All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic have no manager at present but that doesn’t seem to matter to the club’s hierarchy, who are busy tying up some pre-contract deals.

Liam Shaw has already agreed a move with the Hoops while they’re also targeting Kyle Joseph from Wigan Athletic.

What’s the word?

It appears that the Bhoys are making an effort to bring plenty of young talent to Glasgow over the summer. That’s because fresh reports state that they’re targeting another teenager embedded within the English Football League.

GIVEMESPORT reported that Rochdale’s flying winger Kwadwo Baah is a target for Celtic ahead of the next window. The 18-year-old’s contract expires this summer and thus, the Hoops will be able to sign him on a free transfer.

However, they face competition from both Manchester City and West Ham to secure his signature.

Timely move

With Cameron Harper now back in America and Karamoko Dembele set to wind down his contract (via reports relayed by The Scottish Sun), securing some more young talent is a timely statement from the Hoops.

Dembele has long been the darling of the Celtic academy but, after finding first team opportunities hard to come by, he is seemingly on the hunt for chances elsewhere.

It will be a shame, especially given his glowing qualities. The teenager made his debut as a 16-year-old but hasn’t really built on what was a very early glimpse of his qualities.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-hunt-stories-wagner-marsch-martinez-lennon-news” title=”The last stories on Celtic’s hunt for a new manager!”]

Signing Baah would therefore seem an excellent addition in order to replace him. The two players possess similar characteristics, too.

In League One this term, the Rochdale forward has scored three times and provided two assists, but one of the most eye-catching aspects of his game is the ability to take on and beat a defender.

Like Dembele, Baah loves to leave full-backs in a tangle, something his 1.6 dribbles per match signifies.

Judging by their ages – Dembele is also just 18 – they are at a similar stage of development, too. That being said, the Celtic target has far more senior experience and exposure to his name.

While the Hoops prospect has made just five senior appearances, Baah has featured on 37 occasions for Rochdale, being praised highly in the process. Speaking in December, Dale manager Brian Barry-Murphy said: “He’s a very special talent, he’s going to attract the headlines – and rightly so because he’s a very dangerous player.”

Barry-Murphy clearly rates him highly, commenting after Baah signed a new deal a year ago: “His talent is exceptional and he’s someone we’re very excited about for the future. He’s made a huge impact on the squad already.”

In terms of the impact made at senior level, Baah is already ahead of Dembele. That should be music to the ears of Hoops supporters.

AND in other news, 108 aerials won: Celtic could replace Edouard with “special” 6 ft 7 colossus…

Manchester United could sign their next Ruud van Nistelrooy in Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Braut Haaland.

What’s the word?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed that he is keeping tabs on fellow Norwegian striker Haaland, who has been in prolific form for the Bundesliga giants, providing 22 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

The 20-year-old, who is currently valued at €150m (£131m) via CIES Football Observatory, has been heavily linked to Old Trafford amid interest from Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester City and the pair previously worked together during his time at Molde.

Shades of Ruud van Nistelrooy

Haaland has been in scintillating form for Dortmund this season, scoring 14 goals in 15 Bundesliga appearances, including an eye-catching brace against RB Leipzig.

He netted twice in both games against bitter rivals Borussia Monchengladbach but despite his best efforts, last season’s runners-up have struggled to replicate the form that saw them mount a second successive title challenge last term, with interim manager Edin Terzic’s side lying sixth in the table at the time of writing.

However, his heroics are reminiscent of the kind of performances United fans became accustomed to when Ruud van Nistelrooy was in his heyday at Old Trafford.

Van Nistelrooy nearly always put on a show for the Red Devils. In 219 appearances for the club, the former Netherlands international scored 150 goals and provided a further 21 assists in all competitions – he famously scored twice in United’s 3-0 win over Millwall in the FA Cup.

And in Haaland, United could find their next Van Nistelrooy. Not only does the Norwegian deliver when it counts, but he also shares some similar characteristics with the club legend.

