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Noel Whelan has offered his thoughts on Connor Goldson’s contract situation at Rangers…

What’s the talk?

Ex-Premier League striker Noel Whelan has said that Goldson’s contract situation at Ibrox is worrying as he only has 12 months left to run on his current deal.

The central defender will become a free agent in the summer of 2022 if he does not put pen to paper to an extension on his current £27k-per-week deal, which Whelan is backing the club to get done.

He told Football Insider:

“It is a big worry, absolutely.

“He was so important to them last season. We all know what a good player he is and he is the one constant in that backline. I’m sure there is a huge amount of respect between him and Steven Gerrard.

“Negotiations over new contracts are never as easy as you think. Rangers will have a finite amount of money that they can pay in wages but talks will be ongoing.

“To be honest, I can see him signing a new deal. He is at a club that is going in a great direction. He has the Champions League to look forward to this year.”

Fans would be devastated

Ross Wilson must avoid making a howler with Goldson over the next 12 months. The Rangers chief has to ensure that he can pin him down to a contract extension as soon as possible to avoid losing him for nothing next summer, which would undoubtedly infuriate the fans.

Supporters would be devastated to see one of the club’s best performers depart on a free transfer, as Rangers would receive no money in return to replace him.

The £6.75m-rated beast was sublime in the Scottish Premiership last season as the club won the title, averaging a phenomenal WhoScored rating of 7.38 – a figure that only Joe Aribo, James Tavernier and Ryan Kent were able to better.

Earlier this year, Gers boss Steven Gerrard heaped praise on the former Brighton man, calling him an absolute “mountain” at the back and hailing his leadership. He told The Scotsman:

“Connor has been an absolute mountain for this team, a warrior.

“I can’t describe to you how well he has done for this team, not just in terms of what you have seen on the pitch but also his leadership on the inside of the club and his availability every single day.”

This shows how important the 28-year-old is to the club and why allowing him to leave on a free would represent a gigantic howler from Wilson.

He must now work hard behind the scenes to reach an agreement over fresh terms with the defender to secure his future at Ibrox. If not, it will leave fans furious for the club for allowing this situation to drag on.

AND in other news, Time to go: Rangers must ruthlessly axe £9k-p/w “warrior”, Gerrard doesn’t need him…

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City could be looking at a £500m rebuilding job over the next few transfer windows, says former player Paul Stewart.

It was a successful season for City, who won both the Premier League and Carabao Cup, while they also managed to reach the FA Cup semi-final.

However, their conquerors there, Chelsea, were also able to conquer them in the Champions League final, a competition they are so desperate to win but just have not been able to.

Considering that, and the fact that they have just lost all-time top scorer Sergio Aguero, Stewart is expecting a massive rebuilding job at the Etihad.

“We’re looking at a rebuilding job,” the ex-City star exclusively told FFC. “The thing with Pep is his rebuilding is totally different because he gets the money and ready players. He gets the top players and they’re ready to come in the team.

“His rebuilding job will be 500 million and he’s got the best players, hasn’t he? That’s the luxury Manchester City have.”

When you look at some of the players Manchester City are currently being linked with, they could easily end up spending that kind of money over the next few years as they aim to continue their domination of English football.

Tottenham’s Harry Kane, for example, could cost £200m this summer, according to some reports.

With Nuno Espirito Santo no longer the manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fosun and Jeff Shi are busy trying to find a replacement.

It’s thought that Bruno Lage is the frontrunner, with the Jorge Mendes client believed to be in negotiations with Wolves.

If he does agree terms at Molineux, it would be an interesting appointment for a number of reasons. His phenomenal work with Ruben Dias and Fabio Silva proves that he knows how to develop a young player, so it could be game-changing for the young talents coming through the academy at Compton if he is hired.

Lage may face an uphill task in the transfer market, with Wolves required to sell some of their best players before they can afford to spend on new recruits.

With that in mind, how could the Portuguese’s starting XI look if he takes over at Molineux? Here’s our fun prediction…

With Ruben Neves linked with a £35m departure, we’re tipping the midfielder to take his leave when the window opens.

