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A number of Rangers fans have begged the club not to sell goalkeeper Robby McCrorie amid reports of interest from an English Premier League outfit.

The Daily Record reported that West Ham want to sign the 22-year-old as a long-term successor to Lukasz Fabianski, with the ex-Scotland under-21 international currently on loan at Livingston. News of the Hammers’ interest was later shared on Twitter by @RangersCulture.

The Daily Record added that Rangers have commenced preliminary talks with McCrorie about a new deal, with the youngster currently contracted to Ibrox until 2022. He was named as Queen of the South’s player of the season in recent days despite his loan spell at the Doonhammers ending in January when he was recalled by Rangers.

He has had a solid record between the sticks during his two loan moves this season, conceding only 30 goals in 27 league games across Scotland’s top two divisions, although he is still awaiting a senior debut for his parent club.

These Rangers fans took to Twitter to express their desire to see McCrorie, who has been touted as a long-term successor to Allan McGregor, staying at Ibrox rather than making the move to London:

Rangers fans, are you worried that McCrorie might leave the club? Do you want him to remain at Ibrox in the long-term? Share your views in the comments section below!

It’s been a fairly topsy-turvy 2019/2020 campaign for Tottenham ace Eric Dier.

The England international has found himself on the fringes of the Spurs first-team this season, making just 25 appearances across all competitions, and starting very few games.

Then there was the incident with a section of the club’s own supporters after the FA Cup defeat to Norwich earlier this year – something he has now been charged by the FA for.

The Greatest Bargains in Premier League history – How much did they cost?

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But according to Football Insider, the Lilywhites are ready to open talks with the versatile midfielder about potentially extending his stay at the club with a new bumper deal.

And after hearing about Dier perhaps getting a new contract, Spurs fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

A couple of Spurs fans simply suggested the club sell Dier instead of offering him a new deal.

It’s difficult to see how and where Dier genuinely fits into Jose Mourinho’s thinking.

Central midfield and centre-back are two areas in which Spurs have plenty of competition for places, and with Dier seemingly being half-way between the two, it raises questions about whether he could legitimately hold down a place in either role when everybody is fully fit and available.

It’s no surprise that Dier potentially getting a new deal has drawn a mixed response from Spurs fans.

Everton appear to be in the market for a new forward this summer according to fresh reports emerging this week.

As per Gazzetta dello Sport, the Toffees are keen on signing AS Roma striker Patrik Schick after impressing out on loan with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig this season.

The report hints that the Merseyside outfit are ahead of Arsenal but the Czech Republic international would ideally like to remain in Germany if his loan club decide to enact their €29m (£25.8m) clause.

If they don’t, then it is thought that Schick could be available to Carlo Ancelotti for a cheaper price of €25m (£22.3m).

The 24-year-old hasn’t exactly been a regular for Leipzig this term, playing a total of just 1,183 minutes but that hasn’t stopped him from providing seven goals and three assists, via Transfermarkt.

And whilst he didn’t bag or assist against Spurs in the Champions League, he started both matches as the German side knocked out last year’s finalists.

This would be an interesting move to make from Everton’s standpoint as they have both Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin in attack already along with Moise Kean.

The Greatest Bargains in Premier League history – How much did they cost?

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Such a move could allow the Brazilian to play wider, though.

His current boss Julian Naglesmann talked him up earlier in the season and said: “He’s shown a lot of good moments, especially with his back to the goal. He attacks very well and his eye for goal is clear to see” whilst sporting director Markus Krosche added: “Patrik is a very athletic, technical and versatile player, who also brings with him international experience. He’ll enrich our attacking play and — with his abilities — give us more variation.” via Bundesliga.com.

The Toffees could do a lot worse and at the same time, they’d be adding valuable strength in depth to a side that lacks outside the main starting XI.

