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Celtic are hopeful of receiving a seven-figure sum this summer due to former striker Moussa Dembele in what could be a ‘very positive’ development for the Hoops, per Sport Witness.

The French forward is currently on loan at Atletico Madrid, who have the option of making his temporary stay from Lyon permanent in a deal worth €32m (£27.6m).

Celtic’s 10% Dembele clause

According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, cited by Sport Witness, Celtic are ‘keen’ to ‘exploit’ the La Liga giants in what would be ‘very positive’ news for the Hoops.

That’s because Celtic are owed 10% of any permanent deal involving the 24-year-old, meaning they could receive £2.76m, should the €32m clause be activated – just over the £2.75m fee which was required to sign David Turnbull last year.

Mundo Deportivo claim that Atletico are ‘not considering’ paying the stated fee just yet, but that could change – Luis Suarez is 34 and Diego Costa left the club this season, so they are in need of a long-term striker solution.

Transfer Tavern take

Dembele’s market value has plummeted from £45m to £22.5m over the last 12 months, so we can see why the Hoops are keen for a £27.6m move to materialise over the coming months.

Unfortunately, Dembele’s form in Spain hasn’t been one of a £27.6m-rated striker. He’s yet to score or even start a game for Madrid under Diego Simeone.

A huge turnaround appears to be needed for Celtic to receive £2.76m this summer, but it seems as of the Hoops are still hopeful, and it would indeed by ‘very positive’ for the club as the report claims, given that it would basically cover the fee for Turnbull.

In other news: Celtic midfielder keen on summer exit; it’s not Scott Brown, find out more here. 

Former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips has tipped Helder Costa to leave Leeds United this summer, with between £10m and £13m cited as enough to sell him.

It has been a frustrating season for the 27-year-old, who has found himself largely out of favour and not playing a key role in an impressive campaign for the Whites. The Portuguese has been limited to just 10 starts in the league, often having to make do with a place on the substitutes’ bench.

Marcelo Bielsa seemingly doesn’t consider him an important part of his plans, raising doubts over his long-term future at Elland Road.

Phillips tips Costa to leave

It could be that Costa moves on at the end of the season, and someone who believes that will happen is former England international Phillips.

Speaking to Football Insider, he admitted that £15m could be too much for another club to pay, but a similar amount would likely see Leeds accept an offer:

“I don’t think they’ll be a million miles away but to get £15million, I think they’ll do well.

“It hasn’t quite worked out for Helder at Leeds has it? He’s shown glimpses of what he can bring but he hasn’t been consistent enough.

“For me, they could get between £10million and £13million and that would be an offer that Leeds would find hard to turn down.”

Transfer Tavern take

Costa is a talented player who has contributed three goals and three assists in the league this season, but it makes sense to move him on this summer, especially as he has started just two top-flight games since the November international break.

The money Leeds receive for his services could be spent on a more tailor-made option for Bielsa as he looks to strengthen his squad for next term.

In other news, a former Leeds player is keen on the Whites signing a Premier League defender this summer. Find out who it is here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who is Wolves’ all-time top scorer, does not want to see the club sign new defenders because they need players that are used to each other.

Wolves have more often than not opted for a back three which has consisted of Conor Coady, Romain Saiss and Willy Boly as their three main centre backs, with them all playing together since 2017 when the latter joined the club.

Against West Ham, Nuno Espirito Santo had to play a back four because of the double injury blow he received regarding Jonny and Boly, and they were left exposed on the counter-attacks.

Speaking on how consistency is key for Wolves and why he doesn’t think they need to sign new defenders, Bull told FFC:

“Not really, we don’t need new defenders. I just think consistency is a big thing in a side and you’ve got to keep it going for as many games as you can which is something we haven’t had this year.

“We’ve been chopping and changing both systems and players this season which has been our downfall. Like I said, Wolves are going through a transformation and that’s still going on so we just need to get this season out the way.”

Last summer Wolves lost Matt Doherty to Tottenham Hotspur, but they did replace him with Nelson Semedo who joined from Barcelona.

Wolves appear to be safe from relegation this season which may allow Nuno to test out different players and systems ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Many Everton fans have been left to speculate on the future of Alex Iwobi as Carlo Ancelotti commented on his recent controversial Instagram post.

The former Arsenal man posted a subtle dig at the Italian boss on one of his latest stories: “Always an honour to get a call up for my national team, hopefully I get to play in my preferred position”.

Ancelotti was asked about this post in his pre-game press conference ahead of their home game against Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday evening, to which he said (via The Toffee Blues): “I read the post that he did. I would like to know his preferred position because usually I want to put players on the pitch where they are comfortable to play. If he has an idea of where he prefers to play, I have to know. I want to know.”

The Nigeria international suggested that Ancelotti is not playing him where he wants to play, and several members of the Goodison Park faithful took his response as having a dark undertone to it.

