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Former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson has claimed that it is ‘obvious’ that Ryan Kent will leave Glasgow Rangers within the next year.

The Lowdown: Premier League interest

It was reported by The Sunday Mirror (via MOT Leeds News) that both Leeds United and Aston Villa are still keen on signing Kent and watched him play for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team in the 2-0 loss away at Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.

The winger has refused to sign a new deal at Ibrox, and his current one expires next summer.

Former Gers striker Kenny Miller does not believe that Kent has shown his ‘best form’ so far this season, while former Light Blues defender Alan Hutton believes that he is ‘trying too hard’.

The Latest: Robinson reacts

Speaking to MOT Leeds News, Robinson, who now contributes for Sky Sports, has claimed that it is ‘obvious’ that Kent is going to leave with just a few months left remaining on his contract, adding that he is a ‘top player’:

“Leeds have looked at Kent for a long time.

“He was a player who was wanted by the previous regime under Bielsa and he’s obviously someone they’ve tracked closely in the last two seasons.

“It’s obvious he’s now going to leave Rangers coming into the last six to eight months of his contract, but I wouldn’t be in favour of paying money for him now when his contract expires next year.

“He’ll be a very good addition to the Leeds squad if you look at it now but he’s not a player who needs to come in during January.

“The club don’t need to spend any type of money for him, and they should compete for his signature at the end of the season.”

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The Verdict: Worrying

It is certainly worrying for the Teddy Bears supporters that Kent is seemingly running down his contract, meaning that he could leave for nothing in the summer.

The 25-year-old boasts the second-highest WhoScored performance rating of any of his teammates so far this season, and is the squad’s joint-leader for both assists and dribbles per game in the Scottish Premiership.

Nonetheless, Kent also holds the highest market value in the squad, and so losing him for free would be a financial travesty for the club.

Thus, if he is certain that he will not sign a new contract, then Rangers must be looking to sell him in the January transfer window, in order to at least get a fee.

Sunderland have been handed an injury boost involving Everton loanee Ellis Simms.

The Lowdown: Early setback

Tony Mowbray confirmed earlier this month that the 21-year-old could face another three weeks or more ruled out after suffering a setback in his recovery from an injury to his big toe.

The striker has Championship in mid-September as he continues his recovery ahead of the Black Cats’ next set of fixtures.

The Latest: Simms ‘back on the grass’

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of Sunderland’s match at home to Wigan Athletic in the Championship on Saturday afternoon, Mowbray has confirmed that Simms is now ‘getting back on the grass’, adding that the 21-year-old ‘felt fine’ when he got back on the treadmill for the first time.

The Black Cats boss stated (as per Sunderland Echo on Thursday): “Ellis is getting his boots on today and getting back on the grass. He’s been on the treadmill and he felt fine so he’s getting his boots on and going outside.”

The Verdict: Big boost

It is certainly a big boost for Sunderland to have Simms back out on the grass as he looks to speed up his recovery.

The Wigan game will likely come too soon for the 6 foot 3 forward, but he could now look to target a return to the Stadium of Light over the next week or two.

Having wowed his former manager Alex Neil with two goals on his Black Cats debut in the 3-2 win at Bristol City in August, Simms has only featured three times under Mowbray so far, so the 21-year-old will want to impress his new boss in training in order to get back into the team.

Liverpool forward Luis Diaz may not return to full sharpness immediately after the World Cup, according to a worrying update from injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Diaz suffers injury blow

The Reds’ disappointing start to the season was made worse when Diaz suffered a knee injury in last weekend’s Premier League defeat away to Arsenal.

The Colombian won’t play again until the World Cup break in mid-November, leaving Jurgen Klopp with yet another injury dilemma in the coming weeks.

It is hoped that Diaz will be available once the competition ends shortly before Christmas, but that may not prove to be the case.

The Latest: Dinnery provides bleak update

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery of Premier Injuries admitted that the winger could still be working on his recovery path by the time the fixtures start up again on Boxing Day:

“The difficulty is not just for Luis Diaz who is going to miss a large chunk of Premier League football. You’re going to have this winter shutdown so there are a lot of players who aren’t involved in the tournament or those who go away with their national teams and are on the fringes of the squad so are not getting the minutes.

“This is unprecedented. We just simply don’t know how it will work and what impact it will have on the second half of the season.

“No amount of non-competitive friendlies, bounce games, work on the training pitch can really replicate the cut and thrust of the Premier League.

