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Noel Whelan believes Lyndon Dykes’ latest comments are a come-and-get-me plea to Glasgow Rangers.

The Gers have been linked with the Australian, who scored nine goals and provided eight assists in 25 Scottish Premiership matches last season. He recently told PLZ Soccer (via BBC Sport) that he believes he could make the grade at a club like the Ibrox outfit, which would indicate that a move away from his current club Livingston is on his mind.

Talking to Football Insider, Whelan believes that he is pleading with the Gers to take him to Glasgow. He said:

“His comments say come and get me to a lot of clubs.

“I am not sure if Livingston will appreciate the comments because he is still a Livingston player.

“You have got to love his confidence and you have got to have that confidence as a striker. You must believe in your own talent.

“He is putting out a come and get me plea to Rangers.

“Livingston did really well last season and they will want to keep hold of him but it is so difficult for the so-called smaller clubs to keep a hold of their ace cards. Dykes will be looked at by other clubs, not just Rangers and Celtic and money talks.”

You have to agree with Whelan – this does seem like Dykes wants a move to the Gers, otherwise why would he have name-dropped them? At this point, you feel it is up to Ross Wilson and Steven Gerrard to make a move for him if they feel he can add something to the squad. Livingston are reportedly looking for £2m for his services.

This could well be a saga that carries on throughout the summer.

Let us know what you think below!

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.

Liverpool’s rich history and recent run of success can often distort what a rollercoaster of a ride it’s been. The positive signings and season-defining moments can make a lot of people forget just how much the Reds have struggled in the past.

Rafa Benitez had just let one of the side’s best players leave in a £30million move to Real Madrid. An influential midfielder who helped Liverpool reach the dizzying heights of their 2005 Champions League win and 2006 FA Cup success. Steven Gerrard and Co needed someone of similar calibre to fill the void in midfield.

It would be a tall ask and, certainly in hindsight, one Benitez would not be able to deliver on.

Alberto Aquilani was welcomed to the club in the summer of 2009, after Liverpool agreed a £20m fee with Roma. The Italian’s stats weren’t spellbinding during his time in the capital, but he had the promise to contribute to the Reds’ engine room. However, nothing could’ve been further from reality.

In the three years he was a Liverpool player, Aquilani made just 28 appearances and spent the rest of his time out on loan. He missed the opening eight matches of the Premier League in the 2009/10 season with an ankle injury sustained in Italy.

The midfielder managed to muster up a measly two goals in his 28 matches played across all competitions for the Reds, with just six assists to top that off (via Transfermarkt). Off the back of his debut season, he was sent out on loan twice before Fiorentina decided to take him off Liverpool’s hands permanently.

Aquilani moved back to Italy in a €7m (£6.3m) transfer to Fiorentina, where he made more of an impact, but didn’t set the league alight.

Ultimately, Liverpool saw a huge 68.5% loss on what they originally forked out for the midfield man. A massive deficit which has no doubt created a sense of wariness for the club as they approach future deals.

How would you describe Alberto Aquilani’s time at Anfield? Join the conversation in the comments below…

Key information about PTS Academy Stadium

The PTS Academy Stadium was built in 1994 and is now the home of League Two side Northampton Town. The ground is located in the Sixfields area on the west side of the town and has been housing its current tenants since the construction had finished.

Its current capacity stands at 7,700 and has a pitch that measures 106m by 66m. The surface of the field is covered with grass and there is no running track surrounding it.

The record attendance at the PTS Academy Stadium was set on 21 September 2016 when 7,798 fans watched Northampton Town’s game against Manchester United.

A history of PTS Academy Stadium

Between the club’s formation in 1897 and 1994 when the PTS Academy Stadium was erected, Northampton Town played their games at the County Ground, a stadium they also shared with their local cricket team, Northamptonshire County Cricket Club. But that was far from ideal for them as the cricket pitch was too big, resulting in Northampton only having three stands for their own part of the stadium.

For that reason, the first ideas of moving into a new stadium were conceived in the mid-1990s and by 1994, a purpose built ground was erected in the Sixfields area of the town that would house the team henceforth.

Even though the original idea was to have it open by the time the 1994/95 season rolled in, some complications meant Northampton would start the campaign at the old ground. Still, by October 1994, everything was ready and the first game to be played at the PTS Academy Ground, then known as the Sixfields Stadium, was against Barnet in Division Three, a clash that ended in a 1-1 draw.

