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Frank McAvennie has urged Celtic to sign Jota on a permanent deal following his loan spell at Parkhead.

The Lowdown: Option to buy

As per a revelation from Sky Sports, the Hoops have an option to buy Jota in the summer for a transfer fee believed to be in the region of just over £6m, following his loan spell from Benfica.

He has enjoyed a fine start to life in Glasgow, scoring three goals and making a further four assists in nine games in total over all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: McAvennie on Jota

Speaking to Football Insider, former Celts striker now pundit McAvennie has urged his old team to complete the signing of Jota permanently, after what he has seen of the Portuguese so far:

“He’s a heart-throb, the ladies love him.

“Honestly, I would buy him tomorrow. Get that deal signed, new terms, pay rise, all of it. I would take him, for six million?

“It’s a no brainer, I would take him. He’s only going to get better. Six million is nothing in today’s day and age.

“He seems to be enjoying himself as well. That’s half the battle. He’s always smiling, even when Celtic aren’t winning.

“He symbolises that happy camp that we seem to have now, what a difference from last season.

“It’s all clicking and we’re seeing the best of Jota as a result.”

The Verdict: No brainer

McAvennie could not have put it any better, it is certainly a ‘no brainer’ for the Bhoys to sign Jota after his loan spell ends.

£6m in today’s market is an absolute steal for a 22-year-old with the ability and potential he boasts, and he has already shown that he knows where the goal is.

Jota also ranks highly among his teammates in terms of shots (3.8), key passes (1.8), and dribbles (one) per game in the Scottish Premiership so far this term (Whoscored), proving already to be a key player for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

In other news, find out who Celtic’s worst three players were against Ferencvaros here!

Leeds United defender Robin Koch is expected to return to ‘serious training’ in around four weeks’ time, according to a fresh report which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Koch missing since opening weekend

The Whites lost 1-0 away to Southampton on Saturday afternoon as their disappointing start to the Premier League season continues.

Koch was among several key Leeds players who weren’t available, with the German ruled out since injuring his hip at Manchester United in the first game of the campaign.

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The Latest: Return edging closer

The 25-year-old has now undergone surgery in America and an update has been provided on his progress.

According to SPORT1 [via Sport Witness], Koch is aiming to be in full training in four weeks, with ‘rehabilitation training’ starting in the next 10 days.

That means his likely return to the pitch will come in November, although not until the back-end of the month, and even that depends on him not suffering any further setbacks in the meantime.

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The Verdict: Key for squad depth

Koch’s return will be vital for Marcelo Bielsa in terms of allowing him to rotate his squad as the fixtures become even more relentless in the winter months.

The £15.3m-rated German has been a miss in that respect, particularly with some of his defensive colleagues also succumbing to injuries in recent weeks, and the hope is that he can stay injury-free upon his return, helping Leeds get their season back on track.

In other news, Phil Hay has provided a key update regarding Raphinha’s Leeds future. Read more here.

Many West Ham United fans have been congratulating Irons academy product Conor Coventry for his first Republic of Ireland under-21s goal.  

A video of the 21-year-old’s goal, Ireland’s second of the game as they beat Bosnia-Herzegovina, was uploaded by RTE Soccer’s Twitter channel, and Coventry duly shared the footage to his own profile.

The Ireland under-21 skipper was on the receiving end of a well-worked set piece 12 yards out to slot the ball past Belmin Dizdarevic to get their European Under-21 Championship qualifying campaign off to a perfect start. 

Aston Villa’s Tyreik Wright opened the scoring from the penalty spot after a foul on Josh Kayode before Coventry sealed the victory as Ireland secured the three points. 

The West Ham midfielder is currently out on loan at Championship newcomers Peterborough United after making 18 appearances in Premier League 2 last season, scoring five goals and setting up another two. 

After playing six minutes in the Hammers’ 3-0 Carabao Cup victory over Charlton Athletic last season and being an unused substitute on numerous occasions in the Premier League, Coventry’s performance for his nation at under-21 level may just have grabbed David Moyes’ attention. 

West Ham fans on Coventry’s goal 

These Hammers fans on Twitter heaped praise on the youngster after his goal on the international scene, with one even labelling the precocious midfielder a “certified baller”.

