Leicester again linked with Naby Keita

Naby Keita has again been linked with a summer move to Leicester City, with a host of other clubs also now interested in signing him.

The 26-year-old has been a disappointing signing for the Reds, having arrived with so much expected of him back in 2018, officially joining the year before.

While Keita has produced some good performances, and featured in some memorable Liverpool wins, it is still hard to deny that he has been underwhelming at Anfield.

The Guinean has recently been linked with a move away from the Reds, with Leicester emerging as a strong contenders to snap him up.

Now, Anfield Central claim that the Foxes are ‘excited by the thought’ of Keita moving to the King Power Stadium, such is his dynamic style of play.

Leicester aren’t alone in showing an interest, however, with Barcelona, Atalanta, Borussia Monchengladbach, Inter Milan, Sevilla and RB Leipzig all mentioned as potential suitors, too.

Transfer Tavern take

While Keita has been frustrating for Liverpool, especially in terms of injuries, it would be a risk to let him leave at this point in his career. This is a player that Virgil van Dijk has hailed as ‘incredible’ and ‘outstanding’, which speaks volumes.

At 26, his peak years could still be ahead of him and he has shown in the past that he can shine when his body allows him to, enjoying an 87.9 per cent pass completion rate in the Premier League this season – more than Jordan Henderson (87.3%) and James Milner (85.6%).

Keita still has two years remaining on his current deal, so if his struggles continue next season, a bigger decision could then be made about his future.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have bemoaned an update regarding two Reds players. Read more here.

Tottenham eyeing swoop for Andersen

According to a report by football.london, Tottenham Hotspur are considering making a move for Lyon colossus Joachim Andersen along with other centre-back targets as the 24-year-old excels on loan at Fulham.

Daniel Levy is clearly keen to strengthen in the heart of defence after more rumours surfaced that Jose Mourinho is not keen on Davinson Sanchez.

Andersen, who has been a crucial player for the Cottagers in their battle to avoid Premier League relegation, has attracted big praise this season for his performances.

Tottenham and Levy eye Andersen move

Martin Keown, writing for the Daily Mail recently, even compared him to star Man City defender Ruben Dias – calling him Scott Parker’s equivalent of the Portuguese colossus.

Now, football.london report that Andersen is enticing interest from Spurs as a result of his consistent showings as Levy considers making a move for him this summer.

The 6 foot 4 centre-back is reportedly on his radar as the Lilywhites seek to sign a leader at the back for 2021/2022 – and it’s safe to say Andersen fits the bill.

Speaking to Optus Sports (via The Boot Room), pundit and former Scotland international Don Hutchison raved about the defender – hailing him as a ‘real leader’ whilst urging Liverpool to make a move.

He has also attracted praise from the English press, with Daily Mirror journalist John Cross calling Andersen ‘magnificent’ (Twitter).

Transfer Tavern take

However, while he appears to have the quality, Levy must first reach a practical agreement with alleged stern negotiator and Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas.

The Lilywhites chairman had to break the club’s transfer record to sign Tanguy Ndombele two years ago after talks with Aulas, and football.london say it will not be straight forward to get a deal done.

Time will tell whether Spurs can sign him in the summer, but the upcoming transfer window looks set to be an interesting one amid unprecedented circumstances caused by the global pandemic.

In other news: Tottenham are apparently ‘really trying’ to sign this £225,000-per-week star, find out more here.

Former Liverpool star Jordan Henderson bizarrely labelled 'one of the best signings' by Saudi Pro League chief despite disastrous six-month spell at Al-Ettifaq

Jordan Henderson has been named 'one of the best Saudi Pro League signings' despite his disastrous spell before he left to join Ajax in January.

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  • Henderson join Al-Ettifaq from Liverpool
  • Left after just six months
  • Move labelled a success by Saudi league chief
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Henderson controversially joined Al-Ettifaq from Liverpool last year, signing a lucrative deal with the Middle Eastern club. He had his contract terminated in January, however, allowing him to make the switch to Dutch giants Ajax. Still, the league’s vice-chairman, Saad Al Lazeez, says the English midfielder was a top signing.

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    WHAT LAZEEZ SAID

    Lazeez said at the the Financial Times Business of Football Summit: “Jordan Henderson, even though he left, was one of the best signings in the Saudi Pro League. We signed 93 players in the summer window, and I would say 28 to 30 of them would be in anybody’s list of the top 300 players, and you don’t expect all of them to stay. Sometimes things do not work out, sometimes the player does not adapt, you expect those things to happen."

    He added: "I still maintain Jordan Henderson was one of our best signings, we benefited a great deal from his signing, we’re learning a lot of lessons and we will continue to grow from there. We have been with Jordan throughout his journey from the day we signed him in the UK. We still maintain a good relationship with him. He’s a great guy, a great person. It just did not work out. So that’s life."

