All posts by n8rngtd.top

Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer has confirmed he wants to leave the club this summer, as reported by Norwegian journalist Arilas Ould-Saada.

The Lowdown: A man in demand

Ajer has established himself as a Celtic star in recent years, making 176 appearances, and his displays in Scotland appear to have caught the eye across Europe.

AC Milan held a long-standing interest in the 23-year-old which ended recently. Premier League sides Newcastle United and Norwich City are interested, along with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

The Latest: Ajer’s comments emerge

Ould-Saada was one of the first to share the news posting ‘Ajer confirms that he wants to leave’ – a seven-word admission which could leave likely new boss Ange Postecoglou in trouble.

He also shared Ajer’s comments, with the defender saying:

“With one year left of my contract, that would be the best solution for me and my club. Something is going to happen this summer.”

The Verdict: Postecoglou will need more than one new centre-back

Should Ajer get his wish and seal a move away from Celtic Park, Postecoglou, should he make the move to Glasgow, may well have an immediate issue on his hands.

Stephen Welsh would be the club’s only fit senior centre-back on the books, with Christopher Jullien currently out injured.

Welsh, 21, has 22 senior appearances to his name for the Hoops, and even though Nir Bitton can fill in when required, you’d expect more than one new centre-back would be required ahead of the 2021/22 season.

It looks set to be a busy summer in terms of recruitment at Parkhead, and strengthening their defensive ranks could now be high up on the club’s plans following Ajer’s comments.

In other news: Hoops hold talks with possible Postecoglou alternative, find out more here. 

Crystal Palace must swoop for Ainsley Maitland-Niles this summer after being linked with a move for the Arsenal midfielder.

What’s the story?

According to Chris Wheatley, the Arsenal reporter for Football.London, the 23-year-old’s situation is being closely monitored by Palace, who have made an inquiry regarding the England international.

Maitland-Niles enjoyed a six-month loan spell with West Bromwich Albion at the backend of last season, but he doesn’t appear to be part of Mikel Arteta’s long-term plans at the Emirates Stadium.

Parish must swoop

After making his Gunners’ debut back in 2016, Maitland-Niles has gone on to make 121 appearances for his boyhood club in all competitions.

However, the versatile youngster has failed to hold down a regular place in the starting XI, often finding himself playing in a variety of positions depending on injuries and suspensions.

After an impressive run of form at the end of the 2019/20 campaign, Maitland-Niles earned himself a call-up into Gareth Southgate’s England squad, impressing former Nottingham Forest full-back Stuart Pearce as he played for his country.

“I think he’s been outstanding. I was surprised he didn’t get the nod to start before Saka last Thursday (against Wales). That was strange, for me. Saka hasn’t done anything wrong, but I’m a big fan of Maitland-Niles,” said Pearce.

“I saw him last season against Wolves, and he was up against the big lad Adama Traore. He was brilliant and coped really well up against him. For me, he’ll be integral to any success Arsenal have this season.”

Nevertheless, despite Pearce’s opinion, he found himself back on the Arsenal bench soon after and headed out to West Brom in search of regular game time just a few months later.

In 15 league outings for the Baggies, Maitland-Niles failed to register a single goal or assist as the Midlands outfit suffered relegation, although his overall performances showed promise.

Upon his arrival at the Hawthorns, he declared his desired to play in midfield and stake a claim for a place in England’s Euro 2020 squad.

That dream sadly failed to come true, but with experienced campaigners James McCarthy and James McArthur entering the final few weeks of their current contracts, a place in the Palace engine room may just be up for grabs.

Maitland-Niles could solve the south London outfit’s midfield conundrum for many years to come, and chairman Steve Parish would be foolish to pass up an opportunity to purchase the £14.4 million rated prodigy.

And, in other news…Huge update emerges in Palace’s managerial pursuit, fans will be absolutely gutted 

An update has emerged on Sunderland target Todd Kane, regarding QPR’s plans for him in this transfer window.

What’s the talk?

According to West London Sport, Sunderland target Todd Kane is set to be axed by Championship side QPR this summer. QPR are looking to land Sheffield Wednesday fullback Moses Odubajo as a replacement for Kane, as it would then allow the London-based club to cash in on the right-back.

The report claims that clubs are aware of Kane’s availability, although no offers have been made to QPR at the time of writing. Last month, London Football News reported that Sunderland were keen on a deal to land Kane, whilst their League One rivals Portsmouth and Charlton were also said to be interested.

QPR manager Mark Warburton was forced to remind Kane that he needs to respect his teammates after the defender claimed that he was better than Osman Kakay in an interview earlier this year. Warburton told West London Sport:

“I’m very aware of what was said. But what we speak about as a squad stays private. We’ll never disclose that.

