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Benfica are optimistic about bringing Celtic loanee Jota back to Portugal in the summer, The Daily Record report.

The Lowdown: Celtic’s option

The Hoops brought the 22-year-old to Parkhead on deadline day on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

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Jota has been a revelation in Scotland following his Scotland switch, contributing to 14 goals in 19 games.

He recently returned to his parent club to have his hamstring injury assessed, and it seems as if the Primeira Liga giants think they can keep hold of the winger despite reports suggesting Celtic are closing in on a £6m permanent deal.

The Latest: Journalist reacts

The Daily Record shared a story Thursday, leading with a title that Jota to Celtic is now in ‘doubt’.

They then relayed comments from journalist Alex Goncalves, who claimed that there is a ‘decent chance’ of Jota staying with Benfica. He also labelled a £6m option to buy fee from the Portuguese giants as ‘an absolute travesty’.

“Benfica obviously remain keen to keep hold of João ‘Jota’ Filipe, hence why Celtic still haven’t managed to sign him permanently. It’s all still up to Jota, but Benfica would like him to return to his boyhood club.

“There’s a feeling that there’s a decent chance it’ll happen.

“Even if Jota chooses to stay at Benfica, it’s an incredibly lucky escape. The fact that Benfica included a £6m option fee for Celtic is an absolute travesty and incredibly poor management.

“Benfica have made some impressive sales over the years. This one would be atrocious.”

The Verdict: All in Jota’s hands…

As Goncalves mentions, it is all down to Jota when it comes to his next destination – if the Hoops trigger the option in the original deal, there’s not much his parent club can do.

It seems as if he is loving his football at Parkhead, too, and you’d like to think that the Hoops would be happy to guarantee him regular football in the long run and include various clauses to seal a permanent deal.

Even if a move isn’t finalised this month, Celtic still have months to get a full-time transfer in place ahead of the summer, so even though this latest update now thinks a move could be in ‘doubt’, there shouldn’t be panic amongst the Hoops hierarchy.

In other news: ‘Think that will happen soon’ – Pundit says Celtic will now sign defender after O’Riley. 

Celtic are looking to swiftly conclude their January business, according to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph. 

The lowdown

The Hoops are closing in on their first winter signing, Kawasaki Frontale defender Reo Hatate. They are seemingly nearing a deal with the Japanese club and personal terms aren’t expected to cause any problems, with the player pushing for the move to Glasgow.

The Hoops backed Ange Postecoglou with a £20m spend in the summer ahead of his first season in charge, but clearly the 56-year-old feels that he needs additional reinforcements in his pursuit of the Premiership title with Rangers four points ahead at the top of the table.

The latest

Keeping Celtic supporters posted on the latest transfer news, Joseph tweeted:

“Celtic are also continuing talks in their pursuit of Yokohama F Marinos forward Daizen Maeda and Gamba Osaka midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi.

“It’s understood the Hoops are looking to complete their January business early in the window.”

The verdict

It was telling that, after Kyogo Furuhashi and Albian Ajeti joined Celtic’s injury list last week, Postecoglou pointed to a lack of depth in the squad (via Daily Record). His argument seemed to be that, if he had better rotation options, it would be easier for him to protect key players.

Celtic’s squad will continue to be stretched in the New Year, especially if they progress through the Europa Conference League play-off round in February.

With a three-week winter break pencilled in between the Old Firm derby on 2 January and the Scottish Cup clash with Alloa Athletic on 22 January, early business would at least allow Celtic’s additions a healthy bedding-in period in Glasgow.

In other news, what about players who might be headed the other way?

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Samir Handanovic to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Rudy Galetti, with the Italian journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that, following Inter Milan’s recent signing of Andre Onana, the 37-year-old Handanovic could leave the San Siro on a free transfer at the end of the current campaign.

Galetti goes on to state that Tottenham are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Slovenia international – who is thought to have been offered a new deal by the Serie A side – as Antonio Conte is believed to be extremely interested in securing a deal for the shot-stopper.

In his post, Galetti said: “With the arrival of Onana (five-year contract), Handanovic – despite the renewal proposal – could leave the [Nerazzurri] at the end of the season. THFC follow the [Slovenian] goalkeeper: Conte has asked for him and in June he could arrive in [the] EPL as a free agent.”

Fans will be buzzing

While it is undeniable that Handanovic is a goalkeeper who does not have too many more seasons ahead of him at the top level of professional football, considering just how impressive the 37-year-old has been for Inter this season, he would still very much appear to make a fantastic addition to Conte’s current options in the position at Spurs.

