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Celtic have had a particularly vibrant January in the transfer market as Ange Postecoglou has wasted no time strengthening his Hoops side.

The Australian has now signed over 15 players since arriving at Parkhead but despite that, they are still off the pace in the Scottish Premiership.

What’s the word?

After the signing of Matt O’Riley earlier this week, attention has now turned to outgoings at Celtic as Postecoglou looks to shift some of his deadwood.

The likes of Albian Ajeti and Vasilis Barkas have both been linked with an exit of late and considering their unimportance at Paradise, fans wouldn’t be too sad if they packed their bags at the nearest opportunity.

However, the Bhoys could lose a young promising player too, one who has been tipped for stardom in Scotland.

The Daily Record’s Scott Burns reported this weekend that Liverpool are eyeing a move for talented Celtic teenager Ben Doak.

At 16 years of age, he is yet to sign professional terms and thus, could be lured away this year at a compensation fee.

Fans seething

Although Doak is yet to play a single game of professional football in his career, the idea of the youngster leaving Parkhead behind is one that will surely leave supporters of Celtic seething.

After all, this is one of the finest talents to come through the Hoops academy in many a year and it’s not as though others haven’t followed a similar path before.

Celtic have regularly lost some of their most prized assets to south of the border with the likes of Stuart Armstrong, Virgil van Dijk, Fraser Forster, Victor Wanyama, Kieran Tierney, Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard all heading to the Premier League.

Factor in Leo Hjelde’s move to Leeds last summer and it’s not just the first-team players who can be enticed by a move to greater riches in English football.

Hjelde has already made his mark at Elland Road, making his senior debut for the club in 2022 and although Doak’s path to greatness at Liverpool would be much tougher, it would surely sadden Celtic fans to see another of their best young prospects depart.

After all, this is somebody who is already on the periphery of senior football at the age of 16, appearing on the bench against St Johnstone in December when he could have become the club’s youngest ever player to feature in a senior game.

As a result, there are clearly big hopes for him and based upon one appraisal from Bhoys Analtyics on Twitter says it all. They once Tweeted: “Ben Doak is a name Celtic fans should get familiar with. Real chance of producing a generational talent.”

As a result, to lose him for a measly compensation fee in the coming months would be a disaster.

Doak isn’t only blessed with wonderful talent but he’s a player that could eventually make Celtic a small fortune in the future. They simply have to ensure he signs professional terms in Glasgow.

AND in other news, “Fee is already agreed”: Guidi drops big Celtic transfer update, fans will be buzzing…

Some Everton fans have been left buzzing over transfer news involving Tanguy Ndombele.

Speaking live on Tuesday’s episode of Sky Sports’ The Transfer Show (via The Transfer Centre – Tue 17:24pm), journalist Kaveh Solhekol revealed that the Goodison Park outfit are now among a number of clubs interested in signing the 25-year-old on loan for the rest of the season, although he is more likely to return to France, with Paris Saint-Germain in the frame.

Of course, Ndombele has largely been a disappointment since arriving at Tottenham, having only scored six goals and supplied five assists in the Premier League (Transfermarkt).

However, there is talent there, enough for Spurs to have made him their all-time record signing in 2019, and he could add a shrewd option to Everton’s midfield.

He currently commits fewer fouls per league game than Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan and Andre Gomes, and also averages more dribbles, accurate passes and through balls per match than the Everton trio (WhoScored), suggesting that he would slot right in to the middle of the park.

Also, the deal would only be a loan, so if it does not work out, the Toffees can just send him straight back to north London without being locked into a huge financial commitment.

Everton fans on Ndombele transfer news

These Everton fans buzzed as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one supporter going as far as to claim that it was ‘excellent’ to hear:

“YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS”

Credit: @bluesofgoodison

“Yes defo take him, 100% what we need”

Credit: @Alanf_1878

“Be a brilliant signing that”

Credit: @Adi18781

“Take him all day long”

Credit: @sayantan_01

“Oh yes I want him”

Credit: @Evertoningen

“This really would be excellent”

Credit: @Eromilladuts

In other news, Sky Sports have dropped this big Everton managerial update

West Ham United are now battling Southampton to sign Chelsea loanee Armando Broja according to reports.

What’s the story?

The Hammers have yet to make any marquee additions in this January transfer window, and David Moyes will be keen to ensure that his side can get some business done before the deadline next week.

Now, according to Goal, it’s been suggested that the London club are thought to be one of a number of clubs who have made their interest known in Broja, amid claims that Southampton are keen to sign him on a permanent basis.

