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Two weeks ago, Haber Turk fuelled speculation that Galatasaray’s Egyptian star Mostafa Mohamed could be on his way to Crystal Palace in a £22 million summer move, and he could be the perfect partner for Jean-Philippe Mateta.

What’s the word?

Mohamed joined the Turkish club on loan from Zamalek in January, and has scored five goals in five league appearances for Galatasaray, with Sabah Spor reporting that Egyptian legend Amir Zaki has urged the youngster to seize an opportunity of making a Premier League move.

The former Wigan Athletic and Hull City man said: “I spoke with Mustafa six days ago. I congratulated him. I assured him Galatasaray is a very big club.

“I told him he has to go to the Premier League in two seasons. He also stated that his target is England.

“He’s a great player and has now become the number one forward for the Egyptian national team.

“He’s in a great club right now and Mustafa will definitely take incredible strides in his career.”

Galatasaray are expected to seize the chance to make that deal a permanent one in the summer, but a large bid from Palace could reportedly be enough to take him to south London.

Mohamed’s arrival could lead to a tantalising reboot of the Palace forward line, which was bolstered by the arrival of Mateta at Selhurst Park on an 18-month loan deal in January.

A fearsome looking frontline

Mateta has shown glimpses of his undoubted talent with an audacious back-heeled finish in a 2-1 win away at Brighton & Hove Albion last month.

There is definitely scope to include both Mateta and Mohamed in what would be a fearsome-looking frontline, one that would be the envy of many sides in the bottom half of the Premier League.

Roy Hodgson deployed a 4-3-3 shape in that aforementioned win at Brighton, a formation that could accommodate both Mateta and Mohamed going forward if required.

There is also a possibility to deploy both players in a 4-4-2 formation as well, and with both Michy Batshuayi (1 in 16) and Andre Ayew (1 in 22) consistently struggling for goals this season, a move for Mohamed should be something Palace push for as they are in need of another reliable forward.

And in other news, Crystal Palace fear losing Wilfried Zaha in the summer

According to Football Insider, Glasgow Rangers are struggling to offload Brandon Barker due to the huge wages he is on after being signed by Mark Allen.

Barker remains a problem

Barker signed for the Gers in August 2019 on a free transfer from Manchester City (Transfermarkt), but he has struggled to make an impact at Ibrox, scoring just three times in 26 appearances. During the previous transfer window, he moved on loan to Oxford United.

This latest report suggests the Gers are struggling to sell the 24-year-old permanently due to the “huge” wage he was given by previous sporting director Allen.

Difficult situation

While the 54-time Scottish champions may seem well-run right now, that wasn’t always the case. Nine years ago, they entered administration (BBC) and were demoted to the fourth tier of Scottish football, and some of the deals even in more recent years have not made too much sense.

Barker is under contract at Rangers until the end of the 2021/22 season. If they cannot find a buyer for him in the summer, the next-best solution would be another loan deal. At least in that case, a club would contribute to his wages, freeing up some space in the Gers’ financial books as a result. Either way, it is hard to see how he works his way into Steven Gerrard’s plans on the field.

In other news, Rangers fans slam this Ewan Murray tweet.

Celtic were once again held to a draw on home soil after they struggled to make an impact against Livingston in the Scottish Premiership.

Neither side were able to break down the opposition defence and a rather disappointing 0-0 stalemate saw the spoils shared at Celtic Park. After dropping even more points, the Hoops look down and out as Rangers continue to storm the league.

It could be argued that a draw is respectable considering 14 senior Celtic players are currently in self-isolation along with Neil Lennon. Gavin Strachan has been forced to rely on lesser seen personnel, including several youngsters. But one man who hugely disappointed was Jeremie Frimpong in an unfamiliar role.

Frimpong struggled to adapt

With all of their senior strikers in quarantine and Cameron Harper not included in the squad, Strachan was forced to deploy Tom Rogic in the No.9 role, despite being a midfielder by trade. He also made the decision to play Frimpong on the right-wing, supporting Rogic as the focal point of Celtic’s attack.

Despite usually enjoying a free-roaming role as a full-back, the 20-year-old looked out of his depth against Livingston. According to Sofascore, Frimpong mustered up just nine accurate passes and 21 touches in the full 90 minutes played. For comparison, this was two fewer passes than Conor Hazard and just one touch more than the goalkeeper.

The £8,000 per week right-back turned winger also struggled with chance creation, failing to make a single long ball or cross into the box. Additionally, he failed to succeed in any of his attempted dribbles and was overall silenced by the Lions’ defence.

The return of Lennon and the rest of the first team squad will be a hugely welcome gift for the fans. The makeshift Hoops team have done admirably given the circumstances, but they will be relieved to field their usual starting XI.