WHILE in other news, Everton fans desperate for Idrissa Gueye return…

Name: Aaron Ramsdale

Club: Bournemouth

Date of Birth: 14 May 1998

Position: Goalkeeper

Aaron Ramsdale – his career so far

Even though Aaron Christopher Ramsdale is currently the first-choice goalkeeper at Bournemouth, regularly playing in the top-tier of English football despite being just 21 years of age, he did have to go through quite a bit to get where he is right now.

Born in Stoke-on-Trent and raised in Chesterton, Ramsdale’s first encounters with the footballing world came in 2014 when he joined Sheffield United’s academy. He made his first steps towards a professional gig with the Blades, graduating from the academy, signing a scholarship and then signing his first professional contract in May 2016.

But his stay with Sheffield’s senior team was brief as he moved one having only played two official games for the squad, tallying a clean sheet and a win against Leyton Orient in the FA Cup and losing the following clash against Bolton Wanderers in the same competition.

In January 2017, he switched to the Vitality Stadium, penning a contract with Bournemouth. However, 2016/17 and 2017/18 still weren’t the years for him as he could not break into the Cherries’ team, finally going out on loan to Chesterfield in January 2018.

There, he could finally start tallying valuable minutes for the League Two outfit, recording 19 appearances with two clean sheets, conceding a total of 33 goals in the process as well. Even though it sounds like a rough time, Ramsdale was getting valuable experience as a young goalie getting a regular shot in the team.

The loan deal ended in May 2018 and he would spend half a season at Bournemouth that campaign but with no minutes once again under his name, the club decided to send him out on another loan, this time to AFC Wimbledon.

League One was a step up of for him, both competition and performance-wise, as he mustered 23 appearances with seven clean sheets, conceding 31 goals along the way – an improvement on his previous loan spell with Chesterfield a year before that.

In October 2019, he penned a new contract with Bournemouth, having finally imposed himself as the first-choice goalie at the Vitality Stadium and can now boast with 28 senior performances, four clean sheets and 44 conceded goals for the Cherries.

The Premier League’s youngest first-choice goalkeeper made his competition bow against Sheffield in a 1-1 draw and tallying his first clean sheet against Norwich in a goalless draw, two months after that.

Transfer latest

Needless to say, with such a young, up and coming goalkeeper in their ranks already, Bournemouth are bound to face some transfer rumours and potential inquiries about their 21-year-old asset. And it doesn’t really come as a surprise to see some of the big teams feature in almost all of the transfer news surrounding Ramsdale.

Following his rather impressive bow into the Premier League, teams like Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea were reportedly after his signature as both clubs could do well with a quality backup goalie for their first-team squads.

Of course, some of the transfer rumours also suggested Leeds United were up for challenging the big boys for his signature as Marcelo Bielsa likes the young lad and would like to take him away from the Vitality Stadium.

But with the still fresh Bournemouth news of Ramsdale penning that long-term contract that should keep him at the club until 2024, it remains to be seen how successful all these big teams are going to be in courting the 21-year-old.

Player profile

Analysing a goalkeeper is not always an easy task – although their styles might vary, there’s only so much you can note down about them without proper footage, images and clear in-game examples that could justify the claims you make.

But from what you can gather by watching Ramsdale’s first-team exploits at Bournemouth, he does seem like a direct goalie who excels at shot-stopping, often using his impressive reflexes and good positioning to get the better of his opposition.

Of course, having conceded a total of 44 goals in 2019/20 does not go in his favour but that’s more due to the Cherries struggling as a team than him dropping unconvincing performances. According to Wyscout, he made 3.27 saves per 90 minutes this season with 53.2% being made with his reflexes only.

He also makes 1.35 exits per game and sends out 6.32 long passes per 90 minutes with 58.2% accuracy. It has to be said that he faced the third-most shots in the Premier League with 149 but has managed to tally 105 saves, ranking as the fourth-best goalkeeper in that category for 2019/20.

Sunderland target Josh Hawkes has rejected a new contract offer from Hartlepool United, according to Hartlepool Mail.

Wholesome changes are expected to be made this summer at the Stadium of Light after Phil Parkinson’s side failed to gain promotion to the Championship.

