All posts by h716a5.icu

Celtic’s hunt for a new manager at Parkhead has really gathered pace over the last week or so. After suffering setbacks in their quest to appoint Chris Wilder and Jesse Marsch, they have identified a new man to lead the Bhoys forward.

That happens to be one of their former employers; Roy Keane.

The Manchester United legend finished his playing career in Glasgow and is now being viewed by Dermot Desmond as the man to lead Celtic’s new era.

According to reports, discussions have taken place over the role with an interview even occurring.

If he does indeed come to Scotland, how could his starting XI look next season?

This could be a significant summer of change for Celtic, both among the football hierarchy and with the playing squad.

Part of that could see Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard leave. The former has been linked with a move to AC Milan while the latter continues to be touted with a switch to the English Premier League.

Liverpool have recently been linked with his services in a deal that could see Divock Origi go in the opposite direction. As a result, he is the first notable inclusion in Keane’s starting XI.

As many as seven new signings come into the team with another difference in the Celtic attack. Ryan Christie is axed from the starting XI after his disappointing campaign, scoring just five goals. Thus, Siriki Dembele starts on the wing. He has recently been touted with a move from Peterborough on a free transfer.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-boupendza-mcgeady-marsch-mccarthy” title=”Latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

Liam Shaw, who has agreed a pre-contract, replaces Scott Brown in the middle of the park alongside Callum McGregor.

The majority of changes come in defence, an area where Celtic have often been found wanting this term. They’ve shipped 14 more goals than Rangers in the league while there’s the threat Ajer could leave.

With that in mind, Declan Gallagher comes in at centre-back. He’s regularly been tipped to make a switch to Parkhead from Motherwell.

There is no permanent move for Jonjoe Kenny at right-back so Dutch target Milan van Ewijk starts at right-back. There is a further change on the opposite side too.

Diego Laxalt is due to head back to Milan following the conclusion of his loan spell, so Romain Perraud could be signed from Brest. He nearly joined Celtic in 2019 and is now being eyed up by the Hoops hierarchy once again.

The final change is in goal where David Marshall returns to Glasgow. He is another to be tipped with a move in recent weeks.

AND in other news, Celtic could finally axe Christie by signing “outstanding” beast with 28 assists…

Aston Villa are already planning to strengthen their right-back ranks, with Frederic Guilbert’s Villa Park future hanging by a thread. 

According to The Athletic’s Gregg Evans, the club are monitoring the Frenchman’s progress out on loan at Strasbourg.

Guilbert has already registered two assists in Ligue 1 and scored an injury-time winner against Monaco earlier this month.

However, Evans goes on to add that the 26-year-old, who is attracting interest from English sides, is unlikely to get another chance to feature for the club.

Villa will reportedly head back into the market this summer for an additional right-back to provide competition for first-choice Matty Cash, as well as keeping a close eye on teenager Kaine Kesler in the academy.

Transfer Tavern take

Guilbert, on £27,000-a-week, signed for Villa back in January 2019 for £4.5m and has made 31 appearances for the club to date.

His Transfermarkt valuation has dropped from a career-high of £8.1m in December 2019 to £4.5m just 12 months later.

So, based on that, it will be interesting to see how much Villa receive for the full-back, should they decide to cash in. Guilbert’s Villa Park deal currently runs until 2023 and with unnamed English clubs keen, Villa could still make a profit on the Frenchman.

In other news: Plenty of Villa fans have been buzzing at a simple club post earlier this week, find out more here.

West Ham United have confirmed on their official Twitter channel that they will freeze 2021/22 season ticket prices for both the men and women’s campaigns among other initiatives – prompting many Irons fans to have their say.

This comes after the government announced a four-step plan to progressively ease England’s national lockdown with the goal of removing all legal limits on contact by late June 2021.

As a result, the return of football fans in stadia nationwide looks set for next season – with it being around a year since maximum capacity crowds have been allowed to watch their side in action.

West Ham have now announced that, for the 2021/22 campaign, season ticket prices for both the men and women’s sides will be frozen in a bid to aid the return of supporters to the London Stadium.