As such, some speculation arose on Twitter over whether this means the end for Iwobi at the Merseyside club under Ancelotti, given the subtle dig and the manager’s reply.

Everton fan reaction to Ancelotti comments

These Toffees supporters speculated on Twitter after reading the comments that were made by Ancelotti:

“Well, Alex? You may have just put the last nail in your own coffin. Well done, sir.”

Credit: @joshwilbert1

“Taxi for Iwobi”

Credit: @Stevewalmo1

“If a manager of Ancelotti’s standing doesn’t know your best position then you’re in trouble…”

Credit: @SK21878

“There’s something to this.”

Credit: @Wayno____

“Time to start packing your baked beans, and head to the bus stop.”

Credit: @blackfoot231

“Well he’s off in the summer then isn’t he”

Credit: @shaunbrennan82

In other news, find out what injury update relayed by Paul Joyce has left EFC fans fuming here!

David Moyes may rue West Ham United not signing Omar Richards in the January transfer window as the Reading defender has now reportedly agreed to join Bayern Munich for free.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the 6 foot 1 Richards will pen a three-year deal with Hans-Dieter Flick’s Bundesliga giants after securing a pre-contract arrangement with the Bavarian powerhouse.

The Royals full-back is due to become a free agent at the end of the season and had been tracked by a number of Premier League sides, including West Ham, Everton, Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Reading had hoped to retain Richards beyond his current £1,800-per-week contract, but felt it was impossible to table an enticing enough offer due to the EFL’s Profitability and Sustainability rules, per Sky Sports.

Had the Madejski Stadium natives reached an agreement with the 22-year-old dynamo, a senior club figure is said to believe Richards would have been worth in excess of £15m this summer – much more than his current TransferMarkt valuation of just £2m.

West Ham were claimed to have paid close attention to Richard’s situation ahead of the mid-season market as Reading considered parting ways rather than allowing his contract to run out, but no deal materialised.

Should West Ham have signed Richards?

Moyes will have to spend the coming months searching for alternative options to Richards if he is still keen to sign a new left-back to support Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku, with only an unexpected twist likely to see his move to Bayern Munich fall through.

It remains to be seen if Richards can cut it at the top in Germany having never played higher than the Championship so far, but is a firm regular at Reading this season with 24 starts in 26 of a possible 29 games and has impressed with his efforts.

In fact, Richards’ efforts at the Madejski this term are at a comparable level to those West Ham fans saw from Cresswell in Manuel Pellegrini’s only full season in charge, to leave the possibility of the Royals full-back coming on strong under Moyes if he had been signed.

Cresswell is now one of the stars of the show at the London Stadium, as no Irons player is currently offering more key passes a game in the Premier League than the 31-year-old (1.5) who further offers the highest number of accurate crosses (1.7) this term, per WhoScored.

He wasn’t as impressive during the 2018/19 campaign, with Cresswell only providing 0.9 key passes a game – only twice in his seven seasons at West Ham has he offered less – and only produced 0.8 accurate crosses.

Richards, meanwhile, is currently providing 0.5 key passes a game after a career-high 0.9 last season, as well as producing a career-high 0.6 accurate crosses a game, per WhoScored.

If Moyes had the chance to work with Richards and improve his game in the same way Cresswell has, West Ham could have struck a bargain in the January window but will now be left to rue the missed opportunity while the 22-year-old prepares to win trophies galore in Germany.

AND in other news, West Ham are willing to take a £19m hit to offload an £85k-p/w flop…

Some Southampton fans were far from happy with the performance of Nathan Redmond during their 1-0 defeat to Everton on Monday.

The Saints were beaten by a Richarlison goal in the ninth minute. They failed to cause their opponents many problems, managing just one shot on target throughout the 90 minutes (SofaScore), and this latest result means they have won just one of their last 14 Premier League matches (Sky Sports).

The display of Redmond proved to particularly disappointing. He completed just 63% of his attempted passes and won only two of his 10 duels. Back on the wing after playing in the unfamiliar position of centre-forward recently (Transfermarkt), Redmond should have provided a lot more.

These Saints fans were not shy in sharing their thoughts on the 26-year-old and they took to social media platform Twitter to vent their frustrations, with one calling the winger’s performance a “shambles”.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Redmond below

“Redmond has had some shockers this season but I think that was his worst performance for the club”

Credit: @IngsIsKing

“Which team do you support as a Mancunian? I know my team and although defensively firm despite injuries there is no plan A let alone plan B! Adams and Redmond awful these are our major letdowns and weaknesses! Poor tonight gave the ball away these are Ralph’s choices”

Credit: @ScottRonaldoUK

“Got the 2nd half stats too Rob? Redmond a total shambles”

Credit: @Too_Jazzee

“Then why pick Redmond every week who should be done for fraud,taking a wage as a so called football player.Also can you ask Bertrand to actually run with the ball instead of always slowing play down?Thanks Ralph.”

