Joe Aribo has been a player transformed at Rangers since Steve Gerrard moved him into a more advanced right-wing position and he appears to be enjoying his new-look role.

What’s the word?

The 23-year-old talent enjoyed a decent opening to the campaign at Ibrox but there was always an impression that he had something extra to offer.

His positional change has certainly enabled him to move into a higher gear, and on current form Gerrard would be wise to continue playing him out wide.

And the former Charlton star appears to be loving his new role if recent quotes from Rangers.co.uk are anything to go by: “Now I am a lot higher up the pitch and get to express myself more. I have very much enjoyed switching position; I am loving it up there.

“I sat down with the gaffer and Mick (Beale) and they said they thought this was the position for me.

“It’s funny because maybe a week before I had sat down with them and said maybe I want to have a go in that position. So it kind of all fell into place and I was just happy.”

Seeing the best of Aribo

Aribo’s ability to produce decisive end product was one of the major pulling factors that drew the Gers towards him last summer.

A return of 10 goals and five assists in all competitions for Charlton in their promotion winning 2018/19 campaign underlined his prowess in the final third, but it took time for him to replicate that type of form this season.

The midfielder picked up four assists and scored one goal in his first 13 SPFL fixtures, but his move onto the right wing has facilitated a major improvement in terms of goal contributions.

In four games played prior to the turn of the year, Aribo provided three assists and scored one goal as Rangers won four on the bounce to put themselves in a strong position to clinch the title in 2020.

As the Nigeria international claimed in his interview with the club, everything has fallen into place for him in recent weeks and, in his new look role, he could write himself into Rangers folklore by helping the club end Celtic’s supremacy in Scottish football.

In other Rangers news, Gerrard has been urged to sign a coveted teenager commanding interest from some of England’s biggest clubs…

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ backup goalkeeper John Ruddy believes centre-back Jesus Vallejo can continue to step up to the challenges and demands of first-team football.

What’s he said?

The 22-year-old joined the Midlands-based side on deadline day in the summer of 2018 from non-league outfit Maidenhead United but spent much of his first season at Molineux plying his trade for the U23 squad as they earned promotion.

He made his senior debut back in May last year, coming on as a last-minute substitute against relegated Fulham.

This season his role has started to increase substantially, featuring 11 times in all competitions and that could be ramped up more this month.

Ruddy certainly believes he can cope with everything top-flight football has to throw at him. In an interview with the Express & Star, he said:

“We’ve known what Max has been about for the last year since he stepped up to train with us on a regular basis.

“He’s a really great lad. Max adapts himself really well and wants to learn and improve.

“He’s fitted in really well because that’s the ethos within the whole squad.

“Everyone wants to do well, to improve and support each other.

“Max is another indication of the dressing room we have.”

Vallejo replacement?

Kilman’s presence amongst the starting line up could be about to increase tenfold after Wolves boss Nuno Santo all but confirmed that loanee Jesus Vallejo would return to his parent club Real Madrid this month.

This would technically leave the side rather light at centre-back, especially with Willy Boly not due back for another month at the absolute earliest.

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Nuno has often gone to midfield pair Romain Saiss and Leander Dendoncker in the back three, but it is Kilman who offers up a potentially better solution.

As a left-footed former Futsal international, he seems like the ideal player to sit at left centre-back in the Portuguese manager’s 3-4-3 system.

The need for options at the back couldn’t be any clearer but the 6 foot 4 colossus should be granted more of an opportunity as the club may focus their transfer plans in the attacking department this month, as per Tim Spiers, with fellow summer arrival Patrick Cutrone expected to also cut short his time at Molineux.

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Kilman can be the answer. Ruddy’s praise will only do him the world of good, too.

While in other news, Wolves losing this highly-coveted star would be their biggest blow yet…

Charlton earned a very respectable draw against West Brom at the Valley on Saturday but the fixture meant more for fans as it marked the first point of a new era in south London.

Roland Duchatelet’s controversial reign finally came to an end at the turn of the new year with East Street Investments taking over, and Matt Southall becoming the new chairman of the club.

Southall was in attendance at the match against the Baggies and was warmly welcomed by many of the 19,720 capacity crowd, who received a wave in response to their greeting.

The chairman took to Twitter post-match to praise the spirit on the pitch and in the stands while calling for unity at the club, which really has been growing since Lee Bowyer became manager and took the club up from League One last season.

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Supporters took the opportunity of his statement to send messages of support and appreciation to Southall.

For many fans the takeover represents a very positive new step. Under the previous occupant there were protests and problems over the years, and a feeling that the club was losing its identity.

A new dawn means there is fresh opportunity for the Addicks to begin moving in the right direction once more by competing in the Championship, and that seems to have offered encouragement already.

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Fans are speaking of rediscovering their belief in the club and the personnel who are trying to guide the club back to the top division, and that could bring back those fans who refused to attend under Duchatelet.

In other Charlton news, fans will likely also be enamoured with the new ownership due to a promising step they have made since taking over.