“We’re talking two-and-a-half-months before Luis Diaz will be playing competitive football again. He’ll be then thrown into a high-octane competitive environment where the fixtures are coming thick and fast and we typically see high instances of injuries.

“You are almost creating this perfect storm for players. Not just in December or January but the second half of the season. It’s difficult for those players who are going to the World Cup and also how you manage those who are not involved or haven’t travelled.”

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The Verdict: Huge loss for Liverpool

This is a potentially major setback for both Liverpool and Diaz, with the 25-year-old arguably the Reds’ standout player of a bad bunch so far this season, scoring three goals and registering two assists in the league.

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His pace and directness from out wide are such lethal weapons for Klopp – the manager has called him ‘world-class’ – and without him, the rest of the attackers are at their best in more central roles, perhaps barring Mohamed Salah.

The hope is that Dinnery’s prediction ends up not coming to fruition, with the idea of Liverpool not having Diaz firing at 100 per cent until the New Year something that is hugely concerning.

Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing up a move for a tried and tested Premier League manager who might not be a big improvement on the last regime…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to journalist Ben Jacobs, who spoke to the Off The Ball podcast about the potential candidates for the Villans vacancy.

He outlined plenty of big names but cited a former Burnley boss as someone likely to be mentioned as part of that list.

Jacobs said: “Sean Dyche will be linked as well.

“It’s an open race at the moment but one thing I do know is that a lot of the legwork behind formulating a short list and touting candidates had been done a week ago, which means the Villa board are not starting from now in terms of their recruitment.”

He would be worse than Gerrard

Although Dyche does boast a fine record in the Premier League, it is not at the level that Villa will feel they require.

Dean Smith fell short of the task, and the most recent casualty is Steven Gerrard.

The latter had just a 25% win ratio at Villa Park, and his subsequent sacking seemed an inevitability by the end of his tenure.

However, another factor that the fans would likely have been frustrated with was the style of play.

He flitted between a 4-3-1-2 and 4-3-3, neither of which garnered much success.

Dyche does have a set play style and formation, but the somewhat boring nature of it could see the Villa fans turn once more as they did on the 42-year-old.

Journalist Joe Krishnan, when debating with another journalist about the former Burnley manager’s links to the England job, wrote: “That sort of negative football will only get you so far. Not suitable for a side who should be dominating games.”

Certainly, fans of the Midlands club will expect their side to do this, and given their current position they still have time to get a more expansive manager who could not only move them away from the relegation zone but help progress them in the seasons to come.

Dyche’s style favoured long balls to hulking strikers, yet with Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins, he has two forwards who rank in the 37th percentile and the 71st percentile of strikers in the big five European Leagues respectively for aerials won.

It would undo any work Gerrard did to create a slightly more creative philosophy, and the 51-year-old could manage to be even worse than him.

The Guardian reporter Ed Aarons has been reacting to Crystal Palace’s interest in Bristol City forward Antoine Semenyo.

The Lowdown: Palace rumours

Reliable reporter Alan Nixon stated that Dougie Freedman watched the Ghana international in action last month, and speculation of a move has continued in recent weeks.

Football League World have since claimed that the Eagles are considering a double swoop for Semenyo and Tommy Conway. The Bristol City attacking pair appear to be catching the eye at Selhurst Park, and Aarons has been reacting to the rumours specifically regarding the former.

The Latest: Aarons’ comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Aarons labelled Semenyo a ‘very exciting forward’ and stated that he knows Palace have had a look at him in the past. However, the reporter added that the 22-year-old is facing a fight to make the Ghana squad for the World Cup next month.

Aarons said: “Semenyo is an interesting one. He was born in London but has got Ghanaian heritage and he has decided to play for them.

“He is a very exciting forward and I know they have definitely had a look at him in the past. I think it’s one where they’re just keeping an eye on him.

“It’s going to be a fight for him to get in the Ghana team. They’ve got quite a few options up front now.”

The Verdict: One to watch

Palace have had great success in the past in signing the best young players in the Championship and giving them opportunities to shine in the Premier League.

Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise are prime examples, so Semenyo could well follow suit. He appears to be a player of interest for a while and enjoyed a career-best campaign last year, contributing to 20 goals in the second tier.

The 22-year-old’s contract is set to expire next summer, and although Bristol City have the option to extend his deal by a further 12 months, Palace may look to take full advantage in the New Year, making this one to watch for the Selhurst Park faithful.

West Bromwich Albion have endured a torrid season so far, with Steve Bruce having led his side to a miserable opening 16 games of the season.