“For me personally, amongst the squad and amongst the staff, respect is paramount.

“We’re in a very competitive business but it’s important to me that we all speak with respect.

Johnson won’t want him

Kristjaan Speakman must avoid making a grave error by ensuring that he does not make a move for Kane this summer, as Lee Johnson will not want him at the club. Kane is seemingly a disruptive influence behind the scenes and that could affect the harmony of Johnson’s squad, which could then impact the results on the pitch if it leads to tension and animosity between the players. As Warburton hinted, Kane did not respect his teammate, Kakay, and Sunderland can not allow that to happen at the Stadium of Light.

If Sunderland are going to mount a promotion push in League One next season they will need positive momentum to help take them over the line. Kane outing teammates in public does not suggest that he will bring a positive energy to the club and that is one reason as to why Speakman should be avoiding the former Chelsea man. Johnson will not want a player who could cause issues in the dressing room.

The £7k-per-week flop has also not done enough on the pitch to warrant a transfer. Kane averaged a disappointing WhoScored rating of 6.51 in the Championship across 28 appearances for QPR. This suggests that he is in bad form and would arrive at Sunderland on a low, rather than joining the club high on confidence and ready to hit the ground running. Therefore, for on and off the pitch reasons, Speakman must not make a move for Kane ahead of next season.

AND in other news, Major update emerges on ace with “special quality”, Sunderland fans will be ecstatic…

Jorge Mendes’ association with Wolves has always been something that’s monitored closely.

Although the activity may spark controversy in some parts – an investigation was launched by the EFL in 2018 – you have to commend Fosun for establishing the relationship in the first place.

Their manager of four years, Nuno Santo, was a client of Mendes’ Gestifute agency and he has since helped bring a host of players to Molineux.

Focus on the departed Diogo Jota or think of Ruben Neves, Pedro Neto and Joao Moutinho; all of those players are on the books of Mendes.

He also has a stronghold over Vitinha, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rui Patricio, Nelson Semedo and young central defender Christian Marques.

Wolves has often been Mendes playground but they still miss some of his finest talent.

The jewel in the crown for the Portuguese super-agent has always been Cristiano Ronaldo. Of course, it would be far-fetched to suggest he moves to the Midlands but another Mendes client he rates incredibly highly represents a more realistic target.

That happens to be Andre Silva, a striker who’s been on the Wolves radar for a number of years now.

When he was at AC Milan, he was linked with the Old Gold in 2019 and the club reportedly tried to sign him back in January.

Instead, they landed Willian Jose on a six-month loan spell. He only provided one goal in Wolves colours and has now headed back to Real Sociedad.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-wolves-transfer-news-alena-dike-neves-barisic” title=”Real the latest Wolves transfer news!”]

Silva’s career has been a difficult one, finding the net on only ten occasions in 41 outings for Milan following several years of hype at Porto.

However, he’s now found his feet in devastating fashion while playing for Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga.

The 25-year-old was a brutal force in the penalty area last term, scoring 29 goals in just 34 appearances across all competitions.

Silva has gone from a shy and neglected figure in Italy to a man now carrying the weight of expectation for Frankfurt. Only Robert Lewandowski scored more goals in the German top-flight last season, as the pair finished above Erling Haaland.

Known for his poaching instinct and impeccable composure, he was described as doing a “phenomenal job” by his idol, Ronaldo.

The duo now plays together for the Portuguese national team and if he starts firing at Euro 2020, there is every chance they reach the final again.

Silva has lacked confidence in recent years but after a stunning season, now could be the time to earn his move to the Premier League.

After all, Wolves were hardly full of goals last term. Neto ended up as the club’s top scorer on just five strikes while club-record signing, Fabio Silva, found the net on only four occasions.

There are also concerns over Raul Jimenez following his fractured skull. The Mexican has made a full recovery but will have to play with protective headgear for the rest of his career.

At the age of 30, there is no guarantee that he replicates his best form. The idea of signing Silva, therefore, should be an attractive one for Bruno Lage and Fosun and they should look to reignite thier January interest in the player.

AND in other news, Wolves must act quickly to sign 61-goal tank, he’s been “phenomenal” at Euro 2020…

Former manager and Football Insider pundit Alex McLeish has been reacting to Celtic’s links to midfielder Aaron Mooy.

The Lowdown: Mooy links

Australian Ange Postecoglou officially took over as Celtic manager earlier this month, and it hasn’t taken long for players from his native country to be linked with a move to Parkhead.