A second successive failure to get themselves out of the English third-tier will now put added pressure on the shoulders of Parkinson, who guided his side to an eighth-placed finish in the League One standings.

With a number of first team regulars set to leave the club on a free transfer, reports have emerged linking Hawkes with a move to the Wearside club.

Hawkes, who impressed for Hartlepool over the course of the 2019/2020 season, is also being courted by a number of Premier League sides such as Burnley and Sheffield United, whilst Middlesbrough, Huddersfield Town, Hull City and Barnsley are also said to be keen.

The 21-year-old will have a tough choice to make come July 1 after he rejected fresh terms with Hartlepool, as reported by the Hartlepool Mail.

Portuguese club Braga have also been labelled with interest in Hawkes, who has netted 13 goals in 63 games for Pool.

It seems like a no brainer for Sunderland to make a move for Hawkes, especially given the list of interested teams in his services.

A free transfer would be ideal for Black Cats’ boss Parkinson, who could then go on to spend cash elsewhere. However, they may find it difficult to clinch a deal if a club from one of the two higher divisions in England make a move.

Do you think Hawkes would be a good free transfer for Sunderland to make? Let us know in the comments section below…

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.

No club can guarantee that each and every signing will work out, and Everton are no exception.

In more recent years, they have done some fantastic business in the transfer market – Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, for example, are the club’s two top goalscorers this term and have become important players for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, whilst Lucas Digne has become arguably the Toffees’ most creative player despite being a left-back.

Some deals, though, just haven’t worked out, and that is certainly the case with Shani Tarashaj. The 25-year-old signed for the Toffees for £3.6m in January 2016, but it is a deal that, so far, hasn’t really worked out for anyone. He impressed during the 2015/16 Swiss Super League campaign for Grasshoppers Zurich, scoring 11 goals in 33 matches, and Everton signed him halfway through that campaign and loaned him straight back to complete the term.

However, that is as good as it has ever been for the five-time Switzerland international. He has actually never made an appearance for the Toffees, instead embarking on loan spells at Eintracht Frankfurt, Zurich again, as well as FC Emmen – across all of those clubs, he has scored on only three occasions.

When he was signed, his Transfermarkt value stood at £3.6m – now, he is said to be worth just £270,000. Although the original fee was not huge, that is still a 94.9% drop – this was no doubt a mistake from the Goodison Park outfit.

Let us know what you think below!

Indeed, the Magpies may soon become one of the richest clubs in the world, and as far-fetched as it may seem, they’ve already been linked to Cristiano Ronaldo by Spanish outlet Don Balon.

However, if the takeover falls through they will be stuck as a mid-table side, and that means the glamour and quality of the likes of Ronaldo won’t be at St James’ Park, and they’ll have to look at some cheaper options.

One man they could look towards is Jacob Murphy, the winger has been out on loan at Sheffield Wednesday this term, and after hitting his eighth league goal of the season fans debated whether or not he has a future at the club.

Despite scoring more league goals than any Magpies player has managed this term, many fans believe that it’s time to cash in on the winger, and it’s hard to argue that they don’t have a point.

The 25-year-old has managed just one goal in 34 Premier League games, and while he seems to be handy at Championship level, he doesn’t seem to have what it takes to play at the top level.

However, others believe that he deserves another chance.

Now, these fans aren’t claiming that he should be the first name on the team sheet anytime soon, but they think he has something to offer as a squad player or off the bench.

To be fair, it seems as though Murphy has improved this season, putting up his best goal tally since 2016/17 in a struggling Sheffield Wednesday side.

Liverpool’s rapidly-rising star Curtis Jones has been named the Premier League 2 Player of the Season.

The young Merseyside local scooped the award after an impressive season for Liverpool’s under-23 side. His 14 goal contributions in the reserve league added to an impressive overall campaign tally of 17 goals and seven assists (via Transfermarkt).

Following on from his influential performances for the youth side, Jones was called up to join the senior squad and it seems unlikely he will play for the under-23s again after his achievements. The teenager played a huge role in Liverpool’s FA Cup run this season, netting the only goal of the match against a full-strength Everton side back in January.