Flocking to this update by the club, it’s safe to say many Hammers fans praised the “excellent” decision from owners GSB – find some of their verdicts down below.

West Ham fans delighted by 2021/2022 season ticket announcement

“Absolutely cannot contain my excitement at the Block 103 Row 1 Reunion!”

Credit: @brendontschurch

“Very clear and concise and fair. I’ve often criticised the club for the way they do things, but this is excellent.”

Credit: @andyaustin67

“Let’s ensure we all get behind the team, we now know the team we have is capable of some big things, I would love to see the London Stadium become atmospheric, and West Ham push on even further, COYI.”

Credit: @darrenallix

“BRINGGG ME TO THE BOWL”

Credit: @JackkWHU

“Thank you GSB, more excellent work”

Credit: @JimmyMundee

“OMG”

Credit: @whugrace

“Can’t wait to get back next season roll on August”

Credit: @jackcwhufc21

In other news: West Ham are eyeing this £10.8m-valued starlet, find out more here.

Look at Celtic’s season and you will notice a whole host of issues. The first, of course, is their performances on the field.To put things simply, the Hoops have been diabolical. They are 23 points behind Rangers and any chance of securing a tenth title in a row have surely disappeared.A big reason behind that has not only been Neil Lennon’s management but also his defence. Celtic have conceded 13 more goals than Steven Gerrard’s men, while they also let in a massive haul of 19 strikes during their Europa League campaign.There is another issue deeper beneath the surface though. Even with the Bhoys in such a rut, their young players are finding it difficult to earn first-team opportunities.Had 13 players not had to self isolate at the beginning of the year then Cameron Harper and Karamoko Dembele would still be awaiting their first opportunities of the campaign. Attacking midfielder Ewan Henderson would not have been given a chance either.Lennon seemingly doesn’t like utilising the young players and because of their lack of game time, some of them are now on the verge of leaving. Dembele’s contract expires at the end of the season and with Harper facing the same eventuality, he is set to sign for the New York Red Bulls.For the striker to conclude that he’d be better off developing his career in the United States should be an insult to Hoops supporters. Though, who can blame him for wanting to return home? He has made just one senior outing in the famous green and white.Clearly, he is not going to breakthrough any time soon.If Lennon does indeed get the sack, then one manager could help solve that problem. That happens to be Frank Lampard. Pat Nevin talked up his credentials for the job last week and it was his work with young players at Chelsea that earned him the most praise.Speaking about Lampard during his first season in the hot seat at Stamford Bridge, former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers said: “I have been really impressed watching the team. Okay, they have lost their first couple of games but the tempo of their game is good. They are obviously going to play at a higher intensity and tempo in their game.””Frank understands the policy at the club, how it works and will be looking to bring in some of the young players which he has done. He has given them an opportunity. You have to admire that.”Lampard had to endure a transfer ban in his first campaign with the Blues and as a result, he brought through the likes of Tammy Abraham, Billy Gilmour, Reece James, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori.At one stage last season, Lampard fielded an XI of players with an average age of just 24.3 – a statistic that ended up being the fourth most inexperienced side of the whole Premier League campaign.On top of that, the 42-year-old utilised only four players over the age of 30; Olivier Giroud, Pedro, Willian and goalkeeper Willy Caballero.Clearly, the way Lampard sets his stall out would be beneficial for Celtic’s youth players. The Bhoys may have fielded a squad with the average age of 24.2 at one point this term but that was made up predominantly of young players they’d signed – rather than academy players.With individuals like Harper and Dembele looking likely to leave, Celtic really need to start putting more onus on those below first-team level.Hiring a manager like Lampard would undoubtedly improve that problem.AND in other news, Desmond could revolutionise Celtic by replacing Lennon with 62 y/o “architect”…

Steven Gerrard has revealed Glasgow Rangers defender Leon Balogun picked up a niggle against Royal Antwerp in the Europa League on Thursday, but it shouldn’t be a long-term issue.

Gerrard reveals Balogun issue

Balogun started for the Gers in the unfamiliar position of right-back at Ibrox during the week, and he was taken off at half-time to be replaced by Nathan Patterson.