“Well done CC, all Hammers are right behind you” 

Credit: @banterhammer 

“Any chance of you doing a Declan Rice” 

Credit: @DavidHoughton82  

“The lad is a certified baller” 

Credit: @tnulty95 

“The boy does it again! Amazing stuff! We want to see you in Claret and Blue” 

Credit: @Wheeler_Deals 

“Keep proving everyone wrong Conor!” 

Credit: @whueamon 

“Beautifully done, Conor” 

Credit: @Liambright 

In other news: ‘Communicated to joint-chairman David Sullivan’- ‘Unique’ player didn’t want West Ham move

In the Premier League, not only have Liverpool got themselves comfortably in the race to win the title and scored more goals than any other team in the top flight, but the Reds have also managed to keep eight clean sheets along the way.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, it seems as though the Merseyside club could be in danger of losing one of their current senior players.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by the Sunday Mirror (via Liverpool Echo 16:58) that newly appointed Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has got Reds defender Joe Gomez on his radar for a potential transfer move in the upcoming January transfer window.

Since joining the Merseyside club back in the 2015 summer transfer window from Charlton Athletic in a deal worth a reported fee of £3.5m, Gomez has made a total of 128 appearances for the Reds across all competitions.

Labelled as a “sensational” player by Jurgen Klopp in the past, Gomez has hardly had a look in for their current Premier League campaign, making just two appearances and playing just 13 minutes of action.

However, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £27m according to Transfermarkt, has played the full 90 minutes in both of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup games and one of their Champions League games, winning all of three of them and keeping two clean sheets in the process.

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Even though he has been injured in recent weeks, it’s safe to assume that Gomez would possibly be tempted to join Villa if he would be guaranteed regular playing time in the Premier League and play under Gerrard.

However, from a Liverpool point of view, it would be a calamity if FSG were to approve Gomez’s potential move to Villa. After all, he has vast experience with the Reds and has demonstrated enormous potential, leading us to believe he could become a regular figure in the team for the next few years alongside the likes of Ibrahima Konate.

With Vigil van Dijk and Joel Matip both now at the age of 30, it’s safe to say that Liverpool will be relying on the likes of Gomez and Konate to be their long-term replacements in the future, which would be quite hard if Gomez joins Villa.

It’s safe to say this wouldn’t be the wisest move from departing directing Michael Edwards.

In other news: Edwards could be set for LFC disaster as claim emerges on “unstoppable” £200k-p/w gem – opinion

Journalist Luke Hatfield has told Football FanCast that West Brom’s striker conundrum could lead to Matt Phillips starting upfront at the start of the season.

The Baggies currently have just one recognised number nine in their current squad in Karlan Grant, although Callum Robinson can play through the middle.

Experienced pair Hal Robson-Kanu and Charlie Austin were both released following the end of their contracts, whilst Valerien Ismael has been unable to bring in another frontman despite his best efforts in the window.

Kenneth Zohore is still contracted to the club, but his injury problems mean that a summer exit is more than likely.

With that in mind, Hatfield reckons that Phillips could come to West Brom’s rescue despite only playing through the middle a handful of times during his career.

He told Football FanCast:

“Albion need a striker, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him start there. He is capable of scoring goals, and he has scored at Championship level.

“But it wouldn’t shock me if we do see Phillips in that role in the Championship at some point in the season.”

This isn’t an ideal situation for Ismael, but Phillips has a proven goal record at this level, and with West Brom boasting quality all over the pitch, this shouldn’t prove too big an issue for the Baggies to cope with in their opening few games.

West Ham United fans are eager to sign Breel Embolo after they were linked with a move for the Switzerland international.

This summer transfer window is an important one for the Hammers. Last term, they finished in sixth place in the Premier League table, meaning they will be competing in the Europa League group stages this coming season. However, they have made just one signing so far in Alphonse Areola (whufc.com), and they remain light in the striker position – David Moyes has just Michail Antonio at his disposal in that role.

They are looking at several strikers, it seems, and according to reliable club insider ExWHUemployee, the Irons are looking at Borussia Monchengladbach’s £14.4m-valued Breel Embolo (Transfermarkt). He has managed 14 goals and 14 assists in 75 games for the German side (Transfermarkt), while he also impresses for Switzerland at Euro 2020 as his country reached the quarter-finals.

