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Leicester City could be in line to sign Cengiz Under on a permanent deal after Corriere dello Sport have reported that AS Roma ‘hope’ that they can sell him.

As per the news outlet, the East Midlands club exerted the option to take him on loan for the 2020/21 term for €3m, with the further option to buy for €23m, equating to a total of €26m (£22.3m) should they wish to sign him permanently.

However, the Italian publication also claim that it would be ‘difficult’ for Brendan Rodgers’ team to exert this option, although it has not been ruled out.

Leicester should not give up on Under

The Foxes should not give up on Under just yet, despite his rather tame return for them. The Turkey international has only managed to score a mere two goals and make a further three assists in 19 games in total over all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt), and would surely have been hoping for better numbers.

However, at just 23 years of age, the winger still has a lot of potential and is a more than feasible squad option for LCFC to have.

He has even earned the highest of praises from footballing legends Francesco Totti and Christian Vieri, which should not go unnoticed.

Nonetheless, Under is a player that Leicester should be considering signing on a permanent basis if they are not already thinking of doing.

In other news, find out what FA Cup news has left Foxes fuming here!

Rangers take on St Mirren at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon in the knowledge that a win could potentially see them secure the Premiership title this weekend.

Steven Gerrard’s side can seal their first league title in 10 years should they earn three points against Jim Goodwin’s side, so long as their Old Firm rivals drop points away at Dundee United on Sunday.

If Gerrard wants to make sure of victory in one of the most important games of the season, then he should restore Ianis Hagi to his starting XI on Saturday.

The Romanian international was left on the bench for the game against Livingston and Rangers missed his creativity on the right-hand side, with the Gers reliant on a late winner from Alfredo Morelos to seal the three points in midweek.

So far this season, the 22-year-old has contributed five goals and nine assists in the Scottish top flight, which has seen him average an impressive 6.93 match rating with WhoScored.

St Mirren have only conceded 34 goals in 31 league games this season, so it won’t be easy for Gerrard’s side to unlock their defence. Therefore they should start Hagi, as he is the joint-top assists provider alongside James Tavernier in this Rangers side so far this season.

The young midfielder has also averaged 1.1 key passes per game this term, which is better than the 0.7 averaged by Scott Arfield, who replaced him in the starting team against Livingston.

Hagi will be fresh after being left on the bench against David Martindale’s side and will surely be raring to make an impression ahead of next week’s hugely important fixtures against Slavia Prague and Rangers’ Old Firm rivals.

Romania under-21 manager Adrian Mutu was full of praise for Hagi in November of last year, saying:

“He has the ability and skill to make the difference in any match he plays.”

Gerrard will be hoping that Mutu’s words ring true on Saturday if he does opt to start the youngster, for if there are nerves on show at Ibrox, then Hagi could provide the bit of added quality or magic needed to unlock St Mirren’s defence and potentially bring Rangers one step closer to the title.

And, in other news… Forget Morelos: “Outstanding” Rangers beast was Gerrard’s star vs Livingston

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Giovani Lo Celso has suffered an injury setback ahead of the Europa League clash against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday night.

The Spurs midfielder returned to training ahead of the Premier League game against Crystal Palace at the weekend, with Mourinho suggesting that while he had an “opportunity” to make it in time for the Eagles, he was more likely to be in contention for the game against Zagreb.

However, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the clash tonight, the Spurs boss has now revealed: “Gio is not ready but it’s nothing to do with his previous important injury, from which he’s totally recovered.

“But with his accumulation of work, his feelings are not the best at the moment, a little bit of some back pain so he’s had to stop working the way he was doing. So not for this match.”

It’s fair to say it’s been a strange old campaign for the midfielder, with numerous injuries and niggles restricting the £31.5m-rated gem to just 11 Premier League appearances amounting to only 436 minutes of action – frustratingly for both manager and player, he’s completed the full 90 minutes in just two games all year.

Just last season, Lo Celso’s Spurs teammate Harry Winks waxed lyrical about the Argentine’s ability, saying: “It took him a while to get used to all the intensity and the aggression of the league but he’s flying now and he’s been fantastic.

“He is a technically gifted player. But he is not afraid to get stuck in when he needs to as well.”

Sadly for both him and Spurs, things just haven’t quite panned out as they would have wanted this time around.