We also think that, in order to fund new recruits, Wolves could sell Adama Traore. They’re in negotiations to extend the Spaniard’s deal in the Midlands but are yet to reach an agreement.

If those two are sold, it will give the Old Gold a wonderful opportunity to spend.

Replacing Neves in midfield is Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha, a player Wolves have been tracking for a year now. He could set the Old Gold back a fee of £35m.

With Willian Jose heading back to Real Sociedad following the conclusion of his loan deal, we anticipate Lage and Fosun to sign a new striker.

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They have been linked with Carlos Vinicius, who played under Lage at Benfica, but we believe Ivan Toney would be the better addition. Brentford are seeking a fee of £30m in order to relinquish the grasp on their star striker.

In scoring 32 goals for the Bees this season, he’s a player on whom plenty of Premier League clubs – including Wolves – have had a keen eye.

Two new wingers could arrive, with the £10.8m-rated Arnaut Danjuma of Bournemouth linked with a switch and Goncalo Guedes – a player for whom Wolves are willing to put €20m (£17.2m) on the table – heading to Molineux.

Other permanent additions arrive in the form of on-loan duo Vitinha and Rayan Ait-Nouri. Wolves possess the option to buy the former for €16m (£14m), while the latter’s option stands at around the €15m (£13m) mark.

All in all, that would see Wolves spend a colossal £110m. It’s not completely out of the equation, with a number of players, including Neves, Traore and Raul Jimenez all linked with exits from Molineux.

AND in other news, Wolves eye swoop for “outstanding” 25 G/A beast, he could be their new Traore…

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa is eyeing up a summer swoop for Liverpool’s Harry Wilson as a new transfer update emerges.

What’s the story?

Reports last summer suggested that the Whites were very much interested in the Wales international, but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the deadline.

Football Insider had recently claimed that Leeds weren’t planning on making a move for the winger and renewing their interest in him this summer.

However, Mercado Ingles have now revealed that the Whites are in negotiations with Liverpool over a deal for the 24-year-old.

Leeds rate him highly

After Wilson himself came out recently and said that he would be open to leaving Anfield this summer if he isn’t in consideration for first team plans under Jurgen Klopp, former Leeds striker Noel Whelan insisted that the Welsh winger would be exactly what Bielsa would like at Elland Road.

The 46-year-old said: “Wilson could be an option for us. He is better than Tyler Roberts.  When you are talking about a number 10, you need to be the star player. You need the one who creates, the one that opens up the door. He cannot do that on a regular basis. Wilson is a busy player, he has an eye for a pass, pace and a wonderful left-foot. He can adapt to a number of roles as well which is what Marcelo Bielsa likes.”

Indeed, The Athletic’s Phil Hay has previously claimed that Wilson is “very highly rated by Leeds (and Victor Orta especially) for a while and he’s always on the list of possibles. With Wilson, it would depend on price and what Liverpool intend to do with him. One to watch, possibly.”

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Dubbed as “exceptional” by Bielsa himself after Leeds’ 4-1 triumph over Derby in which Wilson played for the Rams, the £60,000-a-week Welshman could finally be set for a move to Elland Road after being linked with the club for so long.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa could sign a dream Kalvin Phillips partner in this “unstoppable” star…

The latest name linked in Tottenham Hotspur’s managerial search will surely have Harry Kane worried…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the North London outfit’s newly-appointed sporting director, Fabio Paratici, is pushing hard to secure former Wolves boss Nuno Santo in what has been described as a “major coup” for the club.

It’s thought that the Italian is the driving force behind Spurs’ sudden U-turn on the 47-year-old, who was quickly ruled out following the sacking of Jose Mourinho in mid-April.

Everton and Crystal Palace have been interested in appointing him but the Portuguese remains out of work heading into pre-season.

Bye-bye Kane!

Nuno has plenty of credentials to be considered for the role, having guided Wolves into the Europa League in their very first season back in the big time but he’s simply not the right fit for Spurs’ ‘DNA’ or needs.