The Hammers fans, it seems, want to capture the former Schalke man, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

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

“Embolo would be an unbreel signing. Was class at the Euro’s and has matured a lot from when we wanted him a few years ago. Smart signing, but not enough to solve our striker problems. He would have to be accompanied by an Abraham”

Credit: @AranNicol1994

“I’d be buzzing if we got embolo thought he looked really good at the euros”

Credit: @Steve_WHU_

“Unpopular opinion : breel embolo from Gladbach would be an underrated signing. His performance at euros sadly have put his price up. But he’s a fighter, RW, ST or AF. Explosive and faster than MA”

Credit: @hammers_dave

“We need someone simular to Antonio, Embolo is like a clone of Antonio he is fast and strong and doesn’t stop running. I would take Embolo ahead of Abraham, I rate him that highly”

Credit: @_WHU_IRONS

“From what I seen in the euros I personally think he would be perfect for us! Get him in on loan and see what he can do”

Credit: @BruckmanLee

“With the addition of those 3, who would you realistically go for? For me, Herrera from Man City, seen him a handful of times & every time he looks like he could add some strength & creativity in the midfield. I’d be happy with Embolo on loan, looked a handful in the Euro’s”

Credit: @joegreene2

“I would be ECSTATIC about embolo”

Credit: @geekedupscotty

In other news, West Ham fans raged at this transfer update.

An Australian agent believes that Celtic are stopping Ange Postecoglou from bringing in his own Hoops backroom staff.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou’s comments

John Kennedy and Gavin Strachan were alongside Postecoglou during his first game as Celtic manager earlier this week. The Hoops defeated Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 in Wales on Wednesday, with Albian Ajeti, Owan Moffat and Odsonne Edouard all finding the back of the net.

Postecoglou made it clear during his first press conference as Celtic boss that he will make the final decision with regards to Kennedy and Strachan’s futures in Glasgow, but one agent doesn’t feel that is the case.

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The Latest: Agent claim

Agent Tony Rallis, talking to the Triple M Real Football Show, as cited by Glasgow Live, had this to say on Postecoglou when quizzed on who his assistant would be.

“My understanding is that Celtic Football Club have told Ange that he has to develop and inherit from within.

“He wasn’t allowed to take any of his staff. Whether that changes in time, I’m not sure but that was the initial programming, that we want you to come in and educate and implement within our own environment, including within our own youths, the promotion of youth players from within our own academies.”

The Verdict: Not so sure…

The single-minded, self-confident Postecoglou seems like the kind of manager who would want to take full control of incomings, departures and his own backroom staff, so we’re not reading too much into Rallis’ bold claim.

The 55-year-old probably wouldn’t have agreed to take over if he were going to be told what he can and cannot do, especially when it comes to the staff with whom he’ll be working.

Hopefully, the manager will either bring in his own staff or make it clear that he is happy with Kennedy and Strachan before the beginning of the new season, as that should then put an end to speculation regarding off-field uncertainties.

In other news: Hoops in talks with ‘quick’ international on £20,000-a-week, find out more here. 

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Phillips believes that new Celtic striker Georgios Giakoumakis can hit the ground running at Parkhead following his deadline day move from VVV-Venlo.

The Lowdown: Giakoumakis has enjoyed a sharp rise up the ranks

Rising from obscurity into the limelight last campaign, the Greece international finished the season as top scorer in the Eredivisie with 26 goals, despite his team plummeting to relegation [The Guardian].

Attracting attention from suitors around Europe, he completed a move to Celtic on transfer deadline day for £2.5m [The Scottish Sun] and he looks set to fill the void of former Hoops marksman Odsonne Edouard, who departed for Crystal Palace on the same day.

The Latest: Phillips believes Giakoumakis can get the Celtic support ‘excited’

Ever the fox in the box during his playing days, former Sunderland striker Phillips has now dropped his verdict on the 6 foot 1 ace.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Football Insider, the 48-year-old has been impressed by Giakoumakis, claiming: “I think they should be excited”.

Phillips then added: “I say it every week and again, this is no disrespect to the Scottish league, the Dutch league is probably on a par with it. Then you are coming into a club where they create opportunities left right and centre.

