All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic have been dealt a big setback in their bid to bring Reo Hatate to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Dan Orlowitz (via Everything Celtic), with the Japan Times journalist revealing that, despite reports suggesting that the player’s contract with Kawasaki Frontale is set to expire in January, the 24-year-old is actually contracted to the J League club beyond the end of the current campaign.

Subsequently, in recent comments cited by the Daily Record, Orlowitz went on to reveal that that Frontale are commanding a fee in the region of £2.4m in order to part with Hatate this January, something which is reported to be a stumbling block in Celtic’s move for the midfielder.

Speaking about the Bhoys’ interest in the player, Orlowitz said: “I’ve heard that Frontale want £2.4m for Hatate.”

Fans will be gutted

Considering just how impressive Hatate has been in Japan this season, the news that Celtic will not be able to land the midfielder on a free transfer, and may even end up missing out on his signing if they do not meet Frontale’s asking price, is sure to have left Hoops fans gutted.

Indeed, over his over 30 J League appearances this term, the £720k-rated man scored five goals, registered two assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking two shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

These returns saw the 24-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.16, ranking him as Frontale’s fifth-best performer in their title-winning campaign.

Furthermore, Hatate’s ability to play at both left-back and attacking midfield is something which would prove incredibly useful for Ange Postecoglou, as Celtic are currently lacking strength in depth in both positions.

As such, it would indeed appear as if the 24-year-old’s signing would be a fantastic one for the Bhoys to get over the line this winter, and why Orlowitz’s latest update could come as a big blow to the club, as well as worrying news for fans.

In other news – Get rid: Ange must now axe £20k-p/w “waste of money”, he’s stealing a living at Celtic

Details have emerged about Paulo Fonseca’s soon-to-be-confirmed appointment at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

According to an update from Fabrizio Romano in the Guardian, the Portuguese coach will sign a three-year deal this week and his arrival could be announced as early as Wednesday.

It’s claimed that it’ll be an initial two-year contract with an option for another season after talks progressed well over the weekend, with the 48-year-old agreeing in principle to be Spurs’ next manager.

Newly appointed director of football Fabio Paratici made the ex-Roma boss his top candidate following a collapsed move for former Chelsea and Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte.

Fans won’t be happy

It means Tottenham’s long search for Jose Mourinho’s successor is finally drawing to a close, nearly two months after he was sacked. Intriguingly, the ‘Special One’ has gone in and replaced Fonseca at the Stadio Olimpico – almost as if this were a manager swap.

During the past few weeks, chairman Daniel Levy and the club’s hierarchy have suffered many a setback, on top of their Conte blow.

Julian Nagelsmann opted for Bayern Munich instead, Brendan Rodgers preferred to stay at Leicester City, Erik ten Hag signed a contract extension at Ajax, and sensational talks to bring Mauricio Pochettino home were thwarted by Paris Saint-Germain.

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According to the Daily Mail, Fonseca was actually the sixth choice manager on their initial shortlist, which is hardly a surprise given the names above.

However, with this appointment, Paratici and Levy both risk a wrath of fury before a ball has even been kicked, as many in North London are totally against this move.

As relayed by This is Futbol, plenty of the Hotspur faithful have reacted poorly to this very update. One claimed that it was “underwhelming,” another said it was “absolutely bonkers,” whilst a further member of the fanbase suggested that “not one single Spurs fan cares about this announcement.”

That may well be a small sample size but in reality, it tells the overriding consensus and that’s from supporters who have recently protested against Levy and the club’s owners, the ENIC Group.

In the few days building up to his likely announcement, that isn’t going to change much – if at all, so this latest update will come as bad news to many in N17 right now.

If that reaction is anything to go by, they will surely be fuming by the time Wednesday swings around.

AND in other news, Fonseca could save Levy millions by unleashing £9m-rated Spurs gem who’s a “machine”…

Mason Holgate delivered an error-strewn performance as he badly let Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti down by gifting Tottenham Hotspur a draw on Friday night.

Ancelotti opted to field Holgate as part of a three-man defence beside Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey for the visit of Jose Mourinho’s Spurs to Goodison Park, as the Italian sought to manage an adductor injury for Yerry Mina.

The Toffees were badly in need of a positive result against the north Londoners after a run of two defeats and two draws, but were forced to settle for a third straight stalemate after goals from Harry Kane either side of a brace from Gylfi Sigurdsson.

