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Former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer has revealed he is not keen to see one man carry on starting at his old club, in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

Liam Shaw recently agreed to join Celtic when his contract at Hillsborough expires in the summer and manager Darren Moore has since come out to make it clear that the 20-year-old is still in his plans for the rest of the season.

Palmer, though, does not like the idea of a player who already has one foot out of the door still being an integral part of the team, concerned about the level of commitment that will still be present.

Discussing the matter in an exclusive interview with FFC, the retired Premier League footballer said:

“It’s a problem, I’ve always said that. I said when you sign a pre-contract for a club, you might as well go at that point. You’ve got a big-money move coming up, you’re not going to want to get yourself injured, you’re not going to put yourself on the line – Darren Moore needs everybody who’s committed to the club.”

Speaking on the subject further, Palmer added:

“As far as I’m concerned, anybody that signs a pre-contract, from the time they sign it, effectively they should leave the club. It always happens, they’re not going to be fully committed to the job.”

It is little surprise that Celtic are already planning for next season and have moved for Shaw, with the Glasgow club’s current campaign virtually over.

After falling well short in the title race this time round, they are in need of a rebuild, meaning more additions like Shaw are likely. As well as that, the Bhoys, of course, will also be in the market for a new manager following Neil Lennon’s resignation last month.

According to recent reports, West Ham United are one of three Premier League sides tracking Espanyol centre-forward Raul de Tomas ahead of the summer transfer window.

Reports from Fichajes (via Sport Witness) claim that the Hammers, alongside Leeds United and Leicester City, will make a move for De Tomas this summer, with David Moyes said to be interested in the acquisition of a lesser-known striker who can grow within his team.

Indeed, it is rather unsurprising that there appears to be significant interest in the 26-year-old this summer, as the £9m-rated hitman has 16 goals and two assists to his name so far this season, albeit in La Liga 2.

However, with Espanyol currently topping the Spanish second tier, it remains unclear whether a return to La Liga would be enough to convince the £13,000-per-week forward to remain with Vicente Moreno’s side.

Transfer Tavern Take

While it could be argued that a record of 18 goal involvements over 29 appearances in the Spanish second tier does not exactly scream Premier League-quality forward, De Tomas has previously proven himself a reliable goalscorer at a higher level, with the 26-year-old bagging 14 goals over 33 La Liga appearances for Rayo Vallecano back in 2018/19.

As such, if Moyes truly does wish to bring in a lesser-known striker to the club in the summer market, with De Tomas valued at a modest £9m, the Spaniard has the potential to prove something of a shrewd and cost-effective signing for the Hammers.

In other news: This pundit dropped a claim on GSB’s £82,000-a-week West Ham summer target – find out more here!

According to reports from Italy, Southampton centre-back Jannik Vestergaard is attracting interest from AS Roma, with Ralph Hasenhuttl facing a battle to keep the defender at Saints this summer.

The report by TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness) claims that Roma have made contact with Southampton regarding a deal for Vestergaard, with the Serie A side submitting an enquiry about the defender.

The 28-year-old, who has averaged a highly impressive WhoScored match rating of 7.08 over his 23 Premier League appearances so far this season, is also thought to be of interest to Tottenham Hotspur, with Jose Mourinho keen to strengthen the centre of his defence in the upcoming transfer window.

As such, with Roma now reportedly joining the race for the £60,000-per-week Denmark international, it would appear as if Hasenhuttl faces a huge battle to keep the defender at St Mary’s come the end of the season.

Transfer Tavern Take

With Vestergaard currently ranking as Southampton’s best performer in the top flight this season, it would appear highly unlikely that Hasenhuttl will be receptive to parting with the Dane this summer, whom Alan Shearer dubbed as “outstanding” earlier on this season.

And, considering the centre-back’s current Transfermarkt valuation of £16.2 million, Southampton will no doubt be demanding a considerable amount of money in order to even consider sanctioning the sale of the defender.

Having said that, with Roma now adding to Tottenham’s interest in the 28-year-old, it would indeed seem as if all things do ultimately point to Vestergaard moving on to pastures new this summer.

In other news: ‘Give him a lifetime contract’, ‘Love that’ – Many Saints fans gush at ‘brilliant’ contract talk – find out more here!

