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Frank McAvennie has now revealed what he has heard about the ongoing situation with Connor Goldson and his Glasgow Rangers contract.

The Lowdown: No deal yet

Goldson is out of contract at Ibrox next summer, and West Ham United are reportedly monitoring his situation ahead of a potential approach in the January transfer window (Football Insider).

If he has not signed by January, then he can be approached by clubs ahead of a potential free transfer in the summer.

The Latest: McAvennie on Goldson

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie, who is now a pundit after playing as a striker for the likes of the Hammers and Celtic, has revealed what he and former Gers player Derek Ferguson have heard about the situation:

“There are a lot of rumours up here about Goldson.

“From what I hear, Rangers have offered him good money. I spoke to Derek Ferguson this morning and he’s heard there is a decent contract offer.

“There may be something going on, we just don’t know. It’s worrying he hasn’t signed a new deal yet.

“He’s a big player for them and he’s not tied down, that has to be a concern.

“There must be something going on otherwise he would have signed it. It sounds like the offer is good so it must be for Goldson.”

The Verdict: Sign him up

Goldson is clearly a very important player for the Light Blues, having played in all but two games and captained the team on a few occasions so far this season (Transfermarkt).

To lose him on a free transfer would be nothing short of devastating, especially as he still holds a decent market value.

Nonetheless, there are still a couple of months to go until January comes calling, and so it is imperative that the Gers get the central defender tied down between now and then, and meet whatever demands he has.

In other news, find out what early Team News before Hibernian Steven Gerrard has dropped here!

West Ham United are seemingly eyeing a move Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope as manager David Moyes also sets his sights on three other major signings this summer.

The Lowdown: Moyes set for busy window?

As recently shared by Claret & Hugh, the Hammers boss will apparently have a ‘£150 million’ transfer kitty to play with this summer with Moyes set for major summer backing.

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This comes after a lack-lustre January window, where despite lodging marquee record-breaking bids, West Ham were unable to finalise any mid-season signings for Moyes.

Their intent, as per reports, is to make up for it in the summer as news emerges on just how many major signings Moyes personally wants to make – including the potential addition of a keeper who Sean Dyche branded a ‘monster’.

The Latest: The Time share interesting transfer update…

As per The Times, West Ham ‘could try to sign’ Clarets keeper Pope if they go down, as they now contemplate whether or not to make Alphonse Areola’s loan move from Paris-Saint Germain permanent.

Alongside sealing a reserve goalkeeper for next season in either Areola or Pope, it is believed Moyes also personally wants three more additions in a left-sided centre-back, central midfielder and forward.

The Verdict: Promising claim…

Moyes’ show of ambition for the next market could come as a promising bit of news for Irons supporters.

The aim from a West Ham perspective is to stay among the Premier League’s elite and continue their remarkable ascendancy against all odds.

To do that, however, new signings will need to come through the door at Rush Green for 2022/2023 – especially going by their current defensive crisis and serious lack of depth behind striker Michail Antonio.

In other news: £25.2m-rated forward could now be open to joining West Ham after failed Pellegrini bid, find out more here.

Celtic have been dealt yet another injury blow ahead of their upcoming Scottish Premiership clash against Dundee United.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Glasgow Evening Times, Ange Postecoglou suggested that Benfica loanee Jota could be set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up a hamstring injury in the 1-0 victory over Hearts on Thursday evening.

Speaking about the 22-year-old’s knock, the Bhoys boss said: “It’s always a concern when a player comes off injured. Jota’s one who has played every game and he’s one we’d love to give a break to at some point. But it’s the kind of stage as a squad we’re at this moment.

“He wasn’t too downbeat after the game, he was hopeful it was nothing too serious. Ultimately, we need guys like Mikey and Liel [Abada] to step up, that’s why they’re here at the club. And if the opportunity exists for them it’s up to them to take it.”

Fans will be livid

Considering just how important a part of the Celtic side Jota has become since joining the club this summer, the news that the winger looks set to spend what could be a considerable amount of time on the sidelines is sure to have left Hoops fans outraged.

Indeed, over his 11 Premiership appearances this season, the £3.15m-rated man has scored five goals, registered four assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.5 key passes and taking three shots per game.

These returns have seen the Portugal U21 international average a rather extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.38, ranking him as the sixth-best performer in the entirety of the Scottish top flight.

As such, the fact that Jota looks to have picked up what could well be a serious injury will come as a huge blow to Celtic’s chances of picking up all three points against Dundee United on Sunday.

And, considering Postecoglou’s suggestion that his knock is due to playing too many minutes this season, fans will also undoubtedly be livid with their manager.