The result meant that Everton remained eighth in the Premier League table and a point behind Tottenham, who have played a game more, and they now trail the top four by six points ahead of West Ham visiting Newcastle on Saturday.

Everton will have felt that the win was there for taking having controlled every department of the pitch after Sigurdsson converted a penalty to equalise in the 31st minute, and they firmly deserved the lead when the Iceland international clinically volleyed home just after the hour mark.

However, defensive mistakes proved costly for the Toffees as a mix-up between Holgate and Keane gifted Kane an opening for his second of the night, which the England captain refused to waste by rifling an unstoppable effort past Jordan Pickford.

Kane had fortuitously opened the scoring midway through the first half after Keane failed to make purposeful contact with Tanguy Ndombele’s cross before Holgate’s slip left the 27-year-old unchallenged to lash home.

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Neither Keane nor Holgate will have been pleased with their efforts to prevent Kane from moving two clear at the top of the Premier League’s Golden Boot race with his 20th and 21st goals of the season.

Everton’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are now in relative tatters and must rely on results going away from West Ham, Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs if they are to claim a spot for UEFA’s premier club competition.

Ancelotti will have been particularly disappointed by Holgate’s display, having seen the £16m-rated centre-back – who the Liverpool Echo’s Sam Carroll has previously dubbed as “Mr Dependable” – struggle more than Keane throughout.

Holgate could have done better to prevent both of Kane’s goals, having been in the perfect position to intercept Ndombele’s delivery despite Keane’s attempted clearance, only to slip at the crucial moment.

A communication breakdown later led to Kane bagging his brace despite Keane appearing to call for Holgate to leave Erik Lamela’s cross as he stooped to head clear the danger, only for the ball to ricochet into the forward’s path.

Kane’s double meant that Everton had to settle for a point, but the result could have slipped through the Toffees’ fingers were it not for Keane, who blocked two shots and made three clearances while Holgate ended the night with two clearances to his name, per SofaScore.

With Mina set to miss the next few weeks through injury, Ancelotti faces tough decisions over sticking with an unchanged backline or dropping one of his three centre-backs when Everton visit Arsenal next Friday.

AND in other news, a rarely-seen Everton outcast is wanted in a £10.5m summer transfer…

Wolves are interested in signing Mexico and Napoli winger Hirving Lozano in the summer transfer window, according to a latest report.

The Lowdown: Lozano in-and-out at Napoli

The 26-year-old has found himself in and out of Napoli’s team this season, with injuries and illness holding him back at times but the wide man still managing to contribute.

Lozano has chipped in with four goals and assists apiece in Serie A, in just 16 starts, and he has helped them compete in a tense title race with AC Milan and Inter Milan.

The Mexican’s current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2024, but according to a fresh update, a move to Molineux could be on the cards.

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The Latest: Wolves keen on move

According to Napoli Today [via Sport Witness], Wolves have been ‘following’ Lozano ‘for some time’, as they weigh up a potential summer move.

The idea of him staying pout at Napoli is ‘not entirely a foregone conclusion’, which further gives Wanderers hope of sealing an exciting signing.

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The Verdict: Audacious swoop by Wanderers

Lozano has proven himself on the biggest stage of all, catching the eye for Mexico at the 2018 World Cup, registering one goal and assist each and standing out with his pace and directness.

For that reason, it is hugely exciting to see Wolves being linked with a move for him and he could be someone who takes their attacking game to the next level in the Premier League.

With Adama Traore likely to leave permanently this summer and Francisco Trincao expected to leave, too, Lozano could fill the void out wide, and much more, becoming the latest attacking hero at Molineux.

In other news, a journalist has dropped an exciting Wolves transfer claim. Read more here.

Celtic are set to lose defender Jack Hendry this summer, with Belgian side KV Oostende planning to make his move permanent.

That’s according to an exclusive report from Football Insider, who claimed that Oostende will activate their £1.75m clause to sign Hendry long-term.

Premier League interest in Hendry

The likes of Aston Villa, Brighton, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Newcastle United, West Ham and Wolves have all been credited with an interest in the 25-year-old recently, with a £10m fee being touted.

However, Football Insider believe that the fee would likely be half that sum at £5m, still resulting in a nice profit for the Belgian side.

