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An update has emerged on Colorado Rapids forward Dantouma Toure, regarding interest from Ibrox giants Rangers.

What’s the talk?

US-based journalist Brian Sciaretta has claimed that the youngster was recently training with the Gers and is now on trial with Premier League side Arsenal.

He Tweeted: “I heard Colorado Rapids homegrown winger Dantouma Toure, 17, is doing offseason training with a bunch of European teams. Was recently at Rangers, now training with Arsenal. Born in Guinea, Toure has played for USYNT’s in the past.”

Exciting

This update will surely excite Rangers fans as it suggests that the club could be considering a swoop for the promising young forward.

The 17-year-old, who has picked up the nickname “Yaya Toure”, has shown great promise in his career so far, playing professionally in the USL Championship last year for New York Red Bulls II. He also made his MLS debut earlier this year for the Rapids, showing how much trust they have in him despite his age.

Colorado’s general manager Padraig Smith lauded the forward as a ‘difference-maker’ upon his arrival at the club as a 16-year-old. He said:

“Yaya is an exciting talent who has already shown tremendous potential through his performances in the USL Championship as a 16-year-old.

“He’s powerful and explosive on the ball and has an ability to take on defenders that allows him to be a difference-maker. We believe he has all the qualities necessary to develop into an elite player and are excited to see what the future holds for him.”

This, along with the experience he already has under his belt, highlights how exciting he is as a young forward and why Rangers fans should be delighted with the prospect of him joining the academy. He is already making strides at senior level despite being almost three years away from hitting the age of 20 and he could be a promising long-term addition to the team.

Of course, he is currently training with Arsenal and the Gers would need to convince the teenage wiz to make the switch instead of making a move elsewhere. Gio van Bronckhorst and Ross Wilson must work hard to tempt him into making a full-time switch to Ibrox if possible, as he could be a fantastic signing for the academy given the potential he has shown.

AND in other news, 64x possession lost: GVB must work his magic on £5.6k-p/w Rangers dud with 0 assists…

Newcastle United are showing interest in former Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen, according to The Times (via The Chronicle).

The lowdown

The 29-year-old hasn’t played since he suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s Euro 2020 opener against Finland last June.

In December, Inter Milan terminated his contract by mutual consent, in the knowledge that Eriksen would not be able to play in Serie A because he has an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator fitted. However, he can feature in another league where the rules are different.

The midfielder racked up 226 Premier League appearances during his seven-year stint at Spurs from 2013 to 2020.

The latest

According to The Times, Newcastle are said to be among three Premier League clubs keen on signing Eriksen, alongside Brentford and Leicester City.

Brentford’s interest is the most advanced, with the Bees offering the Dane a contract until the end of the season. Therefore, Newcastle may quickly have to present a rival offer to ensure that they don’t lose out.

The verdict

Eriksen was excellent for Spurs, recording 159 direct goal contributions (69 goals, 90 assists) in his 305 appearances.

His overall career tallies stand at an impressive 114 goals and 158 assists, and his individual accolades include a PFA Team of the Year nod, the Premier League Goal of the Month for April 2018 and a FIFPro World XI nomination. Newcastle fans may also remember that he netted a direct free-kick against them in a 3-1 win for Spurs in 2015.

Given that he hasn’t played in so long and is coming back from such a serious medical episode, this would have to be have regarded as a risky move. On the other hand, he would be arriving on a free transfer and, if Newcastle match Brentford’s proposal, on a short-term contract.

Perhaps it’s worth a go.

In other news, Newcastle are plotting an £18m raid on this Premier League club.

According to a report by Football Insider, bringing a development on the Odsonne Edouard saga, West Ham United are still in pole position to seal a deal for the Celtic striker as Leicester City have ‘second thoughts’ over his signing.

Indeed, as per the outlet, the Irons have climbed into pole position and are hopeful they will win the race to sign him – coming after they first revealed that GSB are ‘laying the groundwork’ for his signing.

Irons still in pole position for Edouard

Now, as they bring an update, Football Insider claim Leicester and manager Brendan Rodgers are having ‘second thoughts’ over Edouard in a potential boost for the Irons.

