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A big update has emerged on Leon King and his availability for Glasgow Rangers in the coming weeks…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Record, the central defender will not face any retrospective action for the challenge he made in the second half against Motherwell in the Premiership last weekend.

The Gers won 2-1 away from Ibrox, thanks to goals from Malik Tillman and John Lundstram, and the youngster was shown a yellow card for clattering an opposition forward in a horribly mistimed tackle.

After the match, opposition manager Steven Hammell claimed that it was worthy of a red card and was not happy with the lack of action from the referee in the match, saying:

“I think it is a red card. Not for where it is on the pitch and where Stuart is going – that is up for debate – but I think the actual tackle in isolation is poor.

“I think he catches him high and there is a lot of force in it.

“I think Stuart is lucky not to come away with an injury on the back of it. It is a poor tackle.”

This update means that King will not be suspended for any of the Light Blues’ games against Livingston, Dundee, and Aberdeen in their next three domestic outings.

Big relief

Giovanni van Bronckhorst should be delighted by this news as it is a huge relief heading into the club’s next few matches in all competitions.

His availability is particularly important after Connor Goldson suffered a long-term injury in the recent 7-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League.

Van Bronckhorst confirmed, after the loss, that the defender is now facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, saying:

“Connor played all the games since I joined the club, only when we rested him. Very important player in the back with his coaching, his presence as well. We won’t have him back for the next months. I’m not exactly sure but it will be several months.”

This leaves King and Ben Davies as the manager’s only natural centre-back options, although James Sands and Lundstram – who are midfielders by trade – can also be deployed at the heart of the defence.

The Gers academy graduate has played six matches in the Premiership so far this season and has shown signs of promise, winning 56% of his individual duels and completing 87% of his attempted passes.

These statistics show that he has held his own from a physical perspective and he has remained composed on the ball, which is why – along with Goldson’s injury – van Bronckhorst will be pleased with the news that the starlet will not be facing a suspension and any time out of the side.

Glasgow Rangers turn their attention back to Premiership action this weekend as they host Aberdeen at Ibrox on Saturday.

The Light Blues are without a win in their last two matches in all competitions and should be looking to return to winning ways on their own turf.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men head into the game off the back of a 3-0 defeat in Italy to Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

It was a rough night in Naples for the Gers and the Dutch head coach may look to make some changes to his starting XI in order to come away with all three points against Aberdeen.

One player he must bring back into the XI after leaving him on the bench in Europe is right winger Rabbi Matondo. The Welsh international should be unleashed this weekend ahead of Scottish forward Scott Wright.

Van Bronckhorst selected Wright against Napoli and then substituted him at half-time after the attacker lost half of his individual duels and ceded possession six times from 20 touches in the first half.

In the Premiership, the former Aberdeen man produced one assist and failed to score a single goal in seven appearances for Rangers this season, whilst also failing to create a single big chance.

The 25-year-old has not been able to provide a consistent threat from out wide in the Scottish top flight. Whereas, Matondo has proven that he can regularly deliver quality service into the box from the right wing.

Former Wales boss Ryan Giggs once described the gem as “electrifying” and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola previously dubbed him “incredibly fast”, which provides an insight into the threat he can offer in the wide areas by using his pace to go past players.

The £12k-per-week forward has racked up three assists in five Premiership starts this season. He has also created three big chances and averaged 1.1 key passes per game, which shows that he is creating a high volume of quality opportunities for his teammates when he is getting on the pitch,

Matondo, who scored nine goals and created four big chances in 23 starts for Cercle Brugge in the Belgian top-flight in 2021/22, has the quality to be a difference-maker at the top end for the Gers. He has shown that he has more to offer out wide than Wright does and that is why van Bronckhorst should unleash him from the start against Aberdeen.

Tottenham Hotspur chiefs have already lined up Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone to replace incumbent manager Antonio Conte, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Conte contract running…

The Italian has spearheaded Spurs to a Champions League qualification place and reinstilled faith in the club since his arrival a year ago this week.

A proven trophy-winner, Conte looks to be slowly transforming the Lilywhites into a real Premier League force with a winning mentality, as evident by their recent heroic comebacks against Bournemouth and Marseille.

This is all while coping with mounting injury issues, and despite some criticism over Spurs’ brand of football, the general mood around the club is a positive one with the former Inter Milan boss in charge.

However, Conte’s deal is currently set to expire at the end of this season, with reports from Italy sharing the latest on his future at N17.

The Latest: Spurs line up Simeone…

Indeed, recent claims indicate that chairman Daniel Levy and Spurs chiefs have already lined up the 53-year-old’s replacement.

