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Journalists Jordan Campbell and Bill Young hailed the performance of Malik Tillman for Glasgow Rangers in their Scottish Premiership game this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Home debut

Tillman made his home debut at Ibrox after arriving on loan from Bayern Munich this summer.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst gave him 45 minutes from the bench in the 2-1 win away at Livingston last week, but decided to hand him the start against Kilmarnock.

The Latest: High praise

Tillman received a lot of praise for his performance this afternoon, in particular from The Athletic’s Gers writer Jordan Campbell and Scottish football journalist Bill Young.

Campbell hailed him as ‘outstanding’ and praised his movement, while Young called him ‘exceptional’.

The Verdict: Impressive

Tillman was particularly impressive in the 2-0 win against Kilmarnock, and was one of the standout players in the Teddy Bears team.

The 20-year-old won seven of his duels, and completed all four of his dribble attempts (SofaScore).

He also made three key passes and achieved an 81% pass accuracy, doing his defensive work as well with two tackles and one interception recorded (SofaScore).

Of course, it is very early in his Light Blues career, but Tillman does look a player, and Van Bronckhorst now has a decision to make over whether to keep him in the starting line-up with the second leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifier coming up.

Manchester United reportedly sent scouts to watch Ismaila Sarr play for Watford recently and the winger could be the style of player that Erik ten Hag would love at Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

According to Daily Mail journalist James Cohen, Darren Fletcher was in attendance at the Hawthorns on Monday night as Watford took on West Brom in the Championship.

Why was he there? Well, the former midfielder was sent on a scouting mission to watch Sarr.

The Scotsman will have plenty to report back to those at Old Trafford, as the winger opened the scoring with a sensational effort from the halfway line, before failing to beat David Button from the penalty spot after he was tripped by Semi Ajayi.

Football League World claim the wide man may cost £25m to prise away this summer.

Ten Hag would love him

A winger has been on Ten Hag’s shortlist since he arrived at Old Trafford, with a move for Ajax star Antony being on their minds. However, Sarr could be an excellent alternative.

The Senegal international has plenty of experience in the Premier League and has impressed previously despite playing in a relegated side, so could realise his obvious potential with a top-half side such as United.

In total, the winger has contributed 25 goals and 19 assists for Watford in 94 appearances, and should arguably be plying his trade in the top-flight this season.

At just 24, Sarr still has plenty of time to improve and could challenge the likes of Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford for a starting spot at Old Trafford this season, with his pace immediately marking him out as someone who could prosper in Ten Hag’s vision of free-flowing attacking football.

Rarely in the 2-1 defeat against Brighton could United fans get excited about an attack but Sarr’s unpredictability and speed suggests that he could get fans off their seats, which is the atmosphere Ten Hag will want to utilise as he aims to steady what is increasingly looking like a sinking ship.

Former United keeper Ben Foster was full of praise for Sarr last season, emphasising his exciting talents: “He is a bit of a freak, honestly.

“I still don’t think people understand quite how quick Ismaila Sarr is. His acceleration off from a standing start is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. And genuinely, I’m being genuine there, I’ve never seen anybody accelerate from a standing start as quick as he does.

“It’s scary, isn’t it, really? It’s almost like everything seems to just be off the cuff. Every single time he gets the ball, even he doesn’t know what he’s going to do, but it will end up being good either way.”

Therefore, he is evidently an exciting player which combined with his age and previous experience suggests that he could definitely be a hit at United. His ability to change the game and bamboozle a defender out of nowhere is something the manager would definitely love at Old Trafford.

Nottingham Forest have made a whopping 15 signings already this summer, but are showing no signs of slowing down their business as a reliable source reveals the 16th player set to make a move to The City Ground.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Nottingham Forest are “closing” in on a deal for Brighton and Hove Albion striker Neal Maupay.

Romano tweeted:

“After Freuler, Kouyaté and Dennis in the last 24h… Nottingham Forest are closing also on Neal Maupay deal for £15m package fee [add ons included] as he will be the next signing.

“Final details being discussed with Brighton then it will be done. Deal until June 2026.”

Imagine him & Johnson

There is no doubt that Steve Cooper will be thrilled with the squad he has already built over the transfer window so far, especially as his newly-promoted side picked up their first three points and Premier League victory of the season against West Ham United yesterday.

Now it looks like the Forest boss has the intention to strengthen his forward line to find rising star Brennan Johnson the perfect strike partner to convert the chances made in his attacking-minded team, and Maupay could be the perfect addition to offer that.