Indeed, they say the Foxes interest has ‘diminished’ amid the sensational form of Kelechi Iheanacho – which surely gifts the Hammers an uplift in the chase for Edouard as a competitor potentially looks elsewhere.

They first reported that West Ham were making ‘progress behind the scenes’ for Edouard – and this news of Leicester’s interest could reinforce that progress further.

Transfer Tavern take

Scoring 20 goals in all competitions this season (Transfermarkt), Edouard comes as a prolific target who could also be available for a cut price fee.

The 23-year-old still has plenty of seasons ahead of him and should arguably be up there with West Ham’s fellow priority striking targets Tammy Abraham, Youssef En-Nesyri, Ivan Toney and Adam Armstrong (ExWHUemployee).

He has been described as ‘phenomenal’ and ‘the best in Scotland’ when on his game by outspoken pundit Stephen Craigan to Go Radio (via the Daily Record).

Pundit Kevin Phillips also claimed it would be a ‘no brainer’ and ‘huge bargain’ to sign Edouard for a fee in the region of £8-10 million, as is being reported, and it’s definitely hard to argue given his record in north of the border.

In other news: West Ham backed in latest Jesse Lingard claim, find out more here. 

Newcastle United are reportedly now ‘interested’ in signing Taiwo Awoniyi in the summer.

The Lowdown: Standout season

Awoniyi is enjoying a standout season for Union Berlin, where he has scored 18 goals and made a further four assists in 39 games in total over all competitions so far (Transfermarkt).

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He became a record-breaker earlier this week when he became the first Union Berlin player to score 13 times in a single Bundesliga campaign, and football journalist Kevin Hatchard even went as far as to call him ‘outstanding’ after recently netting against Frankfurt.

The Latest: Newcastle interest

As per transfer expert Christian Falk, the St. James’ Park faithful are now ‘interested’ in bringing Awoniyi to the North East, but face competition from fellow Premier League rivals West Ham United and Southampton for his signature.

The striker has a release clause of €20m (£16.7m), which if activated means that the Tynesiders can then talk about a potential move.

The Verdict: Do it

Awoniyi’s market value is on the rise, and so being able to sign him for a mere £16.7m would seem to be a real bargain.

The Nigeria international is just 24 years of age, and so will only get better as he enters his prime.

Nonetheless, given the season that he has had, the competition for his signature is likely to increase in the summer, and so the Magpies need to act fast if they are to bring him to the Toon.

In other news, find out which ‘phenomenal’ speedster NUFC are now eyeing here!

Liverpool could be handed a significant boost ahead of their clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Roberto Firmino’s reported return to fitness.

The Brazilian missed the Reds’ last Premier League clash, the 1-0 defeat to Fulham at Anfield, with a knee injury but he is set to be assessed of the trip to Molineux on Monday.

Should he be fit enough to start for the Reds, Jurgen Klopp has to put him in from the beginning of the match, even with Diogo Jota also returning to contention in recent weeks and gunning to start against his former club.

Put simply, the former Hoffenheim man is a key player for the current reigning Premier League champions.

In 37 appearances in all competitions so far this season, he has 13 goal contributions – six goals and seven assists. Only Sadio Mane and Mo Salah have contributed more to Liverpool.

His statistics also put him right at the top end of Liverpool’s attacking output. According to WhoScored, the 29-year-old averages 2.4 shots, one key pass and 1.6 dribbles per match in the Premier League.

This is some way higher than the player who may likely replace him in starting line-up, Jota. The former Wolves man averages just 1.9 shots, 0.6 key passes and one dribble per game.

It would not make a lot of sense to keep the Portuguese in the starting XI at the expense of Firmino then.

Some will argue that there is no need to reintroduce him so quickly especially after recovering from injury. However, with a player so key to Liverpool, with Klopp even labelling him as “special”, it would seem baffling to leave the £64.8m-rated forward out of the side.

AND in more news, have a look at why a current FC Porto man and former Premier League flop is not what Liverpool should be looking at in the summer transfer window…

According to The Daily Mail, Millwall have rejected an approach for Glasgow Rangers target Abdul Abdulmalik.

