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Celtic will receive a £2m windfall for the transfer of Ryan Christie if Bournemouth win promotion to the Premier League, according to The Sun, cited by 67 Hail Hail.  

The Lowdown: Deadline Day business

The Hoops had a busy final day of the summer window, with three incomings and three outgoings.

Christie was one of those to leave, with the Cherries paying an initial £2.5m for the attacking midfielder.

Striker Giorgos Giakoumakis was the last permanent addition to Ange Postecoglou’s squad, costing just over £2m, and it appears as if that could be paid for thanks to Christie by next summer.

The Latest: Add-on details emerge

The Sun on Sunday, cited by 67 Hail Hail, claim that Celtic will receive a further £2m if Bournemouth win promotion.

They could then land even more if they stay up in a potential 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

The Verdict: Shrewd move

Christie was out of contract at Celtic Park in January, so bringing in an initial £2.5m in the summer was good business.

It seems as if it could get even better over the next seven months, which could, in theory, mean the Hoops’ move for Giakoumakis is all but paid for due to add-ons in Christie’s transfer.

All in all, it looks like a shrewd move by the Hoops hierarchy, who will more than likely be hoping Bournemouth can stay top of the Championship until May.

In other news: Celtic are considering boss with similar style to Ange; he played golf with Desmond last week. 

As reported by football.london, some Tottenham players are now starting to return to Hotspur Way following the end of their isolation periods.

The Lowdown: Covid outbreak hits Tottenham

Premier League football has seen disruptions over the past couple of weeks due to intensifying worries regarding the Omnicron variant of COVID-19. English clubs have seen a rise in cases, which has even led to games being called off.

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After Spurs stated that eight players had tested positive for the virus, the club’s Europa Conference League match against Rennes was called off. This was followed by the postponement of the Lilywhites’ away fixture to Brighton on Sunday.

This comes after Spurs’ match against Burnley at Turf Moor was also postponed due to heavy snowfall, with Spurs at serious risk of facing an enormous fixture pile-up if the postponements continue.

The Latest: Spurs players return

According to reports from football.london however, a ‘massive boost’ has emerged at last. Several Tottenham players have been able to return to training following the end of their isolation periods, which were mandated as a result of the outbreak.

Spurs were advised by DCMS advisers and the Health Security Agency to close the first-team’s side of Hotspur Way last Wednesday. This came as a blow for Antonio Conte, whose side were preparing for their upcoming game at the King Power Stadium this Thursday.

However, reliable reporter Rob Guest revealed ‘some good news ahead of the Leicester City game’, confirming that members of the first team have been able to return to Hotspur Way following rounds of testing.

The Verdict: Good news at last

It’s hard enough bedding in new ideas at a new club without losing half of your squad from the training pitches, so this news will come as an immense relief for Conte in particular, who will be able to prepare his team for the Leicester game which is seemingly set to go ahead.

Spurs may be a little rusty following the postponements of their games against Rennes and Brighton, but Conte is certainly one to ensure that his players train at the highest intensity before Thursday’s clash arrives.

Perhaps the small silver lining for the Lilywhites is that Leicester have also suffered from similar issues, meaning there could be fractured squads on both sides.

Newcastle United have held talks with the agent of Rangers teenager Alex Lowry, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Lowry profiled

Lowry is 18 years of age and is primarily an attacking midfielder who can also play as a right-winger or even in a deeper midfield role.

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The Scot has already made four senior appearances for Rangers, scoring once and providing one assist. Former Ibrox boss Graeme Murty labelled Lowry’s self-confidence as ‘remarkable’, with reports back in February suggesting the teenager has turned down a three-and-a-half-year deal at Ibrox.

His current contract expires in 2023, and it looks as if Newcastle are now leading the race for his services.

The Latest: Hotel meeting

Football Insider shared an update regarding Lowry and Newcastle on Monday morning after being informed by a recruitment source.

They claimed that head of recruitment Steve Nickson met Lowry’s agent in a hotel prior to Newcastle’s Premier League win over Wolves earlier this month.

The report stated that the Magpies are at the front of the queue for the Rangers youngster, who also has interest elsewhere.

The Verdict: Shrewd move

It looks as if Lowry could be a future star with a number of top-tier sides keen on his services, so Newcastle’s decision to meet with his agent and outline their plans could turn out to be a shrewd move.