The 26-year-old dynamo has bags of Premier League experience compared to new striker Taiwo Awoniyi who was one of the first signings made this summer at The City Ground, with 102 appearances, 26 goals and seven assists in the top flight.

As a result, Maupay could be the ideal signing to partner the very talented yet top-flight inexperienced Johnson in the forward-line as the striker has the strengths to play effectively in the high-pressing style of play Cooper so cleverly executed in the Championship last season.

The striker who was hailed “quality” by sports broadcaster Nathan Murphy is no stranger to playing in a team that likes to press with Graham Potter deploying an attacking line that is designed to cause huge pressure on their opponents, so he should have no trouble seamlessly slotting in the centre forward position in the Forest team.

Indeed, over the last 365 days, the Seagulls attacker ranks in the top 9% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for pressing and the top 6% for successful pressures per 90 minutes, demonstrating the type of rampant presence he could be in the Garibaldi’s forward line.

Thus, combining that with the youthful and exuberant presence of Johnson, could generate a real spark in the forward line, one that relentlessly hassles the opposition’s defence.

With that being said, the signing of Maupay would be a big one for Cooper, giving him even more options in his front line to ensure his team can continue to pick up points to ultimately retain their Premier League status in their first season back in the top tier.

Chelsea are preparing a new offer for Everton attacker Anthony Gordon after their £40million bid was turned down, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Chelsea bid for Gordon

The 21-year-old has already grown into one of the Blues’ most prized assets, having shone last season as Frank Lampard’s side avoided relegation from the Premier League.

Gordon’s performances have made him a wanted man and Chelsea saw a £40million bid for him turned down on Sunday, with Thomas Tuchel seeing him as a strong addition.

It looks as though Everton will continue battling to keep hold of the forward, following a new update.

The Latest: New bid incoming?

Taking to Twitter, Romano claimed that Chelsea are weighing up a new offer for Gordon after their initial bid was rejected in a major Sunday development.

He explained:

“Chelsea are discussing internally of new proposal for Anthony Gordon as opening bid worth £40m has been rejected by Everton today.

“Chelsea could try to include players in the deal as Frank Lampard wanted more than one CFC player this summer.”

The Verdict: Tough to ignore such money

Gordon is a top-class young player who Everton will hopefully keep hold of for many years, but equally, there comes a time where a certain amount of money is hard to say no to.

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Should Chelsea be willing to pay £50million or more for the youngster’s services, for example, Lampard will surely see the potential to use those funds on several good new signings. Equally, if it means bringing in some Chelsea players as part of a deal – Conor Gallagher would be ideal – that could also be more beneficial.

At the end of the day, Gordon isn’t indispensable to Everton, so it will be interesting to see if a huge bid from Chelsea, or even Newcastle United, turns their head.

Tottenham Hotspur are keeping tabs on Everton winger Anthony Gordon as the summer transfer window nears its conclusion, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs keep moving?

The Lilywhites continue to be linked with more new signings despite sporting director Fabio Paratici’s plentiful movement already this summer, with seven arrivals in N17 so far.

Spurs are currently tipped with interest in Atalanta forward Ruslan Malinovskyi, while AS Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo also apparently remains a target for Antonio Conte.

The north Londoners may be helped by exits for Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele, Joe Rodon and Steven Bergwijn after the quartet sealed moves away from N17, either on loan or permanently.

The Latest: Tottenham eyeing Gordon…

Paratici needs to offload more players before attempting any more incomings, but according to a report by reliable journalist Alasdair Gold for football.london, Spurs continue to keep tabs on Gordon.

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The Toffees winger is in high demand, attracting interest from Conte’s side as well as Chelsea, Manchester United and Newcastle.

It’s added that the 21-year-old is ‘interested in playing’ for the Spurs boss but is unwilling to push for a move away from his boyhood club.

The Verdict: Interesting few days ahead…

Now that we’re into the final fortnight of this transfer window, it will be interesting to see if the Lilywhites can seal more exits and if Paratici will subsequently make a move for Gordon.

The forward has been a huge asset for Frank Lampard at Goodison Park, with the Everton boss recently calling him a ‘massive player’ who is ‘key’ to his plans.

Given that Chelsea have already had a bid of £40m-£45m rejected for the Toffees starlet, it may take something special from Tottenham to prise him away from Merseyside.

A claim has been made on Newcastle United gem Bruno Guimaraes and the prospect of him leaving in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Journalist Dean Jones has poured cold water on the chances of the Brazilian talent departing St. James’ Park before next week’s deadline.

