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Glasgow Rangers have made massive strides since appointing Michael Beale in November last year.

The Ibrox side have yet to lose under the Englishman, winning 11 of their 12 matches so far and the players are beginning to adjust to his tactical philosophy.

Add to the fact the Light Blues managed to sign two quality midfielders in the shape of Todd Cantwell and Nicolas Raskin during January proves that Beale is looking ahead to next season already and making the required changes in personnel.

Despite the club heading in the right direction, Beale should be worried about the volume of players he has who are out of contract come the end of the current season, with seven first-team playing members able to leave for free.

The likes of Steven Davis, Allan McGregor, and Scott Arfield will likely be on the move in the summer; however, decisions have to be made regarding Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Jack, and Ryan Kent as soon as possible, with the latter having undergone a remarkable turnaround under the 42-year-old.

Will Ryan Kent sign a new contract at Rangers?

Before Giovanni van Bronckhorst was sacked in November, the £18k-per-week gem had scored just once all season while registering five assists as he was often an isolated figure on the left wing.

Since Beale has been in charge however, it’s been a totally different story and the winger certainly looks like he has “rediscovered himself” lately – according to journalist Josh Bunting – and a new contract should be drafted before it’s too late.

Under the Englishman, Kent has scored twice and grabbed three further assists and the club’s latest 2-1 victory over Ross County saw the winger at his very best.

The 26-year-old was in full flow as he made three key passes, succeeded with all his dribble attempts, hit the woodwork, and completed 92% of his passes and this type of form will be key in the future as Rangers look to get out of sticky situations, whereby under Van Bronckhorst, the match would simply bypass him as the Rangers attack would become fair too rigid.

Former teammate Leon Balogun hailed Kent as a “wizard” and when he is at his best, there is arguably no greater winger in Scotland.

Having invested £7.5m on the player in 2019, the club surely can’t afford to lose him for free and if he can continue his current resurgence for the rest of the season and into 2023/24, then the Gers will have an excellent shot at winning the Premiership crown.

Sunderland were knocked out of the FA Cup in a thrilling match at the Stadium of Light as they were beaten 3-2 by Premier League side Fulham on Wednesday night.

The away side took the lead in the opening ten minutes as Wales international Harry Wilson found himself free on the edge of the area and brilliantly picked out the far corner with the outside of his left foot.

Amad Diallo came agonisingly close to equalising early on in the second half as he brilliantly jinked past a defender in the box before his strike was cleared off the line by a Fulham defender.

The Black Cats were then hit by a sucker punch as Andreas Pereira was on hand to tap the ball into an empty net after a clever cutback from Aleksandar Mitrovic.

However, Jack Clarke pulled one back with around 15 minutes left to play as the former Tottenham forward curled a beautiful strike into the far top corner from just inside the box.

Layvin Kurzawa extended the away side’s lead back to two goals in the 82nd minute but substitute Jewison Bennette then made it 3-2 by pouncing on a mistake at the back to smash the ball into the top corner of Bernd Leno’s net.

It was an open and entertaining match from start to finish and one of the reasons behind that was that Sunderland’s midfield was far too open.

Edouard Michut and Dan Neil were caught out of position and bullied physically at times by the Premier League side, with the former – in particular – struggling in the middle of the park.

The Paris Saint-Germain loanee was dominated by the opposition as he lost a whopping 75% (9/12) of his individual duels, including 100% (2/2) of his battles in the air, and this shows that the youngster was not strong enough to deal to win the challenges that he was competing in.

As per Sofascore, Michut did not win a single tackle but did commit four fouls with that an indication that the lightweight’s defensive technique was not up to standard, whilst the midfielder only made one interception and one block and failed to make any clearances.

The 19-year-old did complete 97% of his attempted passes, from 49 touches of the ball, but did not create a single chance for his teammates and did not attempt any long passes or crosses, which indicates that the teenager was playing it safe and not progressing the play with his passes.

Michut struggled badly throughout the match and was substituted in the 72nd minute, with Sunderland scoring twice to Fulham’s one in the remainder of the game, after making very little impact on the match.

Chelsea could look at the possibility of signing Joao Felix on a permanent deal in the summer following the conclusion of his short-term loan deal.