Indeed, over his 19 Serie A appearances in the current campaign, the £2.25m-rated man has helped his side keep nine clean sheets and has made an average of 2.8 saves per game, with these returns seeing the shot-stopper average a SofaScore match rating of 7.09 – ranking him as Inter’s ninth-best performer in the top flight of Italian football.

As such, while Hugo Lloris is expected to put pen to paper on a new one-year deal with Tottenham in the coming weeks, the potential addition of a goalkeeper who boasts the ability and the experience of Handanovic, particularly on a free transfer, is something that will undoubtedly have Spurs fans buzzing.

The £96k-per-week ‘keeper would not only provide backup to the France international next season, he could well go on to push the 35-year-old for his starting spot between the Tottenham sticks.

In other news: “I understand”: Big twist emerges in THFC pursuit of £25m-rated gem, AC surely buzzing

Aston Villa face the unenviable task of hosting Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side in the Premier League on Wednesday night.

Steven Gerrard has enjoyed a superb start to life in the Midlands with back-to-back top-flight wins under his belt against Brighton and Crystal Palace.

Surprise Pep

The ex-Rangers boss could spring a surprise on Pep Guardiola and City and pick up a result with a key selection change for this clash – starting Emiliano Buendia ahead of Leon Bailey.

Villa beat Crystal Palace 2-1 in their last outing, but the Jamaican winger struggled to make a positive impact playing out on the right. Per SofaScore, he lost seven of his nine duels and failed with all of his attempted dribbles whilst only completing 18 passes.

Therefore, it could be time for him to be axed from the team and for Buendia to be given another chance to show what he can do. The creative midfielder has a history of performing well against Manchester City – producing a sublime display in a 3-2 win for Norwich in 2019.

He recorded two assists and a WhoScored rating of 8.9 in the stunning win for the Canaries. Buendia ended the match with five completed dribbles and four tackles to go along with his assists, showing his quality defensively, in transition and in the final third.

Former Norwich boss Daniel Farke once hailed the Argentine international as a ‘joy to work with’ prior to his move to Villa Park. The German said:

“He has been unbelievably important for us during the past season and as long as we have him it is a joy to work with him, to have him in the team and for our supporters.

“You have to love his creativity and skills. Hopefully, he can also shine in the future for us.”

The £75k-per-week gem has struggled to find his best form for Villa but has still managed to average 1.9 tackles and interceptions per game alongside 1.4 key passes. This, along with his previous display against the Citizens, suggests that he could provide added protection for Matty Cash at right-back by dealing with overloads and tracking back to win the ball off the Premier League champions.

Therefore, Gerrard could shock Pep and pick up a positive result against City with the decision to unleash Buendia back in the starting line-up. If he is able to show the kind of form he did for Norwich against the Spaniard’s outfit then it could a joyous night for the Villans.

AND in other news, Huge blow: Villa dealt fresh injury “setback” ahead of City, Gerrard will be gutted…

Following on from their 0-0 draw against Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday are back in League One action once again this afternoon with an away clash against Crewe Alexandra, who are currently 15 places and 19 points behind the Owls in the league table. 

Wednesday manager Darren Moore revealed that Lee Gregory will be fit enough to play, as well as Josh Windass, Ciaran Brennan and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, but Chey Dunkley will miss out along with Dominic Iorfa, Lewis Gibson, Dennis Adeniran and Sam Hutchinson. With that in mind, here’s how we feel the Owls manager could set up his team for this afternoon’s clash against Crewe and what changes could be made from the XI which started against Portsmouth.

We reckon there could be as many as five alterations from midweek:

In goal, we think Moore will go with Bailey Peacock-Farrell given how he’s played in the majority of Wednesday’s league games so far this season.

In a back three, we can see the manager bringing Ciaran Brennan back into the side alongside Liam Palmer and Callum Paterson to try and keep a clean sheet for the Owls. Brennan’s recall sees Marvin Johnson drop out after the 31-year-old was ranked as one of the team’s poorest performers against Pompey, giving the ball away an alarming 21 times, as per SofaScore.

For the wing-back positions, we think Moore will start Theo Corbeanu on this occasion on the left-hand side in place of Olamide Shodipo, with Jack Hunt keeping his place on the right. 

In the three midfield positions, we can see Lewis Wing coming back in to play alongside Barry Bannan with Josh Windass making his return. Oluwafisayo Dele-Bashiru drops out and Massimo Luongo will not involved after picking up a red card against Portsmouth.

Up top, we think Moore will drop Florian Kamberi, with Saido Berahino – who is currently earning £7.6k-per-week according to Salary Sport – coming back in to play alongside Lee Gregory to see if they can get some goals and secure a win for the Owls.

In other news – Time to go: Moore must ruthlessly axe SWFC flop in January, he’s not been good enough

A fresh update has emerged on Villarreal boss Unai Emery, regarding a potential move to Newcastle this week.

