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Grant McCann is one of the candidates to become Sunderland’s next manager, according to Sky Sports News. 

The lowdown

Sunderland are looking to appoint a replacement for Lee Johnson, who was sacked following a 6-0 rout at the hands of Bolton Wanderers in late January.

Mike Dodds took caretaker charge of The Black Cats for Saturday’s shock defeat against bottom-of-the-table Doncaster Rovers.

McCann had recorded back-to-back wins, pulling Hull City ten points clear of the Championship’s bottom three, before he was sacked by the new regime at the MKM Stadium last month (via BBC Sport).

The latest

Roy Keane, who managed the club between 2006 and 2008, appears to be the frontrunner at present, having been interviewed for the vacancy.

But should Keane decided against returning to the dugout, Sky Sports report Sunderland do have other options in mind.

They include McCann, former Celtic boss Neil McCann and 73-year-old veteran Neil Warnock.

The verdict

Would McCann be a good appointment? Well, the standout achievement on his CV is leading Hull back to the second tier as League One champions following their relegation in 2019/20.

He’s a manager with ‘staggering’ ambition, in the words of Liam Hoden, Deputy Head of Sport at the Doncaster Free Press, which is sure to be music to the ears of Sunderland fans desperate to see their club back where they belong.

And in more good news for supporters, his style of play is appealing too. Barry Fry, who oversaw McCann at Peterborough, has called him ‘brilliant’ and gushed over his ‘attractive’ brand of football.

In other manager news, this treble-winner has expressed his interest.  

As per journalist Ryan Taylor of The Daily Express, amid all the rumours surrounding Erling Haaland, it appears Man City have their eyes on another player as news emerges on Benfica star Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Sky Blues in striker search…

Pep Guardiola seems set to target a world class centre-forward in the summer window after failing to sign Spurs star Harry Kane last summer.

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Haaland, who appears to be dominating the headlines where City are concerned, has been very heavily linked with a move to Eastlands since The Mail broke news of a deal even allegedly being in place.

However, the Norway star isn’t the only man reportedly on Guardiola’s radar, with Benfica’s big name attacker Nunez also a target according to reports.

Sharing an update, Taylor now has some news for City supporters as Eastlands officials travel abroad this week.

The Latest: City officials travel…

According to his information, Sky Blues officials were in attendance to run the rule over Nunez during Benfica’s clash with Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday.

It is believed that scouts from Man United, Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham and Arsenal were also at the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica in midweek.

The Verdict: Ideal Haaland alternative?

If City can’t seal an agreement for their top target this summer, Nunez arguably stands out as as perfect alternative.

Scoring 28 goals already this season, the starlet attacker could leave for around £60 million this summer, but the amount of competition could mean sporting director Txiki Begiristain faces a summer transfer battle.

Lauded as an ‘absolute beast’ by Anfield Index podcaster Hari Sethi after that clash with Liverpool, one of the most in-form frontmen in Europe could raise a real bidding war and it will be interesting to see whether the Sky Blues could be part of it.

In other news: ‘Man City close to finalising’…Insider shares major player development out of Eastlands, find out more here.

Reported Manchester United target Declan Rice is not for sale this summer, according to Sky Sports News.

The lowdown

The Telegraph’s Northern Football Correspondent James Ducker reported earlier this month that United would target West Ham midfielder Rice this summer, with incoming manager Erik ten Hag set to be given access to a transfer ‘war chest’.

Irons manager David Moyes said recently that the Englishman was worth £150million at a ‘minimum’.

That would be the biggest transfer in Premier League history, smashing the £105.75milllion record set by Jack Grealish’s move to Manchester City.

Rice is under contract until the summer of 2024, but West Ham crucially have the option to extend that deal by a further year. He’s believed to have turn down three offers of an extension, one of which was worth around £200,000 per week (via The Guardian).

The latest

Live on air on Friday evening, presenter Mike Wedderburn relayed an update on Rice.

While West Ham won’t countenance a sale this summer, their stance could change at the end of next season, he told Sky.

“Our chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol has spoken to West Ham today. West Ham have said this: they will not sell Declan Rice this summer, even if he doesn’t sign a new contract.