Do Chelsea have a buy clause for Joao Felix?

The Portuguese forward joined the Blues in the January transfer window on a loan deal which will take his stay in the English capital until the end of the campaign.

And it was a big-money deal which saw him move to Stamford Bridge with Chelsea believed to be paying in the region of £10m for a matter of months of service.

However, it is not believed the Blues have the option in Felix’s loan contract to make his stay permanent in the summer.

But speaking on the Meczyki YouTube channel, journalist Fabrizio Romano has suggested they could look to sign him anyway from Atletico Madrid:

(1:12:50) “And so Chelsea are really happy with Joao Felix. They don’t have a buy option, but they have a great relationship with Atletico Madrid.

“They feel at the end of the season, they can have a conversation with Atletico Madrid to keep the player in case they want and in case Joao Felix wants to stay.

“At the moment, the feeling is very good. The player is happy in London. The player is happy with the club. The club is really happy with the player and so I would not be surprised if Chelsea and Atletico Madrid will try to find a solution in the summer for Joao Felix to stay on permanent deal to Chelsea.”

Will Chelsea sign Joao Felix permanently?

It has certainly been a turbulent first month for the 23-year-old since he made the move to Stamford Bridge after he was shown a red card on his debut against Fulham.

Having served his three-game suspension, the forward has gone on to show some signs of promise with a stunning goal in their recent game against West Ham United.

There have been reports suggesting the Portuguese ace is already enjoying his life in England is wanting to stay put for next season with Chelsea already impressed from what they’ve seen.

“Receives in tight spaces, he’s very fluid in his movement. He brings people into the game, but at the same time, he can help us in the final third with goals and key passes,” said Graham Potter after their game against West Ham.

And the report from Spain has also suggested that Mason Mount could be used as a makeweight in a potential deal ahead of the summer transfer window.

Not having a clause in his contract could have its pros and cons for the Blues with it allowing them potential room to negotiate over a possible deal for the Portuguese ace.

However, if he continues to impress for Chelsea, then it could well bump up the valuation that Atleti may put on his head after originally signing him for £111m.

Chelsea are reportedly plotting a monumental summer swoop for Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo, who is currently plying his trade out on loan with Bayern Munich…

What’s the word on Cancelo to Chelsea?

According to 90min this week, the Blues are indeed interested in signing the Portugal international in the summer, with the dynamic defender also being considered by the Bundesliga champions for a cut-price fee after allegedly holding reservations over paying the optional €70m (£62.3m) fee to make his current deal permanent.

The 28-year-old signed for City from Juventus for £60m in 2019 and has been instrumental in Pep Guardiola’s recent success, having won two Premier League titles among other honours, but he left for Bavaria on loan last month after falling out of favour at the Etihad Stadium.

With Real Madrid also reportedly intrigued by the possibility of acquiring the gem, who is contracted to City until 2027, Chelsea will need to move swiftly in order to seal a prospective deal.

Should Potter ditch Cucurella for Cancelo?

Marc Cucurella enjoyed a stellar season with Brighton & Hove Albion in 2021/22 following his £15m transfer from LaLiga outfit Getafe, earning an impressive Sofascore rating of 7.11 for his exploits on the south coast.

After moving to Chelsea in a deal worth in excess of £60m last summer, the 25-year-old has cemented his position on the defensive left flank by making 20 starts in all competitions, with positional peer Ben Chilwell spending large portions of the campaign confined to the medical room.

However, there have been concerns over the Spaniard’s performances for the Blues, with his displays in west London not quite emulating the superlative efforts with the Seagulls, having been branded a “defensive liability” by journalist Okon Nya for one lacklustre display against Man City last month and come under fire from pundits and Chelsea supporters.

With Cancelo reportedly available later this year, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly – who has demonstrated a ruthless streak since assuming ownership last year by spending in excess of £550m on new acquisitions already, with Cucurella a sizeable part of that – the on-loan dynamo could soon find himself in royal blue rather than sky blue.

As per FBref, the £250k-per-week star ranks among the top 14% of full-backs in Europe’s five main leagues for assists and shot-creating actions per 90, and the top 2% for progressive passes and successful take-ons per game.

