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Celtic face a real battle to land Zinedine Ferhat with Trabzonspor ‘on a mission’ to win the race, according to Foot Mercato. 

The lowdown

The French publication originally reported on New Year’s Eve that Nimes Olympique star Ferhat was on The Hoops’ radar.

The 28-year-old, who’s predominantly a right winger but can also play in a central attacking midfield role, is out of contract at the end of the current season.

He’s valued at £4.05million by Transfermarkt, but it’s worth noting that he’s also free to strike a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club ahead of the summer.

The latest

Ferhat has been ‘ardently courted’ by Celtic as well as Ligue 1 outfits Montpellier and Saint-Etienne, but there’s now a chance he ends up in Turkey, according to the French outlet.

Trabzonspor sources have indicated that Ferhat is a ‘priority recruit’, with ‘significant financial resources’ available for the pursuit.

They’re determined to secure his signature and could initiate talks ‘in the coming days’.

The verdict

Celtic should make a big push to see off Trabzonspor – Zerhat’s 2020/21 season was hugely impressive, as he combined six goals with ten assists for a side that finished down in 19th and suffered relegation.

Only Lyon’s Memphis Depay, who subsequently joined FC Barcelona, set up more goals in the French top flight last term.

Celtic started the January window strongly but the tide seems to be turning. They lost out to Middlesbrough after holding talks with Riley McGree and now Blackburn-bound Dilan Markanday seems to evaded them.

Ange Postecoglou may be frustrated if another target moves elsewhere.

In other news, Frank McAvennie thinks this summer signing could leave.

An update has emerged on Rangers’ pursuit of a new defender amid talks of a new manager arriving at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the Gers are one of the clubs considering a swoop for Hearts central defender John Souttar ahead of the January transfer window.

The report claims Nottingham Forest and Stoke are also interested in Souttar, with Hearts potentially ready to cash in on him to avoid the defensive titan leaving on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Instant hit

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has reportedly held a second round of talks with Rangers and could become the new manager of the club this week. If he does get the job then he should start to think about what he wants to do in the January transfer window, which is where Souttar comes into play.

The Dutchman could become an instant hit at Ibrox, if he isn’t already, by securing a deal to sign the 25-year-old to bolster the squad. Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun are both out of contract at the end of the season and Souttar could be a superb replacement for either of them.

Former Hearts boss Craig Levein once heaped praise on the defender and hailed his development at the club. He said:

“I’ve known him since he was 12 years old and he’s just got better and better. When he came here from Dundee Utd, we just needed to give him time.

“He’s grown into the player that I hoped he would be and for me he’s the best centre back in Scotland.

“Just for the fact that he can do wonderful things. His passing of the ball Saturday was fantastic, but he is also now capable physically of competing with any centre forward. His pace is very, very good and he’s strong, focused and aggressive.”

This highlights the level he has been playing at in Scotland in recent years, with Levein believing him to be the best centre-back in the division at the time of these quotes. His comments on his passing also suggests that he could suit Rangers’ possession style, with an ability to play out from the back.

The £3.1k-per-week beast has averaged a phenomenal WhoScored rating of 7.27 in the Premiership this term, whilst scoring three goals in 11 starts. Balogun and Goldson, meanwhile, have averaged scores of 7.06 and 7.00 respectively, suggesting that fans would love to see Souttar come in as he has shown that he can perform to a higher standard consistently in the same division this season.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst could make himself an instant hit with the supporters by making a major addition to the squad in Souttar. The defender has proven that he can excel in the Premiership and put in consistent, strong, displays and Rangers could benefit from his talents if they lose one, or both, of Goldson or Balogun.

AND in other news, “I’m told..”: Journo drops Rangers manager update that’ll surely please fans…

West Ham are interested in signing Sevilla and Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri in the January transfer window, according to a new report from Fichajes.

The Lowdown: Potential January reinforcements

The Hammers are enjoying an excellent season so far but squad additions in the winter could help take them to another level. David Moyes’ side will hope to continue challenging for a top-four finish, but that could be a struggle without changes to the current squad.

An exciting new report has emerged regarding El-Nesyri, who scored an impressive 18 goals in La Liga last season and a further six in the Champions League and has been given the nickname ‘Hurricane Youssef’.

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The Latest: En-Nesyri linked with West Ham move

According to Fichajes, West Ham are eyeing up a move for the 24-year-old, who could be available for €50m (£42m), which would almost break the club’s record transfer fee set by £45m man Sebastien Haller.

Daniel Kretinsky’s investment in the Hammers means that funds could be available to snap up the Moroccan, who has scored 11 goals in 39 caps for his country and was the subject of an unsuccessful €35m (£29.5m) bid from the east London club during the summer transfer window.