Proving his Premier League quality

The 20-year-old has been in fine form for the Saints since his loan switch from Stamford Bridge, netting seven goals in 21 games across all competitions and proving he belongs at this level.

Standing at an imposing 6 foot 3, it’s no surprise that Broja uses his physicality to his advantage, much like Sebastien Haller was thought to bring when he was at the London Stadium.

As per Sofascore, he wins an impressive 4.9 duels per game, which is only a touch less than what Haller has managed in the Eredivisie with Ajax this season.

Broja also wins a quite similar amount of headers as the Ivorian (2.7 to 3.4), while he’s also slightly more clinical than the former Hammers man – this campaign has seen his goal conversation rate stand at 22% compared to Haller’s 20%.

CIES value him at the €40m (£34m) mark, which is unsurprising given his age and the fact he’s now doing the business in the Premier League, but he appears to be a real threat in this division.

Speaking after the Saints beat Brentford 4-1, Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “He’s a great threat. He didn’t have many poor games this season so today he showed again how dangerous he can be for the opponent and he’s very helpful for our game.”

If the Hammers can somehow manage to land him ahead of Southampton where he’s currently on loan at, it would be a major coup for Moyes’ side.

Meanwhile, West Ham have made their “first offer” for this Ligue 1 striker…

Everton have had one of the most impactful January transfer windows in the Premier League this month, making five signings and sacking Rafa Benitez, to replace him with Frank Lampard in a clear effort to improve and give the club the turn-around in their season that they desperately need.

It has been a season of nightmares for Toffees fans, with the side currently just four points off the relegation zone and Lampard’s first few Premier League games in charge will surely determine if Everton find themselves in a battle again the drop or whether they can turn the tide, pulling away from the bottom of the table with a run of winning form over the next few games.

One area that has been a major concern for the Merseyside club is their defence, albeit adding two new defenders to their squad in January.

The central defensive positions have been the focus of poor performances, with Yerry Mina only just returning from a long injury spell, the side has relied on Mason Holgate, Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey, who have been unable to stop the side from leaking goals with 35 conceded so far and only three clean sheets kept, with only Newcastle United recording less this season.

Holgate in particular has proven time and time again that he is incapable of offering performances that can be positively impactful in the team, and Lampard should be looking to axe the £64k-per-week dud from starting line ups if he wants to improve the defence in the remainder of the season.

From a red card in a dangerous challenge on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg after just ten minutes on the pitch against Tottenham earlier this season to numerous poor performances that have left the centre back as the worst rated defender in the entire Everton squad this season according to SofaScore.

Lampard masterclass

With that being said, the new Everton boss could drop his first masterclass at Goodison Park by axing Holgate who was criticised for being “lethargic” by Everton journalist, David Prentice, and could form a dynamic defensive duo in Mina and Godfrey instead, with Godfrey offering more positive attributes in his position.

According to Squawka, the 24-year-old has made more tackles, more blocks, won 33 more ground duels and produced over twice as many clearances for the Toffees this season compared to Holgate, so it seems like he would be the best option for building a reliable partnership with Mina over the remaining months of the season.

Lampard will lead his updated Everton side out for the first time in their FA Cup clash against Brentford this weekend, and it will be interesting to see if he includes any of the new signings in his starting lineup and where he will make changes in the previous line-ups we have seen struggling under Benitez.

Either way, it is unlikely to include Holgate, someone let the former manager down on a regular basis.

In other news: Rafa Benitez struck gold with Demarai Gray

Kurt Zouma earns in excess of the reported £125,000 per week at West Ham United, Dean Jones has revealed in an interview with Give Me Sport. 

The lowdown

Zouma was hit with a £250,000 fine from the club after a video circulated on social media showed him harming his cat.

According to Sky Sports, that figure amounts to two weeks’ wages. The Daily Mail claim he’s the Hammers’ highest-earner, and report that a ‘furious’ group of players will demand pay-rises after learning his salary.

After the defender apologised, David Moyes included him in the starting line-up for Wednesday’s clash with Watford at the London Stadium.

The latest

Jones says the £125,000 quoted isn’t actually the full extent of Zouma’s weekly earnings.

“Zouma is on big money and, actually, I’ve heard it’s more than the £125,000-a-week once you build in add-ons beyond that base wage,” he told GMS.

The verdict

Star players who are sitting down with the club to discuss a new contract now have a reference point in Zouma.

Take Tomas Soucek, for example. He’s entering the final two years of his deal, and The Athletic reported at the end of last month that talks over a renewal were underway.