Lo Celso’s latest setback will surely just add to Mourinho’s concerns and worries over the midfielder – there’s nothing more frustrating than having an injury-prone player who continues=s to break down just when you think they’re ready to be welcomed back into the fold.

With the north London derby on Sunday against Arsenal, there was every chance that Lo Celso could well have played a part, or even started against Zagreb tonight in order to perhaps rest some of the Lilywhites’ other key stars who have had a busy few weeks.

Instead, Mourinho will be forced into sticking to a familiar eleven, and Lo Celso, who he likely thought was going to be ready to feature tonight, has now just added to his worries.

Meanwhile, Spurs should start this £16.2m-rated gem tonight…

Kevin Phillips is far from impressed after West Bromwich Albion completed the loan signing of Mbaye Diagne until the end of the season.

Phillips not impressed by Diagne

The Baggies confirmed the signing of the 29-year-old on Friday (wba.co.uk), with Diagne joining on loan until the end of the season with an option to buy.

Speaking to West Brom News, Phillips was clearly underwhelmed by the capture. He said:

“It’s almost like they’re getting a bit desperate.

“Sam made it clear he was interested in Benteke and obviously that got quashed straight away by Crystal Palace so you move onto other people who are down the list.

“I felt in the summer it was a panic buy for Karlan Grant because when you saw he was given a six-year contract it was like, ‘we’ll give you whatever, just sign please, we need a striker’. It’s unheard of to give that length of contract to anyone.

“It smells a bit like that again – another massive gamble. Is he going to come in and score the goals to keep them in the league? Only time will tell.

“I hope he does but it’s a big risk.

“You have got to try something as long as it’s not breaking the bank and I’m sure it’s not. But they’re probably still paying over the odds for what they would usually have to because the player holds all the cards.

“West Brom need players and let’s hope it is a good signing but I’m a bit sceptical, to be honest.”

Surprising

It is surprising that Phillips is so downbeat with this latest capture. The Baggies are always going to find it difficult to compete with top sides for new arrivals, and it is especially hard to bring in new players in this current climate. Diagne, though, is a striker with a good track record – he has 11 goals in 19 games in all competitions so far this term (Transfermarkt).

He has hit the back of the net consistently over the past few years, and with West Brom amongst the worst scorers in the Premier League this season (Sky Sports), they are crying out for a clinical finisher. Therefore, this deal for Diagne could be a stroke of genius from Sam Allardyce and co.

In other news, West Brom fans want to sign this 3-cap international.

Liverpool went out with “a whimper” and were “disgraceful” as they lost 1-0 to Brighton at Anfield on Wednesday night.

Cundy not impressed

Those were the words of former Chelsea defender Jason Cundy, as he reacted to the Reds’ second home defeat in a row.

The Seagulls’ Steven Alzate scored the only goal of the game in the second half after Trent Alexander-Arnold got himself caught under the ball and Dan Burn headed across goal to provide the assist.

While Liverpool once again fielded a makeshift defence, it was at the other end of the field where their problems lied, having created just two big chances and one shot on target during the 90 minutes (Fotmob).

Speaking to talkSPORT, Cundy was furious with what he saw and did not sugarcoat his words while discussing the performance.

“That was pathetic from Liverpool tonight,” he said.

“They are up against a side, and credit to Brighton they are a good side, but that is the defending champions you just watched there.

“A whimper, disgraceful, shocking… and you know what? History may be repeating itself.”

Klopp managed to secure two Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund before he left his position, and Cundy related Liverpool’s current form to the German tactician’s final days in charge in North Rhine-Westphalia.

“You look at what Klopp did at Dortmund when their season imploded; in his final season all of a sudden it went to pot when they went on a run of two wins out of 16.

“This is something that has happened before to Klopp, in Germany. He demands so much, and his demands have been brilliant.

“But are we looking at a Liverpool side now that has just run out of gas? Because that is not the Klopp Liverpool that we have seen over the past three seasons. They went out with a whimper.

“Credit to Brighton, because they deserved it, but that was just shocking!”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

While it was a really poor performance from Liverpool, it’s fair to say there are elements about the display which were out of the manager’s control – namely injuries.

Let’s not forget, captain Jordan Henderson is being made to play as a centre-back, costing the Reds his usual energy in midfield, while the likes of Alisson, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota all missed the match as well.

Supporters will be feeling down in the dumps after that one, but it can all change again if they can beat Manchester City on Sunday. What a funny old game football can be.