“The Hammers would be prepared to sell Rice in the summer of 2023 if he doesn’t sign a new contract.”

The verdict

This presents Man. United with an interesting dilemma. They can either bide their time for Rice, who will only be 24 years old come the 2023 window. If he’s their no. 1 target, they may be patient.

Or they may decide that they simply have to furnish Ten Hag with a marquee midfield addition this summer, particularly with Paul Pogba set to leave on a free transfer.

They’ve been linked with Rice’s England team-mate, Kalvin Phillips, who is available for a fee of £60million (according to The I’s Mark Douglas). This cheaper, swifter deal could prove to be more desirable.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano drops a key update concerning Ten Hag. 

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton was fuming at referee Bobby Madden’s performance in the Hoops’ Scottish Cup semi-final defeat.

The Lowdown: Hoops beaten by rivals

Andy Postecoglou’s side were looking to keep their treble dream alive on Sunday afternoon, as they faced old foes Rangers at Hampden Park.

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When Greg Taylor fired Celtic in front, everything seemed to be going swimmingly, but Scott Arfield equalised and the game ended up going to extra-time.

It was left to Fashion Sakala to secure a 2-1 win for Rangers, as the Hoops were left to lick their wounds after a bitterly disappointing day at the office.

The Latest: Sutton fumes at Madden

Taking to Twitter after the game, Sutton couldn’t hide his frustration at Madden’s performance, following some questionable decisions on the day:

“Celtic were poor but Bobby Madden turned in one of the worst refereeing performances I’ve seen in Scotland for a long time… and that’s saying something!!!”

The Verdict: Poor day all round

There is no doubt that Madden was poor on Sunday, somehow allowing John Lundstram to commit numerous fouls before being booked, among other errors.

That being said, Celtic must also look at themselves and accept that they were short of their best, as Sutton alluded to in his aforementioned tweet.

You could argue Rangers were the better team for much of the game, with their superiority eventually shining through, even despite playing 120 minutes in the Europa League around 72 hours earlier.

Celtic must now dust themselves down and focus on securing Scottish Premiership glory, hopefully fending off the Gers in the remaining weeks of the season.

In other news, a pundit has explained why Celtic will win the league title. Read more here.

Liverpool have definitely not been at their best in recent times but they’re still in with a chance of securing the Premier League title, with a win on Sunday taking them three points clear at the top.

The Reds will need to focus on getting the best out of their front three from here on in until the end of the season, as they went missing against Bayern Munich in the Champions League earlier on in the week.

Interestingly, it appears as if Jurgen Klopp may already has his eye on an attacker, as according to the Daily Mirror (via ESPN), Liverpool could be set to renew their interest in Jadon Sancho.

Sancho has developed into one of the hottest prospects in world football since moving to Borussia Dortmund, so it comes as no surprise that the Reds could renew their interest. He currently has eight goals and 13 assists to his name in all competitions and has plenty of years still left to develop with his 19th birthday coming up next week.

Liverpool already have the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Xherdan Shaqiri operating out wide at this moment in time, but it’s safe to say that there’s certainly room for more talent. Indeed, the Englishman is a very special talent who already has the ability to give the Salah a run for his money on the right-hand side, with the skills, pace, dribbling, creativity and finishing ability to slot right into Klopp’s fast-paced attacking style.

However, it’s safe to say that the youngster won’t come cheap as the German club sold Ousmane Dembele to Barcelona for a fee of £100 million rising to £135 million back in 2017, and they have made it clear that when they eventually look to sell Sancho on, they will value him in a similar bracket.

What do you think Liverpool fans?

Speaking to Wett Freunde, reputable Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur will pursue a deal for Internazionale striker Lautaro Martinez in the summer transfer window. 

The lowdown: Plenty of suitors…

Unsurprisingly, the potential availability of the 23-year-old has caused a stir across the continent as Atletico Madrid, Arsenal and Liverpool have all previously been linked with a move.

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Spurs have also been regularly tipped to swoop for the dynamic Argentinian frontman, who boasts an impressive 111 career goals for club and country.

As the transfer window looms, Martinez is once again being indexed with a possible exit from the San Siro.

