Roy Keane is reportedly open to becoming Neil Lennon’s successor as permanent Celtic manager.
That’s according to The Scottish Sun, who claimed that the 49-year-old – who reportedly rejected the job to replace Lennon back in 2014 – would now consider a move to Parkhead.
Keane’s managerial absence
Well-known for his punditry roles in recent years, Keane last managed back in 2010/11 with Ipswich Town.
Since then, the Irishman – who finished his playing career with Celtic – has been an assistant at Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and for his native Republic of Ireland.
However, it seems as if he’s keen to return to the dugout, and his love for Celtic has seen him become keen on the vacant Parkhead position, according to The Scottish Sun.
Transfer Tavern take
Keane was left unimpressed with Peter Lawwell seven years ago as to how negotiations materialised, but he won’t have to worry about the chief executive this time around due to the latter’s impending retirement.
To us, a move for Keane would be a huge gamble. He has taken charge of just 181 games as a manager, with those coming between 2008 and 2011. Also, some players under his watch have gone public about the 49-year-old’s abrasive demeanour in previous coaching roles.
His long absence away from the hot seat could therefore prove to be a risky move by the Hoops board, but it seems as if the former midfielder is keen to head back to Glasgow.
In other news: Celtic impressed by Director of Football target following talks, find out more here.
West Ham United should seal a deal for Issa Diop to join Inter Milan on loan over Liverpool if the defender is to leave the London Stadium ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.
What’s the word?
According to Foot Mercato, Inter are one of a group of Italian and Spanish sides monitoring Diop’s situation and could move to sign the out of favour centre-back.
Liverpool are claimed to be asking abut the £18m-rated titan’s availability to help solve their injury crisis following issues for Joel Matip, Fabinho, Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk, which have forced Jordan Henderson to play in the backline of late.
West Ham are not expected to greatly oppose a deal to offload Diop in the closing stages of the winter market, having seen David Moyes often favour Angelo Ogbonna beside one of Craig Dawson or Fabian Balbuena this season.
Reports have also claimed that Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League champions have made official enquiries and been informed that Diop is available for a loan that carries a £20m obligation to buy.
Though The Telegraph’s Jason Burt opposed suggestions of there being any contact between the two sides as of Sunday morning, but refused to rule out a deal being agreed before the winter market slams shut on Monday night.
Should West Ham let Diop leave?
Moyes has shown that Diop is far from his first-choice centre-half anymore, with the Frenchman spending much of the season on the bench since testing positive for coronavirus back in September.
Claims emerging that the Irons would not oppose a deal for Diop to leave only hammer home his outcast status, but letting the £67,000-per-week defender join Liverpool would only serve to strengthen a side that the east London outfit find themselves competing with for European qualification.
Moyes and the West Ham board would look senseless come the end of the season if Diop were to move to Anfield and hit the ground running, helping Klopp keep a raft of clean sheets and dominate opposing offences. All the while hindering the Irons’ hopes of Champions or Europa League football for next season.
Yet interest from Italy and Spain means the Hammers do not need to accept Liverpool’s approach, should one officially be made, as they should be able to secure the same agreements with those clubs.
Inter Milan, specifically, ought to be seen as the dream destination for Diop in the eyes of David Gold, Karren Brady and David Sullivan, as the Nerazzurri are fighting for the Serie A title and they can use that to drive individual and team performance-related clauses into the deal.
Sending the centre-half to the San Siro on loan with an obligation to buy would also ensure West Ham would not have to worry about facing Diop in the near future, should he rediscover his form, having been touted by the Irons’ former Director of Football Mario Husillos as having “fantastic potential” when signed for a then club-record £22m in 2018.
Moyes is not tapping into that potential, and West Ham would be loath to see Klopp do so. Thus must see Inter as their dream deal for the defender, should January be his final month at the London Stadium.
AND in other news, GSB may rue missed West Ham deal for “excellent” 10-goal striker…
According to Football Insider, Glasgow Rangers remain ‘hopeful’ that Steven Davis will sign a new contract to keep him at the club.
What’s the word?
The Northern Irishman has entered the final remaining months of his current deal as his future at Ibrox hangs in the balance and his manager is said to be keen on tying him down to a fresh deal.
Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard revealed back at the beginning of February that he wants Davis to extend his time at the club.
