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Former Leicester City star Keith Gillespie believes that Caglar Soyuncu’s head could be turned by interest from Liverpool, telling the Transfer Tavern exclusively that the Foxes need to work hard to keep him at the club.

Reports last week linked the Reds with a move for the central defender, who has developed into a superb player under the management of Brendan Rodgers at the King Power Stadium.

Soyuncu has made 73 appearances for the Foxes since his move to the club in 2018 and The Daily Mirror has reported that he is on a shortlist of potential central defensive acquisitions for the Reds, with Michael Edwards, Liverpool’s transfer chief, impressed with him.

Leicester have sold players to bigger clubs at huge fees in recent years, extracting £80m from Manchester United for Harry Maguire, £45m from Chelsea for Ben Chilwell, and £60m from Manchester City for Riyad Mahrez.

And while Gillespie accepts that the Turkey international could be interested in a move to Liverpool, he believes Leicester really need to ensure he stays at the club beyond this summer.

He told TT: “When a club like Liverpool come knocking, players heads can get turned. It’s up to Leicester to try and keep hold of him because he is a very, very good player.”

Gillespie has been impressed with the level of defenders at Leicester, and is unsurprised that a big club would be interested in Soyuncu, having seen Maguire move to Old Trafford.

He added: “You think about the problems that Man United have had defensively, they plucked a Leicester defender, now we’re talking about another three Leicester centre-halves in terms of how good they are so they’re doing something right at Leicester in terms of bringing through centre-halves.”

Fans of Glasgow Rangers have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which Rangers relayed footage of a goal scored by Ianis Hagi against the club’s upcoming opponents on Wednesday evening.

In the footage, Hagi picks up the ball from a wide position, before driving infield and unleashing a specular long-range drive that manages to find the bottom corner of the St Johnstone net, a goal that secured all three points for Gers in the Scottish Premiership fixture back in February.

So far this season, Hagi has been in fine form over his 28 appearances for Steven Gerrard’s side, scoring six goals and providing nine assists, as well as averaging a WhoScored match rating of 6.93.

And, after Rangers shared the footage of the 22-year-old’s strike against St Johnstone on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many speculating as to whether the clip was a hint that the Romania international could be starting against the Saints once again on Wednesday evening.

So, what exactly did these Rangers fans have to say in reaction to the footage of Ianis Hagi?

“Good goal vs St Johnstone, Hagi. Would like to see another one tonight.”

@cjnovo992

“Is this code for Hagi’s off the bench and getting a game tonight?”

@strypeyblue

“Same again tonight please, Mr Rangers.”

@tomcandrews1

“Tonight I hope.”

@Joe_Pattenden1

“Repeat tonight?”

@Goatamendl

“Absolutely love him as a player.”

@cydnie_13

In other news: ‘What did I just hear?’ – These Gers fans slam ‘dinosaur’ as ‘disgraceful’ Kamara claim emerges – find out more here!

Mario Husillos hit gold far fewer times than he unearthed gems during his time as West Ham United’s Director of Football, and there are few signings he made that were as bad the deal to bring in Andriy Yarmolenko.

Husillos oversaw the arrivals of 15 players during his 18-months at the London Stadium, in deals that set the claret and blue side back around £175m in fees reported at the time of their captures.

One-tenth of that amount went on Yarmolenko as the Ukraine winger was signed from Borussia Dortmund for £17.5m, already £3.5m less than his TransferMarkt valuation of £21m at the time of leaving the Signal Iduna Park.

Unfortunately for West Ham, his market value has continued to plummet in every season that has gone by, and TransferMarkt project that he is now worth just £4.5m, a £16.5m decline over the past 32-months.

No player currently at the London Stadium has seen their TransferMarkt valuation fall as drastically as Yarmolenko has since first adorning the claret and blue jersey, with Pablo Fornals’ £6.5m decrease the second-highest hit.

Husillos was delighted to have been able to unveil Yarmolenko as a Hammer during his and Manuel Pellegrini’s first summer in charge at West Ham, and claimed the club “did not hesitate” when the chance arose to sign him.

“He really is the kind of player that we were looking for,” said Husillos, via quotes by Sky Sports. “He is a left-footed player but can play on the right and is very quick, very good one-on-one against a defender. He gives the team a lot of attacking options and scores goals, is fast on the counter-attack and provides aerial threat with his height.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-west-ham-news-and-views” title=” The latest West Ham news and views!”]

“He also has very good experience, of playing for big teams and fighting for titles. At Dortmund, he had some good matches but perhaps didn’t quite show his very best. However, I think Manuel Pellegrini is the perfect coach for Andriy and his style of play.

“I believe he is joining us in the perfect moment. He is 28, the prime age for football, and we have great expectation about what he can achieve with West Ham United.”