The latest: North London bound?

Di Marzio has told the German outlet that the Lilywhites will ‘go after’ the 37-cap Argentina star.

It’s also stated that Tottenham ‘wanted him’ last summer amidst speculation linking Martinez away from Italy and could reignite interest in order to ‘plan for the future’ without Harry Kane.

The journalist describes both Spurs and Atletico Madrid as the ‘perfect destinations’ for the Inter star, who currently earns £180,000 per week (Wage Indicator).

The verdict: A no-brainer

Having already worked with Antonio Conte, scoring 40 times and providing 19 assists whilst lifting the Serie A title under the Italian manager, Martinez is the ideal candidate to bolster the attacking deportment at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Enjoying another stellar campaign with 16 goals and two assists in 39 appearances across all competitions (Transfermarkt), the Argentine frontman is certainly operating at the very peak of his powers.

As for replacing Kane, we feel a move for the £63million valued star should instead be viewed as a method of offering support and indeed an alternative option.

Predominantly operating alongside a more physical strike partner in the shape of Eden Dzeko and previously Romelu Lukaku, Martinez would have no problems forging a partnership with the England captain, who already links up so effectively with Son Heung-min.

In other news: Paratici eyeing move for EFL starlet, find out more here

Journalist Jordan Cronin has slammed both Richarlison and Anthony Gordon for their antics as Everton lost 2-0 away to Liverpool on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Everton tactics

Frank Lampard clearly set up his team to frustrate the hosts at Anfield, as they committed eight fouls in total and picked up five yellow cards (SofaScore).

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One of those was for Gordon, who was booked for simulation in the first half, while Richarlison was also cautioned late on after a nasty tackle on Jordan Henderson, amid the Brazilian being accused of play acting and deliberately time wasting throughout the game.

The Latest: Cronin reacts

Taking to Twitter, Cronin slammed Richarlison and Gordon for their antics on the pitch, saying:

“There’s trying to frustrate Liverpool and then there’s Everton. Embarrassing at times, especially Richarlison and Gordon.”

The Verdict: Nothing to show

Ultimately, the tactics employed by Everton did not pay off, as Jurgen Klopp’s team won 2-0 in the end.

Richarlison and Gordon did show some bright sparks in the match, as they won a combined 13 duels between them and also recorded four successful dribbles and two key passes in total (SofaScore).

However, they were guilty of giving the ball away no fewer than 33 times combined, and ultimately they could not make the most of their strides toward Alisson’s net.

Nonetheless, the Toffees will want to put this result behind them now and focus on Chelsea at Goodison Park next weekend as they aim to climb out of the relegation zone.

In other news, find out which Premier League club are now eyeing this Toffees centre-back

Rangers have been handed a major setback as a worrying update emerges on Ianis Hagi’s injury status.

What’s the story?

Romania boss, Edi Iordanescu, said: “I spoke to him twice and he may be unavailable for five to six months. It’s very unfortunate for him. I don’t want to put pressure on him to rush back, but of course, we need our best players for Romania.

“I’ve even spoken to his father about his injury too. I want to support Ianis as much as I can. I have assured him I will be there for him when he is ready and we trust him to come back stronger. I told him to take all the time he needs. Even if he doesn’t play immediately, he will be back in my squad.

“He’s resigned to being out for some time, but he’s very confident he will be back stronger. He’s been good because it hasn’t been easy for him with this setback.”

Big blow for Rangers

The Romanian play-maker suffered the injury in the Gers’ 4-0 victory over Stirling Albion earlier this season, and having undergone surgery about a week later, it was confirmed that he would miss the remainder of the campaign.

Hagi’s absence has been a costly one for the Ibrox side, with the side suffering a couple of disappointing results in the Scottish Premiership, not least a 3-3 draw against Ross County and the 3-0 drubbing against old rivals Celtic.

Last season saw the Romanian really showcase what he can do when he’s on song, netting eight goals and providing 15 assists in 45 games across all competitions, with Steven Gerrard waxing lyrical about him.