And this will surely push Kane ever so much closer to the exit door after reports suggested that he has reiterated his desire to leave the club during the current transfer window, as per Sky Sports.

It is widely believed that chairman Daniel Levy is after an attack-minded head coach who can commit to the development of its young prospects, with the likes of Oliver Skipp, Jack Clarke and Ryan Sessegnon on the fringes of the first-team.

Well, Nuno’s final season at Molineux provides some insight as to why he might be a very disastrous choice for Paratici.

His Wolves side bagged only 36 goals from their 38 league matches, some 15 fewer than a season earlier and the lowest of any team sitting 16th or above. Even relegated West Brom were only one behind their final total, which is damning.

Of course, some of that can be attributed to the absence of Raul Jimenez but his replacement, Fabio Silva, only found the net four times in 32 appearances and that should concern Spurs’ leading talisman greatly.

Indeed, it’s thought that this perceived negative brand of football was one of the reasons behind Fosun’s amicable split with the former goalkeeper, with it being confirmed two days before the final day that he was going to leave by mutual consent.

Wolves have since replaced him with a manager that registered a 103-goal season at his former club, so that tells you all you need to know.

Something that has since backed this up is a claim from BirminghamLive reporter Alex Dicken, who told football.london: “It wasn’t always pretty to watch and some coaches, namely Maurizio Sarri, criticised their lack of intent in games, but during those first three seasons it worked.

“It was frustrating how slowly Wolves started games and there are some damning statistics about their lack of goals in the first half of matches under Nuno. That could have just been a coincidence, but more likely it was down to the way Nuno set his team up.

“This is why I would be so surprised if Spurs appointed him. The style of football wouldn’t be dissimilar to Jose Mourinho’s, but Nuno boasts nothing like his compatriot’s trophy record.”

Overall, the Midlands side managed a measly 1.18 goals per game in the Premier League under Nuno, which is a drastic decrease from Mourinho’s 2.01 goals per game record at Spurs – and he’s said to have “sucked the culture out of the club.”

Furthermore, ex-Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinso has revealed another concerning reason over the club potentially appointing the Portuguese, he told Football Insider:

“I heard from my sources that he wants 15 or 20 backroom staff members coming with him but I cannot see that happening at Spurs because Daniel will not want to do that because it will be very expensive.”

On the above evidence, it’s hard to see Spurs suddenly winning the sort of silverware that Kane is desperately craving and it’s not like he’s certain to thrive in what seems like such a negative system.

He may well want to leave even more if Nuno is hired.

AND in other news, Forget Nuno: Paratici can revive Spurs by hiring “wonderful” 57 y/o with 67% win rate…

Noel Whelan has suggested Glasgow Rangers could offer players in exchange for Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson.

The Lowdown: Gers eye Ferguson

Dons midfielder Ferguson recently handed in a transfer request (BBC), and the Gers are believed to be interested in a move for the 21-year-old.

Some sources suggests the midfielder would be very eager to make the switch to Ibrox.

The Latest: Whelan makes exchange claim

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has suggested the Gers may offer players in order to capture the U21 Scotland international’s services. He said:

“I’m sure there might be players Aberdeen need that Rangers can offer, possibly.

“If that’s what it’s going to take to get a player through the door to improve them for the next four or five years…

“You’ve got the links, you’ve then got the enticement of Steven Gerrard. Also working with Gary McAllister, the likes of Jermain Defoe there, some great players in that midfield area.

“It’s a very tempting proposition, Rangers and playing at Ibrox, it really is.”

The Verdict: Better deal

Qualification for the Champions League group stages would provide a huge financial boost for the Gers, but that would not be secured until August, and the Ibrox outfit will need to bring in new signings before then. They will need to be clever in the transfer market, and a swap deal in this case could be an interesting one.

For example, the likes of Glenn Middleton and Greg Stewart appear to have no part to play in Steven Gerrard’s plans moving forward, yet they are both players with plenty of ability. A lower cash sum plus a couple of talented performers for Ferguson, who has 27 senior career assists to his name (Transfermarkt), may be enough to convince Aberdeen to part ways.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid at this Times article.