But he’s thought to earn only about half of what Zouma makes right now, and given that Soucek was named Hammer of the Year for 2021, he may now feel entitled to demand that his salary is doubled or even more.

Could this create another issue for the club after their drastic failures in the January transfer window?

In other news, read this worrying Declan Rice claim from an insider.

Leeds United transfer target Seko Fofana has refused to rule out the idea of leaving Lens this summer, giving the Whites fresh hope of sealing a move for him.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Fofana move

The Whites may have had a quiet January transfer window but incomings are expected in the summer, with reinforcements needed particularly in midfield, where Brenden Aaronson is said to be a target again after the failed bids last month.

Another player Leeds have been linked with recently is Fofana, who is enjoying a good season with Lens, scoring seven goals in 24 Ligue 1 appearances.

Other Premier League clubs, namely Burnley and Newcastle, are also keen, and they have all been boosted after new comments from the French-born Ivory Coast international emerged.

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The Latest: Midfield hints at exit

Speaking to Foot Mercato [via Sport Witness], Fofana claimed that ‘nothing is impossible’ regarding a potential Lens exit at the end of the season, with Leeds name-checked with ‘real interest’ in the report:

“To be honest, nothing is impossible. Today, I can very well say yes (stay at Lens) and tomorrow it will be no.

“There are a lot of parameters and we don’t control everything. I am very happy to be here. We try to go as far as possible and I remain focused on this end of the season. I hope we will go as far as possible.”

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The Verdict: Strong summer addition

Midfield is an area that clearly needs strengthening this summer, with Kalvin Phillips relied upon far too much and Adam Forshaw suffering huge injury problems over the last few years.

Fofana looks an ideal man to come in and add quality in the middle of the park, with his aforementioned scoring record coupled with a hugely impressive 90.7% pass completion rate in the league this season.

Not only that but he has also averaged 0.7 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per match, which although not earth-shattering numbers, show he is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades who can chip in defensively when needed.

He produced a ‘masterclass’ performance against French giants PSG back in December, with journalist Zach Lowy saying he is a ‘phenom’ who ‘absolutely dominated’ Marco Verratti, Danilo Pereira and Leandro Paredes.

In other news, Phil Hay claims one Leeds player could require surgery. Find out who it is here.

Wolves are in the midst of a chase to secure European football for next season, with the Old Gold currently sitting eighth in the Premier League table with 40 points on the board from 26 games played.

However, one notable factor about their campaign so far is their lack of goals scored compared to other teams around them in the table, with just 24 throughout the entire campaign. Only Norwich City and Burnley (both of whom are in the relegation zone) have found the back of the net less often, prior to the Lancashire club’s league clash against Leicester City tonight.

With that in mind, now could be the right time for Bruno Lage to unleash one figure at the Midlands club who has yet to be given a shot in the first team.

Hailed as a player who “scores goals” by the club’s head of coaching and football operations Jonathan Hunter-Barrett, 17-year-old marksman Nathan Fraser recently put pen to paper on his first professional contract with Wolves, having risen through the club’s ranks over the past nine years.

Having scored six goals in 17 appearances for the Old Gold’s under-18 side, the teenager has now started to feature for the under-23 team, showing how keen the club have been to progress him through the youth ranks based on his talent.

Raul Jimenez has only netted five goals in 24 league games this season and Fabio Silva failed to make the most of his opportunity by failing to have one shot on target in 90 minutes during Wolves’ recent 1-0 defeat against West Ham United, so perhaps taking a punt on Fraser could be just what the team needs.

In a tweet from Tim Spiers relaying the news about the 17-year-old signing his first professional contract, the journalist described the attacker as “one to watch,” which goes to show just how exciting a prospect he is and what he could go on to achieve if given the chance to do so.

Moving forward, while he may benefit from playing some more minutes with the under-23s first, unleashing the teenager in the first team at some point in the coming months should be in Lage’s thoughts from now on.

Given how the 45-year-old has shown that he isn’t against testing players from the youth academy in the first team this season, with Luke Cundle getting some senior minutes under his belt for instance, Fraser could well be the next academy graduate in the team at some point.

In other news: Journalist drops Molineux claim which “Wolves won’t want to hear”, fans will be sweating

Journalist Phil Hay has shown his appreciation for the job Marcelo Bielsa did as Leeds United manager. describing one match in particular as ‘utterly astonishing’.

