Celtic extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table back to seven points as they beat Hearts 4-1 away from home on Sunday.

The Hoops took the lead through Matt O'Riley and goals from Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi made it three, before a consolation goal from Lawrence Shankland, and Tomoki Iwati added the fourth.

Reo Hatate also had the opportunity to get his name on the scoresheet as he missed from the penalty spot just seconds into the second half after Kyogo was brought down in the box.

O'Riley was one of a number of impressive performers for Brendan Rodgers' side as he caught the eye with a stunning midfield display.

Alongside the Denmark U21 international, Cameron Carter-Vickers was an unsung hero at the back for the Hoops with his fantastic contributions towards the three points.

How did Matt O'Riley perform against Hearts?

The former Fulham midfielder was exceptional in the middle of the park and at the heart of most of Celtic's good play to carve open the Hearts defence.

His sublime left-footed finish on the volley from Luis Palma's pass inside the opening four minutes set the tone for the match as his side went on to win fairly comfortably.

As per Sofascore, O'Riley created three chances and completed 84% of his passes, along with two dribbles out of five attempted. This shows that the talented youngster was reliable in possession whilst also being creative and able to take risks without giving the ball away regularly.

The ex-MK Dons man played a clever pass to Hatate in the build-up to Maeda's goal and was constantly looking to stretch and make the defence work with his movement and passes.

He played a crucial role in Celtic's victory but Rodgers' central defender – Carter-Vickers – also deserves plenty of credit for his performance in defence.

How did Cameron Carter-Vickers perform against Hearts?

The USA international, who donned the captain's armband after Callum McGregor was substituted, produced a dominant display at the back for the Bhoys.

Carter-Vickers was a rock in defence for the Hoops and did not allow Kenneth Vargas or Shankland to get the better of him during the early exchanges when the home side tried to press and probe to find an equaliser after O'Riley's strike.

He brilliantly dealt with any balls in behind, including one fantastic last-ditch challenge on Vargas, and did not allow any opposition player to get the better of him in the air.

As per Sofascore, the former Tottenham Hotspur prospect won 93% (13/14) of his duels throughout the game, which included a 100% aerial battle success rate (8/8).

The 25-year-old titan made three clearances, one block, two tackles, and two interceptions. This shows that it was far from a quiet game for the defender and his interventions were important to allow the attackers to push on and win the match comfortably.

Carter-Vickers, who completed 84% of his 69 attempted passes, provided the solid base from which the rest of the team were able to build an impressive performance in possession.

Therefore, he was the unsung hero as an excellent defender in what turned out to be a fantastic goal-filled showing from the Scottish giants.

da bet7： Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared some Tottenham Hotspur transfer news as Spurs cast their eyes on an "interesting" £39m star

Spurs striker targets

da betway： The departure of star forward and club-record goalscorer Harry Kane has scarcely been noticed so far. Instead of suffering without their former talisman, Spurs have reinvented themselves as a more fluid attacking team, with new captain Son Heung-min thriving in a more central role. Tottenham, after their latest 2-1 win on Friday night, have extended their unbeaten run to 10 games; winning eight of them in a real statement to the rest of the Premier League.

New manager Ange Postecoglou is seemingly transforming the club, and things haven't looked better than this for quite a long time. However, despite thriving without a traditional number nine of Kane's ilk, there have been suggestions that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and incoming new transfer chief Johan Lange could still sign a new striker next year.

Tottenham are interested in Brentford's Ivan Toney, for instance, who looks set to become one of the hottest commodities in English football once he returns from his ban for alleged gambling breaches. Spurs are eyeing Feyenoord forward Santiago Gimenez as well, according to recent reports, with one agent even saying this week that Spurs are among the "closest" sides to getting him.

Gimenez really "interesting" Tottenham

Now, a very reliable transfer source in Romano has shared his own update on the matter. While he confirms that Gimenez is being watched by Spurs, things don't appear as advanced as previously suggested. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the journalis backs that he's a player really "interesting" Postecoglou's side. Romano also says that Gimenez could leave for just £39 million.

“We know very well that many top clubs around Europe are keeping an eye on the boy,” said Romano.

“From what I’m hearing, something around €45million (£39million) could be the right fee to make it happen. Let’s see if (it’s) in the January window or in the summer window it depends on Feyenoord, more than on the player. The interest of many clubs is there. I think we saw Tottenham linked, because from what I’m told, Tottenham scouts have been following the player already last year.

