All posts by n8rngtd.top

With Celtic currently lacking a manager, it’s perhaps a surprise to see so many new players being linked with Parkhead.

That being said, it’s positive thinking from a club who have done very little right this season.

On the chalkboard

The Hoops faithful are right to be scared about their current position. They have just lost the title for the first time in a decade and they didn’t even run their rivals close.

Neil Lennon is no longer in charge and thus, Dermot Desmond is searching for a new manager.

Whoever walks through the door could have to deal with a player exodus. Star striker Odsonne Edouard has long been linked with an exit, as too has Kristoffer Ajer.

Ajer has been a phenomenal addition since joining the club on a free transfer as a 17-year-old. He is now a matured international for Norway and that has undeniably come with its plaudits.

The centre-back was linked with a move to Tottenham last season while AC Milan have been monitoring his situation. If he does leave, it could leave a giant hole in the middle of Celtic’s defence to fill.

Christopher Jullien is out for the next nine months while Shane Duffy is due to go back to Brighton following the conclusion of his loan spell.

The solution

Celtic could well fill that gap with a certain Declan Gallagher. TEAMtalk reported this week that the Bhoys were ready to move for the Motherwell defender this summer.

They face plenty of competition for his signature with Cardiff, Barnsley, Aberdeen, Hearts and Dundee in the race to sign him.

Premier League clubs Burnley, Sheffield United and West Brom have him on their radar but it’s been claimed that Gallagher’s head has been turned by interest from Celtic.

At the age of 30, he is a seasoned professional and although the Hoops wouldn’t have much sell-on value, he’d be a fantastic acquisition.

Standing at 6 foot 6, Gallagher is a monster in the air and very rarely does he lose a defensive battle. The defender has won a colossal 3.9 aerial duels this term, a tally that betters every Celtic player apart from Duffy and Jullien.

Having won seven caps for Scotland, he has what it takes to play at a higher level and he’d certainly be able to do that at Celtic. After all, Gallagher possesses a similar never-say-die mentality to Ajer.

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

Speaking about the Hoops-linked defender in January, Gary Holt told Radio Clyde: “I used to say we were fortunate to have players who were prepared to get hurt in both boxes. He’s prepared to get hurt. That’s what you like about him [Gallagher]. He’s somebody who’s going to do his job to the best of his ability. He’s kicked on massively since he left Livi.”

How Celtic could have done with more players like that this season. Ajer was been one of a few who were really prepared to put their body on the line for the team.

Therefore, if he leaves, it would be a bitter blow. Replacing him with Gallagher would certainly be no bad idea, though.

AND in other news, Better than Kenny: Celtic must sign “fierce” gem who’s made 89 tackles this term…

In a recent interview with Football FanCast, Marlon Harewood stated his belief that Frank Lampard would be the ideal candidate to replace Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace.

Having been appointed Chelsea manager on a three-year deal back in the summer of 2019, in his time at Stamford Bridge, Lampard oversaw 84 games in charge of the Blues – winning 44, drawing 15 and losing 25.

However, after a run of results which saw Chelsea pick up just given his marching orders by Roman Abramovich.

Despite his rather uninspiring tenure at Chelsea, former West Ham United striker Harewood claimed that Lampard would be the ideal replacement for Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace, whose contract with the Eagles expires this summer.

He said: “It’d be a decent thing for Lamps to come into – if he’s ready to come back into management. That’d be a very good club to come into, [they’ve] got some great players there. I think he’d go and complement it well.

“He’s had a good experience of what he needs to do and what he didn’t do and [the chance to] reflect on how he can better himself because you always do that [after being sacked]. Yeah, it would be a good fit.”

Transfer Tavern Take

With Lampard himself stating that he wants any team he manages to “play good football” and to be “really aggressive and to win the ball back,” these are no doubt promising words to hear from the perspective of a potential new suitor for the former England international. It could also be music to the ears of Palace supporters who have taken umbrage with what they see as an overly pragmatic approach from Hodgson.

However, the 42-year-old also came under criticism for his tactical setup at Chelsea being “somewhat all over the shop”, with reports suggesting that a number of his players were “left confused by what Lampard wanted” from them.

As such, perhaps a team like Palace who typically finish in the bottom half of the Premier League table should not take the risk on Lampard just yet, as it would seem that the ex-Chelsea manager still has work to do on the tactical side of his game.

In other news: A Palace star has been linked with a move to the Eagles’ PL rivals, find out more here!