Since then though, no announcement has been made, despite the fact Davis has played a pivotal role in Gerrard’s side surging up to the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
The onus, therefore, is on Gerrard to push Ross Wilson and co. to put pen to paper and extend his contract beyond the end of the season at the very least.
Get it done
Davis has scored one goal in 36 games for Rangers so far this season. But don’t let those numbers fool you so easily, as he has been a key cog in the midfield.
Despite his advancing years, the 36-year-old has continued to turn back the clock and boasts an impressive WhoScored match rating of 6.99 which sees him rank 11th out of the entire Rangers squad, just behind Ryan Jack and ahead of Ianis Hagi and Glen Kamara.
By the numbers, he ranks joint-second for interceptions per 90 in the Premiership (1.3 pg), third for tackles per game (1.7 pg), and eighth for clearances (0.9 pg), which only further illustrates his value.
He’s perhaps one of the most underrated signings of the post-Pedro Caixinha era, with Gerrard deserving immense credit for sanctioning such a move.
Davis, who reportedly earns wages worth £18,000-a-week, deserves every single penny that’s coming his way, whether that be from Ibrox or elsewhere, and Gerrard must push those above him to make sure that it’s the Scottish champions-elect who pay him such a salary.
AND in other news, Rangers in three-club transfer battle for 19-year-old Wigan strike prodigy Kyle Joseph…
Glasgow Rangers’ European dream came to an end last night against Slavia Prague at Ibrox, and Leon Balogun was partly to blame for the Gers’ collapse.
The 55-time Scottish champions drew 1-1 in Czechia in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 clash and will have been hoping to get the job done at home. However, they ended up losing 2-0 in the return match and therefore were defeated 3-1 on aggregate.
Balogun, in particular, struggled against Slavia. His lack of pace was clear, he lost possession 15 times (SofaScore) and he was also sent off for a second bookable offence in the second half. That dismissal came after Kemar Roofe had already been given his marching orders for a stomach-churning tackle on goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar – Balogun made his side’s job even harder.
The Gers supporters were far from happy with his display, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.
Let’s see what the fans had to say about Balogun below
“Balogun was shocking since the first minute, probably should of gave a penalty away and then gets sent off. Disaster.”
Credit: @ProctorDre
“Both balogun and goldson were awful!”
Credit: @APearson93
“Three players tonight showed the are true Rangers in an important game, Davis, Kent and Patterson. Ariobo, Barasic, were ify. Kamara, Arfield, Morelos. Balogun was a liability. Roofe? should go. Lord have mercy on us come Sunday barring one of our opponents miracle.”
Credit: @alexanderlair10
“Because the red card was coming all game. He was pathetic tonight. Shouldve been hooked at half time”
Credit: @Tjrfc97
“Garbage”
Credit: @steviegwilldo
“Balogun isn’t good enough for Rangers .. that’s just the truth & it’s not based on one game”
Credit: @andybearz
In other news, Rangers are interested in this 18-goal striker.
For Celtic, not even a sensational transfer window would likely allow them to be able to bridge the gap to Rangers.
The Gers are currently 21 points ahead of Neil Lennon’s team who are seemingly sinking without a trace.
The late goal that Celtic conceded to Hibernian on Monday evening just about summed things up. With 13 players and Neil Lennon self-isolating as a precautionary measure following a positive test, they, once again, dropped points.
This season has been a disastrous one for the Hoops, and Peter Lawwell could inflict further misery on the club by sanctioning a transfer for Adam Reach.
Reach, who currently plays for Sheffield Wednesday, is available on a free transfer with his contract expiring this summer. As alluded to earlier this week on FFC, he’d represent a bargain, but there are negatives to this potential deal going through.
Celtic and Rangers are reportedly both monitoring his situation with a view to offering Reach a contract. However, it’s difficult to suggest for one moment that this would be a good signing for The Hoops.
All you need to do is look at the stats. The winger may have contributed to four goals this campaign but beyond that, there is a lack of consistent threat and penetration in the final third.
As a winger, your primary job should be to create opportunities and beat your marker, but Reach regularly fails to do either of those on a regular basis. For the Owls this season, he’s managed just 0.5 key passes per match and only 0.5 dribbles per game.
