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Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has urged Tottenham to sell Giovani Lo Celso in the summer should he fail to perform this season.

The Lowdown: Flattering to deceive

The Argentina international has so far failed to make the impact that many Spurs fans would have hoped for since he made the switch from Real Betis for £27.2m in January 2020 (BBC).

Last season, he managed just 28 matches in all competitions for the club, picking up five goals and one assist (Transfermarkt) as he struggled with injury.

The Latest: Bridge demands more from Lo Celso

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Bridge suggested that Lo Celso’s time to impress is running out given his misfortunes in a Tottenham shirt.

He said: “Give him the ball, let’s see what he can do, because if not, he can go. I want him gone anyway in the summer; this Argentina stuff left me cold.”

The Verdict: Lo Celso must start to prove his talent

This season has not started fantastically for £24.3m-valued Lo Celso (Transfermarkt). In September, he travelled to South America to represent Argentina, attempting to enter Brazil despite knowing that he would have to quarantine for 10 days as soon as he arrived given the pandemic restrictions for those having travelled to the United Kingdom (The Guardian).

His actions are believed to have enraged those in power at Tottenham, with club and international colleague Cristian Romero also in the dock over the same incident (The Guardian).

This season, he has played eight times under Nuno Espirito Santo but has not set the world alight – he has averaged a WhoScored rating of just 6.15 across the Premier League and Carabao Cup. Indeed, if he fails to deliver soon, Spurs should perhaps look to cut their losses with him, as Bridge has suggested.

In other news, this man turned down the chance to manage Tottenham this summer.

Trying to replace a club icon is particularly difficult, and at Celtic that is no different.

As a dismal 2020/21 campaign came to a conclusion for the Hoops, they witnessed their no-nonsense club captain walk away from Parkhead. That man, of course, is a certain Scott Brown.

He headed to Aberdeen to take up a player-coach role and the individual to succeed his captaincy duties is Callum McGregor.

The Scot has had an excellent start to the season and had one of the best outings of his career in his nation’s colours this week when they took on Austria.

However, there is a sense that one of the many players that Ange Postecoglou brought to the club this summer could eventually become the true heir to Brown’s coveted place in the team.

Although yet to play, James McCarthy will be a big presence in the middle of the park once he’s fit enough. Liam Shaw, their signing from Sheffield Wednesday, could eventually star in that role, while Bosun Lawal has looked promising since arriving in Glasgow.

However, it is two players who were signed before Postecoglou walked in that appeared to stand the best chance before the summer’s arrivals.

Ismaila Soro is candidate number one. At various times last season, he looked like the most natural heir. He was composed on the ball and tough in the tackle, making ten successful challenges in one European outing against Lille.

However, the longer his stay at Paradise has continued, the more his form has deteriorated. Soro’s opening matches of the campaign left a lot to be desired as he lost a whopping ten of 14 duels against Midtjylland.

He was also rash in the challenge when he appeared from the bench against Rangers in the Old Firm before the international break.

With that in mind, Postecoglou should consider finally utilising Luca Connell in the first team.

The Irishman was signed from Bolton back in 2019 but he has never made a first-team outing for the Bhoys. He already had EFL experience with the Trotters when he arrived so it’s puzzling to see him make such a minimal impact in Scotland.

Left out of the club’s Europa League squad list, opportunities look as though they’ll be hard to come by for him.

Once again, this feels like a strange move. Connell was in excellent form during a loan spell at Queen’s Park last season, guiding them to promotion. In the process, the defensive midfielder scored three times and registered five assists.

The 20-year-old was a breath of fresh air to the Queen’s Park side and one goal encapsulated him perfectly. After he galloped forward and then found the net against Edinburgh towards the end of last term, the commentator said that he had a “wand of a left foot.”

With defensive nous and offensive abilities in his locker, Connell surely has everything needed to thrive in Postecoglou’s system. That’s precisely why he should be unleashed.

AND in other news, 100% duels won: Ange surely drooling after new Celtic signing’s international display…

Some Glasgow Rangers fans have been left buzzing over some news involving the Premier Sports Cup.