Calciomercato Web claim that Conte has his eyes on leaving when his contract expires, prompting Tottenham to look towards Atletico boss Simeone.

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It’s claimed that the north Londoners have ‘already chosen’ the Spaniard as Conte’s heir, and his move to Spurs seems ‘very likely’ as things stand.

Calciomercato Web add that this scenario would allow Conte to rejoin Juventus upon leaving N17.

The Verdict: Proven winner…

Much like Conte, Simeone is certainly a proven winner, having clinched eight trophies during his managerial career with Atletico.

A record like this has prompted members of the media to laud his ‘sensational’ job as manager of the La Liga giants, although his infamously defensive brand of football could be a point of contention to some Tottenham supporters.

The best spell of Jason Puncheon’s footballing career was undoubtedly at Crystal Palace and he will rightly be remembered fondly by Eagles fans.

However, with the 36-year-old now struggling for consistent form in Cyprus, it seems clear that Steve Parish got rid of the midfielder at the perfect time.

After an impressive career in the lower leagues with spells at Barnet, MK Dons, Plymouth Argyle and Southampton, Puncheon earned his Premier League breakthrough with Blackpool in the 2010/11 campaign.

Another less successful loan spell with QPR would follow before the Englishman starred for Southampton in the Premier League the following season, contributing five goals and six assists for the Saints in 32 top-flight appearances in 2012/13.

Somehow, despite his impressive displays on the South Coast, Palace were able to sign Puncheon initially on loan in 2013, with the versatile winger arriving as a replacement for Manchester United-bound Wilfried Zaha.

Following an impressive start to life at Selhurst Park, his move was made permanent in January 2014, and he would go on to notch seven goals and four assists in his first full season with the club.

The 2014/15 campaign was arguably Puncheon’s best in a Palace shirt as he managed six goals and seven assists in the Premier League, so it was no surprise when manager Alan Pardew sang his praises in 2015 after rewarding him with a new four-year deal.

He said: “Since I’ve come in halfway through Puncheon has been the best player. I’ve given him more responsibility than he’s ever had. He’s made himself the intelligence of the team.”

Another two strong seasons as a regular would follow but by 2017/18, Puncheon’s influence on the team was clearly dwindling, as he made just ten appearances in the Premier League.

After just eight minutes of action in the top flight for Palace in the 2018/19 campaign, the veteran midfielder spent the second half of the season on loan at Huddersfield Town before his release from Selhurst Park, which was a sad way to end an excellent career with the Eagles.

Puncheon made the move to Cyprus, first with Pafos FC before his move to Anorthosis Famagusta during the summer. Given that he has no goals and one assist for his new side thus far, it seems clear that Palace’s decision to release him in 2019 was the right one.

Leeds United’s final game before the World Cup break ended in bitter disappointment, as the Yorkshire side squandered a promising position late on to fall to a 4-3 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur in what was a barnstorming contest on Saturday afternoon.

That meeting in north London had seen the visitors surge ahead through the man of the moment, Crysencio Summerville – who netted for the fourth Premier League game running – before England skipper Harry Kane lashed home an equaliser following a highly contentious VAR call regarding a potential foul on Illan Meslier.

A Rodrigo double, either side of a scrappy Ben Davies strike, did see the Whites take on a 3-2 lead heading into the closing stages and ensure the Spaniard now has five goals in his last four top-flight games, only for a quickfire Rodrigo Bentancur brace to spoil the party.

The visitors’ woes were then compounded as Tyler Adams was forced to take an early bath after receiving his marching orders for two bookable offences, with the USA international heading off to Qatar on something of a sour note.

The summer signing was certainly not the main culprit in the eventual defeat, however, with captain Liam Cooper having arguably endured a far more miserable time of it in the capital, having played his part in a handful of Spurs’ goals on the day.

The Scotland international notably produced a misguided headed clearance to tee up the aforementioned Bentancur for the Uruguayan’s first goal, while then being dragged out of position by opposition forward Kane in the build-up to the hosts’ decisive fourth goal.

As journalist Beren Cross noted, the backline is an area that “needs work” before Premier League action resumes at the end of December, with Cooper no doubt one of those in dire need of improvement, having also been part of the side that shipped three against Bournemouth a week ago.

The 31-year-old – who won just three of his five ground duels – also proved something of a liability on the ball after losing possession seven times from his 55 touches, with his match rating of 6.3, as per SofaScore, the third-worst of any of his teammates.

