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Steven Gerrard looks to have been handed a potential blow ahead of next season at Ibrox, with Lazio reportedly eyeing a move for Rangers star Ianis Hagi this summer.

According to reports from Italy, the Biancocelesti are keen on signing the Romanian international this summer as they look to amend their goalscoring issues in Serie A.

The report added that a bid of €10m (£8.6m) would be enough to prise the 22-year-old away from Ibrox this summer, and it would surely be a big blow for Gerrard if Hagi were to depart.

Rangers initially signed the attacking midfielder on loan from Belgian side Genk in January of the 2019/20 season and he contributed three goals and two assists for Gerrard’s side in all competitions, which was clearly enough to convince the 40-year-old to make the transfer a permanent one last summer.

He has continued to impress this season, with seven goals and 12 assists to his name in all competitions, so he has clearly become an important player at Ibrox despite being just 22.

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Gerrard was full of praise for Hagi after his double against Braga in the Europa League last season, saying: “Ianis is an outstanding talent and that stage was made for him.”

Therefore, it seems fair to suggest that the former Liverpool captain will be desperate to keep the youngster in his squad ahead of next season, when Rangers will be looking to give a strong account of themselves in the Champions League, as well as attempting to retain the Premiership title they won so impressively this term.

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Considering Hagi’s contract isn’t set to expire until 2024, you would hope that Rangers would be able to demand a hefty fee should Lazio make an official approach this summer. However, if the Romanian international is keen on a move to Italy, there may be little that Rangers can do to stand in his way.

And, in other news… Gerrard may already have his McGregor replacement in teen wonderkid training with the first team

Wilfried Zaha has unsurprisingly been one of Crystal Palace’s inspirational stars throughout the current campaign.

Despite missing large swaths of the season, he has been one of the Eagles’ stand-out performers once again, scoring nine goals alone in the Premier League.

However, it could have been so different had Steve Parish sold the Ivorian to Arsenal.

Zaha has long been linked with a switch to the Emirates Stadium, with reports as recently as July 2019 suggesting that he wished to leave Selhurst Park amidst interest from the Gunners.

Even Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has made his praise of Zaha clear, previously labelling the winger as “phenomenal”.

With Ian Holloway recently appealing for Arsenal to reignite their interest, suggesting that the Londoners purchased the wrong winger when they brought in Nicolas Pepe from Lille, Palace will be glad they held firm.

His importance to Palace has never been understated, with his 45 Premier League goals the most in the club’s history – the next highest is Luka Milivojevic on just 28.

That is exemplified this season with Zaha’s goals alone being worth eight points to Crystal Palace.

Without him, Roy Hodgson’s men would be stuck on 29 points and firmly marooned in the Premier League relegation mire.

With the huge differences in revenue between the top-flight and the Championship, any demotion for a club of Palace’s size really could have been devastating.

Whilst Zaha is rated at £40.5m, the reward for another season in the Premier League is worth far more, the importance of remaining in the top-flight surely outweighs any transfer fee that they may have received for Zaha’s signature.

So, with the Eagles set to profit even more with the vital help of Zaha, the Selhurst Park hierarchy will surely be delighted that they managed to hold onto the 18-cap Ivorian despite Arsenal’s overtures.

AND in more news, read about which other transfer that the Eagles played to perfection…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Dean Windass praised former Hull City winger Jarrod Bowen for his performances in the Premier League.

Bowen has been an ever-present when fit for West Ham United and is a crucial cog in David Moyes’ well-oiled machine.

During his final season and a half for Hull, Bowen registered 38 goals and 10 assists in 75 games which was making a lot of Premier League clubs interested.

After a deadline day fight, Moyes got his man and is proving his worth both on and off the ball registering five goals and three assists in the league so far.

The winger has carried the ball the second furthest out of anyone at West ham (40892 yards) only behind Declan Rice with 6549 yards.

Bowen’s willingness to run himself into the ground for the side is extremely valuable to how Moyes has got the Hammers playing this season.

Windass admits he was wrong to question Bowen’s ability after he departed Hull.

He told Football FanCast: “I’ve questioned Jarrod Bowen before. I questioned Jarrod when he left Hull. Was he good enough to play in the Premier League?

“He’s proved me wrong and he’s probably proved himself wrong the kid. He’s a lovely kid.”

Bowen’s form has also forced Moyes into some tough choices into who misses out in the starting line-up which has often been Said Benrahma, which Windass spoke about.

“You bring in Benrahma who’s been in and out. I think if they wouldn’t have gotten Jesse Lingard, Benrahma would have played a lot more games.”

The 24-year old is improving every game and thriving in a team that is full of energy and confidence and looking to breach the top four.

If West Ham are to earn a spot in the Champions League, Bowen’s energy and willingness to sacrifice personal achievements for the team will have to remain at the highest level.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who made over 250 Premier League appearances for Newcastle United and Derby County, doesn’t understand why Jose Mourinho hasn’t played Gareth Bale more often this season.

Bale has four goals and two assists in his last four games for Spurs having started against Burnley, Fulham and Crystal Palace, with Tottenham winning all three.