The Verdict: Perfect mid-season addition

This is the kind of signing which would feel like a statement of intent by West Ham at a time when they are looking to complete with the most successful teams in the country.

En-Nesyri is a proven striker who has delivered in La Liga for a number of seasons now and he could provide strong competition for Michail Antonio in attack, something which is sorely lacking at the moment.

With both domestic and Europa League commitments for the Hammers over the winter and into the New Year, it could also allow Moyes to shuffle his pack more regularly. It’s hard to feel that a move for En-Nesyri wouldn’t make perfect sense.

In other news, some West Ham fans are excited about another transfer rumour. Read more here.

Writing on his Patreon, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has shared news on head of recruitment Rob Newman as he makes a ‘positive’ move behind-the-scenes at West Ham.

The Lowdown: Newman era begins…

At the beginning of October, West Ham announced a new era for the club in terms of transfers with former chief Manchester City scout Rob Newman taking on their head of recruitment role (whufc.com).

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The 57-year-old, credited with playing a part in some marquee City transfers, like the signing of defender Aymeric Laporte (The Athletic), has been tasked to help manager David Moyes bring in both senior additions and top talent for the future.

As such, Newman is beginning to re-shape the scouting department in his own image behind-the-scenes as club source and insider ExWHUemployee shares what he’s just done.

The Latest: Newman makes ‘positive’ move…

Taking to Patreon, Ex has revealed that the West Ham chief is expanding his scouting team and has just taken on former Premier League forward Grant Holt – who is set to leave his similar scouting role at Norwich City.

Describing this as a ‘positive move for the club’ after concerns surrounding their lack of scout staff, the insider also claims that Newman is set for ‘other appointments’ in this regard which are ‘expected to be announced soon’.

The Verdict: Making his mark…

As Newman makes his mark at Rush Green in a scouting staff overhaul, we believe West Ham fans should certainly be encouraged by this development.

The ex-Man City employee’s wealth of experience at Eastlands, working alongside well-known City officials like their current sporting director Txiki Begiristain (The Athletic), indicates he has the right knowledge to transform West Ham’s scouting department in a major boost for the club.

Newman has also been described as hard-working and active with a bulging contacts book by those within City (The Athletic), as well as popular among the scouts and a real people person (The Athletic).

The fact he is now making his mark behind the scenes should certainly come as amazing news and the club may have pulled off an off-field coup with his appointment.

In other news: Journalist hints West Ham may be in pole position to sign ‘world class’ striker for Moyes, find out more here.

David Moyes should overlook Blackburn Rovers demanding £25m for Adam Armstrong and still look to bring the striker to West Ham United in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, the Ewood Park natives have set a club-record fee for a player sold if Armstrong is to leave the Championship side at the end of the season.

Moyes is thought to be leading the charge for the 20-goal forward, having carried out personal checks as he continues to assess options to fill the void left by Sebastien Haller.

Damien Duff’s £17m move to Chelsea in the summer of 2003 and Roque Santa Cruz’s transfer to Manchester City for the same fee six-years later remain the highest sums received by the Lancashire outfit to date.

Blackburn believe they can now demand a new record sum for the departure of Armstrong, following the moves from the Championship to Premier League made by the likes of Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma.

Watkins joined Aston Villa in September for £28m rising to £33m, while Benrahma initially signed a £5m loan deal with West Ham that the east London outfit turned permanent this January for a further £20m with £5m in potential add-ons.

Rovers also feel they have to demand a lucrative sum despite Armstrong being a free agent in 2022, as his former side Newcastle United will be due 40% of any profit on the £2m paid.

Moyes had considered making an £8m move to sign the 24-year-old during the recent winter market, but resisted the idea in favour of receiving further scouting reports ahead of an idealistic £10m summer bid.

Fulham and Everton are also said to be admirers of the second-tier hotshot but only consider Armstrong as a squad option for now, while the forward would not be opposed to rejoining his boyhood club Newcastle.

Should West Ham sign Armstrong?

West Ham paying £25m outright for Armstrong will instantly place the 24-year-old among the Irons’ most expensive purchases in club history, with only the arrivals of £45m Haller and £36m Felipe Anderson setting the London Stadium natives back a higher initial fee.

If Moyes had hoped to only spend around £8m to £10m on Armstrong, it could make a deal for the attacker far more difficult than he imagined. Yet the Hammers boss should overlook the hike as the Blackburn star has been a sensation in the second-tier.

Only Brentford forward Ivan Toney (25) has scored more often in the Championship this season than Armstrong (19), who ranks first in the division for shots taken per game (4.7) and efforts struck on target (2.1), per WhoScored.

