Djed Spence could be a possible option, with the pair both linked to potential Spurs exits this month.

However, there are also defenders such as Japhet Tanganga not being used often by Conte, and the 23-year-old was heavily linked with a possible move abroad in the summer.

Regardless, it seems as if Sporting are not interested in the offer, with Romano claiming the Portuguese side have rejected the proposal.

This has us wondering where Spurs go next in this pursuit.

Sporting have reportedly remained firm throughout this month in that if Spurs want Porro, they must pay his £39.5m release clause.

Yet, Spurs continue to mull over this and have since offered Sporting this proposal which Romano has revealed.

If Spurs now walk away from the deal, it will likely frustrate the fans given Sporting’s demands have been clear from day one and over two weeks will have been wasted on chasing Porro.

Equally, if Spurs do activate the release clause, there will potentially still be some frustration among the Spurs fans who will feel the club have wasted weeks when they were aware of what was needed to bring him to N17.

With tensions high among the fans, we think a big few days lie ahead for Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici over their next move in their pursuit to sign Porro.

Manchester City play host to Arsenal in the FA Cup tonight, with Pep Guardiola no doubt wanting his side to set down a marker ahead of the crucially important upcoming fixtures against the Gunners in the Premier League.

The Citizens are currently five points behind Mikel Arteta’s side in the top flight having played a game more but still have to face Arsenal twice in the league, which emphasises that the title race is far from over.

Therefore, it is imperative that City attempt to knock Arsenal’s confidence with a win in the FA Cup this evening and Guardiola should hand Joao Cancelo a start after dropping him for recent fixtures.

The Portugal international has lost his starting place to 18-year-old Rico Lewis on a number of occasions since the World Cup break, with his only two 90 minutes resulting in two defeats against Southampton and Manchester United respectively.

He was also hooked at half-time in the 1-0 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, which suggests that he certainly isn’t in Guardiola’s good books right now.

Reports seem to confirm this, with Spanish journalist Jose Alvarez reporting that a number of first-team regulars including Cancelo, Kyle Walker, Aymeric Laporte, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are all “disgruntled” with the current situation at the Etihad.

The Telegraph recently reported that the Portuguese star was attracting interest from around Europe after losing his place in the side, so there’s no guarantee he will remain at the Etihad Stadium much past January, let alone the summer transfer window.

It is perhaps not a surprise that some players are unhappy, as Guardiola didn’t hold back in his criticism of his players after the recent comeback win against Tottenham Hotspur, suggesting that he didn’t recognise his team.

However, with Lewis forced off with injury against Spurs, it opens the door for Cancelo to start and hopefully rediscover some of the form that saw him recognised as one of the best in the world last season.

Since his £60m switch from Juventus in 2019, the former Valencia dynamo has gone on to make 154 appearances for the Citizens, contributing nine goals and 22 assists.

Part of Arsenal’s success this season has come from Oleksandr Zinchenko being afforded the freedom to roam from his left-back position and almost play as another midfielder but if Cancelo is given license to push forward and support Riyad Mahrez on the right-hand side, it could force the Ukrainian back into a more defensive area.

There is no doubt that the Portuguese defender is capable of being a world-class playmaker on his day and if Guardiola wants to repair his seemingly strained relationship with the 28-year-old, then he must restore him to the starting side against the Gunners tonight.

Sunderland midfielder Edouard Michut was lauded by journalist Josh Bunting following the FA Cup draw at Fulham.

The Lowdown: Michut at Sunderland

The 19-year-old joined Sunderland on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer with the move to the Championship being the first campaign offering him regular senior football after only previously playing 183 minutes for PSG’s first-team.

After a stuttering start to his loan spell at the Stadium of Light which saw him feature in three Premier League 2 games and only 66 minutes of senior league action before the World Cup break, the Frenchman is now showing his talent.

He’s started three of the previous four Championship games as well as both FA Cup ties against Shrewsbury and Fulham in that span as well.

The Latest: Bunting’s praise

Following the Mackem’s hard-fought replay they earned against the Premier League’s surprise package who sit seventh after only achieving promotion back to the top-flight last season, Bunting singled out Michut for praise on Twitter, he tweeted:

“Michut was quality this afternoon, ran all over must have covered every blade of grass. Broke up play and was key to playing in between the lines. So much potential there and he’s only going to get better, work ethic and quality was right were on it #SAFC”

The Verdict: Sign of things to come?

Tony Mowbray’s youthful midfield pivot of Michut and 21-year-old Dan Neil performed admirably against a strong Cottagers’ engine room of Andreas Periera, Joao Palhinha and Tom Cairney.

Despite only having 31% of the possession, Sunderland still recorded 17 shots and six on target (via Sofascore) with Michut a key part of the transition.