“While they were following the manager (Slot) they saw that Santi Gimenez is absolutely a very good striker. So Santi Gimenez for sure is a player interesting for Tottenham, but also for many other clubs around Europe, and this is why decisions will be made in the next months. But at the moment, no statement from people close to the player and the only person (handling his transfer business) is the father.”

The 22-year-old has stood out as one of Europe's most in-form strikers this season. Scoring 13 goals and notching a further three assists, his tender age and pedigree could make his reported £39 million valuation a price really worth paying. Gimenez's departure from the Netherlands is surely one to watch as we head into 2024.

da bet7k： Aston Villa returned to winning ways on Thursday night, as Unai Emery’s side beat AZ Alkmaar 2-1 at Villa Park on match day four of the Europa Conference League group stages.

da dobrowin： It was crucial that the Villans claimed three points on home soil to keep within touching distance of Legia Warsaw, who were also victorious at home on the night, defeating Zrinjski 2-0 in Poland.

The results in the fourth round of games in Group E mean that Villa need a point to qualify for the next stage of the competition, with the crucial clash with Legia up next.

How Aston Villa beat AZ Alkmaar

It looked as though it could be a simple task for the hosts in the opening stages of the game, as Clement Lenglet opened the scoring within two minutes.

The Frenchman was denied his first goal for the club as it was ruled out due to corner taker Leon Bailey’s apparent inference, a decision that Ollie Watkins revealed post-match was deemed a “mistake” by the officials when speaking to TNT Sports.

The disallowed goal marked the summit of excitement in the first half, with AZ’s on-fire forward Vangelis Pavlidis putting the visitors ahead after the interval.

Luckily for Emery’s side, Diego Carlos claimed his first goal in claret and blue to level the scoring on the hour mark, before Watkins settled the destination of the points nine minutes from time with a sumptuous header.

The 63% of possession held by Villa, and their six shots on target didn’t tell the whole story of the game, that the hosts struggled to grow into as AZ asked a host of questions of the Spaniard’s rotated side.

Aside from the two goalscorers, another gem put in an impressive shift at Villa Park to contribute to the victory, as Bailey continued his fine run of form on the flank.

Leon Bailey’s performance in numbers vs AZ Alkmaar

Lauded for his “excellent” distribution throughout the match by journalist Tom Nightingale, the Jamaican recorded his fifth goal contribution in his previous five games with an assist for Carlos’ header.

Despite being frustrating with his decision-making at times in the battle, the winger proved to be too much for AZ to handle once again, with the Dutch outfit still recovering from his goal and assist in the previous meeting.

Leon Bailey stats vs AZ Alkmaar

Minutes played

90

Assists

1

Key passes

2

Crosses completed

5/9

Big chances created

1

Ground duels won

3/6

Tackles

3

Possession lost

20x

Figures via Sofascore

Aside from losing possession 20 times for his efforts in trying to move the ball forward, the 26-year-old switched on his playmaking skills for the benefit of his teammates, recording two key passes and creating one big chance, via Sofascore.

After being replaced in the final moments of the game, Bailey received a 7/10 match rating from Birmingham World’s Charlie Haffenden, who dubbed the former Bundesliga whiz as Villa’s 'main danger' on the night.

As also noted by Haffenden, the majority of the Villans’ chances spawned from Bailey’s area of the pitch, reinforcing the havoc he can cause when in top form on the flank in Emery’s free-flowing side.

With his form hitting its peak, the Jamaican’s argument to reclaim his spot in the favoured XI is strengthening game by game, leaving the manager with a decision to make going forward with his dynamic performances in mind.

Glasgow Rangers return to Europa League action this evening as they take on Sparta Prague away from Ibrox in their third group stage outing.

The Light Blues have one win and one defeat from their opening two matches in the competition and will now be hoping to strengthen their hopes of progressing through to the knockout stages.

New head coach Philippe Clement made his dugout debut against Hibernian last weekend and enjoyed a terrific afternoon as his side ran out 4-0 winners on home soil in the Scottish Premiership.

The Belgian tactician will now manage in Europe for the first time since his move to the Scottish giants and will be hoping for more success than Michael Beale and Steven Davis, who took interim charge against Aris, managed earlier this season.

