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Celtic’s pursuit of a new striker has taken an intriguing twist over the weekend and it’s one that could see Neil Lennon’s side bolstered without having to pay a penny.

What’s the word?

According to former Hibs forward-turned-pundit Tam McManus, free-agent Steven Fletcher is keen on a move to Parkhead having moved back into the area following his exit from Sheffield Wednesday.

The 33-year-old veteran rejected the Owls’ offer of a new contract and departed Hillsborough at the end of June.

Whilst it is no secret that Lennon is on the hunt for options to bolster his frontline having been linked to Peterborough’s Ivan Toney, West Ham flop Albian Ajeti and Shon Weissman in recent months.

Edouard alternative?

The Hoops have some reliance on their French talisman after he provided 27 goals and 19 assists on the way to a ninth-straight league title, though such form has attracted the interest of Arsenal, Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City and Everton.

There are also doubts over the future of Leigh Griffiths with his professionalism the major sticking point.

A swoop for Fletcher could prove to be a touch of genius from Nick Hammond this summer. Despite nearly his mid-thirties, the target man is still as fit as ever and comes into the off-season on the back of an impressive 13 goals in a struggling Sheffield Wednesday side.

The Scotsman also started his career out at SPFL rivals Hibernian, so he’s no stranger to a move north of the border whilst he’s featured in Ligue 1 for Marseille and has been capped 33 times on the international stage.

Given the financial uncertainties of the transfer market post-pandemic, a free raid for Fletcher has all the hallmarks to be a masterstroke, especially as he’ll provide vital support to Eduoard as the club goes for ten-in-a-row.

AND in other news, Celtic plot cunning raid on cash-strapped Wigan for new Sinclair…

Having joined the club back in 2012, Jan Vertonghen’s career at Tottenham may finally be up this summer.

The Belgium international’s contract comes to an end at the end of the season, and reports in recent weeks have suggested the Lilywhites are perfectly happy for him to leave on a free transfer.

With the centre-back potentially leaving, Jose Mourinho will surely be on the look-out for a new defender, and according to French publication Foot Mercato, he has his eyes set on West Ham ace Issa Diop.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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The report claims that Spurs have been in contact with those around the Frenchman about a potential switch, and that Diop is “not insensitive” to moving to the Lilywhites – it’s further suggested his current valuation is at €60m (£52.3m).

The 23-year-old has been a virtual ever-present for the Hammers since moving to the Premier League, playing 23 times in the top-flight this season, and even netting three times.

Standing at an imposing 6 foot 4, Diop cuts an imposing figure with his sheer physicality, and has averaged an impressive 1.7 interceptions per game in the Premier League this year.

Mourinho himself has previously waxed lyrical about the Frenchman’s abilities, and that is perhaps one of the main reasons behind Spurs seemingly targeting him this summer.

Back in September 2018, following Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat to West Ham, then Red Devils manager Mourinho spoke glowingly about the centre-back. He said: “(He had a) fantastic match. Congratulations to the scout that found a 21-year-old kid Diop – a monster who dominated in the duels.”

At only 23, Diop has built up considerable experience of playing at the highest level in English football, and wouldn’t need time to adjust to the pace and intensity of the game were he to move across London.

Mourinho will no doubt feel he can further develop him, and it’s why he could represent the perfect replacement for the potentially outgoing Vertonghen.

One of the brightest young prospects in European football, Benfica starlet Florentino Luis could be set for a move to Manchester United this summer.

The 20-year-old was a part of the Portugal side that won both the European U17 Championship in 2016 and European U19 Championship in 2018, and has become more involved with the first-team at club level, featuring 15 times this season.

Can you name every one of United’s top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

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A meniscal injury has hampered his progress this year, but it appears United have not been put off by it. According to ESPN, Luis’s agent, Bruno Carvalho Santos, “met with United officials in January”, and that whilst the midfielder’s contract runs until 2024, Benfica “could be willing to let him go on loan, with an option to make the move permanent”.

After hearing about their interest in the Portuguese starlet, United fans flooded to Twitter to share their reactions to the news.