As per the official Twitter page of the Ibrox faithful, Steven Gerrard’s team will now play Hibernian in the semi-final for a place in the final of the competition.

The tie will be played on the weekend of November 20th-21st, and it means that they avoid their bitter rivals Celtic until the final, should they both end up going through.

The Hoops will now face St. Johnstone in what promises to be two very interesting set of fixtures.

Of course, the one monkey on Gerrard’s back at the moment is that he has not yet a Scottish Cup while managing the Gers, and he may be thinking that avoiding Celtic until the final may give him his best chance of winning this time around.

Rangers fans on cup draw

These Light Blues buzzed as the news was revealed on Twitter, with one RFC supporter even going as far as to claim that it was ‘brilliant’:

“Let’s go”

Credit: @TheRailwayBears

“I will take that”

Credit: @KianRussell15

“Nice, that’ll do me”

Credit: @ArgyllWarrior

“Brilliant draw”

Credit: @me_snp

“Yesssssss”

Credit: @TMc1872_

“That’ll do”

Credit: @NOTELINYI

In other news, find out which Ger’s social media post has Light Blues buzzing here!

Leicester City are reportedly pursuing a deal for PSV Eindhoven winger Noni Madueke as manager Brendan Rodgers looks to add further reinforcements to his first-team squad.

What’s the story?

The highly-rated 19-year-old has been linked with a £20m move to various Premier League sides this summer after catching the eye with a string of impressive performances for PSV last season.

However, according to well-known journalist Alan Nixon (as relayed by the Leicester Mercury), the Foxes have been ‘active’ on a deal for ‘3-4 weeks,’ meaning Madueke could be set to arrive at the King Power Stadium before the current transfer window closes.

Brendan Rodgers would love him

Leicester have already pulled off several astute purchases in the shape of Boubakary Soumare, Patson Daka, Jannik Vestergaard and Ryan Bertrand, but Rodgers has hinted that there could yet be more business done before the August 31 deadline.

“We would like to add more if we could and we will see how the market goes. We know what we would like, but whether we can get that type of player or whether we can afford that type of player, we will have to wait,” the Northern Irish tactician said.

One area of Rodgers’ squad that appears to be particularly light is the right-wing position. Since Riyad Mahrez’s departure back in 2018, several players have failed to adequately replace the Algeria international.

The likes of Demarai Gray, Cengiz Under and Rachid Ghezzal have all exited the King Power Stadium in the subsequent years, meaning the former Celtic boss needs more strength in depth if he’s to mount a serious top-four push.

After leaving Tottenham Hotspur back in 2018 in search of regular first-team minutes,  Madueke has established himself as one of the Eredivisie’s most exciting prospects.

The London-born attacker contributed nine goals and eight assists in 32 appearances for the Dutch giants last term, earning praise from several plaudits, including former PSV ace Tommie van de Leegte.

“He’s fast and has the capability to trick his opponent. He brings creativity and is very explosive in his actions,” said Van de Leegte (via Goal).

Rodgers and Leicester fans alike will be hoping the club’s hierarchy can get this deal over the line, completing an exceptional transfer window for the Midlands outfit.

And, in other news…Rodgers must axe “silly” £6.3m-rated Leicester flop this month, he’s not good enough 

Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster is set to leave for free next summer in what has been described by Hampshire Live as a massive boost to Celtic.

The Lowdown: Forster links

The Hoops have bolstered their goalkeeping ranks this summer with the signing of Joe Hart for just over £1m.

He’s played every minute under Ange Postecoglou since arriving from Tottenham, however, before his arrival, Celtic were linked with a move for Forster.

Reports last month suggested that Forster wouldn’t be allowed to depart St Mary’s, but that has all changed going forward.

The Latest: Free transfer

Hampshire Live shared a story on Wednesday, claiming Forster is set to leave next summer on a free transfer when his contract expired.