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit and Sky Sports regular Paul Robinson has been blown away by the loan signing of Jesse Lingard for West Ham United – with the former England international calling it an ‘absolute masterstroke’ by manager David Moyes. 

The 28-year-old has been in the form of his life since joining the Hammers in January on a temporary deal from parent club Manchester United.

Scoring eight goals and assisting three others in just nine Premier League starts so far (WhoScored), Lingard has been central to West Ham’s push for an unprecedented European qualifying spot.

Robinson blown away by Lingard ‘masterstroke’

West Ham are within touching distance of possibly finishing in the top four and the previously unthinkable is now a very realistic proposition.

Robinson, speaking to FI, has showered the acquisition of Lingard with praise as a result – even comparing it to Leeds’ signing of Raphinha.

“Wow, it has just been a brilliant loan,” he told Football Insider.

“It is between him and Raphinha for the signing of the season.

“It has been an absolute masterstroke from David Moyes. He obviously knew Lingard well, the kind of character he is and the talent he possesses. Moyes knew he could get the best out of him and it has worked out amazingly well for West Ham. He has been nothing short of a revelation.

“They will struggle to keep hold of him in the summer but I just do not see where he fits in at Manchester United with Bruno Fernandes there.

“It is going to be down to the player but at the end of the day he was frozen out at Manchester United. Moyes has given him a new lease of life at West Ham.”

Transfer Tavern take

Reports have circulated recently over the Irons wanting to secure Lingard with a permanent deal at the London Stadium.

West Ham insiders Claret & Hugh even stated that GSB will ‘move heaven and earth’ to make it happen this summer.

If Moyes manages to guide his side to a Champions League spot, signing the English star is an absolute necessity for the club if they hope to maintain their impressive form next season.

One would have to assume that the player himself would be happy to stay as well if top four is secured, given the ‘new lease of life’ he has been handed in East London.

In other news: Harewood wants this towering striker at West Ham, find out more here.

Former goalkeeper Tim Howard has been elected to the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Howard had distinguished career
• Played in Premier League and for USA
• Now elected into 2024 Hall of Fame

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Manchester United and Everton keeper Howard was on the ballot for this honour for the first time and received 46 of 48 votes (95.8%) from the player select committee. The stopper made 121 appearances for the U.S. men's national team from 2002-17 and was first-choice between the sticks at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.

Advertisement

• WHAT HOWARD SAID

  After being told of the news live on air for NBC's Premier League coverage, he said: "When you play football, you try and for the love and play for the glory, and hopefully along the way you do some things."

• THE BIG PICTURE

  Howard will go down as one of America's greatest-ever goalkeepers. Not many from his country have starred in the Premier League but he has done that. Josh McKinney, captain of the U.S. seven-a-side Paralympic team, was also elected to the Hall of Fame. A player must appear on 50% or more of ballots to be elected and Howard, 52, passed with flying colours.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT IS NEXT?

  Howard will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on May 4, 2024. On top of his television work, the former keeper is a minority owner and sporting director at Memphis, who are in the second tier of the United Soccer League's League Championship.

Manchester City and England star Chloe Kelly has quoted Drake lyrics in a savage post mocking Manchester United after a derby win at Old Trafford.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Eagerly-anticipated WSL clash in Manchester
• Blues took the spoils in 3-1 win
• England star revels in memorable success

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Lionesses forward, who famously netted the winning goal for her country in the Euro 2022 final, helped City to a memorable victory at the home of their fiercest rivals on Sunday. The visitors were comfortable in the end at the so-called ‘Theatre of Dreams’ as Jill Roord, Lauren Hemp and Bunny Shaw found the target in a 3-1 win.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kelly has taken great delight in picking up three points in a derby encounter that saw England team-mate Mary Earps endure an afternoon to forget between the sticks for United – with the experienced goalkeeper making an uncharacteristic error for Shaw’s second-half goal.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Unsurprisingly, City were not given the warmest of receptions at Old Trafford – with Kelly posting on social media afterwards: “Never much love when we go OT”. That message, which was accompanied by an image of the 25-year-old shushing the home support, offers a nod to the lyrics from the platinum-selling Drake track ‘One Dance’.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT?

  City have now risen above United to sit third in the WSL standings – six points adrift of leaders Chelsea – and will be back in action on Wednesday when playing host to Leicester in the Women’s League Cup.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in making a shock move to bring Burnley striker Chris Wood to Villa Park, according to Football Insider.