But the move has not worked out as Husillos expected, and the drastic decline of Yarmolenko’s market value is just one sign of how poorly things worked out.

In two-and-a-half-seasons at the London Stadium, the 31-year-old forward has amassed just 53 appearances across all competitions, in which he has scored 10 times and provided six assists.

Yet of those strikes, only one has come this term when the attacker netted at home to League One side Doncaster Rovers in the FA Cup, before sustaining the latest in a long line of injuries away to Manchester United in the fifth round.

Surgery for an Achilles tendon injury brought a halt to Yarmolenko’s maiden campaign in England after just nine top-flight games, and his return the following season would only last 16 matches before he was back in the treatment room for an abductor tear.

The pandemic meant Yarmolenko, who is also West Ham’s top-earner on a £115,000-per-week contract, could help David Moyes keep the Irons in the Premier League, but the Scottish coach’s decision to retain his services last summer has backfired.

In 14 league games this term, Yarmolenko has a sole assist to his name and will have little expectations placed on him of offering a greater return once the 92-cap international has overcome his knee ligament injury.

It is no wonder that reports have already begun surfacing claiming West Ham will look to sell Yarmolenko at the end of the season, it just remains to be seen how much they can recoup after Husillos’ horrific mistake.

Buying older players with little resale value has hurt West Ham in the past, such as in this instance, lessons must be learned from it.

AND in other news, West Ham are set to sign a £13.5m-rated titan for free this summer…

Danny Mills has claimed that Lucas Digne can go to replace Leighton Baines at Everton after he put pen to paper on a new deal at the Goodison Park faithful.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Leeds United and Manchester City defender believes that the Merseyside club are going in the right direction by tying the former FC Barcelona man down to a new contract and added that he has all the capabilities of replacing Baines in the future:

“Everton are moving in the right direction.

“After some indifferent signings for a couple of seasons, they’ve now got a fantastic manager in Carlo Ancelotti.

“He and Marcel Brands seem to have a really good connection and understanding. The recruitment has been really good at Everton.

“They’ve just got planning permission for the new stadium and they’re looking to move up in the world.

“They can cement that top eight position season in, season out and see where they can kick on from there.

“Lucas Digne is a fantastic attacking left-back. It was always going to be difficult to replace Leighton Baines, but there’s every chance in the future that he can go on and do that.”

Digne can be an Everton legend

Digne certainly has all of the potential to become a legend at the Toffees, just like Baines is. The latter played in no fewer than 420 games in total over all competitions across 13 consecutive seasons, scoring 39 goals and making a further 67 assists (Transfermarkt).

The France international has a very long way to go to catch Baines in terms of those kind of stats, but he has been nothing short of fantastic for the Blue since his arrival from La Liga.

He has made no fewer than six assists in 16 matches in total in the Premier League so far in the 2020/21 campaign and has also averaged 2.4 clearances, 2.1 tackles, 1.5 key passes and 1.1 interceptions per appearance (Sofascore).

The 27-year-old has become such an important player to Carlo Ancelotti’s team, but he still has a long way to go to become as much of a legend to EFC as Baines is.

In other news, find out what Fabrizio Romano transfer update has been lauded by Everton fans here!

Celtic face Dundee on Sunday afternoon knowing that a defeat could hand the title to their fiercest rivals. No pressure, then, John Kennedy.

This has been a tortuous campaign for the Hoops but, fortunately for them, it’s set to conclude shortly.

They are miles off the pace in the Premiership and, if they win this weekend, it will give Rangers the opportunity to take home the league at Parkhead in a week’s time. If there was anything to sum up Celtic’s season in a nutshell, that would be it.

Gone are the days of Neil Lennon but not even the thought of a new manager arriving in the not-too-distant future will cure the idea of their city rivals winning the title.

Consequently, Celtic’s game with Dundee this weekend is one of huge significance, so Kennedy must get his selection spot on. Here’s the XI we’re predicting.

We are tipping the interim manager to make two changes from his side which defeated Aberdeen a week ago.

The first change to note is in midfield, where Ryan Christie is dropped from the XI. With just a solitary goal in his last 24 matches, he is hardly up to the task of digging Celtic out of a hole. As a result, David Turnbull takes his place as the number 10 and chief creator.

That will allow Ismaila Soro to come into the side and make just his second start for the Hoops since the end of January.

The remaining change is in attack. Patryk Kilmala was diabolical last weekend when given a rare chance to start. The Pole missed a golden opportunity to score and managed a measly five passes in just over an hour on the field. With that in mind, Leigh Griffiths comes back to partner Odsonne Edouard.

The 30-year-old hasn’t started since being taken off at half-time in Celtic’s 2-1 defeat to St Mirren at the end of January.