The 19-year-old had only 29 touches given the limited possession his side saw but a 94% pass accuracy and 100% long ball accuracy with two key passes show just how effective he was on the ball when given the chance.

He’s seemingly forced his way into Mowbray’s plans and with similar displays, like he provided against Fulham matched with his youthful hunger, the PSG loanee could play a key part in the Mackem’s play-off push with them just a point outside the top six.

Leeds United were interested in the possibility of picking up Oliver Skipp on loan until the end of the campaign during the January transfer window.

What’s the latest?

The West Yorkshire club had an encouraging winter window which saw three players come through the doors at Elland Road as Jesse Marsch looks to battle off the threat of relegation.

And one of those players to come through the door was the midfielder Weston McKennie from Juventus, who will likely start alongside his fellow countryman, Tyler Adams.

However, it appears the Whites explored a number of options with the Tottenham Hotspur youngster, Skipp, believed to have been a player on their radar.

Indeed, speaking on his latest YouTube video, reliable Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold claimed the 22-year-old was open to a loan move, with the Whites one of the sides interested:

“Oliver Skipp, I think was quite open to a loan move, from what I understand, just to get as much sharpness back, really.

“I think he was quite willing, from what I understand, to head out on loan  – [Crystal] Palace, Fulham, Leeds, Bournemouth, all looking to take him if they could, but [Antonio] Conte said no.”

Adding depth

Skipp is a midfielder who has received a lot of praise from some of the recent Spurs managers with Jose Mourinho labelling the youngster “phenomenal” back in 2020.

The Spurs academy product enjoyed a successful loan stint with Norwich City over the 2020/21 campaign where he earned himself 44 starts in the Championship.

However, game time of late has been difficult to come by for the midfielder with Antonio Conte having a wealth of options in the middle of the park.

Having also battled with a foot injury in the early stages of the season, Skipp has seen the January window now pass with just three Premier League starts to his name this term.

But we do wonder, with Adams and now McKennie, whether Skipp would stand much of a better chance at Leeds to starting than what his prospects look like at Spurs?

Granted, it could provide Marsch with much better squad depth, but the player – and Spurs – would likely bat away any bids that would not have Skipp starting on a regular basis.

With the likes of Adam Forshaw still at the club and continuing to prove an injury woe, Skipp could certainly add some much-needed cover in the middle of the pitch for Marsch.

But questions would surely be raised as to how he would find himself in the starting XI on a regular basis if Adams and McKennie avoid injury.

Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett has revealed that Nottingham Forest are “hurriedly” trying to find another goalkeeper with Keylor Navas unlikely to arrive.

What’s the word?

The Daily Mail had reported earlier on in the month that Steve Cooper and co were hoping to sign the PSG goalkeeper, while Football Insider stated that a deadline day could be completed with advanced talks being held.

Of course, the Premier League side are in need of a new goalkeeper before the winter window shuts with number one option Dean Henderson set to miss a number of weeks due to a bad thigh injury.

However, if the latest reporting is accurate, any deal for Navas is now off the card and so those at the club will have to quickly try and find another solution.

While speaking on Sky Sports News, Dorsett explained (55:09): “Keylor Navas, the three times Champions League winning goalkeeper, looks like he’s not going to be moving here from PSG now.

“I’m told there’s a financial roadblock to that deal happening. So Steve Cooper and his team hurriedly trying to find another goalkeeper that they can get in to offer cover to Dean Henderson and Wayne Hennessey.”

Who next?

Having played just twice for PSG this season it will be a bit of a surprise if Navas wants to remain where he is for the rest of the season. But after this latest update, and with the player supposedly also snubbing the chance to reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr, perhaps he’s happy in France.
Of course, financial issues may be the main reason for stopping the move – as mentioned by Dorsett – and they could have nothing to do with the goalkeeper’s own demands.
Regardless of the explanation, the deal looks to have collapsed but that doesn’t mean Forest won’t be able to at least bring someone in. However, with such little time left in the window, it remains to be seen who that could be.
What’s more, alternative squad option Jordan Smith could be heading to Huddersfield Town as talks take place between the two clubs. Maybe he will stay though if Cooper and co can’t bring in a replacement.

Aston Villa dropped to 11th in the Premier League over the weekend as they were beaten 4-2 by Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester on their own turf on Saturday.

Unai Emery’s side are sitting comfortably in midtable and one of the team’s best performers throughout the campaign so far has been veteran full-back Ashley Young.

The 37-year-old has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.98 in the Premier League so far this season and this places him second in the Villa squad – only behind Douglas Luiz.

Young has played 17 times in the top flight, starting 13 of those matches, and has contributed with three tackles and interceptions and 0.6 key passes per match for the team.

However, the gem turns 38 in July and Emery may start to think about what life may look like after the former England international retires or parts ways with the club.

Matty Cash, 25, is the other senior option at right-back but the Poland international would not have any competition for his place if Young moved on without a replacement coming into the squad.

