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Sky Sports have provided an on-air update regarding Manchester United’s pursuit of a new defender.

The Lowdown: Still no signings…

The Red Devils are still yet to finalise a first marquee signing for Erik ten Hag, with time ticking ahead of a return for pre-season.

United have been heavily linked with a number of players, including Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, Ajax winger Antony and free agent Christian Eriksen.

De Jong appears to be the club’s main priority, although United are struggling to reach an agreement with the Spanish giants.

The Latest: Defender update

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth provided a live TV update on Wednesday afternoon, looking at defensive targets for the Red Devils.

He said it ‘may surprise some United fans’ to know that defensive reinforcements are the ‘lowest priority’ due to the number of players they have in that area already. Sheth did add that Ajax’s Jurrien Timber and Villarreal’s Pau Torres are of interest, but it doesn’t look as if moves for either are imminent.

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The Verdict: Time for action

Gary Neville has admitted that he is worried that United are struggling to get business done early in the transfer window, and with Ten Hag set to report for pre-season in just 11 days’ time, the club need to get a move on.

A United rebuild is yet to really get going under the Dutchman, with exits for Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata the main transfer stories to report so far.

The longer they take, the longer it could be until we see a transformation under Ten Hag, so multiple signings are needed over the coming weeks.

In other news: Man Utd and Ten Hag now make offer to sign ‘out of this world’ star with De Jong

Celtic have a track record when it comes to signing players from English clubs over the years, either on permanent or loan deals.

One club in particular with whom the Hoops have done a significant amount of business is Manchester City.

Over the past 10 years, Celtic have secured deals for the likes of Jason Denayer, Patrick Roberts and Olivier Ntcham, among others, from the Premier League champions.

Another player that the Bhoys brought to Parkhead from the Etihad Stadium is Dedryck Boyata. In 2015, Celtic paid £1.5m to secure the defender on a four-year deal from City.

During his four years in Glasgow, the Belgian made 135 appearances before leaving in 2019 for Hertha Berlin after a reported clash with former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.

Now that some years have passed, it seems as though the Hoops may have the chance to sign what could be their next version of Boyata, but hopefully without the reported behind-the-scenes issues.

Last month, it was reported that the Bhoys have their eyes on potentially making a move to sign City defender Ko Itakura.

Along with sharing the same connection with the Manchester club that Boyata had, the former Hoops defender is also listed as a similar player to Itakura according to Football Transfers.

The pair also share a knack for being solid defensive units as well. Looking back to the seven matches that Boyata played in Celtic’s 2018/19 Europa League campaign, the centre-back averaged 1.9 tackles, 2.3 interceptions and 2.6 clearances per game.

As for the current City defender, he averaged 1.4 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per league game during his recent loan spell with Schalke.

While these statistics may not be as high as the 31-year-old’s during his period with the Hoops, the Japan international has still shown that he can be a useful figure at the back.

Labelled an “incredibly fast” player by Dutch pundit Hans Kraay Jr., the 25-year-old could still be a useful addition to Celtic’s ranks and give Ange Postecoglou some extra depth in that area of his squad.

This could be crucial for the 56-year-old as his side will be looking to retain the Premiership title and go as far as they can in Europe next time around.

If the Hoops can use their previous connections with City to help forge a deal for the £3.15m-rated dynamo, this could be a great bit of business for all involved.

In other news – Talks incoming: Celtic plot swoop for £4.05m-rated dynamo, he’s Ange’s next “warrior”

West Bromwich Albion saw one of their main attacking talents wave goodbye to the Midlands club during the previous summer transfer window.

After scoring 20 goals and delivering 26 assists in 77 appearances for the Baggies across all competitions, Matheus Pereira joined Saudi club Al-Hilal back in August.

In his absence, West Brom struggled to make themselves a feared attacking side throughout the recent Championship campaign.

With 46 games played, the Baggies found the net just 52 times, which is fewer goals than a significant number of clubs that finished below them in the league table.

In addition to this, the Midlands club ended the campaign with the lowest percentage of shots on target (29.1%) in the entire league.