Despite Liverpool having recruited two centre-backs in the January transfer window, the Reds continue to be linked with yet more defensive stalwarts.

The latest named in whom Jurgen Klopp is reportedly interested is Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.

In completing a deal for the Senegalese international, then they would be securing one of the best centre-backs in Europe at the current time.

The defender, now aged 29, has been with the Serie A giants since 2014 and, in that time, he has forged a reputation as a ferocious and dominant figure at the back.

He has gone on to make 274 appearances for the Partenopei, winning the Coppa Italia with the club last year.

His defensive statistics are also extremely impressive this season despite having missed part of the campaign after testing positive for COVID-19.

He is averaging 1.6 tackles, one interception, 1.7 clearances and 0.8 blocks per game in 2020/21, according to WhoScored.

When compared to Joe Gomez, who Koulibaly would presumably replace in the Liverpool starting XI when every player is fit, the Napoli man comes out on top in every facet besides clearances – the Englishman averaging a huge 4.4 per game throughout 2020/21 before his campaign was curtailed due to injury.

Some could make an argument that the Napoli defender’s age could be a negative factor, and to some extent that could be true – Koulibaly turns 30 in June.

However, age brings considerable experience, with him having made 26 appearances in the Champions League throughout his career, which of course would become extremely useful as the Reds attempt to continuing challenging on multiple fronts under Jurgen Klopp.

A deal would also not come cheap. Rated at £54m, it could take a considerably larger fee to bring him to Anfield.

Nevertheless, with no other glaring weakness in the Liverpool squad besides the centre-back position next to the dominant Virgil van Dijk, a big-money swoop for Koulibaly could see Liverpool regain their defensive resolve and once again challenge at the very top.

AND in more news, take a look at why Houssem Aouar could be the perfect addition to the Reds’ midfield…

Celtic are currently in a tough spot as they prepare to watch bitter neighbours Rangers shatter their hopes of lifting their tenth consecutive Scottish Premiership title.

Not only are they struggling with form, but they risk losing a lot of their key players either this transfer window or in the summer. Odsonne Edouard is one man linked to a potential Arsenal move, whilst interest also ramps up around centre-back Kristoffer Ajer.

They have also now confirmed the departure of 20-year-old Jeremie Frimpong. The right-back has made a permanent move to Bayer Leverkusen, as reported by the club’s official Twitter. The Scottish Sun claims that the move could reach up to a handsome £11.5million.

Whilst this is an impressive profit on the £350,000 they initially paid for him, sometimes the player is worth more to a club than his price tag.

Indeed, Frimpong had rapidly established himself as a reliable first team performer under Neil Lennon, but the manager confirmed he would be leaving Parkhead. The Dutch youth international recently posted a cryptic message on his Instagram, seemingly highlighting his unhappiness.

For Celtic to have made Frimpong feel as though his ‘demands haven’t been met’, the defender must have been looking for a more advanced contract or stability in knowing he in untouchable in the starting eleven.

Frimpong has featured in every single Premiership match so far this season and has missed just two Celtic fixtures across the entire campaign, as per Transfermarkt. This is an impressive growth spurt for such a young player and no doubt Celtic’s struggles this season will have disappointed him.

But the Bhoys are truly foolish to let him leave. At just 20, Frimpong has become a strong presence in the Celtic lineup and was Lennon’s youngest option on the right side. Celtic have Anthony Ralston and Manny Perez as their other options, but the latter has just returned from loan and has just 18 months left on his contract.

Ralston is yet to establish himself as someone Lennon can rely on, having made only 20 senior appearances overall for Celtic and just the one this one season. Unless Nick Hammond can recruit a ready-made replacement, they will seriously struggle in the absence of “outstanding talent” Frimpong and will be forced to throw Ralston in at the deep end.

In other news, Lennon has sealed his own Celtic fate by not bolstering his squad…

When Jose Fonte departed West Ham for China in February 2018, few football fans would perhaps have predicted that he would be playing some of the best football of his career three years later, chasing a league title with Lille in Ligue 1.

After seven years with Southampton, the centre-back would join West Ham in 2017 for a brief period before his move to Dalian Yifang in China, where he would spend just a few months, completing a free transfer to Lille in the summer of 2018.