Credit: @50srule

“Redmond he’s a championship player”

Credit: @garysfctuck

“Redmond just needs to be dropped Tella did more than him v Leeds than he’s done for the last 5/6 games”

Credit: @JamesyPalmer

In other news, many Southampton fans react to these Ralph Hasenhuttl comments.

Some Liverpool supporters are concerned about Naby Keita representing Guinea during the international break, due to his recent injury record.

The 26-year-old has had a frustrating Reds career to date, never quite managing to hit the heights many expected of him when he arrived.

Keita joined from RB Leipzig back in the summer of 2018 – he actually signed the previous year – with many expecting him to become Liverpool’s star midfielder.

It hasn’t quite worked out that way, however, with the Guinean falling behind the likes of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum in the pecking order.

[freshpress-poll id=“348883″]

While Keita’s performances haven’t always been up to the required standard, injuries are the main thing that have held him back, with constant absences from the team allowing him no rhythm.

When fit, he is an effective player who has proven his worth many times for Liverpool, but his inability to stay injury-free is a stumbling block.

According to RTE, Guinea’s national team have persuaded the Reds to allow Keita to face Mali next Wednesday, sending him back to Merseyside straight after the game.

Liverpool fans react to Keita’s international call-up

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to give their thoughts on the situation.

“Bad feeling about this”

Credit: @justdatguy_

“For once, Keita needs to take responsibility on his Liverpool career and future. The guy can’t get a run of games. Always injured. He should discuss with the national team and sit out these games atleast till end of the season. If he comes back injured, it’s on him this time”

Credit: @Iam_Ram2128

“OMG! If he comes back injured, that should be the end of his Liverpool career tbh”

Credit: @Smartooski

“I swear to god if he comes back with a broken leg”

Credit: @LivyLFC

“Seems obvious what happens next…..”

Credit: @andyj4mes

“If he gets injured from this I think that’s it for Keita with us”

Credit: @A_MKHIZE_SA

“There is Southgate and then there is this other Fool. We literally trying our best to train amd keep Naby Fit and they go and do this everydamn time”

Credit: @pearlserery

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to a fresh transfer link with a Premier League midfielder. Read about it here.

Tottenham Hotspur have been heavily linked with a move for RB Leipzig midfielder Marcel Sabitzer in recent weeks and if the Austrian were to join, it could spell trouble for Giovani Lo Celso at the North London club.

Jose Mourinho’s side have been heavily linked with the Leipzig captain for some time now, with the Portuguese manager and his scouts perhaps having been impressed with the midfielder since his impressive displays in the Champions League knockout games against Spurs last season.

If he were to make the move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this month, or in the summer, it could prove to be bad news for Lo Celso’s chances of becoming a regular in Mourinho’s side.

The Argentinian international convinced Mourinho to make his loan stay a permanent one in January of last year and was a regular for much of the 2019/20 campaign, despite managing no goals and just two assists in 28 Premier League appearances.

He has scored three goals so far this season in all competitions, so is showing signs of improvement, but a combination of injury issues and Tanguy Ndombele’s return to form have meant that he has started just four games in the top-flight.

With the French midfielder now Spurs’ chief creator in midfield, usually alongside the box-to-box Moussa Sissoko and defensive general Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, it is already difficult to see where the former PSG man fits in.

Therefore, if Sabitzer were to join, it would only increase the competition in Mourinho’s midfield, and based on performances from the last two seasons the Austrian would most likely keep Lo Celso out of the team.

Last season, the 26-year-old Leipzig man averaged a superb 7.24 rating for his performances in the Bundesliga, contributing nine goals and seven assists in 32 appearances.

Lo Celso, meanwhile, would average a disappointing 6.62 rating for his performances in the Premier League, something that has not improved this season for the Argentinian international.

Sabitzer also averages more key passes per game than the 24-year-old Spurs man and double the number of shots per game, suggesting he would be much more of a goal threat from midfield.

As captain of Leipzig, Sabitzer would also most likely fit well into Mourinho’s squad, when you consider how former Southampton captain Hojbjerg has impressed since joining.

Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann was full of praise for his midfielder last year, saying:

“He always performs at the same high level.

“With some players, you never know if you can count on them. Sometimes they’re good enough to play for Real Madrid, and the next game they’re not even good enough for the reserves. [Sabitzer] stands out because he always plays well and is completely stable.”

Therefore, it certainly seems as if he would be a good addition to Mourinho’s squad, and Lo Celso may well struggle for regular first-team football if the Austrian arrives.

And, in other news… Spurs handed potentially huge boost with “monstrous” gem following Romano claim

Peter Lawwell would be heading for disaster by hiring Hibernian manager Jack Ross to replace Neil Lennon as pressure builds on the Irishman at Celtic.