Such was the dismal nature of his performance, one source suggested that manager Jesse Marsch “should be sacked” for his insistence on picking Cooper on a weekly basis, with the defence having routinely been an issue for the club despite their brilliance in attack, having shipped 26 goals already this season.

Amid rumours earlier today that Marsch could well still be facing the axe despite a recent upturn in fortunes, the American could well have done without such an awful showing from his skipper.

Glasgow Rangers sold two of their finest players from last season during the summer transfer window for massive profit, with Joe Aribo (£10m) and Calvin Bassey (£23m) departing Ibrox for pastures new.

This isn’t the first time this has happened, however, as Alex McLeish faced a similar conundrum way back in the summer of 2003.

He had led the Light Blues to the treble in 2002/2003 and hopes were high for the following campaign. The Ibrox side were facing a precarious financial situation though and this led to McLeish selling a few of his standout performers from that extraordinary season.

The one that hurt the supporters the most was the sale of club captain Barry Ferguson, who joined Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £7.5m and considering he came into the side through the club’s academy, it represented a massive profit for the Gers.

The midfielder had scored 16 league goals as he skippered his boyhood team to their 50th championship and many couldn’t fathom a Rangers side without him in the engine room.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be until 2012 that the true nature of the Glasgow side’s financial situation came to light, with administration the final outcome.

Ferguson – who also went on to win 46 caps for Scotland – was a natural winner and was a mainstay in the midfield for six years, winning nine major honours before his move to the Premier League.

Former Rangers defender Marvin Andrews dubbed Ferguson as a “leader” and the 44-year-old will certainly go down as one of the finest-ever captains in the club’s illustrious history.

Although it didn’t go to plan for the player at Blackburn, a serious injury sustained in his first season reduced his game time, McLeish saw an opportunity to reunite with the Scot, resigning him in January 2005.

It proved to be an inspired move, with Rangers winning a further six major honours during his second spell in Glasgow, and although he was missed during his 18-month period down south, McLeish made a solid profit on the former academy graduate.

Former BBC pundit Noel Whelan has claimed that Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui’s comments on Raul Jimenez going to the World Cup are ‘ridiculous’.

The Lowdown: Lopetegui ‘worried’

As quoted by The Daily Mail, Lopetegui claimed that he is ‘worried’ about Jimenez, and that the Midlands club are more ‘important’ than the World Cup for the Mexico international.

Jimenez has only made four senior appearances so far this season for the Molineux outfit because of injury (featured in both group games for Mexico at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar so far.

The Latest: Lopetegui comments ‘ridiculous’

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has claimed that Lopetegui’s comments are ‘very unfair’, and that it is ‘ridiculous’ to ask Jimenez to compromise when he has the chance to play at a World Cup:

“I think it’s very unfair from Lopetegui.

“If anything, playing at the World Cup will help him come back fitter and stronger.

“You can’t ask a player to compromise playing on that stage, it’s ridiculous.

“He might not get another opportunity to do it. Jimenez is a great striker, and he’ll want to be part of it.

“I see this as a real benefit for Wolves and Jimenez. He can come back sharp and hungry after being out of action for so long.”

The Verdict: Both sides to the argument…

On one side, you can sympathise with Lopetegui, a new manager at the helm who wants his key players fully fit for when they return to domestic football after the World Cup.

The Wanderers are bottom of the Premier League table on just 10 points, and have scored the fewest goals in the division with eight.

With the likes of Sasa Kalajdzic and Pedro Neto out injured long-term, Lopetegui needs Jimenez to be fit and firing in front of goal, as the striker has been prolific before in an Old Gold shirt.

On the other side, the World Cup only comes every four years, and Jimenez will be 35 by the time the next one comes. He has now won 99 caps for Mexico, and has the chance to win a landmark 100th if he features in their final group game against Saudi Arabia.

If he did not go to the tournament as perhaps Lopetegui would have wished, given his injury history, he may not have had a chance to reach that milestone.

Liverpool have been linked to a move for Christian Pulisic on many occasions and now a new update has emerged ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool remain admirers of the Chelsea and USMNT forward.

As per the report, there is a three-way battle forming between Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle United but Liverpool are interested in the player too, although it is claimed their main focus over the coming transfer windows is Jude Bellingham.

Imagine him & Nunez

There is no doubt that Pulisic has the Premier League experience and quality to comfortably compete for a spot in Liverpool’s world-class attacking threat, which has been weakened significantly by injuries and departures over the current campaign so far.

Sadio Mane, Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi all made an exit from Anfield in the summer transfer window and despite the club’s record-breaking signing of Darwin Nunez, injuries have plagued the depth in the attacking third.

Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota have missed out on the action for long periods of the season so far which has certainly reflected in the inconsistent performances on the pitch, and with Roberto Firmino coming into the last six months of his contract adding depth is something worth considering for the Reds.

As a result, the signing of Pulisic at the right price could potentially be a great piece of business for Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp could use more rotation players when competing in multiple competitions both domestically and in Europe.

The £34m-valued American winger – who was hailed “class” by Jamie Carragher – has scored 26 goals and registered 21 assists during his time at Stamford Bridge with a goal contribution every 162 minutes proving that he is a pretty consistent threat in front of goal.

Not only that, Pulisic has been a stand-out performer for the USMNT at the World Cup in Qatar and even picked up the Player Of The Match award in the challenging clash with England on Friday.

Over two World Cup appearances, the Chelsea ace has delivered one assist, played 1.5 key passes and had two shots on goal. He’s also impressed defensively, winning 100% of his aerial duels and winning 5.5 duels overall per game.

Therefore, if Liverpool did sign the talented winger he could be the perfect hard-working partner needed to unlock Nunez’s full potential.

Indeed, the aforementioned statistics show Pulisic clearly takes a selfless approach to his attacking play and has the experience of playing with a big number nine at Chelsea – partnered with Romelu Lukaku last season.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if the powers at Anfield make a move for Pulisic or whether they will focus on the much-needed rebuild in midfield when the transfer market opens up again in a few weeks.

Either way, he’d be a smart signing, particularly if he and Nunez could develop an exciting partnership together in attack.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of the clubs reportedly interested in signing Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka. 

The Lowdown: Ndicka’s career so far

After starting his career in his native France with AJ Auxerre, the 23-year-old joined his current employers in the 2018 summer transfer window. Since then, the defender has made 162 appearances for the German club across all competitions, scoring 10 goals and delivering 10 assists along the way.

With Ndicka now into the final year of his contract at Frankfurt, it seems as though numerous clubs have the Frenchman on their radar, including Premier League giants Tottenham.

The Latest: Spurs in the mix to sign Ndicka

According to a report from Roma Giallorossa on Wednesday afternoon, Spurs are in the mix to sign the centre-back alongside the likes of AS Roma and domestic rivals Newcastle United.

The report adds that AC Milan were also interested in the player, but his price tag of €20m (£17m) has apparently put them off.

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The Verdict: A solid signing for Spurs

With 15 Bundesliga appearances to his name in 2022/23, Ndicka has played more minutes than any other outfield player at his club, showing how important he is to the Europa League holders.

Across those appearances, the defender has won more aerial duels (36) and made more clearances (86) than any other player at Frankfurt. He also has the highest passing accuracy percentage (86.5%) out of anyone to have attempted more than 10 passes for Oliver Glasner’s team this season.

Hailed as an “exciting” player by journalist Christopher Michel, who also described the defender as the “complete package”, it’s easy to see from these figures what Ndicka would be able to offer Antonio Conte’s side.

Bearing in mind how Spurs (21) have conceded more goals than 10 other teams in the Premier League this season, it could be said that having a player with the Frenchman’s defensive quality could be just what the Lilywhites need in order to tighten up at the back.

Aston Villa have approached the agent of Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij over a potential move.

The Lowdown: Defender wanted

Unai Emery looks set to be backed in 2023 by NSWE with a ‘huge’ January budget and seemingly wants a new centre-back in the Midlands.

Reports following Emery’s arrival suggested that Villa will be in the market for a new left-sided defender and are planning a future without Tyrone Mings as a key player.

De Vrij, who is out of contract at the end of the current campaign, has now emerged as a new target for Villa, and by extension sporting director Johan Lange, with an update in the last 48 hours.

The Latest: De Vrij approach

FC Inter News provided an update regarding De Vrij on Thursday, revealing that Aston Villa, Leicester City and Atletico Madrid ‘have asked agent Federico Pastorello for information’.

The report adds that the centre-back is set for talks over a new contract with Inter and is hopeful an agreement can be reached, although he knows he has admirers elsewhere.

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The Verdict: One to watch?

It seems as if a transfer is unlikely at this stage with De Vrij looking at extending his Inter Milan stay, however, it could still be one to watch in 2023.

The 30-year-old, hailed as a ‘world-beater’ by former Leeds striker Noel Whelan, is currently away with the Netherlands at the World Cup, so talks may not get underway until the New Year.

Villa would be able to present a pre-contract agreement offer in January, should his situation remain the same, so there could be a chance that the lure of the Premier League and working under Emery could sway the defender.