Having fallen into the relegation zone, resulting in his sacking, the 61-year-old has flirted with numerous systems in a desperate attempt to salvage his season.

Now three points adrift, Carlos Corberan inherits a confused squad hugely lacking in confidence who need uniting.

The Spaniard does boast a set-in-stone system but with the tactical fluidity to trouble every opposition. He will likely implement a 3-4-3 system, which will rely heavily on the wing-backs to provide the width and attacking impetus.

Whilst Conor Townsend down the left is a solid option, Bruce struggled with who to play down the right.

By the end of his tenure, the starting man Darnell Furlong had dropped to the bench in favour of an experienced head in Matt Phillips.

The out-and-out winger provided far more offensive threat than the 26-year-old – who has just one goal this campaign.

Meanwhile, the Scotsman has one goal, one assist, and far more experience that can serve the incoming Spanish manager.

What might make Corberan more likely to ditch Furlong is the fact that he is the sixth most valuable asset (via TransferMarkt) from players who were signed before the summer.

Therefore, he could be seen as an expendable part to free up some money for the January transfer window.

The £15k-per-week commodity would prove a fine addition to plenty of Championship teams, whilst allowing a club that spent just £1.21m in the summer to hand their new manager some significant money.

Although he earned praise last season for his eccentric throw-in technique, which Phillips actually dubbed a “weapon”, he did go the whole of the 2021/22 campaign without scoring.

Perhaps now might be the perfect time to cash in on a man who has let Bruce down throughout his entire tenure.

It might be something of a ruthless call, but to improve the all-around squad, plus the fact they already have a more than capable stand-in, all point towards reasons why he should be sold.

Leeds United will remain in Europe during the World Cup having initially planned a trip to America, reliable journalist Phil Hay has confirmed.

The Lowdown: World Cup fast approaching

The Whites have three more Premier League matches to come before the World Cup gets underway next month, starting with Saturday’s trip to Liverpool.

It is a huge period for Jesse Marsch, who knows that he will likely be out of the job after the tournament ends, should performances and results not improve, with next week’s match against Bournemouth perhaps the major breaking point.

Leeds were planning to cross The Atlantic during the World Cup and enjoy a training camp in California, friendlies with Mexican teams and a visit to the club’s minority shareholder in San Francisco, but a fresh update suggests that the club have had a change of heart.

The Latest: Leeds to stay in Europe

Taking to Twitter on Friday, The Athletic‘s Hay confirmed some changes to the training schedule through the international break, including cancelling the trip to San Francisco:

“Few EPL teams are more in need of the World Cup break than Leeds United, to reset and regroup. So changes afoot. Club now planning to stay in Europe during it, rather than heading to the US. Time off for players not involved in the World Cup to be cut.”

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The Verdict: Right call?

While a trip to California may have had its benefits, allowing the non-World Cup players some warm-weather training and potentially growing the club’s popularity in America, this sounds like a more logical option.

It means less travel for Marsch and his squad, assuming he is still in charge at that point, and possibly a more settled time of things for the players without a long excursion, as they look to work on solving their current issues.

It’s also unlikely fans would be too delighted to see their players frolicking around in the California sun given their current predicament.

Either way it is going to be a vital period in Leeds’ season, in terms of working on tactics and recharging the batteries, as they look to fend off the threat of relegation.

Glasgow Rangers return to action at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership tonight as they take on Hearts in the penultimate match before the World Cup break.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst is under pressure after losing his last two games, against Ajax and St. Johnstone, and should be hoping to secure all three points this evening.

The Light Blues were beaten 2-1 by the Saints away from home last weekend and The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell claimed that a section of the supporters were chanting for the manager to lose his job during the game.

Rangers are now seven points behind their bitter rivals Celtic at the top of the Premiership table after that defeat and fans are seemingly unhappy with the growing gap between the two teams.

How many changes will the head coach make to the team from the last time out? Here is Football FanCast’s predicted XI…

We are predicting that the Dutchman will make three alterations to the starting line-up by bringing in McCann, Morelos and Wright for James Sands, Fashion Sakala, and Malik Tillman.

FFC published an article explaining why van Bronckhorst should unleash his two strikers against Hearts and this could result in a formation change to a 4-4-2 to accommodate Colak and his Colombian teammate.

In midfield, Rangers’ 20-year-old academy graduate McCann could come in to provide an added goalscoring threat from the middle of the park.

Sands is a defensive midfielder by trade, with zero goals in his club career, and Tillman has scored once in his last 16 games for the club, as an attacking midfielder.

