All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic goalkeepers Vasilis Barkas and Conor Hazard could leave the club in January, according to The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin.

The Lowdown: Lack of game time…

Both Barkas and Hazard featured in stages last season under Neil Lennon but have fallen out of favour during the current campaign.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-20/” title=”Celtic updates!!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Barkas, labelled as ‘horrendous’ by pundit Tam McManus, made 22 appearances last season but has started just twice under Ange Postecoglou.

Meanwhile, Hazard, described as ‘jittery’ by pundit Natasha Meikle, is yet to feature in 2021/22 after making six appearances last season.

The Latest: Devlin’s claim

Devlin shared a transfer mailbag on The Athletic on Wednesday, answering numerous questions from Hoops fans ahead of the January window.

He was asked about the club’s goalkeepers, with Devlin admitting Celtic ‘will attempt to move Barkas on in January, although his wages might make a permanent transfer difficult.’

Devlin then said that Hazard ‘might be moved on too, again depending on what kind of loan bids or permanent offers comes in’.

The reliable reporter revealed that there are no immediate plans to replace Scott Bain, with Celtic also having high hopes for teenager Tobi Oluwayemi.

The Verdict: The right calls?

It seems as if Barkas and Hazard aren’t in the club’s long-term plans, so looking to move them on next month appears to be the right call.

Hazard only penned new Parkhead terms back in March, but it doesn’t look like he’s fancied by Postecoglou given he hasn’t even featured under the gaffer, with youngster Oluwayemi possibly identified as the first-choice in the long run.

On that basis, selling or moving the pair out on loan could be a wise decision, but even though they’ve hardly played this season that doesn’t mean the club should accept any old lowball offers that come in.

In other news: Print newspaper reveal Celtic now want left-footed ace who’s racked up £20m in transfer fees. 

Scott Parker could well be in talks with one of Fulham’s Championship rivals ahead of a potential summer switch.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, who has hinted in a post on Twitter that Parker is already in talks with the Bournemouth hierarchy regarding a move to the Vitality Stadium this summer.

A recent report by talkSPORT claimed that the 40-year-old would be tempted to quit Fulham in favour of a switch to the Cherries, who are thought to be willing to part company with Jonathan Woodgate after his failure to secure promotion to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs last season.

Fans will be distraught

Considering the marvellous job Parker has done at Craven Cottage since taking over at the club back in February of 2019, the fact that there appears to be a very real chance of the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder leaving the club this summer is sure to leave fans of Fulham distraught.

Indeed, despite suffering relegation in his first term at the club, in Fulham’s first full season under the 40-year-old, the Cottagers went on to secure an immediate return to the top flight, beating Brentford 2-1 AET in the 2019/20 play-off final.

And, while Fulham went on to suffer relegation from the top flight for the second time in three seasons under Parker in their subsequent campaign, the west London side earned plaudits from the likes of Pep Guardiola, Marcelo Bielsa and Jurgen Klopp for their “exceptional” style of attacking and exciting football.

As such, if the Cottagers were to lose the services of the young manager this summer, not only would they be without a coach who has a proven track record of getting them out of the second tier, but also one who very much seems to play football in the right way as well as appearing to have an extremely bright future in the game.

In other news: Fulham confirm transfer news on “valuable” £24k-p/w flop which will leave fans furious

Aston Villa could sign Jack Grealish’s perfect partner in Norwich City star Emiliano Buendia, amid Lee Hendrie’s transfer claim.

What’s the story?

The Canaries look set to earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt, currently top of the table in the Championship. Despite that, Hendrie has suggested that a “big club” will look to take Buendia off their hands, and insisted that the 24-year-old would be near the top of his list for potential summer transfer targets.

The former Villa midfielder told This Is Futbol: “I think a big club will definitely try and take him. I know you can say he’s done it in the Championship, but you could say that about (Said) Benrahma, you could say that about Ollie Watkins.

“I feel that Buendia, I mean we’ve seen him in a very good Norwich side in the Championship, I feel in a Villa side… wow. If I could say or had a big say in bringing players in, he’s the one on top of my list that I would bring into Aston Villa.”

Imagine him and Grealish

While Grealish may be out injured right now, when the Villa talisman does eventually return, Smith’s side could surely do with someone who could ease the burden on their skipper.

