All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic are thought to be keeping tabs on Newcastle United midfielder Joe White, according to Chronicle Live’s Lee Ryder.

The Lowdown: White profiled…

The 19-year-old is primarily an attacking midfielder who can also play in a deeper central role.

The Englishman – who is sponsored by Adidas, the manufacturers of Celtic’s kit – has made 60 appearances for Newcastle’s youth sides, four of which have come in the EFL Trophy against senior opposition.

He was handed a professional deal when he was 17 years of age, but that is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, and it seems as if a St James’ Park exit could now be on the cards.

The Latest: Celtic interest

Reliable reporter Ryder shared a story regarding White on Friday morning. He claimed that the Magpies are in danger of losing the teenager for a nominal compensation fee next summer, with a number of clubs outside of England showing an interest.

Celtic, Rangers and clubs from Germany and the Netherlands are all keeping an eye on the teenager, who was labelled as ‘very clever’ by Dave Wilkes, who knows White from his time at Carlisle.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-15/” title=”Celtic updates!!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Smart move?

White caught the eye of former Newcastle manager Steve Bruce against Burton Albion during pre-season, and it seems as if he could be a star of the future.

On that basis, there’d be no harm in interim Celtic CEO Michael Nicholson exploring a possible winter window move for the midfielder, especially with a nominal fee being touted due to White’s contract situation. He is attracting interest from clubs across Europe, so it could prove to be a real coup in the long run.

Celtic are also short of midfield options, with Ange Postecoglou relying heavily on Callum McGregor, David Turnbull and Tom Rogic this season; and even though White may not be a viable first-team option straight away, you’d expect that he could be in the future.

In other news: £9,000-a-week Celtic ace is ‘about to leave’ Parkhead, journalist claims 

An update has emerged regarding interest from Newcastle United in Stoke forward Tyrese Campbell.

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, the Magpies are preparing a £20m bid to send to the Potters at the start of the January transfer window.

The report claims that Eddie Howe has been impressed by the young attacker’s form for Stoke and wants to make him his first signing at St James’ Park.

Fans would love him

Newcastle must ensure that they can get a deal over the line for Campbell, as the supporters would surely love to see him at St James’ Park.

He is a talented young, homegrown, attacker with potential who could excite the Toon Army. At the age of 21, he has plenty of time on his hands to develop, and supporters may love to have a player at the club with room for growth instead of a veteran who is in his final few years of playing.

Since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, Campbell has produced 17 goals and seven assists for Stoke in 33 Championship starts. He has averaged a goal every 1.94 games in the second tier, whilst also popping up with assists for his teammates. In total, his tally for the club stands at an impressive 20 strikes.

Last year, Potters boss Michael O’Neill lauded the 21-year-old as a ‘great finisher’ and claimed that defenders are frightened of him. He said: “Tyrese is a great finisher. If you are a good finisher you have to get in the positions and he did that today.

“He’s not looked the same since he came back, but today he was excellent and did a lot of good work. He is a young player who is still developing. When he is in that mood, defenders are frightened at this level. It’s nice he got the two goals, but he has to keep going now.”

This shows how much talent the £6.6k-per-week gem has and why he could be an excellent signing for Newcastle in January. He has proven that he can make a big impact in the final third in the Championship and Howe could attempt to coach him into translating that form over to the top flight.

Given his young age, he could have the potential to grow into a Premier League player, and joining in January could give him five months to adjust to life at the top level before kicking on next season. Fans would love to see him progress and develop over time at St James’ Park, and his form for Stoke suggests that he has the raw talent required to do as such.

AND in other news, “Among leading NUFC targets”: David Ornstein drops transfer update which will excite fans…

Crystal Palace have had a quiet transfer window so far, but have been heavily linked to one particular player from Patrick Vieira’s former club this January, but it looks like there has been a blow to those plans.

What’s the word?

