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Paul Hartley has backed new Rangers signing Greg Stewart to succeed at Ibrox, as reported by The Daily Record.

What’s he said?

Hartley was the manager who signed Stewart up at Dundee from the Scottish lower leagues, giving him the opportunity to shine in the top-flight and eventually win a move to the English Championship.

Having also experienced the pressure of playing for one of Glasgow’s big clubs, the former Scotland international is well placed to offer an insight into how Stewart might perform for the Gers next season.

His verdict is positive, believing that the attacker can become a big part of Steven Gerrard’s team.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

As quoted by The Daily Record, Hartley said:

“Greg showed his quality at Kilmarnock and against Rangers he scored a magnificent goal.

“He was on top of his game in the first half of the season and then it didn’t quite work out for him in the second half of the season for whatever reason.

“It’s a great opportunity for Greg and I don’t think anyone can begrudge him it. People might question him but it’s up to Greg to go and prove people wrong and I’m sure he will.

“He knows he will need to work hard because it won’t be easy for him. At 29 he has to grasp the opportunity to go there and not be a squad player. I don’t think he will be. He has to go impress, be as fit as he can be and be ready.”

Can Stewart rise to the challenge?

Hartley is right to point to Stewart’s form for Kilmarnock in the first half of last season as a sign he can produce for Rangers next term.

The 29-year-old was scoring and assisting regularly before his season was disrupted with a loan move to Aberdeen in January.

If he can capture that kind of form, and the kind of contribution he produced for Hartley in the past, then he’s going to be a better Rangers signing than some expect.

Also possessing versatility, he can slot into a number of attacking positions for Gerrard.

As squad players go, arriving on a free transfer, the Ibrox club could have done a lot worse.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

The latest Telegraph update on Southampton’s summer transfer plans from the reliable Jeremy Wilson proves that the south coast outfit aren’t messing around ahead of the 2019/20 season.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Saints have already signed Moussa Djenepo from Standard Liege in a deal that could be worth up to £15m, and it has been widely reported that Birmingham City striker Che Adams was the next one they wanted through the door at St Mary’s.

However, having seen a £14m offer for the 22-year-old rejected, rather than up their offer they are now ‘considering alternative options’ according to The Telegraph.

On top of that, Wilson writes that Southampton are looking to offload five senior players – one of Fraser Forster or Alex McCarthy, as well as being willing to listen to offers for Wesley Hoedt, Cedric Soares, Guido Carrillo and Sofiane Boufal.

No messing around

It feels like there has been a newfound sense of direction, decisiveness and optimism at the club ever since Ralph Hasenhuttl took charge in December, and this latest report is a clear sign of that.

Southampton’s new man Moussa Djenepo divides opinion amongst fans in the video below…

Southampton appear to have their valuation of Adams set at £14m, and if Birmingham aren’t willing to accept it they will move on – it feels as though they hold some of the cards in that respect should the Blues potentially realise they can’t afford to turn such an offer down further down the line.

Meanwhile, it would be a ruthless move for the Austrian to usher McCarthy – his number one stopper at the start of his reign and an England international – out of the club, even if the reasoning behind it may well be that he is a valuable player not guaranteed a spot in the starting XI because of the emergence of Angus Gunn.

And those that felt Boufal should get another chance look likely to be disappointed should the right bid arrive for the Moroccan.

Southampton have a real purpose again, as they look set to stick to their guns when it comes to ins and outs.

Lewis Dunk is arguably Brighton’s most influential player and, during the two years Brighton have been in the Premier League, he’s proven he belongs at the top level.

There are said to be a number of  Premier League clubs looking at bringing the 6ft 4 defender, including Leicester and Arsenal.

However, Josh Cordeschi from Its Fusion HD, who can be seen in the video above filling out his Panini Tabloid, believes that Dunk will stay.

Check out Josh’s thoughts on Dunk, in full, in the video above.