Emery could find the dream heir to the ex-Manchester United winger’s place in the side by unearthing the talent of 20-year-old academy full-back Kaine Kesler-Hayden.

The young dynamo has already experienced League Two, League One, and Championship football out on loan in recent seasons and the Villa coach could look to slowly bed him into the side as Young heads towards the end of his playing days.

Reporter Jonny Leighfield previously hailed the talented youngster during the gem’s time on loan at Swindon Town during the 2021/22 campaign, saying: “As soon as the loan deal from Villa was done Garner told us that this kid’s got serious quality, a player who’s destined to play for Villa’s first team.”

The journalist added: “He’s just a cut above.”

“He’s got a brilliant turn of pace and a player who like to do his damage up the other end of the pitch. He’s got everything about him to play either Championship or Premier League football regularly.”

During the first half of the current campaign, Kesler-Hadyen made 1.2 tackles and interceptions and 0.7 key passes per match in the second tier for Huddersfield. This came after he made 1.9 defensive contributions and created 0.8 chances per match in League One during the 2021/22 season.

The 20-year-old may not be producing the kind of numbers that Young has been delivering for Villa in the Premier League, from a defensive perspective, this season but the gem has 17 years of development to catch up with the veteran.

Kesler-Hayden could be the future of Villa’s right-back position, given the glimpses of quality he has shown in the Football League so far, and Emery could find Young’s long-term heir by providing the youngster with chances to impress in the coming seasons.

There is no need to add that GamStop is a practical and appealing method players from the UK can use to get help when they have issues with gambling or betting. We also know that more and more football clubs are sponsoring or promoting GamStop. But, the support of this kind and general cooperation with GamStop is not profitable. We can even add that football clubs may end up in problems due to this cooperation. Here is why this may happen.

Gambling Operators Cannot Be Football Sponsors

One of the most significant issues here is the fact if a football club is promoting and cooperating with GamStop, there is no way they can partner with a betting or gambling company. The reason is apparent. How can you encourage GamStop and gambling at the same time? It doesn’t make any sense. Obviously, there are many possible non-GamStop betting sites that still accept UK punters, but those sites usually do not advertise on such markets. The fans will be confused, and operators are less likely to accept this.

If you know that football clubs have been receiving millions per year from sponsors that are gambling and betting operators, you can see the problem. This means less money in the budget, and this is where all other issues will begin.

If you want to have a successful football club, you need to know the obvious thing. That club would need a lot of money in the budget to bring in the best footballers and trainers who will make the team perfect. All of this costs a lot, and the budgets are massive. This is one of many reasons why a lot of different football clubs have been cooperating with gambling sites and betting companies. These deals pay out the most, and it means the most money for the club.

Some football clubs are even in trouble if they start working with GamStop, without proper financial support, many clubs can’t retain their players or be able to buy new ones. Without gambling sponsorship, they will have to find other high-paying sponsors who will be able to support current and future needs.

Fewer Fans

You may believe that if football clubs play without gambling and betting sponsors, they will promote GamStop and more fans will appreciate that; hence more people will watch the sport. But, with such sponsors, the clubs would be in a better position as these types of companies are usually the biggest payers.

They would need help to afford new players and make improvements to the team, stations, and more. This all means that the sport itself would become boring to some people. They need and want to get the thrill, which is only possible with a lot of money being invested in a sport.

Fewer fans mean smaller profits for football clubs as well. If we add that some of them would be in a difficult position due to the fact the only sponsor was a gambling brand, we can deduce the obvious. We can see that this would make the future of a club even more complex and worse.

Here we can see that all of this brings another issue. Because the club would be less successful, sponsors who are looking for the best deal will become uninterested. We can add that only more minor sponsors would be interested in cooperation, which means less money for the club.

Selling The Players

This is an issue we would like to add here. It does affect the profit and the budget of a football club but in a negative way. Because some clubs have gambling operators as the main or the most profitable sponsors without them, they would be unable to afford certain players without them. They would need more money just to operate.

All of this means that football clubs would have to start selling players. This would make that their results are now affected and they are even significantly decreased. This means fewer players and less profit, and the circle is indefinite.

Keep in mind that football players are celebrities and they can make a club more popular or less popular. What happens if UK players from UK football clubs are transferred to foreign clubs where they don’t have to promote GamStop?

This can be the most severe problem here, and it is definitely one of those we must mention and explain. It can make any club less successful and fans don’t like this.

The Final Word

Cooperation with GamStop could affect football clubs and this makes it not profitable due to the fact this would mean that some clubs have to stop collaborating with gambling and betting companies. This means a smaller budget and creates a lot of additional problems for the club. Without a massive budget, football clubs are unable to exist or be competitive. They would need to look for other sponsors, which is not a simple thing.