The Lowdown: Rangers planning for the future

While the Gers have already added to their first-team squad this transfer window with the free signing of Fashion Sakala (rangers.co.uk), they have a history in recent years of signing youngsters.

James Graham and Tony Weston are just two of the teenagers they have added to their ranks over the last 12 to 18 months, and it seems they are interested in bringing in another.

The Latest: Abdulmalik offer rejected

As per this report, Millwall have rejected an approach from Swansea for 18-year-old Abdulmalik.

Along with Rangers, 13-time English league winners Arsenal have also been credited with an interest.

The Verdict: Plenty of potential

Abdulmalik may, as of yet, be relatively unknown, but he has shown promise so far at youth level. In particular, he managed four goals in four matches during the 2019/20 F.A Youth Cup (Transfermarkt), while he has also scored one goal in three caps for England’s U17 side.

The interest from the likes of Arsenal also suggest he is a top talent, but it is refreshing to see the Gers pursue quality prospects.

With Nathan Patterson already breaking into the first team and the likes of Leon King and Ciaran Dickson picking up playing time, it seems Steven Gerrard is ready to build for the future as well as the present.

If Rangers do wish to make a move for Abdulmalik, they may need to do so sooner rather than later as Swansea look like they are pushing to get a deal done.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid at this SPFL development.

Dean Windass doesn’t think that Ross Barkley did enough to warrant a return to Aston Villa next season.

Barkley started like a house on fire following his loan switch from Chelsea last summer.

He scored stunning goals in his opening two appearances against both Liverpool and then Leicester as Villa made an impressive start to the Premier League season and sat second after four matches.

Barkley’s honeymoon period continued with an assist in Villa’s win at Arsenal, but he would contribute to just one more goal in his final 19 outings and found himself battling for a starting place by the end of his spell with Dean Smith’s team.

It’s unclear whether Barkley will be a part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans moving forward, but a more consistent loan period with Villa would have given the Chelsea man every chance of earning himself a permanent deal and possibly a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

But the midfielder will now return to Chelsea, and Windass exclusively told Football FanCast that Barkley’s next step must guarantee regular football:

“I think that will fizzle out now. If he did well then might have kept him, but I think that ship has sailed. But he needs to be playing week in, week out.”

Luke Shaw’s dramatic career turnaround has certainly been stark and one that has proven former Red Devils’ boss Jose Mourinho wrong.

The Manchester United defender is enjoying a stunning campaign throughout 2020/21. He has started 36 games in all competitions, racking up six assists and scoring once, even keeping summer signing Alex Telles constantly marooned to the bench.

For a player who was constantly castigated by former manager Mourinho for his “attitude”, Shaw has certainly got one over the Portuguese.

His all-around game is one of the most eye-catching in the entire squad. According to WhoScored, the defender is averaging 1.4 tackles per game. Only four players in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad are providing more.

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Meanwhile, he has also been a hugely potent weapon going forwards by contributing 2.1 key passes for game. For context, these are the highest numbers throughout his career in the Premier League and are only bettered by the inspirational Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford.

Praised for his “brilliant” performances by former Red Devils midfielder Roy Keane, the ex-Southampton full-back has even taken that excellent form onto the international stage by assisting Harry Kane for England’s opening goal against Albania on Sunday evening.

He now looks to be one of the first names on the teamsheet having started 30 matches this season, the second-most in his entire United career, and also returned to Three Lions contention for the first time since September 2018.

Only played 55 times in all competitions by the current Tottenham Hotspur boss Mourinho in his two-and-a-half years at Old Trafford, the defender has already played 92 matches under his successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the same amount of time– faith that has certainly been rewarded.

It goes without saying then Shaw, who earns £150k per week at Old Trafford, will be aiming to continue his career turnaround throughout the remainder of the season and will hopefully aim to prove Mourinho wrong even more.

AND in more news, take a look at which Barcelona star the Red Devils must avoid signing in the summer…

Georginio Wijnaldum’s agent spread baseless reports that the 30-year-old had received a contract offer from Bayern Munich, FCB Inside have claimed.