Rangers were dumped out of the Champions League after a 7-3 aggregate play-off defeat to PSV under Beale, whilst they lost their most recent Europa League clash in a 2-1 defeat to Aris under Davis.

The latest Rangers team news

Clement, however, looks set to be without a senior left-back available for selection after a double injury blow this week ahead of the trip to Prague.

Borna Barisic was forced to leave the field during the opening stages of the win over Hibs and it has been reported that the Croatia international was not in training on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Dujon Sterling, who has filled in at left-back at times this season, was also absent and that suggests that the summer signing from Chelsea will not be in contention to feature.

Ridvan Yilmaz came on to replace Barisic last weekend but the Turkey international is not eligible for selection this evening as he was not registered as part of the club’s Europa League squad.

There are no other fresh injury issues that have been disclosed by the manager and this means that left-back may be the only enforced change for the Belgian chief.

Whilst Clement could look to use a central defender or an experienced midfielder in that position to fill a gap for this game, the Belgian boss must finally unleash academy starlet Adam Devine from the start.

Adam Devine's statistics for Rangers

The 20-year-old dynamo has racked up 11 first-team appearances for the Light Blues since he made his debut for the club under Giovanni van Bronckhorst towards the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

Devine started one of his two Premiership outings under the Dutchman during the top six split matches of that season and struggled to catch the eye.

He lost 62% of his individual duels and was dribbled past one time per game on average, along with 1.5 tackles and interceptions and zero key passes per clash.

These statistics show that the Scotland U21 international was bullied by opposition players as they found it far too easy to get the better of him, which is not a trait you want in a defender as the manager should want his backline to be strong and able to keep the other team at bay.

The talented youngster, who is a right-back by trade, was then provided with an opportunity to play under Beale as Barisic and Yilmaz were both unavailable after the break for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Devine made six Premiership appearances and started three games for the former Gers head coach throughout the 2022/23 league campaign.

The "powerful" runner – as he was dubbed by former reporter – and now Rangers content executive – Craig Vickers – improved upon the performances he displayed under van Bronckhorst the previous season.

In those six outings, the dynamic ace created two 'big chances' for his teammates and was only dribbled past 0.3 times per game, to go along with a duel success rate of 55%.

These statistics show that Devine learned from his first couple of appearances at first-team level and was able to give a better account of himself under Beale, as he showcased his ability to make an impact at both ends of the pitch.

The academy graduate carved open the opposition to create huge opportunities for others and maintained a strong duel success rate, which shows that the other teams were not able to muscle him out of the way as easily as before.

Borna Barisic's statistics this season

Rangers' 30-year-old left-back has been the first-choice in his position so far this season and has started eight matches across the Premiership and the Europa League.

However, he will not be named in the starting XI this evening as Clement has already confirmed that the Croatian ace is expected to return to action next week, which also rules him out of the game against Hearts on Sunday.

The experienced defender has been solid enough at league level for the Light Blues. Barisic has created one 'big chance' in six Premiership starts and came out on top in 55% of his physical contests.

He has also been dribbled past 0.4 times per game and this suggests that Devine's performances last term were on a par with the Croatia international's this season.

They are both defenders who are rarely dribbled past and win the majority of their duels, whilst the 20-year-old ace actually created 'big chances' for his teammates at a more impressive rate.

Therefore, Rangers may not be significantly weakened by using Devine at left-back in place of the injured Barisic and that is why Clement must finally unleash him from the start this evening, for the first time this term.

Offering an opportunity to a promising academy graduate, who has proven – with his displays last season – that he has the quality to play at senior level, instead of playing a player out of position could be a shrewd move by Clement to excite supporters.

Fans may like to see that the manager is willing to trust and rely on youth when the chance is there to do so, rather than blocking their pathway by moving a senior star out of their usual slot.

da bwin： Italian goalkeeper Marco Silvestri has praised a "great talent" at Tottenham, and he suggests the youngster is just destined for the top.

Spurs surprise everybody with Premier League form

da mrbet： Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has been a rip-roaring success since joining the club from Celtic in June, guiding them to top of the Premier League table at one point. Before their recent injury and suspension crisis, the north Londoners went on a very impressive 10-game unbeaten run, winning eight of them, with Postecoglou making the best start ever by a new boss in the division's history.