The report labels it as a massive boost to Celtic, with Forster, described as ‘unbelievable’ by Scott Bain, a long-term target for the Hoops.

The Verdict: Avoid

Even though Dominic McKay will now have the chance in January to tie up a pre-contract agreement for Forster ahead of a free transfer the following summer, Celtic should avoid any deal.

They already have Hart, Bain, Vasilis Barkas and Conor Hazard on the books, so don’t need to add a fifth shot-stopper on £70,000-a-week.

If they hadn’t secured Hart and Ange Postecoglou had the same troubles as Neil Lennon did deciding between Bain, Barkas or Hazard, then perhaps a New Year swoop for Forster could have been a shrewd call, but not now.

It appears as if Celtic may still be keeping tabs on Forster, though, with Hampshire Live continuing to link Forster with another return to Parkhead, so it could be one to keep an eye on over the course of the season.

In other news: Derek Rae shares ‘important’ transfer development in Celtic’s pursuit of Georgios Giakoumakis. 

The Athletic journalist Jordan Campbell has revealed that Fashion Sakala missed Glasgow Rangers’ clash with Dundee United on Saturday with a minor injury.

The Lowdown: Gers suffer defeat

After going 38 games unbeaten in the Premiership last term (thefishy.co.uk), it took the Gers just two matches to suffer their first league defeat of this campaign (Sky Sports).

They were beaten 1-0 by Dundee United, a game in which new signing Sakala did not feature.

The Latest: Sakala injured

In an article for The Athletic covering the Gers’ loss to the Tangerines, Campbell provided an update on the Zambia international.

He revealed that £3.6m-valued Sakala (Transfermarkt) suffered a minor injury and was therefore not included in the matchday squad as a result.

The Verdict: Worrying

This is worrying news for the Gers. While the sample size is not yet too big, the only match in three outings the Gers have managed to win this season is also the only one Sakala has started (Transfermarkt). While the defeat to Dundee United is far from positive, it is the impact that his potential absence could have on their next match which will likely be playing on Steven Gerrard’s mind.

The Gers face Malmo in the return leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie on Tuesday. They lost the first match 2-1 in Sweden and therefore need to win at Ibrox to progress to the next stage. Gerrard will surely be hoping Sakala will be available, but in light of Campbell’s revelation of a minor injury for the 24-year-old, it remains to be seen whether he can play in the fixture.

In other news, Rangers are said to be ready to listen to offers for this man.

Serie A expert Conor Clancy insists that clubs from across Europe should be trying to sign Andrea Belotti this summer as he continues to be linked with an exit from Torino.

The Italy international is entering the final year of his contract with the Serie A club.

As a result, he has been linked with a number of clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, and Newcastle United.

Belotti has been a prolific goalscorer during his time with Torino, scoring a total of 105 goals in 228 games for the club.

Last season, he netted 13 goals and laid on seven assists in 35 games for the club and was a member of the Italy squad that won Euro 2020 this summer.

Clancy believes he should move on from Torino to join another club in this transfer window, and has urged sides from across Europe to table a bid.

Clancy, who is the editor-in-chief of Forza Italian Football, said: “It’s sad that he’s still with Torino, particularly from the perspective of someone who likes the Italian national team as well.

“If Belotti was playing at a good team, he’d be starting for Italy and probably scoring more goals but Belotti’s great, everyone in Europe should be trying to sign him.”

Everton have joined the race for SL Benfica striker Haris Seferovic after Rafael Benitez’s seal of approval, according to Portuguese newspaper Correio de Manha (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown

Seferovic was directly involved in 29 goals – 22 goals, seven assists – in just 31 league appearances last season.

According to WhoScored, he excels at finishing, creating chances and winning aerial duels.

The 29-year-old was called up to represent Switzerland at the European Championships and bagged three goals, including a memorable double in the Round of 16 as the Swiss knocked out world champions France.

The latest

Seferovic is an option that ‘pleases’ Benitez, and as such Everton will rival Premier League sides West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the race for his signature.