Speaking after the match, Gerrard revealed the 31-time Nigeria international had an issue and was therefore substituted. He said:

“There’s a bit of a niggle in there with Leon’s quad muscle, which we’ll check out.

“We don’t think it’s too bad, but I think we’ve done the safe thing.

“Leon’s playing in a different position. It’s a different type of running, getting up and down, compared to when you’re playing in the middle as a centre-back.

“So, a bit of a precaution, and listening to the player, rather than it going worse and we miss him or weeks and weeks.

“Hopefully it’s just days.”

Racking up

Gerrard could do with Balogun returning as soon as possible. With James Tavernier currently unavailable (The Daily Record), the Gers are already short in the defensive area – with important games coming up, the former Brighton defender could have a big role to play.

On Thursday, at least, Patterson showed he has what it takes to perform for the 54-time Scottish champions. He scored within a minute of being introduced, and was solid for the rest of the game. After the controversy of breaching coronavirus regulations earlier this month (Sky Sports), the 19-year-old grabbed his second chance with both hands.

In other news, Alfredo Morelos was disgusted with this man against Antwerp.

Celtic are currently in a tough spot as they prepare to watch bitter neighbours Rangers shatter their hopes of lifting their tenth consecutive Scottish Premiership title.

Not only are they struggling with form, but they risk losing a lot of their key players either this transfer window or in the summer. Odsonne Edouard is one man linked to a potential Arsenal move, whilst interest also ramps up around centre-back Kristoffer Ajer.

They have also now confirmed the departure of 20-year-old Jeremie Frimpong. The right-back has made a permanent move to Bayer Leverkusen, as reported by the club’s official Twitter. The Scottish Sun claims that the move could reach up to a handsome £11.5million.

Whilst this is an impressive profit on the £350,000 they initially paid for him, sometimes the player is worth more to a club than his price tag.

Indeed, Frimpong had rapidly established himself as a reliable first team performer under Neil Lennon, but the manager confirmed he would be leaving Parkhead. The Dutch youth international recently posted a cryptic message on his Instagram, seemingly highlighting his unhappiness.

For Celtic to have made Frimpong feel as though his ‘demands haven’t been met’, the defender must have been looking for a more advanced contract or stability in knowing he in untouchable in the starting eleven.

Frimpong has featured in every single Premiership match so far this season and has missed just two Celtic fixtures across the entire campaign, as per Transfermarkt. This is an impressive growth spurt for such a young player and no doubt Celtic’s struggles this season will have disappointed him.

But the Bhoys are truly foolish to let him leave. At just 20, Frimpong has become a strong presence in the Celtic lineup and was Lennon’s youngest option on the right side. Celtic have Anthony Ralston and Manny Perez as their other options, but the latter has just returned from loan and has just 18 months left on his contract.

Ralston is yet to establish himself as someone Lennon can rely on, having made only 20 senior appearances overall for Celtic and just the one this one season. Unless Nick Hammond can recruit a ready-made replacement, they will seriously struggle in the absence of “outstanding talent” Frimpong and will be forced to throw Ralston in at the deep end.

In other news, Lennon has sealed his own Celtic fate by not bolstering his squad…

According to the Glasgow Times, Glasgow Rangers are reportedly interested in signing Scott Wright from Aberdeen in a move which may see Greg Stewart go in the opposite direction.

What’s the word?

Reports have emerged over the past week that Rangers are keen to land the 5 ft 7 dynamo with Steven Gerrard’s side eyeing up a pre-contract agreement for the winger.

It’s claimed the Gers could be set to propose a swap deal that would see Wright move to Ibrox and Stewart head to Pittodrie.

The Light Blues boss is believed to be an admirer of the former Scotland U21 international’s talents as he seeks to further strengthen his squad in a bid to stop Celtic from ten in a row.

Sensational swap deal?

There’s still a long way to go and a deal is far from done but one feels that if Ross Wilson can somehow pull this off, it would be an absolute steal to trade Stewart for a player of Wright’s quality.

The 30-year-old has been at Ibrox since 2019, but is yet to play a game for the club this year as he has fallen even further down the pecking order behind the likes of new arrivals Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe.