Previously described as “unstoppable” by his former boss Lucien Favre, Haaland is also a goal machine, as he has proven to be both a potent finisher and dangerous counter-attacking threat.

The centre-forward is also adept at holding on to the ball, in a similar way to Van Nistelrooy, and he is averaging a staggering 4.8 shots per 90 in the Champions League this season. A return of six goals in the European competition ranks him joint-top of the charts together with the likes of Neymar and Marcus Rashford.

If Solskjaer is legitimately interested in adding to his attacking options in the summer, Haaland simply has to be his first port of call.

AND in other news, Sevilla star Jules Kounde is perfect for Manchester United…

With Neil Lennon moving on from his post with Celtic, new transfers will surely be at the bottom of the club’s agenda right now.

That being said, they cannot completely ignore planning for next season, especially after such a torrid campaign.

On the chalkboard

One of Celtic’s biggest issues this term has been in defence. Individual errors are following the backline around and their goalkeepers have made howlers on a regular basis.

Vasilis Barkas has been a waste of money at £4.5m while Scott Bain and Conor Hazard have also had their difficulties between the sticks.

With that in mind, adding new recruits to their defence should be their priority when it comes to the summer window. Factor in Shane Duffy’s woeful performances and the addition of a new centre-half is unlikely to go down well with the Irishman. After all, he’s set to return to Brighton in a few months anyway.

So, what could the solution be? Well, the Hoops are thought to be targeting Bosnian defender Sanisa Sanicanin. He’s out of contract with Serbian outfit FK Vojvodina in the summer and could be signed on a free transfer if terms can be agreed.

The new Benkovic

Little is known about Sanicanin because of where he plays his football. However, he’s now a fully-fledged international with eight caps for Bosnia & Herzegovina to his name.

He’s put in some superb performances in the UEFA Nations League for his country, demonstrating similar qualities to those we saw from Filip Benkovic at Parkhead.

The young Croat starred under Brendan Rodgers, using his immense height of 6 foot 4 to bully opponents in the air. Despite that, he was remarkably graceful when in possession of the ball, playing out from the back on a regular basis.

Sanicanin has shown similar qualities in the Nations League, winning four aerial duels in one match against the Netherlands. That tally is one replicated by Benkovic regularly; he won 5.1 headers per match in the English Championship last season.

Standing at 6 foot 3, they are similar heights, but the 25-year-old is also adept at carrying the ball forward from defence and picking out a teammate.

The centre-back registered a pass success rate of 82.1% in the Nations League which for context, comes close to Benkovic’s career average of 85.5%.

Of course, Sanicanin could yet turn out like Jozo Simunovic or Shane Duffy, but the Celtic recruitment team would be hoping for better results with this move if they do sign the defender.

AND in other news, Christie could be in trouble if Celtic hire 57 y/o coach “reminiscent to Craig Brown”…

West Ham United visit Southampton on Tuesday night as David Moyes’ side play their second game in 48 hours after salvaging a point at home to Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Irons endured an abysmal opening 45 minutes at the London Stadium on Sunday but changes at the break allowed for a second-half resurgence, once Moyes accepted that he got his tactics wrong at first.

Moyes had sought to find a new balance in his squad whilst without Michail Antonio and Arthur Masuaku, and will again be without the pair when the Hammers travel to St. Mary’s after confirming that his lead striker is only nearing a return.

Moyes will likely consider changes to his starting line-up against Southampton in search of an end to the east London outfit’s three-game winless run. So, with that in mind, here’s a potential XI the Scottish coach may favour…

Two games in 48 hours will heighten Moyes’ awareness of the need to rest and rotate his favoured options, yet, he will likely name the same backline that drew with Brighton on Sunday after seeing Ben Johnson steal the show while deputising for Masuaku at left-back.

Fabian Balbuena hardly put a foot wrong as the right-sided centre-half in a three-strong backline, while Aaron Cresswell and Vladimir Coufal worked tirelessly to protect Lukasz Fabianski’s net, though soft defending from Angelo Ogbonna allowed Neal Maupay to break the deadlock.