This comes after a report emerged claiming that Spanish giants Real Madrid are interested in signing him after they sold Casemiro to Manchester United.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“I’m told it is highly unlikely he leaves – it would be a massive loss and a massive disappointment. But stranger things have happened in football.”

Eddie Howe reacted to the speculation last week by saying that it is a compliment to the player and that the club do not want to sell him.

Howe should be delighted

Although the head coach made the club’s stance clear at the weekend, Real Madrid pushing for the player could have changed the situation and Jones doubling down on the unlikeliness of Guimaraes leaving should delight the former Cherries boss.

The Brazil international has been sensational since he arrived at St. James’ Park in January and keeping hold of him would be a big boost to the squad. Being able to hold onto him amid interest from the current champions of Europe, Real, would also send out a statement that they are not going to be a selling club under PIF.

They are seemingly not willing to cash in on their best players and this shows ambition and determination from the owners, which Howe will be buzzing with as it means that he does not have to worry about his top talents being snapped up.

In the Premier League last season, no Newcastle player with more than five appearances averaged a SofaScore rating higher than Guimaraes’ 7.25. Dan Burn’s score of 6.98 was the next-highest in the squad and this illustrates how important the former Lyon man was to keeping the team in the division.

He arrived midway through the campaign and ended it as their top performer, hitting the ground running as he scored five goals and assisted one in 11 starts.

This season, he is yet to score or assist a goal but he has shown his defensive quality. The 24-year-old has made 4.3 tackles and interceptions per match – more than any other player in the squad – and won 63% of his duels, which shows that he has been working his socks off out of possession.

These statistics, from 2022/23 and 2021/22, highlight his importance to the team and why Howe will be delighted with the news that Guimaraes is “highly unlikely” to leave.

Everton have appointed former Toffees player James Vaughan as their new loans manager, according to The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland.

The Lowdown: Vaughan’s career

Graduating from the Blues’ academy, the centre-forward went on to enjoy a six-year tenure at Goodison Park, including loans to Derby County, Leicester City and Crystal Palace, before making the permanent move to Norwich City in 2011 (via Transfermarkt).

Vaughan became the Premier League’s youngster ever goal-scorer in 2005 after he netted against Palace as a 16-year-old – beating James Milner’s record at Leeds United by 86 days.

The forward retired in 2021 after a short stint with Tranmere Rovers.

The Latest: Boyland’s news

Boyland has now revealed that the 34-year-old is set to return to Goodison Park in a new capacity.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist said:

“Understand James Vaughan will be Everton’s new loans manager. Joins from Tranmere where he was sporting director & will start next week.

“Another sign of Kevin Thelwell making his mark behind the scenes.”

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The Verdict: Great move by Thelwell

Vaughan’s return to Everton demonstrates Thelwell’s intent to get young players from the academy graduating through to the first-team.

As per The Athletic, the Toffees director of football has been looking to ensure the club can establish a better pathway for young players to work their way up to the first-team, having already hired Gareth Prosser as his academy director this summer.

Having worked as Tranmere’s sporting director, Vaughan will add experience to the academy ranks, with a familiar face who knows the club good to have around youngsters trying to break through as professionals on Merseyside.

West Ham United could be set to unleash Maxwel Cornet in their Europa Conference League clash with FCSB this evening.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Pete O’Rourke, with the journalist stating his belief in a recent interview with Football FanCast that, after impressing in both the Hammers’ qualifying round victory over Viborg FF last month and the 2-1 defeat against Chelsea last weekend, the 25-year-old could be handed an opportunity from the off against the club’s Romanian opponents tonight.

When asked whether he felt Cornet could be in line for a start against FCSB, O’Rourke said: “Yeah, he did well against Chelsea. He was very unlucky not to get the equalising goal with that controversial VAR decision.

“He’s played in a couple of the Europa League qualifiers against Viborg and did well in those as well. So I’d imagine Cornet will get the opportunity for another start here and get an opportunity to try and stake a claim for a starting place in David Moyes’ Premier League side going forward.”

Moyes must unleash Cornet

As O’Rourke suggests, considering just how impressive Cornet was in the unfortunate 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last time out, coupled with how effective the winger was in his two outings against Viborg earlier this season, it would indeed appear a wise move for Moyes to finally unleash the Ivory Coast international from the off against FCSB this evening.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch in the 3-1 first leg victory over the Danish side, the £17.5m summer signing was in spectacular attacking form, completing three dribbles, making two key passes, creating one big chance, completing two crosses, taking two shots at goal and setting up Gianluca Scamacca for the opening goal of the game.