This certainly suggests that the team suffered from not having Pereira in their ranks as a capable attacking option.

Now that this uninspiring season has come to a close, the upcoming summer transfer window can provide Steve Bruce with the chance to strengthen his side and give them a better chance of winning promotion back to the Premier League.

One attacking figure that the Baggies have been linked with recently that could be a suitable and much-needed replacement for the departed Brazilian is Derby County winger Tom Lawrence.

Having played in 264 Championship games throughout his career, the 28-year-old has scored 50 goals and delivered 50 assists along the way.

With 38 appearances under his belt for Derby in this latest season, the Welshman found the net 11 times and provided five assists whilst playing in numerous attacking positions.

To further highlight his attacking talent, no other player in Wayne Rooney’s squad managed to equal the number of shots (101) or shots on target (38) that Lawrence made.

To put that into perspective, only Karlan Grant (108) had more shots at goal than the £27k-per-week Rams star in West Brom’s ranks.

Praised for his “inspirational” form this season by journalist Jake Barker, Lawrence ultimately couldn’t help his side achieve their goal of staying in the Championship at the end of what had been a difficult campaign for the Rams.

With the winger out of contract at the end of the month, securing a deal for him should be near the top of West Brom’s priority list as he could be the exact sort of attacking spark they need in their side to forget about Pereira and become a deadlier team.

In other news: Imagine him & Mowatt: Bruce can form scary WBA duo by signing “magnificent” 46 G/A ace

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has offered an exciting update regarding Aston Villa’s interest in Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder, Yves Bissouma.

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the transfer insider has claimed that Steven Gerrard and co will be in for the Mali international again this summer, having seen a bid rejected for the 25-year-old back in January.

Having already brought in Boubacar Kamara this summer on a free transfer, O’Rourke revealed that Villa could look to bolster their midfield ranks even further: “We all know Villa have held a long-term interest in Yves Bissouma. They tried to sign him in January, but Brighton managed to hold on to him. I would expect Villa to be considering a move again for him in the summer transfer window.

“If they were to get him and Kamara in the same window, I think we’d definitely see an improvement in that Villa midfield in general.”

This follows a report from 90min last week that stated that the Midlands side were keen on rekindling their interest, with a bid of around £30m seemingly on the cards for a player who is out of contract next summer.

Imagine him and Kamara

With Kamara’s arrival already confirmed, NSWE are seemingly set on a total revamp of the club’s midfield, with Bissouma’s potential capture only set to add increased quality in the centre of the park alongside the promising Frenchman.

Having made the move to the Amex from Lille in 2018, the Seagulls star has been an integral asset to manager Graham Potter, emerging as one of the most coveted midfield players in the Premier League following his impressive displays in recent seasons.

A “Champions League level” player, in the words of his manager, the £31.5m-rated gem has the ability to impact the game at both ends of the pitch, while also driving his side forward with an unerring calmness in possession.

Capable of a spectacular strike from distance, the £29k-per-week powerhouse is perhaps most widely-regarded for his defensive ability, notably averaging a remarkable 2.9 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 1.8 clearances in his 26 league outings in the 2021/22 campaign.

Not only an imposing midfield presence, however, the 18-cap maestro also possesses a silky quality with the ball at his feet, ranking in the top 10% for dribbles completed and the top 9% for pass completion among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues.

With Kamara in tow – who also ranks in the top 4% for pass completion and the top 3% for attempted passes – Villa would have a midfield duo capable of keeping the ball out of the reach of the opposition, but a partnership that also has the defensive instinct to win back possession if needed.

That combination would no doubt be the envy of clubs far higher in the league table, with – as O’Rourke suggested – Gerrard’s men set to enjoy a rapid improvement if the pair are unleashed at the start of next term.

The signing of the 22-year-old Marseille man is already in the bag, it now requires Villa to make their interest concrete in Brighton’s “phenomenal” star – as dubbed by pundit Lee Hendrie.

A Kamara-Bissouma midfield axis is simply a mouthwatering prospect.