In the “exceptional” Buendia, they could sign someone who is Premier League proven and could offer the same levels of creativity that their main man provides. The Argentine’s total number of chances created last season in the top flight ranked him fourth in the entire division, despite playing for a team who ended up getting relegated.

He has provided a whopping 12 goals and 16 assists this season in the Championship, showcasing impressive qualities in the final third and being dubbed “very special”  by Norwich defender Ben Gibson.

The £19.8m-rated ace has been branded a “revelation” by former Villa striker Chris Sutton, and the playmaker could link up to great effect with someone like Grealish, interchanging positions and feeding one other.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-aston-villa-transfer-rumours-and-news-copy-copy” title=”Latest Aston Villa transfer rumours and news”]

If Grealish is then out injured, Smith would surely be more confident by at least having Buendia to take up the mantle. Whether or not Villa’s talisman is in the team, the signing of the Norwich star would appear to be a superb move this summer.

Meanwhile, Villa’s summer plans are exciting news for Dean Smith and the fans…

Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek will be ‘excited’ about his chances of shining at Old Trafford following Erik ten Hag’s appointment at the club.

The Lowdown: Ten Hag comes in

Ten Hag has officially been named as United’s new manager, with the 52-year-old coming in at the end of the season after an impressive spell at Ajax.

The hope is that he is finally the right man to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, with David Moyes, Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick all flattering to deceive in the Premier League.

One player who Ten Hag knows inside out is Van de Beek, with the pair working together when Ajax reached the Champions League semi-finals back in 2018/19.

The Latest: Journalist makes Van de Beek claim

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Paul Brown claimed that this could be Van de Beek’s time to seize his opportunity at United, saying:

“I think he’s quite excited probably about the prospect of finally getting a chance.

“If he doesn’t, there are probably other clubs in a better position than Everton to take him on loan, if possible.”

The Verdict: Make-or-break for Van de Beek

This certainly feels like a make-or-break moment in Van de Beek’s United career, with the Netherlands international on loan at Everton after a woeful spell at Old Trafford.

If Ten Hag can’t get a tune out of him, you’d start to wonder if anyone will be able to do so, with the midfielder such a key figure under the 52-year-old at Ajax, scoring 41 goals in 175 appearances in total.

It will be fascinating to see how Van de Beek fares next season, assuming he stays at Old Trafford, and if Ten Hag gets the best out of him, it could genuinely feel almost like a new signing for United, with the 25-year-old having once been hailed as ‘perfect’ by Owen Hargreaves.

In other news, United are reportedly keen on signing one Premier League star. Read more here.

Rangers have been handed a major boost ahead of their Europa League tie against Slavia Prague on Thursday night, with Steven Gerrard confirming that Kemar Roofe is raring to go.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Gers boss delivered a crucial injury update ahead of the clash tonight, revealing: “Roofe will train this morning and will be available. Jack could be ready but I have decided to hold back and he will be available for the second-leg, I don’t want to push him too quick. Tavernier will be a little bit slower to return.”

The news on Roofe will come as a major boost to Gerrard and Rangers, with the forward being a prolific scorer whenever he’s been fit and available to play for the side.

In just 18 Scottish Premiership games this season, he’s bagged ten goals, including a truly impressive hot streak from the beginning of November to the end of December – he scored eight in eight and also managed to provide two assists too.

And it’s not just his goals that Gerrard will welcome back tonight, with the Gers boss hailing the kind of work rate he puts in towards the end of last year.

He said: “He’s doesn’t stop, he’s like a Duracell bunny. He’s hitting numbers that you don’t really expect from a forward player. He’s running more than the midfielders and he’s running the most in the team at the moment.

“I think he’s really setting the example in terms of what we need to put into a game to get the results we’re getting. Everyone is putting in impressive numbers but Roofe has raised the bar with the last couple of performances he’s put in.”

European ties need everyone to be buying into the pre-match plan, and with the Gers having run away with the league title in Scotland, they will need to refocus and be wired in straight away against Slavia, who proved how dangerous they can be when they knocked Leicester City in the last round.

Having someone like Roofe who can inject that extra bit of energy and keep the tempo going up top, could prove to be a game-changer, and he can ensure the intensity levels of the Gers remains at a high level and doesn’t see a drop off after their inevitable title celebrations.

It’s exactly why Gerrard will be buzzing to have the £35k-a-week earning flier back tonight.