The Lowdown: Bielsa moves on

It was a sad day on Sunday, as Bielsa was relieved of his duties at Elland Road, following a disappointing run of form in the Premier League.

Given the 66-year-old’s popularity, both as a manager and a person, it was a decision that will likely hurt many Leeds supporters for some time.

Jesse Marsch has now been confirmed as Bielsa’s replacement, with the American tasked with steering the Whites away from the relegation zone.

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The Latest: Hay reacts

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Hay responded to a post regarding Bielsa’s first game in charge against Stoke City back in August 2018, lauding how immediate his impact was:

“This game was like a wave of the wand. Utterly astonishing.”

The Whites won 3-1 with goals from the previously exiled Mateusz Klich, cult hero Pablo Hernandez and defensive leader Liam Cooper.

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The Verdict: Special Leeds figure

From the outside looking in, some may wonder why Bielsa is held in quite such high esteem by Leeds fans, but much like Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, it was his connection to the fans and city which united the entire club.

Not only was the Argentine’s football thrilling to watch, helping the Whites return to the Premier League at the same time, but he is also a humble person who lived a down-to-earth life outside of football.

To say he was a man of the people would be an understatement and the class that he carried himself with, coupled with the success he enjoyed, will forever make him a hero at Elland Road.

In other news, a journalist has backed Leeds to sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

As shared by football.london, Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte holds a very promising belief on star striker Harry Kane.

The Lowdown: Kane shines in north London…

Since the Italian’s arrival at N17, coming after a summer being repeatedly linked with a move to Man City, Kane has now rediscovered his imperious form which attracted Pep Guardiola’s interest in the first place.

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The England international, despite not getting on the scoresheet against Middlesbrough, has been fantastic in the Premier League recently – putting in match-winning displays against both Manchester City and Leeds United away from home.

Following his most recent heroics at Elland Road, Conte now believes that the 28-year-old is undergoing a transformation.

The Latest: Conte wowed by Kane…

The former Chelsea boss, speaking to the press (via football.london), says the forward is now evolving into a ‘complete’ and ‘total’ player.

“Harry is not only a number nine. He can became also a number 10 at the same time,” the Spurs coach said.

“You’ve seen the assist for Sonny which was amazing, it was incredible, but for sure, for him to continue to work in this way, he’s becoming a total player, a complete player.

“To be a number nine and 10 the same moment, it means you’re really, really one of the best strikers in the world.”

The Verdict: Exciting turn of form…

Kane’s spell of form under ex-manager Nuno Espirito Santo at the start of 2021/2022 was certainly one to forget.

However, after Conte’s arrival, it appears Spurs supporters can enjoy seeing the Three Lions superstar back to his often unplayable best.

Journalist Matt Law of The Telegraph, speaking to GiveMeSport, claimed the player is even ‘underrated’ despite his world class status, but if he continues in this vain, he certainly won’t be for much longer.

In other news: Conte green-lights move for new top target as Spurs hierarchy pressured to seal deal, find out more here.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has lauded Dermot Desmond’s ownership model at Celtic, saying it has helped them avoid ‘catastrophe’.

The Lowdown: Desmond oversees successful period

Desmond is the majority stakeholder in his boyhood club, and while he hasn’t always kept supporters happy, he has overseen a great era at Parkhead.

Celtic racked up Scottish Premiership titles galore under his ownership, and at the same time, the club has been run in a stable fashion financially.

The Hoops have a combined profit of £35.5million in the last decade, highlighting Desmond’s shrewd business acumen, and it has helped them dominate the Scottish game.

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The Latest: Maguire lauds owner

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports’ football finance expert, Maguire, hailed the job the current owner has done, saying it could have been a different scenario under other individuals:

“There are too many clubs that are one ownership decision away from financial catastrophe. But in Celtic’s case, they are sustainable. Their ownership model means the club can stand on its own two feet.

“That means it is in a far better position to deal with shocks, either within the football industry or in terms of the owner’s own personal finances. You can say this is one of the best legacies of the Desmond model.”

The Verdict: Positives outweigh negatives

It is rare that any owner of a football club is universally popular with their fanbase and that is no different with Desmond, with the 71-year-old dividing opinion at times.

That being said, Maguire makes a good point about the shrewd manner in which he has run the Hoops, keeping them financially healthy and not allowing them to get into a mess.

Desmond deserves undoubted credit for that, and the fact that he has supported Celtic since he was a boy arguably helps in his running of the club, with his heart perhaps occasionally overruling his head at times.

In other news, Celtic have suffered a significant injury blow. Read more here.