Sheffield United’s Premier League woes continued on Sunday evening as they were thrashed by Ryan Mason’s Tottenham Hotspur, with the Blades a class below throughout the 90 minutes.

Gareth Bale’s impressive hattrick and Heung Min Son’s brilliant curled effort secured a 4-0 win for the hosts and they could have easily scored more against a lacklustre Blades side.

Whilst the defence were often at a standstill, they weren’t helped by their midfield and attack, who regularly gave the ball away in dangerous positions.

One man who disappointed with his performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was Rhian Brewster.

The 21-year-old has endured a nightmare debut season at Bramall Lane following his club-record arrival from Liverpool in the summer, as he is still yet to score that elusive first goal for the Blades.

Unfortunately, his overall displays have also tended to be poor, which was emphasised by an anonymous display in North London.

As per SofaScore, the English striker would earn a generous 6.6 rating for his display, despite being axed at half-time by Heckingbottom.

During his 45 minutes on the pitch, the £10.8m-rated Brewster would have just 10 touches and would complete just three passes, which was comfortably the fewest of any player who featured in the game.

His replacement, Oliver Burke, would have 26 touches and would complete 16/20 passes during the second half, which included two key passes, which suggests that he definitely should have started ahead of the former Swansea City loanee up front.

Brewster also failed to register a single shot on target, successful dribble or successful duel during his time on the pitch and you could argue that he simply did not look interested.

Whilst the Blades have already been relegated, the pressure should be off Brewster now and he should be looking to impress ahead of next season in the Championship, but this performance does not bode well for his future at Bramall Lane.

And, in other news… Exclusive: Pundit drops Dean Henderson Sheffield United claim

With a clash against a rejuvenated Tottenham at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon, Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa must make the ruthless call of dropping Gjanni Alioski from the starting line-up.

The Whites suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Brighton last time out in the Premier League, and Alioski in particular had a difficult afternoon at the Amex Stadium. The North Macedonia international gave away an early penalty, lost six of his nine duels and coughed up possession 10 times (Sofascore).

Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan tore into the 29-year-old and insisted that it was just another display which highlighted the need for the club to sign a left-back this summer.

He told Football Insider: “Alioski was diabolical to be quite honest with you. The free-kick, where he is trying to get a megs in the wrong area, that was his first mistake. The second mistake was back to the Alioski of old.

“We saw that weakness on the left-hand side again. The right thing was to take him off, 100 per cent. He was a liability. Another game which highlighted our need to go into the market for a left-back.”

Whelan has also previously gone on record to slam Alioski as a “liability”, claiming after the game against Chelsea earlier this season that opposition teams target him down the left-hand side.

He said: “Leeds need a natural full-back there that you know can cover most bases, definitely defensively because as much as he gives everything, he is a liability. He’s not the best of defenders.

“I think that’s why you could see a lot going down that left-hand side, really targeting Alioski and you saw that frailty there at times.”

The £55,000-a-week ace has been linked with a move away from Elland Road this summer, with reports claiming that Turkish Super Lig giants Galatasaray are interested in signing him on a free transfer once his contract expires.

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It would be a ruthless call from Bielsa to drop Alioski from the line-up against Spurs after seeing him start the past few games, but after his difficult afternoon against Brighton last week, and a potentially daunting battle against an in-form Gareth Bale on Saturday, there’s surely only one decision to make.

Meanwhile, Leeds eyeing move for this history-making starlet…

After suffering playoff heartbreak with Sunderland, Steven Gerrard should axe Rangers flop Jordan Jones from his squad at Ibrox this summer.

The former Kilmarnock man was sent on loan to the League One side in January and has been a regular in Lee Johnson’s side throughout the second half of the campaign.

The winger was one of several players to attend a house party in November, breaking the restrictions at the time, so it was no surprise to see him shipped out.