Mikel Arteta took to his pre-match press conference ahead of the FA Cup clash against Liverpool to respond to rumours that Eddie Nketiah could be on the move this January.

The Arsenal manager simply told the media:

“The situation is that Eddie is our player and he’s going to stay here with us.”

The 22-year-old forward has been linked with a move away from the club as he enters the last six months of his contract, with both Brighton and Crystal Palace said to be interested in signing him during this window.

However, with Arteta’s response, they could now have to wait and battle to get the striker on a free in the summer.

Vieira will be gutted

This news will be a blow to Vieira’s transfer window plans, as the club is rumoured to potentially be losing Jean-Philippe Mateta this January, with an impending recall from his parent club, Mainz, amid interest from Saint Etienne.

That led to Nketiah being speculated as the player to become his replacement and fill the position.

The setback comes as former Palace manager, Roy Hodgson confirmed that the youngster has been a “long term interest” for the London club when he spoke on Sky Sports Transfer Show last Friday evening:

“He’s a player that’s been on the radar for a number of years let alone months,” said the former England boss.

“He’s a player who I know everyone at the club admires very much and I think he’s the right type of player that Patrick [Vieira] might be interested in – a forward of his type.

“I can imagine him being exactly the type of player that Patrick Vieira would like because he’d know a lot about him because I’m sure his contacts at Arsenal are still very good. He’ll know a lot about him as a person as well.”

Nketiah has not signed a new contract with Arsenal yet, despite having less than six months on his current one, which could be a blessing in disguise for the Eagles.

They could save their money this January and sign the striker on a free transfer in a matter of months, thus, taking the pressure off the Palace manager and the team if they can hold onto Mateta at Selhurst Park for the rest of the season.

That said, the Eagles boss will still be gutted at not getting the chance to acquire him this winter as Nketiah’s tally of five goals in just three EFL Cup outings shows he’s a man in form this term.

In other news: Crystal Palace targeting January swoop for Marseille striker Bamba Dieng

Wolves and Bruno Lage have made no secret of their intentions to make the most of the upcoming transfer window, with a number of key positions being monitored. With the window opening in less than 24 hours, it has been revealed what the manager’s priority will be.

What’s the word?

According to Give Me Sport, Luke Hatfield has claimed that targeting a defender will be the main priority for the Portuguese manager in January, stating: “I think it’s the position that Wolves are most keen on addressing.”

Wolves were dealt a blow to their defensive line when Yerson Mosquera sustained a hamstring injury in September, with the 20-year-old likely to be out for up to five months as a result, and there has not been further confirmation of a proposed return date.

Another defender who will be out of action at the Molineux in the coming weeks ahead is Romain Saiss, who has been selected to represent Morocco in the African Cup of Nations, which starts in just over a week’s time.

Therefore, it is no wonder Hatfield is predicting that Lage views adding a defender a high priority for his squad. Nikola Milenkovic was heavily linked with a move to Wolves back in November, when reports claimed that the defender remained an active target for the club.

For a different kind of entertainment, you can check out oneidabingoandcasino.net, whilst enjoying the Wolves transfer links and the Premier League season,

Fans will be buzzing

The Serbia international stands at a colossal 6 ft 5, which has given him the opportunity to become one of the top ten players when it comes to winning aerial duels in the Serie A, with 63 won this season so far, as per One Versus One.

According to WhoScored, the defender also has an impressive 90.5% pass success rate overall for Fiorentina this season and has scored two goals so far across all competitions. That is two more than Wolves winger Adama Traore has managed in 19 appearances playing in attack.

Signing a defender like Milenkovic for the squad is something about which many Wolves fans have been vocal, and they would surely be buzzing if the club could prioritise adding a quality defensive player in order to cover the inconsistencies of availability in that part of the pitch.

In other news: This Wolves star has been hailed as the Premier League’s signing of the season so far

Image from: unsplash.com

Celtic are closing in on MK Dons midfielder Matt O’Riley, according to reliable reporters Stuart James and Peter Rutzler of The Athletic.

