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Celtic’s transfer plans have been left in the dust this summer by the ongoing managerial saga at Parkhead.

The Hoops are on the verge of appointing Ange Postecoglou but it has now been over three months since Neil Lennon vacated his position at Celtic.

On the chalkboard

One player who Postecoglou may not have the privilege of managing next season is Moi Elyounoussi.

The Norwegian was the club’s second top scorer this term on 17 strikes but is heading back to Southampton with a permanent move to Paradise extremely unlikely.

A fee of £5m was touted for his services but it would appear that Celtic are favouring to spend their money on other areas of the squad.

You can hardly blame that point of view when you consider his dismal end to the campaign.

Elyounoussi scored only three goals in his final 16 league outings of the campaign, registering just three assists in that time frame as well.

The replacement

Celtic were interested in signing FC Utrecht forward Gyrano Kerk last year.

A move never materialised but with the Hoops searching for an Elyounoussi alternative in the coming weeks, they should consider reviving their pursuit.

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Kerk was in red hot form for the Eredivisie side this term, scoring nine goals and registering seven assists while playing out wide and through the middle as a central striker.

That’s something Elyounoussi did to good effect while playing for Celtic in 2020/21, operating in tandem with Odsonne Edouard on a regular basis.

Like the Norway international, Kerk is capable of beating the goalkeeper with great regularity. He’s racked up 42 strikes in his 173 outings for Utrecht.

What’s most appealing about the Dutchman is his mazy dribbling ability. No player completed more than his 112 dribbles in the Eredivisie this campaign, performing them at a rate of 3.3 per game.

In replacing Elyounoussi, that statistic is vital. A tricky footed individual, the attacker had the ability to torment defenders at times.

What’s also intriguing about his game is the raw pace he possesses. Voetbal International hailed his finest qualities in expert fashion; “Kerk is a speed demon who always creates danger in the final third. When Kerk is on the moped, there is hardly any defender that can keep up with him.”

That viewpoint was matched by former striker Robin van Persie who was effusive in his praise: “Kerk is a player who basically has everything. He is fast, has vision, is technical and can score.”

Kerk’s value has likely increased after such a fabulous season but it’s worth Celtic enquiring about his ability.

AND in other news, Celtic can find a new Jullien by signing “special” 6ft4 tank, he’s “one of the best”…

According to West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh, after they gave defender Arthur Masuaku a ’50/50′ chance of playing this afternoon, the Congolese ace is now set to miss the match against Everton.

The Lowdown: Masuaku on the injury list

West Ham have had to cope with their fair share of injuries recently and the 27-year-old was added to the long list yet again after already missing a big portion of the campaign.

Indeed, Masuaku underwent knee surgery in mid-December and didn’t return to the team until their away win over Wolves, being unavailable for a combined total of 20 games over 97 days (Transfermarkt).

However, following his return to action, he was quickly sidelined again for the Hammers due to a build-up of fluid around the knee (ExWHUemployee), causing him to miss the encounters with Newcastle, Chelsea and Burnley.

The Latest: Still sidelined…

Sharing an update in midweek, C&H gave some hope in regards to Masuaku playing this afternoon and refused to rule him out of contention, giving the left-back a ’50/50′ shot of featuring at the London Stadium.

However, providing updated team news, the insider says the 27-year-old is now set to miss the clash with Everton as West Ham gear up for what could be a crucial game in their bid for a top four finish.

The Irons will again have to cope without him in the left full-back role and it remains to be seen how Moyes shapes his team today, with a 4-2-3-1 formation perhaps likely after the win at Turf Moor last Monday.

The Verdict: Blow for Moyes…

There is an argument to be made that West Ham are most effective when playing three at the back and Masuaku was key to that earlier this season. Indeed, Aaron Cresswell also thrived as a left centre-half while partnering Masuaku on that side, with the Slaven Bilic signing doing well defensively and providing width before his knee surgery (whufc.com).

West Ham face a stern opponent in Everton today and Moyes would have been hoping to have more options available to him. Alongside Masuaku, C&H explained that first team star Declan Rice may also miss the match despite being back training on grass.

One hope for Moyes is the possible return of centre-back Angelo Ogbonna as he faces a late fitness test.

In other news: West Ham fans livid after ‘joke’ development, find out more here.

