All posts by n8rngtd.top

The hunt for Celtic’s new manager has been sprinkled with some extra spice over the last week or so. The Hoops hierarchy are still no closer to announcing Neil Lennon’s successor but they are discovering more about their options.

It has now been three weeks since Lennon left his post and the Bhoys are busy chipping away at their list.

Early speculation claimed it could be Rafa Benitez who takes on the job but the search for the Northern Irishman’s successor has taken many twists and turns since.

Last week, RB Salzburg manager Jesse Marsch revealed it was an honour to be linked with the hot seat. However, just a day later, German reporter Christian Falk said the following: “He will not be available in the summer for the job in Glasgow.”

Considering all he’s brought to Salzburg, this was a monumental blow to Celtic’s hopes.

What this twist has allowed, though, is for Celtic to get their priorities straight. One of the names linked in recent weeks has been Chris Wilder.

The 53-year-old left his role as manager of Sheffield United with the Blades sat rock bottom of the English Premier League. That may not bring much joy to Hoops supporters but his achievements prior to that are incredible.

Martin Keown described Wilder as the “messiah” of Bramall Lane, taking them from League One to the Premier League and nearly achieving a miracle in earning them European football.

Sheffield United ultimately finished ninth in the table last term, just two points behind Arsenal. This season may be one to forget but for everything he achieved previously, he must be top of Celtic’s wishlist.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-boupendza-mcgeady-marsch-mccarthy” title=”Latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

Wilder worked on a shoestring budget and importantly for the Hoops, he is pretty adept defensively.

The Blades conceded just 39 goals last term, fewer than Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester City. For a Celtic side who have been so lacklustre in that part of their game this term, he could be game-changing.

The Glaswegians have shipped 14 more goals than Rangers in the league while they somehow let in 19 strikes during their six Europa League group games.

If there is any area they need to desperately improve in ahead of next season, it’s at the back.

Combine Wilder’s ability to work with minimal funds and achieve things above his station and it makes for an eye-catching appointment.

The likes of Roberto Martinez and Ralf Rangnick might be more appealing, but Wilder stands as the more realistic option.

AND in other news, Bankier missed Celtic’s next Van Dijk in £46k-p/w beast who “rarely makes mistakes”…

Monaco has had few star players represent them before leaving for pastures new. Which of them will make it into the ultimate XI?

Ligue 1 outfit Monaco are widely regarded as one of the best clubs in the world at developing and improving players.

They also have a reputation for signing potential superstars and later selling them for a huge profit.

A fair few stars of the modern game have turned out for Monaco in the past, including the likes of James Rodriguez, Youri Tielemans, Bernardo Silva, Thierry Henry and more.

And then there are players such as Kylian Mbappe and Layvin Kurzawa who have come out of the Monaco academy.

Of all the stars who have played for the club, who will make it into an ultimate Monaco dream team?

• (C)Getty Images
  

  Fabien Barthez | Goalkeeper

  The first-choice goalkeeper for the French national team for a long time, Barthez was possibly more known for his stint with Manchester United.

  But he played for Monaco before that and made a big impact.

  After turning out for the likes of Toulouse and Marseille, Barthez moved to Monaco in 1995, making 189 appearances in all competitions for the club, winning two Ligue 1 and a Trophee des Champions titles.

  Characterized by his bald head, Barthez was not a tall goalkeeper, but had good physical ability and amazing reflexes.

  He spent five years at Monaco before joining United in 2000.

Advertisement

• (C)Getty Images
  

  Maicon | Defender

  In the late 2000s, Maicon was praised as "the world's best full-back" for his overwhelming attacking abilities.

  He played at Monaco for two years from 2004 to 2006 and made 81 appearances. Although he failed to win a major title at Monaco, he caught the attention of Inter with his fine performances.

  Maicon was known for physicality, speed, and stamina to run up and down the right wing. He also had the ability to send in high-precision crosses and had a powerful shot on him.

  During his six years at Inter, he won Serie A four times and won the Champions League.

• (C)Getty Images
  

  Lilian Thuram | Defender

  Legendary French defender Lilian Thuram, who is famous for scoring two spectacular goals in the 1998 France World Cup semi-final against Croatia, was a Monaco youth product.

  He became a regular player shortly after making his professional debut in 1991 and made 186 appearances in all competitions before moving to Parma in 1996.

  A defender who could play as a right-back and a centre-back with no issues whatsoever, Thuram was one of the best in the world during the '90s and early '00s.

  He ended up playing for the likes of Juventus and Barcelona during his career.

