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Despite Glasgow Rangers suffering from somewhat of a rather underwhelming start to the season, they find themselves siting top of their Europa League group, are into the League Cup semi-finals and remain four points adrift of Celtic after six Premiership matches.

The performances haven’t been great for the vast majority of the 2023/24 campaign thus far, with Michael Beale failing to inspire his side to playing exciting, attacking football.

Things finally came to a head following the recent 1-0 victory over Motherwell as the raucous Ibrox crowd showered Beale with boos come the full time whistle, perhaps giving an indication at the mood surrounding the club right now.

Four clean sheets in the previous four games indicates a vast improvement defensively, especially considering they kept only two in their opening nine games before the international break.

Beale was certainly aiming to sign another defender during the dying embers of the summer transfer window and could this perhaps turn out to be a major mistake?

The 43-year-old could potentially have done with the services of a former Gers centre-back who played under Steven Gerrard but is now a captain for a Premier League side – Joe Worrall.

When did Rangers sign Joe Worrall?

After a few chastising seasons back in the top flight, the Gers turned to former Liverpool captain and England icon Gerrard as the man to guide the club back to the summit of Scottish football.

It represented a massive gamble by the Ibrox side as Gerrard had never managed a senior club before, yet it eventually turned into a wonderful decision.

His first season was certainly a baptism of fire however, as he signed a few flops while struggling to maintain any sort of consistency in the league while failing to reach a domestic cup final.

One of his signings was that of Worrall, who joined on a season long loan from Nottingham Forest during the final couple of days of the summer transfer window and aged just 21 at the time and with 56 appearances for Forest behind him, it looked like it could be a decent acquisition.

What happened to Joe Worrall?

With Rangers qualifying for the group stages of a European competition for the first time since the 2010/11 season, the capture of Worrall looked like it could bolster his defence and form a key partnership alongside fellow compatriot Connor Goldson.

Unfortunately, his spell in Glasgow didn’t quite work out as expected, with the defender failing to get up to speed with the physicality of Scottish football.

Overall, the Englishman played 32 matches across all competitions for the Gers – netting once – during his sole campaign, and perhaps it was too much expectation for a player who was simply too young to fully comprehend the pressures of playing for the club.

He even admitted himself that he didn’t do as well as hoped, yet enjoyed his spell in Glasgow, saying:

“My loan at Rangers, I’m so so thankful for. I loved my time up there, unbelievable football club. The size of it, Steven Gerrard being the manager was a massive pull.

"I thought it was a prank call. He’s my hero. I loved watching him as a player, it was unbelievable to play for him.

I did find it tough, a long way from Nottingham and I’m a big home boy. Massive learning curve at Rangers.”

It's safe to say he was dreadful under Gerrard but has gone on to impress down South in recent seasons.

Where is Joe Worrall now?

Having returned to parent club Forest in the summer of 2019, Worrall went on to become a first team regular for the Championship side, going on to make 81 appearances over the next two seasons.

The club finally ended a 23-year wait to return to the top flight by winning the playoff final during the 2021/22 campaign and Worrall was excellent. He helped his side keep 16 clean sheets across 39 games while also winning 5.4 total duels per game – a success rate of 63% – and he certainly demonstrated his qualities.

These displays clearly impressed Steve Cooper, who appointed the defender as his captain ahead of their first Premier League season of the 21st century, and he once again stepped up to the plate as the club managed to avoid relegation.

Across the whole Forest squad, Worrall ranked seventh for overall Sofascore rating (6.82), along with ranking second for accurate passes per game (28.6), fifth for tackles per game (1.8) and sixth for clearances per game (3.6), indicating that he was among Forest’s better performers during their return to the top flight.

The 6 foot 3 titan has played five out of Forest’s six matches during the 2023/24 season, and although they have kept just one clean sheet during those matches, Worrall has won 3.6 total duels per game and lost possession just five times on average per game, showing how confident he is on the ball.