That being said, behind Edouard, he has the second-best goals-to-game ratio out of the club’s centre-forward options. Griffiths undeniably feels like the best bet right now if Kennedy wants to operate with a two-pronged attack.

AND in other news, Forget Christie: Kennedy must axe “soul-destroying” Celtic flop who made just 5 passes…

Many West Bromwich Albion fans are delighted after the club confirmed they will remain sponsored by Ideal Heating for three more years.

The Baggies’ future in the Premier League looks very uncertain at the moment. As it stands, they are 10 points from safety with just nine games left to play (Sky Sports) – it will take a monumental late run of form for them to survive among the elite.

However, at least they appear to have some of their off-the-pitch affairs in order. The Baggies’ partnership with the UK’s largest heating firm started in 2018, and they have now confirmed that the deal will continue for another three years. Fans of other clubs may also be delighted that the iconic Boilerman mascot will be staying at The Hawthorns.

The news was shared on Twitter by West Brom’s official account, and it attracted plenty of attention from Baggies supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the club’s update.

Let’s see what the West Brom fans had to say below

“Three more years. THREE. MORE. YEARS.”

Credit: @BradleyTiernan

“HE STAYS”

Credit: @WbaOllie

“Better than a betting company”

Credit: @Ben95620779

“Fair play! As sponsors go they haven’t been too bad at all.”

Credit: @WBAcambolia

“Great news, glad we won’t have some gambling company on the shirt”

Credit: @albion_gaming

“Best signing we’ve made this year”

Credit: @JoshhhWBA

In other news, many West Brom fans react to this stunning Europa League display.

Celtic have been linked to a number of fresh faces this month as the January transfer window continues to deliver its promise of exciting rumours and updates. The holding Premiership champions are in desperate need of bolstering their squad after 2020/21 proved to be highly unkind to them.

With an early exit from the Europa League and next to no chance of catching up to Rangers in the Premiership, Peter Lawwell and his team must shift focus to next season. The Hoops will not be able to bounce back from this disappointing campaign without a haul of new recruits.

One player who Celtic have been linked to is rising Sheffield Wednesday star Liam Shaw. According to Joe Crann of the Sheffield Star, the interest shown from the Glaswegians is very genuine but no official talks have yet been held between the two parties.

Would Shaw fit in at Celtic?

Whether Neil Lennon remains at Parkhead for the upcoming season remains to be seen. But nothing can take away his contribution to the development of summer signing David Turnbull. The former Motherwell midfielder has blossomed into a player that Celtic truly rely on in their engine room.

The 21-year-old had to wait until October for his first senior start for his new club, but since then he hasn’t turned back. Turnbull has been a leading force in Lennon’s midfield, contributing six goals and three assists across all competitions so far this season, as per Transfermarkt.

With Lennon taking a chance on Turnbull despite having more senior players like Scott Brown on his books proves he is eager to develop those in transition to the first team. History could repeat itself if Celtic sign Shaw, who is showing promise in his performances for Wednesday.

The 19-year-old popped up with a crucial goal against Middlesbrough at the end of December, helping the Owls bank a vital three points with 2-1 win. Shaw has also proven he can play both in midfield and at centre-back, which is a huge plus for Celtic who are also struggling in defence.

The teenager is currently on a £500 per week contract, which will be very attractive to Lawwell, as it means he won’t have to shell out big bucks to entice him to make the move.

In other news, Carlton Palmer believes Benitez would be good coup for Celtic…

Celtic are finally back to winning ways after suffering a wretched run of form recently. The Hoops have been ejected from the Europa League and have slipped massively behind Rangers in the race for the Premiership title.

Their inconsistent season has not just landed them 13 points behind the runaway league leaders, but talks of Neil Lennon’s exit have been rife. However, it seems that in his desperation, he has found the courage to experiment with his team.

This has already paid off in dividends and he must keep up these changes he has made in his team. Celtic will face Hearts on Sunday in the Scottish Cup final and Lennon absolutely has to start David Turnbull.

Turnbull must start vs Hearts

Along with the midfielder, the manager has given rare chances to the likes of Ismaila Soro and reserve goalkeeper Conor Hazard. Since making these drastic alterations, the Bhoys have won back-to-back games and will be in high spirits ahead of Sunday.

There’s a good chance he will start Soro and Hazard given their strong performances, but he must ensure that Turnbull is one of the first names on the team sheet.

Last time out, the 21-year-old was arguably the best performer on the pitch. According to Sofascore, the summer signing completed 93% of his passes, created two big goalscoring opportunities and provided the assist for Shane Duffy’s goal.

This wasn’t a fluke performance either. In Celtic’s Europa League fixture against Lille, Turnbull bagged himself another assist and scored a goal of his own in a thrilling 3-2 victory for the Hoops.