The Lowdown: O’Riley profiled

O’Riley is 21 years of age and is primarily a central midfielder who can also play in defensive and attacking roles.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-copy/” title=”Celtic updates!! (Copy)” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

He joined the League One side 12 months ago and has made 54 appearances for the club, 30 of which have come this season.

O’Riley has contributed to 12 goals in the third tier and even began the campaign as captain, and it appears as if the former Fulham man is now heading to Scotland to join Ange Postecoglou’s side.

The Latest: £1.5m deal

The Athletic’s James and Rutzler shared a story on Wednesday lunchtime, with the latter describing the midfielder as a ‘standout’ player.

They claimed that Celtic are close to signing O’Riley in a deal worth £1.5m in the next couple of days.

He had been attracting interest from Blackburn Rovers, Swansea City and sides across Europe, but it seems as if Celtic Park will be his next destination.

West Ham youngster Conor Coventry has joined MK Dons on loan this week, perhaps suggesting they are prepared for O’Riley’s departure already.

The Verdict: Hopefully not another McGree

Michael Nicholson and the Celtic board have had a fairly smooth time of things in the January transfer window, with four players already through the door at Parkhead. O’Riley looks set to be the most expensive of 2022 at £1.5m – surpassing the £1.38m fee the club paid for Reo Hatate.

However, the Hoops did suffer a blow in their pursuit of Riley McGree, with a transfer falling through due to personal terms after agreeing on a fee.

Hopefully, that doesn’t happen again with O’Riley. He was without a club for six months during the pandemic, but fast forward 18 months and he’s now on the verge of joining one of the biggest clubs in the United Kingdom, so you’d like to think personal terms won’t be an issue for a player seemingly on the rise.

In other news: ‘Wolves are…’ – Journalist makes big claim with Celtic gem now wanted at Molineux. 

Connor Gallagher has been one of the stars of the Premier League this season thanks to his outstanding performances for Crystal Palace.

Due to his success with the Eagles on loan from Chelsea, the 21-year-old’s immediate future has come into question as to whether he will stay at Selhurst Park or make an early return to Stamford Bridge in January.

What’s the word?

Chelsea correspondent Sam Inkersole has made a claim about Gallagher that will leave Crystal Palace fans buzzing.

The journalist took to Twitter on Thursday to squash rumours of an early return to west London for the midfielder, tweeting: “Exclusive: Understand Conor Gallagher is, as it stands, not expecting a recall to #CFC in January despite Chelsea’s growing injury list in midfield. Targeting a first team spot at the club in 2022/23.”

This will come as a huge relief to both Patrick Vieira and Palace fans as Gallagher has been instrumental to keeping the Eagles well clear of a relegation battle in the Premier League so far, with four goals and three assists from midfield already in the current campaign.

It was thought that the 21-year-old would return to Stamford Bridge after a number of injury problems plaguing the Chelsea squad, but Thomas Tuchel appeared to rule out an early callback when speaking in a press conference in November.

The Blues manager said: “I think it is important for him to be happy where he is and not change things. It is important to be calm, I feel him happy there and that he is having this impact at Crystal Palace.”

The future is bright

Gallagher is clearly making waves at Crystal Palace and getting the attention he rightly deserves from the right people, including England manager Gareth Southgate, who gave the youngster his first senior England call-up in the last international break.

The youngster is getting lots of first team football with 15 appearances so far for Patrick Vieira’s side, which means he is getting the opportunity to showcase his talents weekly. If he were to make an early return to Stamford Bridge, he would likely spend a lot of time on the bench in Tuchel’s heavily rotated Chelsea side, which could hinder his development and affect his chances of further England call-ups.

Staying at Palace until next summer and continuing to shine playing a significant role in their starting XI could increase Gallagher’s chances of capturing the attention of Southgate again, which could possibly lead to being called up to the England squad for next year’s World Cup.