The lowdown

Wijnaldum is rapidly nearing the end of his £90,000-per-week Liverpool contract and is currently set to depart Anfield on a free transfer this summer.

The Dutch midfielder has won the Premier League, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup during his time at Liverpool, but he has been free to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club since January.

Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman, formerly his national team boss for Netherlands, is said to be keen on a reunion with Wijnaldum at the Camp Nou, but it was reported at the end of last month that Bayern would compete for his signature. Julian Nagelsmann, who will be in charge at the Allianz Arena next season, was described as a ‘huge fan’ of the 30-year-old.

The latest

FCB Inside claimed that Humphry Nijman, Wijnaldum’s representative, told the press that Bayern had offered his client a three-year deal.

However, it then emerged the Bayern hierarchy ‘seem to have no interest in a commitment’ for the 30-year-old, with the report stating that Nijman had been spreading rumours about a contract offer from Munich, only for the club’s future CEO Oliver Kahn to shut those down.

The verdict

If the claim is true, then it’s not particularly surprising. It could merely be a ploy from Nijman to extract a better offer from another of Wijnaldum’s suitors.

The player’s disagreement with Liverpool is said to be financial, with their offers failing to reflect his perceived value to the team, but it may be difficult to persuade other clubs to commit to a sizeable multi-year deal when Wijnaldum will turn 31 before the year is out.

In other news, Liverpool have been urged to avoid this potential Wijnaldum replacement.

Celtic head into the international break with positivity and negativity engulfing Ange Postecoglou’s team.

Of course, the Hoops lost the Old Firm derby, but then ended the transfer window by signing three players on deadline day.

On the chalkboard

How Postecoglou begins to fit all of these new signings into the squad will be interesting to witness.

Of course, the Bhoys lost the likes of Odsonne Edouard, Kristoffer Ajer and Ryan Christie, but they ended up securing the additions of 12 new first-team faces.

Celtic’s defence has been mediocre again at times this term, but after Anthony Ralston’s flying start to the campaign, his role seems to be one of the few positions that are actually nailed-on.

Greg Taylor missed the clash with Rangers last weekend through injury but it wasn’t Boli Bolingoli who was entrusted at left-back. Instead, it was new signing Josip Juranovic who was playing out of position.

It’s perhaps surprising that Bolingoli is still at the club, but in the words of The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin, it would be a surprise if he got any regular football.

Writing in his post-deadline day column, he said: “Boli Bolingoli will remain at Celtic despite no intention to use him in the first team.”

Fans buzzing

On that evidence, it looks as though the Ivorian full-back will never be seen in a Bhoys shirt ever again.

Postecoglou is yet to hand Bolingoli a single minute in competitive action since he became the manager and it would be a huge surprise if that changes.

Foreign transfer markets are still open but despite that, the defender seemingly has no interest in departing Parkhead.

Although that will frustrate Celtic supporters, news that he’s set to just sit on the sidelines for the season should delight them. After all, this is a player who has let them down on countless occasions.

He’s also a man who Neil Lennon was forced to call “stupid” last season. Bolingoli went on an unsanctioned trip to Spain during the height of the pandemic and hasn’t stepped foot in a Celtic shirt since.

Unaware of the events which had taken place, he continued to train upon his return and even featured from the bench against Kilmarnock days after coming back. He not only put his teammates and coaching staff at risk, but also everyone at Killie.

It caused uproar throughout the Premiership and the £1.9m-rated dud was subsequently sent on loan to Turkey.

After that, it looked unlikely that Bolingoli would ever play for Celtic again, and the player’s worst fears appear to have been confirmed this summer.

Postecoglou isn’t a fan of him and has turned to Adam Montgomery instead as a late substitute and backup to Taylor.

Considering that he’s a homegrown talent, supporters should be delighted with how this is playing out. He certainly deserves a role in the side over someone like Bolingoli who has disrespected the club so significantly.

AND in other news, “Being monitored”: Journo makes Celtic transfer claim, their next Ajer may arrive soon…