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Contrary to popular belief, Glasgow Rangers have revived their interest in Bongani Zungu, but Steven Gerrard’s side face plenty of competition for the South African…

What’s the story?

According to The Scotsman, Rangers remain firmly in the race to sign the Amiens midfielder, but they will have to battle Olympiacos and several sides in Spain for his signature.

It’s claimed that the Ligue 2 side wanted at least £3m for the South Africa international although Rangers refused to meet their original asking price.

The saga has rumbled on for several months with Zungu rumoured to have been close to moving to the Ibrox Stadium back in July.

For whatever reason, the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement, and discussions seemed to hit a dead end.

However, both clubs are believed to be back on track, with the report adding Rangers have re-entered negotiations with Amiens.

Davis alternative?

At one stage this window, Amiens were reportedly ready to offer the 27-year-old a new deal before sending him out on loan in order to raise his market value.

However, this has still not happened as it stands, and he will be free to agree a pre-contract with a new club in January if a move fails to materialise.

Steven Davis returned to his old club in 2019 after a brief spell in the Premier League with Southampton. The former club captain, 35, played an important part for Gerrard’s side that season but has hardly featured at all this year.

Although the Northern Irishman has made seven appearances in the Premiership this season, only five have been starts and the last two were arguably only due to the fact that Ryan Jack was out injured.

Moreover, a move for Zungu would make most sense, as he has predominantly played in central or holding midfield. He is even capable of playing further up the pitch if required.

Last season, the versatile player played 21 games in Ligue 1, picking up one assist as a result, via Transfermarkt, which suggests he is more than capable of playing week in, week out. He has also earned 24 caps for his country, scoring two goals so far at the time of writing.

Full marks from us.

At 27, Zungu is several years younger than the 117-cap Northern Irish international, so the Gers should invest in a relatively cheap alternative who can play in a variety of positions.

AND in other news, Rangers should reignite interest in Liverpool’s Rhian Brewster…

Finally, it looks as though Glasgow Rangers and the rest of the clubs in Scotland’s top four tiers can put the talk of a reconstruction of the system north of the border to bed.

Hearts owner Ann Budge has been pushing for a mix-up to the structure north of the border after the Jam Tarts were relegated to the second tier following the premature end of the Scottish season. As such, a 14-10-10-10 system was put forward, which would see two new teams enter the system. All of the 42 clubs currently in the system were asked to vote on the matter, and on Monday, the result was revealed – the vote failed.

It has been a big topic for those involved at each club, and it seems some feel this is unfair on Hearts in particular. On Sunday, journalist Kheredine Idessane revealed he had been sent an e-mail from a football club owner saying the following: “Question. If you’re walking along the road with colleagues and you see one sitting on the side in distress, do you: a) try to help in any way you can b) all walk by and ignore them, maybe even having a sly kick as you pass?”

This has attracted plenty of attention from the Gers supporters, and they have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts. They didn’t appear too happy – some asked where this attitude was in 2012, when they themselves had big issues. You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

Football Insider has suggested that Glasgow Rangers could make a move for Moise Kean this summer as part of a an exchange deal for Alfredo Morelos.

The Colombia international has been linked with a move to Everton over the past few weeks, but his departure would of course leave Steven Gerrard light up top, and a new forward would need to be brought in. Signing Kean would obviously fill that gap, but would it be a good signing for the Gers, even as a loan arrival?

The Toffees spent a considerable £25.1m on the 20-year-old after he scored an impressive seven goals in 17 matches for Juventus whilst still a teenager during the 2018/19 campaign. However, he has been unable to transfer that form to Goodison Park, with him managing just one strike in his first 31 matches on Merseyside.

Morelos, of course, has been prolific for the Gers so far this term – he has managed 77 goals in 137 matches, including 29 last term – and replacing him with a striker who is clearly lacking in confidence could be a risk. However, £22.5m-valued Kean – as per Transfermarkt – clearly has talent, and perhaps what he needs is a spell away from his current club to rejuvenate himself.