Tomas Soucek proved Moyes’ saviour in midfield by netting the Irons’ second equalising effort, while Declan Rice will be expected to maintain his 100% Premier League starting record despite struggling at home to the Seagulls.

Mark Noble is unlikely to be granted the same treatment after being hauled off at the break once Moyes accepted the errors of his ways, which frustrated Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.

“I watched the game on Monday Night Football [vs Chelsea] and I thought his inclusion was a little bit unnecessary. Even today, looking at it, nothing against Mark Noble, he’s been a fantastic player, but it just looks like there could have been another attacking player,” Neville said during his co-commentary of the Brighton clash (27/12, 14:16).

Noble should be replaced by Manuel Lanzini after a strong second-half showing from the Argentine who Garth Crooks once described as a “sorcerer’s apprentice”.

Pablo Fornals may also be in contention for a recall after being rested against Brighton, though is likely to see Jarrod Bowen favoured in a slight tactical shift with Moyes moving the winger back out wide after struggling to partner Sebastien Haller as a striker on Sunday.

AND in other news, West Ham are scouting a three-goal full-back coaches “absolutely love”.

Tottenham Hotspur could be set to benefit from their special relationship with Real Madrid this January transfer window, according to reports…

What’s the word?

SemferrSport claim that Spurs are among the teams eyeing a move for Spanish right-back Alvaro Odriozola as he’s no longer in the plans of Zinedine Zidane.

It is thought that he is likely to leave either this month or during the summer with Dortmund, PSG and AC Milan also keen on his signature.

Daniel Levy secured a sensational return for Gareth Bale, as well as the arrival of left-back Sergio Reguilon from the La Liga giants in the summer, so could he strike a third time?

Trippier successor, finally

On the face of it, a new right-back is the last of priorities for Jose Mourinho.

However, he is clearly yet to settle on either Serge Aurier, who was at Spurs before he arrived and Matt Doherty, who he signed from Wolves for £15m only five months ago.

Last season, Mourinho admitted that he was afraid of the Ivorian’s defending, so it was no surprise when he bolstered the position at the first opportunity, but the pair of his current options have split game time thus far.

Aurier has started 13 of his 14 appearances in all competitions, whilst Doherty played 17 times too. Perhaps a move for Odriozola settles the debate instantly for the 57-year-old?

It could be argued that Spurs are yet to truly replace Kieran Trippier, who swapped north London for the red side of Madrid in July 2019.

In short, Mourinho has not fully trusted Aurier, he’s sold Kyle Walker-Peters and he hasn’t considered starting new signing Doherty in every game, so this pattern begins to hint towards why a fresh option in the role is needed.

Odriozola cost Madrid around €35m (£30m) two years ago but after a lack of game-time last term, he was sent to Champions League winners Bayern Munich on loan, where he won the aforementioned competition as well as the Bundesliga.

Throughout the course of his career, he has proven to be a valuable attacking outlet, averaging 1.3 key passes, one dribble and 0.9 crosses per game, via WhoScored.

When compared to the current Spurs squad, those numbers would rank him third behind Harry Kane and Heung-min Son for key passes and ahead of all of Spurs’ full-backs for dribbles per game in the Premier League this season too.

During his final campaign at Spurs, Trippier averaged an impressive 1.8 key passes per game, so both Aurier and Doherty have a lot more to do to match that total, whereas Odriozola is only a fraction behind having barely featured for Madrid recently.

That hasn’t stopped the four-time Spanish international from impressing Los Galacticos legend Michel Salgado, who dubbed him “spectacular” and one of the “two best right full-backs in Spain.”

Odriozola has also been lauded for his pace by Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay, who once said: “He’ll be one of the quickest players in La Liga.”

The rarely-seen speed demon has all the characteristics that’ll please Mourinho, in very much a similar nature to Reguilon, and given everything said above, Daniel Levy would be a wise man to sanction a swoop for the Madrid ace this window.