The Blues have been made aware that it will take €25million (£21.6million) to persuade the Primeira Liga outfit to part with him.

Intriguingly, while Sky Sports journalist Pete Graves reported on Monday that Everton want to sign a back-up striker, this report says Seferovic is viewed as a potential replacement for Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Richarlison should they be lured away.

The verdict

Of the two potential departures mooted in the report, Richarlison is probably the more likely. It’s already been suggested that Carlo Ancelotti could look to bring him to Real Madrid.

So then you wonder if Seferovic would be an effective back-up to Calvert-Lewin. Ideally, Benitez should want someone with a different set of attributes, but there’s some definite overlap there with both players serving as effective target men.

Another reason to question the move would be Seferovic’s age, but there’s perhaps little prospect of recruiting a young, up-and-coming forward when Calvert-Lewin is only 24 and seems to have the spot locked down for years. A more experienced deputy may be the logical way to go, but one with the pace and agility to offer a different style to Calvert-Lewin.

In other news, Everton are interested in loaning this star from European giants.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League forward Dean Windass believes West Ham’s Declan Rice could be worth up to £100m in this current market.

Rice was easily one of the best defensive midfielders in English football’s top flight last season. As per WhoScored, he averaged 1.8 interceptions per game, putting him in the top 10 for that category out of all the players who featured regularly during that campaign.

The 22-year-old is now being heavily linked with a move to West Ham’s London rivals Chelsea, with Athletic journalist Simon Johnson recently suggesting that it is a deal that could happen in this transfer window in an update on Twitter.

On how much he thinks Rice is worth, Windass told FFC in an exclusive interview:

“He’s got to be up there, 80, 90, 100m. I think for Declan Rice, if Arsenal, Tottenham or Chelsea come running, you can’t turn it down.”

Looking at Rice’s interception numbers again, in Chelsea’s squad, only N’Golo Kante averaged more with two per game. The former Blues academy player and the Frenchman, what a sturdy midfield partnership that could be.

There is a long way to go, though, before Thomas Tuchel can even think about deploying such a midfield duo. West Ham do not want to sell Rice and hold most if not all of the cards here, with the England international still having three years left to run on his contract.

Manchester City have been handed a huge boost in their reported hopes of signing Danny Ings this summer after he rejected a new contract at Southampton.

What’s the word?

As per The Athletic, Ings has rejected a new four-year deal at the South Coast club, which could well force Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side to cash in on the England international this summer, or risk losing him for nothing at the end of next season.

The former Liverpool man was linked with a move to Manchester City by Sky Sports earlier this year, as he was touted as a potential replacement for outgoing legend Sergio Aguero, and if City retain an interest in signing the Southampton man, then a move this summer definitely now looks like it could be on the cards.

Would he be a good signing for Guardiola?

Although Ings perhaps wouldn’t be as glamourous a signing as Harry Kane or Erling Haaland, Guardiola suggested recently that City were being priced out of a move for a striker this summer, and Ings could represent a much cheaper option who is almost guaranteed to score goals in the Premier League.

Injuries meant he managed just 12 goals in a poor Southampton side last season but his 22 goals in the top-flight in the 2019/20 campaign saw him finish as the joint-second top scorer, which suggests that he could certainly be a good fit at the Etihad, where he’d be surrounded by better players.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-manchester-city-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Manchester City transfer rumours and news!”]

Eddie Howe was full of praise for the striker’s performances in the 19/20 season, saying:

“The most impressive thing about Danny is, of course, he’s an outstanding player.

“Technically he’s very good, plays with real intelligence and the way he’s come back from his disappointments, the injury setbacks he’s had, the way he’s fought back and kept his mental strength has been hugely impressive.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936″]

City need a goalscorer and given that Ings is valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt and has only one year left on his contract, he could be a much cheaper alternative for Guardiola’s side this summer and given his record in the top-flight, this seems like a deal that sporting director Txiki Begiristain should definitely be looking to complete.

And, in other news… Guardiola dealt transfer blow with “different level” beast, City fans should be fuming