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Celtic’s stance about the European Super League has now been revealed in a report from Sky Sports.

Andy Walker has recently stated that even though Celtic fans wouldn’t want their club to join the Super League – like Manchester United and Liverpool fans don’t – the club’s board members may well be attracted to the idea.

News has since emerged about Celtic’s potential interest in the competition, and it contradicts Walker’s suspicions.

Lawwell against ESL

Sky Sports have released a report detailing the Old Firm clubs’ interest in the Super League, claiming that while the two Old Firm rivals have previously considered moving to England and joining the Premier League, it has never become a concrete idea.

The piece also reveals some information about Celtic’s stance on the Super League, stating that even though Peter Lawwell is a member of the European Club Association board and was part of the ECA emergency call recently, Celtic are one of the clubs who are against the Super League breakaway.

Despite all the money they could earn, it appears as though Desmond, Lawwell and the club are completely against any opportunity to join up with England’s ‘big six’ in this venture.

Good news for Celtic

In the recent Premier League game against involving Leeds and Liverpool, fans protested against the creation of the Super League and accused the Reds’ owners of being greedy. Fans of the two Manchester clubs have also protested against the move in the last 24 hours, and it seems that any club participating in the ESL is now tarnished even in the eyes of their own supporters.

Of course, the conversation surrounding moving Celtic and Rangers into a competition where they can compete more regularly with England’s elite has popped up regularly, but this isn’t the way to do it.

With the Hoops entering an uncertain time with a new manager and new roles off the pitch, the last thing they will need is a massive fan backlash. By refusing to sell their soul, the new manager and Director of Football will be free to focus on what really matters.

In other news, Chris Sutton picks out three players for new Celtic boss to build around

Charlie Adam has shared his delight after Glasgow Rangers confirmed that Steven Davis has signed a new one-year contract at Ibrox.

Adam delighted at Davis news

Davis was set to be out of contract at the end of the campaign but, despite being 36 years of age, the Gers have decided to keep him at the club for another 12 months.

The 55-time Scottish champions shared the news on their official Twitter account, and former Rangers midfielder Adam responded by saying this was “great news”.

Big news

Adam is far from a popular figure among many supporters, but surely Gers fans will have trouble disagreeing with him on this one. While Davis does not have long left in his career, he boasts plenty of experience; and with 40 appearances in all competitions so far this term (Transfermarkt), he has played a vital role in the Gers’ 2020/21 success.

With 45 goals and 94 assists throughout his time in the game, he can contribute directly to goals, but his importance to this Rangers side cannot be measured solely in that way. He is a cool, calming influence in the middle of the park, and he deserves all the accolades he continues to get. Who knows, he may even get himself another deal at the end of next season as well.

In other news, many Rangers fans are livid at this pundit’s comments.

After securing yet another clean sheet in a 1-0 victory over Leeds United in the Premier League at the weekend, it’s fair to say Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez has been one of the signings of the season.

Speaking after his arrival, Dean Smith declared: “We know how highly Arsenal rated him and we watched his outstanding performances last season in a trophy-winning top side.

“We moved for Emi when we saw the opportunity, as it is rare to be able to buy a top-class goalkeeper who hasn’t yet reached their peak age and who can therefore be a key player for our club for the long term.”

And it’s fair to say that Martinez has been more than just a good signing. The Argentine has been the cornerstone of Villa’s impressive defensive record this season, keeping 13 clean sheets in just 24 Premier League games – only Ederson of runaway leaders Manchester City has kept more with 15.

Valued at £13m by CIES, the 6 foot 4 shot-stopper has arguably been Villa’s talisman this season, not Jack Grealish. Martinez has cut an imposing figure in between the sticks, and has already racked up a highlight reel of incredible stops and flying saves with the tips of his gloves – you’ve only got to look at his one-man show against Brighton to see just how good he is.

It’s no surprise that more people seem to have caught onto Martinez’s ability, with Argentinian World Cup winner Daniel Bertoni, saying: “Any Italian team looking for a goalkeeper should watch Emiliano Martinez, who Arsenal relinquished last summer.

“Now he plays for Aston Villa and is a phenomenon: he guarantees 10 points per season.”

The shut-out against Leeds at Elland Road was the eighth time Villa have kept the opposition out in their 13 away games thus far this season, which already equals their club record from the 2009/2010 campaign.

A lot of that comes down to having a goalkeeper who can bring a bit of composure to the defence, not making any silly mistakes and doing the simple things well – he’s committed just one error leading to a goal in the Premier League, while he’s also much more of a throwback in terms of his style of goalkeeping.

