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Anthony Joseph has dropped a teasing update regarding Celtic’s business on transfer deadline day.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Sky Sports journalist revealed that, while a host of incoming signings aren’t expected on the final day of the January transfer window, Ange Postecoglou will be keeping a very close eye on the market in case a player becomes available who is too good for the Bhoys to pass up.

In his tweet, Joseph said: “In terms of Celtic, I’ve been told not to expect incomings, unless someone becomes available who’s too good to miss out on. Could see some fringe/younger players heading out – more likely on loan.”

Fans will be excited

While Celtic have already been one of the busier clubs in the January window, having already sealed the arrivals of Matt O’Riley, Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi, Daizen Maeda and Johnny Kenny, the news that the Hoops could still be active on deadline day is sure to have left the Parkhead faithful excited.

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Indeed, there are a number of areas within Postecoglou’s first-team squad which could still do with greater strength in depth, particularly at left-back, attacking midfield and on the wings.

The Bhoys have been linked with the likes of Lee Buchanan, Callum Styles, Danny Mandriou and Albert Gudmundsson this month. Should any of those become available during the closing stages of the January market, it would indeed seem advisable for the Celtic manager to sanction a late swoop in the window, as each player would very much appear to improve the club’s chances of reclaiming their Premiership crown this season.

In other news: Ange must seal Celtic deal for £4m gem dubbed “one of the best”, he’s a big upgrade

Liverpool have been plagued with injury problems for the last 18 months, with the defence heavily effected last season and now the midfield having an injury crisis this season.

The Reds have been dealt a number of injury blows to their midfield this term with Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones all picking up issues over the first three months of the campaign so far.

Thankfully, Thiago, Fabinho, Henderson and Milner are all back available for selection, with James Milner pictured in training ahead of the Champions League game against Porto tonight.

The 35-year-old took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to confirm his availability for the European clash accompanied with a number of training pictures:

The tweet simply captioned; “Back and ready for Porto #ucl #YNWA”

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Milner was a free transfer for Liverpool back in 2015 and has certainly proved he’s worth his weight in gold by being part of winning the first-ever Premier League title for the side in 2020 and contributing to the Champions League win in 2019 too.

He has currently achieved 258 appearances for the side, with 26 goals and 43 assists, playing in a number of key roles in the team over his six-year stint in Merseyside.

Despite slowly coming to the end of his career, Milner has been an important and reliable part of the team yet again this season, filling in for missing starters in a number of positions already, offering his experience and presence in games where younger and less experienced players are starting alongside him. Thus, the club’s manager will undoubtedly be buzzing to see such a valuable asset back and ready to use.

It would make sense to add him into the starting line up straight away this evening against Porto. Although Liverpool have qualified for the last sixteen already, Jurgen Klopp will undoubtedly still want to maintain his system, style of play and hold lots of possession in the game, something Milner is extremely familiar with.

If Klopp does intend to play a much weaker side, which we imagine will be the case due to his comments in his press conference yesterday, Milner will be a fantastic addition to a midfield that is likely to not include starters like Fabinho and Thiago who have only recently returned from injury, where an opportunity is there to give them both a break.

Liverpool have already qualified for latter stages alongside Manchester United, Chelsea, Juventus, Ajax and Bayern Munich, but Jurgen Klopp will still be hoping to remain unbeaten in the competition.

In other news: Liverpool predicted Champions League XI vs Porto

Liverpool will face Porto on Wednesday evening in a clash that has really no impact on the side’s qualification, as they secured their passage to the last sixteen in the Champions League a few weeks back, after going unbeaten.

Jurgen Klopp’s side will have the opportunity though to remain unbeaten in Europe alongside Ajax and Bayern Munich, and if they do beat Porto tonight it will keep Atletico Madrid in with a chance of qualification.

One player that is predicted to play for Liverpool tonight is Divock Origi, who is currently out of favour in Klopp’s super starting eleven but has made a few outings this season so far with seven appearances, three goals and two assists across all competitions so far.

Although Origi is not a starter for the side, he has proven this term that he has something to offer, whether that be with Liverpool or another club in a move that has been highly speculated over the last six months.

According to The Northern Echo, Newcastle United are interested in the 26-year-old striker, who was reportedly valued at £12-£15 million by the club in the summer transfer window, however, nobody could meet Liverpool’s valuation and the player remained at the club for the season ahead.