Despite registering an impressive 10 goal involvements during his debut season with Manchester United, Daniel James has not impressed former Red Devils winger Keith Gillespie, who has exclusively told Football FanCast that he wants to see the winger take more risks.

James has experienced a frustrating time at Old Trafford this season having been handed just 14 league appearances, which saw him linked with a move away in January as he does not appear to be near the first-team picture.

There is now increased competition for places at United with James, Mason Greenwood and Amad Diallo all vying for one position on the opposite wing to Marcus Rashford.

The Wales international has a lot of the attributes that defenders hate as he has pace in abundance and is good with the ball at his feet, but he fails to utilise those skills, according to Gillespie, who spoke exclusively to FFC:

“Sometimes when he gets the ball I’m wanting him to get at the defender but he usually chooses the easy option and just goes backwards.

“He’s an explosive player and we know how much pace he’s got and that is one thing that defenders are frightened to death of. He has that in abundance but in the final third you’re just wanting him to make something happen instead of just taking the easy option.”

For a winger, Manchester United fans could be looking for James to offer a little bit more as he has only registered eight assists in all competitions since he joined the Red Devils last summer.

Competition for places could become even more fierce if reports are believed to be true that Man United are still eager to sign Jadon Sancho following the England international’s latest sublime season in the Bundesliga.

Leeds are ready to reignite their interest in Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez this summer, and that could well land Marcelo Bielsa his own version of N’Golo Kante at Elland Road.

What’s the story?

According to Argentinian journalist Luis Fregossi last summer, Leeds were ready to activate the release clause of Nandez, claiming that the Whites could pay the €36m (£32.5m) fee to bring him to the Premier League. He even suggested that the relationship between Bielsa and the player’s representative would “be key to the negotiation”.

However, a deal failed to materialise before the end of the deadline, and it now appears that Leeds are ready to go back in for the Uruguay international.

As per CentoTrutuno (via TEAMtalk), Bielsa has made Nandez a top target for the club this summer, and believes he would be a very good fit for his system.

Shades of N’Golo Kante

Standing at 5 foot 7, just an inch taller than Chelsea’s star man, Kante, Nandez is in that similar mould of being small in stature, but a real giant in making his presence felt across the pitch.

A tough-tackling Uruguayan, his all-action approach makes him a real manager’s dream, and it’s something his agent, Pablo Bentancur, feels also makes him a real fan favourite too. He said: “Nandez is certainly a great player. The fans always like him because he leaves the last drop of sweat on the pitch.”

And when you look at his defensive numbers, you can see why just like Kante, fans seems to have a real affinity towards him. As per Sofascore, Nandez’s heat-map is a clear indication of the kind of incredible ground that he covers game to game, popping up everywhere to close down and make tackles.

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His total of 6.3 duels won per game is actually significantly higher than Kante’s 4.6 this season, while he also perhaps tellingly, wins back possession more for his team too – 0.9 to 0.7. It’s no surprise then that the Cagliari ace has been described as an “a bit of an engine who gets up and down.”

And like the Frenchman, Nandez is growing in influence with the ball too, with his average of one key pass per game for Cagliari this campaign in Serie A higher than what Kante has managed in the Premier League with 0.8 per match.

With Mateusz Klich soon to turn 31 in a couple of months, Bielsa will no doubt be looking at trying to freshen things up in the middle of the park and moving away from one of his key midfield generals over the past few years.

In Nandez, he could find exactly the player he needs, and he could even vecome Leeds’ own version of Kante.

Meanwhile, this Leeds ace badly let Marcelo Bielsa down vs Man Utd…

Southampton’s hopes of signing Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams this summer appear to have suffered a blow after it was revealed that West Ham and Norwich City are both keen on adding him to their squads ahead of next season.

According to The Sun, the Hammers and the newly-promoted Canaries are both interested in the 20-year-old, who has been regularly linked with a move to Southampton since the January transfer window.

After a failed loan move for the youngster in January, which left Ralph Hasenhuttl extremely short of full-back options at Southampton for the second half of the campaign, it seems as if the Austrian is desperate to not make the same mistake this summer and wants to bring the £9m-rated defender in on loan.

The Athletic suggested that Southampton are likely to return for the Manchester United academy graduate, who has struggled for regular game-time in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side this season, due to the impressive form of Luke Shaw and the signing of Brazilian left-back Alex Telles in last summer’s transfer window.