Since then, the former Portuguese international has made 103 appearances for Les Dogues, contributing seven goals and three assists in that time.

His performances this season have earned him an impressive 7.08 rating across his 25 appearances in Ligue 1, helping Lille establish themselves at the top of the table.

Considering Southampton’s woeful performances of late, which has seen them pick up just one point out of a possible 24, with no clean sheets in that time, you could definitely argue that they are missing a leader at the back such as Fonte, who is still impressing despite being 37-years-old.

The Saints may definitely regret forcing the defender out of the club in 2017, with the defender suggesting that he had no option but to leave when the club released a transfer request which he did not ask for.

The six foot three centre-back has emphasised this season that he still has the quality to play at the top level, and whilst Southampton are blessed with four solid centre-back options in Jan Bednarek, Jannik Vestergaard, Jack Stephens and Mohammed Salisu, having someone with the experience of Fonte this season could have helped them through their recent terrible form.

Therefore, it could definitely be argued that Southampton made a mistake in forcing Fonte out of the club after he made 286 appearances for them during his spell with the club, as he could have been a very useful player to have this season if they had kept faith in his ability.

AND, in other news, Outshone by Tella: 26 y/o Saints ace let Hasenhuttl down with another poor display…

Several Sheffield Wednesday fans were far from happy with Josh Windass during their 2-1 defeat to Norwich City in the Championship on Sunday.

Norwich are currently 10 points clear at the top of the second tier (BBC), so the Owls surely can’t be too disappointed with this result – they are 23rd and staring relegation to League One in the face. However, at this point in the campaign, it is irrelevant as to who they are playing against – they need wins and they need them fast.

This weekend, a number of supporters were particularly disappointed with the performance of Windass. He didn’t appear to do too badly in the first 45 minutes, but his failure to pass to teammate Joey Pelupessy after the interval infuriated the fans, especially when he then shouted expletives at Pelupessy after he complained.

These fans were angry with the former Glasgow Rangers forward, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

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

“Windass showing absolutely zero awareness there”

Credit: @BigAl_simon

“Decision making there from Windass was appalling. Simple pass to JP who is in on goal.”

Credit: @mja_owl

“Windass needs to come off next. Having a mare”

Credit: @robbiebebbie

“Windass got worst decision making I’ve ever seen”

Credit: @jacksheedy13

“Josh Windass needs to go! In it for him and nowhere near a team player! Ship him off to Ipswich I’ll pay for travel”

Credit: @buenotaylor10

“Can someone please tell Windass passing is allowed. Come and get him Ipswich”

Credit: @Matthew60975500

In other news, some Sheffield Wednesday fans react to an update on this man.

Alleged West Ham United transfer target Elkan Baggott could be snapped up for a transfer fee of between £150k-300k this month.

That’s according to Football Insider, who have explained that the Irons have ‘held early talks’ over a deal to bring the 18-year-old to The London Stadium, with the Irons’ Premier League rivals Leeds United also said to be interested in signing the 6’5” left-sided centre-back.

Why can West Ham United sign Baggott for up to £300k?

Considering that the Indonesia U19 international has been described as a ‘rising star’ in this report from Football Insider, it could, perhaps, be seen as a bargain if West Ham can secure the teenager’s signature for a six-figure sum.

It’s explained that the centre-back, who has a relatively high following on Instagram, has rejected a professional contract offer from his current club, Ipswich Town. As Baggott is set to become a free agent in the summer, per Transfermarkt, the League One club may be keen to cash in on him now.

Baggott idolises Rio Ferdinand

Baggott himself has likened his playing style to that of ex-Irons defender Rio Ferdinand in the past, so perhaps he’d jump at the chance to follow in one of his idols’ footsteps by playing for the east London club. With this potential deal described as a chance to pull off a ‘relatively inexpensive’ swoop for West Ham, maybe this move would suit all parties.

So, this tall teenager may be one to watch for Irons fans this month, following this latest update.

In other news, some West Ham United fans have slated Said Benrahma over his performance versus Stockport County.

Whilst summer signing Konstantinos Tsimikas was never likely to be a regular in Liverpool’s first-team whilst Andy Robertson is fit and firing, Reds fans will have been expecting a lot more from the Greek international compared to what he has shown so far.