In other news: Ange must seal Celtic deal for “prominent” £13m-rated beast who “stole the show” in EL

Leeds United are heading into January in dire straits.

They are just five points above the relegation zone, with several teams below them having a game or two in hand, and there’s a mounting injury crisis amongst Marcelo Bielsa’s first-team squad.

As many as 11 players missed the 4-1 defeat to Arsenal at the weekend – their third successive thrashing in the Premier League.

It means Bielsa, director of football Victor Orta and owner Andrea Radrizzani will surely go against their usual mid-season transfer window plans to actually sign someone.

Of course, the Argentinian head coach needs widespread additions across the team but there is one role that he may already have a solution to.

It’s no secret that United have missed a creative influence in the final third, having waved goodbye to Pablo Herandez in the summer. Only five teams have scored fewer goals than Leeds (18), two of which occupy a place in the bottom three, whilst a little over 44% of their goals have come from set pieces alone.

Although Bielsa could well discover a new Hernandez in the form of academy gem Stuart McKinstry, who seems primed to save Radrizzani and co millions in the upcoming window.

The 19-year-old dynamo has already made his senior bow, coming on as a substitute during a Carabao Cup clash with Fulham in September this year, where he scored the winning penalty to see the Whites into the next round.

Meanwhile, for the U23s in the Premier League 2, he has provided three assists from 11 appearances, whilst playing anywhere in midfield.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay once labelled McKinstry as Leeds’ ‘next big thing’.

“He’s a very confident ball carrier, he’s physically strong, good upper body strength, excellent feet, good at beating his man and creative. In his head, he probably feels he can play in other positions up front as well,” he said.

That very much sounds like Hernandez and in his hay day, he too was able to play on the wing, as well as centrally.

Elsewhere, McKinstry’s former academy director at Motherwell, Steven Hammell, lauded him as a “fabulous young player” who “will do wonderful things and become a household name in the next three or four years” to the Lanarkshire Live Sport Podcast.

Even some of his academy teammates have spotted his massive potential, likening him to Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi, so the Elland Road faithful also have plenty to be excited about when it comes to their promising Scottish gem.

As such, Bielsa should turn to the teenage sensation in 2022 because he could well emerge as a solid candidate to replace Hernandez in attacking midfield.

AND in other news, Leeds could sign Bielsa’s next Ben White in swoop for “flawless” £18m-rated colossus…

Everton have been one of the most active Premier League clubs during the transfer window, and with good reason.

The Toffees are in desperate need to turn their season around after a disappointing first half to the campaign. In order to rectify that situation, they have made three signings already in the first two weeks of January, and Rafael Benitez and co may not be finished yet.

What’s the word?

The Everton manager took to his press conference ahead of today’s match against Norwich to give an update on the club’s next steps in the winter transfer window, teasing the potential of more signings to come.

Benitez revealed: “We are always looking to strengthen the squad. The reality is we’ve balanced the books, which I think is a positive. We are open to any good option.”

“At the moment we’re happy with the three we’ve brought. But we are open-minded.”

This week has been a busy one at Goodison Park, with fan favourite Lucas Digne sold to Aston Villa after three-and-a-half years with the Merseyside club, and Anwar El Ghazi signing on loan until the end of the season, and Benitez isn’t ruling out further business yet.

Fans will be buzzing

Everton fans haven’t had an easy ride supporting their team this season, and many have definitely made no secret of their disappointment over poor performances, walking out of matches at Goodison Park and planning protests against the owners and the manager.

This transfer window has provided Benitez with the opportunity to change the trajectory of the club by signing new players and freshening up the squad, in the hope that a fresh perspective will help the Toffees climb back into the top half of the table, where they are expected to finish this season.

It is important that Everton start to pick up results, as they have a run of winnable games against bottom half teams such as Leeds United, Brentford, Aston Villa and Newcastle coming up over the next few weeks. That should give them the ideal opportunity to ascend to a much more comfortable position in the Premier League if they can capitalise.

For now, the manager’s claim that the Toffees are “open” to making further additions this month should bring some overdue happiness to the Goodison Park fan base, as the current squad just haven’t been delivering the goods.

In other news: Alan Myers makes January transfer window prediction regarding Everton

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West Ham United would send out a serious message to the rest of the Premier League if they manage to secure the services of Maxi Gomez from Celta Vigo this month.

BBC Sport claim that the Hammers are considering whether to trigger the striker’s £43.3m release clause before the end of the January transfer window, at which point they would loan him back to the Spanish outfit for the rest of the campaign.