All eyes are now on how they'll fare without key duo James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, who are both expected to be out until 2024. Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie are also out through suspension, dealing an almighty task for Postecoglou to get the very best out of Spurs with limited quality over the next few games.

The Lilywhites take on Aston Villa in four days, a tough encounter given the form of Unai Emery's side, while they couldn't ask for a more intimidating contest afterwards as league champions Man City await them at the Etihad.

The importance of Udogie

Missing Udogie is a real blow for Spurs alongside the other aforementioned stars, as his pace and dynamism down the left-hand side has proven to a major asset. Before his suspension, the Italy international had started 10 league matches, providing two assists whilst proving to be one of the success stories of Postecoglou's early tenure.

“Udogie, I’m really staggered by how good he’s been," said The Athletic journalist James Maw in September ( View From The Lane as transcribed by TBR).

"To me, this is going to sound mad after four games, but he already looks like one of the better players in the Premier League.

“For a player in that position, we’ve seen Gareth Bale and this is a slightly lazy comparison given it’s based entirely on position, but we’ve seen a left-back go on to be one of the best footballers in world football over the course of like a five, six-year period. He will be a £100m player like that. Udogie, incredibly good, he’s only going to get better.”

Silvestri tips Udogie for the top

The 20-year-old youngster, upon his return, could even contend for the PFA Team of the Year if he carries on this sumptuous form. Silvestri, a former teammate of his at Udinese, explained exactly why that may be the case in an interview with Tribal Football this week. The 32-year-old goalkeeper heaped praise on Udogie and insists he's a "great talent".

Destiny Udogie's style of play

Likes to dribble

Likes to play short passes

Likes to tackle

"I saw Udo make his debut when we played together in Verona. I have always considered him a great talent and a hard worker, in 4 years I have never heard him complain. I was convinced he would do very well straight away in the Premier League because he has all the characteristics but I believe he can continue to grow and become a top, top player."

Leeds United supporters have been optimistic that promotion could be achieved under Daniel Farke this season, but now will be exhilarated by the prospect of charging toward the automatics after defeating Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

Farke's side might have started off slowly this season – winning just three of their first nine matches in the second tier – but the system has slowly instilled and now there is a tangible prospect of securing an instantaneous return to the Premier League.

Indeed, having now won five of their past six, the Whites have reduced the gap on Leicester to 11 points, ending a remarkable nine-match winning run for the hosts.

But it is the manner of the performance, the togetherness and the spirit, that would have pleased Farke most, who always knew of his players' quality but had yet to see them come into bloom.

While Leicester still boast a healthy advantage, there is so much football still to be played, and the collective performance of the squad proves that success can be achieved.

Not quite at their apotheosis yet, Leeds have illuminated their credentials and will now seek to maintain a scintillating streak of their own, but to do so, Farke will need to uphold the vigour of the engine room, but no fret, Glen Kamara holds the key.

How much Leeds paid for Glen Kamara

Signing from Rangers in a £5m transfer in the summer, Kamara could prove to be a masterful signing for the Elland Road side, who have countered the mass exodus following relegation earlier this year with some exciting, impactful additions.

He hasn't quite cemented himself as the very centrepiece of his side yet, but Kamara is undoubtedly showing signs of being a key figure in a promotion-pushing team.

As per FBref, the 6 foot midfielder ranks among the top 12% of positional peers across divisions similar to the Championship for assists, the top 1% for pass completion, the top 15% for passes attempted and the top 12% for progressive passes per 90.

A superb distributor and a wise reader of the game, Kamara has been impressive for the Whites thus far, though he has only made six starts in the Championship and will now be expected to continue his development in Yorkshire and start sustaining his performances.

Across those displays, as per Sofascore, Kamara has completed 91% of his passes, made one key pass per game and succeeded with 63% of his dribbles and ground duels.

Over the coming months, the 28-year-old will now be expected to properly click into gear, but with further displays such as the one that subdued the Foxes, the Leeds faithful can rest assured.

Glen Kamara's performance vs Leicester by numbers

Against Leicester, the Finnish star was at the heart of Leeds' success, with Jermaine Beckford even pronouncing him an "absolute machine" on Sky Sports' live commentary, such was the relentless nature of his all-action performance.

