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Former Glasgow Rangers striker Kris Boyd was reportedly banned from entering Dens Park to cover the Gers’ clash with Dundee last weekend, as more news pops up on this bizarre story.

The Lowdown: Boyd slams Griffiths

Griffiths found himself in hot water once more when he kicked a flare into stands during Dundee’s clash with St. Johnstone.

Boyd then piled the criticism on to Griffiths, questioning the striker’s attitude, commitment, and record in recent years (via The Scottish Sun).

The Latest: Conflicting reports

In response, Dundee allegedly banned Boyd from access to their players for the clash at Dens Park.

Boyd was also forced to do his match analysis outside the ground, as well. As per The Daily Record, a Dundee insider said:

“We informed Sky Sports of our decision on Saturday morning that Kris Boyd wouldn’t be getting any pre-match access from anyone at Dundee.

“Some of the stuff he wrote about Leigh was just ridiculous and out of order.”

The Scottish Sun however have since shared a picture of the pundit working for Sky Sports from inside the ground, but as that is during the 90 minutes, not pre-match as the above claims, the truth is still not clear.

The Verdict: Worrying trend

Boyd, who scored 121 goals for Rangers during his time at the club (Transfermarkt), was scathing in his criticism of Griffiths in his article for The Sun. He suggested that the abuse the Scotland international would receive from Rangers supporters at the game between the two clubs was deserved, and he did not pull any punches when questioning his criticism.

While it was critical of Griffiths, does it require the person in question to be banned? This is part of a worrying trend in Scottish football, where publications are being banned from covering matches as they previously have done.

Rangers now demand fees of up to £25,000 to grant access (via The Daily Mail), while Celtic and the Gers banned Andy Walker following comments he made. It remains to be seen whether whether Boyd will continue to be denied access from Dens Park in the future, but at some point there has to be some form of compromise between Premiership club’s and the media outlets covering them.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid with this club update.

Leicester City have made a decent start to the new campaign, picking up six points from a possible nine in the Premier League after seeing off Manchester City at Wembley Stadium to secure the Community Shield.

Although the Foxes’ performances haven’t been up to their usual high standards, victories over Wolves and newly-promoted Norwich City have come either side of a disappointing 4-1 defeat at the hands of West Ham United.

Those results have left Brendan Rodgers’ charges in a healthy position during the first international break of 2021/22, and it’s been one of the Midlands outfit’s usual suspects who’s led the way throughout August.

Despite the arrival of several exciting new acquisitions at the King Power Stadium over the summer, 34-year-old Jamie Vardy has continued to fire Leicester up the top-flight table.

As per SofaScore, the former England international has received a match rating of 7.43 out of 10 after bagging two goals and providing one assist in three league outings, the highest tally compared to his teammates.

And when looking at Vardy’s underlying numbers, it’s easy to see why he’s been awarded such a healthy score in the early stages of the season.

In his 261 minutes of Premier League action, Vardy has had five shots on target, made three key passes, won a massive eight duels and completed four of his attempted dribbles.

His impressive contribution to Leicester’s success highlights his importance to Rodgers’ side, despite the pacey striker entering the twilight years of his career.

The former Fleetwood Town gem will be aiming to pick up where he left off once the league resumes, with current champions Manchester City Vardy’s next opponent.

And, in other news…Lost possession 39x: Leicester liability badly let Rodgers down with dreadful August 

Rodrigo’s attitude and quality in training are believed to have caught the eye of Marcelo Bielsa, according to reliable journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Up-and-down Whites career

The 30-year-old became Leeds United’s record signing when he joined from Valencia last year, but he is yet to fully ignite at Elland Road.

Rodrigo has scored seven goals in 32 appearances – a record that should really be better, considering the reputation he had when he arrived.

He was hooked at half-time against Liverpool last weekend, but according to a fresh update, that doesn’t mean Bielsa is unhappy with him.

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The Latest: Rodrigo impresses Bielsa

The Spaniard has impressed his manager in training, The Athletic‘s Hay claims, especially in terms of his professionalism and work ethic.