If this afternoon’s game has taught Strachan and indeed Lennon anything, it’s that Frimpong is certainly not cut out for a more advanced role and should remain in defence for the foreseeable.

In other news, Celtic can punish Rangers by beating them to signing Taiwo Awoniyi…

يرى رئيس نادي ريال مدريد السابق رامون كالديرون، أن صفقة التعاقد مع جناح مانشستر يونايتد الحالي، كريستيانو رونالدو، في صيف عام 2009 كانت الأرخص في تاريخ الملكي.

وانتقل رونالدو من مانشستر يونايتد إلى ريال مدريد قبل 12 عامًا بقيمة 94 مليون يورو، وكان وقتها أغلى صفقة انتقال في تاريخ كرة القدم.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تقارير: مارسيلو يحسم وجهته المقبلة بعد نهاية عقده مع ريال مدريد

ووضح كالديرون وجهة نظره في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة آس” الإسبانية، وقال: “لم يكن من السهل إقناع مانشستر يونايتد، ولكن اللاعب جعل المفاوضات أسهل”.

وتابع: “استنادًا إلى النتائج التي حققها الفريق، كان التعاقد مع رونالدو رهان ناجح، نجاح بلا شك، لكن لم يكن لدي أي ميزة، لقد فعلت ما كان سيفعله أي رئيس في أي مكان، كانت فرصة لا يمكن تفويتها، على الرغم من أنه لم يكن من السهل إقناع مانشستر يونايتد”.

وأضاف: “كانت طلبات مانشستر يونايتد مبالغًا فيها، لكن اتضح في النهاية أنه أرخص صفقة في تاريخنا”.

وواصل تصريحاته: “لدي أيضًا ذكريات رائعة عن صفقتي فابيو كانافارو ورود فان نيستلروي، وأحافظ على علاقتي بهما لأنهما مثالان وقدوتان على المستوى الشخصي والرياضي وساعدا الفريق في الفوز بالكثير من البطولات”.

وعن رحيل رونالدو من يوفنتوس: “لم يكن في صالحهم، لأن كريستيانو يعطي الكثير للفريق الذي يلعب من أجله، ليس فقط من خلال الأهداف ولكن أيضًا لروحه التنافسية التي يؤثر بها على جميع زملائه”.

Speaking to the press (via football.london) before his side’s trip to Sheffield United, Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has refused to rule out a first team comeback for big name summer signing Gareth Bale – dropping the teasing two-word hint ‘let’s wait’ as murmurs grow over his lack of playing time. 

Bale is currently at the forefront of heavy debate, with the Welshman barely being utilised by Mourinho and Spurs since his return from a small injury picked up against Stoke City in the Carabao Cup.

Jose refuses to rule out Bale comeback

Reports were especially intensified in mid-week, as Mourinho snubbed the inclusion of Bale off the bench against Fulham and instead opted for the likes of Erik Lamela and Carlos Vinicius.

This comes amid reports Spurs could opt not to extend his loan deal and send him back to Madrid, with calls from the media urging Mourinho to at least play the 31-year-old and give him a chance to rediscover his best form.

In a two-word hint, he refused to rule out the possibility of him featuring against Sheffield United in a first team comeback for Spurs – simply stating ‘let’s wait’ when asked if Bale would be handed a chance tomorrow or more over the coming weeks.

Transfer Tavern take

Time will tell whether Bale does get given the opportunity by Mourinho, but if no first team comeback beckons, more questions will be asked about his future.

In other news: This Sky Sports pundit has been wowed by a ‘shining light for Spurs’, find out more here.

Marlon Harewood has tipped Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard to give Jermain Defoe a new contract.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast reporter Tom Ward, the former Premier League striker believes the Ibrox boss is most likely to green light a new deal for the veteran, 38, at the end of the season.

Defoe recently revealed he wanted to earn a contract extension in an interview with the BBC’s Football Daily show as his current contract is set to expire in 2021.

His £65,000-per-week wages make him the club’s highest-paid player, which could somewhat complicate the matter, especially when you consider the fact that he earns nearly double what Alfredo Morelos currently receives.

But Harewood insists his former teammate has more than justified a new deal as he has continued to score goals on a good level consistently.

He told FFC: “I played with him at West Ham and he was unbelievable.

“Knowing Stevie G [sic], I would’ve thought so because at the same time it keeps the other strikers on their toes, knowing you’ve got this legend who can still bang goals in at his age, they’re the sort of players that you want around your squad.

“So, I would give him a new contract because he’s just going to go somewhere else and do what he’s got to do. At his age, he’s still proving he can score goals and be a threat.”