What’s the talk?

talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook has claimed that the Spanish club are now confident of the ex-Arsenal man staying in Spain amidst the speculation over his future. He has, however, added that there are more twists to come in the story.

He wrote: “Villarreal now confident Emery will turn down NUFC few more twists in this one…”

Intrigue

This update from Crook will initially leave fans feeling confused about the whole situation in Tyneside.

Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope claimed that Emery told Newcastle he wanted the job on Tuesday before Guillem Balague then reported that he was now set to reject the club after his team’s 2-0 win over Young Boys in the Champions League last night.

However, Crook now states that Villarreal believe Emery will remain with the La Liga club, but with more twists to come, it suggests that a deal is not dead yet. With that in mind, supporters will undoubtedly be intrigued with the glimmer of hope that’s still left in any potential move for the Spanish coach.

With the Magpies already six points adrift of safety after ten games, with zero wins and six losses in the top-flight as it stands. Graeme Jones has been the caretaker manager for two games since Steve Bruce’s departure and picked up one point, from a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, in that time.

As a result, there is a lack of cohesion and belief on the pitch and that appears to be the case off the field as well as Newcastle struggle to get a deal for Emery over the line. However, with his continental pedigree and experience of spending big with PSG in mind, eventually hiring him would no doubt have supporters over the moon.

Hopefully, PIF are able to strike a balance and work things out, whether that be convincing Emery to make the switch or by securing another top manager to come in and steady the ship. They then have the January transfer window to flex their financial muscle to bolster the playing squad in order to help them avoid relegation. At the moment, this is a particularly intriguing set of events. How it ends is anyone’s guess but the Toon Army will surely be lusting after Emery.

Disclaimer: Since time of publishing, Emery has since confirmed he will be remaining at Villarreal.

AND in other news, “Emery will..” – Journalist delivers crushing Newcastle update that’ll worry fans…

As more speculation builds on the potential sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the question has turned onto who will replace him at Manchester United.

With many high profile managers already named in the race there seems to have been a big twist in the manager saga with Duncan Castles now claiming in The Sunday Times that Manchester United are stepping up to persuade Zinedine Zidane to become the next manager at Old Trafford.

The 49-year-old football manager has been out of work since he made the decision to leave Real Madrid at the end of last season, and his next move has been a hot topic of conversation.

According to Castles, writing for The Sunday Times; ‘Zidane — a winner of three Champions League and two La Liga titles as a coach — is understood to be unsure whether the opportunity presented by United is the right one to take at this point.’

Zidane has also been linked to the Paris Saint Germain and the France international job, with the latter reportedly being the Frenchman’s top priority following the World Cup 2022.

However, the connection and relationships that the ex-Real Madrid boss has at Manchester United with Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo could have the power to turn his head and consider the job with more interest.

Ronaldo spoke in 2019 about his admiration for Zidane in his time with him at Real Madrid;

“You need to feel like you are an important part of the group and Zidane made me feel special.”

With that in mind, the Frenchman’s appointment at the Red Devils would surely excite fans, not just because their current boss would be heading through the exit door, but because the coach is a serial winner, someone who already has a wonderful relationship with two of their star players.

The search for a new manager comes after a series of unfortunate results from Solskjaer’s side, after only five wins from eleven in the Premier League, that has now put Manchester United five points adrift from the top four.

Pressure has significantly increased on Solskjaer from both the fans and the media, after the Norwegian’s team were embarrassingly defeated by two of their biggest rivals in the league, 5-o to Liverpool and 2-0 to Manchester City, both at Old Trafford.

Despite the mounting speculation, Solskjaer is yet to be sacked and is expected to lead training tomorrow at Carrington as the team return to prepare for an important point winner away to Watford on Saturday. The idea of Zidane potentially replacing him, however, will have supporters teaming with anticipation.

In other news: Solskjaer commits a “sackable offence” in Man United training…

Newcastle United have interviewed former RB Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick for the role of sporting director as a new era begins at St James’ Park under PIF.

What’s the story?

According to The Daily Mirror, the club’s new owners are keen to revamp the club from the top down, and one of the areas in which they are considering making a move for is the sporting director role.

It’s been suggested that both Rangnick, and former PSG transfer supremo, Antero Henrique, have been interviewed for the position as they look to make some big changes at St James’ Park.

Rangnick would be perfect

Aside from his work as a sporting director, Rangnick has also previously had extensive managerial experience, and that could prove to be an ideal piece of knowledge for any new man coming in looking to liaise with him on potential targets and recruitment.