Transfer Tavern talk

The Hoops signed Hendry for £1.44m back in 2018 from Dundee. It seems as if they’ll make a £310,000 profit on the central defender, but it could have been so much more for the Parkhead club.

It appears as if a £5m move to England could materialise ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, meaning Celtic will have to watch on and miss out on a potential £3.56m profit had they shown more patience with him.

Hendry, who has made 23 Jupiler Pro League appearances this season, was still under contract at Celtic until 2022. However, due to the inclusion of the aforementioned clause, it looks as if he’ll be moving on for good over the coming months.

In other news: Former Celtic director makes bold Desmond ownership claim, find out more here.

Celtic ace Ryan Christie is said to be attracting interest from French Ligue 1 duo Monaco and Nice [Sunday Post via Daily Record].

The Lowdown: Exits expected as Celtic rebuild for 2021/22

As Celtic continue preparations for the 2021/22 season, multiple senior players are expected to leave the Parkhead club in the current transfer window.

Odsonne Edouard has been heavily linked with a move to Leicester City, whilst centre-back Kristoffer Ajer has commanded attention from Bayer Leverkusen and Newcastle United [The Northern Echo].

However, 26-year-old attacking midfielder Christie could be set to become the first casualty of Ange Postecoglou’s tenure following recent developments.

The Latest: Christie could depart for just £1 million

Christie is a target for French clubs Monaco and Nice as his Celtic deal nears its expiration. He is also said to be very keen on a move to Ligue 1 [Daily Record].

Abnormally, the Scotland international’s contract is set to expire in January 2022 instead of next summer.

Celtic would rather recoup a fee for Christie in the present window than lose him for nothing in January and are duly poised to demand a fee of just £1m from prospective bidders to relinquish his services [Daily Record].

The Verdict: Losing Christie for so little will be a bitter blow

Upon reflection, losing one of their key players for a very small fee will surely come as a bitter blow to the Celtic hierarchy.

Despite enduring an inconsistent season in 2020/21 and drawing criticism from fans and pundits alike, Christie still managed 22 goal contributions from 46 outings last term, with seven goals and 15 assists [Transfermarkt].

Previously labelled the ‘complete package’ by former Scotland boss Alex McLeish [Football Insider], the Inverness native made the Premiership WhoScored Team of the Season with an average performance rating of 7.33/10 across the campaign [Sky Sports].

Harshly treated by some within Scotland, Christie’s qualities could flourish in a high-octane top-flight environment in France. Celtic will need to recruit effectively to replace his regular output if indeed he moves to the continent.

In other news, Celtic are locked in talks for a 31-goal frontman.

Despite controversially being left out of the England squad, former Hull City ace, Dean Windass, has advised James Ward-Prowse to stay at Southampton amid interest from free-spending Aston Villa.

Many fans were shocked to see Ward-Prowse excluded at the expense of Ben White in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, however, after the performances of both Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips, the England manager appears to have silenced his critics once again.

Something that is less of a surprise is that Ward-Prowse is being linked with a move away from Southampton, with Dean Smith’s Villa reportedly wanting to bring the set-piece specialist to Villa Park this summer.

The £75,000-per-week midfielder’s creativity and dead ball ability would certainly lift pressure off Jack Grealish’s shoulders, but he should reject any advances from Villa to stay with the Saints, according to Windass, who spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“I can’t see Ward-Prowse leaving Southampton for Villa because, in my opinion, I think Southampton will finish above Villa next year.

“Why would he want to leave? He’s captain of Southampton and he’s a big fish in their pond so like I said earlier on, why would he want to go?”

Villa look to be making a big splash in the transfer market this summer having already confirmed the £33million signing of Emiliano Buendia who is coming off the back of yet another title-winning season in the Championship with Norwich City.

Southampton certainly ended up disappointing last season with a relegation battle, but some quality additions on the flanks could turn them into serious contenders in the top-half of the table.

Barry Fry has urged Southampton to sell Danny Ings this summer rather than keeping him at the club and letting him leave for free next season.

Fry makes Ings claim

Ings has been heavily linked with Manchester City (Sky Sports) as he closes in on the last year of his contract (Transfermarkt). So far, he is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal at St Mary’s.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Peterborough’s director of football has urged the Saints to let Ings leave rather than losing him on a free transfer. Fry said:

“Well, I think because it’s Manchester City, Southampton will ask for £100 million, but they won’t get nowhere near that.