It would be interesting to see what Newcastle would do with Lowry, should a move to St. James’ Park go through. He already has senior experience in Scotland, and with Eddie Howe having just two attacking midfielders on the books, it could present an opportunity for Lowry to flirt between the club’s Under-23 ranks and first-team squad.

A clear pathway through to first-team football should be outlined by the Magpies, so it looks as if this could be a transfer to watch closely.

In other news: Newcastle now want to sign ’emerging superstar’ for Howe; Staveley has already spoken with agent. 

Reliable Aston Villa reporter Ashley Preece revealed on Thursday that winger Bertrand Traore is back training at Bodymoor Heath.

And, as to be expected, his update had a number of Villa fans talking on social media.

The 26-year-old is yet to feature under new boss Steven Gerrard after missing the last three months due to a thigh problem. It hasn’t been the best of years for Traore, who also had to have surgery on a groin issue over the summer.

However, he’s now back in training and has since been named in Burkina Faso’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, which is scheduled to get underway next month.

Although his wait for an appearance under Gerrard may go on, plenty of Villa fans were buzzing at the news of the winger’s return days before the Boxing Day fixture with Chelsea.

Before his injury troubles the former Blues man was in fine form, registering seven league goals and six assists last season, so it’s no surprise to see supporters delighted by this news.

Villa fans react

This is what these fans had to say in reply after The AVFC Faithful shared Preece’s update on Twitter, with one labelling Traore as a ‘huge miss’.

“Early Xmas present”

Credit: @BillyWhiz

“I’m in tears. The Burkina Faso king returns”

Credit: @Jtavfc2000

“Thank god, huge miss”

Credit: @Davidomahony18

“Return of the king”

Credit: @PhilipKeenan12

“Suiiiiiii”

Credit: @AttwoodOlly

“GET IN BERT!!!!!”

Credit: @AvfcRegan

In other news: Lange makes Aston Villa enquiry to sign ‘top’ midfielder in January; club have already responded. 

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has big shoes to fill after Heung-min Son suffered a devastating injury blow this week.

The 29-year-old is expected to miss the remainder of the month after he sustained a muscle injury during their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg defeat to Chelsea in midweek.

It means he will miss this afternoon’s FA Cup third-round clash with League One side Morecambe, the return leg against the Blues on Wednesday and unfortunately, next weekend’s north London derby in the Premier League.

“It was a strange situation,” revealed the Italian during his pre-game press conference.

“Against Chelsea, I made two substitutions together, with Lucas Moura and then Son. But not for injury, the substitutions, but only to try to give them a bit of rest, 15 minutes of rest. Then the day after, he felt a bit of pain in his muscle, in his leg.

“He had a scan and now we have to make the right evaluation from the doctors. He has an injury. I don’t know, but probably he will stay without training sessions until the end of this cycle, before the international break.”

Son has been ever so crucial to Spurs’ fortunes so far this campaign.

The South Korean sensation has provided nine goals and five assists in all competitions, and also leads the way for goal contributions and chances created in the Premier League alone.

It leaves Conte with a major dilemma – just who can replace him? One contender will be Steven Bergwijn – once fit – as he has looked bright in his few appearances under the 52-year-old.

The Dutchman’s goal and assist against West Ham in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup is what got Spurs into the next round. However, he is far too inconsistent and is often injured.

Instead, it could be Bryan Gil’s time to shine.

Valued at €40m (£34m) by CIES Football Observatory, the young Spaniard has been restricted to just 210 minutes of domestic action since joining in a £21.6m swap deal involving Erik Lamela from Sevilla in the summer.

The 20-year-old gem looked like a bright spark when he came off the bench in midweek, particularly in one moment where he twisted and turned Mason Mount inside out before creating a goalscoring opportunity.

After his arrival, football.london reporter Alasdair Gold tipped the Spanish playmaker for big things, even likening his potential to that of Christian Eriksen.

“I think we’re going to see a very talented young player coming to the fore. He’s kind of got a bit of everything: he can pass, he can dribble, he’s very creative, he has clever movement.

“They’ve just got to decide, is he a guy that can ultimately become the new Eriksen, because the more and more I watch him play, I think the ability’s there to do that. Some have even made a [Luka] Modric comparison and said, maybe he could end up coming even deeper and becoming that kind of player.”

Gil, who has also been dubbed a “big talent” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, certainly has the qualities to fill Conte’s huge Son void. In LaLiga last season, he averaged 1.7 crosses and 1.9 key passes per 90 minutes.

