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Daniel Pinder, editor-in-chief of Get German Football News, has exclusively told Football FanCast that Taiwo Awoniyi would score goals at Celtic, providing he has the right players around him.

Back in January, Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers were ready to battle it out for the young striker, who’s currently on loan at Union Berlin from Liverpool.

Despite a slow start to his loan spell in the German capital, Awoniyi has scored five times and added three assists in 19 Bundesliga appearances, with those five coming across a seven-game period, including the opener in the victory over Borussia Dortmund.

A muscle problem has kept the Nigerian out of Union Berlin’s last 10 matches, but he’s still made a significant impact during his second loan spell in Germany having spent last season at Mainz.

And Pinder told Football FanCast that Awoniyi would be a good addition for the Hoops, should they lose Odsonne Edouard this summer, with the Frenchman reportedly wanting out.

“I haven’t seen much of Edouard play, but looking at his stats, he scores plenty of goals, and I think Awoniyi could get the goals, but he needs the right players around him as he has at Union Berlin this season.”

This could prove a shrewd piece of business for Celtic, but they’ll need a far bigger name to please the fanbase providing Edouard departs this summer.

The Frenchman has been their talisman for the previous four seasons, and if the Hoops want to bridge the gap to Rangers next term, an established striker on top of Awoniyi is required.

Despite losing their previous Premier League match to West Ham United, Liverpool still managed to score two goals in the 3-2 defeat at The London Stadium, taking their total to 31 goals scored in just 11 league games, more than any other club in the division.

With this in mind, it’s safe to say Jurgen Klopp’s side have a rather impressive attacking prowess in their squad with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino all managing to get on the scoresheet this season.

However, it seems as though the Merseyside club have their eye on adding another attacking star to their squad in the near future.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Calciomercato (via Liverpool Echo) that the Reds are keeping a close eye on Juventus loan star Federico Chiesa with the possibility of a summer move for him on the cards.

As a product of Fiorentina’s youth academy, the 24-year-old, who has been described as “unpredictable” in the past by former Italy and Udinese striker Antonio Di Natale, has made a total of 153 appearances for the Italian club across all competitions, scoring 34 goals and providing 25 assists in the process.

In October 2020, he joined Juventus on a two-year loan deal with an obligation for the Old Lady to buy the winger on a permanent basis for a reported fee of €40m (£36.3m).

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Salah heir?

Since joining Juventus, Chiesa, who is currently valued at £63m according to Transfermarkt, has made 56 appearances for the club across all competitions in which he has managed to score 17 goals and provide 12 assists along the way, highlighting his attacking talents and highlighting why he could be a dream signing for FSG to make in the summer if Juventus aren’t able to sign him permanently.

So far this season, the Italian international, has played in all but three of Juventus’s games across Serie A and the Champions League, chipping in with three goals and two assists whilst playing in a number of different attacking positions.

That would make him a great fit at Liverpool given how many versatile players they have in their squad already, with many capable of playing in different positions, particularly their forward players.

This particular factor could be highly beneficial when it comes to replacing the effervescent Mo Salah.

With Chiesa playing the majority of his games throughout his career as a right-winger, combined with his proven attacking threat at a fairly young age, he could well be a perfect heir for the aforementioned Egyptian.

His contract at the Merseyside club is set to expire in 2023, which would potentially clear a path for Chiesa to replace him if the attacker ends up leaving the club at that point. Judging by the Italian’s scintillating goal-scoring abilities, however, he’d be a phenomenal heir to their star player’s throne.

In other news: Klopp could save FSG millions with “composed” 20 y/o LFC sensation, he’s Matip’s heir – opinion

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. 

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 saw their hopes of back-to-back Premier League wins go up in smoke, after they were consigned to a surprising 1-0 defeat to ten-man Sheffield United on Wednesday night.

The Blades have been rooted to the bottom of the table for much of this season, but pulled off a real shock at Bramall Lane thanks to a goal from David McGoldrick.

Villa as a whole didn’t look like themselves, but one man who really struggled to get to the pace of the game, was John McGinn.

The Scotland international looked out of sorts, losing possession 21 times on the night, which is far above his season average in the Premier League of 12.9 per match. He also wasn’t decisive enough in his passing either, boasting the second-highest amount of touches for Villa with 99, but only providing one key pass – even left-back Matt Targett matched his efforts.