This illustrates an attacking flair superior to the majority of full-backs across the continent, and it might explain why, in October 2021, former Man City midfielder Nigel de Jong hailed Cancelo as “one of the best full backs in the world”.

For a Chelsea outfit currently boasting just 23 goals in the Premier League all season, ninth in the table and out of both domestic cup competitions, such flair could be the catalyst for change in SW6.

Cancelo’s attacking output is far superior to Cucurella’s, with the latter only in the 44th percentile of full-backs in Europe’s five main leagues for assists per 90, the 77th percentile for progressive passes and the 47th percentile successful take-ons per game.

While Chelsea spent a hefty, perhaps exorbitant, fee on the £175k-per-week Cucurella, who is still struggling to find his feet in west London, the tantalising thought of injecting Cancelo’s dynamism into the ranks could be the icing to complete the lucrative cake that Boehly is indeed cooking up at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti to replace Antonio Conte, according to a report.

The Lowdown: Time up for Conte?

Conte’s current deal with Tottenham expires this summer, and while the club have previously held talks with the Italian about a new contract, there have been no recent signs of any progress.

Ben Jacobs told TEAMtalk that former manager Mauricio Pochettino is being considered for a second stint at the club, while he also claimed that Brighton & Hove Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi could be an option.

The Latest: Spalletti enters the frame

According to a report from Il Mattino, Spurs have set their sights on Spalletti after impressing during his time with Napoli, leading them to the summit of the Serie A table.

However, they may face competition for his signature, given that Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are also linked with the Italian, while he could still be tempted to remain as Napoli manager.

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The Verdict: Right man for the job?

Hailed as a ‘genius’ by sections of the media, the 63-year-old looks set to win Napoli’s first Serie A title since the 1989-90 season, while they are also on course to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, having won 2-0 away at Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of the round of 16.

The Certaldo-born tactician favours an attacking 4-3-3 formation, which indicates he could bring an exciting brand of football to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and he has a proven history of success, having won eight trophies as a manager.

If Conte does not decide to extend his stay beyond the summer, Spalletti would be an excellent replacement for the 53-year-old, but it may be hard to tempt him to leave Napoli, given how well they are doing under his stewardship.

Arsenal have enjoyed a remarkable season so far, finding themselves five points clear at the top of the Premier League table and Mikel Arteta could be the man to lead them to their first league crown since the 2003/04 campaign.

Despite Edu Gaspar adding Jakub Kiwior, Jorginho, and Leandro Trossard to his squad in January, the Spaniard is always looking to the future, and a move for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister could be on the cards during the summer.

That’s according to Football Insider, who claim that Arsenal have joined Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool in the chase for the World Cup winner, with the south coast side setting a £70m price tag on him.

Could Alexis Mac Allister sign for Arsenal?

The Argentinian could be an excellent signing for the Gunners and would add further depth to their squad while being an upgrade on Fabio Vieira in the process.

Edu landed the Portuguese midfielder in the summer from FC Porto, although he is yet to find his feet in the Premier League, starting just twice for the club, averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.73/10 across his 16 appearances in total.

Indeed, the Brighton sensation has registered more goal contributions (seven to three), shots on target (16 to two), tackles won (30 to four), and interceptions (21 to four) than the Arsenal youngster, proving that he could be a significant upgrade.

Mac Allister’s dead ball expertise could also come in handy at the Gunners, as he ranks in the top 1% among those in his position in Europe for penalty kicks made (0.17 per 90) and ranks in the top 4% for shots from free kicks (0.30 per 90).

Journalist Pete O’Rourke previously claimed that the midfielder would be a “dream signing” for Arsenal following his exploits in Qatar, where he was an integral part of the Argentina side that secured their third World Cup win, making 1.3 key passes and having a pass success rate of 89%, underlining his importance to the team.

Josh Bunting also heaped praise on him after an FA Cup performance against Middlesborough in January where he scored a brace, dubbing his display “absolutely ridiculous” and while £70m is a lot to spend on one player, he could well be worth it, especially in the long run.

Vieira will of course be given time to settle in at the North Londoners given the fee shelled out to bring him to England last summer, however, Arteta will be aiming to constantly improve his squad, especially with Champions League football imminent.

Mac Allister may well just prove to be a big upgrade on the 22-year-old and the next few months appear to be very exciting times for the Emirates faithful.