In other news, Liverpool fans go after under-fire Klopp star once more after Brighton slip-up.

Kristjaan Speakman could be the man who holds the keys to Sunderland’s promotion.

If he and Lee Johnson are able to spend sensibly in January then it could well engineer a successful run to the Championship.

That, however, will be easier said than done.

What’s the word?

Prospective buyer William Storey revealed last weekend that if he manages to secure a takeover and buy the club from Stewart Donald he will target a very specific area in terms of new recruits.

That happens to be the Premier League. Of course, Sunderland can’t exactly go out and spend money on Premier League talent but what they can do is look at the academy sides where a whole host of talent is currently occupied.

As a result of Storey’s claim, The Sunderland Echo put together a piece looking at the viable options for Johnson and Speakman in January.

One player who could be on their radar is Manchester City midfielder James McAtee. According to the Echo, there will be no shortage of suitors for the 18-year-old if a temporary move is sanctioned next month.

Move over Embleton

If McAtee does indeed join in January it could be disastrous for Elliot Embleton.

The midfielder spent the vast majority of last season out injured with a serious hamstring injury and as a result, his development has been pushed back considerably.

Embleton has now managed to break into the senior team at the Stadium of Light for the first time but if the Black Cats look to sign a creative player in January that could put his progression on the backburner once again.

This wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing for the Mackems, though. That’s because McAtee is a bright young player with plenty of attacking qualities. Capable of playing as a centre-forward, out wide, as a number 10 or further back, he is as versatile as Embleton.

However, his numbers are significantly more eye-catching. Compared to fellow Man City midfielder Phil Foden, the teenager has scored six goals and assisted a further seven for the Citizens’ U23 side this season.

Embleton, on the other hand, only ever netted six times for Sunderland at the same level.

It’s clear that McAtee has plenty of potential and signing him on loan in January could add plenty to Johnson’s ranks.

AND in other news, Sunderland can fix Johnson’s big issue with swoop for “really lively” beast compared to Andy Cole…

Lee Ryder was left slamming the display of Joelinton as Newcastle United lost 3-0 away at Arsenal in the Premier League on Monday night.

Mikel Arteta’s team ran out very comfortable winners in the end thanks to two goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and one for Bukayo Saka as the Gunners dominated the game in large spells with far more possession, shots and passes than their opponents (Sofascore).

There were many poor performances on the night for the St. James’ Park faithful, but Joelinton in particular received plenty of criticism from Ryder.

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, the football journalist described the 24-year-old as ‘not effective’ and gave him a mere 3/10 overall rating for the match, which was the joint-second worst he gave behind Jonjo Shelvey (2).

Joelinton ineffective for Newcastle

This rating from Ryder was reflected within the stats as well, as the Brazilian had fewer touches of the ball (38) than his own goalkeeper in Karl Darlow in total (44), in addition to failing to record a single shot on goal at the Emirates Stadium (Sofascore).

If his shooting boots were not on, his creative ones were not either, as he failed to make a key pass, cross or long ball, also losing no fewer than seven of his duels, the most lost out of any of his teammates to have set foot on the field of play (Sofascore).

It was a night to forget for Joelinton, as Steve Bruce’s side were deservedly beaten once again.

In other news, find out what beIN update Ben Jacobs has dropped that could affect any possible takeover here!

Celtic’s defensive record this season, to put it kindly, has been absolutely shocking.

They have already conceded 13 goals in the Scottish Premiership, a tally that eclipses their title rivals Rangers by ten.

Clearly, the reason why they’re so far behind the Gers is sticking out like a sore thumb.

If Neil Lennon can’t find a way to address the defensive issues plaguing his backline then Steven Gerrard’s men will run away with the SPFL title.

Considering Celtic have desires of winning a tenth crown in a row, this has not been the season they wanted.

However, could it have been easier? Quite possibly, but after Nick Hammond’s colossal transfer blunder earlier this year we will never know.

One of the biggest issues in Lennon’s side has been at right-back with Jeremie Frimpong.

The former Manchester City youngster was excellent last season and earned considerable praise, especially from Lennon. “He’s one of the best kids I’ve ever seen,” remarked the Celtic boss in 2019.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t quite happened for Frimpong in 2020/21.