IN other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior

Alexander Isak is among the strikers being considered by Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who claims that the Real Sociedad forward is one of several potential targets on sporting director Fabio Paratici’s wishlist.

The likes of Darwin Nunez, Gabriel Jesus, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Victor Osimhen and Lautaro Martinez are all also mentioned in the report.

It remains to be seen if the Sweden international is even attainable as the LaLiga outfit may not want to sell him, whilst Transfermarkt currently values him at £36m.

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Conte’s next Martinez

Spurs’ plans to bolster Antonio Conte’s playing squad should come as little surprise as the club have lacked a solid alternative to Harry Kane for several seasons now.

It’s believed that they would like to find a viable backup, if not someone who could feature alongside him in the starting lineup or out wide, which would suggest that the Italian could alter his formation in 2022/23.

He had great success at Inter Milan with such tactics, deploying Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez as a partnership, where the duo bagged 41 goals between them on their way to the club’s first Scudetto in 11 years.

Over at Hotspur Way, Conte already has a Lukaku-type predator in Kane, although he can offer a lot more, especially with his passing range and tendency to drop deeper, so Isak could fit the Martinez role as someone a bit shorter in stature but one that brings pace to burn.

The 22-year-old has bagged ten goals across 40 appearances this season, some seven short of his tally last term, via Transfermarkt. In between, he impressed at Euro 2020, particularly catching the eye of Rio Ferdinand.

“This kid, Isak, he was a problem today for the defenders in the Spain team,” the former Manchester United defender said during BBC’s coverage of Sweden vs Spain (via football.london). “He was a nuisance. He showed today why he’s got Young Player of the Year in La Liga. He was the outlet.”

Fellow pundit Gary Lineker also lauded him as an “exceptional talent” during last summer’s tournament, where Sweden reached the round of 16.

In Isak, Paratici could well hand Conte his next Martinez. He and Kane would be an incredible duo to strike fear into Premier League, and potentially Champions League, defences next season.

AND in other news, Bid made: Paratici in talks for “underrated” £51m signing, he’d be “unreal” for Spurs…

Rangers could be set to receive a substantial fee should they decide to sell midfielder Glen Kamara this summer, according to former Scotland defender Alan Hutton.

The lowdown: Agreement in place

This comes following an initial report from Football Insider claiming that the Ibrox club are ‘willing to listen to offers’ for Kamara during the upcoming transfer window.

It was claimed that ‘sources’ close to the Teddy Bears have confirmed that there is an ‘agreement’ between the club and the 26-year-old that a move will materialise at a certain price after Aston Villa were previously linked when Steven Gerrard took the Premier League job.

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Now, as the end of the season fast approaches, one heavily connected Gers man has had his say…

The latest: Hutton makes ‘huge’ claim

Speaking to Football Insider, regular Rangers TV pundit Hutton has outlined what it would take to prize Kamara away this summer, calling his initial move to Ibrox ‘laughable’.

The 37-year-old said: “As important to the club as he is, I think it has to be £10million, round about that. Some people might think that’s huge, but in terms of what it gives to the team and what it has done, he’s pivotal to what Rangers do.

“He has had times where he’s been a little bit up and down and started from the bench. But every time he comes on he proves his worth to the team. I think £10million is a good number, in my opinion. Especially in today’s market, if you look Nathan Patterson going for £16million. I know there’s a lot of potential there but we’re talking about a ready-made midfielder.

“He’s played at a high level already and Rangers did excellently well to get him for £50,000. An absolute steal, it’s laughable to see what he’s turned into. He’s only going to get better, he’s still a good age so definitely around that mark.”

The verdict: Big decision looms

Having missed out on an automatic place in next season’s UEFA Champions League group stages, the Light Blues hierarchy may look to make up some of the financial shortfalls with major player sales such as Kamara.

However, having scored four times and provided five assists in 51 appearances this season, featuring in 78 minutes per Scottish Premiership game on average (Sofascore), the Finland international remains just so integral to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side and therefore should only be sold at the very top of his valuation.