At the end of 2003, the club managed to secure a 150-year lease on the ground and started plans for huge redevelopments that would see the stadium modernised and its capacity doubled. However, the plans simply did not go through at the time. In fact, it wouldn’t be until 2013 that the PTS Academy Stadium would finally start getting refurbished.

Back then, the club proposed the redevelopment of the East Stand with the construction starting in summer 2014. Unfortunately, due to some financial difficulties, the expansion was halved and the club is yet to fully finalise the works. Still, it was opened for supporters in 2016, following a catastrophic period of debt, collapse and administration.

The situation improved with the arrival of the new owners but the redevelopment of the ground is yet to be carried out in full. In 2018, the club signed a five-year deal with PTS Training Academy, renaming the ground to PTS Academy Stadium.

Tickets to watch Northampton Town at PTS Academy Stadium

All tickets to watch Northampton Town play at PTS Academy Stadium can be found on the club’s official website. The prices range from £10 to £22 depending on the age group but all stands in the stadium cost the same.

Northampton Town also offer a season ticket scheme and more information can be found on the aforementioned website.

Related links

https://www.ntfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Northampton Town

https://www.ntfc.co.uk/pts_academy-stadium/pts_academy-stadium/ – The history of PTS Academy Stadium

A source close to the Bellagraph Nova (BN) Group has given some insight into their proposed takeover of Newcastle United.

According to the Daily Mirror, the source revealed that they are “still discussing all terms” in terms of their bid and showed the outlet the details of the 31 companies that make up their empire, which includes 23,000 employees.

The consortium say they are huge in the healthcare industry with 250 clinics, leaders in the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with, for instance, 330 million boxes of gloves that have since been sold to the United States government.

They also claim to lead in the robotics industry, and want to also diversify into sport and thus “have a presence in the football business”.

Their bid of £280 million was lower than the original £300 million that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) group, which consists of the Middle Eastern crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), his country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the businesswoman and head of PCP Capital Partners Amanda Staveley and the billionaire London-based Reuben brothers, but the BN Group claim that they did this so that they could have more money available to spend on “top level players”.

Indeed, it is a brave move by the consortium, which was co-founded by businesswoman Evangeline Shen and Singaporeans Nelson and Terence Loh, and brought to the table by former Magpies striker Michael Chopra.

The KSA group withdrew their own bid after growing increasingly frustrated with just how long it was taking the Premier League and its chief executive Richard Masters to approve of the deal, so perhaps the Singapore consortium will have to be more patient if they wish to get their takeover over the line.

Geordies, do you have a preference over who takes over? Comment below!

When it comes to Arsenal, the last couple of weeks have been all about Gabriel and whether he will finally sign for the Gunners and make that long-awaited switch to the Premier League. However, it’s likely the defender won’t come cheap at all.

And for that reason, Mikel Arteta might have to sacrifice some other players in an attempt to balance the books and recoup some of that money they are likely to spend. According to a new report from The Times, Hector Bellerin is among five defenders who have been made available in the ongoing summer transfer market as Arsenal’s purge continues.

The 25-year-old right-back has been in and out of the squad due to various different injuries over the years but now seems to suddenly be expendable at the Emirates. This was echoed by an exclusive report from RMC Sport who claim Bellerin was even offered to Paris Saint-Germain who are also on a lookout for a new full-back in that area.

It was also said that even though the Parisiens are not an easy club to impress, Arsenal’s star fits the profile of what they need in their squad and that could prompt a move on their side.

However, despite the player having a contract until 2023, RMC mention it was the English side who proposed the player to the French outfit, meaning that Bellerin is indeed on the chopping list.

Verdict

He may not have had an incredibly successful run in the last couple of years but selling him at this point does seem like a weird move by Arteta. Since Ainsley Maitland-Niles is also set to join Wolverhampton Wanderers, that would leave Arsenal with only Cedric Soares available to plug those holes.

Of course, another option is to go into the market again and buy a new right-back as well. At this point, if both Niles and Bellerin are sold, the Gunners might indeed be forced to do exactly that.

When Curtis Edwards made his senior debut for Darlington Football Club at nineteen years old he would never have guessed that seven years later he would be lining up for the Swedish Champions, Djurgården. 