  With 142 national team caps, he is still holds the record of having made the most appearances for France.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• (C)Getty Images
  

  Eric Abidal | Defender

  Abidal, one of Barcelona's sextuplet winners of 2008/09 season, also played for Monaco in his youth and made his first-team debut at the age of 21.

  He was a bit of a late bloomer, though, and only really established himself as a world-class player after leaving the club, impressing for Lille and Lyon before earning himself a move to Camp Nou.

  At Barcelona, he played nearly 200 official games between 2007-2013 and was part of Pep Guardiola's great Barcelona side, winning 16 titles.

  He had a liver tumor in 2011 that nearly put him on the verge of retirement, but he made a miraculous comeback and continued playing. In 2013-14, he returned to Monaco for one season.

  After retiring in 2014, he held several directorial positions at Barcelona.

Celtic have been credited with an interest in Crystal Palace midfielder Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.

According to the Daily Mail, the Hoops, along with Premier League sides Everton and West Ham, hold a strong interest in the 18-year-old.

However, the report claims that Rak-Sakyi looks likely to make the move to Germany, with Bundesliga duo Borussia Monchengladbach and Schalke name-checked as potential destinations.

Impressive form

Rak-Sakyi has turned down a two-year professional contract at Selhurst Park, meaning the side who wins the race for his services may have to pay just £150,000 in training compensation.

The left-footed attacking midfielder has scored seven goals and registered three assists in his last eight fixtures for Palace’s U18 and U23 sides, with his latest goal coming in a 2-0 win over table-topping Leeds United.

Transfer Tavern take

The Daily Mail claim that Rak-Sakyi is regarded as one of the brightest talents to emerge from Palace’s academy since Aaron Wan-Bissaka, so it could be a real coup by the Hoops if they secure his signature.

It seems as if a move to Germany is on the cards, though, but tracking young talents like Rak-Sakyi is certainly a positive move by the club.

They’ve already secured the services of teenager Liam Shaw for next season, and a few more young additions ahead of the 2021/22 campaign could be the way to go, along with several experienced signings in a Parkhead rebuild.

In other news: Celtic keen on 18-goal striker, could become club’s third-most-expensive signing, find out more here. 

Picking out interesting narratives before the competition’s last eight kicks off on Saturday

• Backpagepix.
  

  Afcon 2021 Quarter-finals

  The action at the Africa Cup of Nations resumes on Saturday, with two matches each over the next two days to decide the last four.

  Despite the likes of Nigeria and the Ivory Coast exiting in the Round of 16, the finals has not lost any of its lustre, with tournament hosts Cameroon present and the two biggest names — Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane — respectively still present, supporter interest is still at a high level.

  Are there any standout narratives to draw from the upcoming fixtures?

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Cameroon look to prevent getting unstuck against The Gambia

  Having dispatched Comoros 2-1 in the last 16, the Indomitable Lions are against another side making their competition debut.

  The Gambia have surpassed expectations in their maiden appearance, ending second with seven points in a group that contained Mali and Tunisia and they will strive to claim their biggest scalp against Toni Conceicao’s troops.

  Vincent Aboubakar is the tournament’s top scorer with six goals and the experienced frontman looks to become the first player to score in each of his nation’s opening five games in the competition’s history.

  The Scorpions will hope to catch the in-form striker on a rare bad day as they aim to match South Africa’s feat from 1996, becoming the first debutants to reach the Afcon semis.

  Bafana Bafana went on to claim that title, an achievement The Gambia would utterly relish.

• Getty
  

  Morocco’s bid to reach the semis

  Despite the nation’s perceived talent, the North African nation has badly underperformed at the Nations Cup since 2004 where they were beaten finalists.

  Since suffering that painful defeat by Tunisia, the Atlas Lions have never made it to the last four at the finals, often exiting the tournament at the group stage.

  This iteration hopes to change that, but first, they need to defeat regional rivals Egypt in the top clash of the quarters.

  Mohamed Salah is yet to sparkle at the finals, a situation Achraf Hakimi and his teammates look to keep on Sunday.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• BackpagePix.
  

  Will Senegal finally deliver a strong performance?

  It is safe to assert that pre-tournament favourites Senegal have been disappointing so far.

  The Lions of Teranga have not shown anywhere near their true quality, although there are a few mitigating circumstances.

  Be that as it may, their Round of 16 win over Cape Verde underscored their issues in midfield and attack, with the lack of control and sharpness in the final third apparent.

  Sadio Mane has netted twice but Aliou Cisse needs the Liverpool star’s teammates to be decisive as well when they battle an Equatorial Guinea team bidding to reach the last four for the second time in their history.

It's been an absolutely sensational summer of football, culminating in Italy's dramatic defeat of England, but who were the best players on show?