An update has emerged on Liverpool and their interest in signing central defender Levi Colwill in the summer transfer window…

What’s the latest on Levi Colwill to Liverpool?

According to Football Insider, the Reds are tracking the Brighton centre-back, who is on loan from fellow Premier League side Chelsea, ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The report claims that Liverpool coaches have been seriously impressed with the England youth international’s performances in the top flight this term.

Arsenal are also said to be plotting a move for the defender, who the Blues are not actively looking to sell at this time. Jurgen Klopp is also monitoring his situation with the defender valued at around £25m as recently as last summer.

Could Colwill be Virgil van Dijk’s heir?

Liverpool could land the long-term heir to their current first-choice left-sided centre-back Virgil van Dijk by convincing their Premier League rivals to part ways with Colwill in the summer.

The 20-year-old’s contract at Stamford Bridge expires in the summer of 2025 but Chelsea have signed Wesley Fofana, 22, and Benoit Badiashile, 22, in his position this season with their presence potentially set to block his pathway to the first-team in Graham Potter’s side.

This could, therefore, open the door for the Reds to swoop in for the England U21 international if the defender decides that he needs to move on from the Blues.

Van Dijk, who turns 32 this year, has been a reliable performer yet again for Liverpool this season – averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.10 across 22 league matches – and predominantly plays on the left side of the centre-back pairing, despite being right-footed.

Colwill, who was once hailed as “outrageous” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also lines up on the left of the defence as a naturally left-footed player and the youngster could well be the long-term heir to the Dutchman’s place in the team.

Both players rank in the top 15% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues over the last 365 days for passes attempted and pass completion rate. Van Dijk (4.77) and Colwill (5.06) also excel at progressing the ball via carries and passes per 90 with these statistics showing that they are both ball-playing defenders who can start attacks for their sides on a regular basis.

They are also both in the top 14% of players in their positions for aerial duels won per 90 over the last 365 days – managing 2.82 or more – an indication that they are aerially dominant and can tower over attackers to win the ball.

Stylistically, the Chelsea man could be a like-for-like replacement for Van Dijk if the English defender can develop his game and perform to a high level consistently over the course of a campaign – instead of in just seven Premier League matches so far.

At the age of 20, the enforcer has plenty of time left ahead of him to grow and improve and Klopp’s coaching could help him to become the long-term successor to the club’s current Dutch star.

YouTuber Mark Goldbridge has predicted that the “mystery” bidder for Manchester United is a US hedge fund – which is why they have remained anonymous for now.

What’s the latest on the “mystery” Man United takeover bid?

It’s well known that Qatari-linked Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe are both keen on taking over from the Glazers.

However, it remains to be seen if either party will be enough to convince the Glazer family to sell their asset. Recently, though, it has been claimed that a “mystery third bidder” has entered the race.

While speaking about it on The United Stand, Goldbridge claimed that the anonymity of the bidder is a “red flag” as they must be hiding their identity out of fear of criticism.

He explained: “I personally think why wouldn’t you put it out there publicly? Because if you’re a good bid or an interesting bid, you know what fans are like, they’d be like, ‘oh, like that bid’, and then you get a load of publicity.

“I think the absence of them going public is a big red flag, that these are not the sort of people you want to buy United.

“My prediction would be they’re hedge funds. I would predict one of these bids is a hedge fund from the United States.

“What’s a hedge fund? It’s an investment group. It’s a set of people who are very wealthy who have a certain amount of money in a pot. And that can be billions, sometimes it’s millions, but it will be billions in this case. And they will acquire something with the intention of doubling its value over a certain period of time.

“It’s an investment. And I think that’s why they’re being quiet, because you go public with that and your email inbox is going to be full within seconds of people saying, ‘stay away from our club’.”

Who is the third bidder for Man Utd?

The Qatari-linked bid has already led to plenty of scrutiny in the media with Amnesty International’s Manchester branch (via The Guardian) highlighting concerns over state influence and human rights abuses in the country.

With that in mind, if a new bidder was self-aware enough to preempt public criticism, they may want keep their profile as low as possible amid a possible takeover attempt.