Under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), there is certainly no rush to cash in on the 42-cap ace and as such Rangers can afford to hold out for at least Hutton’s mooted £10million asking price.

In other news, find out what ‘massive blow’ Rangers have now been dealt here!

Manchester United are plotting a bid for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez as incoming manager Erik ten Hag aims to rebuild the squad.

What’s the word?

According to the Athletic’s David Ornstein, Man United have a serious interest in securing the services of Darwin Nunez in the summer transfer window.

Arsenal have also been linked with the 22-year-old previously and United could face a battle to sign one of the finest talents on the continent.

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A fee of €60m (£51m) has been reported and this could well represent a bargain considering how highly rated he is.

Ten Hag will adore Nunez

Realistically, ten Hag needs to improve the spine of his new side, from defence right through to a striker. Cristiano Ronaldo is the only forward at the club to score more than ten goals (24) this season and this is an area that needs urgent attention.

With that in mind, the Dutch coach will surely love the Benfica attacker.

Nunez has scored 34 goals in 41 appearances this season, a truly remarkable return, and it’s no wonder his stock is so high with many potential suitors.

The Uruguayan has also made eight appearances at international level and is tipped for an extremely bright future.

Former Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman said the striker was a “rough diamond” following his performances against Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals. Whereas his club manager Jorge Jesus has stated that the striker will become a “world-class player” and with his stats and impressive rise so far, it’s hard to argue with the notion.

With Man United missing out on Champions League football for next season, this could be held as a major disadvantage in their pursuit of Nunez. The 22-year-old will understandably want to play at the highest level.

Only time will tell, but he would be a wise investment if brought to the club.

AND in other news, Pole position: MUFC in the lead to land £85m “thoroughbred bomber”, ten Hag will be buzzing

Former Celtic striker Charlie Nicholas has pleaded with the club to tie manager Ange Postecoglou down to a new deal, claiming the club must already be plotting or even in behind-scenes ‘negotiations’.

The Lowdown: Ange excels in first year

The Australian replaced Neil Lennon in the Parkhead hot seat last year, looking to improve fortunes on the pitch after a disappointing period.

Postecoglou has done just that, inspiring Celtic to within touching distance of regaining the Scottish Premiership title, needing just one more point to achieve that goal.

Not only that but the Hoops have already sealed Scottish League Cup glory, too, further outlining the job he is doing.

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The Latest: Nicholas wants new deal sorted

Postecoglou only signed a one-year deal at Parkhead, however, and speaking to The Scottish Daily Express, Nicholas, 60, claimed the club must surely already be engaged in or plotting behind-scenes talks:

“Forget about all the transfers because Celtic’s No. 1 priority in the coming weeks should be rewarding Ange Postecoglou with a new contract. I would be absolutely amazed if talks haven’t already started.

“Celtic would be absolutely crazy if they haven’t opened negotiations or even scheduled them for the coming weeks. Ange deserves to be rewarded for what he has done.

“Let’s get him tied up because he is at the heart of everything good that Celtic are doing and have done. They kept topping up Brendan Rodgers’ deal and look at the compensation they got for him when Leicester City came in.

“I don’t think Ange will be pushing for a new deal but it would be a reward for the remarkable job he has done at Celtic…so far. His reputation is growing and there is no doubt other big clubs will be looking at him.

“So Dermot (Desmond) show a bit of loyalty and reward Ange, please. He should be the top priority at the club.”

The Verdict: No-brainer for Celtic

It would be devastating to see Postecoglou suddenly leave at the end of the season, having not agreed terms on a contract and found a new club instead.

That seems unlikely, in truth, with the Celtic boss seemingly happy at the club, but supporters won’t rest easy until he has extended his stint with the Hoops.

Postecoglou has made an enormous difference since replacing Lennon, becoming an undoubted fan favourite already, and the club could enjoy a rich period of success under him.

In other news, an exciting Celtic financial update has emerged. Read more here.

Celtic are in action in front of their home fans again this afternoon as Ange Postecoglou’s side take on Hearts in their latest Premiership clash. 