Ahead of him, Gerrard has an abundance of attacking talent and now more strength in depth too. However, while you can’t pick many holes in Gerrard’s side, if there’s one area that needs addressing, it’s the options out wide, as back-up wingers Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones simply aren’t fit for purpose.

Between them, the pair have only contributed to three goals in all competitions and have been restricted to 16 appearances in total this season, via Transfermarkt, which implies they lack any real impetus in attack.

Wright, on the other hand, has been in such fine form for Derek McInnes’ side so far this season, having contributed to seven goals in 16 appearances across all competitions by himself, via Transfermarkt, which suggests that he’d offer far more of a threat in the final third than the aforementioned duo.

The idea of Rangers swapping a forward struggling for form, who has been heavily linked with the Ibrox exit, for a younger wide man who has been  recently described as “a very tidy player” by club legend Alex McLeish is surely a no-brainer.

From an Aberdeen perspective, we can’t get our heads around it, but Wilson should be laughing all the way to the bank if he manages to pull off this masterstroke of a deal.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson must sanction Rangers swoop for on-loan Premier League striker…

West Ham United would rue their naive call not to offer Fabian Balbuena a new contract amid rumours Flamengo could move to sign the David Moyes favourite in 2021.

What’s the word?

According to Jorge Nicola, Flamengo are paying close attention to Balbuena’s situation at the London Stadium with his £40,000-per-week contract set to expire next summer.

The Brazilian heavyweights are open to the idea of signing the centre-half if he leaves the Premier League as a free agent, which would be expected to spark further interest in his services.

Flamengo are not yet putting any steps in place toward a deal for Balbuena, with the Estadio de Gavea natives currently focusing efforts toward deals for other priority positions.

Rogerio Ceni’s side currently sit second to Atletico Goianiense by three points, having allowed the fifth-most goals (31) in the Brazilian Serie A thus far this season.

Flamengo may miss out on signing Balbuena next year, as it is thought West Ham are plotting a new deal for the 29-year-old who has started seven of the Irons’ nine Premier League fixtures thus far this season.

Moyes has only opted against naming Balbuena in one of his line-ups for West Ham’s opening two games of the campaign, which saw the Hammers lose to Newcastle United and Arsenal before enjoying a run of one loss in seven.

Naive to let Balbuena leave

While Nicola notes that West Ham are expected to present a new contract offer to Balbuena before his terms lapse, it would be naive of the east London outfit to allow the Moyes favourite to leave for nothing next summer.

Balbuena has bounced back perfectly from facing a fraught future this year, after rumours surfaced suggesting the Irons were open to offers after the centre-half failed to convince Moyes that he could be relied on last season.

The Paraguayan was also said to be open to the chance of moving back to South America, but has gone from being written off and out the door to one of the first names on the teamsheet.

“You look at Balbuena, a player who was completely written off – we wanted anyone rather than Balbuena playing in central defence. [But] Balbuena has been brilliant,” Sam Delaney claimed on The Athletic’s U Irons podcast. “I can’t see how he’s going to get Balbuena or [Aaron] Cresswell out the team.”

Balbuena has become so integral at the London Stadium as the 6 ft 2 enforcer has registered more interceptions (15) and clearances (38) than any other West Ham defender, and has as many successful tackles (10) and been dribbled past (4) as many times as Angelo Ogbonna, per SofaScore.

Moyes may look for other options in the January or summer markets next year, but West Ham would be naïve to allow Balbuena to leave – especially for nothing – after his turn of form this season.

AND in other news, David Moyes would not be getting his next Tomas Soucek in a £16m West Ham target likened to David Luiz…

Ross Wilson must stay firm with Glasgow Rangers goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin after former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips claimed that he may look to leave next month in a bid to secure a place in the Scotland squad for Euro 2020.

What’s the word?

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Phillips has reacted to McLaughlin’s comments about his lack of game time at Ibrox.

Rangers signed the former Hearts goalkeeper from Sunderland on a two-year deal in the summer. After being left on the bench for the game against Aberdeen at the start of the season, he started the next seven games in the Scottish Premiership but has found himself playing second-fiddle to Allan McGregor in recent weeks.