Leeds Live writer Beren Cross bestowed a 9/10 match rating for the one-time Arsenal youngster, remarking on how intelligent and omnipresent he was in the centre of the park against the division's mightiest team.

Cross wrote: 'Incredible example of a central midfielder's performance. Read danger brilliantly and acted on it. Broke up play and then got his own side moving forward with superb passes. Contributed with late runs from deep too.'

The 56-cap international was certainly among the foremost performers on the night, demonstrating his crispness, progressive nature and combative presence against a formidable foe.

Kamara might have been immense and indeed proved to be the star man despite Georginio Rutter's goal, but the display of Joe Rodon behind him in central defence must not be overlooked, with the Welshman continually proving his worth since joining the club in the summer.

Joe Rodon's performance vs Leicester in numbers

Rodon has failed to make his mark at Tottenham Hotspur since joining from Swansea City in a deal worth up to £15m in 2020, having made just 24 appearances to date.

Now 26-years-old, he joined Leeds on loan in August and has since started 11 times in the second tier for Farke's outfit, earning praise for his "warrior mentality" from his manager after a 3-0 victory over Millwall in September.

Against Leicester, he arguably reached his apex so far, with Sofascore recording the metrics that prevented the division's frontrunners from breaking the rearguard, taking 61 touches, completing 86% of his passes, blocking a shot and making a staggering seven clearances.

Furthermore, Rodon embodied the spirit that Leeds fans hold so dear, with TEAMtalk editor and lifelong Leeds supporter James Marshment hailing that mentality, dubbing him an "absolute rock" at the back.

Cross seemingly echoed this sentiment and believed that Rodon matched his Finnish counterpart on the night, also handing him a 9/10 match rating and writing: 'Tremendous. Came into his own as the pressure was piled on in the final quarter of the match. Reduced Jamie Vardy to a spectator in the first half. Some massive slides, blocks and clearances in the second period.'

Considering the £10k-per-week titan won 100% of his duels (3/3) against an almighty strike force, then it does appear that such effusive words are warranted.

Rodon ranks among the top 5% of centre-backs across divisions similar to the Championship over the past year for pass completion and an interesting ball-playing inclination is starting to materialise in this Farke team.

The German manager has implemented a progressive, possession-based system at Elland Road and it's a small wonder that such a composed distributor in Rodon was signed.

Having conquered the King Power, the Whites now know that they boast the calibre to defeat any opposition that the Championship has to offer, and while there will be many tests – and not all successful – to come, there is a growing belief that Premier League football will soon return to this proud football club.

Manchester United are set for some major changes off the field and agreements are already afoot at Old Trafford as prospective investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks to put his own stamp on the Premier League giants, as per reports.

Manchester United takeover updates

Manchester United are just a week shy of being on the market for a whole calendar year after the Glazer family commenced "a process to explore strategic alternatives" on the same day that Cristiano Ronaldo controversially left the club by mutual consent. Of course, the question of the Red Devils being up for full sale is still debatable, given reports that the Glazer family didn't harbour the belief that anyone could get close to their asking price to take absolute control of the club at their expense, as per The Daily Mail.

Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani had submitted several bids to to try and buy Manchester United; however, his final offer of £5 billion wasn't enough to appease the Red Devils' much-maligned hierarchy and he subsequently withdrew from the process, leaving Ratcliffe in pole position to acquire a minority 25% stake in the club.

Ratcliffe and petrochemicals firm Ineos are now days away from being installed as minority stakeholders at Manchester United, according to Sky Sports. In light of this, changes are already taking place behind closed doors at Old Trafford, with Manchester United chief executive Richard Arnold set to leave the club after just two years as part of a major shake-up.

Interim CEO Patrick Stewart will take over from Arnold while the search for a new chief executive takes place, and fresh reports have indicated who that man is likely to be, also giving insight into other potential off-field recruits at Manchester United.

Jean Claude Blanc in the frame…

Taking to social media platform X, Foot Mercato journalist Santi Auona has delivered some important news detailing who could be set to replace Arnold as chief executive alongside providing two candidates for the sporting director role at Manchester United.

"Jean Claude Blanc is set to become Manchester United's new CEO, once the purchase of Jim Ratcliffe's shares has been completed. MU also want Paul Mitchell. The former Monaco manager is ready to sign, but some details have yet to be finalized. MU has also held discussions with Michael Edwards."