The lowdown

Enjoying another consistent season for Sean Dyche’s men, Chris Wood has went on to register an impressive 15 goal contributions in 33 outings in 2020/21; 12 goals and three assists [Transfermarkt].

Going under the radar as a player, the New Zealand native has been a constant menace for defenders in recent campaigns. Winning an average of 4.7 aerial duels per 90 minutes, the 29-year-old is a handful for any prospective opposition defender [WhoScored].

Incredibly, he has notched a double figure goal tally for Burnley in every season since joining the Clarets in 2017 [Transfermarkt]. He now finally seems to be gaining the recognition he deserves.

The latest

Aston Villa are looking for another frontman to boost their goalscoring options, whilst leveraging some of the burden away from Ollie Watkins [Lancashire Live].

However, any move may come at a sizeable cost for the Midlands club, as a whopping £30-40 million price tag has been quoted by Football Insider, – they claim a recruitment source has told them that Villa are one of three top Premier League clubs eyeing a move.

The huge price tag may of course throw a spanner in the works with regard to any potential transfer hunt.

The verdict

Without doubt, Chris Wood is the epitome of a consistent footballer who works hard for the team and rarely falters.

Described as ‘excellent’ by manager Sean Dyche, he would undoubtedly be a great addition to the Villa ranks [Burnley Express], and of course offers an entirely different style of play to Watkins with his aerial dominance.

Conversely, to shell out such a sum on someone approaching their thirties would be reckless. Short-termism never ends well in football, whereas younger rumoured targets in the same position could provide more value for money long-term.

Regularly linked with Tammy Abraham, he may be a better option for Aston Villa due to the minimal mileage he has as a footballer comparative to Wood.

In other news, Aston Villa fans have been reacting to an exciting Jack Grealish update.

Dean Windass has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Josh Windass wants to stay at Sheffield Wednesday despite their relegation to League One.

The 27-year-old still has more than 12 months remaining on his Hillsborough contract, but has been linked with several Championship clubs since the Owls officially dropped into the third tier earlier this month.

Windass’ nine goals and six assists in 41 league appearances weren’t enough to save Wednesday from going down but have caught the eye of West Brom and Fulham following their own relegation.

The attacker has only ever played at Championship level since leaving Rangers back in 2018, and his impressive numbers in a struggling Owls side would explain why he’s on the radar of some of the division’s best.

Windass contributed to more than 35 percent of Wednesday’s league goals this term, which means the Hillsborough outfit might consider cashing-in on one of their best players to avoid a situation where he could leave for nothing next summer.

But Windass senior told The Transfer Tavern that his son’s focus remains on Sheffield Wednesday until told otherwise:

“I’ve got no positive information. I know that he’s had a meeting with Darren Moore, and those discussion will stay with Darren, Josh and myself. Darren wants to keep him, and Josh wants to stay.

“Yes, there’s a lot of speculation about a lot of football clubs that are after him, but he was very upbeat and positive about his meeting with Darren.

“There’s speculation these clubs are after him, but he’s chilling out in Portugal and will be back for pre-season training unless he gets told any different.”

West Ham United are on the lookout for a new attacking addition this summer.

It’s no secret that David Moyes desperately needs another frontline signing to challenge in all competitions next season, especially as they could land themselves a European berth.

The Irons sold marquee signing Sebastian Haller in January, recording a whopping £20m loss but the club’s hierarchy, GSB, failed to provide their manager with a replacement, meaning he has only had an injury-prone Michail Antonio at his disposal.

Several big-money names have been linked with a switch to the London Stadium, including Tammy Abraham, Ivan Toney, Duvan Zapata, and Adam Armstrong.

Eurosport believes Moyes will get £35m to spend on a new striker but that will take up the bulk of his transfer budget, you’d imagine and one player up top may not be enough.

Therefore, it could be wise for the Scotsman to dip his toes into the plethora of young talent available at his disposal in the academy set-up and there is one standout contender, Ademipo Odubeko.

The 18-year-old phenomenon could save GSB millions this summer if Moyes decides to unleash him in the first-team next season.

An attacking department of Antonio, a signing like Abraham or Toney, and Odubeko is certainly a mouth-watering prospect and would be one that could allow enough rotation across the Premier League, domestic cups and the Europa League to seriously challenge again.