Speaking last year, the former Gers boss said: “We’re really happy with Ianis Hagi, he’s a joy to work with. He’s a student of the game. He’s always looking at areas to improve, whether that be from a physical point of view or tactically or technically.

“He’s someone you have to drag off the training ground. Ianis is always in the analyst department too. He’s never out of the gym, so he’s an absolute dream to work with, very low maintenance. We’re delighted with how he is developing and progressing and we’re happy to have him.”

The update that Hagi is now in line to miss the start of next season is a massive blow for Giovanni van Bronckhorst and the club’s fans, who will no doubt be concerned about just how many games he will miss and whether he can eventually return to his old form.

Meanwhile, Rangers sealed a dream transfer deal with this star…

Wolves could be a victim of their own success if they lose star midfielder Ruben Neves this summer, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Neves a wanted man

The Portuguese maestro has found his best form again this season after a dip in 2020/21, playing a big role in Wanderers pushing for European football.

Neves’ performances have reportedly caught the eye of a number of top clubs, however, with a summer exit from Molineux far from out of the question.

The 24-year-old, who has picked up nine Premier League bookings this season, will see his current Wolves deal expire in the summer of 2024.

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The Latest: Expert makes key assessment

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Wolves’ brilliance this season could ironically lead to them losing Neves:

“It is the price of success when your players are wanted by bigger clubs.

“As soon as you’re rising like Wolves have been, you’re always going to get to a point at some stage where teams start picking off your best players.”

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The Verdict: Hard to call

There is no denying that Wolves’ form under Bruno Lage and Neves’ own performances have played a part in raising his profile, but that is the brutal nature of football.

Unless you are one of the very biggest clubs in the world, there is always the risk that your star men excelling with eventually see them earn a move elsewhere, as happened with Diogo Jota, for example.

It is certainly easy to see the same occurring with Neves, and while it would be devastating to lose such a talented player at this stage of his career, it would be hard to begrudge him a move to one of Europe’s leading teams.

There is still hope that he will extend his stay at Molineux, though, which is something that has to be priority number one off the pitch in the coming weeks and months.

In other news, Jones has also dropped a key claim regarding another Wolves player. Read more here.

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst will have a number of big decisions to make at Ibrox heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

The Gers coach will have the opportunity to shape his squad in the transfer market and this means that he will have to decide on players he wants to get rid of in the current team as well as the gems he would like Ross Wilson to bring in.

One player who should find himself on the way out of Glasgow in the coming months is outcast centre-forward Cedric Itten.

Journalist Mark McDougall named him as one of the club’s sporting director’s worst pieces of business, Tweeting: “At some point the signings under Ross Wilson need to start being questioned. What players can be deemed a success that he’s signed? Hagi, Roofe, Balogun. Maybe Bassey? Likes of Itten, Lundstram, Wright, Simpson all let downs and jury out on a few others.”

Is that justified? His failure to score or assist a single goal in four Premiership appearances this season along with his exclusion from the Europa League squad would suggest that it is. He has not been good enough when given an opportunity and van Bronckhorst’s decision to cast him aside in Europe indicates that the Dutchman is not keen on giving him any other chances, which is why he must now be axed.

Rangers, along with Norwich and Swansea, are reportedly interested in snapping up Ross Stewart from Sunderland this summer and he can be the player to replace Itten.

The 25-year-old phenomenon has been exceptional this season and has shown that he has the quality to potentially be a great signing for the club.

Ex-Gers forward Kris Boyd recently heaped praise on the Scot, saying: “We’ve seen a progression from him. The turnaround to what he’s actually doing, it’s obviously a bonus when you’re scoring goals.

“It’s the other thing that Ross Stewart does for me, he works ever so hard for the team. He’s been linked with Rangers this week, he’s at a good age now, 25, but I think it’s his work ethic is unbelievable.”

The centre-forward’s performances for the Black Cats have warranted Boyd’s comments as he has ben in sublime form in League One. He has scored 22 goals and provided five assists in the third tier of English football, scoring on a consistent basis throughout the campaign.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst must finally end Itten’s spell in Scotland – after joining in 2020 – and snap up Stewart to replace him.

AND in other news, Gio van Bronckhorst provides worrying injury update on Rangers gem…