Since signing from Kilmarnock in 2019, he has gone on to make just 19 appearances for the Gers, contributing one goal and two assists, which suggests that his move has not worked out.

Unfortunately for Rangers, 26-year-old’s contract at Ibrox is set to expire in 2023, which suggests that they may well look to cash in on him in the next two years, rather than losing him for nothing at the end of his current deal.

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After his latest setback with Sunderland, which saw them fall to a 3-2 aggregate defeat against Lincoln City in the League One playoffs, Gerrard’s best course of action this summer would be to get rid of Jones for good.

The winger produced a disappointing defeat in the 2-0 defeat against Lincoln in the first leg, earning a 6.61/10 rating for his performance from WhoScored, whilst he was left on the bench for the 2-1 win in the second leg despite the North East side needing a goal, which certainly doesn’t bode well for his future.

Although he managed three goals and four assists in 20 appearances for the League One side, averaging a fairly solid 6.88 rating from WhoScored for his performances, it seems unlikely that he will ever be able to establish himself as a regular in Gerrard’s side at Ibrox.

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The “exciting talent” has unfortunately failed to impress during his time at Ibrox and given that Gerrard will be looking to add Champions League quality to his squad ahead of next season, it seems likely that Jones’ time with the Scottish Premiership champions might well be up and letting him go would be the correct call.

And, in other news… Wilson should return for “outstanding” beast after director’s huge claim

Charly Musonda was such a valuable signing to Celtic that the Bhoys tried to bring him to Parkhead twice.

In the summer of 2017, he nearly joined the Hoops on loan before his parent club decided to keep him at the club instead.

He became part of Chelsea’s Premier League squad and played nine times in all competitions for the Blues that term. In the process, he picked up an assist in Europe and also in the top-flight.

Though, after a lack of first-team opportunities Celtic ultimately got their man in January 2018.

After penning temporary terms, Musonda said: “I feel really good. Massive club, really looking forward to it. I’m very lucky to be here and I’m very happy to be here. It’s going to be unreal to play at Celtic Park. Hopefully I can do well for the team.”

Unfortunately, despite Brendan Rodgers’ desire to see him thrive, it was an unsuccessful stint in Glasgow for the Belgian.

Upon signing for an initial 18 months, the former Celtic boss cited Musonda’s “wonderful ability.”

Rodgers added: “I’ve known him for a few years. A big thank you must go to Chelsea. He’s a shining light in their academy.”

Musonda would eventually play just eight times for the Bhoys, being recalled in May after Chelsea lost their patience. He failed to score during his time in Scotland and it was unsurprising they recalled him; he wasn’t even in the squad during the end of his stay.

Since he departed Paradise, his career has fallen off the wagon in one of the worst ways possible.

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The attacking midfielder headed to Vitesse in the Netherlands but after making four appearances early in the 2018/19 season on loan, he’s not been seen on the field of play since.

Musonda has been through his very own version of hell and he’s not in the clear yet either. He picked a cruciate ligament injury in his knee and hasn’t played for the best part of 19 months.

Speaking in December he said: “It’s been four years since I played back to back professional games, three years since I last played for my club, two of those last four years, I’ve been injured with the post cruciate ligament of my knee.”

The midfielder continued: “Doctors told me going through surgery after being out for so long would be the end, an impossible mountain to climb, were the exact words. This is my story and how I keep training and staying ready, despite the odds, one day I’ll be back.”

Now 24, Musonda has returned to light training with Chelsea and has hired his own personal fitness and conditioning strength. He is still yet to appear for the Blues since resuming light ball work in what has been a nightmare two years.

Is the end in sight for the midfielder? Time will tell. Described as a “big talent” by Rodgers, the £42k-per-week earner once had the world at his feet.

Another prodigy off the Chelsea production line, his lack of opportunities has been through complete misfortune, rather than some of the other reasons academy graduates have been handed throughout the years.

Just as his career was beginning to take off, it was effectively ripped away from him. Musonda undoubtedly deserves a second chance.

AND in other news, Big U-turn emerges in Celtic manager search, it’s great news for supporters…