For context, those tallies are both below both Scott Brown, a midfielder, and Kristoffer Ajer, a centre-back, in the Celtic side. That’s incredibly damning when you consider they both play in defensive roles. Furthermore, the number of dribbles he manages per game is identical to the aforementioned Celtic players.
Now, with that in mind, we needn’t say much more. Reach is a winger but he lacks consistency and at times, it looks like he can’t even manage the basic fundamentals of someone that plays on the flanks.
Yes, the Hoops enjoy more possession in the SPFL than Sheff Wed do in the Championships but it speaks volumes about how average the Wednesday winger is as an attacking force when his stats equate to those of Brown and Ajer.
Reach did score against Exeter in the FA Cup last weekend but his performance beyond that was pretty poor, especially against a League Two side. He lost possession an inexcusable 21 times – the fourth highest on his team – and completed just 73% of his passes. Not exactly great numbers against a League Two club.
Even though he’d cost Lawwell absolutely nothing, this would still be a poor acquisition. Reach, who earns £23k-per-week, isn’t good enough and he has done little this term to convince us that he’d be consistent enough to deliver the goods at Parkhead.
If Celtic want to close the gap at the top and rediscover their dominance, they must forget about the Wednesday attacker and look at better options.
AND in other news, “Huge disappointment” – Exclusive: Pundit reacts to massive Celtic injury blow for Neil Lennon…
Wolves will be looking to get back to winning ways as they head to north London to battle Arsenal this evening.
Nuno Santo’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Southampton on Monday, meaning they have won just one of their last four Premier League outings.
For the first time at the Midlands club, the Portuguese boss named a back four over his usual 3-4-3/3-5-2 system due to the absence of skipper Conor Coady.
The Gunners, however, come into this on the back of an emphatic win in Europe on Thursday evening, so what sort of Wolves side will we see at the Emirates?
Here’s the XI we are predicting…
Nuno could make as many as three changes knowing a win for either side would push them back towards the top seven.
He should be able to welcome back his talismanic captain to the starting line up. He was able to play against the Saints, but wasn’t risked due to a lack of game time in the build-up.
Coady will take his place in the middle of a back three, in between Willy Boly and Max Kilman whilst Nelson Semedo continues at right wing-back. However, the £22.5m-rated England international’s return leaves a decision to make on the left.
Rayan Ait-Nouri may well be dropped for the experience of Marcal.
In midfield, the switch back to a two-man engine room means someone needs to be axed and after an underwhelming showing last week, it’s Ruben Neves who gets the chop, meaning Joao Moutinho will pair Leander Dendoncker.
The final change could see Pedro Neto handed a start having been dropped against the Saints. He delivered the crucial assist for Raul Jimenez to tie things up, his fourth goal contribution of the season.
He is likely to come in for Adama Traore, who hasn’t scored or assisted since the Bournemouth win back in June.
It means Daniel Podence keeps his place with the Portuguese duo playing in behind the Old Gold marksman, Jimenez, once again.
AND in other news, Forget Silva: Wolves may have striking sensation in “outstanding prospect”…
Sam Allardyce’s job at West Brom isn’t getting any easier after they were given a Christmas thrashing at the hands of their old foes.
The Baggies were hit for five without reply by Leeds United at the Hawthorns on Tuesday evening, a defeat which condemned them to five points adrift of safety.
Romaine Sawyers ensured Albion got off to a diabolical start as his back pass embarrassingly went into Sam Johnstone’s net, and it was simply floodgates from there.
Gjanni Alioski, Jack Harrison and Rodrigo all bagged before half-time before Raphinha’s strike some 20 minutes from time sealed the demolition of the Midlands outfit.
There were simply no positives from the match whatsoever – you could not pick out a player worth even an ounce of praise.
Although one man utterly betrayed his new manager with his performance.
In Jake Livermore’s absence, the captaincy has been handed to the long-serving Matty Phillips, but by going on his display this week, he’ll be lucky to be named on the bench let alone be gifted the chance to lead the side out again.
The 29-year-old was hooked at half-time and it’s no surprise to see why.
Per SofaScore, Phillips lost 100% of his six duels both aerially and on the ground, enjoyed fewer touches (19) and passes (seven) playing in attacking midfield than the goalkeeper, and failed to register a single key pass, accurate cross, shot or dribble.
Ineffective. Lightweight. Anonymous.