He’s made just the one punch in 24 league games, instead being a much more relieving sight for his defenders by choosing to go up for the ball and hold it when the ball is in the air – he’s made 30 high claims.

Having that kind of number one behind you, is surely hugely welcomed by the likes of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa, who know that their goalkeeper is there to take the pressure off their shoulders rather than add to it.

It’s exactly why Johan Lange struck a dream deal for Villa when he signed Martinez from Arsenal last summer.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Southampton midfielder Carlton Palmer gave his verdict on whether Che Adams could replace Danny Ings as the Saints’ main man.

Ings, who will have just a year remaining on his contract in the summer, continues to be linked with a move away from St. Mary’s.

Tottenham are one club who are said to be interested in acquiring the services of the England striker, and a move to White Hart Lane could put the wheels in motion for Adams to become Southampton’s leading No.9.

Palmer, however, feels his old side will need to dip into the transfer market if Ings does end up departing.

When asked whether Ralph Hasenhuttl should turn to Adams or sign a direct replacement in an exclusive interview with FFC, the retired England international said:

“They’re going to have to dip into the transfer market. You know, goalscorers are a special breed. You’ve either got that natural talent of goalscoring or you haven’t, and Danny Ings has certainly got that. So to replace his goals, I think they’re gonna have to go and buy.”

After a difficult debut campaign in the Premier League where he was only able to score four times, Adams has shown promise this season, already surpassing that tally. The 24-year-old alone, however, is unlikely to be enough for Hasenhuttl in a post-Ings era.

Ings scored 25 goals in all competitions for Southampton last season, showing the kind of firepower the Austrian manager will need to replace down on the south coast.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United midfielder Rob Lee believes the club will be regretting the day they sold Adam Armstrong to Blackburn Rovers.

It has been a breakout season for the Newcastle academy graduate as he is the Championship’s third top scorer with 19 goals in 33 games, despite his season being slightly derailed by an injury.

He has been linked with a remarkable return back to Tyneside after proving himself in the Championship for the last three seasons with 55 goals in 153 games with Rovers potentially preferring to sell him back to Newcastle to avoid paying out on the 40% sell-on clause.

Armstrong featured 21 times for the Magpies registering just one assist, however this included just four starts with three of those coming in cup competitions.

Speaking on how he predicted that Newcastle would regret selling Armstrong and what one thing would make him a more in-demand striker, Lee told FFC:

“When he left Newcastle, I said at the time that they’ll regret letting him go because he’s a goalscorer.

“People probably don’t give him the credit that he deserves because of his size and shape, but so what if he’s smaller? I don’t care what size or shape you are, you could be 20 stone as long as you score goals.

“It doesn’t matter what shape you are. I think if he was six-foot-four then he’d be worth £50 million so I don’t understand the logic.”

Armstrong was with his boyhood club from 2006 until Blackburn signed him permanently in 2018 for £1.7 million.

With Newcastle staring relegation in the face, it remains to be seen if Armstrong would still be an option either if they survive or if they go down.

Celtic’s 2-0 win over Hamilton was a refreshing moment for Hoops supporters.

For the first time in 2021, they managed to secure a victory and at the same time, it was fairly comfortable.

Much has been made about a two-prong attack featuring Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths but they both stood out on Wednesday evening by finding the net.

Their link-up play was impressive and it would appear that they’re now developing quite the partnership. Unfortunately for the Bhoys, they are still 23 points behind Rangers in their quest for ten SPFL crowns in a row.

That now feels like it’s distinctly out of the realms of possibility and thus, they ideally need to start thinking about next season.

But while they’ll want Edouard and Griffiths to be at the forefront of their plans in attack, their defensive duo will be one they’ll surely have to eradicate.

The Hoops may have kept a clean sheet against Hamilton in midweek but it didn’t come without its scares. That’s because Neil Lennon chose to field Nir Bitton and Shane Duffy together at the heart of defence.

Duffy has been a constant worry for Celtic and nothing was more evident than that in the Scottish Cup final last month. He and Christopher Jullien shipped three goals and their lack of communication was quite frankly horrendous at times.

Though, on this occasion, it was Bitton who continued to betray Lennon with an inept performance. The Israeli has received criticism right throughout his Parkhead career and although he defied them with a solid display when Celtic last played Hamilton, he was anything but assured on Wednesday.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-celtic-manager-stories” title=”Read this week’s latest Celtic news!”]