His superb strike carried the Reds into the next round, where he also found the back of the net against Shrewsbury Town.

Loads of Liverpool fans have responded to the news and are full of praise for the young trailblazer. However, one fan in particular has taken a swipe at Manchester City, tweeting “don’t let Pep see this”. The comment comes after Pep Guardiola had a negative response to Jordan Henderson winning the Premier League Player of the Season award.

Read more replies from the Anfield faithful here:

Do you think Curtis Jones will be a first team regular next season, Reds? Join the conversation in the comments below!

Celtic’s summer is bound to be quite busy once again. But then again, the Bhoys are always looking to further bolster their squad and maintain that dominance over the Scottish Premier League and the domestic scene as a whole. And now, according to Sky Sports, they are looking to offload Boli Bolingoli and immediately replace him with a new player.

The same source claims that Leeds United’s Barry Douglas is apparently high on their wishlist and we could see them make a move for the new Premier League left-back in the ongoing window.

Of course, Marcelo Bielsa’s men have been promoted to the English top-flight, which may or may not have an effect on Celtic’s potential bid, but new arrivals are surely on the cards.

Interestingly, Sky Sports also say Bolingoli is attracting interest from the Ligue 2 side Amiens and they are offering a loan deal that includes an option to buy at the end of the campaign, for a fee around £2.3m.

It is also worth mentioning that the player himself broke the Coronavirus rules with a trip to Spain without telling anything to the club or to Neil Lennon, leaving them furious with that decision. The papers don’t directly say anything about that potentially being one of the reasons he’s being sold but it’s safe to say he’s not exactly on the manager’s good side anymore.

Verdict

Douglas is a highly experienced player already in his 30s and seeing how he’s had limited opportunities for the Whites in 2019/20, he could indeed be an attainable target for Celtic.

Of course, first, they have to offload Bolingoli but the interest from France seems to be strong enough for them to successfully do that sooner rather than later. On the face of it, it seems like a good deal for all parties involved.

Former Leeds United, Manchester City and England international Danny Mills has claimed to Football Insider that Arsenal ace Rob Holding would start for Newcastle United should he make the move to St. James’ Park.

Indeed, The Atheltic journalist and Gunners transfer guru David Ornstein has recently claimed that the Englishman is close to signing for the Tyneside club on a season-long loan deal.

After hearing about this story, Mills was asked as to whether Holding would start in Steve Bruce’s team ahead of the new 2020/21 term, to which he replied:

“Yes, definitely. Newcastle we know last year had all sorts of issues with injuries. Strength in depth is a real problem for them.

“They need some solid players in there and that’s what Steve Bruce will have identified. They might not be the most exciting side on the planet but you’ve got to trust in Steve Bruce and he’ll know what that team needs.

“If you look at the players they’ve got and some of the flair players they’ve got, you need a solid base. 

“He (Bruce) was a defender himself and an unbelievable defender and obviously worked under the greatest Premier League manager of all time so he’ll know what it takes.

“If you get that foundation right then you can build everything of the back of that.”

Indeed, Holding would arguably be a solid signing for the Magpies even if it is just for one campaign. The 24-year old is relatively experienced in the Premier League, having played in 39 matches in total over the last four terms, according to Transfermarkt.

Holding has also won FA Cup trophies and two Community Shield titles, including recently being in the starting 11 which beat Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side 5-4 on penalties after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s rather superb first-half goal was cancelled out by Japanese international Takumi Minamino in the second.

His winning mentality may be useful to Bruce’s team as they look to get enough points on the board in the top-flight table for the new campaign.

The central defender also averaged more passes at a higher success rate than Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar and Federico Fernandez in the EPL in the last season, suggesting that he is more composed on the ball and is comfortable in playing out from the back if and when needed.

Holding may well be a shrew addition to the Toon should NUFC be able to get his signature over the dotted line.

Geordies, would Holding be a good signing? Comment below!