The centre-back was even praised by BBC Radio Nottingham's Colin Fray for his attitude recently following the sad passing of his uncle. He said:

"Obviously we send our condolences to Joe and his family. To produce that kind of footballing performance, against the backdrop of such tragedy, does him a huge service.

"He was absolutely fantastic and he didn't put a foot wrong against Chelsea. I was delighted for him because he's had to come through a few moments, where fans questioned him, when Forest got promoted to the Premier League. But he looked every inch a Premier League defender.”

If you asked any Rangers fan five years ago whether Worrall would end up captaining a team in the Premier League, while also looking established in one of the finest leagues in Europe, they would have laughed.

Worrall has certainly used his poor spell North of the border as motivation to go and improve his all-round game, and it has paid off in recent seasons.

There is no doubt he could add something extra to Beale’s squad at this current moment in time and although no manager has a crystal ball, perhaps giving the youngster another chance at the club may have worked out well for the Light Blues.

Celtic are four points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership summit, but former Hoops star Frank McAvennie has urged Brendan Rodgers to replace one member of his squad in the January transfer window.

What's the latest news involving Celtic?

Last weekend, Celtic were embroiled in a dramatic 2-1 victory over Motherwell at Fir Park in the Scottish Premiership, as Denmark Under-21 international Matt O'Riley sealed all three points with an impressive finish in the 97th minute, despite the Hoops seemingly being destined to drop points just moments earlier in the clash as Blair Spittal cancelled out an opener from Luis Palma.

Nevertheless, Celtic emerged victorious to maintain their unbeaten start to life in the Scottish top-flight under Rodgers, who was delighted with his side's never-say-die attitude away to a difficult opponent.

He stated via BBC Sport: "A fantastic victory for the players. I said to them after the game that this club's history is built on going to the end and scoring late goals. I thought we were the dominant team. Motherwell did well in terms of organisation and we just needed to show a wee bit more quality around the box. We didn't panic, we just waited for that moment, and Matt continues doing what he's been doing. A really good day for us. It's fantastic for the supporters – they were patient and kept driving us forward in the second half."

Next up for Celtic is a powderkeg clash in the Champions League at home to Lazio as they search for their first points in Group E, and Rodgers has confirmed in his pre-match press conference that United States international Cameron Carter-Vickers could be in contention for a return from his latest injury lay-off.

Rodgers is under no illusions that the visit of Lazio will be a stiff test for his side, stating via Sky Sports: "We know that at this level we have to be 100 per cent. At 98 per cent at this level, you'll come unstuck."

What has Frank McAvennie said?

In conversation with Football Insider, former Celtic player McAvennie has indicated that his old side should look to part ways with goalkeeper Scott Bain in January, as he believes the Scotland international is "not good enough" to displace Joe Hart at Parkhead.

When asked whether Celtic should replace Bain in January, the pundit stated: "I think he (Rodgers) has got to do something because it is not good enough. If we go into Europe with Bain in goals it is not good enough. No disrespect to the keeper but he is not in Joe Hart’s class when it comes to saving things, his decision-making is not the best. He is a good keeper but he is not a number one for me. I would love for him to prove me wrong."

Bain has been at Celtic since 2018 and has racked up 77 appearances across all competitions for the Hoops, keeping 39 clean sheets in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Being Scottish, he also contributes to Celtic's homegrown quota for European competitions, meaning he is unlikely to leave the Glasgow giants any time soon in all likelihood.

Lionel Messi's name was apparently enough to rescue an Argentine grandmother from Hamas abductors in Gaza, as she describes her terrifying ordeal.

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• Jewish abductee was a Messi fan
• Hamas abductor turned out to be admirer of legend
• Both took a selfie before parting ways

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  On the fateful morning of October 7, 90-year-old Ester Cunio found herself facing a nightmare as armed intruders stormed her home in the Israeli Kibbutz Nir Oz. Alongside eight members of her family, Ester faced the terrifying prospect of being abducted and taken to Gaza. However, a single utterance changed the course of events – the mention of Lionel Messi's name.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Confronted by gunmen demanding the whereabouts of her family, Ester's revelation of her Argentine heritage and love for football, particularly Messi, triggered a remarkable transformation in her assailant's demeanour.