West Brom will need a sequence of events to fall into place if they are to secure former loan star Dwight Gayle this month, according to The Sun’s Alan Nixon.

What’s he said?

The Baggies hold the 29-year-old in high regard following a goal-laden spell at the Hawthorns last season where he found the net 24 times.

Albion tried to secure him again in the summer, but their plans were foiled over the finances involved in any potential deal, the Express & Star revealed they had pulled out on a permanent move over his £55k-per-week wages.

The Daily Mail claim Gayle could be available for an obligatory fee of £10m following a short-term loan while the Telegraph believes Newcastle’s demands are double that.

West Brom would ‘love’ to sign the Magpies frontman this month, but Nixon says three things will need to occur for that to happen…

An unlikely move

The first event is Steve Bruce signing a new striker after his club-record £40m splash on Joelinton has failed to bring any form of return this campaign with just one goal in 22 appearances.

Although, Newcastle appear to have some cash left as they have been mooted by the Daily Mail with a £20m move for Nice midfielder Wylan Cyprien.

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The next factor is Gayle regaining fitness after picking up an injury last time out against Wolves, he lasted just 28 minutes before being withdrawn, but reports suggest he won’t be on the sideline for as long as first feared. He could be back in training before the end of the month.

And finally, a combination of the above should cause the price for his signature to decrease while an agreement over his wages will also need to be met.

Nixon has tweeted in the past that the Magpies would be willing to see him leave for just £8m, which would contradict both of the figures mentioned previously.

Call yourself a Premier League expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

If all three of those boxes get ticked, then there will surely be a joyous return for Gayle at the Hawthorns.

While in other news, Slaven Bilic has confirmed his interest in this Champions League goal-machine…

Wolves’ ongoing pursuit of Olympiacos winger Daniel Podence could go down to the final day of the transfer window after suffering a minor stumbling block.

What has been said?

There were conflicting reports over the weekend that suggested the deal was on, then off and since it has been revealed the west Midlanders are very much still keen on signing him, per the Express & Star.

However, with less than four days remaining before deadline day, Wolves may have hit a fresh twist as they are still to agree on terms regarding the 24-year-old’s contract with his current club.

Sport24 reporter Dimitris Samolis relayed news from the Greek outfit’s Head of Communications, he said:

It’s on the club…

If Wolves were to miss out on the diminutive winger, then the blame lies solely with the club for trying to complete their business so late in the window.

The likes of Kevin Thelwell, John Marshall and Fosun have had the entire month to iron out these details whilst manager Nuno Santo continues to do wonders on the pitch with his threadbare squad.

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It’s quite frankly shambolic that they have allowed any potential move to enter the final four or five days before the deadline as it only gives the selling club further scope to ramp up the price and make them desperately splash out.

Wolves badly need depth if they are to compete for a top-six berth in the Premier League as well as in the Europa League knockout stages.

Raul Jimenez is their only senior striker; there’s no backup to Adama Traore or Matt Doherty; even central midfield is light on options.

An injury or two would decimate their chances of some success this campaign, so everyone at Molineux best hope they can force this one over the line in time.

And in other news,ÂTim Spiers suggests Wolves are closing in on a new signing

The following article is a special report; all information presented, unless otherwise stated, has been gleaned from Football FanCast sources.

West Ham United are ready to go the extra mile to sign Jarrod Bowen from Hull City in this transfer window, sources have told Football FanCast.

The club are continuing talks with the winger ahead of a possible deadline day move from the Championship club.

Sources confirmed earlier in the day that a fee has been agreed for Bowen of £14m plus £8m in add-ons.

However, talks continue to drag over the forward’s salary demands; he is keen to receive around £60,000-per-week.

One high-level source within the club has communicated a desire to pull out all the stops to acquire his signature, however, even insisting that the Irons’ need is greater than rival clubs who have also been credited with an interest.

Crystal Palace and Newcastle United were named as having held an interest in Bowen by said source, but the club remain confident that he wants to move to the London Stadium.

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Another insider has communicated that the talks are likely to continue into the night, leaving West Ham in something of a race against time to get this deal done.

The deadline, of course, is at 11 pm and there is a hope that he will be announced as their latest signing on Friday but there remains the possibility that things could change.

One source told FFC on Friday afternoon that Bowen’s agent has made a number of demands that are currently holding the deal up.

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While West Ham desperately want to bring the forward in – he has scored 17 goals this season for Hull – there are a number of hoops that still need to be jumped through.

Meanwhile, one ex-West Ham star wanted to return to the club!

Leeds United had to adapt to life without Kalvin Phillips on Tuesday as the midfielder missed the first of three matches due to suspension after his red card against QPR earlier this month.

Marcelo Bielsa stated that his plan was to play Ben White in defensive midfield against Millwall, but it didn’t quite work out that way.

Indeed, the Whites lined up with Stuart Dallas in the midfield to begin with, while White played at centre-back.