And it wasn’t just him being sloppy in the middle of the park either. He missed a glorious opportunity early on into the game that would have handed Villa the initiative but he fluffed his lines completely after some good work from Ollie Watkins – all in all, none of his four attempts found the target.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for The Birmingham Mail, Ashley Preece said: “His sloppy pass in midfield almost handed Sheffield United their first chance, only for his brilliant recovery to pinch it back from inside the box to deny Baldock from slamming home. McGinn, though, missed a huge chance after 10 minutes as he rushed his effort after Watkins’ nod down and slashed it wide of the far post.

“McGinn was guilty of ball-watching for United’s opener as McGoldrick raced past three black Villa shirts before striking home. The Scot did improve slightly after the hosts went down to 10 men and almost assisted Traore with a cute header before his effort was well-blocked while, moments later, he had a shot of his own which was deflected for a corner by Ampadu. Looked sluggish here, as if the effort at Leeds had taken something out of him.”

And that last part is what’s absolutely critical for Villa, and why Smith should make that bold call of dropping him from the starting line-up. The £18m-rated man has played the full 90 minutes in every single Premier League game this season bar one, and that was only because of picking up a suspension for the clash against Newcastle.

The Scotland international showed signs of real fatigue and burn-out against the Blades, and given that Smith has January signing Morgan Sanson still knocking on the door for his first start in the top-flight, now seems like the perfect time for such a change to be made.

McGinn just looked off the pace going forward, and even tracking back, as seen by his role in allowing McGoldrick to score the winner. It would be a ruthless call to drop someone who’s been Mr Undroppable for Villa this season, but Wednesday’s game showed why that must exactly happen.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a move for this Premier League star…

Many Liverpool fans are fuming after Jurgen Klopp revealed defender Ozan Kabak picked up an injury during his side’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Thursday.

The German tactician revealed (via Anfield Watch) during his pre-match press conference that the 20-year-old is doubtful to feature in Sunday’s home game against Fulham.

Kabak will join the already overcrowded Anfield treatment room, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Jordan Henderson and Joel Matip out for a significant amount of time.

Klopp’s team has been seriously hampered by injuries, which has forced them to chop and change centre-backs, effectively halting their title charge this season and leaving them in a battle just to clinch top four.

Unsurprisingly, supporters were furious with the reveal from Klopp. One fan, bizarrely, broke into Bohemian Rhapsody. Somehow, the lyrics were appropriate to how the fans were feeling, as you can see below.

Kabak injury angers these fans

“Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Mammaaaaaaaaa WHYYYYYYYYY?”

Credit: @eriksgrafs

“This season is a joke”

Credit: @Fifi4Lfc

“Oh boy, here we go again”

Credit: @Ruddy_Strange

“This gonna be our 21st defensive duo this season? Fire the whole medical staff”

Credit: @paulo060802

“All the physio staff members should get sacked”

Credit: @sreqiri03

“Is this normal? The rate and amount of injuries we have? Is there something wrong with our fitness trainers or something ??!”

Credit: @blackpe96003219

In other news, Liverpool fans were not happy with Jurgen Klopp after what he said post-Chelsea.

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur summer transfer target Christian Eriksen.

What’s the talk?

In a recent video posted on YouTube, the football.london journalist revealed that Spurs have been in discussions regarding the possibility of bringing the 30-year-old central midfielder back to north London on a free transfer this summer.

Speaking about Spurs’ interest in the Denmark international, Gold said: “He would fit in there like a glove, in [Antonio] Conte’s 3-5-2, as he did with Inter Milan. He would bring so much to Tottenham.

“I know Spurs have spoken, have had discussions about bringing him in as a free agent – as in amongst themselves. I think there’s going to be a queue of competition for him.

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“I don’t think he left Spurs on the best of terms with the hierarchy at the club. But, he does love the club and he wants to stay in London, from what I understand, with his family.

“And it’s quite funny that Conte, when he just signed for Brentford, was very clear – no subtlety about it whatsoever – that he wanted to bring in Eriksen, maybe this summer.”

Supporters will love Gold’s claim

Considering just how impressive Eriksen has been following his return to the Premier League in January, coupled with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful’s undying love for the 30-year-old, the news Spurs are considering a move for the midfielder this summer is sure to be a claim that supporters will love.