Meanwhile, Rangers should let this player leave this summer…

West Bromwich Albion technical and sporting director Luke Dowling has left The Hawthorns club by mutual consent.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a statement posted on the West Brom website, in which the club confirmed that Dowling is leaving the Championship side with immediate effect after three years of working with the club.

A further statement was released later on Monday afternoon, in which the Baggies chief Executive Xu Ke provided an update on the club’s current search for a new manager, as well as thanking Dowling for his services to the club.

Xu Ke said: “I would like to thank Luke for his work behind the scenes at The Hawthorns during his three years with us. Luke’s departure provides us with an opportunity to reassess how our football operation functions and I will provide a further update on this subject in due course.”

Fans are rightly livid

The news of Dowling’s departure comes at a rather awkward time for West Brom, as, with the club still in the midst of their bid to appoint Sam Allardyce’s successor, the Baggies board now look set to conduct this search without a single member of staff who boasts a background in football.

Indeed, the technical and sporting director’s departure could also have come as a result of Guochuan Lai’s decision to rule out the club’s appointment of the former Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder, as Dowling was believed to have strongly favoured a move for the 53-year-old.

And, after the news was shared by the club in a post on Twitter, a large portion of the West Brom fanbase appeared outraged by the decision, with one claiming that the board are turning West Brom into a “joke of a club,” while another stated their belief that fans “can’t blame Dowling going if Lai and the board constantly overrule [him] all the time.”

We have to say, the perspective of these fans is easily understandable, as, with the club looking to make an immediate return to the Premier League next season, so much uncertainty regarding the board, the staff and the club’s transfer business does not appear to be the best way to kick start West Brom’s Championship campaign.

Furthermore, with Dowling playing a huge role in Slaven Bilic’s previous appointment at the club, a manager who ultimately secured the Baggies’ last promotion to the Premier League, the technical and sporting director has a history of installing a successful coach in the second tier, leading us to believe that Lai allowing Dowling to walk away could well be the biggest mistake of his West Brom reign to date.

In other news: Xu Ke heading for grave West Brom mistake over £450k-rated beast with a “big future”

Aston Villa owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris are set to back a move for Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Villa haven’t wasted any time this summer

Villa have already brought in Emiliano Buendia from Norwich City in a club-record deal, and it now appears as if their next big-money move could be one for Ward-Prowse.

Another man who is set for talks with Villa is Ashley Young, whereas the club were reportedly in discussions with striker Josh King earlier this month.

The Latest: Ward-Prowse update

A Villa source informed Football Insider that both Edens and Sawiris are keen for a deal to be completed in time for the midfielder to be at the club’s Bodymoor Heath training ground for the start of pre-season.

Dean Smith’s side are set to return for pre-season on July 5, which is in 19 days time. The Villa hierarchy want the central midfielder through the door by then to bed the free-kick specialist into Smith’s system.

A move for Ward-Prowse will take a huge fee, the report adds, and a push for a deal to be wrapped up as soon as possible was aided following his omission from England’s European Championship squad this summer.

The Verdict: A major coup if a deal goes through

Should Villa seal a deal for Ward-Prowse, it would only add to their ambition to establish themselves as an elite Premier League side.

Villa fans found out first hand how effective the 26-year-old can be last season when he scored twice and registered an assist in a 4-3 win for the Saints at Villa Park.

He appears to be in the prime of his career and has also racked up 269 appearances in the Premier League, and a move for the Saints captain may also help persuade Jack Grealish to remain at the club beyond the summer, amid links to Manchester City.

In other news: Many AVFC fans react to Grealish latest, find out more here. 

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, ex-West Ham striker Frank McAvennie has urged his former team to go all out in their attempts to sign Craig Dawson permanently this summer.

The experienced defender, who’s currently on loan at the London Stadium for the rest of the campaign from Watford, made a slow start to life in the capital, but has been one of the Hammers’ standout players in recent weeks.

Dawson wasn’t involved in any of West Ham’s first 11 Premier League games following his arrival, but since breaking into the team and replacing the injured Fabian Balbuena, the on-loan centre-back has ever-present in the league, playing a major part in David Moyes’ team pushing towards Europe.

With Dawson in the side, West Ham have kept six clean sheets in 13 matches, with the on-loan Hornets man adding three goals which have helped his team suffer just three Premier League defeats since Christmas.