The on-loan Real Madrid winger has struggled for game time and fitness this season having started just five games in the Premier League.

Lee has found it strange as to why Mourinho has neglected the winger for so long but does not doubt his ability and judgement on his players considering his track record of success during his managerial career.

Lee spoke of his confusion of Bale’s expulsion from the starting line up this season, telling FFC:

“If a fully fit Gareth Bale is fully fit, and his head’s right and he’s raring to go you have to play him.

“Mourinho’s not stupid so there must be something going on with his fitness or his attitude. It’s surprised me how long it’s taken him to get fit.

“Mourinho’s a very, very good coach. Whether he didn’t want to play Bale because he plays more defensive, but he’s not stupid.

“He scored two goals the other night and dragged him off after 70 minutes and you think ‘well is there a reason he’s doing that?’. I certainly hope he starts playing some more because he’s exciting to watch.”

Bale has always had undoubted talent, however, since his return to Spurs in the summer his fitness has appeared to be lacking.

If Mourinho has a fully fit Bale at his disposal for the business end of the season it could see Spurs make a late push for the top four.

After signing him back in the January transfer window, it’s been a rather slow start to life at Aston Villa for Morgan Sanson.

The Frenchman has played just the 33 minutes of Premier League football since joining, with Dean Smith understandably cautious of throwing him straight into the deep end.

But with momentum stalling after two games without a win, including a defeat to Leicester last time out, it’s surely time for Smith to cast off the shackles and unleash Sanson – starting with today’s clash against Leeds United at Elland Road.

Speaking after his signing, Smith raved about the kind of qualities the midfielder could bring, saying: “He has got a big game mentality, he has played at the top of the French league for the last five years, played in the Champions League.

“He is a great technician and has great tactical awareness. He can play in a number of positions, can set up goals and can score goals. He has a bit of everything in his game so we’re really pleased with the acquisition.”

The £18m-rated Frenchman, dubbed as a “warrior” by himself, showed he’s able to be a really effective box-to-box presence in his time at Marseille. Before his move to the Midlands, he had averaged an impressive 1.8 tackles and 1.1 key passes per game in Ligue 1, both of which ranks him favourably compared to the rest of Villa’s squad.

Only two other players have averaged more tackles per match than him, while again, only two other have averaged more key passes too. That dynamism could bring some much-needed energy into the Villa engine room, and offer them a bit more guile going forward, especially when you consider they’ve actually only scored four goals in their past five league matches.

With Villa not tasting victory in their past couple of Premier League games, and suffering from crucial injuries to the likes of Jack Grealish and Matty Cash, bringing in someone like Sanson into the starting line-up could be the kind of breath of fresh air that kicks things back into gear for Smith.

Manchester United can repeat their Facundo Pellistri masterclass last year by beating Chelsea to the signing of Declan Rice from West Ham in the summer.

What’s the word?

Rice has established himself as a first-team regular starter under David Moyes and is widely considered to be one of the best holding midfielders in the Premier League.

According to ESPN, the Red Devils are reportedly eyeing up a move for Rice which would see them rival Frank Lampard’s side next summer.

However, it’s claimed a move for Rice could be dictated by what happens to Paul Pogba in the summer – despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s insistence that the France international isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

The report adds Solskjaer is keen to strengthen his squad at the end of this season and a forward, central defender and a defensive midfielder will be at the top of his shortlist.

Michael Carrick 2.0?

It was only last year that United were embroiled in a transfer battle with Chelsea and Manchester City over the signing of highly-rated Penarol winger Pellistri. He penned a five-year deal with Solskjaer’s side which put paid to Lampard’s hopes of snapping up the teenage sensation.

If Ed Woodward can repeat the same trick with Rice, there’s no denying the fact that it would be a bitter pill for the Blues boss to swallow, as he is known to be a big admirer of the England international.

Despite his young age, the 22-year-old has featured 128 times for the Hammers, and has scored three goals and supplied five assists in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

But it is his defensive contributions that cannot be ignored – in fact, in 17 top-flight appearances this season, the Englishman is averaging 1.9 tackles and 2.1 interceptions this season, with Moyes lauding the fact “he could arguably be my best centre half and best midfielder” right now.

Should Pogba depart Old Trafford, his potential departure may create space for Rice in the squad, while there are still questions over Donny van de Beek.

In a similar way to Michael Carrick, Solskjaer could emulate his predecessor Sir Alex Ferguson and deploy Rice as a defensive midfielder who can also play as a centre-back. You could also compare this to Scott McTominay, who was previously deployed in defence by Jose Mourinho during his time at Old Trafford.

West Ham head coach Moyes hailed his young charge after the 1-0 win over Sheffield United last year and said: “He is such an improved player. ‘I really think he is doing a great job as a player and we are building up hope that he will be an outstanding captain.

“The role, his responsibility he takes on the pitch because of his young age, his leadership qualities will build. He has learned from Harry Kane and Mark Noble.”

Whilst West Ham’s demands of £70m for the midfielder could prove to be a major stumbling block, there’s no doubt that he would make a fine addition to Solskjaer’s squad. Get it done, Woodward, before it’s too late.