Edwards’ story is as remarkable as it is unique. The midfielder is a product of the Middlesbrough academy system where he was considered a gifted player. He began his career at Darlington before signing for Thornaby and Spennymoor Town. Despite playing well for the Northern League clubs, Edwards later admitted that he spent too much time partying and clubbing.

It was then he was offered a lifeline signing for Ytterhogdals IK, a Swedish football team playing in the fifth tier of Swedish football. In the remote northern Swedish countryside, away from distractions he found his form.

Edwards was then offered a trial at Östersunds, a club playing in the Allsvenskan, the top tier of Swedish football. He impressed the team’s coach, and ex footballer, Brian Wake in a friendly and was signed in 2016. He would go onto become a cult figure at Östersunds, making 81 appearances and winning the Swedish Cup. Edwards also played in the club’s famous Europa League campaign, in which the Swedish minnows beat teams such as Galatasaray, PAOK and Athletic Bilbao before losing to Arsenal 2-4 in the round of 32.

As he neared the end of his three year contract with Östersund, Edwards was courted by a number of top tier Swedish clubs. Eventually it was Djurgården, the Stockholm based club and twelve time Swedish champions who signed the then 25-year old midfielder. Edwards scored on his debut and would go onto make twelve appearances for the club as they were crowned Champions in his first season at Djurgården.

Unfortunately Edwards’ first season in the Champions League ended in defeat during the first round to Hungarian team Ferencvárosm who would later knock out Celtic.

Djurgården are currently fifth in the Allsvenskan with 20 matches played. They are only three points behind second placed Häcken. The bookies have Edwards’ Djurgården as fourth favorites to win the title. If you are based in the US then make sure to use the 888Sport bonus when betting on any European league.

Aston Villa could secure Dean Smith one of his old Brentford favourites before October’s transfer deadline, according to latest reports…

What’s the word?

No, it’s not Said Benrahma but rather Rico Henry.

The Sun claim the Midlands outfit are tracking the 23-year-old left-back ahead of a potential switch to Villa Park. It would be yet another raid on the manager’s former club after signing Ollie Watkins earlier this month.

However, several Premier League teams also hold interest in the 5 foot 7 speedster, including West Ham United.

The next Cole?

Henry has emerged as one of the Championship’s best defenders in recent seasons and is, of course, a player that Smith knows more than anyone else.

He brought him to the Bees a year after leaving Walsall in 2015 and paid just £1.5m for his signature. It remains to be seen how much a move this summer would command as last summer their asking price was £7m. That’ll have risen substantially since.

Per WhoScored, the English full-back averaged 1.9 clearances, 1.5 tackles and 1.1 interceptions from 49 appearances last season. He featured in every single one of Brentford’s matches.

Smith clearly is a huge fan and John Terry would be too, going by previous remarks. The Villa boss likened him to fellow Chelsea legend Ashley Cole.

Henry is also “fearless” and has a “good engine and pace,” according to the 49-year-old, so he could fit right in at Villa along that left flank.

Current first-choice Matt Targett only managed to contribute to three goals all season and could probably do with the competition to push him onto the next level.

Nor is he particularly known for his rapid speed, so Henry would certainly add a different dimension – one that could allow Jack Grealish to cut inside more.

AND in other news, Villans may have missed out on their next Gareth Barry…

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson is foolish to urge West Ham United to cash-in on Sebastien Haller for not celebrating his late strike against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

What’s the word?

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday [3/10/2020] ahead of the fourth round of Premier League fixtures, Merson suggested that thee Irons would be wise to seek a late transfer for Haller after the forward chose not to celebrate his 93rd-minute hit during the Irons’ 4-0 rout of Wolves.

Haller entered the action at the London Stadium as a late substitute for the third week in succession, as boss David Moyes once again opted against naming the £32.4million-rated striker in his Premier League starting line-up.

West Ham already had the game under wraps by the time Haller struck home his first league goal since February, but Merson feels the 26-year-old choosing not to celebrate portrayed worrying concerns of his commitment – or rather lack of – to the Hammers.

“You’ve got to celebrate,” Merson stated on Soccer Saturday. “For me, I’d sell him tomorrow morning after that.

“I would look at him and think, ‘you don’t really want to be here’. You’re playing the best sport in the world, you’ve just scored a goal. There’s no better feeling.”

Foolish suggestion

Merson is simply foolish to suggest West Ham ought to cash-in on Haller a year on from his club-record arrival, worth up to £45m, for not celebrating a goal that made no difference to the result, as the acclaim the Frenchman would truly be after is a starting role in Moyes’ plans.