The Premier League Panini Tabloid is a special commemorative newspaper sticker collection celebrating the exciting new partnership between the greatest league in the world and the legendary name in football publishing, Panini. As the official collectable licensee to the Premier League, Panini are delighted to bring consumers a new era of collectables and the best collecting experience. See more here: http://bit.ly/PaniniFFCEditorial

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Danny Mills believes that Lucas Digne could join Tottenham Hotspur from Everton this summer, per Football Insider.

What’s he said?

Spurs have already signed Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon and Jack Clarke from Leeds United in this transfer window.

And Mills believes that Spurs will kick on with more acquisitions as they look to strengthen a squad that saw no investment whatsoever last summer and in January.

A report in June from the Daily Mirror claimed that the club were interested in signing Digne from Everton, and that the Toffees wanted Danny Rose in part-exchange, and Mills can see the former Barcelona star ending up in north London.

He said: “The merry-go-round has been given a big push by the Ndombele and Clarke deals, and I’m expecting Tottenham to be busy for the rest of the window.

“There is talk of Lucas Digne going to Tottenham to replace Danny Rose if he leaves. There could be something in that, and it’s one to keep an eye on as a late window deal.”

However, he does not expect the transfer to be cheap after Digne enjoyed an impressive season at Goodison Park; he made a total of 37 appearances in 2018/19, scoring four goals and laying on five assists.

He added: “He has been brilliant.

“He’s now worth £40million, more than double what they paid. He is technically very good, excellent going forward and knows how to defend. He’s going to get even better as he gets more used to the Premier League.”

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

An upgrade

There aren’t many better options at left-back than Rose but Digne is one of them.

In the Premier League, per WhoScored, the Englishman averaged 1.9 tackles per game, 0.9 interceptions, 0.8 clearances and 0.2 blocks. He made 1.3 dribbles and provided three assists while averaging 0.8 crosses per 90 minutes.

Digne, by comparison, averaged 2 tackles per game, 1.7 interceptions, 2.7 clearances and 0.3 blocks. He made 0.4 dribbles and provided four assists while averaging 2.4 crosses per game.

Digne is a more accomplished attacker and clearly delivers the ball with more regularity; where Rose hangs on to it (hence the higher completed dribbles), Digne will more often than not look to offload.

And one has to feel that he’d be absolutely perfect for a team instituting a high press and a swift counter-attacking gameplan, such are his statistics.

He could well be Pochettino’s perfect full-back if a move comes off.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Valencia believe that West Ham United are closing in on the signing of striker Maxi Gomez, per Tribuna Deportiva journalist Hector Gomez.

What’s the word?

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Celta Vigo forward is wanted by both Los Che and the Hammers and has been at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war throughout the summer transfer window.

West Ham’s interest in Gomez dates back to January, Football FanCast understands, and he was initially identified as a potential replacement for Marko Arnautovic amid his first flirtation with a move to the Far East.

Now that the Austria international has finally departed the club for Shanghai SIPG, FFC understands that the Hammers are again trying to get a deal done.

And Gomez, who covers Valencia, reports that the Spanish club think the player is slipping out of their grasp.

The Uruguay international has a €50m (£44.8m) release clause in his contract.

A long time coming

This should have happened in January.

Celta told West Ham then, per FFC sources, that they would have to meet the release clause in the striker’s contract to sign him.

Now, it appears that the Irons may well have struck a deal and it comes at a time when the club are desperately short of strikers.

Lucas Perez, Andy Carroll and Arnautovic have all left, while Javier Hernandez is expendable, FFC understands, and it means a total refresh up front is required.

Bringing Gomez in is a solid first step but it will have to be followed up by more business if the Hammers are to remain competitive in 2019/20.

After all, sticking with one senior striker feels like a recipe for disaster; it bears repeating, then, that Gomez should’ve been secured in January and given the subsequent six months to bed in.

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This summer, Sadio Mane and Mo Salah have been in action at the Africa Cup of Nations. Their respective nations Senegal and Egypt reached the knock-out stages, only for Salah to be knocked out with Mane advancing to the final.