Indeed, over his seven Premier League appearances for Brentford, the £13.5m-rated maestro has been in breathtaking form for Thomas Frank’s side, scoring one goal, registering two assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 2.1 key passes and taking 1.9 shots per game.

These returns have seen the Dane average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.49, not only ranking him as the Bees’ best performer in the league but also as the third-best player in the division as a whole – above the likes of Mohamed Salah, Son Heung-min and Mason Mount.

As such, considering his history with both Tottenham and Conte, his undoubted ability with the ball and the fact he will be available to sign on a free, it is clear to see why Spurs would be interested in a deal to bring Eriksen back to the club this summer – as he very much looks to be the type of player the 52-year-old manager is desperately lacking in the middle of the park.

AND in other news: “His people claim..”: Gold drops behind scenes update, Spurs supporters surely buzzing

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”.

Daniel Farke’s Norwich City side look set to face intense competition for the signing of Ozan Tufan this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Turkish outlet Fanatik (via Sport Witness), who claim that Crystal Palace are determined to get a deal over the line for the Fenerbahce midfielder this summer, while Leeds United have also emerged as a potential destination for the Norwich-linked man.

It is reported that Tufan has a release clause in his contract of around €20 million (£17.5 million) and that Palace are intending to pay this figure at the earliest possible opportunity, meaning the Canaries will have to act fast if they wish to be in with a chance of landing the 58-time-capped Turkey international.

Webber must move

So far this season, Tufan has been in excellent form over his 34 Super Lig appearances for Emre Belozoglu’s side, scoring five goals, registering eight assists and creating nine big chances, as well as making an average of 1.1 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and one key pass per game, culminating in a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.14 – ranking him as the club’s fifth-best performer in the Turkish top flight.

As such, it would appear that the midfielder – who has previously been likened to Yaya Toure by his former manager Vitor Pereira – would be a fine addition to Daniel Farke’s midfield ahead of their Premier League campaign, particularly as the German coach is losing two of his central midfielders this summer.

Both Alexander Tettey – who has made 18 appearances in the Championship this season – and Mario Vrancic – who has featured 31 times in the second tier this term – look set to leave Carrow Road upon the expiry of their contracts at the end of the season, meaning that Stuart Webber will undoubtedly be on the hunt for their replacements in the upcoming transfer market.

And, considering just how well the £37,000-per-week Tufan has performed for Fenerbahce so far this season, in addition to the 26-year-old’s impressive versatility – being comfortable in operating from defensive, central and attacking midfield – it would be highly advisable for Webber to match Palace in their early interest for the Turkish star – or else City risk losing out on a highly talented player to a side who could well be a direct rival in the Premier League next season.

In other news: Get it done: Webber must seal NCFC deal for £12k-p/w star who’s “on a different level” – opinion

Everton will allow Theo Walcott to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

That’s according to a report from Football Insider on Tuesday.

The lowdown

Southampton brought Walcott back to St Mary’s on loan at the end of the summer transfer window and it’s been a fairly successful spell at St Mary’s.

Walcott has made 20 appearances in red and white, scoring two goals and providing three assists (via Transfermarkt)

According to The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon, the club have been ‘blown away’ by the professionalism he’s displayed.

He’s been reporting to the training ground on days off, staying late and offering advice to young players.

Saints skipper James Ward-Prowse hailed him as a ‘great addition’ and said he was an ‘inspiring’ figure for the academy players.

The latest

Football Insider’s report states that Ancelotti has given the green light for Walcott, who’s made 47 England appearances, to leave permanently this time.

A club source has indicated that they won’t look to extend his deal and Everton are looking to replenish their ranks with a signing of a ‘top-class’ right-winger.

The verdict

Southampton want to sign Walcott permanently, and the 32-year-old seems perfectly at home on the South Coast – the extra effort he is putting in around the training ground is surely reflective of a player who sees his long-term future there.

It’s no surprise, then, that Everton won’t look to stand in his way.

The Toffees shelled out more than £20million to bring him in from Arsenal and, in truth, haven’t had much return on their investment.

In other news, this Premier League veteran has been tipped to succeed at Everton if he makes the move.