What’s the word?

According to The Scottish Sun, Lennon stood on the brink of being fired following last weekend’s humbling League Cup defeat to Ross County, which saw the Hoops’ 35-game domestic cup-winning run come to a disappointing end.

Fans revolted against Lennon in the aftermath of the loss, with hundreds of supporters tearing down fencing after descending on Parkhead, from where the under-fire coach could hear the shouts for him to go.

Lennon stood firm in front of the media, claiming “I think I should get more time”, but it is thought that Ross could be one of several options for Lawwell and majority owner Dermot Desmond to consider should the axe fall.

Ross took charge of Hibernian in 2019 following an ill-fated spell with Sunderland, where he was relieved of command for failing to meet the owner’s expectations after being handed the English third-tier’s largest wage budget.

The 44-year-old has somewhat got his career back on track since returning to Scotland, with Hibernian sat third in the Premiership after 16 games, while claiming 25 points over his 18 games in charge during the prematurely concluded 2019/20 campaign.

Only Celtic (49) and Rangers (36) secured a substantial return of points greater than Hibernian’s record following Ross’ appointment last season, with Livingston and St. Johnstone claiming 26 points each.

Ten-in-a-row hopes finished

With pressure from supporters mounting on Lennon to leave Celtic, the Hoops hierarchy may be forced into a change of plans having not been expected to fire the Irishman before January’s Glasgow Derby clash with Rangers at the earliest.

But appointing Ross would only serve to see Lawwell set a course for disaster at Parkhead and finish the Lennoxtown outfit’s hope of a record tenth Premiership title in a row, as the Hibernian boss will not be the one to overturn the mammoth margin separating Celtic from their bitter rivals Celtic.

The Hoops are making heavy work of their title defence and could end Sunday 14-points behind Steven Gerrard’s Gers, albeit with two games in hand, and are showing no signs of mounting a turnaround,  with just two wins in 11 matches across all competitions.

When Sunderland’s fortunes faltered last year and the Black Cats sat sixth in League One having contended for promotion the season before, the axe swung on Ross as owner Stewart Donald had freed the funds he felt would have gotten the Stadium of Light natives over the line.

Sunderland had only lost twice all season when Ross was fired, and it should spark fear in Lawwell that Donald believed the coach could not turn things around, while his Hibernian tenure has not been without fault either.

Defeats to Ross County, Livingston, Hearts and Aberdeen sit like a stain on Ross’ record, that boasts just 15 wins in 34 Premiership fixtures while conceding 42 goals and scoring just 50.

AND in other news, Peter Lawwell can deliver Celtic’s next Virgil van Dijk by signing an “unbelievable” enforcer.

Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey will have left Steve Bruce fuming with his shocking performance at home to Fulham on Saturday.

Bruce recalled Shelvey to the starting line-up for the St. James’ Park affair after handing the former Liverpool and Swansea City gem a rare day off for the 5-2 humbling at Leeds United on Wednesday night.

Shelvey had captained the Magpies to victories over Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion before sitting out the Elland Road trip, and he may now find that he has to fight for his place in the side to face Brentford in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final clash.

Shelvey lacked the leadership skills against Fulham that has seen the 27-year-old awarded the captain’s armband in recent weeks, as he ghosted around the field to get on the ball without ever threatening Scott Parker’s relegation-threatened side.

Fulham fortuitously opened the scoring through a Matt Ritchie own goal, but thoroughly deserved their advantage at the break having dominated the early proceedings after Bruce surprisingly opted to park the bus at home to a side that had allowed 22 goals this season.

Ritchie tried to atone for his collapse yards off Karl Darlow’s line yet could not, though he still ended the 90-minutes with more credit in his pocket than Shelvey as Newcastle failed to beat a 10-men Cottagers side that weathered the sending off of Joachim Andersen.

Shelvey badly let Bruce down in the engine room beside Sean Longstaff, with the £13m-rated man winning just a single duel from three contests, while turning over possession 16 times, committing one foul and failing to hit the target with either of his two shots, per SofaScore.

The midfielder, who Bruce lauds for being “blessed with a natural ability”, would take a game-high 90 touches, as well, yet would only return one key ball from a game-high 81 total passes – 12 more than any other player for either side.

He additionally did not attempt, let alone complete, a dribble against Fulham, while registering just a single successful tackle and two clearances as he paraded the half-way line.

Shelvey has been an important player for Bruce this season with the Toon’s third-most shots (13) and second-most key balls (11) after the Magpies’ opening 13 Premier League games, per WhoScored, but that version of himself was not on show on Saturday and was sorely missed.

AND in other news: “No point him going to Spurs” – Exclusive: Rob Lee drops huge claim on Newcastle star’s future.