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Celtic are getting a “modern-day centre-half” in Osaze Urhoghide, former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer has told The Transfer Tavern in an exclusive interview.

The 20-year-old recently joined the Scottish giants after his contract at Wednesday expired.

He joins Liam Shaw, who has also made the move from England to Scotland after agreeing to join Celtic back in March, with his Wednesday contract having also expired this summer.

On free transfers, the two youngsters look like clever pieces of business done by Celtic. And in Urhoghide, Palmer believes the Bhoys are getting a very modern-day footballer capable of playing in more than one position.

“He’s a modern-day centre-half,” the ex-Wednesday star said when asked by TT what kind of player Celtic are getting. “He’s over six foot, he’s very mobile, he’s comfortable on the football and he’s equally at home in the middle of the park.

“He’s tall, he’s strong, he’s physical and he’s only 20 years of age. He’s going to grow in stature and I think he’s going to go on to be a very good player.”

Ultimately, what is Wednesday’s loss looks to be Celtic’s gain. And as Palmer mentioned, still just 20, Urhoghide can still become a much better footballer. Supporters will surely be pleased to see a player with so much potential arrive at Celtic Park.

From the Owls’ perspective, they will surely start to deal with the futures of their top talents much earlier to avoid a repeat of what has happened with both Urhoghide and Shaw.

West Ham failed to sign any new players in January despite a strong top-four race and Europa League challenge in a decision that could haunt them this season, however, they could make up for it this summer as they are linked with a huge chance of signing a very in-demand player.

What’s the word?

Speaking on talkSPORT, European football expert and journalist Andy Brassell, has made a huge claim on the potential of West Ham signing Darwin Nunez this summer, after showing interest previously.

Brassell said: “West Ham were very interested in signing him, but wouldn’t go up to the €60m (£50m) that Benfica wanted in winter.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up there at some point.”

Haller replacement

There is no doubt that Sebastian Haller’s departure left a big hole in West Ham’s attacking prowess and although David Moyes’ current side are achieving to a high level, especially in their Europa League run, it would benefit them massively to finally replace their former forward, and Nunez could be the perfect replacement.

The £31k-per-week gem who was hailed “electric” by Micah Richards, has been linked to a number of clubs this season with Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Newcastle United all reportedly interested in signing the striker this summer according to The Telegraph, and for good reason when you look at his output.

The 22 year old has scored 28 goals and contributed three assists in 35 appearances for his Portuguese side Benfica this season across all competitions, with goals scored against Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Ajax and Liverpool in the Champions League so far proving he is a real threat even against the biggest European teams in the world right now.

Alongside his impressive G/A, Nunez is further displaying how much of a nightmare he can be for opponents looking at his attacking statistics for Benfica in the Primeira Liga this season, with eight big chances created, 1.1 key passes per game and is successful in completing the majority of his dribbles (52%) whilst scoring every 71 minutes on average, according to SofaScore.

Moyes will need to do everything he can to tempt the Uruguayan striker especially as he is linked to so many other clubs and only gaining more attention thanks to his incredible form. The promising comments made by Brassell should surely be capitalised on by the powers at the London club.

In other news: Insider drops early West Ham team news hint ahead of Lyon, David Moyes will be buzzing

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle’s interest in Bournemouth’s holding midfielder Jefferson Lerma.

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Magpies want to strengthen their central midfield options in the January transfer window in a bid to stave off relegation.

The report claims that the Colombia international is a player Eddie Howe is now targeting, having signed him during his time with the Cherries.

Win the fans over

Newcastle boss Howe could win over the fans at St James’ Park, if he hasn’t already when January comes around, by axing Isaac Hayden from the team in order to sign Lerma from Bournemouth.

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The £41k-per-week Hayden has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.64 in the Premier League this season and won 51% of his duels overall. He has been dribbled past 1.4 times per game, highlighting a key issue with the former Arsenal man as he allows players to beat him far too easily in matches.

Lerma did not have this problem in his most recent season in the Premier League under Howe – in the 2019/20 campaign, he was dribbled past 0.8 times per game. He also averaged a rating of 6.82 as he won 55% of his duels and made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game.