“Southampton have done absolutely amazing in the transfer market when they’ve sold some of their young players, but Ings isn’t young.

“He’s an established player. And, unfortunately, he’s had a few injuries. He’s a great player, he scores great goals, and he works his socks off, no doubt about that. He could contribute to every team in the Premier League.”

“However, Southampton could ask for more than what Man City is willing to pay. And I hope that doesn’t happen, because he has been a great servant to Southampton. And I think if he’s got a year left, then obviously if he doesn’t sign another contract he can walk out in a year’s time on a free transfer, but that’s a waste of a year.

“It’s a waste of money that Southampton can get, and invest on other players. For what Danny Ings has done for Southampton, he should have the opportunity to move into a top club. They shouldn’t stand in his way. But at the same time, Man City’s got to pay a proper transfer fee.”

Spot on

Since making the move to the south coast from Liverpool, the £19.8m-valued Ings has been a revelation. In 92 games in all competitions for the Saints, he has netted 42 goals, and he has even been picked for England thanks to his performances at St Mary’s.

However, it seems that he may not be eager to stay at his current club for too long. His contract situation is well documented (talkSPORT), and his injuries means Southampton do not have as valuable an asset as they once possessed.

If they do sell him this summer, they will still get their hands on a considerable transfer fee. Otherwise, they could lose him for nothing in 2022 and will find it harder to bring in a replacement. If Ings is not willing to sign a contract extension, Southampton must sell him while they still can, as Fry has hinted.

In other news, numerous Southampton fans react to an update on this 24-year-old.

Glasgow Rangers fans are far from happy with comments from BBC journalist Chris McLaughlin on Twitter in the build-up to their trophy celebrations on Saturday.

This weekend, the Gers will finally be able to lift the Premiership trophy – the title itself has long since been won. Unfortunately, fans will be unable to be inside Ibrox to take in the trophy ceremony after the clash against Aberdeen, but there is likely to be plenty of supporters celebrating together in Glasgow.

McLaughlin, who is banned from Ibrox after previous negative stories against the Gers (The Daily Record), previously said Rangers are unhappy with other gatherings taking place in the city over the past few days, such as the Solidarity with Palestine protest in Govan Square – Rangers have been forced to implore fans to refrain from meeting up in large groups.

When asked about his comments on Twitter, McLaughlin revealed he had chats and message exchanges with those close to to the story. This attracted plenty of attention from the fans, and they took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about McLaughlin below

“No one at Rangers gives you the time of day, we treat you with the contempt you deserve so you are lying”

Credit: @Sweeney_T_SPB

“Liar.”

Credit: @christywhyte1

“So basically an outright lie then Chris?”

Credit: @pauljpwilson

“That’s about as vague as you can get Chris…..”

Credit: @TommyStark1980

“Just spouting utter nonsense again McLaughlin…. hope you never get the opportunity to darken our door again!”

Credit: @_fadgie_

“No. Chris is just a rangers hater and and negative angle he can put on a rangers story gets him stiff.”

Credit: @mancalledczar

In other news, Rangers eye this Ligue 1 star.

Newcastle United are now reportedly eyeing a move for Valencia centre-back Mouctar Diakhaby before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Centre-back wanted

The St. James’ Park faithful are after a new central defender, with the likes of Ozan Kabak and Phil Jones recently being linked.

However, with the deadline just a few days away, they need to act fast if they are going to bring one in, and Steve Bruce has admitted funds are running thin.

The Latest: Diakhaby eyed

As per AS, the North East club have not ruled out the possibility of signing Diakhaby, who sees Tyneside as a ‘good destination’ for him.

The Valencia ace wants to play in the Premier League, and would cost Bruce’s team a fee in the region of between €8-10m (£6.9-8.6m) in order to secure his signature.

The Verdict: Sign

At 24 years of age, Diakhaby has not reached his peak yet, and so potentially paying a mere £6.9m for him would represent good business by the Magpies.

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With a six-foot-three frame, he would offer them a threat in both boxes and should have few problems in coping with the physical demands of the top flight.

Nonetheless, having played in the UEFA Champions League with two different sides (Transfermarkt), Diakhaby has experience of playing at the highest level, and so should raise the games of those around him.

In other news, find out who NUFC have been urged not to let go after transfer talk here!