The Hoops are reportedly keen on goalkeeper Mat Ryan, whereas Australian news outlet The World’s Game believes Celtic could make an approach for Mooy.

The midfielder, capable of playing in a defensive, central or attacking role, is currently with Shanghai SIPG in China after leaving Brighton last summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-6/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: McLeish reacts

McLeish was talking to Football Insider and brought up the links to Mooy, describing the former Manchester City man as a ‘terrific’ player.

“I saw them linked with Aaron Mooy. Did he start at Man City?

“Then he went to Huddersfield and then Brighton. He’s a terrific player and the type of player Celtic should be going for.

“He’s got energy to burn. Any time I’ve seen the guy, he’s very difficult to dispossess on the ball.

“I’m not saying he’s a dribbler but when he gets the ball and just when you think you’re going to tackle him, he’s already given it to somebody else. One of his teammates gets it and normally it’s a good pass.

“He is a guy with great football nous.” 

The Verdict: A huge pay cut would be required

If Celtic are indeed keen on Mooy and do make an approach, then the midfielder may need to take a big pay cut to return to Scotland.

The former St Mirren man agreed to a $180,000-a-week deal in China which is the equivalent of £130,000-a-week.

You’d expect that would need to be cut considerably if he wants to reunite with Postecoglou in Glasgow, with Celtic’s highest earner on the books now Callum McGregor on £20,000-a-week.

It looks set to be a busy summer for Postecoglou and the Hoops, but a deal for Mooy may not be realistic unless he takes a huge salary hit.

In other news: Hoops working on two deals amid McKay and Postecoglou’s Wembley meet up, find out more here. 

Former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer fears Marcelo’s wages would have a negative impact on the Whites’ dressing room.

Talk of the Real Madrid left-back joining Leeds this summer has recently emerged, with the Mirror reporting that the Yorkshire club are ready to do battle with Premier League rivals Everton for his signature.

According to one website, Marcelo is currently earning over £250,000 a week. And while you would not expect him to be paid anywhere near that at Leeds, a side who were only promoted to the top flight last year, a player of that profile is still likely to command big wages.

It is a concern for Palmer, who has warned his old side about paying one player so much money. On the Brazilian potentially moving to Elland Road this summer, the ex-Leeds star told FFC:

“I remember when we were at Leeds United and they brought in Tony Yeboah. If you bring in a player like Tony Yeboah and he’s on more money than everybody else, you get away with it because Tony Yeboah was getting us a win bonus, getting us into Europe.

“He delivered, he came and delivered and he was a great lad – then you get away with that. It’s when you’ve got a player that comes in who earns an awful lot of money and doesn’t do it, and then it kills the dressing room. You’ve got to be very, very careful.”

It is certainly something for Leeds to consider, who will have to give the 33-year-old a two-year contract, according to the same Mirror report.

West Ham and Everton have entered the race to sign Inter Milan forward Martin Satriano, according to Metro. 

The lowdown

Satriano has caught the eye with a number of strong performances for the Inter Milan under-23s side during the 2020/21 season, having netted 14 goals in all competitions.

It appears as though that hasn’t gone unnoticed despite the fact he hasn’t yet made a single senior showing, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur being linked with a move for the 20-year-old.

Satriano still has three years remaining on his current deal with the Italian side, but it remains to be seen as to whether he’ll see out his contract with Inter Milan.

The latest

West Ham and Everton are believed to have now entered the race to sign Satriano, according to a recent report from Metro.

At this moment in time, it remains to be seen as to which club is leading the race to land his signature, and it’s also unclear as to whether Inter Milan are even prepared to consider selling Satriano anytime soon.

The verdict

We could see him being a solid addition to the West Ham team heading into towards the 2021/22 league campaign.

Additional depth is certainly needed in attacking areas of the West Ham team this summer, with squad rotation likely as they’re competing in European competitions next term and Michail Antonio’s injury issues also a concern.

Satriano is a relatively raw talent still at the age of 20, especially when he doesn’t have much experience in senior football at this stage of his career.

If you’re attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Chelsea however, then you’re doing something right, and it could be shrewd signing for the Hammers if they can beat those teams in striking an agreement to landing Satriano’s signature.

He may not be the man to immediately challenge Antonio for his starting spot in David Moyes’ XI given his inexperience at the top level though, so perhaps another striker signing could be required on top of the Uruguayan gem.

Liverpool are preparing to open talks with Mohamed Salah over a new contract, Sunday World journalist Kevin Palmer has reported.