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Liverpool have a strict sell to buy framework at the club and will need to offload a player to bring another in, and Klopp could capitalise on these last two Champions League games to showcase Origi’s talents and attributes to drum up interest of notable value that would be more appealing and financially beneficial for the club going into the transfer window.

The Belgian is available on a free in the summer, so if the club is looking to make a quick buck on the striker, time is ticking, and starting him in the next two Champions League games will give the striker the opportunity to put on great performances that could potentially make FSG millions.

The £10.8m-rated beast is likely to start in tonight’s game having had many moments of magic in the Champions League in his time at Liverpool and has been hailed a “monster” by former Belgium teammate, Vincent Kompany;

“He is very gifted and talented,” said Kompany. “Technically, he’s a monster.

“More importantly, he is an outstanding worker in training. I see him working like crazy.”

Liverpool take on Porto at Anfield tonight and despite the likelihood of a weaker starting eleven, Klopp will expect his team to put in a performance to continue their unbeaten run in Europe.

In other news: Liverpool must complete transfer swoop for Renato Sanches

Rangers defender Connor Goldson is a potential transfer target for Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa, Pete O’Rourke has told GIVEMESPORT. 

The lowdown

Gerrard has been linked with a host of his former Ibrox players since he opted to move south of the border, including Ryan Kent, Glen Kamara and Borna Barisic, but Goldson’s case is unique because his contract is due to expire at the end of this season.

It’s possible that January will be Rangers’ last chance to cash in on the 29-year-old, who will otherwise be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement ahead of the summer transfer window.

Football Insider have previously reported that, as per Ibrox sources, the former Brighton centre-back Goldson wants another crack at the English top flight.

The latest

O’Rourke thinks that Gerrard may deem Goldson to be Premier League standard and could look to engineer a reunion with the player in the Midlands, adding that the defender’s contract situation could lend itself to a ‘relatively cheap’ move in January.

The journalist told GIVEMESPORT: “One of the names in the frame would be Connor Goldson, who is yet to sign a new deal at Rangers. I think his contract is up in the summer, so Villa might be able to get him for relatively cheap in January.”

The verdict

There’s no escaping the reality that Goldson would be a big loss for Rangers as they look to retain their Premiership crown.

He has started 18 of their 19 league matches so far this season, and his average SofaScore rating of 7.19 ranks him fifth in the Rangers squad, indicating that he’s a hugely dependable performer.

Goldson helps the Gers to build attacks with his ‘next level’ passing, and Gerrard was also keen to point out his intangible attributes, such as the ‘incredible leadership’ he provides. Therefore, it’s little wonder that the 41-year-old wants to team up with the defender once more, so Rangers best be ready for an approach to come their way.

In other news, some Gers fans were buzzing over this news ahead of the upcoming Old Firm derby

According to a recent report, Tottenham Hotspur are keeping tabs on centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic ahead of a potential summer swoop.

The report by Italian publication La Nazione (via Sport Witness) claims that a number of clubs, including AS Roma from Serie A, Borussia Dortmund from the Bundesliga and Tottenham from the Premier League, are monitoring the situation of the Fiorentina striker ahead of the summer transfer window.

It is claimed that Jose Mourinho’s side have specifically turned their “spotlight” on the £14.4,-rated 21-year-old, for whom Fiorentina are said to be prepared for a barrage of offers this summer, with the Serie A side reportedly demanding between €50m (£43m) and €60m (£52m) to part with the forward.

Transfer Tavern Take

The reported interest in Vlahovic comes as no surprise, as so far this season, the 1.9m (6 foot 3) striker has impressed over his 26 Serie A appearances for Cesare Prandelli’s side, scoring 12 goals and providing one assist.

With Carlos Vinicius, Tottenham’s current backup centre-forward for Harry Kane, struggling to make any great impression on the Spurs side, having scored no goals over his seven Premier League appearances since joining on a season-long loan from Benfica last October, perhaps a move for a more prolific striker this summer would not be the worst of ideas for Tottenham.

In other news: Tottenham have been sent a warning over Harry Kane – find out more here!

Fans of West Bromwich Albion have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the Baggies confirmed that Kieran Gibbs would be leaving the club at the end of the season.

According to a statement on West Brom’s club website, Gibbs will remain at The Hawthorns for the remainder of the Baggies’ Premier League campaign, after which the 31-year-old will leave the club for Major League Soccer side, Inter Miami, on a free transfer.