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Southampton’s need for a left-back this summer will arguably be even greater than in January, as it now looks as if Ryan Bertrand will leave at the end of the season when his contract expires. It has also been suggested that Sam McQueen might never play football again, which currently leaves just Jake Vokins available as a left-back in the Austrian’s squad for next season.

Considering the 20-year-old has struggled to get game-time on loan with Sunderland in League One this season, it seems clear that the Saints will need to strengthen in that position this summer.

However, it looks as if they will face a battle for Williams’ signing this summer and Manchester United may well prefer to send him to West Ham, who look set to be playing European football next season and were boosted by the loan signing of Red Devils midfielder Jesse Lingard in the winter, which will surely have strengthened the relationship between the two clubs.

The 20-year-old, who was dubbed an “exciting young English talent” by Gary Lineker last year, looks as if he will be spoilt for choice of a loan club this summer, and it would be quite a blow for Hasenhuttl if Southampton were to miss out on him again.

In other news… Semmens drops huge claim on £20m Saints beast, Hasenhuttl must be buzzing

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Peterborough Director of Football Barry Fry has urged Tottenham to sign Championship striker Ivan Toney should Harry Kane leave this summer.

Fry sold the frontman to Brentford last summer following two successful seasons with Posh, and he’s continued his superb goalscoring form in the Championship, netting 28 goals in just 36 appearances, leaving him just three goals behind Glenn Murray’s second-tier record of 30.

Whilst Toney’s exploits in front of goal have left Brentford in with every chance of securing promotion to the Premier League, the former Peterborough striker has already been linked with a host of topflight clubs, including both West Ham and Arsenal.

However, Fry believes that Tottenham should move for the his former player if Kane opts to leave Spurs in the coming months, with David Ornstein saying this month that the consensus is that he wants to go.

He told Football FanCast: “In my opinion, if Harry Kane left Tottenham, he should be their top target.

“He could go to clubs trying to compete to get into the Champions League next year and do a job, a brilliant job. No doubt in my mind whatsoever.”

Despite this being Toney’s first ever campaign at Championship level, he’s been the standout striker in the division, and if his form continues, he’ll be playing in the Premier League next season one way or another.

And with Carlos Vinicius’ loan spell expiring this summer, Spurs are going to need another back-up for Kane, so Toney might yet end up being that man.

Rangers centre-back Nikola Katic has unfortunately spent the entire season sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury and Steven Gerrard has now confirmed that the Croatian won’t make his Ibrox return until at least next season.

The 24-year-old sadly picked up the injury in pre-season and has been recovering throughout the entire campaign but he will, no doubt, be delighted that his teammates could deliver title number 55 in his absence.

The defender has been a key part of Rangers’ side since joining from Slaven Belupo in the summer of 2018, making 59 appearances for the Light Blues and contributing six goals and three assists.

It was suggested recently that Katic was making good progress with his injury and that he was back training on the grass, giving some hope that he might be back before the end of the campaign. However, Gerrard has now sadly confirmed that Katic won’t be able to make his return this season, and it will likely be pre-season before Rangers fans see him back on the pitch.

The 40-year-old suggested that it was a ‘career-threatening’ injury and that Rangers have had to be extremely patient with Katic as he recovers, whilst also delivering the worrying update that the Croatian still has a lot of hurdles to get over before he can make his return.

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The centre-back, who reportedly earns £10k per week at Rangers, is clearly admired by Gerrard, who was full of praise for him after he scored in a 2-1 win against their Old Firm rivals back in 2019, saying:

“The kid is a winner and a warrior. We know what he gives. Anyone his age, after giving the penalty away, might have gone into their shell. It might have affected their performance.

“But if you knock Niko Katic down, he’s gonna get back up and come again. That’s the man, that’s the player.”

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Hopefully, those words ring true as the young centre-back continues to work hard on his recovery, and whilst he wasn’t able to be part of their excellent season, he will almost certainly have a big part to play next year if he can get himself back to full fitness.

And, in other news… Wilson must swoop for 12-goal gem who had £36m star on toast

Many Liverpool fans want to sign Ibrahima Konate following a recent report from AS on the RB Leipzig central defender.

As per the news outlet, he has a release clause of €45m (£38.5m), but the Bundesliga club may be willing to negotiate a transfer sum closer to around €25-30m (£21.4-25.6m), a fee that one fan called a ‘bargain’.