Hedge funds have been the subject of much controversy as they are often viewed as a way of simply making the rich even richer while also operating with a  lack of transparency that will keep fans out of the loop.

It remains to be seen who this third bid has come from and if the Premier League club even end up changing owners but it seems Man Utd supporters have a number of reasons to be wary of whoever comes in to try and start a new era at Old Trafford.

While Tottenham Hotspur still have plenty left to fight for with Champions League qualification up for grabs, it is fair to say that the season hasn't panned out as most supporters would have hoped, with the north London outfit having again come up short both in Europe and in domestic cup competitions.

There will also be frustration at the woes of a few of the club's high-profile individuals, with summer signing Richarlison having been one of the more notable names to have failed to fire under manager, Antonio Conte.

Signed from Everton for a rather hefty £60m, the Brazil international is still waiting to get off the mark in the Premier League for the Lilywhites, having only scored two goals in all competitions for the club to date.

The 25-year-old publicly outlined his own frustrations with the campaign thus far following the goalless draw with AC Milan last week, while pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has notably been critical of the forward's contribution, stating that the hot-headed maverick has "no standout attributes".

Although the one-time Watford man did respond with a "superb performance" in the win over Nottingham Forest at the weekend, as per journalist Alex Mitton, Spurs will still be expecting far more from their marquee acquisition, with doubts creeping in as to the striker's long-term future at N17 amid reported interest from La Liga giants, Real Madrid.

If the club are thinking about moving the misfiring marksman on any time soon, they could well replace the £90k-per-week man in the side with a promising academy graduate, with teenager Yago Santiago currently thriving at youth level.

Who is Yago Santiago?

The 19-year-old is yet to feature for Spurs in the first-team, although is undoubtedly pushing for a place in Conte's squad as a result of his prolific form of late, having been lauded as a player with a "really bright future" by club presenter, Matt Tarr.

Unlike the woes of Richarlison, the exciting Spaniard has six goals and two assists to his name in 19 Premier League 2 outings so far this season, showcasing his ability to feature in a centre-forward berth, but also on the flanks.

The former Celta Vigo ace – who arrived in England back in the summer of 2019 – has a respectable tally of 12 goal involvements in 50 appearances for Tottenham's U21 side, having only gone from strength to strength in recent times.

Such form has earned Santiago glowing praise from respected insider, superhotspur, who stated back in October: 'Versatile and capable of starting matches in all of the forward areas of the pitch, the skilful forward has looked so composed on the ball in every game that he has played in this season. Often making things look effortless with the ball at his feet, Yago is a creative player, and he has shown already this season that he can create chances on his own, out of very little.'

That assessment is a far cry from what has been said about Richarlison of late, with the aforementioned Agbonlahor remarking earlier this month: "He’s not quick, he’s not a great finisher, he can’t hold the ball up, he can’t pass that well."

That could indicate that Santiago would be a fine replacement for the former Toffees man in Tottenham's forward line, with the hope being that it is not too long before the teen star is making his mark in the senior set-up.

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has come under a lot of criticism online after he failed to impress while on international duty with England.

What’s the latest on Harry Maguire and England?

The Three Lions were able to pick up all three points on Thursday in a hard-fought 2-1 win over Italy in Naples to kick off their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

After Declan Rice scored the opener, Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane made it two before half-time when he netted from the penalty spot to become his country’s all-time top scorer with 54 goals.

However, the second half was a lot more complicated for Gareth Southgate and co, as the Italians lifted their game in front of their own fans.

And in the 56th minute, Maguire stepped out of the defence to try and win the ball back for England but only succeeded in fouling Nicolo Barella. Not only would the Man Utd man be later booked for the challenge, but the referee played advantage, and with the centre-back horribly out of position, the Italians managed to score via Mateo Retegui.

It was a bad moment for the Red Devils – who is supposedly the club’s ninth-best paid player on around £190,000 a week – and Erik ten Hag won’t have been pleased to see Luke Shaw later sent off on what turned out to be a disappointing day for the United duo.

Despite these mistakes, England still managed to hold on and pick up all three points with the 2-1 victory, but it’s safe to say that fans on Twitter weren’t going to forget Maguire’s error anytime soon.

Indeed, a number of supporters quickly arrived on social media to make their feelings known. Here are some of the strongest reactions…