Gerrard has some big decisions to make regarding the first-team squad as he has several players with deals running out next summer, with Allan McGregor, Steven Davis and Leon Balogun also on the list.

Defoe has consistently been one of the most prolific centre-forwards in the world as his impressive resume more than speaks for itself – over 300 goals in his club career so far. He hit the milestone during the 2-0 win over Livingston in the Scottish Premiership last month.

Rangers reached a pre-contract agreement with the former 57-cap England international that saw him join from English Championship club Bournemouth in the summer, after initially arriving at Ibrox on loan in 2019

Since then, he has made 56 appearances for Gerrard’s side, scoring 27 goals and supplying 10 assists in all competitions.

Recently described as a “superb” beast by Gers assistant manager Gary McAllister after the Livingston win, Defoe has still found his chances limited this season, having made just three appearances in the Premiership, as he faces stiff competition from Morelos as well as new recruits Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe for a place in the starting line-up.

As we’ve previously discussed, we would have no qualms if Ross Wilson ultimately decided to cash in on him, as he has less than 12 months left on his current deal.

With that being said, these kind of numbers would be equally hard to replace, as Itten has arguably struggled to hit the ground running, with just two goals in his last ten games for his new club to his name. One more year will hardly hurt, that’s for sure, as he may be willing to take another wage reduction as well. Let’s face it, the Gers are probably better off getting rid of Greg Stewart instead.

AND in other news, Rangers receive huge injury boost as Leon Balogun survives unscathed against Sierra Leone…

All eyes at Celtic are currently on Neil Lennon. Arguably, a Hoops manager hasn’t faced this much heat in over a decade.

Over the last nine years, the Hoops have embarked on a remarkable period of dominance, winning the SPFL title in every single year.

In 2020/21, it was supposed to be about their tenth crown but clearly, it has not followed the script.

Out of Europe and 11 points behind rivals Rangers, Lennon is facing huge pressure and supporters are far from pleased. After losing to Ross County, a number of fans rallied at Parkhead to protest against the management.

Although Celtic weren’t expected to beat Milan on Thursday, shipping another four goals is unlikely to have helped Lennon’s cause.

Equally, it should not have helped Peter Lawwell’s case. That’s because the CEO of the football club has spent a ridiculous sum of money on seven players who are costing Celtic dearly.

The men we’re talking about are defenders, namely Vasilis Barkas, Scott Bain, Jeremie Frimpong, Hatem Elhamed, Shane Duffy, Greg Taylor and Boli Bolingoli.

The accumulative fees of those men all amount to around £14m, with Barkas being the most expensive at £4.5m.

In this situation, one has to question whether any due diligence was done with these acquisitions. After all, the Bhoys have conceded 12 goals in their last three European outings. Meanwhile, they have shipped 13 strikes in 13 SPFL outings too. That’s ten more than Rangers despite playing two fewer games.

Barkas and Bain have made costly errors in the last week, while Jeremie Frimpong looked out of his depth when Celtic drew 2-2 with Hibernian a fortnight ago, losing possession 18 times. As for Hatem Elhamed, three of the four goals Milan netted on Thursday night came down his right channel.

Furthermore, Duffy looks set to cut his loan spell short and head back to Brighton in January while Boli Bolingoli had a controversial summer, breaking pandemic protocols.

It’s safe to say that a number of Celtic’s defensive signings simply haven’t cut it at Parkhead.

For the Glaswegians, these signings are as much to blame as Lennon is. Of course, his coaching should improve them but Lawwell arguably shouldn’t have spent the money in the first place.

Celtic are a complete mess right now.

In other news, this Celtic star was a complete PUSHOVER against Milan…

تحدث الفرنسي باتريس كارتيرون المدير الفني للزمالك، عن الفوز أمام طلائع الجيش، كما أوضح استعداداته لمباراة القمة أمام الأهلي.

الزمالك تفوق على طلائع الجيش بهدفين دون رد، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم الأحد في منافسات الأسبوع الثاني من الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وقال كارتيرون خلال تصريحات في المؤتمر الصحفي بعد المباراة: “سعيد بالأداء والفوز ونحتاج إلى الفوز باستمرار وسجلنا هدفين وكان باستطاعة الفريق تسجيل أكثر من هدفين، لكن الأهم هو الحفاظ على نظافة شباكنا للمباراة الثانية على التوالي”.

وأضاف: “عمر السعيد وصل إلى مستوى جيد ويؤدي بقوة من الناحية البدنية ومن الطبيعي أن يحصل على الفرصة طالما يثبت جدارته، وسعيد بتسجيله هدفه الثاني للمباراة الثانية على التوالي”.