  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Henderson's move to Saudi Arabia proved controversial in his homeland, as he was booed by England fans during international matches. He also faced criticism from the LGBTQ+ community and he apologised after leaving the country.

    He said: "If any people from that community feel let down or hurt I apologise. If anyone was offended or feel as though I upset them, that's on me, that was my decision and I apologise for that. It was never my intention."

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    WHAT NEXT FOR HENDERSON?

    Henderson has made four appearances for Ajax but was left out of their last two matches after dealing with a knock. He could be in action again on Sunday when the Amsterdam club host Utrecht in the Eredivisie.

Aarons, Lamptey or Celik good for Everton

Patrick Boyland has named three players who he claims would be a good fit for Everton.

Co-writing his latest piece for The Athletic, the journalist has named Max Aarons, Tariq Lamptey and Zeki Celik as three right-backs who the Goodison Park club should be targeting in the summer transfer window.

Aarons, Lamptey and Celik would all be good fits for Everton

Given that Seamus Coleman is 32 years of age, it may well be time for the Merseysiders to go and invest in a younger right-back in the upcoming market.

Aarons, Lamptey and Celik all seem like more than capable replacements, and at 21, 20 and 24 years old respectively, they are all at an ideal age to potentially cement a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s team for the long haul.

All three players have averaged more interceptions and key passes, and have a higher overall average rating on Whoscored, than Coleman, suggesting that they have outperformed the Republic of Ireland international in their respective domestic leagues so far this season.

Lamptey in particular is a talent who would surely be attractive to the Toffees, with Kevin Phillips recently describing the Englishman as a ‘fantastic’ player at his age; and given that he is already playing in the Premier League for Brighton, he should have no problems whatsoever adapting to Everton should he make the move to the northwest.

In other news, find out which Blues player has been slammed after comments emerged!

VIDEO: Arsenal fans mock Burnley supporters with brutal 'half our f*cking team did' chant

Arsenal fans came up with a brutal 'half our f*cking team' scored chant to mock Burnley fans as the five-star Gunners ran riot at Turf Moor.

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  • Arsenal beat Burnley 5-0
  • Gooners on a roll at Turf Moor
  • Humiliate home fans with song
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    WHAT HAPPENED?

    The Gunners looked unstoppable on Saturday afternoon as they thrashed Burnley by five goals in a Premier League encounter. It was one-way traffic right from the first whistle and the travelling fans were having a gala time at the visitor's stand as their favourite team ruthlessly put the Clarets to the sword.

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  • WATCH THE CLIP

  • WHAT WAS THE CHANT

    To add flavour to the festive spirit and mock the opposition support, the Arsenal fans debuted a new chant: "Who put the ball in the Burnley net, half our fucking team did".

    Martin Odegaard opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute and then Bukayo Saka added two more each side of half-time. Leandro Trossard got in on the action and then in the final quarter, Kai Havertz added the icing on the cake with the fifth of the night to cap off a relentless performance.

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  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Arsenal have scored 11 goals on the road in their last two league games. They seem to have hit top gear at the right time as they continue to challenge Liverpool and Manchester City for the title.

Who is Celtic starlet Adam Montgomery?

Even when Celtic appoint their new manager, they will still have a whole host of problems to address.Whether it’s a crumbling defence or the fact their star men could leave in the summer, it won’t be the easiest of rebuilding jobs.Another priority will be addressing the club’s academy. This term it’s been a particular source of debate for supporters with the Green Brigade growing tired of seeing their best products leave.Cameron Harper looks as though he’ll move back to the United States while Karamoko Dembele is yet to sign a new deal. His current contract expires in the summer and it doesn’t look as though he’ll sign a new one.With that in mind, it will be up to the boss, and indeed John Kennedy before he is dislodged, to bring through a new generation of talent. After all, the current crop are hardly good enough; they’re 15 points off top spot.Kennedy has already started to make progress. Since he walked through the door, young forward Adam Montgomery, never seen in the Celtic senior team before, was handed a long-term deal at Parkhead.He celebrated that accomplishment by being named among the substitutes for the Bhoys 1-0 win over Aberdeen last weekend.The 18-year-old didn’t feature but it looks as though the future is bright for Montgomery, particularly with Kennedy at the helm.The interim manager was Kieran Tierney’s biggest mentor when he was rising through the ranks of the Hoops academy and thus, he could prove highly beneficial for someone like Montgomery.[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-on-celtics-managerial-vacancy” title=”Check out the latest on Celtic’s managerial vacancy!”]With little to play for, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the teenage forward was given an opportunity at earning first-team minutes. He is a crafty attacker and as footage tells us, has a wonderful left foot.Montgomery is always keen to stride forward and inject a sense of energy into the game; something demonstrated by his goal against Inverness nearly a year ago.It was a goal that no doubt will have attracted plenty of onlookers at the top of the Celtic chain. He exchanged passes nicely before bursting forward with sheer pace. The way he turned in the box before burying the opportunity was truly mesmeric.