Currently, the long-serving Spurs star is averaging 2.1 crosses and 1.9 key passes per 90 in the Premier League this term, via WhoScored, so the switch could well be a near like-for-like.

It’s time for Conte to turn to the promising Spain starlet, starting with today’s clash against Morecambe.

AND in other news, Spurs eye swoop for “explosive” £27m-rated dynamo, he could be Conte’s new Eden Hazard…

Celtic take on St. Johnstone in the SPL tomorrow at home as they look to extend their lead at the top of the table.

Before then, however, manager Brendan Rodgers would like to see some more signings arrive with transfer deadline day fast approaching, though there is still a lot of work that needs to be done if that is to happen.

The Breakdown

According to the Daily Record, the Celtic boss is desperate to add at least one new full-back to his squad with Borussia Dortmund’s Jeremy Toljan one player he hopes his superiors can land ahead of Thursday’s deadline.

With Mikael Lustig’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, Celtic definitely need to start looking at names for that position with Toljan being a great one.

However, even if the Bhoys fail to sign the German right-back or any other player for that matter before Thursday, they can still be pleased with the work that has been done this month.

The additions of Timothy Weah and Oliver Burke are quickly proving to be very good ones, while the Glasgow club still have Vakoun Issouf Bayo to come into the team.

Ultimately, Celtic now look to have the necessary firepower to win yet another SPL title, and thus can afford to be patient in their pursuit of a new right-back.

Sunderland bounced back from their 4-0 defeat to Portsmouth prior to the international break with a 2-1 win away at Gillingham on Saturday.

The Black Cats are one point off the top of the table, with two games in-hand on Plymouth and one on Wycombe – who sit 1st and 2nd respectively.

Aiden O’Brien and Tom Flanagan scored the goals for Lee Johnson’s side after they went 1-0 down in the first half, with Elliot Embleton also seeing red for a challenge in the 67th minute.

Flanagan scored the winning goal from centre-back and put in a solid display defensively, but another Sunderland player stole the show on the day – Dan Neil.

The teenage gem was sublime for the Black Cats as he impressed and helped Sunderland control the match and, ultimately, win the game. He was solid defensively and offensively as he caught the eye ahead of captain Luke O’Nien and the goalscorer Flanagan.

Neil’s SofaScore rating (7.4) was higher than O’Nien’s (6.6) and the highest in the team in terms of outfield players who failed to score. This highlights how well he was able to perform in midfield as his statistics made him stand out despite ending the game without a goal.

He did, however, provide an assist as he set up O’Brien’s equaliser in the first half. Alex Pritchard spread the ball out wide for Neil in an excellent position on the right and he whipped in a delicious, teasing, cross for the winger to prod the ball home in the six-yard box. The teenager put the ball into the corridor of uncertainty between the goalkeeper and the defender, allowing O’Brien to sneak in between them and get his foot to it first.

This was one of four key passes he produced during the game as he showed off his creativity. Per SofaScore, he also completed 100% of his attempted dribbles, two of his four attempted long passes and 84% of his passes overall, with 68 touches in the 90 minutes. This highlights the quality he was able to provide when in possession throughout the game.

Defensively, he put a shift in. Per SofaScore, he made one interception, two tackles and one block, whilst also winning three of his seven ground duels. There is room for improvement with his individual battles, but his numbers show that he was still able to make a positive contribution defensively on the whole, to go along with his impressive display on the ball.

Therefore, Neil stole the show for Johnson’s side ahead of the likes of Flanagan and O’Brien as he played a key role in Sunderland’s comeback to help them continue their assault towards promotion to the Championship.

West Ham United have been linked with a move for Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard ahead of the January transfer window, with manager David Moyes eager to bolster his attacking options.

What’s the story?

According to The Express (who cite The Mirror), West Ham are one of two Premier League clubs interested in bringing the 30-year-old back to English shores following his disastrous spell in Madrid.

Everton are reportedly the other side keen to snap Hazard’s services, and Los Blancos could be set to make an £88m loss on the creative talent after listing him for just £21m.

Rob Newman can seal dream West Ham deal

If West Ham’s head of recruitment Rob Newman can entice Hazard to east London over the window it would be a dream deal, given his previous exploits.