Having dropped two points against their Old Firm rivals last weekend after being a goal up at half-time, the Hoops will want to get back to winning ways this time out. 

In terms of what the starting XI could look like for the home side on this occasion, here’s our prediction for what the 56-year-old may go with. 

Celtic predicted XI – Hart; Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Taylor; Rogic, McGregor, Hatate; Maeda, Giakoumakis, Jota

To kick things off, having played in the majority of Celtic’s league games throughout the campaign, it seems likely that Joe Hart will start in goal to try and add another clean sheet to his tally of 25.

At right-back, with Josip Juranovic still out injured, Anthony Ralston will most likely start once again.

For the two centre-back positions, with 61 combined league appearances between them, we feel that Cameron Carter-Vickers will partner Carl Starfelt once more. Finally, for the left-back role, we think Greg Taylor will also keep his place in the team.

Moving on to the midfield, we predict that Postecoglou will make one change to the trio which started against Rangers last weekend.

Instead of seeing Matt O’Riley start again, we envisage Tom Rogic coming back into the side to freshen up the midfield alongside club captain Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate.

With the composition of the attacking trio, we predict that Jota will keep his place in the XI on the left wing after scoring against the Gers last weekend, with Daizen Maeda on the right.

Finally, at centre-forward, we can see Postecoglou making another big decision by taking Kyogo Furuhashi out of the team and replacing him with Giorgos Giakoumakis.

Even though he has scored 17 goals in 30 appearances for the Bhoys since his £5m move from Vissel Kobe last summer, the Japanese attacker failed to have much of an impact against Rangers last time out. With that in mind, it could be an ideal time for Postecoglou to put Giakoumakis back in the team.

Labelled a “confident” player by Kris Commons, the Greece international could be the one to freshen up Celtic’s attack on this occasion rather than Furuhashi.

In other news: Enquiry made, then joined rivals: Celtic had the last laugh over “huge” 161 G/A dynamo

West Bromwich Albion returned to winning ways as the Baggies secured a 1-0 victory at Reading in the Championship this afternoon thanks to Karlan Grant’s 78th-minute strike.

The Englishman’s effort was his 16th goal of the season and he looks set to finish the campaign as Albion’s top scorer.

It was important to return to winning ways after a draw and a defeat in the Baggies’ last two outings, and the victory also saw Steve Bruce’s men climb up to 10th.

In a game which saw West Brom edge possession with 52% but dominate the shots tally with 14 compared to the Royals’ six, Grant will take the obvious plaudits for his goal. However, Jayson Molumby was excellent for the visitors at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Molumby stole the show for West Brom

The 22-year-old enjoyed a whopping 88 touches in Berkshire whilst also completing 61 passes at an astounding 90% accuracy. Moreover, the Irishman lost possession just nine times all afternoon.

The Brighton loanee also contributed two key passes and won 89% of his duels, in addition to making four tackles, three interceptions and one clearance in an impressively solid outing.

The 22-year-old’s performance was a stark contrast to that of his midfield partner Jake Livermore, who was rated 6.4/10 by SofaScore after having just 49 touches and losing 71% of his duels.

At West Brom, Molumby – who has previously been described as “energetic” by former Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr – has seen opportunities come inconsistently, starting just 16 of Albion’s 45 Championship matches this term, with another 14 league appearances coming from the bench.

Molumby had featured twice for Brighton’s under-23s in August before his loan move to the West Midlands, which has seen the young midfielder gain invaluable experience of playing first-team football. However, it could be argued that both the Irishman and the Seagulls would’ve liked to have seen the Baggies offer him more game-time.

Nonetheless, in what has been a slightly chaotic campaign for West Brom with a managerial change and underachievement after targeting promotion back to the Premier League, Molumby should be delighted to get the experience that he has received over the past few months.

What lies ahead for the 22-year-old, who has just one match of his loan spell remaining, is as yet unknown, but the Irish dynamo stole the show against Reading today.

AND in other news: Huge West Brom transfer claim emerges, it’s not good news for the Baggies