Chief executive candidate Jean Claude Blanc was most recently involved with Paris Saint-Germain and was also CEO of Juventus; however, more importantly, his link to Ratcliffe is through the fact that he left the former to oversee Ineos' sports portfolio, including Ligue 1 side OGC Nice and Swiss outfit Lausanne-Sport.

Sporting director Paul Mitchell has been linked with Manchester United for a long time and has worked in senior recruitment roles at AS Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur, RB Leipzig and Southampton, as cited by The Mirror. On the other hand, Michael Edwards was sporting director at Liverpool in his last position and also had stints as technical director and an analyst. At the same time, he has also held chief analytical roles at Tottenham and Portsmouth.

Whatever direction Manchester United choose to take in their new dawn under Ratcliffe, there is plenty of work to be done to ensure that the Red Devils return to the top table in English football.

da bet sport： Respected journalist Fabrizio Romano thinks Arsenal sporting director Edu looks certain to bid for an "underrated" player in the January window.

Edu's transfer policy boosts Gunners

da stake casino： In the summer, Arsenal spent over £200 million on new recruits with more than half of that going on club-record signing Declan Rice. The England star has since gone on to become a revelation in north London, while another new arrival in goalkeeper David Raya recently ousted long-serving number one Aaron Ramsdale between the sticks.

Kai Havertz, while being subject to real criticism at points, did score a crucial last minute winner away to Brentford at the weekend and it will be interesting to see if he can push on from that point.

Edu's transfer policy, as he works in tandem with manager Mikel Arteta, has helped to transform Arsenal into genuine Premier League title contenders – both this season and last.

"We have a plan really in place, so we are probably in the middle of our project," said Edu last year (via Sky). "We need to keep improving the quality in the squad. We have to make important decisions to make our squad better every year, so we have to improve, improve and improve.

"Here we have to always think about winning. I think the club was born to win things because of the size of this club and that we have to always think about winning. Every single year we have to be better, better and better."

Ahead of January, the north London club are identifying targets to bolster Arteta's squad ahead of another title challenge, and one player who's of real interest is Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz.

Romano thinks Arsenal will bid for Luiz

The Brazilian has been a star for Villa under Unai Emery this season, playing every single league game while standing out as one of the club's exceptional performers. Emery appears determined to keep Luiz as a result, with the Spaniard admitting to media recently that he is a key player.

"Douglas is playing very good," the Villa boss said. "His commitment [is] amazing. I want to keep him and he is happy with us."

Villa, as a result, may make it very difficult for Arsenal to sign him in January, but reliable journalist Romano thinks Edu will bid for Luiz regardless.

“Douglas Luiz keeps being linked strongly with Arsenal ahead of January, but I think it’s going to be a tough one,” Romano said (via CaughtOffside).

“It reminds me of the Moises Caicedo situation last January transfer window when Arsenal really wanted Caicedo – they made multiple bids to sign him and then at the end it was not possible.

“I still think Arsenal will try to sign Douglas Luiz, even if it will be very difficult as Aston Villa don’t want to sell him.”

Douglas Luiz's style of play (via WhoScored)

Plays the ball off the ground often

Likes to shoot from distance

The former Man City star could strengthen Arteta's midfield to no end, with club legend Paul Merson calling Luiz "one of the most underrated players in the Premier League".

Glasgow Rangers couldn’t have expected a much better start under Philippe Clement. The Belgian has led the Ibrox side to six wins and a draw in his first seven matches.

It is a far cry from their form in the opening stages of the campaign and the poor results – and performances – led to Michael Beale being sacked.

His summer transfer business didn’t exactly do him many favours, as several of his signings underperformed during the embryonic stages of their spells in Scotland.

Only Jack Butland and Danilo have lived up to expectations and Clement may need to delve into the January transfer market to add some new faces to his squad.

Rangers transfer news

With this in mind, it appears the 49-year-old isn’t hanging around with regard to making early forays into the market.

According to TEAMtalk, Rangers are monitoring young Motherwell midfielder Lennon Miller ahead of making a potential move for the player.

Celtic are also keen, along with a handful of Premier League sides, including Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Newcastle United, indicating that Clement faces some incredible competition for the 17-year-old.