With so much chopping and changing in the defence you’d expect to see Gaetano Berardi in the mix somewhere, but he wasn’t even on the bench on Tuesday.

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Bielsa’s decision

The Argentine knew that he’d have to line up a little differently to usual on Tuesday due to Phillips’ absence, and the idea of playing White in midfield had certainly floated through his thoughts.

With that in mind, you’d expect him to at least pick Berardi for a spot on the bench as he can competently cover at left-back, centre-back and right-back, but he wasn’t in the matchday squad at all.

The Swiss defender hadn’t been reported as injured after the manager confirmed there were no new injury updates during his pre-match press conference.

We can’t explain why he wasn’t involved, but it does seem to say a lot about his future.

End of the line

It seems as though Berardi’s days at Elland Road may be numbered.

There have been reports that his contract won’t be renewed at the end of the season, and this snub seems to cement the idea that the 5 foot 10 man is not a part of Bielsa’s plans going forward.

With Phillips suspended, a reshuffle was needed at the back, and an injury during the game could have forced Bielsa into tinkering even further, and he chose to neglect a man in his squad who is experienced in both full-back positions as well as at centre-half.

It doesn’t make much sense, but it certainly doesn’t bode well for Berardi’s future – especially if Leeds get promoted and need new recruits to compete.

In other news, Leeds fans have been drooling over one man after Tuesday’s game.

It was a huge night for Real Sociedad on Thursday evening as they stormed past Real Madrid in the quarter-final of the Copa del Rey to reach the semis after an incredible 4-3 victory –  a game which was ultimately decided by the former Newcastle United man Mikel Merino.

And to make things even more impressive, the victory arrived away from home in the Santiago Bernabeu in front of thousands of Madridistas.

It was no fluke either – La Real led 4-1 with ten minutes left to play.

Los Blancos managed to claw their way back to 4-3 but couldn’t find a late equaliser, bowing out of the competition on a humbling evening for the Spanish giants.

Is life under Ashley really that bad? Maybe this quiz will change your minds, Newcastle fans…

And Merino, who bagged the fourth and decisive goal for his team on the night, was quick to celebrate on

/B8QshgpCMeK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram following the huge triumph over the current La Liga leaders.

Merino failed to establish himself at St James’ Park despite an impressive opening to life in the Premier League before he eventually moved to Sociedad, so it wasn’t a surprise to see his former teammate Christian Atsu liking his snap and showing his support for what is undoubtedly a major achievement in the Spaniard’s career.

But he wasn’t the only one to react to Sociedad’s huge victory as Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic also left a like of his own as the snap seemingly attracted a lot of attention from the footballing world.

Considering how gigantic the result was, we wouldn’t expect anything less.

In other news, many Newcastle fans reacted to links with a player that “would be a bargain even at £20m”…

Celtic’s win against Clyde was pretty routine, despite the testing conditions, as goals from Olivier Ntcham, Scott Brown and Vakoun Bayo handed the team a 3-0 win.

However, there was another big talking point among Celtic fans outside of the strikes and progression to the next round of the Scottish FA Cup.

That is because Marian Shved actually managed to get onto the pitch, when he replaced Mohamed Elyounoussi in the 85th minute.

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There was jubilation among some Celtic fans, as one referred to him being “released”, while another added that “finally he’s free”.

This is a player who had only played 35 minutes of football this season, across two substitute appearances, prior to the game.

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He had scored during that time, bagging against Kalju Nomme, so there is a sense of optimism that the Ukraine international can help the team out if given a chance.

However, not everyone was so happy with Lennon about the fact that he brought on the 22-year-old.

That is not because they didn’t want him on the pitch, but rather that they felt he should have been on for far longer, considering how little time he has had in general this campaign.

One fan picked up on the fact that Jonathon Hayes, who has made 22 appearances this campaign, got more substantial game time on this occasion as well.

Meanwhile, Celtic fans discussed another rarely-seen man’s performance against Clyde.

Tottenham Hotspur were humbled at home by RB Leipzig on Wednesday night in a game which Dele Alli will quickly want to forget.

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The England international was subbed off in the 64th minute and didn’t take it well, throwing his boots and water bottle as he took his seat on the bench.

Needless to say, his display didn’t really go unnoticed by the public, either, as Ruud Gullit delivered a damning verdict following the clash.

Here’s what he said for BeIN Sports:

“When it’s a good team he can handle it. But when it doesn’t go that well, is he the player that can raise it? I don’t think so.”

And the fans were quick to jump on the wagon too, agreeing with the pundit.

It seems that many believe Alli is something of a luxury player and can simply become a passenger when things are not going his way.

For all of those reasons, one supporter even said he was always overrated anyway.

The biggest problem, however, is not really his ability but the fact he can’t carry the team like big stars usually do.

He lacks that accountability and leadership someone of his talent and potential should possess.

Meanwhile, many Spurs fans were in agreement with pundit’s verdict on Arsenal’s celebrations…