The lowdown

As Palmer noted, the Egyptian now has two years remaining on his £200,000-per-week contract at Anfield. His current salary places him joint-top of Liverpool’s earnings list alongside 2020 arrival Thiago Alcantara.

The Egyptian has finished as the Reds’ top scorer in each of his four seasons at Anfield, twice winning the Premier League Golden Boot.

He is expected to report back to the AXA Training Centre next Monday for the first day of pre-season training.

The latest

Palmer says that ‘some big decisions’ will be ‘taken soon’, with ‘no guarantee’ that Salah will end his career at Anfield. Liverpool are said to be keen to avoid a repeat of the Georginio Wijnaldum situation, with the Dutchman able to move to PSG as a free agent after reaching the end of his contract. [Sunday World]

The club are ‘hopeful’ that they can tie Salah down, although it may mean making a ‘special exception’ to their policy of avoiding long-term contracts for over-30s – the Egyptian will reach that age next June. They’re also keen to preserve the existing wage structure at Anfield. [Sunday World]

The verdict

Liverpool won’t want to be held to ransom, of course, but they simply need to secure commitment from Salah. They can’t allow the uncertainty to build.

The 29-year-old is still very much in the midst of his peak years, and there’s every reason to believe he can maintain his current output for another while yet. We shouldn’t think of 30 as the automatic threshold for decline – that’s too simplistic a view.

While it’s important for clubs to have principles, you also need to know when to compromise, and this is one of those moments where the Reds can’t afford to be stubborn. Salah is simply too important to them to let him walk away for nothing.

In other news, these Liverpool fans react to links with a youngster who shone at Euro 2020.  

Celtic are interested in signing Rennes defender Brandon Soppy, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Soppy profiled

Soppy is 19 years of age and is under contract with the Ligue 1 side until 2022.

The France youth international has made 11 senior appearances for Rennes so far. He is primarily a right-back but has also turned out as a centre-back.

He is on £2,500 per week with his current employers and holds a Transfermarkt valuation of £6.3m –  the 31st highest for players born in 2002.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-9/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Romano’s Twitter post

Romano posted on Twitter on Saturday night, describing Soppy as a ‘huge talent’, with talks opened between Celtic and Rennes.

However, he appeared to make a slight mistake by claiming that Soppy was a left-back target, tweeting: “Celtic are interested in signing Brandon Soppy from Rennes [19, huge talent] as new left back. Talks opened – but there are also French clubs in the race.”

L’Equipe backed up Celtic’s interest on Sunday morning, claiming that Rennes will set the bar at €5m (£4.27m).

The Verdict: Right-back additions are needed

Following the permanent exits of Jeremie Frimpong and Hatem Elhamed earlier this year, Celtic are in need of right-back reinforcements rather quickly – Anthony Ralston is currently their only natural option in that role.

It’s an area of the pitch where Ange Postecoglou wants to recruit before the Hoops’ Champions League qualifier, and Soppy could be a better target than Sheffield United’s George Baldock, for whom Celtic were willing to pay £8m.

Soppy is nine years Baldock’s junior, is valued at £1.8m more than the Blades man and would more than likely be a better long-term addition.

Celtic aren’t the only side interested in the teenager, though, so they may have to act fast and possibly pay over the odds for his services.

In other news: ‘We’re a mess’ – Many Celtic fans fume as ‘mental’ news is confirmed. 

A number of Liverpool supporters are delighted with the news that exciting Reds youngster Harvey Elliott has signed a new deal at Anfield.

The 18-year-old is one of the most gifted young players at the club, with a very bright future predicted for him by many, including former team-mate Elliott Bennett, who dubbed him a “special special player” back in January.

Elliott spent last season on loan at Championship side Blackburn Rovers and caught the eye at Ewood Park, scoring seven goals and registering 11 assists in the league.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

The teenage forward is now back at Liverpool and hoping to impress in pre-season and it may be that he is considered a genuine squad option by Jurgen Klopp in 2021/22 – he has already played in nine senior games for the Reds.

On Friday, he put pen to paper on a new deal at Anfield, signing a long-term contract which outlines how highly he is regarded at the Merseyside club.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-6/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans react to new Elliott deal

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to express their delight at the news.

“He’s going to the very top”

Credit: @DarrenDunbar05

“Good news this”

Credit: @AS93_LFC

“Good vibes”

Credit: @KwekuDankyi

“The best signing Liverpool could’ve made this season”

Credit: @ZenithFTBL

“Immense talent! Very happy with this”

Credit: @LfcUday

“Wow so amazing”

Credit: @adakabre_kuuku

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to an exit rumour regarding one Reds player. Find out who it is here.