Rodrigo will hope to start Friday’s clash with Newcastle United at St James’ Park, as the Whites look for their first Premier League win of the season.

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The Verdict: Persevere with him

Rodrigo is a hugely gifted footballer – former teammate Neto once hailed him as a ‘phenomenon’ – so he is certainly worth persevering with at Leeds.

Granted, he hasn’t yet excelled in a Whites shirt, but it will be interesting to see how he continues to develop in a No.10 role under Bielsa, considering that wasn’t his natural position when he arrived.

The fact that Rodrigo is seemingly knuckling down in training certainly bodes well and he may be eager to prove his worth at Newcastle, who have themselves struggled to start the new campaign.

In other news, one huge club are reportedly eyeing up a move for a Leeds player. Find out who it is here.

Liverpool could be closing in on just their second signing of the summer after reportedly making advances in their pursuit of Rennes winger Jeremy Doku.

What’s the story?

The Reds have been linked with a move for the highly-rated 19-year-old in recent weeks as manager Jurgen Klopp looks to freshen up his faltering forward line.

And now Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri has provided an update on Doku’s future, claiming the teenager “loves” Liverpool and has already held talks with the Anfield outfit.

“The player is really happy in Rennes for the moment but loves Liverpool, and Liverpool loves (him) too,” Tavolieri told Anfield Central. “The agency of Jeremy Doku has already been in contact with Liverpool. They know each other, so if they want to go further it could go pretty quickly.

“If Liverpool wants Doku, they are going to pay a minimum of €50m (£42.6m) because Rennes is not ready to let the player go for the moment.”

Liverpool fans will be buzzing

The Belgium international only arrived at the Roazhon Park last October following a string of impressive performances for boyhood club Anderlecht in his homeland.

And his maiden campaign with Rennes showcased his truly top-class potential. Doku scored two goals and laid on a further four assists in 37 appearances for Les Rouge et Noir, but his underlying numbers were arguably more eye-catching.

As per WhoScored, the pacey forward completed a whopping 3.7 dribbles per league game throughout 2020/21, far more than any of his teammates, and also produced 1.4 key passes, the third-highest tally in comparison to his colleagues.

He also achieved an overall rating of 7.07, the second-highest total for any Rennes player, highlighting the exceptional quality that the youngster possesses.

Doku has also made his mark at international level, though, despite only making 10 appearances for Roberto Martinez’s charges. Compatriot Kevin De Bruyne lauded Doku’s natural talent following his full senior debut against Iceland in the Nations League last September.

“He is nimble, fast and he can dribble. Of course, he sometimes makes a mistake, but who doesn’t? He is a diamond in the rough,” said De Bruyne.

With the famed front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah all fast approaching their 30’s, Klopp needs to start thinking about the next generation of attacking talent for his ageing squad.

As a result, the Liverpool supporters will surely be buzzing to learn that the club’s hierarchy are in talks with Doku’s representatives, and they’ll be hoping director of football Michael Edwards can get this deal over the line.

And, in other news…Liverpool tipped to make a move for £117m-rated “phenomenon”, Klopp would love him 

An update has emerged regarding Celtic’s pursuit of Sheffield United defender George Baldock…

What’s the talk?

Speaking on The Go Radio Football Show, via Vital Football, former Hoops player Davie Provan claimed that the Glasgow club are baulking at the 28-year-old’s wages, which is causing their pursuit of the full-back to slow down.

The 65-year-old said: “George Baldock, I think, would have been a great signing for Celtic. Apparently they are baulking at the wages.

“But you know good players cost good money and Baldock is the type of player that Celtic are going to have to sign.”

Ange will be frustrated

If Baldock’s wage demands are causing an issue for Celtic, then Ange Postecoglou will be incredibly frustrated as the club would be missing out on a potentially excellent addition to their squad.

The right-back played 70 Premier League matches over the past two seasons for Sheffield United, particularly impressing in the 2019/20 campaign. He averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.79 that term, scoring twice and setting up three goals in 38 starts.

