Crystal Palace: Fans crease at Van Aanholt exit link

Crystal Palace left-back Patrick Van Aanholt has been linked with a move to Arsenal on a free transfer, as reported by journalist Chris Wheatley on Twitter.

Facing a mass rebuild after 22 first-team players left the club following the conclusion of the 2020/21 season [Tribal Football], the Eagles are expected to lose Van Aanholt upon the expiration of his contract at the end of June [Transfermarkt].

One side that have been heavily linked with the Netherlands international is Arsenal, as they look to acquire a back up left-sided defender [The Sun].

Speaking to his followers on Twitter, football.london reporter Wheatley echoed this sentiment, claiming Arsenal are looking for a younger profile left back but van Aanholt ‘could still be an option’ later in the window.

Van Aanholt made 23 appearances for Crystal Palace in 2020/21, notching a solitary assist [Transfermarkt].

Upon hearing the rumours, loads of Crystal Palace diehards took to Twitter to discuss his potential exit from South East London.

Crystal Palace fans react:

Replying to Wheatley’s post, here is how some Palace fans summarized their take on these latest developments, look away now Patrick…

“His level”

Credit: @SellyMenace”I would love to see the reactions of AFTV to his defending”Credit: @foursixzer0″Imagine DT reacting to his defending omggggg”Credit: @BDCPFC”My word, he cant keep getting away with this”Credit: @rileyeagles”Good luck Arsenal fans, you’ll need it”Credit: @DrizzyCPFC”The LWB position at the euros doing him wonders”Credit: @palacealfieIn other news, Crystal Palace fans are ecstatic over a Lucien Favre update.

How may Celtic look under Ange Postecoglou?

This is set to be one of the busiest summers in the history of Celtic Football Club.

Not only will they welcome a new manager to Parkhead, there will also be the arrival of a new director of football to coincide with Peter Lawwell’s retirement. Once everything is in place, the Bhoys will need to go about discovering who wants out and who wants to stay.

It could be a summer of mass departures, with Odsonne Edouard close to moving south of the border and Kristoffer Ajer also watched by clubs in England. With that in mind, it would not be the most ideal of starts to Ange Postecoglou’s reign in Glasgow.

The 55-year-old is now the favourite to take over in Paradise after a bid to lure Eddie Howe to Celtic collapsed unexpectedly. The Australian will have a lot on his plate if and when he does take up his seat in the dugout.

With that in mind, how could Postecoglou’s starting XI look next season once the summer transfer window has concluded? Here’s our fun and quirky prediction…

We’re tipping Celtic to remain with a standard 4-2-3-1 formation, but there are a number of changes.

Let’s start in goal, where Dundee United stopper Benjamin Siegrist has been linked on numerous occasions with a move to the Bhoys.

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The 29-year-old made a remarkable 12 saves during a 0-0 draw between the two teams earlier this season and has a wonderful knack of keeping everything at bay. It’s thought that the Swiss stopper may set Celtic back around £1m.

At left-back, we’re tipping Celtic to strengthen their ranks by landing Aaron Hickey. Once of the Bhoys’ academy, he could be tempted to return to Parkhead in a deal which would be worth £4m. With Diego Laxalt heading back to Milan, they will need to find greater depth in that part of the pitch.

Ajer is expected to leave, so it would be surprising if Celtic didn’t sign a centre-back. With Christopher Jullien out for a prolonged period of time, Stephen Welsh resumes his place at centre-back alongside Ciaron Brown.

The Northern Irishman has been touted with a move on a free transfer this summer after his contract with Cardiff expires.

One of the club’s landmark additions could be in midfield, where the talented Ali McCann is snapped up. The 21-year-old has been targeted by Celtic and was among the nominees for Scottish Player of the Season.

St Johnstone will settle for nothing less than their record fee for a departure of £1.75m. Perhaps a bid in or around the £2m mark would be suitable.

Another exciting addition is on the left flank, where Karamoko Dembele’s brother Siriki joins from Peterborough. Barry Fry exclusively told Football FanCast recently that the 24-year-old will be allowed to leave if they can’t agree on a new contract, and a fee of £3m has been touted for the winger’s services with Celtic among his admirers.

The final arrival could be up front in a bid to replace Edouard. That sees Kevin Nisbet sign from Hibernian in a deal which could see the Glaswegian outfit part with £3m.

All in all, that would ensure a spend of £13m from Dominic McKay, funds which could be provided from selling Edouard and Ajer.

AND in other news, “Unbelievable” 49 y/o wants to rival Postecoglou for Celtic job, fans must be buzzing…

Ryder reveals potential Ajer issues

Newcastle United’s move for Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer is not done yet, with the player’s agent ‘looking for the best deal’.

That’s according to Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder.

The lowdown

Newcastle have been scouting the centre-back for a ‘couple of seasons’ and sources at Celtic had indicated that a £6million transfer will be completed in June (via Chronicle Live).

Ajer is about to enter the final year of his contract at Parkhead, putting the Hoops in a somewhat weak negotiating position.

Newcastle, of course, still need to agree personal terms with the 23-year-old, who’s been earning £14,000 per week in Glasgow.

The latest

Ryder says Ajer’s agent is ‘touting the player around’ as he searches for the most lucrative arrangement.

Though the fee appears to be a ‘bargain’, there is a ‘premium to be paid’ in terms of agent fees and wages, four words which are sure to worry the Toon given the rumours of their extremely low transfer budget this summer (£8m-10m, plus sales, via Football Insider).

Newcastle are still said to have ‘plenty of competition’ for Ajer, who’s won three league titles and five cups at Celtic.

The verdict

This would be a commendable piece of business from Newcastle, but they may have to move quickly.

You sense other suitors will be waiting to pounce on a hint of uncertainty and snatch the impressive, youthful centre-half from the Magpies’ grasp.

Equally, though, the club will not want to be held to ransom, and will surely have alternatives in mind.

The agent is clearly holding a few tricks up his sleeve to drive up the fees and wages, which is hardly ideal for a club operating on a tight budget this summer.

In other news, two journalists have issued predictions on the future of Matty Longstaff.

West Ham set for huge boost over Moyes

David Moyes is close to agreeing on a new long-term contract at West Ham United…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser, who claims the 58-year-old has been in talks with co-owner David Sullivan over something more permanent following the East Londoners’ phenomenal rise under his tenure.

The Scotsman does have a one-year extension which can be triggeres as part of the deal he signed upon his return to the London Stadium in December 2019 but that is due to expire at the end of the current campaign.

Moyes was let go during his first stint and was not offered the chance to build on his work at the club, so this would seem like a fresh and positive approach from the Irons’ hierarchy this time around.

Huge boost

The Hammers have enjoyed a remarkable change in fortunes under Moyes’ leadership, going from firm relegation candidates to being one game away from qualifying for Europe.

A point to Southampton on Sunday will seal a place in the Europa League next season, over the likes of Spurs, Everton and Arsenal, which is certainly some feat considering they survived with one game to go last year.

Moyes deserves a lot of credit for returning to the club that ditched him and then subsequently guiding them to what will be their best-ever finish since the 1998/99 campaign.

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His recruitment in the transfer window, signing unknown names like Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal, as well as keeping hold of Declan Rice and bringing in Jesse Lingard on loan at just the right time, has played a major role.

Whilst he’s had to deal with a fair share of injuries too.

Even then, that would be an understatement as it’s been quite the nightmare – at one stage, the Hammers boss was without five or six first-team starters and that still hasn’t derailed their season, surprisingly.

The fact that Moyes and Sullivan have been talking at Rush Green over fresh terms is hugely encouraging and shows that they have learned from their previous mistakes.

It’s time for the club to build on this phenomenal run and prove that they aren’t merely one-season wonders, and that’ll be done by putting more faith into the former Manchester United and Everton boss.

This development should serve as a major boost across the club, and as a result, fans will be absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news, Forget Antonio: “Immense” West Ham monster who made 6 tackles stole the show for Moyes…

Alasdair Gold drops Spurs claim on Ten Hag

Speaking in a football.london Q&A, reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has dropped a claim on Ajax boss Erik Ten Hag.

The Lowdown: Ten Hag linked to Spurs…

The Dutchman has been touted as a name on chairman Daniel Levy’s list of Tottenham managerial candidates for some time, with reports as far back as last month detailing him as a possible appointment (Fabrizio Romano).

This came after Spurs suffered setbacks in regards to former top targets Julian Nagelsmann and Brendan Rodgers, with the former officially set to become the next Bayern Munich manager and the latter publicly dismissing a move to north London.

Ten Hag is a manager who fits the mould of an attack-minded, possession-favouring coach allegedly wanted by Tottenham as they seek an heir to Jose Mourinho.

The Latest: Gold drops Ten Hag claim…

Amid the noise surrounding Mauricio Pochettino and a potentially sensational return to Tottenham, reliable correspondent Gold has provided an update on Ten Hag.

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Indeed, the 51-year-old is apparently seen as an alternative, with the journalist refusing to rule him out of the running.

“Everything depends on how willing PSG are to let Pochettino go and perhaps how their fans feel about the Argentine,” explained Gold (via football.london) when asked for the latest.

“It’s certainly not a done deal in any shape or form. I wouldn’t rule Conte out of the Tottenham job either or Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, who has similar characteristics to Pochettino.”

The Verdict: Exciting alternative…

The notion that Ten Hag is ‘similar’ to Pochettino, as explained by Gold, makes him the perfect alternative should PSG make life difficult for Spurs to appoint their former manager.

Recently lauded as ‘one of the most exciting coaching talents in Europe’ by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, Ten Hag is also famed for his ‘Cruyffian influence’ (Planet Football).

Given that Spurs are after somebody who can reinstall an exciting brand of football at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, this claim on Ten Hag could come as music to the ears of some supporters.

In other news: Alasdair Gold also says Spurs could now swoop for this ‘incredible’ colossus, find out more here.

Leeds to return for Gers’ Kent

As per The Scottish Sun, Leeds United are preparing another bid for Glasgow Rangers winger Ryan Kent.

Pursuit of Kent still on

The Whites were interested in the 24-year-old last summer, even having a £10m offer for him rejected (RTE).

It seems that Marcelo Bielsa remains very keen on taking the former Liverpool winger to Elland Road and the fabled manager has told the Whites’ director of football Victor Orta to make a move for him. Leeds are said to be readying a £15m bid for Kent.

Very good money

Such an offer would given Ross Wilson and Steven Gerrard plenty to consider. Signed for £7.5m in 2019 (Sky Sports) after a year on loan at Ibrox, Kent has racked up 26 goals and 26 assists in 123 games for the Gers (Transfermarkt). That is far from a poor record, but also one which could be improved upon considering that he is being targeted by a top 10 Premier League club.

A fee of £15m would represent a profit of 100% for the 55-time Scottish champions. However, given that they turned down £10m last term and Kent has since had his best season on the way to helping the Gers win the Premiership, their first major trophy in 10 years, the Glasgow outfit may feel they can command an even bigger fee for him.

A lot could depend on just how keen Leeds are to bring him to Yorkshire this summer.

In other news, Kieran Maguire shares this worrying Rangers finance issue.

Birmingham must swoop for Paterson

Lee Bowyer’s Birmingham City side are considering a move for Jamie Paterson this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Football Insider, who claim that the Blues, as well as Nottingham Forest, Stoke City and Millwall, are interested in a move for the Bristol City attacking midfielder, who will be available to sign on a free transfer upon the expiry of his contract at Ashton Gate at the end of the season.

Potential bargain

It is unsurprising to learn that a host of second-tier sides are interested in Paterson, as the 29-year-old has a huge amount of Championship experience under his belt, scoring 39 goals and providing 35 assists over his 243 appearances in the competition.

And, while he has not been a regular under Nigel Pearson this season, the former Walsall star has shown that he can still be relied upon when required, scoring three goals and providing two assists over his 20 league appearances this term, as well as making an average of 1.3 key passes and taking one shot per game.

Furthermore, the attacking midfielder’s versatility is something that could prove extremely valuable at Birmingham, with Paterson comfortably being able to operate from the left-hand side of midfield, central midfield, left-wing, right-wing and even upfront.

Aside from his fine performances, his wealth of Championship experience and his versatility, it is also hard to ignore the financial attractiveness of a deal for the midfielder.

Currently earning a rather modest wage of £7,100-per-week, a deal for the player Lee Johnson once dubbed as “outstanding” is likely to be one that Birmingham would comfortably be able to afford, while, as the 29-year-old is out of contract, there would be no transfer fee for the Blues to stump up.

As such, it would seem as if a move for Paterson would tick a great many boxes for Bowyer and his side, who will be looking to kick on in the Championship next season after a strong finish following the former Charlton manager’s appointment at the club back in March.

In other news: Birmingham must land “frightening” 11-goal star this summer, Bowyer would love him – opinion

Newcastle dealt Lascelles injury blow

Steve Bruce must unleash Ciaran Clark against Burnley on Sunday after Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles was ruled out through injury.

The Toon boss has confirmed that Lascelles will miss his side’s trip to Turf Moor after sustaining a foot injury during last week’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

It is believed the 27-year-old has suffered a stress fracture which will sideline him for a month, but it is uncertain whether Lascelles will feature again this season.

Tottenham’s trip to St James’ Park last Sunday marked Lascelles’ 19th start of the Premier League season, having previously been sidelined with coronavirus and then developing a hamstring strain.

Newcastle had kept one clean sheet over their last seven top-flight fixtures with Lascelles starting every time, but they will visit relegation rivals Burnley with a gap to plug in Bruce’s backline.

“The disappointing thing is we’ve lost the captain Lascelles with a foot injury which, unfortunately, happened last week against Spurs, so that’s a blow to us,” Bruce said.

“With Fabian Schar being missing too, it leaves us a bit light there. It’s not looking so good at the moment, so he’ll have more scans today and over the weekend and he won’t play this weekend, that’s for sure.”

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Bruce added that Federico Fernandez is likely to be available for the Clarets clash, having played no part in Newcastle’s last 13 Premier League fixtures following a calf injury sustained in January.

“Fernandez obviously hasn’t played for a long, long time, but he’s trained all week which is good news,” the Magpies head coach added.

Fernandez being available for Sunday’s trip to Burnley will be a huge boost for Newcastle with Lascelles ruled out, but Bruce should look to continue plotting the Argentine’s return carefully after almost three months out of action.

The Newcastle boss can opt to name Fernandez among his substitutes at Turf Moor as he should have Clark to call on beside Paul Dummett in the heart of the United backline, after electing to bench the Republic of Ireland international against Tottenham.

The Spurs clash was the first Premier League fixture Clark had missed since Newcastle’s 3-2 win at home to Southampton in February, but he had earned Bruce’s praise earlier in the year after signing a new two-year contract.

“I’m delighted Ciaran has signed a new deal. First and foremost, he is a very talented defender, and he gives us great balance as a naturally left-footed centre-half,” Bruce said, via quotes shared by TEAMtalk. “He has also become a very consistent performer and I’m pleased to see his hard work and commitment rewarded.”

That hard work and commitment has also seen Clark offer 0.5 more tackles per Premier League game than Lascelles this season, along with 0.9 more interceptions and one more aerial duel won, per WhoScored.

With Burnley winning a division-high 23 aerial duels per game as a team this season, having Clark back in the fold could prove to be crucial for Newcastle this weekend.

AND in other news, Newcastle have landed a boost in the race to sign a £26m target backed to be “one of the best in Europe”…

Tottenham team and injury news vs Everton

Jose Mourinho will want to see a reaction from his Tottenham Hotspur side when they head to Merseyside to face Everton in the Premier League this evening.

Spurs once again dropped points from a winning position last weekend, having taken an early lead before being defeated by Manchester United. The north London outfit have now missed out on a whopping 18 points this season after hitting the front.

A defeat tonight could deal a huge blow to their chances of qualifying for Europe and all but end any chance of a late top-four push.

Mourinho has the same squad at his disposal as Sunday, so it will be interesting to see who he opts for after picking up their 10th league loss of the season last week.

Here’s our predicted XI, along with the latest team and injury news from the Spurs camp…

As revealed by the Portuguese in his pre-game press conference, full-back duo Matt Doherty and Ben Davies are “still out” through injury. In a bid to spark a reaction, we may well see as many as four changes up at Goodison Park this evening.

Two of those are likely to come in defence, as the recurring theme of individual errors in the backline continued on Sunday. After returning to the side for the first time in five games, Serge Aurier should be dropped once again.

The right-back drew scathing verdicts from the Sky Sports punditry team, with Roy Keane claiming he’s a “huge problem for Spurs” and Micah Richards echoing those thoughts by calling him “lazy.”

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In Aurier’s absence, Japhet Tanganga did a fine job, so he should be the man to start on the right against the Toffees. Jurgen Klopp dubbed him “impressive” on debut against Liverpool, whilst ex-striker Darren Bent believes that the 22-year-old is a “very exciting prospect.” Clearly, he isn’t overawed by the big occasion.

The other defensive change could see Eric Dier axed after returning to the starting fold with a less than convincing performance against the Red Devils. With Toby Alderweireld back on the bench, Mourinho has to turn to the vastly experienced Belgian sooner rather than later.

He should come in to partner Joe Rodon, with Sergio Reguilon keeping his place.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is another who remains from the United defeat but he could be joined by Moussa Sissoko after Mourinho hinted that he’ll be given a chance to make his 200th appearance for the club. It means that Tanguy Ndombele is likely to make way as Lucas Moura has impressed in the number 10 role.

The Brazilian starts in attack alongside Heung-min Son, Harry Kane and the returning Gareth Bale, who is preferred to Giovani Lo Celso and Erik Lamela.

AND in other news, Mourinho could unearth his next Rashford in 17 y/o “diamond” with “incredible potential”…

LFC fans react to training ground footage

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting negatively to training ground footage which emerged over the weekend.

The Reds are in the middle of a 20-day break without a game, having won 1-0 away to Wolves last Monday night.

With Jurgen Klopp’s men no longer in the FA Cup, and with an international break to come next week, they won’t play again until the meeting with Arsenal. The date and time for that match hasn’t yet been confirmed, but it appears likely to be Saturday April 3rd, due to their Champions League clash with Real Madrid the following Tuesday.

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Liverpool have been working hard on the training ground despite their lack of action, looking to find some freshness and confidence after a hugely disappointing campaign.

On Saturday, training footage emerged of a number of players competing in a football tennis game, with the likes of Andy Robertson, Thiago and Mohamed Salah involved, among others.

Liverpool fans react to training ground footage

While the video is both highly entertaining and impressive, some fans believe it is bordering on reckless, highlighting the risk of injury through playing it amid the backdrop of a campaign which has seen the Reds lose a number of key players to long-term setbacks.

Here are some of the standout reactions on Twitter, with negativity the order of the day.

“Watch someone get injured from this lol”

Credit: @LFCPierre18

“This is why we have injuries”

Credit: @EliasYusuff

“Injuries man injuries!!!! What the hell you doing!?!?!”

Credit: @Theman_shaq

“Stop trying to kill our players”

Credit: @lfcsonny

“We wonder why our players get injured”

Credit: @LFCRosser

“Then Thiago got injured…”

Credit: @kandill86

In other news, Liverpool are eyeing up a move for a striker with an amazing international record this summer. Read about it here.

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