  The mention of Messi's name acted as a beacon of hope in the darkness of terror, prompting the gunman to relinquish his hostility and even pose for a photo with Ester.

• WHAT ESTER SAID

  Speaking candidly about her ordeal to (via), Ester said: "I told him that I speak in Argentine, in Spanish. I didn't understand his language. The Arab language, and I speak poor Hebrew. I speak Argentinean Spanish, so he asks what Argentina is. Then I tell him, 'do you watch football?' He said he liked it and I told him I am from Messi's country. He was surprised and told me he loves Messi. He put his arm on my shoulder, gave me his gun, he made me do the peace sign and they snapped the picture."

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• TELL ME MORE

  While she was spared further harm, Ester's joy was tempered by the anguish of knowing that her grandchildren remained captive in Gaza. She has now put in a fervent request for Messi to intervene on behalf of her imprisoned grandchildren so that they can be saved as well.

  “If he [Lionel] knows that I mentioned him and was saved, now I would ask for my grandchildren who are locked up there. I would tell him to please pray to God because they are guys worth gold.”

At times, Chelsea's club dynamic contrasts itself. Underneath a metaphorical Versace coat, is a humble blank T-shirt. There's that pairing of self-sufficiency and radical spending.

Of course, Football FanCast as a site is unfazed, as with every brilliant (and often overlooked) Chelsea academy graduate on the backdrop of extreme wealth – another 'Market Mover' or 'Where Are They Now?' subject is born.

Today's subject arrives relatively contrasting that – as his breaths of progress have been given space and time, rather than be snuffed out under the deoxygenating choke of blanket spending. To end this laborious mini-narrative… Levi Colwill is a breeze of fresh air to a club that certainly need to blow away some early-season cobwebs.

How much was Levi Colwill worth at the start of his career?

20-year-old Southampton-born Levi Colwill has been with Chelsea since the age of 9. Initially, Colwill's introduction to football came with Sunday league side City Central – and there he intriguingly played alongside Jamal Musiala.

If that wasn't enough of an indicator of quality – then Colwill's composure from an early age as well as his steady physical presence with growth, more than made up for it.

Chelsea knew what they had on their hands but also understood that men's football could make their 6 foot 2 defender develop both in stature and skill. After three senior outings in the Papa John's Trophy,

Huddersfield came in for the 18-year-old and signed him on loan in 2021. In this formative season, Colwill grabbed headlines as part of an excellent Carlos Corboran Terriers side that just missed out on promotion.

Although he scored an own goal in the playoff final defeat against Nottingham Forest – he'd widely impressed. His expected transfer value (xTV), as per Football Transfers, rose from around £3.5m (€4.1 million) in July 2021 to £6.3m (€7.3 million) after the playoffs.

What have people said about Levi Colwill?

If Colwill's adjustment to the Championship was impressive enough, more plaudits arrived when he went on another loan, this time with Brighton in the Premier League. Under yet another young and eye-catching tactician in Roberto De Zerbi, Colwill fit into a brilliantly progressive young side like a glove.

The squad that term averaged an age of 23.64 yet showed skill beyond its years. Even in just 17 league appearances, Colwill helped the group effort at Brighton to push the club to a record sixth place Premier League position last term.

Throughout his half-season, there were precursor glimpses of traits he has slowly become synonymous with. Colwill's xTV rose again last term, from £9.1m (€10.6 million) in August '22 to £10m (€11.6m) in June '23.

Out of the boardroom and back on the pitch, pair this with England U21s Euro victory – as well as impacting a Chelsea team in transition and the defender's horizons grow ever-broader. Mauricio Pochettino said in September of an England call-up:

"Levi is a player who performed really well last season, and at the Under-21 Euros, and now started the season really well with Chelsea. He is a big talent, a player who can play in different positions, centre-back and full-back. He is a great character. He is a great player and I’m happy for him. I’m hoping the next international break we have more players involved."