This shows that he has the quality to play in the top flight in England, suggesting that he could thrive in the Scottish Premiership for Celtic. As such, former Rangers player Barry Ferguson praised Baldock earlier this summer and backed the Hoops to sign him, stating that he would be a solid addition to their squad.

He told Go Radio: “One player that has stuck out has been George Baldock.

“He’s always been a steady Eddie on that right-hand side for Sheffield United. I can see the reasons why Celtic are interested in him.

“They’ll be getting a good, solid player, that’s for sure.”

This is why Postecoglou will be disappointed if the club’s wage structure prevents them from being able to do a deal for the Englishman. He is on £26k-per-week at Bramall Lane, whilst the Hoops’ top earner from last season was reportedly Scott Brown on £25k-per-week.

For a player of Baldock’s pedigree and quality, it could be worth shelling out slightly to ensure that Celtic are able to significantly strengthen the squad. Postecoglou needs as many good players  in his squad as possible to win back the title from Rangers, and the Sheffield United man fits the bill.

BBC pundit Garth Crooks once compared him to Manchester United legend George Best, after a strike against Norwich in the Premier League. He said:

“I wasn’t sure if it was George Baldock or George Best! I thought I was seeing things when I saw Baldock drag the ball back, pirouette and strike a glorious shot past Tim Krul. The finish – not to mention the skill – was superb along with Sheffield United’s performance.”

Therefore, he could be a sublime signing for the Hoops, as he is a proven, consistent and reliable performer at right-back. He could come in and be the club’s first-choice right-back for years to come, but it appears as though his wages are going to stop that from happening, which is why Postecoglou must be frustrated.

AND in other news, Celtic closing in on deal for “very gifted” gem, he’s the perfect Frimpong replacement…

West Bromwich Albion winger Matheus Pereira has secured a move away from The Hawthorns.

What’s the latest?

In a report for The Athletic on Thursday, Steve Madeley revealed that the 25-year-old was set to complete a move to Al-Hilal, with the Brazilian having undergone a medical with the Saudi Arabian side.

The journalist went on to claim that talks between the two clubs had progressed quickly after Al-Hilal significantly upped their original offer for the forward, and while the amount has not been disclosed, the final transfer fee is believed to have fallen some way short of Albion’s £25m to £30m asking price.

Shortly after Madeley’s report, West Brom’s official website confirmed Pereira’s departure in a brief statement, wishing the player well for his future in the game.

Ismael will be buzzing

While Pereira’s departure from West Brom was highly anticipated following the club’s relegation from the Premier League last season, things had initially appeared rather quiet regarding interest in the winger’s services. West Ham were tentatively linked with a move, although a deal never really seemed to be on the cards.

However, a war of words between the player and Valerien Ismael seemed to speed up the 25-year-old’s exit from The Hawthorns, with the Frenchman questioning the Brazilian’s application in training before freezing him out of the club’s pre-season plans.

Pereira then responded by publishing a statement on Twitter, in which he claimed he has always given his all for the club during his time in West Bromwich but admitted that he was keen to move on to pastures new this summer.

With his switch to Al-Hilal now complete, it will not only be Pereira who will have been buzzing to finalise his move away from the Championship side, but Ismael too.

Indeed, while Madeley’s report does not mention the fee the Saudi Arabian side paid West Brom for the winger, Transfermarkt have the figure down as £16.2m, with this reported sum being able to fund the 45-year-old Albion manager’s desired move for a new centre-forward this summer.

As such, while losing the services of a player who has undoubtedly been one of the Baggies’ stars over the last two years may well be upsetting for fans, the club can now fully move on from the transfer saga of the Brazilian. That is a positive for Ismael, who will already be scouring the market for a fresh signing with his newly-found transfer funds.

In other news: Lost possession 11x: Reckless £14k-p/w West Brom flop badly betrayed Ismael’s trust

A number of Sheffield Wednesday supporters are delighted after centre-back Dominic Iorfa signed a new contract with the Owls.