Moments of quality like that are incredibly rare but with Harper potentially leaving, there is a spot for the youngster to contest for in the senior side.

The former hasn’t been a regular at the first-team level but his departure will well and truly be Montgomery’s gain, especially after penning new terms until 2025.

Possessing the ability to drift past opponents with ease, his energy could give him the edge over players like Patryk Klimala heading into next season. After all, the Pole cut a frustrated and lazy figure versus Aberdeen.

He needs to watch out that Montgomery doesn’t take his place. After earning a new deal, he has earned the right to be unleashed for good by Kennedy.

AND in other news, Desmond could sway Ajer’s Celtic future by hiring 47 y/o who’d be a “very good fit”…

Chelsea's No.1 striker target! £80m-rated Ivan Toney rises to top of Blues' shortlist amid PSG interest in Victor Osimhen

Chelsea have reportedly earmarked Brentford's Ivan Toney as their number one striker target, with Paris Saint-Germain tracking Victor Osimhen.

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  • Chelsea to reinforce front line
  • Toney heads striker shortlist
  • Osimhen wanted by PSG
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Chelsea look set to be in the market for a striker once again this summer and have long admired Brentford frontman Toney. notes that the Bees will stand firm on their £80 million ($101m) valuation, although that doesn't look likely to deter the Blues. The report notes that Chelsea have made Toney their prime target, especially considering striker movements elsewhere in Europe.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    It seems Kylian Mbappe's proposed move to Real Madrid will have a knock-on effect in the summer market. PSG will be naturally be looking for a replacement up top and notes that Osimhen has emerged as their number one target. The capital club would be more than capable of paying the Nigerian's reported €130m (£112m/$141m) release clause, especially after offloading Mbappe's wages.

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    According to the report, it is Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino who is pushing for the move. The Argentine thinks Toney can take his side "to the next level" and has instructed the club's owners to go all out for the Brentford man.

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    WHAT NEXT FOR TONEY?

    Chelsea's interest may sound alarm bells in north London, as Arsenal have also registered their interest in the England international in the past. The Gunners will, however, have the advantage of offering Toney European football – something which 10th-placed Chelsea will only achieve if they win either the Carabao or FA Cup this term.

Real Madrid ratings vs Rayo Vallecano: Where are you, Jude?! Joselu on target but Bellingham badly missed by Los Blancos as Raul de Tomas returns to haunt Los Blancos

Carlo Ancelotti's side missed their main man as they were forced to settle for a point.

For the first time, Real Madrid missed Jude Bellingham. Los Blancos have coped without him before – winning each of the games he has sat out. But this time, the Englishman's attacking impetus was vital. And Carlo Ancelotti's side looked short on ideas without it, struggling their way to a 1-1 draw with a brave Rayo Vallecano side.

Los Blancos took the lead early, Federico Valverde providing an inch-perfect cross to Joselu – who finished a well-constructed counter. Rayo were handed a lifeline by an Eduardo Camavinga handball inside the box. Raul de Tomas smashed the ensuing penalty into the net. Madrid almost scored a second on the brink of half-time, when Valverde cracked a volley off the post.

But Los Blancos offered little else, and Rayo looked more likely to score after the break. Aurelien Tchouameni prevented a certain Rayo goal early in the second half, chasing down Alvaro Garcia and preventing his effort with a clever lunge. Late Madrid changes added some attacking thrust. Toni Kroos turned in a classy cameo, and forced a neat save from a free-kick.

Still, it wasn't enough, and Ancelotti's side were forced to settle for a frustrating point.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Vallecas…

  • Goalkeeper & Defence

    Andriy Lunin (5/10):

    Couldn't do anything about the Rayo penalty in his only real action of the day.

    Lucas Vazquez (5/10):

    Offered some attacking ideas down the wing in the early goings, but was rather pushed back by Rayo's brave press.

    Aurelien Tchouameni (6/10):

    Another solid shift at centre-back. He flies into tackles a bit too often. Made up for his own mistake with a vital tackle in the second half.

    Nacho (6/10):

    Tidy and reliable. Didn't have much of an impact – which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

    Fran Garcia (6/10):

    Tried a bit too hard at times against his former club. Scampered down the left with regularity, but an ill-advised shot that flew into the street behind the net encapsulated his troubles.