Having joined West Brom from Arsenal back in the summer of 2017, Gibbs has so far gone on to make 100 appearances in all competitions for the club, chipping in with five goals along the way.

And, after West Brom relayed the news of Gibbs’ impending departure on Twitter, fans of the Baggies flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing delighted at the prospect of the £30,000-per-week left-back leaving their club this summer, due mainly to his injury history.

So, what exactly did these West Bromwich Albion fans have to say in reaction to the news regarding Kieran Gibbs?

“I’ll pay for his flight over there.”

@WBADyl

“Good, 70k off the wage bill for someone with a hamstring made of glass.”

@RobWBA_

“Bye then. Rolls Royce in the Championship I saw him once described as. More like clapped out in the prem. 55 grand a week? Nah, not for me.”

@nickwestwood33

“I wouldn’t give him another contract anyway. Never lived up to his name sadly. Good luck to him.”

@KnaveofAlbion

“Great move for him.”

@Blackjack42B

“Get in.”

@vivalaalbion

“Quality most of the time for us, all the best Gibbo.”

@danwba_

In other news: these WBA fans unleashed their fury at “pathetic” stars following John Percy’s report – find out more here!

Crystal Palace host Leeds United this evening as they look to climb the Premier League table with just six matches to go whilst can all but secure their safety with a victory.

The Eagles followed up their Wembley heartbreak in the FA Cup semi-final with a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United last Wednesday night, with manager Patrick Vieira making changes to his team.

Now though, after a five-day break, the Frenchman must resort back to his best possible lineup, with striker Jean-Philippe Mateta leading the line.

On the chalkboard

Mateta was rested in the North East on Wednesday, with out-of-favour Odsonne Edouard getting the nod to start up front against the Magpies.

The Frenchman struggled to make an impact at St.James’ Park and hasn’t found the back of the net for Palace since late January.

As for his fellow countryman, Mateta has been the Eagles’ best striker since the turn of the year, scoring five goals and assisting one in 2022.

The 24-year-old’s form has ironically correlated with his loan move from Bundesliga outfit FC Mainz being made permanent in the January transfer window.

Vieira has chopped and changed his strikers this season, with no centre forward finding consistent form in front of goal that rivals that of top scorer Wilfried Zaha, as well as the impressive Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher.

The long-term Palace servant has enjoyed his best-ever season in front of goal for the Eagles this term, scoring 12 times across all competitions whilst Gallagher is the south London outfit’s second-top-scorer with eight strikes.

With Zaha in support, Mateta can find his best form, with the forward finally starting to find comfort in the red and blue of Crystal Palace after a shaky start to life in England.

The £30k-per-week striker was signed on a season-and-a-half loan from Mainz in January 2021, with former Palace boss Roy Hodgson handing the Frenchman just seven league appearances.

Although, the 24-year-old did instantly boost his popularity amongst the Selhurst Park faithful, netting the first goal in a dramatic 2-1 win against arch-rivals Brighton.

This season, the forward was shut out almost completely, playing just 61 minutes of the Eagles’ first 17 league matches and sometimes failed to even make a matchday squad.

However, once handed his chance at the back end of December, Mateta, who was labelled as “brilliant” by teammate Will Hughes earlier this term, grabbed it with both hands and is now the south London side’s most in form striker and thus must be unleashed against Leeds.

AND in other news: Cost £0, now worth £15.3m: Parish struck gold with “fantastic” £25k-p/w Palace dynamo

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United footballer Steve Howey has been singing the praises of Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

The 26-year-old has enjoyed a superb start to the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, having averaged an impressive 7.24 rating for his performances, with four goals and four assists to his name in 18 appearances.

This ranks him as the Saints’ second-best performer in the top-flight, in what has been a promising start to the season from Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, with European football certainly looking a possibility for next season if they maintain their current level of performances.

Ward-Prowse, in particular, has been getting a lot of praise, with Glenn Hoddle suggesting that his old club Tottenham Hotspur should sign the England international this month.

Indeed, Howey has suggested that it is something of a surprise that the Southampton academy graduate is still with his boyhood club, considering his excellent performances for the South Coast club in recent seasons.

Here’s what Howey had to say about Ward-Prowse when speaking exclusively to FFC:

“[Ralph Hasenhuttl] has got some very very good players. I’m still surprised that someone like James Ward-Prowse is still there. What a player he is. They’ve got some very good players that will cause problems for any team.”