• Getty
  

  GK: Gigi Donnarumma (Italy)

  The imminent arrival of Gigi Donnarumma on a free transfer already looked like a sensational bit of business by Paris Saint-Germain – now it is looking like one of the best deals in history.

  The 22-year-old was utterly immense as Italy won Euro 2020 in dramatic fashion, with their giant of a goalkeeper saving two penalties in the final, including the decisive spot-kick from Bukayo Saka. 

  The Arsenal teenager deserves the utmost sympathy for his miss because there is no more intimidating shot-stopper in the world right now, as underlined by the fact that Donnarumma is five for five in terms of shootouts, for club and country.

  UEFA's Player of the Tournament and our obvious choice for the No.1 jersey.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  RB: Joakim Maehle (Denmark)

  Atalanta have done it again: the masters of the transfer market have unearthed another gem.

  Just over six months after signing Joakim Maehle from Genk for just €10 million (£8.5m/$11.9m), the versatile wing-back is now arguably worth three times that amount thanks to his sensational displays for surprise semi-finalists Denmark.

  Despite being right-footed, Maehle proved a phenomenon on the left flank, scoring two goals and creating another.

  Indeed, the 24-year-old produced the most outrageous assist of the tournament by finding Kasper Dolberg in the area with a stunning outside-of-the-boot cross in the quarter-final win over Czech Republic.

• Getty
  

  CB: Leonardo Bonucci (Italy)

  What was truly incredible about Leonardo Bonucci's Man of the Match-winning performance in the final was just how ridiculously easy it made it all look.

  He was calmness personified. On two separate occasions, he nonchalantly flicked headers back to Donnarumma, even though Raheem Sterling was close by, looking to pounce on any mistake.

  Bonucci, though, turned in a flawless, outrageously composed display. 

  His passing, as always, was sensational, while he was also on hand to score the crucial equaliser when Marco Verratti's header came back off the post. 

  Bonucci has sometimes been accused of playing as more of a midfielder than a defender. At Euro 2020, he proved himself one of the most complete centre-backs of the modern era.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  CB: Giorgio Chiellini (Italy)

  How on earth could we pick anyone other than Giorgio Chiellini to play alongside Bonucci in the heart of our defence?

  Italy's greatest warrior won what is likely to be his final battle in the international arena with the kind of spirited showing that made a mockery of his 36 years. 

  Harry Kane dropped deep to great effect in the first half, but Chiellini did not afford the England striker a single chance in the area. 

  And on the one occasion that Saka got away from him, the Juventus man ruthlessly hauled the Arsenal teenager to the floor, creating an image that quickly went viral. Chiellini simply was not going to be denied his crowning moment of glory.

  There was no worthier recipient of the Henri Delaunay trophy than the Azzurri's inspirational captain, whose status as one of the game's all-time greats is now complete.

The Real Madrid and Tottenham strikers have been in excellent form, while the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Luka Modric have also caught the eye

• Getty
  

  Robin Olsen | GK | Sweden

  Having worked so hard to keep Germany at bay in the second match of group play, Olsen did even better in shackling dangerous Mexico to ensure Sweden took top spot in Group F against all odds. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Diego Godin | CB | Uruguay

  It is no accident that Uruguay stormed through Group A with the best defensive record of any team at the World Cup. Godin and Atletico Madrid team-mate Jose Maria Gimenez formed a formidable obstacle throughout the first round, and will have given Cristiano Ronaldo in particular food for thought as Uruguay prepare to take on Portugal in the last 16.

• Yerry Mina | CB | Colombia

  Sparsely used by Barcelona since moving from Palmeiras in January, Mina hardly looks to be affected by the lack of activity. Not only has the centre-back been a rock in defence, but goals against Poland and Senegal proved crucial in helping the Cafeteros through Group H in first place.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Domagoj Vida | CB | Croatia

  Who would have guessed that in a defence that includes one Champions League finalist it would be Besiktas' versatile star that came to the fore. Vida was pivotal in keeping Nigeria and Argentina away from goal in two consecutive clean sheets for Croatia in Group D and he proved an able partner to Dejan Lovren in one of the World Cup's toughest back lines so far.

According to Sunday World’s Kevin Palmer, Liverpool are likely to revive their interest in Lille centre-back Sven Botman following the injuries to Joel Matip and Fabinho, which could leaves Klopp with no senior centre-back options ahead of the weekend’s game with West Ham.

What’s the word?

Liverpool’s need to sign a centre-back has been clear to fans, and most likely Jurgen Klopp, for some time now but following the injuries suffered by Fabinho and Matip recently, the Reds must bring in a defender before the transfer deadline, otherwise, they risk providing a feeble title defence.