If the opportunity arises, Spurs should strike. They could finally find a long-term solution at right-back.

AND in other news, £27m-rated beast who won ONLY 35% of his duels badly let Mourinho down last night…

If there’s one thing Glasgow Rangers have got to do on Thursday night, they need to come out of the blocks strong against Benfica at Ibrox in the Europa League.

Steven Gerrard’s side have started the season strongly, with 18 wins out of 21 games in total, but they can’t afford to take their foot off the gas against one of their toughest opponents in the competition. However, Rangers may have a serious problem if recent reports are to be believed.

What’s the word?

Alfredo Morelos reacted angrily after he was substituted in the second half when the Gers were cruising to victory over Aberdeen at the weekend, having returned from international duty with Colombia only a few days prior to the game.

Former Gers full-back Alan Hutton condemned his behaviour in an interview with Football Insider, saying: “Yes you can be angry and be in a huff if you don’t score but you put in a good performance and you help the team as much as you can. If it’s time for you to take a rest, that’s what happens.

“You can’t do that, it just shows all the wrong signs and then he’s sat in the stands with his face tripping him, it just doesn’t look good. So I think that’s probably the bit that annoyed Gerrard the most because he did do well, he just didn’t score on the day. It is what it is but you can’t show that kind of behaviour after, it just doesn’t look good.”

However, the Ibrox boss has publicly come out in defence of his star striker in a pre-match press conference. He said, as quoted by The Daily Record: “Alfredo is fine, we don’t want players smiling and happy when they are taking off the pitch. Alfredo is in a good place and is ready to go again tomorrow.

“It is my job to manage the players when I think the time is right.”

But it remains to be seen if Morelos will play from the start or as one of the twelve substitutes, as it certainly seems the Ibrox boss does not fully trust him at the moment.

Morelos must start against Benfica

Gerrard has already shown a ruthless streak so far this season, having dropped Morelos for the 2-0 win over Kilmarnock after he criticised his attitude in the summer. However, he cannot afford to make the same mistake this time around against the Portuguese giants.

The Colombian had been benched for the second game in a row but came off the bench in the second half to score the only goal of the game against Lech Poznan in the Europa League last month.

Scoring late winners when it matters the most is one thing, but it’s hard to deny the fact Morelos is essentially a get out of jail free card more often than not.

In three appearances in the European competition, the 24-year-old has bagged two goals and supplied one assist this season so far. By comparison, both new recruits Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe have only managed to score one goal between them, via Transfermarkt.

Regardless of whether Gerrard wants to teach Morelos a lesson or not, if Rangers are a team that have serious ambitions of qualifying for the next level of the Europa League, perhaps it’s time for the Ibrox boss to swallow his pride and bite the bullet.

His penchant for finding the back of the net is something that should not be ignored, especially when you consider the fact that he broke Ally McCoist’s all-time European goals record with a simple tap-in against the ten-man Benfica in Lisbon last time out.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers suffer transfer setback as Newcastle may offer Jacob Murphy new deal…

Ben Davies, aside from scoring, was rather below par as Tottenham Hotspur sealed their place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals earlier this evening.

Jose Mourinho’s side defeated Championship outfit Stoke City 3-1 in Staffordshire to move to within two victories of clinching their first piece of silverware since 2008.

Spurs star Gareth Bale headed home from a delightful Harry Winks delivery in the 22nd minute before Davies and Harry Kane sent them back to north London with the triumph after Jordan Thompson slotted past Hugo Lloris.

And despite finding the net with 20 minutes to go, the 27-year-old Welshman was rather disappointing.

His 7.2 rating was undoubtedly down to the sheer quality of his long-range strike as he also lost possession a whopping 20 times, more than any other player on the pitch, as per SofaScore.

This is even more shocking as it was against a second-flight team rather than one in the Premier League – he can count his lucky stars it wasn’t as they would have certainly punished his wastefulness.