A couple of supporters talked about how Luis could fit into their starting line-up, with one fan suggesting he could make a midfield trio with Fred and Scott McTominay, and another claiming he could overtake the latter.

Another couple of United fans however didn’t seem too thrilled with the prospect of Luis joining, instead questioning why they aren’t making a move for Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey, who some reports claim has agreed personal terms with Arsenal.

A holding midfielder, and at only 20-years-old too, Luis could quite conceivably be the long-term replacement for Nemanja Matic in the United engine room.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer already has the likes of Fred and Scott McTominay to perform in that role, but Luis would arrive with a burgeoning reputation in the game, with his agent declaring him “one of the highest rated young defensive midfielders in Europe”.

And if the report is accurate in terms of being able to sign him on an initial loan first, then that could work out perfectly for United both on a financial, and footballing sense too.

Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson has urged Troy Parrott to stay at the club this summer and learn from Harry Kane, in an interview with Football Insider.

What did he say?

Parrott has impressed for Spurs at youth level and has earned four appearances for the first team this season as a result.

However, with Kane, Heung-Min Son and Lucas Moura ahead of him in the pecking order, Jose Mourinho may still opt to loan out the 18-year-old in search of more first-team experience.

Robinson feels that he would be better served remaining in North London though, claiming that could learn a lot from watching Kane in training.

Speaking in an interview Football Insider, Robinson said: “If the club thinks sending him out on loan will benefit him, he would certainly command a loan to a Premier League side or a top Championship side. At Spurs, there is the potential for him to play cup games.

“Being in and around the squad he can learn from Harry Kane. Subconsciously you pick up all of his traits, his habits, and his finishing if you work with him in training. You mould yourself without even knowing it.

“It is important to get football but with injuries and suspensions, he might get two or three games and score a bagful. We saw it with Rashford. Football is all about timing. If he is out on loan they cannot recall him.”

Experience

Loan spells can be an invaluable part of the development process for any young player, with Kane himself benefiting from time away from the club at the likes of Leicester City and Leyton Orient.

However, as others have shown, you can break straight into the first team and if you are ready for senior football, it can be best for youth prospects to stay around and learn from the top-level professionals around them.

In Parrott’s case, Spurs do not have many senior strikers at the club and with Kane suffering from injuries in recent years, there might just be opportunities for Parrott, provided Mourinho thinks he is ready.

West Bromwich Albion are surely used to this feeling now.

The Baggies are staring down the barrel of Izzy Brown 2.0; Tyler Roberts 2.0; Louie Barry 2.0.

It’s all very much a frequent occurrence at the Hawthorns.

Young defender Nathan Ferguson is yet to sign the terms offered to him by the club in recent months, meaning they could well look to sell him in January, according to the Express & Star.

The 19-year-old only broke into the first-team fold this season as manager Slaven Bilic promoted him from the youth ranks, and his performances this season on either side of the back four have led to interest from some European heavyweights.

Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace appear to have eyed him up to fill their needs at right-back while Atletico Madrid and Juventus have also been touted.

But should Albion look to sell up in the winter window? Would it be a mistake? He could well go for peanuts in the summer if they do not act soon.

Here’s what some of the writers at Football FanCast think…

Matt Dawson

“This is classic West Brom. Academy player starts to perform well and he leaves the club. However, in this situation, it’s a tricky one. Albion have had some excellent players come through their ranks in recent years and making it to the FA Youth Cup semi-finals last term is a testament to some of the wonderful individuals they have in their set-up. 

“Ferguson is one of the brightest to come through and it would be a bitter blow to lose him in January given supporters also saw Louie Barry and Morgan Rogers walk out of the Hawthorns last summer. Yet, if the youngster isn’t willing to put pen to paper on a new deal, then selling him in January wouldn’t be the worst of ideas. He may be young, but the Baggies have replacements at both full-back positions in Darnell Furlong, Kieran Gibbs, and Conor Townsend.

“When top teams come calling it’s hard to turn them down and the fact his contract expires next year suggests they could be destined to lose him. The saga that played out around Rekeem Harper as his contract began to wear down last season became tedious and monotonous. Let’s hope that isn’t the case with Ferguson, either.”