وتابع: “زيزو يحتاج للمشاركة بشكل مستمر لأنه يزيد مستواه طالما يشارك باستمرار، وأوباما لم يشارك اليوم بسبب شعوره بالإجهاد وقررت منحه الراحة لعدم المخاطرة بسبب حاجة الفريق له في المباريات الهامة المقبلة”.

وعن مباراة الأهلي المقبلة، أوضح: “سنخوض معسكرا مغلقا قبل القمة بيومين، ونستعد للمباراة بالشكل المطلوب”.

وأتم: “لم أصرح بأن الزمالك لن ينافس على الدوري، ولكني أكدت أن الفريق المنافس أنفق الكثير على صفقاته ودعم صفوفه”، موضحا أنه ينافس مع الفريق على كل البطولات التي يشارك فيها.

طالع | كارتيرون: الأهلي الأقرب للفوز بالقمة.. والزمالك ليس مرشحًا لتحقيق الدوري

واختتم المدير الفني للفريق الأبيض تصريحاته بأن أحمد سيد زيزو لاعب الفريق لم يتعمد الحصول على بطاقة صفراء في مباراة الطلائع.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة الأهلي في قمة الدوري المصري، المقرر إقامتها يوم الجمعة المقبل، ضمن منافسات الأسبوع الثالث من الدوري.

West Bromwich Albion are back in the big time after a two-year absence, but if they are to remain, then Slaven Bilic must bolster his backline…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s Steve Madeley, the Baggies have held discussions over a potential move Celtic centre-back Kristoffer Ajer.

It’s claimed that the 22-year-old is of interest to Bilic as an alternative to Brighton’s Shane Duffy but he may only be available at an eight-figure fee, so it remains to be seen if West Brom could afford the move.

The Scottish champions are also keen on the Seagulls’ man, meaning the door could perhaps open for the Norwegian colossus.

Colossal solution

It’s no secret that Albion’s biggest problem was defensively – Bilic’s men leaked nearly a goal a game in Championship with a total of 45 conceded.

Many of which were from set-pieces, where the Baggies ranked fourth-worst for goals conceded via a dead ball situation, so it’s no wonder that the boss is interested in adding a 6 foot 6 giant to his back four.

Semi Ajayi, Kyle Bartley and Ahmed Hegazi probably isn’t going to put much doubt into the minds of the opposition strikers this season.

In Ajer, they’d be getting an absolute animal whose also capable of playing in defensive midfield and at right-back, a position he was once described as “Cafu-like”.

The 22-year-old man-mountain has also been praised by Mark Wilson as the best centre-back in the SPFL as “he’s aggressive” whilst teammate Christopher Jullien echoed ex-Bhoys boss Brendan Rodgers’ comments and said: “Kris has a bright future and a good present. He’s a young player and everyone here knows his quality. He has good leadership skills.”

It’s believed, per Calciomercato, that Celtic’s asking price is around €25m (£22.5m) so if those at the Hawthorns can fork out the funds, then they’d bolster their chances of remaining in the top-flight.

Forget Duffy, this is the central defender Bilic needs to end his defensive nightmare.

AND in other news,ÂWest Brom should look to £15m sensation to replace Kenneth Zohore…

Celtic’s unbeaten start in the Scottish Premiership continued on Sunday afternoon as they eased past third-placed Hibs with a 3-0 victory.

It means Neil Lennon’s side have won seven and drawn one of their opening eight matches, although not everything is rosy as they still find themselves sat behind their arch-rivals in the standings.

Later this week, the Bhoys will be competing in yet another European qualifier and the congested campaign will only increase if they beat Sarajevo in Bosnia on Thursday night.

With that in mind, Lennon ought to consider some changes going forward especially if they are to secure a historic tenth title in a row.

Hoops skipper Scott Brown has been as industrious as ever but there have been glimpses of his age starting to seep through. He was outplayed in the defeat to Ferencvaros.

The 35-year-old is simply not going to be able to produce to his influential levels week-in, week-out with an intense schedule inbound and on Sunday afternoon, we saw the ideal replacement.

David Turnbull may have only featured for the second-half but he put in a commanding display that should be giving his boss a headache over team selection going forward.

Per SofaScore, the £3m summer signing recorded four key passes, three crosses and had two shots, that’s aside from providing the assists for the third goal and registering a 92% passing accuracy.

It was as close to a masterclass as you’re going to get in just 45 minutes of action.

As someone who has been lauded as a “special talent” who’s “destined to go to the top of the game,” it’s time for Lennon to get him more involved at Parkhead.

Brown is entering the final 12 months of his contract at the Scottish champions, so it seems wise that he looks to make the transition sooner rather than later.

He’s clearly too good to be sitting on the bench every week in the SPFL.

AND in other news, Lawwell tipped to sign £3m Premier League man…