The Anfield faithful have been strongly linked with a move for Konate in the summer transfer window, as they hope to bring in another centre-back to potentially partner Virgil Van Dijk in the longer term or sufficiently cover for him if the Netherlands international sustains another bad injury in the future.

The 21-year-old still has a lot of potential at his age having played for one of Europe’s top clubs, and several supporters of the Merseyside club have been drooling at the possibility of him signing for them.

Liverpool fan reaction to Konate news

These Reds expressed their desire to sign Konate on Twitter after reading the latest report, with one Kopite even going as far as to call the Frenchman a ‘bargain’:

“Yes please”

Credit: @radzjeewa7

“Mr Edwards, make him sign da ting”

Credit: @ynwaMattH

“If this is true, we need to be all over it”

Credit: @LewYNWA

“GET MY ANIME WATCHING KING TO ANFIELD ASAP”Credit: @AdemiElmaze”Bargain man”Credit: @eyetestfootball”Buy nowwwww !!!!! #lfc”Credit: @kardphrom1In other news, find out which U18s talent has been lauded by LFC fans lately here!

Kevin Phillips has urged Sunderland to sign on-loan ace Dion Sanderson on a permanent deal this summer.

Phillips urges Sunderland to sign Sanderson

The centre-back made the move to the Stadium of Light on a temporary basis from Wolverhampton Wanderers at the start of this season.

It has recently been revealed that the Black Cats have entered talks over a permanent deal for the 21-year-old (Daily Mail), and Phillips believes his capture should be a priority for Sunderland. He told Football Insider:

“I would get a permanent deal done for Sanderson as soon as possible. I think it will be a priority.

“He looks like he really enjoys being at the football club. In the final the other week you could hear him and a few of the other lads cheering on Sunderland so it looks like he loves the club.

“On the pitch, he has been amazing so I would definitely be looking to tie him down to the club permanently.”

One for the future

The 1.88m (6 foot 3) defender has grown into an important member of Lee Johnson’s squad as this season has progressed. He started just one of the first 17 League One matches of the campaign, but has been named in the starting XI for the last 11 (Transfermarkt). During that run, the Wearside outfit have not lost even once and have conceded on just four occasions.

At just 21 years of age, Sanderson clearly has a big future ahead of him, and may well relish playing in the Championship if Sunderland are able to earn promotion. For the reported £2m Wolves are said to be seeking, he could be an absolute bargain signing, so Phillips is right to implore the Black Cats to land him on a permanent basis.

In other news, many Sunderland fans loved these Aiden O’Brien comments.

Liverpool fans have been weighing in on the feasibility of a landmark swoop for Kylian Mbappe, who one supporter believes would be ‘Klopp’s dream signing’.

Journalist Duncan Castles said on the Transfer Window Podcast that Liverpool would be Mbappe’s preferred destination were he to move to England.

22-year-old Mbappe showcased his stratospheric potential once again last month with a hat-trick at the Camp Nou as PSG routed Barcelona 4-1 – Europe’s elite sides know that signing him could be the key to a period of dominance.

For Liverpool, a blockbuster deal could preclude a drop-off when their present front three begin to decline. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane will turn 29 this year, while Roberto Firmino will turn 30.

According to the CIES Football Observatory, it would take somewhere between €120million and €150million to capture Mbappe this coming summer, but that price tag is slowly falling because Mbappe’s contract expires in June 2022, leaving PSG to sweat.

The deal may become viable for Liverpool as he nears the end of that term, but one has to assume it would still take a colossal fee.

Is Mbappe to Liverpool realistic?

“Good thing I’ve spent more in Tesco than FSG do on transfers”

Credit: @ftbled16

“Is it go fund me time again ?”

Credit: @LFCMATTHEW96

“How I wish this becomes a reality sooner than never.”

Credit: @laurelsudeep

“I believe, Klopp had him in mind before he signed for us. He’s been a fan of Mbappe for years and believe he’s Klopp’s dream signing. I would be very surprised if we didn’t put a bid in for him, It’s why I’ve not been mad at us not spending.”

Credit: @JadeKiimberly

“The club would make the transfer money back through merchandise and shirt sales”

Credit: @davep3370

“We need the boy”

Credit: @IsaacNgulube17

“A MAN CAN ONLY DREAM”

Credit: @kabaklfc

“No smoke without fire”

Credit: @NA8Y_LAD

In other news, fans react to Jurgen Klopp’s update on Diogo Jota and Fabinho.