“They can score goals. If I’m a Celtic fan, I’m excited. You look at his record and see he can score goals.

“Those games against Rangers will be a struggle but the rest of the games we can do well. I would be excited.”

The Verdict: Celtic will be hoping Giakoumakis can continue his goalscoring exploits in Glasgow

Relating to the high volume of chances the Scottish giants usually create on a weekly basis – their 24.3 shots per game average is by far the highest in the Premiership [WhoScored] – Phillips provides an excellent explanation as to why Hoops fans should be excited about their new arrival.

Constantly providing a threat in attack, the 26-year-old averaged 3.2 shots per game in the Dutch top flight in 2020/21 [WhoScored]. Furthermore, his tendency to get on the end of crosses regularly will add another string to Ange Postecoglou’s bow in offense that the Hoops have perhaps lacked in recent times.

Moving forward, the Celtic support will be desperate to see Giakoumakis hit the ground running at Parkhead and will hope that his goalscoring exploits at VVV-Venlo can be replicated in Glasgow.

In other news, one club feared that Celtic could’ve made a late swoop for their new signing in the summer transfer window. Find out more here.

According to a report by Simon Jones in the Daily Mail, Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian is close to agreeing terms on a contract extension at Anfield and is now ready to commit to another season on Merseyside – prompting horror from a set of supporters on social media. 

The 34-year-old had been attracting interest from Spain in Real Betis while the Reds sounded out possible alternatives for the number two goalkeeping slot in case he decided to leave.

However, in an update, Jones of the Mail says that Adrian is now close to putting pen to paper on a contract extension and furthering his stay on Merseyside.

The Spaniard has made just 24 appearances for Liverpool since signing from West Ham United two years ago and a set of Reds supporters on social media aren’t exactly overjoyed with news he may be set to stay for another year.

Enduring a mixed spell at the club, Adrian has put in some poor performances when called upon as a backup to Alisson – most notably highlighted by his game-changing error against Atletico Madrid in Champions League last year and the 7-2 defeat at Aston Villa this season.

As a result, many Liverpool fans believe it is ‘absolutely staggering’ the club are extending his stay.

Find a flavour of their verdicts from Twitter down below.

Liverpool fans horrified by Adrian news

“Absolute joke!”

Credit: @DannyWhitefoot

“We cannot be serious”

Credit: @LfcGe0rge

“This is worse than the super league”

Credit: @lfcellis

“Nooooooo Kelleher is better”

Credit: @Graemeboi

“It gets worse and worse”

Credit: @adzzlfc

“Keep making mistakes and you get rewarded with new deals it seems? Absolutely staggering”

Credit: @aaronjacko

“Rewarded for mediocrity. This is so Liverpool.”

Credit: @Benthereds

“What is happening”

Credit: @lfcels_

In other news: Liverpool fans desperate to see this ace make a move to Merseyside, find out more here.

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have been reacting to the club’s interest in former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

According to The Sun, the Eagles want to talk to Nuno and will offer the 47-year-old the job if he is interested in an instant comeback to Premier League football.

Nuno only left Wolves a week ago, but The Sun believe his next opportunity is now just around the corner. The report adds that Palace will need a quick answer from the Portuguese manager, as they also have Barnsley’s Valerian Ismael and Swansea’s Steve Cooper on their shortlist.

Also, he may well be offered good personal terms by the Eagles hierarchy, as no compensation fee will be required.

Nuno, who prefers a 3-4-3 system, took charge of 199 games as Wolves boss, averaging 1.68 points per game.

Palace fans react

@cpfc_xtra shared the links to Nuno on Twitter on Saturday evening, and it didn’t take long for a number of Palace fans to share their positive thoughts at the update.

“this is literally the best appointment we could make, shame it will never happen”Credit: @steven_palace”Hahahaha yessssssssss come onnn”Credit: @ohjoewalker”Do it”Credit: @RRcpfc”Me like”Credit: @tru_Hamburglar”yes please”Credit: @poltak_cp60″Would defo take him. He’d make some quality signings, has already proven himself in the prem and took wolves to where they are now. Better than most of the other candidates imo”Credit: @kade_bladeSE25

In other news: Many CPFC fans react to Sean Dyche latest, find out more here.