Indeed, it’s been a tough time for the defender who was sent off in the Old Firm derby a few weeks ago. Clearly, his confidence has been dented and that was evident this week.

Kristoffer Ajer was keen to get forward at right-back and as a result, it left Bitton isolated in the channels. In ground duels, he disappointed and won 50% of those he contested – a figure down ever so slightly from his season average of 56%.

Though, worst of all for a defender was his poor passing and constant will to surrender the ball. The Israel international lost possession a colossal 21 times. That happened to be the worst figure of any Celtic player and by a decent margin too. Ajer was the next worst with 17 concessions of the ball.

To make matters worse, Bitton committed two fouls and struggled in close situations with the Hamilton strikers. He did reign supreme in the air – winning a colossal ten aerial duels – but that was more to do with the opposition’s style of play than anything else.

Bitton has been tried time and time again at centre-half but that experiment now simply has to end. He is a defensive midfielder by trade – either play him there or don’t put him in the starting XI at all.

It feels brutal but he is letting Lennon down on a regular basis.

AND in other news, Celtic struck genius deal with £10k-p/w titan who’s “grabbing the bull by the horns”…

Leeds United picked up a great result against Newcastle United on Wednesday night as they won 5-2. However it was a surprise to see Helder Costa not feature in the match day squad.

What Bielsa had to say about Costa

When asked if there was an injury to Costa and whether that was why he was not involved against Newcastle, Bielsa simply said: “No injury.”

Helder Costa has to prove himself

This simple message highlights that at the moment Bielsa believes there are 18 better players than the winger who deserve a spot in the squad more than him.

He definitely has the quality to succeed, with his former manager Nuno Espirito Santos saying: “The first season we were in the Premier League, Helder was immense and had a huge impact on the team.

He’s a very talented player, but things happen naturally, players move from here to another place. It happens in football. Honestly, I’m delighted he’s showing his quality and enjoying his football.”

However this season has not shown his quality. The 26 year-old has scored twice, in ten appearances, and has only managed on average 0.9 shots and 0.7 key passes a game (WhoScored).

The player now knows that he has to perform better and more consistently when given the chance if he wants to be playing more for the club.

In other news, Leeds United tipped to go in for £14.4m-rated Premier League winner.

Manchester City are one of the European sides reportedly taking an interest in signing Bayern Munich centre-back David Alaba in the summer when his contract expires, and signing him could end Pep Guardiola’s three-year nightmare with Benjamin Mendy.

The Austrian international is set to leave the current Champions League holders in the summer and will be available on a free transfer, with non-German sides able to begin negotiations with the defender from January onwards.

According to Fussball Transfers (via Sport Witness), the Citizens have entered the race to sign Alaba, and could have a bargaining chip up their sleeve in the form of Guardiola, who managed the 28-year-old during his time at Bayern Munich.

Whilst the Bayern Munich man has earned plaudits for his performances at centre-back in recent seasons, the versatile Austrian can also play as a left-back, and as a defensive midfielder, so he would give City a lot of options in their side.

The £58.5 million rated man could play in a similar role to Nathan Ake, filling in as a left-back to give City more defensive security, whilst allowing either Kyle Walker or Joao Cancelo to burst forward on the right-hand side.

Like Ake, Alaba could then potentially drop into a back three alongside two other City centre-backs when they are in possession.

This could therefore bring an end to Benjamin Mendy’s time with the club, as we have already seen the likes of Ake and Cancelo feature ahead of the Frenchman at times this season.

After a barnstorming start to his City career following his arrival in 2017, the former Monaco man has struggled with a plethora of injury issues, that have clearly had an impact on his confidence, as his performances from both an attacking and defensive point of view, have declined since that debut season.

Guardiola is certainly a fan of Alaba, having heavily praised him during his time with Die Roten, saying:

“He’s an unbelievable talent. He can play anywhere. He’s quick, is good in the build-up and is always 100 per cent focused. Without doubt he can be one of the best centre-backs in the world. He’s a huge gift for Bayern.”

Therefore, it seems clear that should Alaba join City in the summer he would be a regular in City’s first-team, potentially as a centre-back or defensive-minded left-back, which could prove to be the final nail in the coffin for Mendy with the Citizens.

And, in other news… Man City man with “incredible quality” is quickly becoming Pep’s most important player, and it’s not KDB

According to West Ham United outlet WestHamFans.org, deals for RB Leipzig duo Hee-Chan Hwang and Matthew Bondswell are expected to be concluded within the ‘next couple of days’ as manager David Moyes eyes a new striker and a potential star for the future.