AND in other news, Man Utd must get rid of Marcos Rojo in January…

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Phil Hay has reported that Leeds United will be without both Robin Koch and Diego Llorente on Friday when they host West Ham at Elland Road. The former is confirmed to need surgery on his knee and will be out for up to three months, whilst his expected replacement is also injured with a muscle problem.

Whilst this is a huge blow for the Whites, their manager may have just dunked them into even hotter water.

In his latest press conference, Marcelo Bielsa was asked about his centre-back options, to which he responded with his full planned line-up.

A disaster waiting to happen for Leeds

The Argentinian is known for revealing his team plans ahead of upcoming fixtures, but it’s a habit he simply must snap out of. Bielsa was famous for doing this during his time in the Championship, but Leeds were so dominant that they were confident enough to counteract any plans the opposition had for them.

However, as they have already realised, the Premier League is more demanding a lot more unpredictable and is a completely different ball game, making moves like this even more risky. The Whites recently suffered back-to-back 4-1 defeats to Leicester and Crystal Palace, which only further highlights how ruthless England’s top flight can be.

Leeds are currently 14th in the table and have won just one of their last five games. It’s important that they restore their winning form and give themselves the best chance of surviving a drop back down to the Championship. However, this will not be an easy target to meet if Bielsa continues to give his rivals insight into his match day plans.

With Michail Antonio out of action, David Moyes will need to change up his tactics. But the added boost of knowing Bielsa’s plans could hand West Ham the win on Friday.

In other news, Alfie McCalmont could be coming for Mateusz Klich…

أفادت أحدث التقارير الصحفية الواردة صباح اليوم، أن نادي ليفربول الإنجليزي يُخطط لإغراء الدولي الفرنسي كيليان مبابي، مهاجم فريق باريس سان جيرمان للحصول على توقيعه في ظل اقتراب عقده من نهايته مع النادي الباريسي.

وينتهي عقد مبابي مع باريس سان جيرمان خلال الأشهر القليلة القادمة، في 30 يونيو 2022.

ويرفض مبابي بشتى الطرق التوقيع على عقد جديد، حيث يتمسك بمغادرة “حديقة الأمراء” هذا الصيف، من أجل تحقيق حلمه والانتقال إلى ريال مدريد.

اقرأ أيضًا.. بيريز مشيرًا لصفقة مبابي: نعرض 200 مليون يورو وأندية الدولة ترفض البيع

وحسب صحيفة “ليفربول إيكو” البريطانية فإن ليفربول يُخطط لإخراج ريال مدريد من الصورة في التعاقد مع مبابي هذا الصيف.

وقالت الصحيفة إن ليفربول يستعد لتقديم راتب ضخم لـ مبابي من أجل الحصول على خدماته، حيث ينوي فريق حمُر الميرسيسايد تقديم 30 مليون يورو في الموسم الواحد لـ صاحب الـ”22″ عامًا لنقله إلى “آنفيلد”.

ريال مدريد في الصيف الماضي حاول التعاقد مع مبابي، مقابل 200 مليون يورو، ولكن إدارة باريس سان جيرمان رفضت كل العروض المُقدمة من جانب إدارة المرينجي.

كيليان مبابي مع باريس سان جيرمان، ساهم في 211 هدفًا في 187 مباراة بواقع 139 هدف و72 تمريرة حاسمة خلال أربع سنوات فقط.

Leeds United may have just beaten Aston Villa 3-0, but one problem looks likely to persist at Elland Road.

Indeed, the Whites may have managed to win without Kalvin Phillips in their starting XI, but their quest to find a holding midfield replacement within their squad goes on.

Pascal Struijk was subbed off after just 20 minutes of playing in the defensive midfield role after picking up an early yellow card, and while Phillips’ absence wasn’t felt against the Villans, there will come a time where they miss him.

Unfortunately, this could have been avoided if they hadn’t have loaned out Alfie McCalmont.

McCalmont plays in the exact same role as Phillips, and he’s reportedly a player that Bielsa had earmarked to replace him if the Yorkshire Pirlo had departed the club in the summer of 2019.

It isn’t just Bielsa who’s a fan either, Noel Whelan waxed lyrical about the Northern Irishman earlier this year.

“McCalmont I have seen a few times now and he is very capable,” he told Football Insider.

“He was tipped to replace Kalvin or be that second string to Kalvin throughout the season.

“A very good player, great on the ball and a good football mind.

“He is one that is learning his trade from watching Kalvin and being in and around that first-team setup.”

If McCalmont was seen as Phillips’ successor by the higher-ups at Leeds, why was he allowed to go on loan without another defensive midfielder coming in?

Leeds have now been left in a difficult predicament with Phillips set to miss six weeks of action, and with no recognised defensive midfielder in the squad, they’re scrambling for someone to replace him.

Struijk proved within 20 minutes on Friday that he isn’t up to the task just yet, and that only adds more fuel to the argument that McCalmont shouldn’t have been loaned out.

Leeds have dropped the ball on this one.

And in other news, Leeds should have held off on selling this ace.