Former Cherries boss Jonathan Woodgate was effusive in his praise of the midfield destroyer, previously saying: “I don’t judge Jeff on goals. You know how I feel about Jeff. I’m his biggest fan. I think he’s unbelievable. If I can describe a six to anyone, he’s my favourite. He’s a six and he’s magnificent.

“He gives you absolutely everything every single game. Heads it, runs, tackles, passes. He’s a special player for me.

“He’s vital. You see what happened against Southampton (without him). Put Jeff in that team, it’s a different team.”

The 27-year-old has also displayed the attacking side to his game, creating 0.9 chances per match in the Championship this term, having managed 0.8 last season. Hayden, on the other hand, has created just 0.2 per game in the current campaign after managing 0.3 in the 2020/21 season, suggesting that Lerma could be an upgrade on him at both ends of the pitch.

Therefore, Howe could win the fans over by signing Lerma and improving the midfield by adding a combative, quality option to run the middle of the park alongside the likes of Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff and Miguel Almiron from January onwards.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Lascelles: Howe could strike dream NUFC deal for £9m-rated “Rolls-Royce”…

As per Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, via Sport Witness, Liverpool are interested in signing FC Porto midfielder Vitinha. 

The lowdown: Vitinha at Wolves

The Reds have been credited with an admiration of the creative ace for some time now and it appears that the interest remains.

A graduate of the Porto academy, Vitinha moved to Wolves on loan before returning to Portugal in 2021 having failed to score in 19 Premier League appearances during 2020/21.

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Now it appears that Liverpool could be set to attempt to bring the midfielder back to England…

The latest: Liverpool in pursuit

According to O Jogo, as translated by SW, the Reds are following the Portugal international ‘with a lot of attention’ ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report also cites interest from Bayern Munich and Lazio in the man recently hailed as ‘fabulous’ by manager Sérgio Conceição following a standout display in a 4-2 victory over Paços de Ferreira.

Previously, a report from the same source has claimed that Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders is personally scouting the one-cap star, who has a €40million (£33.2million) release clause.

The verdict: Get it done

Having witnessed the impact Luis Diaz has had since arriving from Porto in the January transfer window, it’s no surprise that the Jurgen Klopp and new sporting director Julian Ward would be considering adding the Colombian’s former teammate to the Anfield ranks.

So far this season Vitinha has earned an outstanding 7.54 average Sofascore rating from 25 Primeira Liga outings, which is actually better than the Diaz’s 7.47 rating prior to heading to Merseyside, whilst boasting an impressive 90% passing accuracy.

Predominantly operating from a central midfield role, the 22-year-old has scored three times and provided four assists in 40 appearances across all competitions so far this season, and it appears as though Ward, Klopp and Lijnders are growing quite fond of the Porto talent production line.

In other news: French source claims Liverpool are interested in talented youngster

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. 

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…

Liverpool could secure their ideal heir to Gini Wijnaldum this summer after being linked with a move for Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar.

What’s the story?

The Reds have been credited with an interest in the technically gifted 23-year-old throughout the current transfer window and received a boost in their pursuit of the Frenchman on Tuesday.

According to RMC Sport (as relayed by Get French Football News), multiple Lyon players could be on their way out of the Ligue 1 club as director of sport Juninho looks to resolve an attitude problem within the dressing room.

Aouar was named amongst those potentially heading for the exit door, and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp should take advantage of the sudden change in circumstances, thus solving his engine room conundrum.

Heir to Gini Wijnaldum

Despite his tender years, Aouar has been around for quite a while and has already cultivated a reputation as an extremely gifted dribbler, capable of splitting open a defence with a precise pass or finishing off a flowing move with a well-placed shot.

In 172 appearances for his boyhood club, the sought-after star has scored 32 goals, laying on a further 31 assists for his teammates, but his underlying numbers are arguably just as impressive. As per WhoScored, Aouar recorded an average of 2.3 shots, 1.3 key passes and 1.5 dribbles per game last season, highlighting his outstanding ability with the ball at his feet.

Compared to Wijnaldum’s respective tallies of 0.8 shots per game, 0.6 key passes and 0.9 dribbles, Aouar appears to be a big upgrade on the Dutch international, although those figures are heavily influenced by the tactical restrictions placed upon him by Klopp.