During his time at Chelsea, the Belgium international established himself as one of the best players in world football, scoring 110 goals and laying on a further 92 assists in 352 appearances for the capital club.

Hazard also claimed two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues, one FA Cup and one League Cup throughout his seven-year stay in west London, cementing his status as a club legend.

Former Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer previously claimed that the creative talent had the potential to become the best player in world football after lauding his “outstanding” 2014/15 campaign, while Jamie Carragher described him as a “superstar”.

However, Hazard has been unable to replicate the success he had at Stamford Bridge since arriving in Spanish football two-and-a-half years ago.

Injuries, illness and a severe loss of form have limited him to just 25 La Liga starts during his time in Madrid, with the £381,000-per-week gem providing just 14 goal contributions in his 54 outings.

But despite his recent struggles, it’s clear Hazard can still provide world-class moments of magic when on top form, and his arrival at the London Stadium would be a significant coup for the Hammers’ hierarchy.

With Said Benrahma potentially set to miss the entirety of January due to his participation in the African Cup of Nations, Moyes could certainly use some reinforcements in the final third of the pitch.

West Ham are currently sitting pretty in fourth place in the top-flight table, and the acquisition of Hazard may be the catalyst needed to secure a Champions League qualification spot come May.

And, in other news…Forget Zouma: Moyes must unleash WHU’s £13.5m-rated “monster” who’s “turned a corner”

Aston Villa have seen many players walk through the door at Villa Park over the years, either on loan or permanent deals.

However, as tends to be the case with most clubs, not all transfer deals that take place end up being particularly successful or worthwhile.

One questionable transfer that took place at the Midlands club was their 2015 move for striker Rudy Gestede.

During the 2015 summer transfer window, under the management of Tim Sherwood, the Villans secured a deal to bring the striker to Villa Park from Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £6m.

Having been described as a “menacing” figure on the pitch by Sherwood, the Benin international was anything but that for his side, finding the back of the net only five times in 32 Premier League appearances throughout the 2015/16 campaign.

Also, despite appearing in the majority of their league games, the attacker could only rack up 18 shots on target in total, which is fewer than the number of fouls (24) he committed, meaning he was more of a liability for his side than a capable attacking threat.

With fewer goals scored (27) than any other side in the top flight that season, Villa eventually found themselves at the bottom of the league table and destined for the second division.

After Villa’s relegation at the end of Gestede’s debut campaign with the Villans, things didn’t get much better for him in the Championship either.

In 18 appearances, the centre-forward only scored four goals before joining Middlesbrough in the 2017 January transfer window, bringing an end to his uninspiring time as a Villa player after just 523 days.

Even with his lack of regular goals at the Midlands club, it seemed as though they were right to let him go when they did, as the striker only managed to bag eight times in 71 appearances for Boro following his exit from Villa Park.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that Sherwood had a shocker by bringing Gestede to Villa, who ultimately wasted a total fee of £8.1m from his transfer fee and £28k-per-week wages by having him on their books for as long as they did.

In other news: Gerrard can now axe awful flop as AVFC eye bid for £50m gem with “bundles of ability”

Leeds United midfielder Tyler Roberts’ future at the club could be in doubt as they look to improve on him this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Roberts struggles to impress

The Whites have endured a season to forget in the Premier League, with Marcelo Bielsa losing his job and relegation still more than a possibility.

Roberts is one individual who has struggled to find a good run of form, scoring just once in 23 league appearances despite his attack-minded nature as a player.

Bielsa called him ‘very important’ and handed him 107 of his 108 Leeds appearances, but despite his fondness for the player there was speculation surrounding the Welshman leaving Leeds in the January transfer window.

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The Latest: Journalist makes fresh claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Jesse Marsch may look to make an upgrade on Roberts this summer:

“You do get the feeling that his position is one of those that will be targeted in the summer to be strengthened.”

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The Verdict: Time to be sold?

While Roberts is still only 23 years of age, there is a feeling that he isn’t good enough for Leeds moving forward, particularly in terms of being a regular starter.

His record of nine goals in 108 Whites appearances is far from prolific and Marsch may feel he could bring in reinforcements that will provide more cutting edge.

Someone like rumoured Leeds target Brenden Aaronson could be perfect, with the American netting 12 times in 60 games for RB Salzburg in a similar role, bringing a level of midfield guile and end product that Roberts simply fails to.

In other news, one journalist has dropped a big Andrea Radrizzani claim. Read more here.