Kealan Hughes

“This is a difficult situation, but one they should have been more prepared for given interest in their good young players has been a common occurrence over the last few months.

“Although they have back-up options, they really need to show some ambition and do their utmost to keep him at the club beyond January and hopefully for their sake beyond the end of the season.

“To do that they need to offer him a substantial contract and given they can offer him first-team football and possibly the opportunity to progress in the Premier League they should be able to persuade him to extend his stay.

“With promotion on the line, the last thing they should do is sell him in January, it would send out a negative message to the fans and other players in the squad who are in a similar position to him, such as Rekeem Harper. Securing a new deal for him now would show they’re planning for the future and can’t be pushed over easily.”

Charles Jones

“I think that this is a case of weighing up the pros and cons of the move.

“Ferguson has mostly been playing as a left-back this season, and with the experienced Kieran Gibbs still being a part of Slaven Bilic’s squad, he has a readymade replacement right there ready to go.

“It’ll be a shame for the Baggies to lose the teenage star, but surely they’d rather get something for him than let him go for whatever tiny amount of compensation they may get.

“Losing him wouldn’t derail their promotion hunt too much, and the funds they get from selling him could be used to sure up some of the weaker areas in his squad.

“It’ll be sad to see him go, but it’s better to do it now rather than letting him leave on a free in a few months.”

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Lewis Blain

“West Brom find themselves in a very unfortunate situation, but no one could have predicted this young man’s meteoric rise. However, selling him in January would actually come as a positive as it means they have actually learned from their mistakes. Far too often do they see youngsters escape their grasp for free or next to nothing. This would counter that somewhat.

“Bilic also has more than enough cover in either full-back area as Conor Townsend has stepped up to the plate in his absence currently, and then there are Kieran Gibbs and Darnell Furlong. Even at centre-back, Ferguson’s original position for the U23 squad and the Young Lions, there’s plenty of depth as Ahmed Hegazi can’t even break into the starting XI.

“Dowling and co need to cash in if he’s not going to commit his future in the west Midlands. The 19-year-old is not indispensable.”

Leeds United fans on Twitter aren’t best pleased after Graham Smyth and Adam Pope confirmed that Stuart Dallas pulled out of Northern Ireland’s game against Germany due to a hamstring problem.

The 28-year-old has been integral for Leeds United so far this season, starting every single league game for the Whites this term while playing in no less than eight different positions according to WhoScored.

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Understandably, Leeds supporters weren’t too happy when being faced with the prospect of being without Dallas for this weekend’s game against Luton Town, and they took to social media to share their feelings on the update.

It remains to be seen how long the utility man will be out for, but the prospect of being without him in the near future has seemingly disheartened a few members of the fanbase.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying about Dallas’ injury on social media…

Chris Ramsey has received an MBE for services to football and diversity in sport, and his achievement has been met with a multitude of well-wishes on social media.

Now QPR’s Head of Coaching, the former Swindon player has been a tremendous servant to the club over a period of five years, and many supporters feel he is well worthy of such an accolade.

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He displayed his great loyalty by staying at the club and accepting a reduced role when he was sacked as manager in 2015, which says a lot about his character and desire to help move QPR forward.

Such a mindset has garnered him much respect amongst the fanbase, and seemingly the wider community, as his years of service have now been rewarded.

He first joined the Hoops while Harry Redknapp, who he knew from his spell working at Tottenham, was in charge, acting as Head of Player Development, and would have overseen the progression of young players such as Harry Kane and Danny Rose.

Many QPR fans appreciate what he has given to their club and football as a whole and have issued praise upon him, as the following reactions show.

It has been a difficult time for Lucas Torreira recently at the Emirates Stadium.

The Uruguay international has started just two Premier League games so far this campaign, with Granit Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi being regularly preferred in the middle of the park.

So far, the 23-year-old has had to make do with appearances in the cup competitions, including his start against Liverpool on Wednesday in the League Cup.

Watch the moment Granit Xhaka’s Arsenal career may have come to an ugly end in the video below…

Arsenal eventually lost on penalties to the Reds at Anfield, but that was only after a thrilling 5-5 draw in normal time. As luck would have it, Torreira opened the scoring for his side, and the relief was clear for all to see as he celebrated his goal.