The future is bright for Gallagher, and working with Crystal Palace to secure a safe position in the Premier League in the second half of the season and developing his game should be the current focus. Given his contributions to the south Londoners already, it is a huge boost for Vieira and co that Chelsea seemingly have no plans to end his loan ahead of schedule.

In other news: Vieira could use his connections to bring this maestro to Selhurst Park

Everton have blown more than £500m under the ownership of Farhad Moshiri, with little return of investment when it comes to competing for trophies or making progress in the Premier League.

They currently sit 15th in Premier League and the time has come to offload players, but the club is finding it hard to get rid of some of their fringe players.

What’s the word?

Toffees striker Cenk Tosun has no intentions of leaving the club this month according to an interview with Turkish news outlet Fanatik.

The 30-year-old said: “My contract ends at the end of the season. Beşiktaş is my home anyway. But for now, I have no intention or position to return”. He added: “I want to finish this season here and go somewhere at the end of the season.”

The interview comes after the striker, who was signed by Everton for £27m back in January 2018, had been linked with a move away from the club a few months ago, as Rafael Benitez intends to sell players to boost transfer funds so that the Toffees can stay well within Financial Fair Play guidelines.

Journalist Nicolo Schira tweeted just last week that the player is not in the manager’s plans, saying: “Cenk Tosun is not in Rafa Benitez’s plans: the Turkish striker is ready to leave Everton in January. He could return to the Turkish Super Lig. Besiktas have shown interest to re-sign him.”

However, if the 30-year-old’s recent comments align with Everton’s plans, he will now stay with the club until his contract comes to an end in the summer.

Nightmare for Benitez

Benitez will be fuming that the player doesn’t intend to make an early an exit in the January transfer window, as a move would help with adding funds to the near-empty transfer pot for the Everton manager to put towards signing players who are needed in other areas of the squad.

Tosun has fallen out of favour at Goodison Park, even when the Toffees were going through an injury crisis and virus outbreak which resulted in seven players being unavailable for the 1-1 draw at Chelsea last month. He was not even on the bench that night and has only made a solitary six-minute appearance this season under Benitez, which came in the Merseyside derby.

Since joining the Toffees, the £69k-p/w flop has failed to make an impact on the side, appearing only 59 times in the last three-and-a-half years, scoring 11 goals and claiming six assists.

As a result, his transfer fee of £27m hasn’t been worth it, especially when compared with another forward who joined the Toffees in 2018 – Richarlison has made a huge impact on the team since his arrival in the same year, with 45 goals and 11 assists in a blue shirt.

Left with a nightmare scenario, Benitez will have to look for other ways to find the funds to complete his business over the remaining weeks of the transfer window, with Tosun likely to run down his contract to the summer instead of agreeing to a move now which would generate some much-needed income for Everton.

In other news: Everton have had a bid rejected for this midfielder

Harry Winks could be in line for a surprise recall to the Tottenham Hotspur starting XI this weekend as the north Londoners return to Premier League action in Sunday’s late kick-off against Leeds United.

Spurs have got through the international break relatively unscathed with only Cristian Romero a fresh injury problem but there are doubts over Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and that could prove troublesome as Oliver Skipp will miss the encounter through suspension.

Antonio Conte may well have to turn to the forgotten Englishman in a desperate bid to field an engine room that can compete with the high levels of intensity and press that Marcelo Bielsa demands from his team.

Without Skipp or Hojbjerg, it seems plausible that Winks is next in line, with players like Dele Alli, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso more accustomed to an advanced midfield role.

The 25-year-old academy graduate’s time in N17 has gone stale as he now finds himself at a career crossroad – some reports suggest that he’s looking for a temporary exit in January, whilst in the summer, the club were supposedly open to selling him, with a fee of £40m mooted by The Times.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-news-updates-transfers-antonio-conte-thfc” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Winks was once likened to two Spanish legends of the game and described as “perfect” by ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino during an interview with the Evening Standard.