Against Hibernian the 19-year-old was pretty dismal, losing possession 18 times and completing just one tackle. On top of that, he didn’t produce much in the final third, failing to put in a single accurate cross.

Why, therefore, is this relevant to the transfer market? Well, the Hoops were unable to bring in highly-rated teenager Brandon Soppy last January.

French press (via The Sun) linked the right-back with a move to Parkhead but nothing materialised. Since then, Soppy has become not just one of the best young defenders in Europe, but one of the best young players overall.

For 18-year-old’s in Europe’s top five leagues, the Rennes defender was ranked third on WhoScored’s average ratings before the international break.

He has been a consistent figure, producing an unrelenting number of tackles. Soppy has made 2.8 per game this season in Ligue 1, a tally that eclipses Frimpong by 1.8 a match.

On top of that, Soppy is still as much a threat going forward as the current Celtic full-back is, performing at least one successful dribble each outing. Football Talent Scout described the qualities of the teenage sensation, summarising them by saying: “he is extremely dangerous on the counter thanks to his pace and acceleration.”

Soppy is already performing at a particularly high standard in one of the best leagues in Europe and not just have Celtic missed out on one of the continent’s hottest properties, but they have also missed out on the inevitable re-sale value they could have recouped.

This has been a disaster all round, especially when you consider – excuse the pun – Celtic’s soppy defensive record.

In other news, check out how Celtic can FINALLY replace Scott Sinclair…

Leicester enjoyed a successful European evening at the King Power Stadium last night as they banked a 2-0 win over AEK Athens.

Their victory sees them top their group, finishing above SC Braga on goal difference.

Brendan Rodgers’ plan to deploy wingers Harvey Barnes and Cengiz Under paid off in dividends, with both finding the back of the net to secure the win.

But another player also did the gaffer proud despite going a little under the radar with his performance.

Luke Thomas shines for Leicester

Rising star Luke Thomas has rapidly improved since his last appearance for the Foxes against Zorya Lugansk.

Rodgers handed the 19-year-old his seventh start of the season after he has made himself hard to overlook in midfield.

Last night, however, the teen featured in Leicester’s defence, marking the third time he has done so this term (via Transfermarkt).

According to SofaScore, Thomas made 87 touches and completed 62 of his attempted passes, tallying a 94% accuracy rating. He also contributed the assist that led to Barnes’ goal in the 14th minute.

His versatility to cover both the midfield and defence is something that will hugely benefit Leicester moving forwards.

His keen eye for joining the attack as well as his strong presence across the backline will see him link up well with the central defenders and also the wingers, which in turn can create a whole new dynamic for the Foxes.

If Thomas continues this kind of form, he could be pushing for a permanent spot in the starting lineup once next season come around.

In other news, Ricardo Pereira’s U23 appearance is exactly what Rodgers needed…

According to a report by Portuguese news outlet A Bola, via Sports Mole, Tottenham could be set to offload 2020 loan signing Gedson Fernandes back to his parent club Benfica after he was omitted from Jose Mourinho’s Europa League squad. 

Fernandes, who was signed in January on an 18-month loan deal to provide midfield cover whilst testing out a potential star of the future, has found life difficult in north London recently.

Fernandes back to Benfica?

Mourinho refused to name him in Spurs’ 24-man squad along with fellow outcasts Paulo Gazzaniga and Danny Rose, leaving Fernandes on the periphery of Tottenham’s team. Reports have now emerged from Portugal that he will more than likely return to his parent club, with Levy now looking like he’ll offload one of his first signings of 2020.

Described as a ‘Mourinho version of Harry Winks’ by talkSPORT host Adrian Durham, the Tottenham manager hasn’t exactly supported that tag with the game-time he has given to Fernandes.

Transfer Tavern take

According to WhoScored, the 21-year-old played a total of just 63 minutes over seven Premier League substitute appearances; and judging by this latest update, Mourinho clearly doesn’t rate him too highly.

The manager also claimed it was ‘difficult’ for Fernandes to adapt upon his first English top-flight match, with the youngster possessing bags of potential but arguably not enough to warrant a permanent deal.

His reputation on the continent motivated Levy to pursue a loan deal in order to test the youngster as a future option, but after nearly a year, it looks as if Fernandes could be going back to his homeland.

In other news: Spurs could be in line to capture a £36.5m-rated attacking giant; find out more here and don’t forget to comment below with your views!