Matip was forced off at half-time in the 3-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night after damaging his ankle ligaments, and the early suggestions are that it could be a long absence for the Cameroonian international.

Fabinho, meanwhile, missed the game at Spurs with a minor muscle injury, but there is currently no timescale for when he might return to action.

It was no surprise, therefore, that after the final whistle, links to Lille centre-back Sven Botman resurfaced, with the young defender having been heavily linked with a move to Anfield earlier in the window.

Should LFC sign him?

Botman’s reputation in France is quickly growing after impressing with his performances for the Ligue 1 side following his summer arrival from Ajax.

In 21 appearances in the French top-flight, the Dutch centre-back has averaged an excellent 7.07 rating, which ranks him as Lille’s fourth-best performer so far this season.

He has also helped Les Dogues to an impressive 10 clean sheets so far this season and on an episode of the Transfer Window podcast, journalist Duncan Castles relayed the thoughts of his centre-back partner Jose Fonte:

“Fonte has played with an array of top-class centre-backs in his career including Virgil van Dijk, Toby Alderweireld, Pepe in the Portuguese national team and Gabriel last season who is now at Arsenal.

“From what I understand of Fonte’s impression of Botman, he thinks he’s the best of all of them.

“He describes him as a machine and a man who doesn’t make mistakes and also indicates that for a young player playing alongside an experienced professional, he’s very open to learning and taking instruction and improving his game.”

If Fonte is rating Botman higher than Van Dijk, with whom he played with at Southampton, then he would surely prove to be an excellent signing for the Reds.

Botman has won 3.6 aerials per game on average so far this season, which is more than any of Van Dijk, Gomez, Matip or Fabinho, which suggests that he would be a useful addition to Klopp’s squad this month.

As he is just 21-years-old, he certainly wouldn’t be a panic buy and could be an excellent long-term option for the Reds to have, so it seems as if the £22.5 million-rated defender could well be the man to solve the defensive crisis in Klopp’s squad if he is brought to Anfield by Michael Edwards this month.

And, in other news… Forget Trent: LFC “machine” who played four key passes was Klopp’s star vs Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur are thought to be keen on bringing another Real Madrid star to north London…

What’s the word?

According to El Chiringuito TV, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is eyeing up a swoop for versatile right-winger Lucas Vazquez. However, he’ll have to battle old rivals Atletico Madrid to secure his signature.

“Mourinho & Simeone are fighting over a player who has been singled out for his performance in the Super Cup. Tottenham & Atletico love Lucas Vazquez,” said transfer expert Eduardo Inda to the Spanish football show.

Another Moura

It would be a surprise to see Spurs bolster their squad with a winger this window, though the summer opens up far greater possibilities as the futures of Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura and on-loan Gareth Bale are by no means certain.

Eurosport’s Dean Jones reported earlier in the month that the north Londoners would be willing to listen to offers for either of the former two, whilst The Times claim a second season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium seems unlikely for the Welsh superstar.

The 29-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and after rejecting a recent extension to his current £115k-per-week terms he seems destined to leave the La Liga giants, meaning Daniel Levy may not even need to pay a transfer fee for his services.

But is he worth pursuing? Probably not.

Vazquez could merely be another Moura – a player that can spark glimpses of sheer quality at times but ultimately lacks that proper end product.

That much has been seen this term as Zinedine Zidane has surprisingly deployed him in a right-back role in 52% of his appearances this term.

Indeed, over the course of 227 appearances for Los Galacticos, the nine-time Spanish international has only contributed 26 goals and 49 assists, meaning the £13.5m-rated wide man provides or scores one goal every three outings, per Transfermarkt.

Similarly, this is an issue for the Brazilian attacker over in N17.

He’s scored just once in the Premier League since December 2019, and over the duration of his 134 games for Spurs, he’s contributed only 43 goals, meaning he delivers one goal every 3.1 appearances.

That’s practically mirroring the Madrid star to a tee.

Zidane claims Vazquez is a “reliable” player who “gives everything” while in the past Spanish papers such as Marca have dubbed him “fearless,” though, in terms of attacking output, that just does not appear to be the case.

Whether he’s a player who Mourinho wants truly remains to be seen, but on the above evidence, it would seem a pretty pointless move. They’d be better off keeping Moura.

AND in other news, Shades of Klinsmann: Spurs must seal “ruthless” £31.5m-rated gem for one big reason…

David Moyes will not find his Youssef En-Nesyri alternative in Anthony Lozano amid claims West Ham United are considering a move to sign the Cadiz CF striker.

What’s the word?