Hwang and Bondswell, according to this report, have now emerged as likely signings – with the Irons looking to complete these acquisitions imminently.

West Ham expected to conclude signings

Hwang, a striker, is now being touted as a potentially great partner to Michail Antonio in the forward position, especially with a nickname like ‘The Bull’ – even despite playing just 136 minutes of Bundesliga action with RB Leipzig (WhoScored).

Indeed, according to the report, Hwang is apparently on his way to the London Stadium with an agreement for his signature expected to be concluded in the next few days.

As well as the South Korean, Bondswell is also expected to join – with the former Nottingham Forest left-back seen as a young, hungry player who can fit Moyes’ plans for the future alongside Frederik Alves (WestHamFans.org).

According to this report, once those moves are completed, West Ham’s business for January will be concluded – except for potential outgoings.

Transfer Tavern take

Judging by this inside claim, Irons fans could get excited by this news a striker could imminently be arriving at the London Stadium – but only time will tell if or when the club announce it.

Bondswell’s potential signing also outlines the way Moyes is planning for the future, and with West Ham sitting fourth in the Premier League, that future certainly looks bright.

In other news: West Ham fans praised this ace against Crystal Palace, find out more here.

European heavyweights Paris-Saint Germain are keen on signing a “top talent” at Arsenal, and one who is rated extremely highly, with the Gunners braced for interest from all corners of the continent.

Arteta commits long-term Arsenal future by signing new contract

Ahead of their looming North London Derby this weekend, some very good news came out of the Emirates Stadium, with manager Mikel Arteta putting pen to paper on a new contract till 2027.

Arsenal and Arteta could now start "unique" 17-year-old against Tottenham

The Gunners are growing shorter of options.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 13, 2024

The Spaniard’s previous terms were due to expire next year, resulting in speculation that he could leave at the end of this season, but Arteta’s decision to commit to a further three years has quashed all worries that Arsenal could soon lose their manager.

Arteta’s new deal sees him earn £288,000-per-week, which puts him in line with the Premier League’s highest-earning tacticians, and it is a welcome announcement for supporters after a week of consistent reports surrounding key absences for this weekend’s trip to Tottenham.

Tottenham (away)

September 15

Man City (away)

September 22

Leicester City (home)

September 28

Southampton (home)

October 5

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

Mikel Merino’s shoulder injury means he’ll be absent for the derby and beyond, while star midfielder Declan Rice will miss out through suspension. Martin Odegaard twisted his ankle on international duty with Norway earlier this week as well, so Arteta looks set to be without a host of key men for Arsenal’s face-off against Spurs.

Given the selection headaches for this weekend, Arteta has little time to celebrate his lucrative fresh terms. With the 42-year-old now set to be a key component of Arsenal’s long-term project for years to come, there are a few players he will be very keen to keep hold of.

One of them, star defender William Saliba, is said to be attracting interest from elite European sides. Real Madrid have been looking at signing Saliba, as have Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, according to recent reports.

This is hardly a surprise, considering he is one of the continent’s top defenders right now, and arguably has been ever since he began to form an exceptional partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes at the start of 2022/2023.

PSG eyeing William Saliba at Arsenal

Speaking to CaughtOffside, CBS reporter and Ligue 1 expert Jonathan Johnson backs reports that PSG are also interested in signing Saliba from Arsenal – but admits that the French champions face a real battle for the 23-year-old’s signature.

“We’ve seen some transfer gossip about William Saliba and it’s only natural that some of the top clubs in Europe would be interested in the Arsenal defender. PSG’s interest is nothing new – he’s Paris-born and hails from the Bondy region, like Kylian Mbappe and Randal Kolo Muani,” said Johnson.

“However, at the moment, whether it’s PSG, Real Madrid or another top European club, it’s very hard to see them being able to prise Saliba away from Arsenal. He’s one of their top talents at the moment, and one of the best defenders in world football, and after a strong showing at the Euros he’s shown he’s in that world class bracket. I think now that Mikel Arteta’s future has also been cleared up, I think Saliba will be looked at as a player that the Gunners hope to keep as a key cornerstone for the team.

“For the moment, I can’t see anyone going in for Saliba while he remains such a key part of that Arsenal project, but, depending on what happens this season, who knows, perhaps a scenario could develop that presents an opportunity for one of these top European clubs to sound out his situation.”

Saliba signed for just £27 million from Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2019 and has become one of the league’s standout bargain signings of the last decade. With Arteta remaining at Arsenal for the foreseeable, PSG could face an even bigger battle to lure him back to France.