The final will take place on July 19th and, as pointed out by the Liverpool Echo recently by then, Liverpool’s first team squad will be 13 days deep into pre-season training having already participated in three friendlies.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

As for Roberto Firmino, the third explosive talent in the Reds’ attacking triumvirate who has struck fear into the hearts of Premier League defences these past couple of seasons, he was walking out onto the sacred turf of the Maracana earlier this month for Brazil’s Copa America final against Peru.

His appearance took him to 710 minutes of competitive summer action and this after a long and demanding campaign that saw the South American star play 3,406 minutes for his club.

With Mane and Salah similarly running the risk of burn-out after a gruelling 2018/19 this understandably has concerns written around it and, as a result, their introduction to the forthcoming season will need to be staggered.

Otherwise, fatigue and injuries will become a factor further down the line as an endless cycle of football begins to take its toll.

In reserve, of course, the Champions League winners have Divock Origi, whose goals in that competition have put him in the hearts of the fan-base and recently earned him a contract extension.

Liverpool were able to let Sturridge go on a free and still be in fine fettle because finally emerging from their academy after a year’s postponement through injury is a future superstar of their own making: Rhian Brewster.

The 19-year-old is one of the best to come through the ranks on Merseyside after scorching his way through the youth levels then going on to lift the Under 17s World Cup for England and winning the Golden Boot in the process.

His goal-scoring exploits and fleet-footed movement across the final third had him down as Liverpool’s next big hope; that was until a cruel and serious knee injury sustained against Manchester City under 23s set the youngster’s development back a full twelve months.

“It reminds me of a bus seat!” – Watch a damning verdict on Chelsea’s new kit in the video below…

It was at this juncture that Klopp played a blinder two-fold.

Firstly, just five months into the player’s convalescence he was awarded a five-year professional contract.

Alongside this – to further a feeling of being included and valued – Brewster was then told to commit to his lengthy rehab at Melwood, surrounded by the first team.

It was here that he struck up a firm friendship with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

In June the fit-again arch-poacher was included in Liverpool’s 23 man Champions League final squad and having proudly won a medal he then secured the eternal goodwill of all Kop devotees by recently wearing it during a haircut.

Which brings us to the present and expectation that Brewster could feature next season. After all, he’s already scored three goals in two pre-season games.

It looks as though he could finally be set to impress at first-team level.

It is not inconceivable that the stoic dedication and belief from the teenager and the patience shown by Klopp will be richly rewarded in the months to come.

And in doing so it will additionally afford Mane, Salah or Firmino the opportunity to have a well-deserved rest.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Fulham are keen to receive a Tottenham Hotspur player in exchange for Ryan Sessegnon, per the London Evening Standard.

What’s the word?

The 19-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Spurs in this transfer window.

Indeed, reports claim that he has his heart set on a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as he is keen to work under manager Mauricio Pochettino.

However, a deal has not yet been agreed for the teenager, with Spurs so far completing two transfers: Tanguy Ndombele and Jack Clarke.

And the Standard now claims that is due to Fulham’s desire to take a player from the north London club, though no specific name is mentioned.

However, the newspaper reports that Vincent Janssen, Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, Marcus Edwards and Joshua Onomah are all for sale.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Get this deal done

Spurs have not included Danny Rose in their pre-season tour party, with reports suggesting that he could leave the club this summer.

As such, they have just Ben Davies as their senior left-back option and a deal for Sessegnon has gained added importance with stories of the England international departing gaining momentum.

Spurs can’t afford to enter the season with just one left-back, meaning a deal for Sessegnon is absolutely vital.

He can play at full-back or on the wing and would add an extra dimension to the club’s defence if he completes his move from Craven Cottage.

As long as the player isn’t a starter, chairman Daniel Levy should acquiesce to Fulham’s demands as he looks to secure Spurs’ third signing of the summer.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on a deal to sign Giovani Lo Celso, per reports.