The Athletic described his approach as being “Bielsa-esque” as he plays a high-pressing game that looks to dominate on the front-foot – it’s perhaps no surprise then that he is actually renowned as being the pioneer of the ‘gengenpress’ system.

As well as that, Rangnick has also been dubbed as “a professor, a scientist of football,” and the “architect” of RB Leipzig’s rise into a Champions League outfit, bringing through the likes of Timo Werner, Naby Keita and Marcel Sabitzer in his time there at the club.

What’s perhaps most telling about the kind of impact he has on European football over these past two decades is the number of high-profile coaches who point to him as being their main source of inspiration, including Jurgen Klopp.

The Liverpool boss simply said: “One of the best, if not the best German coach.”

That’s high praise from a Premier League and Champions League winning manager, and while his role would be slightly different at St James’ Park as a sporting director, it would be such a massive coup for the Magpies to bring Rangnick into the fold.

Newcastle fans would surely be delighted with the 63-year-old’s appointment.

Meanwhile, Newcastle must also get rid of this man as well as Bruce…

Pundit Kevin Campbell has been reacting to Celtic’s interest in Yokohama F. Marinos forward Daizen Maeda, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Maeda profiled

Maeda, clocked as the quickest player in Japan, can play centrally or out wide, similar to his international teammate and Hoops star Kyogo Furuhashi.

The 24-year-old netted 18 times in 31 appearances last season, taking his tally for his current employers to 21 goals in 65 games.

He’s valued at just £990,000 by Transfermarkt and is under contract until 2024, and it seems as if the Hoops are plotting their move.

The Latest: Celtic links, Campbell reacts

According to The Times, Celtic are confident of landing Maeda in the New Year, with Ange Postecoglou knowing the forward well following his time in charge of the J1 League side.

Campbell, who regularly features on Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding the links to Maeda.

“Someone who can put the ball in the back of the net is worth their weight in gold.

“I am not surprised Celtic are interested in him. His record speaks for itself, even if it is in the J-League.

“Get him in and get him scoring goals. Postecoglou has already made it clear that there will be some extra bodies coming in in January. It looks like he could be one of them.”

The Verdict: Needed?

Furuhashi has scored 19% of Celtic’s 26 goals in the Scottish Premiership this season, so bringing in a player like Maeda in the winter window could give the Hoops that extra firepower required for the second half of the season.

Postecoglou has only really used Albian Ajeti from the off when he has been down to the bare bones, whereas Giorgos Giakoumakis is only now starting to reach full fitness with his first start and goal last weekend.

On that basis, adding to their attacking ranks with a player who can also fill in out wide could be handy, especially with right-back Anthony Ralston scoring as many league goals as Ajeti and Giakoumakis combined so far.

In other news: ‘That has been alleged’ – Devlin’s worrying answer on ‘quick’ Celtic signing and Dermot Desmond. 

Arsenal have received a massive boost ahead of their Carabao Cup clash with AFC Wimbledon this evening…

What’s the latest?

According to The Sun, Gunners midfielder Thomas Partey made his return to first-team training at London Colney on Tuesday following a fresh injury scare.

The 28-year-old, who cost £45m a year ago, limped off during their 1-0 win over Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

Partey has already missed plenty of game time this campaign due to ankle and knee problems, so there were concerns after he was withdrawn 15 minutes from time, in what was his first league start of the season.

Big boost

Whilst it remains to be seen whether the 28-cap Ghana international will feature against the League One outfit, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has hinted that it would be a pretty strong line-up.

“I hope that I can put out the strongest team I can,” he revealed ahead of kick-off. “That means that the players have performed really well and then give a really strong performance and this is what we want to do. Let’s see who’s available, how they recover and what is the best way to approach the game.”

The Gunners alleviated their early-season woes by recording back-to-back 1-0 victories in the Premier League, defeating Norwich City and then Burnley, and Partey featured in some form across both matches.

Much of his time at the Emirates Stadium has been blighted by injuries but he still played an integral role last season as he led the squad for tackles (1.8) per game, whilst he wasn’t far behind for dribbles (1.2) and passing accuracy (87.2%) either, via WhoScored.

When fit, Partey has the potential to be a massive influence under Arteta, especially on the above evidence, which suggests he’s a sort of ball-winning midfielder that can drive the play forward into the final third, to some success, too.

Despite picking up two straight wins, the pressure will still be on the young Spanish head coach to deliver and he could well target success in a competition like this, so Wimbledon must not be taken lightly.

Having the £36m-rated star available will certainly help ease the prospect of a potential upset. This will come as a huge boost to Arteta, he’s surely relieved.

AND in other news, Edu could secure Arsenal’s next Alexis Sanchez in swoop for £19.8m-rated “phenomenon”…