The left-back, who joined from Olympiakos in the summer transfer window, made just his second start for the Merseyside club in their 2-0 defeat against Atalanta on Wednesday evening.

The 24-year-old’s only other appearance of note was in the 7-2 win against Lincoln City, where he was perhaps unlikely to be tested as much in what proved to be a comfortable win against League One opposition.

Considering Liverpool had beaten Gian Piero Gasperini’s side 5-0 away from home in the reverse fixture, a lot of Reds fans will have surely been expecting a comfortable victory at Anfield but it was far from it, as the Serie A side claimed all three points in Group D thanks to goals from Josip Ilicic and Robin Gosens.

Jurgen Klopp will surely have been disappointed with the performance of Tsimikas in the defeat, with the Greek international replaced by Robertson shortly after the hour-mark.

As per SofaScore, the defender earned a 6.3 rating for his display against Atalanta, which was the joint-worst of any player on the pitch.

It was a disappointing display both attacking and defensively, as when he received the ball high up the pitch, he was very wasteful, with none of his four crosses finding a Liverpool shirt, whilst none of his long balls were accurate.

The former Olympiakos man recorded a pass accuracy rate of 78%, with 29/37 of his passes finding their mark.

He also struggled to win duels against the Italian opposition, as he was successful in just three of his nine ground duels on the evening.

When you compare this horror-show to Robertson’s superb display against Leicester City recently, which was excellent from both a defensive and attacking point of view (he set up Diogo Jota’s goal and helped keep a clean sheet), it seems as if Tsimikas is a long way off replicating the sort of performances the £67.5m-rated man has regularly produced since joining the club.

Whilst it may be too early to write Tsimikas off completely, the early signs are certainly not good.

And, in other news… Liverpool made an inexcusable error in selling “superb” centre-back

Glasgow Rangers left-back Borna Barisic stole the show against St. Johnstone on Wednesday night to ensure Steven Gerrard’s side stayed on top of the Scottish Premiership at Christmas.

The Croatia international started the action alongside Connor Goldson, Filip Helander and James Tavernier to form the back four in front of Allan McGregor, with Gerrard feeling the need to ring several changes to the team that came from behind to beat Motherwell, with Joe Aribo replacing Scott Arfield in the midfield.

Barisic has established himself as a first-team regular starter under Gerrard since he first arrived at Ibrox but has found his place in the starting XI under threat after the arrival of Calvin Bassey in the summer.

Gerrard recently admitted as much, as the Ibrox boss realises competition for places has arguably never been higher, with Bassey and Nathan Patterson ready to step into the full-back roles if required.

“The pair of them have started the season really strongly, and it’s interesting to watch Barisic and Tavernier because they have now got competition for places,” he said, as quoted by The Sun. “The way he’s looking in training, I wouldn’t think twice about putting Patterson in to start a game. And Bassey has already proved that he’s capable of stepping in as well.

“Both James and Borna know they have a challenge for their positions, which is good.”

“When Barisic is in the right place from a mental point of view, he’s capable of the kind of high-level performance he gave against Poznan.

“That’s the reason he’s picked as the best left-back in Croatia.

“When he gets into the final third, he’s got incredible quality. His delivery is exceptional.”

But Barisic, who reportedly earns £18,000-a-week, seems to have heeded his warning with his latest display against Callum Davidson’s side, with the defender winning eight out of his nine duels overall (88%) – which is more than any other player from the two teams, as per SofaScore.

Nobody manged more dribbles, either, with the Croatian completing two out of his three dribble attempts successfully, via SofaScore.

Only Tavernier took more touches of the ball, too, with the club captain managing 108 to Barisic’s 95 touches in the full 90′ minutes.

The 28-year-old provided 38 out of 59 passes (64%), while he also made four tackles, two interceptions and three clearances, which shows that he put in a defensive shift to ensure the Gers kept their first clean sheet since the 2-0 win over Lech Poznan in the Europa League.

Once hailed as an “unbelievable” defender by former Rangers full-back Alan Hutton, the timing couldn’t be better for Barisic with Bassey chomping at the bit amid links abroad, as the cards are very much in his hands.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers may have found their next Steven Davis in Ciaran Dickson…