The Daily Mirror claims that Spurs could announce the transfer of the Real Betis star this week after spending between £54m and £60m on the attacking midfielder.

The Argentine is said to be pushing to join the club as he is keen to work under Mauricio Pochettino, but what exactly will Spurs be getting?

Lo Celso enjoyed a terrific season in La Liga in 2018/19, scoring nine goals and registering four assists domestically, per WhoScored.

He laid on 0.8 key passes-per-game, suggesting that he has the ability to split a defence open at least once every two games; surely good news for Harry Kane, the top finisher in north London.

Lo Celso also averaged two dribbles-per-game, proving that he is willing to carry the ball as well as pick out his team-mates, though his pass success rate of 82.9% may need slight improvement at Spurs.

He is clearly a player who looks to pick the lock while being willing to shoot and his traits lend him to a team like Spurs.

They averaged 56.7% possession in 2018/19, per WhoScored, the fourth highest in the league, and Lo Celso could actually help to improve that number.

Indeed, Betis, surprisingly, averaged the second-highest possession statistic in La Liga last season, with 59.4%, only behind Barcelona.

Lo Celso is used to playing in a team that dominates the ball, then, while Betis also averaged a pass completion rate of 86.7% to Spurs’ 83.2%.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A move to the Premier League will see the playmaker come up against higher-pressing teams, of course, and he is also likely to have less time on the ball.

But his numbers are favourable and he fits the profile Spurs are looking for, particularly having played for a similar statistical side already in his career.

He could be a truly excellent signing.

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If Leicester City are going to replace Harry Maguire, they’ll have to act quickly as the transfer deadline is rapidly creeping up on the Premier League with the window slamming shut on Thursday evening.

The later they leave it, the less likely it is for other clubs to be able to replace their departing man – which may give some indication to why a number of current Premier League centre-backs are being considered to replace Maguire.

According to the Sky Sports, both AFC Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake and Burnley’s James Tarkowski are the front-runners on top of the Foxes’ shortlist, whilst they were also linked to Brighton’s Lewis Dunk earlier in the summer.

Watch Leicester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The reports state that Tarkowski would cost over £40m with a release clause £50m within his contract, whilst Ake is valued at £75m by the couth coast side.

Brendan Rodgers does also have a number of options already at the club he could call upon including Premier League title-winning captain Wes Morgan, £19m man Caglar Soyuncu and Filip Benkovic who Rodgers signed on loan whilst at Celtic at the start of last season.

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A number of fans took to social media to discuss who they wanted to replace the £80m Maguire, who was confirmed as a Manchester United player on Monday afternoon.

The overriding consensus was that of Ake with one supporter stating he would be preferable but it would likely be the harder of the two deals whilst one said the Dutchman would add something new to their defence.

This was backed-up by another fan who believed that Evans needs a partner with pace and that’s what Ake could bring over a player like Tarkowski. One supporter called the Bournemouth star the perfect choice to take Maguire’s place.

Though, not all was positive as one member of the King Power crowd labelled both options as overrated, questioning why the club should even waste the Maguire money when they still have four centre-backs on the books.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

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Now it is official – the transfer of Laurent Koscielny to French side Bordeaux has gone through and the experienced defender will return back home for the final stretches of his career.

Koscielny has been a part of the Gunners’ family for nine years and has made 353 appearances for the London team, scoring 27 goals and assisting further five along the way.

He joined the Gunners from Lorient in 2010 and has since lifted the Emirates FA Cup back in 2014, 2015 and finally, two years ago, in 2017, making his stint in England quite successful.

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And now that his transfer has been confirmed, various Arsenal stars have taken to Instagram to wish him all the best.

Alexandre Lacazette was among the first ones there, stating how it was a real pleasure to play alongside him.

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But he wasn’t the only one as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nacho Monreal did the same thing.

And just earlier, the experienced Frenchman has also taken to social media to send his fans a heartfelt message upon leaving the club after a long spell.

Still, as the official statement confirmed, he was entering the final year of his contract so this was a sensible move for both parties involved.

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