According to Goal, the Irons have turned their attention to Lozano’s potential availability after Sevilla forward En-Nesyri declared he had no intentions of leaving his La Liga side this month.

Lozano is one of a number of options the Hammers have since turned to in search of a replacement for Sebastien Haller, with talks also said to have taken place with FC Girondins de Bordeaux over Sunderland product Josh Maja.

Cadiz are reluctant to part ways with Lozano mid-way through the season but will grant the 27-year-old a move should they receive offers worth at least €10m (£9m), as the sum would simply be too good for the Nuevo Estadio Ramon de Carranza natives to turn down.

Lozano, who only boasts a TransferMarkt valuation of £2.25m, has started 11 of Cadiz’s La Liga fixtures this term and made five appearances from the bench, while scoring two of his mere three goals for the season following the turn of the year.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation communicating that Lozano now has federal approval for Spanish nationality is thought to have acted as encouragement for those tracking the Honduras forward this month, including West Ham.

It has previously been speculated in the Spanish media that the Irons could offer as much as €15m (£13.5m) for Lozano, as Moyes strives to add depth behind Michail Antonio in his attacking ranks following Haller’s move to AFC Ajax.

Should West Ham sign Lozano?

Haller’s departure certainly left a hole in Moyes’ squad that the West Ham boss needs to fill before the winter market slams shut on February 1, as he can ill-afford to not replace the Ivory Coast international and see Antonio again be sidelined after two hamstring injuries.

But whether Lozano is the answer to Moyes’ problems remains to be seen, as it is very much unlikely that the 27-year-old would be anything more than an underwhelming addition doomed to fail in the Premier League.

The £7,500-per-week attacker has only scored three goals in 16 La Liga games this season, and is even underperforming with FBref data showing an expected goals of 3.8. Part of the problem for Lozano has been the timid nature of his attempts, with an expected goals per game of only 0.39 thanks to directing just 13 shots on target to date.

It is taking close to ten shots for Lozano to score in the Spanish top-flight this term due to his wayward efforts and the low frequency of his firing, while needing close to five shots to find the mark before one beats an opposition’s goalkeeper.

Lozano bringing an attacking presence beyond goals would be doubted, too, with only 0.1 assists per game – above his expected assists of 0.07. He has further made only 28 progressive carries to bring Cadiz further up the pitch, with 134 of his dribbles failing to see the Honduras international move play more than five yards with the ball at his feet.

En-Nesyri, for comparison, has struck home 12 goals in 19 La Liga games for Sevilla this season as the 23-year-old finds the net with one in every three shots taken, to see that he significantly outscores his expected goals of 6.9, per FBref.

With Moyes also playing with one centre-forward and favouring Antonio due to his high work-rate, it would be a wonder if Lozano even gets on the pitch when West Ham boast a fully-fit squad. This makes it ever more pressing that David Sullivan and Moyes walk away from any deal with Cadiz.

AND in other news, West Ham are working on a deal to sign a £13.5m-rated striker on loan…

As the January transfer window draws near, Leeds United could be forced to scour the market for even more new signings. Despite their fruitful summer haul, Marcelo Bielsa currently finds himself with just one fit senior centre-back ahead of their clash with Burnley at the weekend.

His defence is undoubtedly where the Argentinian must focus his attention, but his attacking options could also do with some love. At the moment, Leeds’ only major source of goals is Patrick Bamford, which isn’t good enough for a side looking to survive in the Premier League.

Despite all their options out wide, the Whites are struggling to leave their mark when it comes to getting forward. However, there is a man that Leeds have been linked with who could help solve these worries.

Leeds interested in Ryan Christie

According to 90min, Ryan Christie has attracted a lot of attention from the Premier League. Both Leeds and Leicester are reported to be considering tabling an offer for the Scot’s services. Should the right one come Celtic’s way, Peter Lawwell might be forced into selling up, especially following the Glasgow outfit’s inconsistent form this season and the financial impact of their European exit.

Christie has contributed four goals and ten assists to his side’s campaign so far, along with his iconic performance for Scotland in their Euro qualifying win over Serbia last month. His influence on his country, along with his versatility to play in both midfield and on the wing, have seemingly made him a very hot target ahead of the January window.

Indeed, he recently received top praise from Chris Sutton, who lauded the £8,000 per week gem as a “manager’s dream”.

Christie would be a great addition to this Leeds side if Celtic are willing to let him go and Victor Orta must make him a priority for the club’s winter shopping. The 25-year-old’s attacking influence would be ideal in support of Bamford, who is extremely overworked in Bielsa’s front-line.

In other news, Orta must move for “real talent” Michael Olise to replace Forshaw…