Darren Moore’s side have made an impressive start to the season, picking up 10 points from their opening four League One games. Saturday’s 2-0 win away to Rotherham United was a particularly good result, with Wednesday looking like strong promotion hopefuls in the early weeks of the campaign.

The Owls haven’t conceded a goal yet this season and Iorfa has been a rock at the heart of the defence, proving to be an influential figure. Indeed, WhoScored’s metrics cite him as the team’s second-best performer over the early weeks of the campaign, averaging an impressive 7.37 rating per match.

The 26-year-old has now made 74 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday and he has committed his future to the club until the summer of 2023, as confirmed on their official Twitter account on Monday.

Sheff Wed fans react to Iorfa news

It is a hugely positive piece of news for the Owls and these fans took to Twitter to show their happiness over the “brilliant” development.

“Now got the best defender and midfielder in the league secured for this season. Brilliant”

Credit: @Beta_Owl

“Absolutely made my day this”

Credit: @JackWaddle93

“BIG DOM”

Credit: @Haleb_4_ever

“Absolutely buzzing, Wednesday now doing all the right things and looking after the club’s assets”

Credit: @Hill7Conor

“Cracking news”

Credit: @Ryan_Guesty

“Cannot be overstated how big this is. Dom is a top player who could easily have walked back into the Champ, but also the beating heart of the team. His connection with the fans the way he plays on the edge is impossible to replace. Huge statement of intent. Big from the gaffer”

Credit: @MattSummerhill

In other news, some Sheff Wed fans were critical of one player in the 2-0 win at Rotherham United. Read more here.

Manchester United have reportedly received no contact from Paris Saint-Germain over a possible move for Paul Pogba.

What’s the story?

Several outlets have linked the French giants with a move for the 28-year-old in recent days after he entered the final year of his contract at Old Trafford, but no formal approach has been made, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Pogba is believed to be relaxed over his future and settled in Cheshire with his family, although United players closest to the midfielder are thought to be of the opinion he should be allowed to leave as it’s in the best interests of the player and the club.

Solskjaer will be delighted

Despite the continued speculation and uncertainly regarding Pogba’s future, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will surely be delighted that no approach has been made by PSG.

The France international has established himself as a pivotal player for the 20-time English champions during his time at the club and arguably produced his best-ever form in a Red Devils shirt in the second half of last season.

After becoming United’s record signing in an £89m move from Juventus back in 2016, Pogba has scored 38 goals and provided 42 assists in 206 appearances, winning the League Cup and Europa League along the way.

However, he’s been unable to drag the club towards football’s biggest prizes, often struggling for consistency and drawing his fair share of criticism as a result.

Some of the negative narratives have been extremely harsh on the £54m-rated beast, though. United haven’t built a strong enough team to compete for the Champions League or Premier League during Pogba’s time at the club, and only now are they moving in a positive direction.

Since Solskjaer has taken charge, the Old Trafford outfit have recorded consecutive top-four finishes for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirements, reached multiple semi-finals and were beaten in the Europa League final last term.

With the imminent arrival of Jadon Sancho and the potential addition of Raphael Varane, the Norwegian tactician is close to building a team with the ability to return United to the sport’s summit.

Losing Pogba, who has been lauded as a “monster” in recent seasons, would be a devastating blow to the progress that Solsjaer has made during his two-and-a-half-year tenure, and he’ll be hoping the World Cup-winning dynamo puts pen to paper on a new deal and commits his future to United for many years to come.

And, in other news…“Matter of hours”: Fresh Man Utd transfer update is revealed that’ll have fans buzzing 

Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks to sign Jules Kounde…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who delivered a fresh update on Spurs’ pursuit of the impressive Sevilla defender on this week’s episode of the ‘Here We Go’ podcast.

He said:

“Kounde could be an opportunity.

“Also, Manchester United are on the list. Tottenham are considering a move, they are in contact with his agents.

“For sure Tottenham will do something in defence, [at] right-back and centre-back in the next weeks.”

It’s also thought that the France international is a specific target of newly-appointed manager Nuno Santo, with fellow Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio claiming it is his first request at the club (via Marca).