Meanwhile, the former Manchester United gem has racked up 21 goals and ten assists at youth and senior club level and could improve the Light Blues’ chances of scoring.

Sakala, who was once described as a “firework” by Alan Hutton, will not be available for selection after picking up an injury last weekend and that means that he will miss out tonight, which opens up the door for Scott Wright to come in.

The Scottish winger has made 12 appearances in the Premiership and Champions League so far this season and van Bronckhorst could start him out wide on the right to provide natural width in a 4-4-2 set-up – putting him in positions to cross for Morelos and Colak.

Newcastle United are currently enjoying a remarkable start to the new Premier League campaign, with the Magpies having found themselves firmly in the mix for a Champions League berth with just a game left to play until the World Cup break.

While all is well for Eddie Howe’s men at present, the Tynesiders could well be in need of further additions if they are to maintain their top-four push in the New Year, with a repeat of the success of last season’s January window potentially what is needed.

One man who has been tipped to make the move to St James’ Park when the market re-opens is Chelsea winger, Christian Pulisic, with PIF reportedly willing to fork out around £40m to prise the United States international from west London.

The American sensation – who made the move to Stamford Bridge back in 2019 on a £58m deal – is seemingly unhappy with his lack of game time with the Blues at present, having been tipped for an exit over the summer amid reported interest from both Newcastle and Manchester United.

The 24-year-old was restricted to just 13 starts in the top-flight last season – albeit while still scoring six times – having fallen out of favour under former boss Thomas Tuchel, although the subsequent appointment of Graham Potter has done little to change the player’s fortunes, making only three league starts so far this term.

That lack of involvement has been somewhat puzzling such is the playmaker’s obvious talent, having looked “very dangerous” – in the words of one source – on what was a rare start during Wednesday’s defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.

Even amid the £150k-per-week gem’s current struggles, his overall record at Stamford Bridge stands at a respectable 47 goal involvements in 132 games across all fronts, having also been a “magic” presence for his country, according to journalist Maximiliano Bretos, with 21 goals in just 52 caps to date.

Affectionately dubbed ‘Captain America’ by supporters, Pulisic will be looking to impress for his national team again in Qatar in the coming weeks, having been described as the “catalyst” for his side by USA boss, Gregg Berhalter.

The addition of the diminutive ace could well help to provide further balance to Howe’s attacking lineup, with the Chelsea man able to solve the issue on the left flank, with Allan Saint-Maximin having been plagued by injury, while Jacob Murphy has just one goal this season.

That arrival could well help to shoulder the burden on current talisman, Miguel Almiron, with the resurgent Paraguayan having been in truly lethal form in his right-wing berth, scoring eight goals in just 14 league outings so far this season.

To have two such creative talents on the flanks could well be a real asset for the Magpies, helping to offer a more varied threat from either wing to pose even more problems for the opposition.

Adding Pulisic into the forward line alongside Almiron and Callum Wilson – who has six goals in ten games this season – could well be the extra sprinkling of magic that Newcastle are in need of.

Aston Villa’s players are ‘absolutely loving’ life under new manager Unai Emery after a clear improvement in form, according to journalist Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Villa pick up another win

The Villans made the trip to Brighton for a tough Premier League clash on Sunday afternoon but ended up passing the test with flying colours.

After falling behind in the first minute to an Alexis Mac Allister goal, Danny Ings equalised with a penalty and then scored a deflected winner in the second half.

The victory lifted Villa to 12th place in the table as the Emery revolution continues into the World Cup break, with wins in both of their league matches since the 51-year-old took charge at the start of the month.

The Latest: Players ‘loving’ Emery

Taking to Twitter, Preece discussed the positive feeling in the squad under the Spaniard currently, with Emery already instilling a much happier mood among the camp at Bodymoor Heath.

Sharing a corresponding article from Birmingham Live, the reporter revealed:

“Unai Emery points to a newfound confidence amongst his #avfc squad as Villa dig in to make it a 6-point start under the new head coach. The players are absolutely loving it under Unai.”

The Verdict: Feel-good factor

The current feeling at Villa Park compared to the end of Steven Gerrard’s reign could hardly be more contrasting, when you think back to how toxic and dispirited things seemed only a month ago.

Emery has instilled a new-found confidence within the team, as highlighted by Sunday’s hero Ings, and it has led to highly impressive wins over both Manchester United and Brighton.

In many ways, the World Cup break has come at a bad time for Villa in terms of halting their momentum, and the hope is that it hasn’t gone away after Christmas as Emery aims to build upon this very promising start to life at the Midlands club.