And McAvennie has praised the 30-year-old for transforming a Hammers defence that had managed just four shut outs prior to his inclusion.

He told Football FanCast: “The biggest thing for me with West Ham is the defence, it’s solid.

“The biggest signing they will make is Dawson. They have got to get that boy’s name on the paper, he’s been outstanding.

“For £3million for a centre-half like that, he complements the other defenders because the other defenders want to play football and look good, and he just puts his body on the line, gets in front and it’s good balance for the team. That’s the biggest signing that I think will happen this year.”

Sunderland have received a massive injury boost ahead of the Black Cats’ upcoming play-off semi-final.

What’s the latest?

According to a statement posted on the club’s official website, both Charlie Wyke and Aiden McGeady – who each missed the fixture against Plymouth Argyle last weekend – look ready to return to action ahead of the Northampton Town clash this Sunday, while the longer-term absentees of Tom Flanagan and Conor McLaughlin are also in contention for the weekend.

When discussing the current state of the Sunderland squad, Johnson said: “Aiden and Charlie could possibly get minutes on Sunday. Conor is under consideration. Flanno has that week to 10 days’ training behind him, so I would say he’s 50/50 for Sunday.”

Huge boost

While the upcoming fixture against Northampton is important in determining exactly where Sunderland finish in the top six of the league – and subsequently deciding who they will be facing in the play-off semi-final – the news of a number of players returning to the side in time for the play-offs is likely to leave Johnson very encouraged.

While Wyke and McGeady had only missed one game, their return to full fitness is likely to be vital to any success the Black Cats may have in the play-offs, as the duo rank as the club’s first and second-best performers respectively in the league this season according to Sofascore.

Meanwhile, the return of centre-back Flanagan and right-back McLaughlin is likely to be just as welcome for the Sunderland boss, as the availability of the two returning players will free up both Luke O’Nien – who has been operating from the centre of defence – and Max Power – who has been deployed at right-back – to take up their more natural positions in midfield.

As such, all of the returnees are likely to delight Johnson and Sunderland fans alike, as they could all play a significant part in helping the club to achieve promotion this season.

In other news: Forget Wyke: Lee Johnson may have found Sunderland ace’s heir in gem who could be worth £10m – opinion

Leeds United could sign an exciting alternative to Rodrigo in the from of 20-year-old powerhouse Daryl Dike.

What’s the story?

Writing on Twitter, TEAMtalk’s editor, James Marshment, revealed: “TEAMtalk has been informed that Leeds are looking at the possibility of signing Daryl Dike on loan from Orlando City before the window closes. USA striker notched 9 in 19 for Barnsley last season. West Brom also keen. Story to follow….”

And with Rodrigo enduring a disappointing debut campaign, the much younger Dike could well be the man to take over his throne at Elland Road…

Exciting alternative on Rodrigo

The striker was in superb form after joining Championship side Barnsley on loan earlier this year, scoring nine goals in just 19 league games.

He was dubbed a “revelation” by former Salford City manager Richie Wellens, who also added: “I can’t see Barnsley paying £17m for him, but I take my hat off to him for swapping the Orlando weather for Barnsley. But seriously he’s done great, he scores goals, he’s powerful and he’s given Barnsley a whole new dimension to their game.”

And, his former coach at Virginia, George Gelnovatch, raved about the kind of attitude he has, and it should be music to the ears of Bielsa: “But one of the things about him that nobody ever talks about is relentlessness. He is a relentless competitor, a ruthless guy on the field. You put that inside a body like his, and it’s pretty impressive.”

While Bielsa has tended to use Rodrigo slightly more deeper, he did give him a start up front in the Carabao Cup second round clash against Crewe, and once again, the Spaniard disappointed – as per Sofascore, his 6.2 match rating was the lowest of any player on the pitch for Leeds.

Last season saw the former Valencia man net just seven goals in 28 games in all competitions for the Whites, while this campaign has seen him play just 45 minutes in the Premier League – a display against Manchester United that saw him roundly slammed by Leeds fans.

With his height, physicality and finishing touch, Dike has got all the tools in his locker to be a real threat at Elland Road and something completely different to what Bielsa currently has.

He could even usurp Rodrigo in the pecking order when it comes to giving Bamford some much-needed cover.

The £9m-rated machine would give Bielsa an absolute menace up front.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this Premier League record breaker…