“Harry has the profile of the perfect midfield player,” he said  “His characteristics are perfect. When we talk about midfielders like Xavi and [Andres] Iniesta, he’s like this type of player. He has this capacity but he needs to take my words in a very positive way — he needs a lot of work.”

That was back in September 2018.

Since then, over the last 18 months, Winks has started just ten times in the Premier League and has fallen out of the England reckoning under Gareth Southgate, with his last appearance being one off the bench during the Three Lions’ 4-0 win over Iceland back in November 2020.

Both Nuno Santo and Jose Mourinho froze him out, as evident above, and whilst he’s only played 17 minutes since the Italian’s arrival earlier this month, the £18m-rated dud could be handed one major lifeline – perhaps his last before January – this weekend.

Winks will need to impress to stand a chance at salvaging his Spurs career.

AND in other news, Conte handed Harry Kane boost as future claim emerges… 

As per Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), West Ham United, and by extension head of recruitment Rob Newman, have their sights on a new transfer target for David Moyes.

The Lowdown: Newman scrutinised…

Coming from Manchester City with a good reputation, even credited in playing a role over their signing of Aymeric Laporte (The Athletic), the West Ham chief has since faced criticism inside his new club.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-newest-updates/” title=”West Ham newest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Following a questionable January window, doubts have come to light surrounding Newman and whether he is truly qualified enough to spearhead West Ham’s chase for new signings (Claret & Hugh).

In what could be a crucial summer window for the ex-Sky Blues head scout, news has now emerged on a first pre-summer move as he allegedly eyes Svanberg from Bologna.

The Latest: Newman opens pre-summer West Ham dialogue…

According to CDS (via SW), West Ham and Newman have opened pre-summer dialogue to sign the box-to-box Serie A ace – making their first move in the form of an enquiry.

This comes as Svanberg’s club could now say goodbye to their 23-year-old sensation given Bologna need to raise funds for their own summer transfer activity.

However, West Ham may need to invest significantly, with Corriere also claiming the Italian minnows will demand a ‘high’ price.

The Verdict: Take it further?

As Newman looks to redeem his regrettable transfer window, he could do worse than signing Svanberg, who has been described by an iNews source as ‘probably one of the top four’ No 8’s in Europe.

Amassing 18 international caps for Sweden already at such a young age, Svanberg’s potential seems limitless, leaving no wonder West Ham are thinking about backing Moyes with his capture.

Much could depend on his eventual price tag, though, and how much he could cost to bring to east London.

In other news: ‘Deal is there to be done’ – West Ham insider makes exciting striker claim as price falls by £20m! Find out more here.

Aston Villa have made contact with Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma ahead of a possible summer move, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: January links

Steven Gerrard was busy during his first window as Villa boss, making four senior signings. It could have been five, however, as Brighton rejected an official offer from Villa for Bissouma.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-developments/” title=”Aston Villa latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Labelled as a player with ‘bundles of ability’ by former teammate Dale Stephens, Bissouma will be entering the final 12 months of his contract with the Seagulls in the summer, and it looks as if Villa are already making a head start on a possible deal.

The Latest: Source drops update

Football Insider dropped an update on Villa and Bissouma on Thursday morning after being informed by a recruitment source.

They claim that Villa have made contact with the player’s representatives and have asked to be kept up to date with his situation. Brighton are braced for bids, with Villa willing to spend over £150m on new signings ahead of Gerrard’s first full season in charge.

The Verdict: Midfielders needed

Villa have just six midfielders on the books at this moment in time, two of which are youngsters Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka.

Morgan Sanson is also reportedly set to be let go, so Villa could be short of options if they don’t add to their midfield ranks.

Gerrard has found success in a 4-3-1-2 system in recent months, making central midfield reinforcements crucial, so going after Bissouma in a possible cut-price deal could be a strong starting point in what could be a busy summer.

In other news: ‘I understand…’ – Insider now drops Villa update as Lange makes enquiry to Europa League club.