The young Hammers gem has been in fine mettle this campaign, scoring ten goals in nine Premier League 2 appearances, on top of a pair of strikes in the FA Youth Cup and the EFL Trophy, as per Transfermarkt.

He was also handed his debut in the FA Cup earlier this year, playing just one minute from the bench against non-league Stockport County but then Moyes trusted him with nearly an hour’s worth of action against Manchester United in the next round.

Speaking about the teenager back in January, the Irons boss said, via football.london: “Mipo is somebody we are looking forward to working with. He is a young player we have big hopes for.”

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-west-ham-transfer-rumours-gossip-team-injury-news-gsb-update” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]

Whilst academy chief Ricky Martin hailed the striker after the East Londoners beat off competition to secure his signature.

“He is a promising player we are looking forward to working with and this move is a great opportunity for him to join us and continue his journey,” he said before adding: “It will naturally take Mipo some time to settle in, but we believe West Ham is the perfect environment for Mipo to flourish and fulfil his undoubted potential.”

Also dubbed a “special talent,” it seems Odubeko has all the attributes to thrive at the London Stadium as he’s “fast, dynamic, strong, he can score all sorts of goals and he’s good in the air,” according to his ex-coach Bernard Byrne, who further claimed to The Athletic that he’s “exciting” and a “proper centre-forward.”

It’s a lot to ask him to feature frequently next season but having the 18-year-old more involved will certainly be a good place to start and would mean they could bolster other areas, on top of finding that new forward in the transfer market.

Odubeko can save the Hammers a lot of money if so.

AND in other news, West Ham eye Jesse Lingard alternative in £18m-rated “genius” who’s a “delight to watch”…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Newcastle United Hall of Famer, Rob Lee, has claimed that Ryan Fraser will never be a clinical goalscorer for the Magpies as he is still yet to get off the mark in the Premier League.

Fraser arrived as a free agent after he let his contract expire at Bournemouth last season, but he has picked up several injuries this campaign and he has missed 63 days through being injured since moving to Tyneside.

It has been a frustrating season for the £41,800 per week winger which has seen him handed just 10 league starts all season, as well as picking up an unnecessary red card in the Magpies’ embarrassing 1-0 defeat against Sheffield United.

Speaking on where Fraser could fit into Newcastle’s side when he is fit and if he will be able to find his form in front of goal that he had at Bournemouth, Lee exclusively told FFC:

“What he is best at is being a wide forward because I don’t think he will ever get you loads of goals, but he creates a lot of chances, especially with Callum Wilson.

“I’m not sure he can play as a number 10 because he’s not good with his back to goal. I think he’s better facing the goal so we need him back to the form that he had at Bournemouth.”

Newcastle have only lost once in their last six games which has coincided with Steve Bruce playing with wing-backs, which begs the questions, where could Fraser play for the Magpies?

Bruce has managed to guide Newcastle away from the bottom three as Fulham must now win all of their remaining games to have a chance of catching the Magpies.

Former Glasgow Rangers striker Kris Boyd believes Alfredo Morelos, Glen Kamara, Kemar Roofe and Ianis Hagi may have all played in their last Old Firm.

Boyd makes Old Firm claim

All four of the aforementioned [did Hagi come on as a sub?] were in action for the Gers against Celtic on Sunday as …… .

Writing in The Scottish Sun prior to the match, Boyd suggested that the Ibrox quartet may not play against the Gers’ fierce rivals again. He wrote:

“Alfredo Morelos could be about to play in his last ever Old Firm game.

“For different reasons the same goes for Glen Kamara, Kemar Roofe and Ianis Hagi.

“Scott Arfield could have been another making his bow – but he will have to settle for watching on from the sidelines after picking up a season-ending injury.

“But if you ask me, there’s a real chance all these players will be on their way out of Rangers at the end of the season.”

Hopefully not

This summer promises to be a big one. The Gers have been in fantastic form this season, especially in the league as they have finally ended a 10-year wait for a major trophy by clinching the Premiership title. All four of the aforementioned players have played their part in that success, and as such, there is likely to be plenty of interest in their services.

Value at a combined £25.65m by Transfermarkt), the four could bring in plenty of money for the Gers if sold, but Steven Gerrard will not want to see them leave. The Gers will embark on a Champions League campaign next time out, and the 40-year-old will be desperate to retain all of his best players. While one or two could depart, surely Gerrard and Ross Wilson will resist the temptation of a mass Ibrox exodus.

In other news, Ally McCoist slams this man’s comments.