The £1.6million-rated gem has made just three starts this season but has already thrown his hat into the ring to become one of Lennon’s key players. Indeed, he has already impressed the boss after he waxed lyrical about his transfer and described him as having “a touch of class” about him.

If he starts against Hearts on Sunday, Celtic have a big chance of taking home the silverware.

In other news, Signing Mark McKenzie would be huge move from Lawwell…

Farhad Moshiri must sanction a new contract for Everton midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson as a reward for the Iceland international’s recent turn of form under Carlo Ancelotti.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Toffees are considering presenting Sigurdsson with a new contract after his outstanding efforts in James Rodriguez’s absence over the festive period.

Sigurdsson had been expected to leave Goodison Park following Rodriguez’s arrival and his own initial run of poor form, but he has played his way back into Ancelotti’s plans and impressed when on the field.

Rodriguez offered three goals and three assists in his first five Premier League appearances but has played just 26 minutes in the Toffees’ last five top-flight fixtures after sustaining a calf injury.

Sigurdsson came in and starred, despite seeing his long-term future thrown into doubt with claims Ancelotti would look to move the 31-year-old on to free space to sign a new central figure with Harry Winks, Dele Alli and Sami Khedira all linked.

The 78-cap midfielder struck the sole goals in Everton’s 1-0 wins over Chelsea and Sheffield United while captaining the side, and he provided the assist for Yerry Mina’s match-winner against Arsenal with a pin-point delivery from a corner.

Offer the contract

Everton would rue not offering Sigurdsson an extension to his current £100,000-per-week contract amidst his strong run of form, as doubts over his long-term future would otherwise rise significantly the closer he gets to its final 12-months.

Sigurdsson, who is set to be a free agent in 2022, is playing some of the best football he has produced for Everton since Marco Silva’s maiden season at the helm, when the £16m-rated talent provided 13 goals and six assists over 38 Premier League appearances.

He struggled vastly in Silva’s second season and rarely stood out in Ancelotti’s plans after the change in head coach, with Sigurdsson offering just two goals and three assists in 2019/20 to put himself in a position where Rodriguez’s arrival threatened his future at the club.

Former Sheffield United midfielder Michael Brown believed Sigurdsson’s recent display against Chris Wilder’s side displayed just how far he has now come since Ancelotti’s hiring, waxing lyrical over how the Blues’ former £45m record signing has got his confidence back.

“He took his touch and made a reverse pass into the corner, it was brilliant,” Brown told Football Insider. “He’s got the confidence, Ancelotti’s come in and continued that, but they’ve improved the squad massively.

“With better players around him, getting better results, he’s always going to look better straight away. He’s got a real spray of pass, he’s got a good role. Now, the middle of the park looks so much stronger.”

AND in other news: Marcel Brands must axe a total dud costing Everton £600k-a-game.

Many Sunderland fans were left slamming the display of Jake Vokins in their side’s 2-1 loss away at Shrewsbury Town in the EFL League One on Tuesday night.

Aiden O’Brien actually gave the Stadium of Light faithful the lead midway through the first half of the game, before the Shrews scored twice in the second half through Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Harrison Chapman to earn all three points and inflict what was a damaging defeat for Lee Johnson’s team.

While there were some pretty poor performances all around for the Black Cats, Vokins really flattered to deceive several SAFC supporters.

The 20-year-old lost out on no fewer than four of his duels in the match and also failed to make a single interception, key pass or cross, earning him a very measly six overall rating on Sofascore, the lowest out of any player on the pitch.

Sunderland fan reaction to Vokins display

These fans slammed his performance on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far as to describe the left-back as a ‘rabbit in headlights’:

“Vokins was another who had a shocker.”

Credit: @MalcolmPEARSO15

“A 5 for Vokins man. Resembled a concussed seagull floating about after Chapman”

Credit: @BurnTheFingers

“Front 2 were gutless and anonymous today. Midfield 2 were soft, slow and lacked creativity. Vokins – mare. No words for Matthews!! I suggest 433 – LO/ MP/ DN in midfield. CW or RS/ JJ/ AMC or LG attack. Please change, we have 2 huge games next up.”

Credit: @mattbennettpt

“Sorry James, 5 for Vokins? The kid is out of position all the time, only made one attempt at a tackle all game, looked like a rabbit in headlights and frankly, simply isn’t good enough.”

Credit: @kevindefty1

“A few in here blaming goalkeeper, yes he made mistakes but Vokins poor as well and I know he scored but O’Brien awful as well. He doesn’t seem to know his best 11”

Credit: @craig1226murton

“Midfield offers absolutely nothing. Quick free kicks/short corners do not work for us. Both keepers are Jason Steele quality. Vokins has had two shockers at LB and bar his goal, AOB still offered nothing. Rant over”

Credit: @danwalkerxx

In other news, find out who was slammed for their display versus MK Dons here!