Haller opened 24 of his 32 Premier League appearances during his maiden term in England but has not taken to the field for a kick-off since before last season was paused in March, some 12 fixtures ago now.

Moyes has offered the 26-year-old starting opportunities in the Carabao Cup since, in which Haller has found the net four times and penned one assist, and yet he remains on the bench when the league action resumes.

Celebrating against Wolves deep into stoppage-time, having only entered the action with two minutes of regular time on the clock, would show Haller to be content with his new back-up position to Michail Antonio, something that would be a far graver concern to Moyes than a striker not celebrating an almost meaningless goal in the grand scheme of things.

AND in other news, West Ham risk unsettling David Moyes’ plans with a move to sign a 39-cap player once signed for £47.5million.

It appears as though Southampton are doing all that they can to keep Jannik Vestergaard at the club after recent speculation over where his future lies. The Dane recently admitted that he was considering a move away from the south coast, but club personnel asked him to stay.

“I wont lie and say that a move hasn’t been in my thoughts,” the defender told Goal.com. “I came close in January, but the club and the manager told me that they wanted me to stay. And then I stayed.

“I wanted to stay, just like other players chose to stay this summer, because we want to be a part of the great project going on here.”

High demand for Vestergaard

The 28-year-old admitted that even this summer, clubs had enquired about him but he ultimately decided to avoid these talks. He reportedly doesn’t even know which sides showed interest, ensuring his focus remains on Southampton. This will certainly be appreciated by Ralph Hasenhuttl, who convinced him to stay at St Mary’s earlier in the year.

Despite being dropped for the opening two matches of the season in favour of Jack Stephens, the boss has stressed the importance of Vestergaard.

“I think Jannik is a perfect example of a player who went through some difficult times here but never stopped improving his game,” Hasenhuttl said (via Daily Echo). “At the moment, he is very focused on his performance, gets more and more accepted inside the group and because of the way he plays with the ball, he’s fantastic.”

In his last two appearances prior to the clash against Chelsea, Vestergaard has put in some solid performances, keeping two clean sheets against Burnley and West Brom. He has also enjoyed the international break with Denmark and their win over England could put a spring in his step.

If he helps to keep Southampton’s positive form alive this season, a new contract could be in store. The centre-back’s current terms run out in 2022 and Hasenhuttl may reward his hard work with some security for his future.

In other news, Jannik Vestergaard comments on Southampton duo should excite fans…

Glasgow Rangers secured their second successive victory at Celtic Park with a dominant performance in the Old Firm derby.

The Light Blues cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win over their biggest rivals with Connor Goldson bagging a brace, meaning they now have a four-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table and Steven Gerrard will have been secretly pleased to see his side dominate the midfield battle from start to finish.

The Rangers boss has lamented the lack of a ball-carrying midfielder in the past, which explains why he was so delighted when the Gers signed Bongani Zungu on a season-long loan from Amiens two hours before the close of play on deadline day.

Scott Arfield and Steven Davis bossed the Bhoys in their own backyard, but it was Glen Kamara who was the best of the bunch in the midfield.

The 21-capped Finland international continued his fine form for club and country with another comprehensive display in the Old Firm clash.

SofaScore graded the 24-year-old as one of the best players on the pitch – he won seven out of his nine ground duels (77%), whilst he made three tackles, one clearance and one interception, and successfully dribbled past three out of four players.

The Daily Record gave Kamara an 8/10 rating, claiming he picked “the right moments to keep it short and simple or burst into advanced areas with examples of ball carrying”, whilst The Independent were also impressed, insisting he was a “very clever player” who “won the battle against Ntcham and allowed the game to tick over favourably for Rangers.”

If you look at his heatmap, you can see that he was involved in the build-up play on the right before Goldson’s second goal.

It’s hardly surprising that Kamara received praise from Rangers fan Oli McBurnie. The Sheffield United striker tweeted “Glen Kamara is really good at football btw” after the game.

With Zungu’s arrival and with Ryan Jack’s immenent return, it’s fair to say that the midfielder may have been nervously looking over his shoulder as his place was by no means assured. What better way to send the boss a timely reminder with a big performance in one of the biggest games of the season?

AND in other news, Rangers must sign Alfredo Morelos to new contract after Gerrard comments…