Davies also failed to record a single tackle or block, won just 50% of his dues – both aerially and on the ground – and failed to deliver an accurate cross from two attempts.

It’s no wonder Sergio Reguilon is preferred to him as Mourinho’s first choice, and that’s unlikely to change as he has potentially blown his one opportunity to impress.

Don’t let that goal fool you.

The Welsh international made just three of 13 long balls (23%), which only proves how careless he was with the ball at his feet.

He was also at fault for the Potters’ goal too, both Davies and Eric Dier should be doing so, so much better against this level of opposition, especially with the former earning around £60k-per-week in N17.

The £18m-rated (€20m) right-back was certainly worse than Dele Alli despite the Englishman being hooked just after the hour mark as well as only earning a 6.2 rating by SofaScore.

Rob Guest at football.london claimed the Spurs outcast was “very bright” which was echoed by Darren Bent on Sky Sports punditry, who claimed Alli looked “hungry” and “very, very sharp” (23rd December, 19:30).

It was Davies who was the passenger, not Alli.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Gary Mabbutt blown away by Spurs teen “doing FANTASTICALLY”…

Glasgow Rangers ran riot over their arch-rivals Celtic as a Connor Goldson brace secured the victory at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon. It’s fair to say that Rangers fans are absolutely loving what Steven Gerrard is doing at the club, but perhaps the Gers boss deserves far more credit than he has been getting in recent weeks.

Gerrard’s side crushed Celtic in a convincing 2-0 away win at Celtic Park at the weekend. In doing so, the Liverpool legend became the first manager to steer the Ibrox outfit to back-to-back away league wins against their rivals since March 1997 under Walter Smith.

It’s worth remembering that Brendan Rodgers, who was in charge of Celtic at the time, was “surprised” to see his former captain linked to the vacant manager’s job at Rangers. How the tables have now turned.

The Light Blues have improved drastically since the last campaign, that much is already clear, as they are currently enjoying a 14-game unbeaten run, stretching back to the 1-0 win over Aberdeen at the start of the season. In contrast, the Gers had already been humiliated at home by Celtic at this stage last season. And they seem to be getting even better with every passing week.

It’s obvious for all to see that the Ibrox outfit have massively improved defensively, as Neil Lennon’s side failed to register a single shot on target in the first Old Firm derby of the season.

The Rangers boss was described as a “tactical genius” by lifelong fan and former defender Alan Hutton after Glen Kamara “nullified” the attacking threat of Celtic wing-back Jeremie Frimpong. He told Football Insider: “It was really a bit of tactical genius from Gerrard to use Kamara’s energy up and down the pitch to stop one of their main threats on the day.”

Per SofaScore, the 24-year-old won seven out of nine ground duels, whilst he made three tackles, one clearance and one interception. A look at his heatmap shows a hub of activity on the left wing, which shows that he put in a defensive shift. Perhaps what is most telling is the fact that he wasn’t dribbled past at all.

When you consider the fact that Gerrard is juggling domestic and European competitions this season, only then does it become clear that he is actually doing a brilliant job.

Most importantly, the award-winning manager, who was named The Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month for August after guiding the Gers to five wins and a draw, seems to have changed the mindset and mentality of his team, after they came up short as Celtic were confirmed as Scottish champions for the ninth season in a row last term. The Bhoys were 13 points clear of their nearest challengers when the campaign came to a premature close.

Former Rangers defender David Weir told The Daily Record that “the Rangers squad is in a really good place right now.”

“But what’s really interested me has been the way Rangers have reacted after the win. It’s been very low keen with none of the players getting over excited on social media.

“They’ve learned from what happened last December when maybe they were guilty of getting carried away. It’s much more business like this time and I like that. I think it’s promising.”

Whilst there is still a long way to go, if Gerrard’s side can regain the title, maybe then – and only then – will Gerrard finally get the full credit he deserves.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must take a gamble on long-term target Jack Wilshere…

Tottenham Hotspur may have got it wrong in the striking department this summer.