Instant hit

Nuno has one hell of a job on his hands after Spurs’ farcical managerial search came to a much-needed end on Wednesday. One of the biggest problems facing the Portuguese coach is the need to perform a squad overhaul, in which an unhappy Harry Kane features.

The 47-year-old may have to shift a lot of deadwood and underperformers on, in order to bolster the playing squad to the extent that they could challenge the top six again next term.

And according to the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, the North London outfit are prepared to listen to offers for as many as six first-team stars, including inconsistent centre-back Davinson Sanchez.

Well, if Nuno were to replace the £42m flop with someone of Kounde’s calibre, then he could well become an instant hit at the club. It would certainly be one way to win over the small section of supporters that are against his arrival.

Considering his price tag, the Colombian defender has never cemented his place down in the team or lived up to his potential and at just 25, Spurs could make a considerable amount back if they manage to offload him.

He was dubbed a “real liability” and slammed as someone who “costs you 20 goals a season” by a few former professionals during 2020/21.

Kounde could be a real star of the future as at 22 years of age, he’s made France’s Euro 2020 squad following another impressive season at Sevilla.

He ended the campaign as their highest-rated player (7.01), having averaged three aerial duels won, 1.2 interceptions as well as a 90.1% passing accuracy, via WhoScored.

The £54m-rated beast has been described as a “pretty special” talent by La Liga expert Euan McTear, who told The Transfer Tavern: “He’s still so young, he’s got energy, great positioning too. All the centre-backs, not just in Spain I think, but if you look around Europe, he’s got to be one of the highest prospects.”

Interestingly, the 5 foot 10 defender can also play at full-back, so that gives Nuno plenty of potential tactical options heading into next season.

Sevilla are said to want around £50m to let their star man depart this summer but he would be the perfect statement of intent for the newly-appointed Spurs boss.

It’s time to wave goodbye to Sanchez to pave the way for the marquee addition of Kounde.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Spurs transfer claim…

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has relayed his fears for Tottenham Hotspur following a development involving defender Toby Alderweireld.

The Lowdown: Alderweireld issues exit demand…

The Athletic first broke news of Alderweireld’s desire to leave Tottenham this summer, with the Belgian allegedly confident that an exit can be sealed.

Alasdair Gold backed this report whilst going into further detail, stating that he even asked the club if he could leave a while ago and it wouldn’t have made any difference who succeeded Jose Mourinho as manager (Twitter).

The Latest: Robinson fears for Tottenham…

Following this development, Robinson has relayed his fears for Spurs whilst claiming that the 32-year-old is currently their best centre-back.

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Indeed, the pundit said that the position is a ‘real problem area’ for Tottenham, and Alderweireld’s exit claim could mean that he becomes a ‘big loss’.

“It is a massive blow to hear that,” the club’s former goalkeeper explained to Football Insider when asked about the news.

“I really think he would be a big loss. He’s the best Spurs have got currently.

“The centre-half position is a real problem area for Spurs. They struggled in that department all of last season.

“It is a position that Nuno will have to address in the transfer market.

“Alderweireld is the best defender at the club but if Nuno is working on a tight budget, and wants to shape the team, then maybe he will cash in. Some players will have to make way and Alderweireld looks like he could be one of them.”

The Verdict: Correct?

Out of Tottenham’s entire squad last season, Alderweireld averaged the joint-most Premier League blocks per game (1.1) whilst also making the second-most clearances (4.6) per match, marking him out as a solid presence in their defence (WhoScored).

He also enjoyed flashes of brilliant form over 2020/21, with former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho singling him out for praise after a ‘fantastic’ display at home to Manchester City in November (Sky Sports).

However, with the defender approaching his twilight phase, we believe that Nuno Espirito Santo should look to offload Alderweireld and grant the Belgian his wish. His sell-on value will only decrease from this point onwards and Spurs may need to strike while the iron is somewhat hot.

In other news: ‘In recent days’…Spurs have now made approach to sign £34.4m-rated ‘genius’, find out more here.