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Certain things are beginning to get to the 21-cap man. Following Granit Xhaka’s outburst directed at the supporters at the Emirates Stadium against Crystal Palace on Sunday, £49.5m-valued Torreira was in tears on the sidelines and was even said to be inconsolable.

Clearly, he has a lot of admiration for his captain and was unable to hold that in against the Eagles.

Although Arsenal lost against Liverpool, his strike allowed him to release some of that frustration in a positive manner, in contrast to the 27-year-old Switzerland international. He will now be hoping to feature more regularly in the coming weeks and months.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

England moved closer to Euro 2020 qualification on Monday night as Gareth Southgate’s side thrashed Bulgaria 6-0 with purpose after having to deal with shameful scenes of racism at the Vasil Levski Stadium.

The Three Lions are now three points clear at the top of Group A with just two games remaining in November.

Aston Villa centre-back Tyrone Mings earned his first England cap and repaid the national team manager with a superb showing, keeping a clean sheet while being faced with the brunt of the racial slurs from the home crowd.

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His interview after the game showed his phenomenal attitude, only going to display his leadership qualities in further detail.

In doing so, Mings has undoubtedly cemented his name alongside last summer’s World Cup hero Harry Maguire in the heart of the England defence for the foreseeable future.

As a result, any hopes Conor Coady had of achieving a similar feat have surely just started to drift even further away.

Wolves supporters themselves have thrown the 26-year-old’s name into the equation at times this season, while The Daily Mail claimed earlier in the year that he was in serious contention to be called up after his role in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea.

Are Gareth Southgate’s Aston Villa roots the reason behind the Wolves player in the video below being overlooked?…

Per SofaScore, Mings won 100% of his aerial duels, registered a 95% passing accuracy, as well as recording one clearance, one tackle, and one interception.

Michael Keane was the man to make way for the Villa star, but after that showing, there’s surely no way Southgate goes back to the Everton defender – especially after fans and pundits alike blasted him for his role in the Czech Republic defeat.

If that’s the case, then it will be a mightily hard task for Coady to even get his name into the England fold. He hasn’t featured at international level since 2013 when he was part of Peter Taylor’s U20 World Cup squad.

It certainly gives Villa some bragging rights over their Midlands rivals too.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Mason Greenwood may be the undoubted star in the making at the moment, but Manchester United have a clutch of promising youngsters waiting patiently in the wings for their break-out moments. The Old Trafford faithful have already seen a bit of Tahith Chong and Angel Gomes this season, but one man who could eclipse them all is Brandon Williams.

Not the most heralded academy prodigy out of the group the Red Devils currently possess, but the player with arguably the biggest chance of stamping his mark on the first-team this season. The 19-year-old completed his first full 90 minutes of the campaign in the Europa League against AZ Alkmaar earlier this month, and according to some United fans, was one of the few silver linings of a drab 0-0 draw.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

As a right-footed left-back, Williams is in the mould of United stalwart Denis Irwin, and speaking after the game against the Dutch side, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer paid him a remarkable compliment.

“Top class, absolutely top notch. You won’t see a better full debut from a full-back anywhere. The boy is just going to improve and improve. He’s got the right mentality. I’m very pleased for him.”

Those comments will be music to the teenager’s ears, particularly with the Manchester side’s current struggles in his favoured position. First-choice left-back Luke Shaw has been out of action since mid-August with a hamstring injury, and whilst recent reports suggests he is in line to make a return sooner rather than later, Solskjaer may do well to hold off from throwing him back into the side.

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The England international has had a career beset by injuries, and has missed 103 games for United since signing from Southampton. There is absolutely no way for the Red Devils to wholeheartedly place their trust in the £27m-rated man, and that no doubt opens the door for Williams to seize his opportunity.

An injury-prone Shaw, and a make-shift defender in a 34-year-old Ashley Young, are his only real competitors at left-back. If Williams continues to impress in training, circumstances will surely dictate that he gets a run of games to show what he can do. And, judging by what Solskjaer thought of his full debut, there is no reason why he can’t be the academy prospect to make the most immediate mark on the team.