The Chalkboard

Gomez arrived at Celta from Uruguayan outfit Defensor Sporting in the summer of 2017 and the centre-forward has proved to be a fine addition for the La Liga club.

Check out the video below to see Pl>ymaker FC’s American Soccer Fan give his take on all six ‘field goals’ in West Ham v Burnley…

Indeed, Gomez has managed 27 goals and 10 assists in 58 appearances for Celta, including nine goals in 18 La Liga appearances this term.

Standing at 6ft 1in, Gomez can certainly handle himself and he could have a huge impact at West Ham moving forward.

Indeed, the thought of the Uruguay international operating alongside the likes of Felipe Anderson, Samir Nasri, Manuel Lanzini and potentially even Marko Arnautovic will be an extremely exciting one for the West Ham fans.

Breaking the club’s transfer record once again would also be another indication of the club’s intent moving forward, after an underwhelming start to life at the London Stadium.

Could Gomez play with Arnautovic?

Arnautovic has revealed that he will be staying at West Ham this month but his future beyond the end of the season – when Gomez would arrive should the Irons loan him back to Celta Viga – remains unclear.

Nonetheless, Arnautovic has played through the middle for West Ham but operated in a wider position for Stoke City and is capable of turning out in a number of areas in the final third. Gomez, although mainly a target man, also moves quite well and is clever enough to link with Arnautovic.

At the same time, Manuel Pellegrini has used a 4-4-2 formation eight times in the Premier League this season according to Whoscored and initially favoured a similar setup at Manchester City, utilising Alvaro Negredo as Sergio Aguero’s strike partner to great effect.

So, although there is an understandable assumption that Gomez is being targeted as Arnautovic’s replacement as claimed by The Guardian – which makes delaying his move to the summer convenient for both West Ham and Celta Vigo, who are fighting relegation – there is the potential for them to play alongside each other in what would be a fearsome strike partnership.

That, however, would appear to depend on Arnautovic staying beyond the summer. At this moment in time, that feels unlikely.

Manchester City fans are delighted with the news they are interested in signing Toni Kroos, and they want the Citizens to capture the Germany international.

The Citizens have made a good start to the season under Pep Guardiola. They are currently third in the Premier League table, just two points behind leaders Chelsea (Sky Sports), and have won all three of their matches in the Champions League group stages (mancity.com).

City are well-known for having a whole host of midfielders and, according to El Nacional, they are now interested in signing another talented technician.

They say the Citizens are looking to take £27m-valued Kroos (Transfermarkt) to the Etihad Stadium – the 31-year-old is one of the most decorated players in world football, having won the World Cup and numerous Champions League and domestic league titles.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, with one fan calling it ‘interesting’…

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Kroos news below

“Yes , 2 year contract,him x kdb in midfield is angelic”

Credit: @FlyStraight8

“Ngl dream signing, idc who he benches”

Credit: @mcfcdavid_27

“Well if we aren’t paying a penny then I don’t mind he would do bits here”

Credit: @RyanAsk66514735

“interesting”

Credit: @SilkyCyrus_74

“i aren’t ready for this man”

Credit: @JRxch01

“The De bruyne X Kroos Combination that’s surely illegal”

Credit: @CanceloMerchant

In other news, Man City fans are far from happy with this Manchester United news.

Pundit Alan Hutton has been reacting to Ewan Henderson’s move from Celtic to Hibernian, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Busy start to 2022

The Hoops have wasted no time when it comes to their January business, with moves for Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda already finalised.

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Permanent moves for loanees Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota are also being worked on behind-the-scenes while moving on a number of players is also on the club’s to-do list.

The likes of Vasilis Barkas and Boli Bolingoli could be where Celtic bring in some funds, but it is Henderson who is the first player to depart Parkhead in 2022.

The Latest: Hutton reacts

Hutton, who regularly features on BBC Radio 5 Live, was talking to Football Insider regarding Henderson and Hibs in a story released on Tuesday evening.

A move to Easter Road has since been announced, with the 21-year-old joining on loan before making a move permanent in the summer.

Here’s what Hutton had to say, labelling an exit as ‘heartbreaking’.

“I think it’s always a worry. As fans and as a club, you always want to see the academy doing well.

“You want to see young players coming through. They know what the club’s all about, they know what it feels like to play and support the team and just see the development.

“That’s what the academy is there for, to have a pathway to the first team. Throughout the years, Celtic and Rangers have had times where the odd player’s come through and then went missing for a long time.

“It is a worry they’re getting back to those years where it’s constant players coming in through the door. Foreign players or players on initial fees and there’s no opportunity for youngsters.

“So it can be heartbreaking, it can be devastating for the youth setup because you can’t see any way in.