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    Midfield

    Federico Valverde (7/10):

    Provided a lovely assist for Joselu. Full of legs in central areas. It would be nice to see him get forward more – he makes things happen.

    Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):

    Gave away the Rayo penalty, even if he was slightly unlucky. Closed down spaces well, and was tidy in possession. Unlucky to be subbed.

    Luka Modric (5/10):

    Classy on the ball, but he doesn't have the legs to press as effectively anymore, and it showed.

    Brahim Diaz (4/10):

    Barely involved – less than a week removed from his most important showing in a Madrid shirt to date.

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    Attack

    Joselu (7/10):

    Had the ball in the net twice within 20 minutes – even if only one of them counted. Made all of the necessary runs, and got into good areas. Needed better service, all told.

    Vinicius Jr (6/10):

    As entertaining as ever, without being particularly effective – aside from a few dangerous runs. He doesn't seem to have the best understanding with Joselu.

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    Subs & Manager

    Toni Kroos (7/10):

    A wonderful cameo that brought some attacking ideas. Should have come on earlier.

    Rodrygo (5/10):

    Lively without being particularly effective.

    Dani Carvajal (2/10):

    Sent off for two silly yellows.

    Arda Guler (N/A):

    No time to make an impact.

    Carlo Ancelotti (5/10):

    Rotated heavily with a theoretically easy contest ahead. But Rayo made it difficult for Madrid, and Ancelotti's side didn't deserve more than a point. He probably could have introduced Kroos earlier, or brought Guler on. Otherwise, though, he simply missed his best player.

Gers fans rage at Martin article

Many Glasgow Rangers fans are livid over an article from newspaper columnist Helen Martin following the celebrations which took place at George Square at the weekend.

The last few days have been special for the Ibrox club. For the first time in 10 years, they lifted the Premiership title on Saturday after beating Aberdeen 4-0 at home – that also meant they went the entire league campaign unbeaten (BBC). As such, thousands of Rangers supporters took to the streets to celebrate. While there was some trouble – 20 fans were arrested (firstpost.com) – the scenes were generally peaceful and well-natured.

However, Martin clearly had another agenda on her mind. She concentrated solely on the few supporters who caused trouble and suggested that there is a widespread sectarian issue amongst the club’s fanbase – she even floated the idea of Rangers being put out of business (The Edinburgh News).

She shared the article on her Twitter page, and it attracted outrage from many Gers supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on her “disturbing” remarks.

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

“Utterly disgusting and truly offensive article.”

Credit: @sisi_michael

“See you in court”

Credit: @mitchduncan6

“Vile beyond belief”

Credit: @jamesmcguire191

“Downright disturbing take.”

Credit: @Shodan47

“This is a staggeringly appalling article, it’s not just the content itself it’s all terribly written”

Credit: @leadbetterMaz

“That is vile and dangerous. Very very dangerous Helen Martin.”

Credit: @Tilthedayisdone

In other news, Rangers fans love this Burj Khalifa tribute.

Hughton must axe Joao Carvalho this summer

Chris Hughton’s Nottingham Forest side look set to welcome Joao Carvalho back to the City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Nottinghamshire Live, who claim that Carvalho’s loan side, LaLiga2 outfit UD Almeria, look unlikely to take up their option to buy clause in the 24-year-old’s temporary contract at the club.

As such, the £3.6 million-rated man is expected to return to the Nigel Doughty Academy this summer, when Hughton will assess whether or not he feels the attacking midfielder has a future at the club.

Carvalho must go

Since arriving at Forest from Benfica in what was a club-record £13.5 million deal back in 2018, it would be fair to say that Carvalho has not quite lived up to his price tag.

So far in his career in Nottingham, the £15,000-per-week midfielder has scored just six goals over his 67 appearances for the club, meaning that each strike has cost the Garibaldi roughly £2.25 million – and that is a figure which does not take into account his rather hefty wage.

Furthermore, having been loaned out to Almeria at the beginning of this season, Carvalho has done little to suggest that he has improved during his time away from the Championship, having scored no goals and registering just three assists over his 27 LaLiga2 appearances, with this average SofaScore match rating of 6.82 only being enough to rank him as the club’s 15th-best performer in the Spanish second tier.

As such, in order to provide Hughton with funds to play with this summer, with the objective of building a team capable of securing a much more respectable league position than the one they will end the current campaign in, the 62-year-old must do all he can to rid himself of Carvalho in the upcoming window, as time very much appears to be up for the 24-year-old whom Joe Worrall once claimed has a “massive” future ahead of him.

In other news: Hughton must sanction Forest swoop for 8-goal “winner” who fans would love – opinion

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