Gareth Southgate was another to gush over his performances, lauding a wide array of attributes within Colwill's game.

“He showed a really good temperament in the League last year, and in the summer with the Under-21s he was outstanding. Levi has a real maturity about his calmness with the ball. He’s got good physical attributes. He’s got speed and the ability to defend the box well.”

Statistically, how good is Levi Colwill now?

On a more statistical basis, compared to other centre-backs – Colwill's numbers parallel his ascent in value.

FBref shows that Colwill excels both in attack and defence, despite at times being described by some as quite one-footed. In a bracket of players that contains the likes of Napoli's Amir Rrahmani, Real Madrid's David Alaba and Inter's Alessandro Bastoni – Colwill sits in a high percentile for numerous statistics. His purely progressive mindset is reflected.

For the somewhat optimistic shot-creating actions, he's in the top 3%. For expected non-penalty goals and assists – he's in the top 2%. So, he offers a potential threat.

Most likely this is aerial, as he wins 2.86 per 90 (top 15%) yet that's not all. What's more impressive are the 78.57 passes attempted per 90 (top 5%) and the 1.23 progressive carries per 90 (top 11%).

Admittedly, his core defensive aspects could be improved – i.e. blocks and tackles. However, that could be perceived more on the team collective than just Colwill. Additionally, the Premier League season (at the time of writing) is a mere seven games old.

What's Levi Colwill worth now?

Since his formative loan spell at Huddersfield, the likely soon-to-be England starter has become a real market mover – with an increased price of (value) for any potential suitors. In an era of extreme Boehly-bolstered spending not immediately reaping success,

Colwill's ascent shows that once again – after examples of Reece James or the distant success of Declan Rice – the Blues should potentially put more onus on their homegrown talents.

The 6 foot 2 centre-back who has also been compared to club icon John Terry, has risen to an xTV of £15.2 m (€17.5m) with a transfer window peak of £18.2 million (€21.1m) in August '23.

As of June '23, the Daily Mail had reported that not even bids in excess of £40m would make Chelsea even consider selling Colwill. That was amid interest from Brighton with the Seagulls looking to bring him back to the Amex Stadium after a successful loan spell.

Furthermore, he recently put pen to paper on a six-year deal, that's how important they see him for the future, as his financial worth and indeed personal worth to the club grows more and more at Stamford Bridge.

Lauren Hemp provided the perfect WSL tonic for Manchester City against Brighton following their double dose of domestic cup heartache.

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• England star shines on south coast
• Shaw, Fowler & Coombs also on target
• Taylor's side pull level with Chelsea

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  TELL ME MORE

  Gareth Taylor’s side were – just like Pep Guardiola’s men’s team – in a treble hunt on March 7. They were, however, to slip out of the Conti Cup at the hands of Chelsea, before then suffering penalty shootout pain in an FA Cup quarter-final clash with Tottenham.

  A positive response to those setbacks was demanded against Brighton, and Hemp helped to deliver just that. The England forward was heavily involved in City’s best work, with the deadlock broken when she fired home in the 27th minute.

  European Championship winner Hemp then turned provider five minutes before half-time, as she crossed for the unmarked Mary Fowler to bundle in at the far post. She also crashed a spectacular effort off the post early in the second half.

  City wrapped up the points when prolific striker Khadija Shaw rose highest inside a crowded penalty area to power in a towering header with 69 minutes on the clock – allowing her to cement a place at the front of the WSL Golden Boot race. Laura Coombs got in on the act 12 minutes from the end after being picked out on the penalty spot, with a low drive drilled into the bottom corner, and City eased over the line despite Chinese star Li Mengwen netting in stoppage-time to make the final outcome 4-1.

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• THE MVP

  Hemp was the undoubted star of the show for City. The England international is unplayable at her best, and the 23-year-old gave Brighton’s defence nightmares across another action-packed performance. Her clever run behind the Seagulls’ back line allowed City to take the lead, as she stretched to fire a low effort through the arms of Sophie Baggaley. She then teed up Fowler for the Blues’ second, with her perfect cross from the left flank carving Brighton open once more.

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  THE BIG LOSER

  Brighton goalkeeper Baggaley endured a tough afternoon between the sticks. She will feel that she should have done much better when allowing Hemp’s opener to squeeze through her arms. The Seagulls custodian was also unable to get off her line quick enough to close down Fowler for City’s second, while she was left sprawled in her own net after being beaten by an impressive leap from Jamaican superstar Shaw and had no chance of keeping out Coombs’ well-struck fourth for the visitors.

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• WHAT COMES NEXT?

  City have pulled level with leaders Chelsea in the WSL, with only goal difference preventing them from hitting the summit, and they will be back in action next Saturday when taking in a derby date with arch-rivals Manchester United. Brighton are due at Leicester on March 24, the side currently sat directly above them in the table.

Gareth Southgate provided an update on Kyle Walker's condition after the defender limped off 20 minutes into England's friendly against Brazil.

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• Southgate provides update on Walker
• Subbed off 20 minutes into Brazil clash
• Left the pitch with suspected hamstring injury

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England manager claimed that Walker's problem could be worrying as the player seldom picks up an injury. He further claimed that doctors would monitor the player's condition before providing an assessment of him.

  On Saturday, the Manchester City star was subbed off just 20 minutes into the friendly against Brazil due to a suspected hamstring problem.

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  WHAT SOUTHGATE SAID

  Speaking to after the match, the Three Lions boss said: "We don’t know yet. He is feeling something but he is not a player who is injured very often so he’s not quite certain what it is. So it is something we have to assess in the coming days."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Cityzens will be keeping a close eye on their star defender as they are set to face Premier League leaders Arsenal in their next game. Walker's presence in their backline will be crucial in that clash, which will be a vital one as Pep Guardiola's men currently trail the Gunners by a point.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WALKER?

  The 33-year-old is unlikely to take the field for the national team as they take on Belgium in their final friendly match on Tuesday. If absent, he would join captain Harry Kane on the sidelines after Southgate confirmed his withdrawal on Saturday, too.

Tottenham Hotspur are a club that have made some true howlers in their desperate state of late, with Daniel Levy the man often spearheading such an operation.

The businessman, who began his relationship with the Lilywhites in 2001, has overseen one of the club's most barren periods in its illustrious history, having failed to taste silverware since their 2008 League Cup triumph, nearly 25 years ago now.

For an establishment of this stature, such a record is truly abysmal, and it does explain some of the clueless knee-jerk decisions that the 61-year-old made.

Sacking Mauricio Pochettino for Jose Mourinho, and later Antonio Conte, marked the true peak of his foolishness, which finally seems to have settled with the appointment of Ange Postecoglou.

However, the Australian will forever have to contend with these errors of the past, dodging financial obstacles and shifting dead weight in the coming years.

And yet, despite all that stands in his way, his team sit atop the Premier League table regardless, having yet to be defeated. It marks an impressive feat, and one which fans all over the country remain keen on following to see just how long such positivity can last.

Who is Spurs' worst-ever signing?

When delving back across that torrid period, in which managerial missteps were arguably the biggest blunders of them all, there were also a whole host of transfer duds to name too in that desperate pursuit of a return to the top.

All of the aforementioned managers were sufficiently backed, including Nuno Espirito Santo, with Andre Villas-Boas even being handed a huge transfer war chest following the world-record sale of Gareth Bale.

Unsurprisingly, given their failure to reach the levels expected, each of these regimes are littered with gaffes in the market.

Roberto Soldado and Erik Lamela marked two torrid options from the earliest of these tenures, whilst the likes of Giovani Lo Celso, Bryan Gil and Richarlison have all disappointed despite the large fees attached to their acquisition.

However, whilst Pochettino may have been a master tactician, his transfer dealings left plenty to be desired. Unloading £63m on Tanguy Ndombele remains one of their worst-ever purchases, whilst there were also a host of other acquisitions that have piled up to accumulate a group of awful signings.

One such name from that group would be Serge Aurier, who ended up costing Spurs millions despite never really managing to succeed in north London.

In fact, whilst the Ivorian full-back would make a whopping 110 appearances for the club, his tenure is one remembered more for his high-profile errors and inability to defend, rather than the few bursts forward that merited a total of 25 goal contributions.

After all, even as recently as March saw journalist Buchi Laba write: "This Serge Aurier is a useless right back."

This certainly supports a notion outlined during his Tottenham days, with pundit Rio Ferdinand boldly claiming: "As a defender I have never really rated Aurier. He’s rash and he’s let his team down far too often."

As such, in his final year before leaving a year early following the mutual termination of his contract, Aurier would only manage 19 Premier League starts, yet still made three errors directly leading to shots, and gave away a penalty too.

Seldom reliable and surprisingly blunt in attack, there were few redeeming moments of the 30-year-old's four years in north London, which remains a heavy blemish on their record.

How much did Spurs pay for Serge Aurier?

Whilst his output may have been hugely disappointing, the total financial cost of that terrible period only exacerbates what was a true Pochettino disasterclass, as he desperately sought to secure a successor to Kieran Trippier.

The Englishman had shone as a key component of his side at right-back, with incredible passing ability and the unique talent to deliver a cross with pinpoint perfection.

It seemed like the Lilywhites had therefore secured his heir when tempting Aurier from Paris Saint-Germain, rescuing the talented outcast from France to the tune of £23m.

However, perhaps they could have heeded the warning issued by Laurent Blanc, who said the following after the young full-back had mocked him and questioned the club on social media: "How did I react? Very badly. Very badly. Because we think whatever we like – this is a democracy and we are free to think about things, have our opinions – but that boy … Two years ago, I committed myself to bring him to Paris, so to see what I saw yesterday … that’s the thanks I get? It’s pitiful."

What did Serge Aurier earn?

Such a fee would only scratch the surface of what Aurier would end up costing Spurs, with an equally high wage for someone so young marking an immense show of faith for someone who was far from a surefire success.

As it would so happen, he turned out to be a failure, thus making his initial £80k-per-week salary, and even the £70k-per-week deal it was reduced to after the first year, a tragedy.

To then add his transfer fee with the four years of wages he amassed, and in total the current Nottingham Forest dud would drain the club of £38m – notably equating to £3.4m per yellow card he received in that time (11).

Did Serge Aurier deserve to earn £70k-per-week?

Given all that has been mentioned previously, it is pretty clear that Aurier was far from good value for his wages.

After all, former Liverpool great Jamie Carragher would sum it up neatly, launching a scathing rant on the 5 foot 9 flop back in 2021: "Aurier is maybe one of the biggest liabilities in Premier League football and is a player who would possibly put you off management with the amount of crazy decision he makes.

"We know what happened with the goal, he ends up running off the pitch allowing Sterling – the worst thing you can do – on that right foot almost get the goal."

To make matters worse, during Aurier's first year in England, he was actually their fifth-highest-paid player, with only superstars like Harry Kane, Heung-min Son, Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen earning more, via Capology.

That meant that players like Dele Alli, Mousa Dembele, Toby Alderweireld and Christian Eriksen were all earning less than a liability who could not even get in the team, whilst they all marked integral figures.

His on-pitch involvement was constantly underwhelming, but the financial drain his presence placed on Levy is the true outstanding failure of this venture.

Aston Villa are in the running to sign a new striker in January, but a report has revealed that they aren't the only club who are hoping to bring him to the Premier League.

Aston Villa's season so far

Unai Emery’s side have made an overall positive start to the new top-flight campaign having won six, drawn one and lost just two of their opening nine fixtures, which means that they find themselves fifth in the table prior to this weekend's matches.

Ahead of January, NSWE and Monchi will already be assessing their options in the market and appear keen to bolster their attacking ranks, having highlighted Stuttgart centre-forward Serhou Guirassy as a potential candidate that they would like to bring to the Midlands.

The Guinea international has firmly established himself as Sebastian Hoeness’ overall best-performing player so far this season with a match rating of 8.60 (WhoScored – Stuttgart statistics), and the 27-year-old’s impressive form has brought him onto the radar at Villa Park.

Aston Villa considering swoop for Serhou Guirassy

According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are closely monitoring Serhou Guirassy who has a £15m release clause, but as it stands, they aren't the club showing serious interest.

"Sources claim that the top scoring striker has a multitude of opportunities and will take his time to decide his next move. There is also a suggestion from those close to the player that he would be willing to wait until the summer and continue his development in Germany for the rest of the season.

"Clubs in Spain and Portugal have also been keen but there is a belief from within the Guirassy camp that he would like a move to England and would prioritise talks with clubs in the world’s best league."

As per journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor, Guirassy is an “outrageous” striker and he’s more than proved that this season having so far posted 15 contributions, 14 goals and one assist, in just eight appearances in the Bundesliga (Transfermarkt – Guirassy statistics).

Sponsored by Adidas, the attacker has also recorded 31 shots over the course of the campaign which is more than any of his fellow teammates (FBRef – Stuttgart statistics), highlighting his constant desire to find the back of the net.

Standing at 6 foot 1, Guirassy is additionally an ideal target man – he’s averaging 3.3 aerial wins per league game (WhoScored – Guirassy statistics). So, for someone who is both prolific with the ball at his feet and a physical presence off the ground, this really is a no-brainer of a deal to pursue to put a big physical option alongside Watkins.

Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho has garnered a lot of appreciation from fans and Nani believes that the youngster is quite a lot like him.

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• Garnacho praised for performances
• Compared to ex-Utd star Ronaldo
• Nani believes winger is more like him

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Argentine youngster scored twice on Thursday to give Man Utd the lead against Chelsea, however, the Red Devils went on to lose thanks to a dramatic injury time at Stamford Bridge. Garnacho has been very highly appreciated by fans and pundits alike and has also been drawn to be very similar to five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. Nani, though, believes otherwise.

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  WHAT NANI SAID

  Speaking to , Nani said: "When I watch Garnacho, he reminds me of myself. He even has the No.17 shirt – the same number I wore. When he changed to that number this season, he started scoring some goals, so that's been good for him.

  "He's not afraid of taking defenders on, making the runs, making assists. He's a very good player, he has so much time to improve his game and get stronger. He will be fantastic in the future. His game is more similar to mine when I was at United than Cristiano's. He's a very exciting player and I hope in the future he can win titles with the club and help it to be successful again.

  "We're not used to being in this position in the table. We were always a team used to competing for first position. The last few years the team hasn't been able to do that, but we know it's a process and you have to readjust the team, the club."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite Garnacho's wonderful showing over the last couple of months, United have struggled to get the results and currently sit in sixth place with 48 points to their name. The Red Devils are still aiming for a Champions League spot but their hopes have diminished in recent weeks.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  During his stint at the club from 2007 to 2015, Nani won four Premier League titles, one Champions League, two League Cups and the Club World Cup. He also scored a lot of pivotal goals for the Red Devils but failed to garner the same plaudits as his other team-mates did.

The goalkeeper was somewhat at fault for all three of the visitors' goals while the superstar forward was shackled at Parc des Prince

A pair of dismal performances from Gianluigi Donnarumma and Kylian Mbappe held Paris Saint-Germain back as they suffered a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona at Parc des Princes that puts them behind the eight ball in their Champions League quarter-final

PSG were behind before half-time, as Raphinha capitalised on an awful Donnarumma mistake to finish into an empty net; the Italy international attempted to claim Lamine Yamal's low cross, but only succeeded in pushing the ball into the ex-Leeds United star's path.