Those aren’t characteristics Big Sam will want to see from a player he trusted with the armband, so ultimately he was let down tenfold.
BirminghamLive reporter Joseph Chapman graded his performance a joint-low two out of ten, he added:
“Having shown seeds of promise in a central role at Anfield, Phillips was played around here. His passing was inaccurate in attack and Leeds had far too much joy heading in the opposite direction. Hooked at the break.”
It is now three consecutive matches that West Brom have lost at home by a three-goal margin and with just eight points for the season, the 66-year-old ‘firefighter’ has it all to do to turn around this sinking Albion ship.
Performances like that will do him no favours whatsoever.
AND in other news, Exclusive: 29 y/o backed to spearhead Sam Allardyce’s survival bid…
Liverpool return to Premier League action on Thursday evening, as they face Tottenham Hotspur away from home.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have started 2021 in terrible fashion, as they remain without a win in the top-flight, whilst they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United last weekend.
The Reds have scored just one goal in four top-flight fixtures and are in for another tough game on Thursday, as they face Jose Mourinho’s Spurs in North London.
Liverpool showed signs of improvements in the defeat at Old Trafford but looked vulnerable to counter-attacks throughout the game, so changes seem likely for the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, considering how deadly Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son have been throughout the season so far.
Here’s how Football FanCast expects Klopp to line his side up against Spurs, with three changes from the team that started against Manchester United…
Alisson keeps his place in goal, although his performance at Old Trafford was arguably one of his worst in a Liverpool shirt as he should have saved Marcus Rashford’s goal and he’ll have been disappointed to have been beaten on his side by Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick.
There’s one change in the defence, as Joel Matip returns to the starting line-up after being rested for the FA Cup game last weekend, and he replaces Rhys Williams, who struggled badly against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
Jordan Henderson could also reportedly make his return, so Klopp should select his captain in the hope that he can provide some much-needed leadership on the pitch against Spurs and he’ll be picked in midfield, having filled in at centre-back in recent weeks.
He starts alongside Georginio Wijnalduma and Thiago in midfield, with £140,000-a-week man James Milner dropping to the bench.
Unsurprisingly, the “unbelievable” Sadio Mane returns to the side after starting on the bench in the FA Cup meaning Curtis Jones drops to the bench, and Klopp will be hoping that his strongest front three can do the business against Mourinho’s side, with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino having shown glimpses of being back to their usual selves at Old Trafford last time out.
There have been suggestions that Fabinho could be missing for the game as he wasn’t spotted training with the Reds today, although there has been no confirmation at this time. If that is the case, and The Reds are without the Brazilian, then we’d expect Henderson to drop into defence alongside Matip, with Milner getting the nod in midfield.
And, in other news… “I think they”ll try and get it done this window” – Exclusive: Pundit tips LFC to sign “perfect” 28 y/o
Following Harry Kane’s exit and Ange Postecoglou’s arrival last summer, Tottenham Hotspur have been undergoing something of a squad rebuild.
The Australian has seen the likes of Giovani Lo Celso, Emerson Royal and Harry Winks leave the club, while talented stars like James Maddison, Archie Gray and Micky Van de Ven have come in.
However, while the squad is full of talented players who could help the Lilywhites end their extended trophy-drought, some are still not good enough.
In fact, one of those who should be moved on as soon as possible is earning more than Van de ven and Dejan Kulusevski combined.
Kulusevski and Van de Ven's salaries
Kulusevski officially joined Spurs from Juventus on a permanent deal for around £25m last summer after spending the previous 18 months on loan with the club, and while he can be inconsistent at times, he’s easily one of the most technically gifted players in the squad.
Tottenham star Dejan Kulusevski celebrates
The Swedish international has made 101 appearances for the North Londoners since January 2022, in which he’s scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 2.80 games, and in the last couple of matches, he’s been one of the few bright spots in the team.
So, it’s not all that surprising then that the 24-year-old is currently the club’s fifth-highest earner, making £110k-per-week, or a whopping £8.5m-per-year, which is a lot more than star defender Van de Ven.
The Dutchman joined the club last summer for a fee of around £34m from German side Wolfsburg, and to say he’s been a success in the year since would be an understatement.
The 23-year-old has become an integral part of Postecoglou’s ultra-attacking style of football, as, thanks to his lightning-quick pace, he’s capable of maintaining a high line and sprinting back to cover off danger.