Under Gerrard, he could re-find his form and become the player the Toffees thought they were signing last summer. On a short-term deal, it could suit all parties.

Let us know what you think below!

Newcastle United’s prospective takeover has been given the go-ahead with an official announcement due imminently, according to former Sunday Mirror journalist John Richardson.The 2018 Sports News Reporter of the Year tweeted the following news this afternoon:

It comes just a few days after the Premier League confirmed a return to training as part of phase one of their ‘Project Restart’ plans.

Now it appears as if the owners and directors test has passed all checks after being with the top-flight decision-makers for several weeks now.

The Magpies are set for a new era at St James’ Park with Mike Ashley finally selling the northeast outfit to Amanda Staveley and her Saudi Arabian-backed consortium.

It is thought the deal is costing them approximately £300m.

AND in other news,ÂNewcastle fans react as Paul Dummett tweets…

Name: Matthew Longstaff

Club: Newcastle United

Date of Birth: 21 March 2000

Position: Midfielder (Defensive/Central)

Matthew Longstaff – his career so far

Matthew Ben Longstaff is the younger of the two Longstaff brothers currently playing their football at Newcastle United in the Premier League. The 20-year-old midfielder has been a life-long supporter of the Magpies and has also joined the club’s ranks from an early age, advancing through their academy and forcing his way into Steve Bruce’s senior team still only recently.

Born in Rotherham and raised in North Shields, he was always an avid fan of the team and it didn’t take long for him to join the Toon Army himself. But interestingly enough, the Longstaff brothers are the sons of David Longstaff, a former Great Britan ice hockey player who was capped over 100 times for the national team before retiring in 2013.

Even though the younger Longstaff brother is still adjusting to life under Bruce within Newcastle’s senior team, his rise has been quite impressive and his stay in the development squads of the Magpies equally successful.

The young 20-year-old midfielder played a key role in all the youth ranks prior to his big step-up in 2019/20. Longstaff managed to play a total of 42 games for Newcastle’s U18 squad, scoring five goals and assisting five more on the side in the process as well.

His stint in the older group, with the U23s, was also more than just decent as the youngster recorded 31 appearances, bagging one goal and assisting further six under his belt too. But some of the most important moments of his career started happening only recently.

He was given his first-team bow in August 2019 when he featured in a clash against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup, playing the full 90 minutes before getting eliminated on penalties. Longstaff made quite a memorable Premier League debut when he scored the winner at St. James’ Park against Manchester United on October 6th, 2019.

Since then, he could muster a total of 12 appearances for the seniors, netting three times in the process as well. But the journey has only begun for the youngster and the future definitely seems rather bright.

Transfer latest

It has been quite busy in Newcastle’s camp when it comes to transfer rumours and transfer news concerning Longstaff. According to some recent reports, the likes of Everton and West Ham have been touted as admirers but there are a plethora of European clubs also wanting a piece of the pie.

The same report states Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Inter Milan and some other teams would also be interested in acquiring his services. And considering his contract is due to expire in the following summer, the Magpies will have to act quickly unless they want to lose him completely for free.

Luckily for them, the extension does seem to be on the table but it will depend on the potential takeover of the club in the immediate future. We’re still waiting for some palpable Newcastle United news on that front but it does seem like it’s edging ever closer.

In that scenario, they would also be able to keep one of their greatest young assets at the club as well.

Player profile

The younger Longstaff brother seems to be quite a secure and skilled passer of the ball who likes to switch play and even advance it through diagonal channels, pushing it forward and putting his teammates into favourable positions.

Even though Newcastle as a team don’t really enjoy the possession-heavy style, the midfielder seems able to dictate the tempo and even threaten the opposition in the final third by deploying passes behind the defensive line.

Off the ball, he likes to sit deeper and hold his position but will often engage his counterpart in a duel when the opposition starts advancing through the pitch. At times, he can make a rash decision but considering he’s only 20 years of age, that aspect will most certainly improve in time.