The issue of finding a legitimate back-up striker has been a problem in north London for the best part of six years with many flops coming and going, ranging from Vincent Janssen to Fernando Llorente.

In the end, Daniel Levy secured Brazilian powerhouse Carlos Vinicius on a season-long loan from Benfica, they have the option to sign him permanently in the summer for €46m (£40.5m).

Spurs were linked to an array of names before settling on the 25-year-old, one of which being Darwin Nunez, who has been Vinicius’ replacement in Portugal.

And what a successor he’s been – that’s good news if Jose Mourinho wants to keep hold of his summer arrival, though perhaps it is the Uruguyuan youngster they should have signed instead.

On the same night that Vinicius struggled to make an impact against a pretty drab Ludogorets side, the 21-year-old bagged a last-gasp equaliser for the ten-men Eagles against Rangers.

Benfica’s new no.9 picked up the highest rating on SofaScore (8.3) despite only playing 30 minutes. He also recorded two dribbles, won 80% of his aerial duels and even put in two tackles.

That’s what you call an impact.

Nunez has taken his total for the season to five goals and six assists, having played just 728 minutes across ten appearances in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

The Primeira Liga giants signed the monster for just €24m (£22m) from Almeria, which is looking like every bit of a bargain. Meanwhile, the player they washed their hands with is yet to score for Spurs since the switch.

It is no wonder that Nunez has been compared to his fellow countryman, Edinson Cavani, who made the move to the Premier League himself this summer by signing for Manchester United.

“His pace, physical strength and finishing prowess has prompted comparisons with his compatriot Edinson Cavani,” claimed The Athletic.

He’s also been likened to Luis Suarez too.

Benfica expect to make mega profit on him in the future with manager Jorge Jesus tipping him to be sold for more than Joao Felix, he said: “All this decision-making ability, finishing and speed…He was Benfica’s most expensive purchase, and when there is no pandemic, he will be the most expensive sale. He will be a world-class player.”

If that turns out to be the case, you just know Levy will be kicking himself for selecting the wrong striker this summer. Nunez certainly appears to be one that got away.

AND in other news, £36m-rated “nightmare” outshone Giovani Lo Celso and stole the show in Ludogorets…

Brighton have discovered how much they would need to pay in order to secure the services of transfer target Folarin Balogun.

Football.London reported that Arsenal are demanding an eight-figure sum for the prodigious centre-forward, having given short shrift to a £3m offer from Sheffield United.

The Seagulls’ interest in the 19-year-old was initially reported by The Beautiful Game Podcast at the start of this month, with Sussex Live also vouching for Albion’s desire to sign the youngster.

Balogun has yet to make a senior appearance for Arsenal but he boasts a tremendous scoring record for the Gunners’ youth teams, with 51 goals in 72 appearances across their under-18 and under-23 sides (as per TransferMarkt).

A scout report in the Daily Mail said that there are “shades of Thierry Henry” to his playing style, quite the compliment given that the Frenchman is the club’s all-time leading scorer, while current Arsenal hotshot Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has taken to Twitter in the past to rave about the 19-year-old’s talents.

Perhaps buoyed by such endorsements, along with his scoring return at underage level, the teenager has demanded assurances of a pathway to the Gunners’ first team if he is to sign a new contract at the Emirates Stadium, where his current deal expires next summer.

According to Football.London, the north London club are not prepared to sell him for less than what they believe he is worth, even with the risk of him walking away for free in 2021, and could be willing to wait another few months to decide on his future as that may give them time to try and broker a new contract for the teenage talent.

Balogun’s scoring record speaks volumes for his potential but that is all that Brighton would be going on if they are to sign him in the current transfer window.

With Arsenal demanding an eight-figure fee for the 19-year-old, it seems hard for the Seagulls to justify paying £10m or more for someone who has never played at first team level, especially in a transfer market that has been impacted negatively by the global pandemic.

Brighton fans, what do you make of Arsenal’s asking price for Balogun? Comment below with your views!