It was a similar story for the £17.5m-rated talent over his 90 minutes in the 3-0 second-leg victory, in which he made three key passes, completed two crosses, created one big chance and set up Said Benrahma for the Hammers’ second of the match.

And, despite being afforded just 12 minutes of game time in the loss to Chelsea last Saturday, the 25-year-old very nearly earned his side a share of the spoils against the Blues, keeping his composure to fire home past three defenders after Edouard Mendy spilled Reece James’ back-header – only for his strike to be ruled out as a result of an extremely controversial VAR decision.

Furthermore, with Pablo Fornals having struggled to make any real impact over his eight appearances in all competitions so far this season, scoring one goal – a heavily deflected winner against Aston Villa – providing no assists and creating no big chances, it would very much appear as if the player who Maximiliano Bretos dubbed “unbelievable” deserves a chance to start ahead of the Spain international this evening – as Cornet has already proven himself to be a something of a game-changer for the Irons.

Leeds United winger Daniel James put in an impressive display for Wales despite their UEFA Nations League defeat to Poland on Sunday night.

The Lowdown: Fulham loan

James moved to Elland Road just over 12 months ago from Manchester United but struggled to nail down a spot under Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch.

The 24-year-old made majority coming as a centre-forward due to Patrick Bamford’s injury struggles last season.

He fell out of favour recently, though, with Marsch allowing him to join Fulham on a season-long loan on transfer deadline day, with teenager Wilfried Gnonto coming in.

The Latest: James impresses for Wales

James won his 37th cap for his country and his 12th in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday, starting alongside Brennan Johnson in behind Gareth Bale in Wales’ attack. He played the full 90 minutes and was his team’s top-rated performer on SofaScore with a rating of 7.4/10.

The 24-year-old made three key passes (more than Johnson and Bale combined), won seven of his 11 duels, drew three fouls and made two tackles.

No other Wales attacker got close to James’ SofaScore rating, with a second-half goal from Poland’s Karol Swiderski proving the difference on the night.

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The Verdict: Good signs

James has only played 50 minutes for his new club prior to the international break, so it is good to see him finding some form with his country, despite their Nations League relegation.

You’d expect that his performance at the weekend would’ve impressed Marsch, and who knows, there could be a chance that the winger returns to Yorkshire in the summer, should he not complete a permanent move to Craven Cottage.

Leeds officials may now be hoping that he can take his impressive form for Wales into his time on loan with Fulham.

That may give the Yorkshire club the best chance of receiving a permanent fee for the winger on whom they spent £25m in 2021, or it will at least mean that they will be getting back a player in some sort of positive form come next summer.

Leeds United battled hard to earn a valuable point against Aston Villa after going a man down early in the second half.

In a hostile encounter, Whites winger Luis Sinisterra was handed his marching orders in the 48th minute by referee Stuart Atwell. He was given a first yellow for a needless foul on John McGinn before earning a second for blocking the ball when Douglas Luiz tried to take a quick free-kick.

Watching from the stands due to his own ban, manager Jesse Marsch would’ve been less than impressed by the Colombian international but perhaps even less so with the player he trusted to lead the line – Rodrigo.

The Spanish veteran cut an anonymous figure for much of the 68 minutes he was on the pitch and at times, it looked as if Leeds were two men down rather than one.

As per SofaScore, the 31-year-old – who was starting over Patrick Bamford – registered only 25 touches of the ball, which was comfortably the fewest of all of Leeds’ starters. Even substitute Junior Firpo got close to beating that in just 32 minutes of action, whilst goalkeeper Illan Meslier managed nearly double (48).

With his little involvement, Rodrigo had three shots, of which none were on target, meaning 50% of Leeds’ total efforts in the final third were wasted, due to the misfiring forward.

Elsewhere, the one-time £27m club-record signing was weak in his battles as he struggled to cope against the aerial presence of Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings, both of whom had his number. Indeed, he won just two of his eight duels (25%).

LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross was less than impressed by Rodrigo too as he graded him as the Whites’ joint-worst performer at Elland Road in his post-match ratings column.

‘[He] looked smothered in attack and isolated. Rusty one-two attempts,’ the journalist wrote.

A lot of blame could be put on Sinisterra for his foolish actions but the display from Rodrigo up top left little to be desired and considering Marsch made the big call to start him over the returning Bamford, following his hat-trick for the U21s too, then he could feel massively let down.

It’s no wonder that the Spanish passenger has been described as “non-existent” in the past because he was exactly that on Sunday night.

AND in other news, Leeds scouting “absolutely unreal” £44m “Grealish regen”, imagine him & Sinisterra…