While there are certain weaknesses in his current player profile, the talent and the potential are certainly there for everyone to see. It will be up to Newcastle United to make sure he stays and keeps developing at the club of his youth.

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

Sunderland are in desperate need of a win and the nervousness that surrounds the club currently could make the home clash with Coventry a tight affair on Saturday.

If their recent matches are anything to go by, there will be few goals and few chances between the two sides, and that means the midfield battle could be key.

The Black Cats have averaged a respectable 52% possession this season but have still failed to create enough chances for their forward players, which is partly why Will Girgg and Marc McNulty have just three league goals between them.

One man who is responsible for that is Max Power. The 26-year-old was part of the Wigan side which claimed the League One title in 2018, but he has so far failed to replicate his match-winning performances in the north-east.

If anything he has got worse this season regardless of who is midfield partner is, and in coming up against the Sky Blues’ Liam Walsh he faces a tough task.

His opposite number has been very effective this season and a big reason why Coventry lie third, with his outstanding solo goal against Rochdale last weekend highlighting his quality.

Watch Sunderland Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

As a result, the Sunderland man will have to be focused when out of possession, and though that has been the best aspect of his game so far this term, it will still need to be improved upon against Walsh.

According to WhoScored he has averaged one tackle per game, which wouldn’t be too bad if he had equalled or performed better than that in an attacking capacity, but instead his lack of creativity has been of a detriment to his team.

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While his pass accuracy has been satisfactory, a rate of 0.4 key passes is unacceptable for a team fighting for promotion, and in contrast to Walsh it shows why Parkinson’s side have been lacking going forward.

Power has been outperformed in a number of areas by the Coventry man, and that means he could struggle coming up against him this weekend.

If he fails to close down Walsh quickly the home side could be punished, and given their lack of attacking threat of late – with just four goals scored in the last eight games – it is unlikely they would be able to overcome such a blow.

Walsh has averaged 1.5 key passes and 1.4 dribbles per game, according to WhoScored, which shows he is capable of mixing things up and can therefore hurt Sunderland in a variety of ways.

Power needs to elevate his game and ensure he comes out on top in this battle.

With no Premier League action until at leas the end of April, Manchester United players currently are having to keep themselves fit at home.

And it seems midfielder Nemanja Matic is making a big effort to stay in shape, declaring on his Instagram that “every day is a gym day”, while once again reminding supporters to stay at home.

/B-Z3iEHH5Ji/

However, team-mate Juan Mata wasn’t buying it, with the Spaniard cheekily declaring that Matic has been doing an “old trick” by sticking on his gym wear and taking a photo, before spending the rest of the day chilling out on the sofa.

Who knows if there’s any truth to that, but Marcus Rashford was quick to stick up for the Serbian by dubbing Mata an “Insta bully” for his pop at the towering midfielder.

It’s good to see United’s players are still keeping each other’s spirits up during this time and seemingly working hard to keep themselves in shape.

Hopefully the Red Devils, who are currently three points away from fourth place in the Premier League, will reap the rewards once football starts up again.

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Meanwhile, the latest on Mason Greenwood has Man United fans fuming.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Zinedine Zidane faced the press in his pre-match conference and was asked to comment on Leonardo’s statements regarding Kylian Mbappe. The Real Madrid coach made a bold response, insisting on his words that he said earlier and decided not to back down in this situation.

What did he say?

A couple of days ago, Zidane was asked about Mbappe in one of his press-conferences and back then, the French boss reminded everyone that the youngster’s dream was always to play for Real Madrid.

But it seems that that comment ruffled a couple of feathers over at Paris Saint-Germain, and Leonardo came out with a response accusing Zidane of trying to rattle the team with his remarks.

Watch Spanish Football Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Interestingly enough, even when confronted with those words, Zidane decided to insist on his own, stating that he can say whatever he wants and that he will continue to do so.

Here’s what he said in full: