All posts by z3u9t.icu

Shields Gazette journalist Liam Kennedy has predicted that Newcastle United will loan out Matty Longstaff next season, while colleague Jordan Cronin admits he ‘just can’t see’ the midfielder having a future under Steve Bruce.

The lowdown

The younger Longstaff brother was limited to just 377 Premier League minutes across five outings in 2020/21. His final league appearance of the season came on 18 January in the 3-0 defeat away to Arsenal.

The 21-year-old, who is valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, is about to enter the last year of his contract at St James’ Park.

The latest

In a fan Q&A for the Shields Gazette, Kennedy stressed about Longstaff’s future: “This is a tough one. If I had to predict, I’d say a loan deal for next season and a possible short contract extension. But it really is impossible to know.”

However, Cronin thinks it will be bad news for the 21-year-old if Joe Willock joins permanently or a similar player is recruited. His prospects are said to be looking somewhat bleak while Bruce is in charge and he added that “things seem very complicated” after his minimal involvement in 2020/21.

The verdict

It was worrying to see Longstaff feature so little in recent months. He actually played fewer games than he did in 2019/20 when he first broke into the side.

Bruce seems to rate Jonjo Shelvey more highly despite his underwhelming performances and strong fan criticism, and so you certainly couldn’t blame Longstaff for seeking a way out.

As Cronin has said, a return to Tyneside for Willock would probably keep the 21-year-old well down the pecking order at St James’ Park, which may lead to Kennedy’s prediction of a possible loan move being fulfilled.

In other news, Mark Douglas has offered the latest on another midfielder who struggled to get a look-in. 

Within a few weeks of the transfer window opening, Celtic could be left with just the solitary striker in their ranks at Parkhead.

Patryk Klimala has already left the Hoops while Odsonne Edouard has been linked with pastures new as well.

Factor in how the Bhoys could let Leigh Griffiths depart and that would leave Albian Ajeti leading the line; it’s a scary thought so Celtic must be active in the transfer window.

On the chalkboard

This is a pivotal summer for the top brass at Celtic. You fear that without proper replacements for players like Kristoffer Ajer and Edouard that they’ll be left even further behind by their rivals.

Trying to find someone to succeed the latter will be particularly hard. The Frenchman has 22 goals this term and has been the only striker that’s looked like finding the net.

Griffiths is still revered as the best finishers at the club but it looks as though he’ll be packing his bags and heading for the exit.

In recent months, Aberdeen have been touted with his services on a free transfer.

The replacement

Naturally, the Hoops have been linked with a number of forwards in the last few weeks. The latest name on their minds is Hibernian striker Kevin Nisbet.

The 24-year-old didn’t feature for Jack Ross’ team when they drew 0-0 with Celtic on Saturday afternoon but he has been one of their best players throughout the season.

Nisbet has racked up 18 goals, three of which have come against the Bhoys during 2020/21.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-mcgregor-mccann-tierney” title=”Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

He found the back of the net and also supplied a goal during their 2-2 draw all the way back in November. It was an afternoon where he gave Nir Bitton a torrid time in defence.

The Israeli failed to win a single tackle and conceded two fouls on his way to being tormented by the Scottish attacker.

Described as “terrific” by Ross, a player of Nisbet’s ilk could finally give Celtic the green light to axe Griffiths.

The 30-year-old has only scored seven times all season and hasn’t started a league match since January.

With that in mind, he is a spare part at Paradise, one the new manager should have no interest in keeping around as Celtic rebuild themselves.

Griffiths is now past his peak but Nisbet is yet to approach his best days. The ever-improving Hibs striker was the joint-second top scorer in the entire Premiership this season; he’d be a great addition in Glasgow.

AND in other news, £12k-p/w dud must never play for Celtic again, he lost the ball every 5 touches y’day…

Aston Villa could be set for an exciting summer transfer window after Christian Purslow’s latest update from Bodymoor Heath.

What’s the story?

Speaking to VillaTV (via The Express and Star), Purslow said: “We talk so frequently, all through the season. We have extremely precise plans for the summer window.

“It won’t surprise anyone to learn we remain deeply ambitious. Our five-year plan is to consistently improve and to consistently improve, you have to keep improving the quality of both your starting XI and your squad. We have plans to do both this summer.”We are at a point where after two highly active summers, it will be a smaller number of ins. I would expect players who came in last year to continue to improve. With a couple of smart signings to make us even stronger, we are highly optimistic looking to next season.”Fans will be buzzingAfter ending the Premier League season on a high with consecutive victories over the likes of Spurs and Chelsea, Villa can head into the transfer window with a real bounce and optimism.The Midlands club enjoyed a superb summer transfer window last time, with the signings of Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez, in particular, being a couple of the stand-outs.The fact that Purslow has insisted that the club have “extremely precise plans”, and that they have been talking all throughout the season, suggests they have got their ideas in place about what they want to do.Transfer windows are generally all about organisation and not leaving things till the last minute, and with the added obstacle of the EUROs, that is perhaps more important than ever.[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/villa-dean-smith-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-premier-league-buendia-berge-mcneil-trezeguet-villa-park” title=”Read the latest Villa transfer rumours and news!”]It’s exactly why both Smith and the club’s fans will be absolutely buzzing that Villa seem to have everything in order to make a real splash in the transfer market this summer.Meanwhile, Villa are facing a major transfer battle over this star…

Gareth Bale’s future at Tottenham Hotspur is likely to be decided by their next manager, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Daily Mail claim that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will offer the next Spurs boss the chance to keep the Welsh superstar on as they have the option to extend his loan deal by a further season.

They would, however, need Bale to agree to the stay, which may be a little easier now that Jose Mourinho has been sacked.

There is very little chance that the 31-year-old returns to Real Madrid to play a significant role, only bolstering the Lilywhites’ chances and it would cost the North Londoners around £12m in wages alone to have him for another year.

Imagine him and Kane

This is a move that Levy should probably sanction regardless of who is in charge as it’ll set the club up nicely ahead of next season, where they will need to bounce back with a statement campaign.

Bale has largely struggled for minutes at Spurs this term, mainly due to a combination of a lack of fitness and injury troubles but he has still delivered impressive goal returns, so give him a full pre-season at the club and he may well do some serious damage alongside Harry Kane.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-managerial-update-levy-mason-mourinho-sacked” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, managerial gossip and more!”]

From just 1,471 minutes (30 appearances), the £18m-rated beast has scored 14 goals and assisted three more, meaning he’s averaging a direct contribution once every 86 minutes.

By comparison, Kane, who Spurs rely on for 56% of their league goals, delivers a goal or assist once every 77 minutes. Just imagine the partnership they could strike from the start of the season.

Interim boss Ryan Mason recent dubbed Bale “outstanding” and “world-class” following his hat-trick against basement boys Sheffield United over the weekend, whilst in the past, Mourinho had hailed him “remarkable” and “incredible” despite a lack of action.

If Spurs are to get back into Champions League contention, then they will need to keep players like Kane and Bale around, otherwise, it makes their task ever so much harder.

AND in other news, Levy’s next boss has already suffered a cruel Spurs blow, it could impact next season…

Chelsea could try to bring Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah back to Stamford Bridge this summer in a sensational swoop, if Bild journalist Christian Falk is to be believed.

Falk reports that Salah ‘is on the shortlist’ of Thomas Tuchel and Champions League finalists Chelsea ahead of the transfer window.

Chelsea paid £14.85million to sign Salah from FC Basel in January 2014, but after just 19 appearances and two goals, he was sold to AS Roma for a £1million loss.

Salah has apparently been identified as a possible target, alongside Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland another former Blue, Romelu Lukaku.

Could Chelsea really be after Salah?

Chelsea may feel as if they need more firepower; £45million signing Timo Werner is their top scorer but he’s only managed 12 goals in all competitions.

Salah is about to enter the final two years of his contract and has said his future is in Liverpool’s hands.

The Londoners have lured a Reds superstar to Stamford Bridge before let’s not forget – in 2011, they paid a then-record £50million to sign Fernando Torres.

Liverpool fans react to Falk’s Salah revelation

“They have the funds”

Credit: @Bishop_Yayo_

“Is this 2011 again?”

Credit: @essinem7

“FSG would drop him off”

Credit: @ZakLFC7

“Not good news, but I think Salah knows from previous experience that he’d be better off elsewhere, even without Mourinho at the club”

Credit: @LFCdiscord

“Whatttt!!”

Credit: @SharafJuhayr

“If FSG is truly sorry, they will do everything they can to keep Mo. We’re in the mid-table without him”

Credit: @Dionasauruss

“Have I gone back in time?”

Credit: @lfcxcathal

In other news, Liverpool have joined the race to sign this 26-year-old Serie A star.

Tottenham Hotspur now have another RB Leipzig star in their sights ahead of the summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to Foot Mercato, Spurs are looking into the possibility of signing Christopher Nkunku, although they are facing major competition from their Premier League rivals, including Arsenal and Manchester United.

Interestingly, the 23-year-old midfield gem is represented by the same agent, Pini Zahavi, who brokered Jose Mourinho’s appointment in north London. He also has Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg on his books.

Spurs have been heavily linked with Nkunku’s current teammate Marcel Sabitzer, so perhaps Daniel Levy and co are assessing their options before next season.

Perfect replacement

Nkunku’s vast skillset makes for great appeal for any interested suitor, although Spurs must ensure they win the race to seal his signature as he could well be the perfect replacement for Gareth Bale, who could return to Real Madrid following his season-long loan.

The young Frenchman is able to play in a wide variety of positions, featuring in no fewer than five different roles this season alone. His best position appears to be behind the striker, so his arrival could see Lucas Moura revert back to his natural wide berth, in turn replacing Bale.

Speaking about his versatility, Leipzig coach Julien Nagelsmann – the reported number one target to succeed Mourinho in the future – told Bundesliga.com:

“Christopher can play as a box-to-box midfielder, No.10, winger, striker. He’s versatile and has real quality in attacking one-on-ones. He also fits perfectly with our transfer DNA as a young player with great potential who can take steps forward, just like us as a club. He’s hungry for success and we’re glad to have him on board.”

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Last season, the former PSG whizzkid picked up a reputation of being an ‘assist king’ as he notched a tally of 15 in the league, and 16 in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt. Nkunku has since added goals to his armoury this term, providing seven strikes and eight assists across the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and the Champions League.

Dubbed “one of the most dangerous players in the league”, the 23-year-old dynamo has certainly delivered, ranking as not only Leipzig’s star performer with an average WhoScored rating of 7.27, but he also sits in the top 15 in the Bundesliga, grading above the likes of Leon Bailey, Serge Gnabry and even Sabitzer.

The £36m-rated Nkunku would surely arrive for a far cheaper outlay than keeping Bale around for another season, especially as Levy is currently paying roughly £240,000 (40%) of his extortionate £600,000-per-week wages, as per football.london.

By comparison, it’s thought that the France under-21 international is earning just €40,000 per week (£34,000-a-week) at the Red Bull Arena, which would currently put him bottom of Spurs’ payroll.

Bale has somewhat delivered in north London, with five goals and two assists in the Premier League, but Nkunku has age and finances on his side here, if not being a complete upgrade for the long-term.

Levy could secure Spurs a perfect replacement for the Welshman this summer by swooping for the RB Leipzig sensation.

AND in other news, £26m-rated Spurs star was hugely anonymous with fewer touches than Lloris in Newcastle draw…

According to recent reports, Glasgow Rangers could pull out of the race to sign young centre-forward, Kyle Joseph, with Rangers having previously been keen to offer the teenager a pre-contract deal.

The report by Football Insider claims that Gers sources have revealed Steven Gerrard may back down from his pursuit of the Wigan Athletic forward, with both Celtic and Newcastle United remaining keen on a move for the 19-year-old.

Having made his debut for Wigan back in October, Joseph went on to score five goals and register one assist over his first 14 League One appearances, before suffering a back injury in January that has kept the striker sidelined in the time since.

It is claimed that a deal for the Scotland U19 international would have cost Rangers just £300,000 in compensation, with the forward’s deal at Wigan expiring this summer, however, with Celtic now having reportedly offered Joseph a contract, Rangers appear to be backing away from a move of their own.

Transfer Tavern Take

With Football Insider not specifying exactly why Gerrard’s side are no longer attempting to land the 19-year-old this summer, the news does come as something of a surprise.

Perhaps it was the case that Gers were informed Ibrox may not be Joseph’s preferred destination, as this would appear to be one of the only reasons why the club would be allowing their rivals a clear run at the striker.

This is purely speculation, and an answer will only be discovered as and when the Wigan starlet does make his eventual move this summer, but Gerrard does not seem like the type of boss who would want a player who doesn’t absolutely love the idea of being a nIbrox hero.

In other news: Sources lift lid on ‘strong interest’ in Gerrard; chief executive has link with the Gers boss – find out more here!

In a recent interview, Frank McAvennie questioned the attitude of reported West Ham United transfer target, Odsonne Edouard. 

So far this season, Edouard has highly impressed over his 26 Scottish Premiership appearances for Celtic, bagging 16 goals and providing three assists, as well as averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.31 – ranking him as the club’s joint fourth-best performer in the Scottish top flight.

As a result of his fine performances, West Ham have been linked with a move for the 23-year-old, for whom Celtic are reported to want a figure of around £35 million to part with.

It will be no surprise to see the Irons front of the queue if Celtic decide to cash in – David Moyes only has one recognised striker in the shape of Michail Antonio.

However, speaking recently to Football Insider, the former Celtic and West Ham striker, McAvennie, claimed that while he would like to see Edouard join the Hammers this summer, he was unsure whether the Frenchman has an attitude that would comply with Moyes.

He said: “I would take Edouard at West Ham but the way he downed tools with Lenny was disappointing. The boy’s got talent and West Ham need a striker. But if David Moyes would have that kind of player, I don’t know.

“But, you get the ball up to him and he keeps it. He’s definitely a talent. There are rumours going about here, there and everywhere but until someone comes in and spends the money, we just don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Transfer Tavern Take

Considering the fact that Edouard scored eight goals over Neil Lennon’s last eight league games in charge of Celtic before his dismissal, it could be argued that McAvennie’s claim that the striker “downed tools” for his manager is somewhat unwarranted.

And, with West Ham in desperate need of a striker in the summer transfer window, with Moyes currently only having Antonio as an option in the position, the addition of a centre-forward with the goal-scoring record of Edouard would appear to be just what the Hammers are looking for.

In other news: these West Ham fans slammed this club figure with “no ambition” after footage surfaced – find out more here!

Many Everton fans have been lauding the news from football.london that Alisher Usmanov could invest in the Goodison Park club.

The Merseysiders have recently been told that they can proceed with plans for a proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, which could provide an opportunity for the Russian billionaire.

Usmanov revealed to the Financial Times last year that he was ready to increase his involvement with Carlo Ancelotti’s team, and further hinted at potentially striking a deal for the naming rights at the new stadium.

With the plans been given the green light, the 67-year-old tycoon may well get his wish, and that may not be the last of the money that he could pump into the Toffees.

The news has got several Blues excited over his potential involvement with the club, as they could stand to benefit from an embarrassment of riches.

Everton fans on Usmanov news

These Everton supporters lauded the news of Usmanov’s potential investment on Twitter:

“Welcome to the people’s club big dog.”

Credit: @Gazefc1979

“Oh go on then @chriscally1977 @wazzaevo @birdy9680 @Tr1ckyTrev88″Credit: @BH_Design”Ohhhhh hello”Credit: @jfenwickeverton”Up the Billionaire Blues”Credit: @JonathanDunn12″And with the changes coming in the FFP things are looking good for us”Credit: @mattiemahon”Inject it £18.5 billion mate Mbappe is ours”Credit: @Spinkseey9In other news, many Everton fans were delighted with this transfer update.

This summer has the potential to see a whole merry-go-round of change at Celtic. Neil Lennon has already left while it’s just months before Peter Lawwell retires.

With a potential 12-man exodus of the playing staff, it only heightens their need to not only find a new manager but also identify the correct director of football swiftly.

First on the agenda will be sorting out the dressing room and working out how to keep the talented Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer at the club. Both have been linked with moves away and it feels only inevitable that at least one of them will depart.

Edouard has been the club’s top scorer for a number of years in a row now while Ajer is the backbone of Celtic’s defence. Losing both, therefore, would be incredibly bad news.

Considering how poor the Hoops’ defence has been this term, replacing Ajer seems more achievable than finding the heir to Edouard’s throne.

Indeed, the club almost found the centre-back’s successor during the winter window. On deadline day, Celtic made a late move to try and sign Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga on loan.

Jose Mourinho ultimately blocked the transfer and he stayed south of the border. That being said, if Ajer does walk through the Parkhead exit door, the Bhoys should consider reviving their interest in Tanganga.

A talented defender, the 21-year-old from Hackney is a versatile individual. Like Celtic’s Norwegian colossus, Tanganga is capable of playing at right-back and in the centre of defence.

Ajer feels more at home in the middle and that’s where the Spurs youngster could star if he makes the move to Glasgow.

He’s relatively untested at the top level but we’ve already seen shades of immense qualities in big games. Tanganga made his Premier League debut for Spurs against Liverpool at right-back, a match the Lilywhites ultimately lost 1-0.

Though, the youngster stood out by winning two aerial duels and two tackles. Speaking after the game, talkSPORT’s Tony Cascarino commented: “Paul McGrath he reminded me of. The way he played. He runs with pace and you can tell he sees things quickly, he gets there. He made a couple of last-ditch challenges.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-hunt-stories-wagner-marsch-martinez-lennon-news” title=”The last stories on Celtic’s hunt for a new manager!”]

Tanganga then shone at left-back just a couple of weeks later when Spurs defeated Manchester City 2-0. On that occasion, the defender won three aerial battles, made four tackles and completed three interceptions.

Similarly to Ajer, the £25k-per-week earner is a robust unit, one capable of dominating even the highest calibre attacks.

He’d make a first-class replacement for the Norway international if Nick Hammond can complete a deal. He is young, confident and a real weapon at the back.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Turnbull: Celtic must swoop for 35-goal star who’s “impossible to beat”…