The teenager has recently signed a new deal at the Steelmen and this could throw a spanner in the works regarding a January move, especially coupled with his latest injury blow which will rule him out until the early stages of 2024.

It wouldn’t be the first time that the Light Blues have raided Motherwell for a brilliant young talent, as they lured Bailey Rice to Ibrox last summer, and he certainly has the potential to make the grade at Rangers.

Lennon Miller’s career statistics

The teen sensation only made his senior bow during the 2022/23 campaign going on to play five times last season and this has clearly given him a solid base to work from.

Stuart Kettlewell, the Motherwell manager, lauded Miller as a “special talent” last month and he has already made 14 appearances so far, scoring and assisting once apiece, proving he has an excellent future in the game.

Like Rice, he is a central midfielder who can also operate either further forward or slightly deeper when required.

Rice made his debut for Rangers in February this year, becoming the club’s youngest ever league debutant aged just 16 years, four months and 14 days.

The youngster has kicked on and played twice for the senior side this term, with this experience proving crucial to his early career development.

The former Well starlet has everything required to one day become a mainstay in the Gers midfield, and it's clear Clement feels the same way about Miller, hence the interest.

Despite his tender age, Miller ranks in the top ten across the Motherwell squad for accurate passes and key passes per game, suggesting that he can mix it with the senior players and contribute effectively.

Rice has demonstrated that there is a clear pathway for talented young players arriving from other Scottish clubs to make the grade at Ibrox.

Miller has the added benefit of playing regularly in the Scottish Premiership this term and this is something that could give him a big advantage when compared to the other young talent emerging from the academy at the Gers.

da realbet： Burnley are monitoring the situation of an overseas striker as they weigh up a move in January, according to a fresh report that has emerged.

Burnley's season so far

da mrbet： The Clarets have made an extremely disappointing start to the new top-flight campaign having won one, drawn one and lost 11 of their opening 13 games, meaning that they currently find themselves at rock bottom of the table in the Premier League.

Having netted just ten times, Vincent Kompany’s side are the lowest-scoring team in the division, so the manager will know that he has to enter the market during the upcoming window to sign some attacking reinforcements if he wants to avoid relegation.

Related Burnley showing interest in move for left-footed "creative spark"

The Lancashire outfit are eyeing a new player ahead of January.

Posts ByChloe Chadwick Nov 14, 2023

The Turf Moor boss has set his sights on Ajax centre-forward Chuba Akpom, who only put pen to paper at the Johan Cruyff Arena from Middlesbrough over the summer, but he’s already made an impressive start to life in the Netherlands.

The Eredivisie’s 28-year-old has firmly established himself as John Van’t Schip’s best-performing offensive player so far this season (WhoScored – Ajax statistics), and thanks to his outstanding beginning overseas, six clubs are interested in securing his services on a temporary basis in January.

Burnley considering swoop for Chuba Akpom

According to TEAMtalk, Burnley are keen on Akpom, but they are set to face competition from several other potential suitors should they want to get a deal over the line.

“Sources have now told TEAMtalk that Akpom is open to the idea of a move to the Premier League and with Ajax ready to consider a loan deal, there is interest. Crystal Palace and Fulham are both very keen on a possible deal for the 28-year-old, while Everton, Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United are also keeping tabs on the situation.”

Kompany could land "stunning" striker in Akpom

At Ajax this season, Akpom has so far scored five goals in nine appearances in the Eredivisie, which shows how prolific he can be in the final third, but he’s also capable of providing cover in areas outside of his own should any unexpected injuries occur.

The Canning Town-born talent is not only a prolific finisher but also a versatile operator having been deployed in five different positions since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even as an attacking midfielder (Transfermarkt – Akpom statistics).

Chuba Akpom's Style Of Play

Gets fouled often

Likes to dribble

Counter attack threat

Likes to do flick ons

Does not dive into tackles (Data via WhoScored)

Sponsored by Nike, the Englishman was additionally named the Championship Player of the Year for 2022/23, so the individual recognition that he’s receiving represents exactly how much of a positive impact he can have on a side compared to his fellow teammates.

According to journalist Josh Bunting, Akpom is a “stunning” striker and there’s no doubt that he could make all the difference for Kompany, therefore, it would be a massive coup if the board could fend off interest and get him to sign a loan deal in Lancashire.