“I even remember when I was coming through at one stage. I was thinking there is no way I’m going to make into this first team. Every transfer window there was a new player coming in.

“It can be disappointing, but I think ultimately if you’re good enough, you will have an opportunity. Then it’s up to the player.”

The Verdict: The right call

Although it’s never ideal seeing a player Celtic have developed for a number of years move on, it appears to be the correct decision. Henderson played just once under Ange Postecoglou this season, coming off the bench to score in a Europa League dead rubber against Real Betis.

He was never really in the matchday squad either despite the club’s huge injury list, so a fresh start with Shaun Maloney should be the best move for him.

It doesn’t look as if Celtic have received any money for the attacking midfielder’s services due to the loan and Henderson being out of contract in the summer, but hopefully funds will be brought in from the likes of Barkas and Bolingoli.

In other news: Celtic may now sign £4.5m-rated man on loan; would ‘separate’ Nicholson from Lawwell. 

Financial expert Kieran Maguire has hailed Leeds United after they shared their 2020/21 accounts, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Profit

The Whites, owned by Andrea Radrizzani and the San Francisco 49ers, announced a profit of £26m for the 2020/21 campaign in the week, in what was their first season back in the Premier League after 16 years.

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Leeds, who made a loss of £62m in their Championship winning season, posted a turnover of £171m this time around, which was helped by new partnerships with Adidas and shirt sponsor SBOTOP.

The club also brought in just over £20m in merchandise sales, with £15m coming in from other commercial sources. [FI]

The Latest: Maguire reacts

Maguire, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to FI regarding Leeds’ annual numbers.

He labelled them as ‘very encouraging’ and pinpointed the club’s merchandise sales, describing them as ‘outstanding’.

“These are very encouraging figures.

“They had no matchday income or catering income, which together I would expect to be the thick end of £25m.

“When they get matchday income back, it gives them the opportunity to grow. Commercial revenue will only grow as well.

“For me, the outstanding figure was merchandise. To sell £20m worth of merchandise during Covid is indicative of the strength of the fanbase.”

The Verdict: Premier League status crucial

The two contrasting accounts just go to show how crucial Premier League football is to the club, with the Whites recording just their second profit in ten years.

And Leeds took a big step towards ensuring a third season in the division by beating Watford on Saturday.

Another year in the Premier League, along with a possible big-money move to Barcelona for Raphinha, could allow the Whites to back Jesse Marsch in his first transfer window at Elland Road, but there is still work to be done on the pitch before the club can think about any eye-catching signings.

In other news: ‘Strong’ Leeds defender out for weeks as worrying news emerges from Thorp Arch. 

Leeds United have been handed a transfer boost in their chase for Fulham starlet Fabio Carvalho.

What’s the story?

According to recent reports, the Cottagers have hit a contract impasse with the 19-year-old, whose deal at the club expires at the end of this season.

It was suggested that the likes of Leeds, West Ham, Norwich and Porto are all said to be interested in making a move for the teenager, and that “owners Shahid and Tony Khan face a difficult decision whether to cash in if they can’t reach agreement with the youngster over a new deal.”

Now, it’s been claimed that Carvalho has turned down the latest offer from Fulham over a new contract, and that the teenager looks all set to depart – potentially even in the January transfer window.

Tyler Roberts will be worried

Speaking after he watched him score his first goal for the club against Southampton towards the back end of last season, former Fulham boss Scott Parker said: “Fabio was lively, he had great amounts of energy. All round his performance was very good for a young boy that has come into the team for his full debut.

“He showed real courage and bravery, he’s earned the right to get into this team. He’s not in this team because our season’s over, he’s in the team because he deserves it.”

Able to play anywhere across midfield and further forward too, Carvalho has been at his best for Fulham’s youth sides when playing just behind the striker.

In 42 games in that position for the Cottagers, the England U18 international has smashed in an incredible 20 goals and provided another nine assists too, while he’s also equally effective out wide too (he’s scored seven goals and set up another eight from the right-hand side).

This season has seen him start off with a bang for the senior side, bagging three goals in seven Championship games, including providing one assist too.

Given the position that he plays, it’s Leeds’ Tyler Roberts who will perhaps be feeling the most worried about Carvalho’s potential arrival at Elland Road.

At 22, the Welshman is three years older than the Fulham youngster, but has shown nothing like the kind of potential or form in the Premier League to warrant him being a key part of Marcelo Bielsa’s side at Elland Road – a record of just eight goals in 95 games for the club is a testament to that.

Carvalho joining Leeds could push Roberts out of the reckoning for a first-team spot, and overtake him in the pecking order under Bielsa.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this European star…