However, the comparison does illustrate how the Lyon ace has a different skillset to Wijnaldum, meaning that his arrival on Merseyside would represent an evolution in Liverpool’s midfield options rather than being a direct replacement.

Aouar’s unique set of attributes first caught the attention of an English audience when he came up against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the Champions League back in 2018, with the Spanish tactician lauding his performance after the final whistle.

“Houssem Aouar is a very good player. He is incredible,” said Guardiola.

“We talk a lot about (Tanguy) Ndombele, but Aouar is also excellent. He’s always very calm with the ball at his feet, with an excellent technical quality.”

Therefore, Liverpool’s director of football Michael Edwards must sanction a move for the £37.8m-rated maestro, plugging a Wijnaldum-shaped hole in Liverpool’s team.

In other news… Fabrizio Romano drops fresh Liverpool claim which will leave fans very worried 

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has revealed the latest on Aston Villa starlet Indiana Vassilev.

What’s the story?

The 20-year-old had spent the previous few months on loan in the MLS with Inter Miami, playing 21 times for them and scoring three goals.

Now, during a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail, Preece has admitted that Vassilev’s current situation at Villa Park is a “strange” one.

He said: “Yes, I’ll ask Gerrard about Indy. It’s an odd one and it looks like he’ll have to make do with just training until that December 31 deal officially expires. Not been involved with under-23s which is again strange.”

Villa fans might be worried

Previously on FFC, we’ve earmarked Vassilev to play a big role for Villa in the coming years, and it’s no surprise given the kind of rave reviews he has earned.

Rusty Scarborough who headed up the IMG academy during the 20-year-old’s spell there, said: “On the field, you know he’s out there, he’s a leader, people follow him. The technical aspect he’s developed at a young age so now he’s phenomenal on the ball, passing, dribbling, shooting, heading, receiving.”

And, another coach from IMG, Kevin Hartman, hailed: “He’s got great leadership qualities and he’s got an undying desire to win every time he plays. That competitiveness is an attribute that I think every coach is going to be looking for and it really drives development.

“His future is boundless. He has all the physical capabilities of a top level player. The attributes and the characteristics that he has within are the ones that will drive his development. I don’t see a limit to what he can achieve.”Villa’s first-team squad is brimming with bright academy prospects coming through, including the likes of Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka among others.Vassilev of course has got the first-team edge on some of his fellow academy starlets given he has played senior football with the likes of Inter Miami and also Burton Albion last season.Losing him without even seeing him make his first-team debut for the club would surely have Villa fans worried about the rest of their promising young stars and the direction the academy is heading in.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has delivered the latest Aston Villa transfer update…

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…

A number of Liverpool supporters have urged the Reds to sign Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella following an update regarding the Serie A champions.

Jurgen Klopp could be on the lookout for a new central midfielder this summer following the departure of Gini Wijnaldum to Paris Saint-Germain. The 30-year-old was a hugely reliable figure for Liverpool, both in terms of performances and availability, so he could be a big loss.

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One player who has been linked with a move to Anfield is Barella, who enjoyed a triumphant Euro 2020 campaign with Italy, winning the tournament with the Azzurri last month. He started six of their seven matches at the finals, scoring one goal and setting up another two (WhoScored), and he was also one of Inter’s best performers during their 2020/21 Serie A triumph.

According to The Daily Mail [via Transfer News Live on Twitter], Inter’s dire financial situation means that they could have to sell key players, with the 24-year-old one of those prized assets.

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Liverpool fans want Reds to sign Barella

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to call for the Reds to snap up Barella, seeing him as an ideal Wijnaldum replacement.

“Barella please, @LFC”

Credit: @281093_

“You know what to do, @LFC”

Credit: @_VintageTrent

“Martinez and Barella pls, @LFC”

Credit: @JoelGibbs_

“Liverpool should be ALL over Barella if this is the case”

Credit: @Shabbaz77

“Lautaro and Barella please!”

Credit: @KevinWard87

“Barella deal out of the blue”

Credit: @LFCaditya_

“Barella and Martinez, we’ll give you 50m, take it or leave it”

Credit: @Adam_B298

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to a James Pearce prediction. Read more here.