He returned to the starting line-up for the 4-0 win away at Falkirk in the Scottish Cup and pleaded with Gerrard after the game to give him more playing time to improve his chances for being selected in Steve Clarke’s squad for next summer.

However, despite his pleas, the veteran stopper has still found his chances hard to come by, as he has yet to feature for the first team since the 4-0 victory over Falkirk in the Betfred Cup.

Phillips said: “When a huge club like Rangers come calling it is very hard to turn them down but any player in his situation will know that he needs to be playing football.

“The Euros are fast approaching and he will think he has got an opportunity of getting into that squad. But he needs to play football to cement his place in Steve Clarke’s plans.

“I think he will have a slight regret because if he was at Sunderland he would, of course, be playing week in, week out.

“Come January he might try and get a loan move somewhere because he will want to play regular football to keep his place in that Scotland squad.”

Wilson must be firm

Whilst McLaughlin may be angling for a loan move in January, Wilson must be firm with him if he can to try and convince him to stay at the club for the foreseeable future.

Former Celtic and St Mirren striker Frank McAvennie recently criticised his decision to join the club in the first place, saying: “McLaughlin picked the wrong team to go to, he shouldn’t have joined Rangers when there is a number one like McGregor. He is not going to get much game time.”

McGregor’s return from injury in September has coincided with Rangers’ remarkable run of form, which has seen McLaughlin fall by the wayside in recent weeks.

But the 33-year-old has been a dependable asset for Gerrard’s side, having kept eight clean sheets and only conceded two goals in the Premiership so far this season, via Transfermarkt.

His former Black Cats boss Jack Ross once described him as the best keeper in League One, as he said: “I’m obviously biased and there might be other managers that say it, but I believe I have the best goalkeeper in the league.

“He was outstanding for me last season, he is such a low-maintenance player in terms of how he goes about his business and he is unflappable.”

Wilson would struggle to find a backup option who is capable of offering even half of what McLaughlin brings to the table, as his experience at the top levels of the game sets him apart from the rest of his closest rivals, like academy keeper Brian Kinnear.

The Scotland international, who has also played for Bradford City and Burton Albion, spent a year with Hearts before moving to Sunderland, where he made 90 appearances, keeping 27 clean sheets and conceding just 87 goals in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

Should McGregor succumb to injury, Gerrard would have the perfect replacement waiting in the wings.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must keep James Tavernier at all costs after Walter Smith comments…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Tottenham Hotspur icon Gary Mabbutt says the club may have finally unearthed a player who can fill the void left by Mousa Dembele – Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

It’s been almost two years since the midfielder left Tottenham Hotspur for Chinese Super League club Guangzhou R&F in an £11m deal, and arguably up until the current campaign the north London outfit had failed to replace him properly.

The likes of Gedson Fernandes and club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele had arrived in the centre of the park prior to the 2020 summer transfer window, but are yet to make the same impact that the Belgian did for Spurs after joining them from Fulham in 2012.

As well as scoring 10 goals and providing a further 12 assists in 249 appearances, the composed midfielder had a passing accuracy of 92.2%, as per WhoScored, in the Premier League in his final full campaign with the club, while he was also a proven successful dribbler with the ball, too.

Hojbjerg linked up with Jose Mourinho during the summer in a deal costing £15m, and he has hit the ground running to date. He has made considerably more passes than any other top flight player so far in 2020/21, as well as picking up an assist following an incisive through ball in the 6-1 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Asked whether he could potentially fill the void left by Dembele, Mabbutt told FFC: “He’s certainly got the ability to. Dembele was a massive character in the squad, was a firm favourite and was a fantastic player for the club.

“I never ever look at wanting to fill a void that someone has left, and someone has got to come in and try and be that player that was there.”

The ex-Spurs captain added: “He’s got that bit about him. He’s got a bit of tenacity about him and he’s willing to get stuck in. He can be vocal, but I’d like to see him dominating more in that position.”

Hojbjerg certainly has a lot more to prove that he can replace Dembele n the long-term, but the early signs are certainly promising.

In other news, Mabbutt has sent an ultimatum to Jose Mourinho about £100k-p/w “magic” Tottenham star…