Micky van de Ven celebrates for Tottenham
However, for as indisputably crucial as he is to the North Londoners, he’s on a comparatively low wage – for a footballer, that is – of just £50k-per-week, which is around £2.6m.
That number is sure to increase over the coming seasons, but it will have to do so substantially to even match the wage of another Tottenham player who is far less important to the team.
Timo Werner's salary
Yes, the player in question is German forward Timo Werner, who first joined the club on a six-month loan spell in January, which, according to Sky Sports, cost the club around £4.3m in fees and wages.
Now, he wasn’t dreadful in those six months, but he wasn’t particularly impressive either, so when it was announced that the club had extended his loan for this season, it was a surprise, especially when it was revealed that they would be paying all of his wages and there was an £8.5m option to buy included.
However, based on the frankly enormous £165k-per-week he is earning, Postecoglou should not take that option, especially after a performance like the one against Coventry City on Wednesday night, in which he failed to register a single shot and was awarded a 2/10 from Spurs writer Alasdair Gold.
So far, when accounting for his wages and the initial fee, the former Chelsea flop has cost the Lilywhites a whopping £7.1m, which, when broken down by his 18 appearances, two goals and three assists, does not make for pretty reading.
For example, he’s cost Daniel Levy and Co £394k-per-appearance, £3.56m-per-goal, £2.36m-per-assist and £1.42m-per-goal-involvement – talk about value for money.
Wages & Fee (Total)
£165k (£7.1m)
Appearances
18
Cost per Appearance
£394k
Goals
2
Cost per Goal
£3.56m
Assists
3
Cost per Assist
£2.36m
Goal Involvements
5
Cost per Goal Involvement
£1.42m
Ultimately, while the club have signed worse players in the past, it’s impossible to ignore how much Werner has cost in relation to his output, especially as he is on more than Van de Ven and Kulusevski combined. Therefore, Postecoglou should axe him from his starting lineup, and the club should not activate the option to buy.
Ange must instantly drop 6/10 Spurs gem who lost the ball 13x vs Coventry
The talented youngster has a bright future ahead of him, but he’s not ready to start in the Premier League.
Chelsea’s standing in the race to sign West Ham star Declan Rice is diminishing in the eyes of “multiple sources”, reports reliable journalist Ben Jacobs.
Who are Chelsea signing this summer?
The Blues will no doubt be busy in the now open summer transfer window, with Mauricio Pochettino sure to want to put a stamp on a squad that is seen by many to be oversized.
It means we will likely see plenty of ‘deadwood’ cleared out, with the likes of Kalidou Kouliably, Romelu Lukaku, Trevoh Chalobah and Mateo Kovacic all linked with exits, while one would expect a new goalkeeper to replace one or both of Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga too.
In terms of incomings, Todd Boehly and Pochettino are seemingly dead set on brining Brighton star Moises Caicedo to the club, with reports on Friday suggesting they are winning the race for the Ecuador international.
They have also been linked with a move for Rice, seemingly ready to do battle with London rivals Arsenal for the Hammers icon’s signature, with reports revealing the Blues have jumped into the race after seeing the Gunners rejected with their opening bid.
However, according to Jacobs, Boehly and Pochettino may have to focus all their efforts on Caicedo, with word coming through the grapevine on Rice.
“Chelsea's chances of landing Rice are being downplayed by multiple sources,” the CBS journalist said. “CFC do have a long-standing interest in him, but the club are working on other priorities as it stands.”
Is Rice better than Caicedo?
It’s pretty difficult to separate the two players looking at the numbers, so it may come down to personal preferences – or club allegiances – when deciding who the better signing will be.
Rice, labelled “world class” by Danny Cowley, sits in the 56th percentile of midfielders in the big five leagues for tackles per 90, while his interceptions puts him right up in the 95th. Caicedo meanwhile, dubbed “magnificent” by Jamie Redknapp, is 87th percentile for tackling and 89th for interceptions.
They both read the game excellently then, and there’s not much to split their abilities on the ball either, with Rice leading the way when it comes to ball-carrying and Caicedo the better passer, ranking higher for total passes and pass completion.
If the Brighton star lands at Chelsea and his West Ham counterpart finds himself in north London, there will be quite the battle for supremacy when the two come head to head next season.