Certainly, if Ward-Prowse’s excellent form continues this season, and Southampton don’t achieve European football, then it would not be a surprise if a top-six club from the Premier League club came knocking for the midfielder in the summer.

Fortunately for Hasenhuttl and the South Coast club, the Englishman’s £45,000-a-week contract runs until 2025, so it would have to be a substantial offer if Southampton were to sell him in the future.

Hopefully, the midfielder can help the Saints achieve European football of their own because it would be a massive loss if he were to leave the club in the near future.

And, in other news… “I can’t see him going” – Exclusive: Pundit makes claim on key Southampton man’s future amid exit rumours

Leeds United star Patrick Bamford has suffered a major blow, with England manager Gareth Southgate omitting him from the provisional squad for Euro 2020.

What’s the story?

The striker has been an absolute sensation in the Premier League this season for the Whites, banging in 17 goals and providing another eight assists in the 38 games.

However, despite his form, Southgate has opted to leave him out from the expanded 33-man provisional squad that he named on Tuesday afternoon, instead choosing to go with the likes of Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins and Mason Greenwood as his strikers.

Leeds fans will be fuming

Given just how impressively Bamford has performed at the Premier League level this season, it’s no surprise that many Leeds fans are already up in arms over the striker’s omission from the England squad.

Only Kane has outscored the Whites forward in the Premier League in terms of the players Southgate has chosen, while only the England captain, Rashford and Jack Grealish have provided more assists than him.

When leaving Bamford out of the last squad, Southgate himself admitted: “(Bamford was) very close. There’s a number of positions in this squad that have been really close calls and we felt we wanted an extra striker.

“We like his (Watkins) pressing, the speed and the runs in behind. He’s got some improvement to make in linking the game, but in his first season in the Premier League at a big club, he’s done exceptionally well. That’s been a really close call because all the things I’ve said about Ollie I could have said for Patrick as well. So he’s very unfortunate.”

Meanwhile, there have been numerous of calls for Southgate to have taken Bamford as one of his forward options.

The Mirror’s Neil Moxley wrote: “I’d take Patrick Bamford instead of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Leeds man provides more assists and his star is on an upwards curve.”

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Speaking recently to the Yorkshire Evening Post, former Leeds midfielder David Prutton said: “Get him in there. He’s got no tournament baggage and he’s a great team player who is a hard worker and selfless.

“He’s performed under pressure at a big club and always rises to the challenge of the questions against him. He’s an all round good egg.”

While Kalvin Phillips’ inclusion will surely please Leeds fans, the fact that Bamford isn’t in the squad despite outperforming almost every striker Southgate has chosen will understandably have the Elland Road faithful fuming.

Meanwhile, Leeds United are plotting a new move for this star…

Many Wolves fans were not happy with the performance of right-back Ki-Jana Hoever during his side’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday night.

The Black Country club put up a good fight at the Etihad against the league leaders and were level-pegging with 10 minutes to spare before the floodgates opened.

Hoever came off second best to his opposite number Riyad Mahrez, who made him look foolish on several occasions, although the young defender was often finding himself in situations where he had two Citizens’ attackers to deal with.

Per Sofascore, the 19-year-old lost 10 duels, was dribbled past five times, lost possession 16 times and accumulated a pass success rate of 79%.

Unsurprisingly, supporters were heavily critical towards the youngster with some suggesting that he should be dropped from Nuno Espirito Santo’s side altogether.

Hoever didn’t impress these fans

“Hoever continues to not be able to pass to a teammate by hitting the Trafford Centre with a cross”

Credit: @mitchdavis_1

“Someone tell me why Hoever can’t cross a ball and it doesn’t get mentioned enough”

Credit: @k_horton22

“Hoever is awful”

Credit: @WVjugsy

“Scrappy game from @Wolves. The final scoreline was a bit harsh. Seriously unimpressed with Jana Hoever. Absolutely terrible game from him. Also, Otasowie is cursed it seems.”

Credit: @chinacomedystu

“Hoever for £10 million is a ridiculously bad transfer, recruitment team needs looking at. The business done at Wolves over the last 18 months is criminal.”

Credit: @JackHeather7

“Hoever was shocking tonight!! Another waste of multi-millions!!”

Credit: @SteveWiles20

In other news, Wolves fans responded to Tim Spiers’ claims on Nuno’s squad issues.