In the 48th minute, though, the French champions drew level through Ousmane Dembele, as the ex-Barcelona winger slammed a brilliant effort into the roof of the net. And just 133 seconds later, Vitinha added a second, bursting forward from midfield and finishing a great through ball from Fabian Ruiz.

Barcelona came back in a see-saw fixture, though, with substitute Pedri playing a superb ball into Raphinha's path, and the winger finished coolly to complete his brace.

Dembele then had a huge opportunity to score a third for PSG when sent clean through, but his first-time strike hit the post, and instead it was Barcelona who took the lead, as Andreas Christensen headed home Ilkay Gundogan's corner.

GOAL rates PSG's players from Parc des Princes…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Gianluigi Donnarumma (2/10):

  Twice caught under corners early on, terrible with his feet, and was at fault for every goal, first palming a cross into Raphinha's path, then giving the ball away immediately before Pedri played in the Brazilian for his and Barca's second. Stayed on his line for the third, too, when he could have tried to claim the corner. Terrible.

  Marquinhos (6/10):

  Some elegant defending at right-back in the first half before he moved to centre-back. PSG's best defender, but he couldn't get to Gundogan's cross for Barca's third.

  Lucas Hernandez (5/10):

  Switched to right-back in the second half after playing at centre-back in the first half. Had to babysit Beraldo and was often overwhelmed physically as Barcelona pressed.

  Lucas Beraldo (4/10):

  Made a terrible challenge on Raphinha and struggled immensely against Lewandowski throughout. Amazing he completed the 90, as he looked completely overawed by the occasion, and was booked for a terrible challenge.

  Nuno Mendes (6/10):

  One electric run took him into the box and beat two defenders. Cleared off the line from Lewandowski after Donnarumma flapped at an early corner and was a constant danger down the left, but his attacking is much better than his defending.

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  Midfield

  Lee Kang-in (6/10):

  Played as PSG's most advanced midfielder and stung the palms of Ter Stegen in the first half. Overwhelmed at times defensively, but did his bit with the ball. Replaced by Zaire-Emery on the hour.

  Vitinha (7/10):

  Always tidy on the ball and scored PSG's second goal after a brilliant burst from midfield, poking under Ter Stegen. Had to defend more often than he would be used to but was PSG's best midfielder.

  Fabian Ruiz (6/10):

  Played an excellent through ball for Vitinha to score and had to drop deep regularly to combat Barcelona's intricate build-up.

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  Attack

  Ousmane Dembele (6/10):

  Equalised with a stunner, crashing an effort into the roof of the net against his former club, but was on the periphery of the game otherwise.

  Marco Asensio (3/10):

  Marked almost completely out of the game in the first half and was hooked at half-time as a result. Touched the ball just 17 times, and gave PSG no focal point to aim for. A dire evening.

  Kylian Mbappe (4/10):

  Muted throughout. A couple of dribbles aside, he had next to no bearing on the game. A bitterly disappointing evening, as he just didn't get enough of the ball.

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  Subs & Manager

  Bradley Barcola (6/10):

  On for Asensio at half-time; involved in the build-up to Vitinha's goal and hit the crossbar, while showing the bravery needed to run at the Barca backline.

  Warren Zaire-Emery (5/10):

  On for Lee. Didn't mark Christensen properly for Barcelona's third, allowing him to jump unchallenged. A telling, if unintended, contribution.

  Goncalo Ramos (N/A):

  On for Ruiz with five minutes to play as PSG went for it, but he did not have an opportunity to score.

  Luis Enrique (4/10):

  His team-talk at half-time had a stirring effect on PSG, but the decision to play Asensio up front and stick with Beraldo in defence were both misguided. Barring that second-half flurry, PSG played like the away side, and they now have a mountain to climb in Spain.