Armstrong additionally offers 1.1 successful dribbles per game, the eighth-most by forwards who have featured more than five times in the league this term and enough to rank fifth among all current West Ham players.

The Rovers star’s mobility is a key aspect of his game with Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray praising Armstrong for his “speed and dynamic movement,” while recently stating how the 5 ft 8 frontman is “special” and has “Premier League quality”.

That could make Armstrong the ideal back-up to Michail Antonio, who is lauded for ‘distracting and deforming’ defences through his movement to see that the 30-year-old does necessarily need to score to fulfil his role in West Ham’s attack.

So, if Armstrong is on the market – like is expected to be the case – Moyes should not let Blackburn’s valuation prevent West Ham from making a wise purchase.

AND in other news, David Moyes is hopeful of West Ham landing an injury boost ahead of hosting Leeds United…

Kevin Phillips has been discussing Illan Meslier after his agent spoke quite openly on Leeds United podcast LUFCFANZONE recently.

Phillips fumes at Meslier

The goalkeeper’s agent insisted there are some “big clubs” taking an interest in the 21-year-old Whites ace. Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips retorted: “It is funny how his agent is saying things and not the player himself. I wouldn’t take a blind bit of notice. His agent is trying to stir things up.”

“If I am Bielsa I would be fuming. I would be telling Meslier to tell his agent to shut his mouth. The kid looks very happy at Leeds and it looks like Leeds are moving in the right direction. They are getting linked with top players. It is exciting times, so why would you want to leave?”

Meslier needs to talk to his agent

Meslier has been inconsistent this season, making two errors leading to goals in his first campaign in the top flight, but showing superb form at other times.

In the 26 appearances he has made in the Premier League, he has helped the club pick up 11 wins as he has made 102 saves and kept eight clean sheets (Premier League), hardly a poor start at top-flight level for such a young player.

He is only 21 years old, which is quite young for a goalkeeper, but Marcelo Bielsa clearly has complete faith in him by selecting him every week.

Phillips is quite right to be disappointed in the agent as well – the £10.8m-rated Frenchman is in a great position playing consistently in the Premier League, and so his agent should be a bit more careful with what he says next time.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with this Championship player!

New Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will have a £200m budget this summer and has already got to work to create a four-man transfer shortlist.

The Lowdown: Ten Hag announced

The Red Devils finally announced the Dutchman as their new manager on Thursday morning.

Ten Hag was confirmed as Ralf Rangnick’s replacement from the end of this season, signing a deal through to June 2025 with an option of a further year.

The 52-year-old previously demanded to be 100% involved when it comes to new signings, and he has wasted no time by already having four possible marquee additions in mind.

The Latest: Four mega targets

The Mirror shared a story regarding Ten Hag and Manchester United shortly after the announcement, claiming the Red Devils will give their new manager £200m to spend ahead of his first season in charge.

Up to 12 players could leave the club, with Ten Hag placing Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Darwin Nunez and Ruben Neves at the top of his wishlist.

The Verdict: Rebuild begins

Plenty of change is needed at Old Trafford ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, but getting Ten Hag confirmed prior to the summer window is a good first step.

He’ll have a huge job on his hands in what looks set to be an extremely busy summer off the pitch and it looks as if a new midfielder and forward is crucial as he gets to work already.

Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani look set to be two players who will leave as free agents, so one of Kane or Nunez and Rice or Neves could be shrewd moves to replace the two outgoing big earners.

In other news: ‘Source has told Sky Sports’ – Big live TV update on another Man Utd exit. 

Liverpool have reportedly turned their attention towards signing Juventus centre-back Merih Demiral in the January transfer window, as they look to solve their current injury crisis in defence.

What’s the word?

According to Turkish news outlet Fanatik, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City are all interested in signing the Juventus defender this month.

It is suggested that the 22-year-old is keen to be playing regular football ahead of the European Championships with Turkey this summer, something which he is not currently getting under Andrea Pirlo with the Serie A side, as he has made just nine appearances in all competitions this season.

Bad news for Phillips?

If Liverpool were to sign the defender, who joined the Old Lady for €18 million (£16.5m) in 2019, this month it could be bad news for Nathaniel Phillips. It seems unlikely that the 23-year-old would be offered an extension to his contract that is set to expire at the end of this season, despite him stepping up this season in the absence of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.

With the likes of Joel Matip also set to return soon, whilst Rhys Williams and Billy Koumetio may both be knocking on the door of the first-team squad again next season, it seems likely that Phillips would quickly become surplus to requirements once Liverpool’s usual starters are back fit.

Demiral would certainly come with high expectations, with Turkish football expert Emre Sarigul full of praise for the defender, saying:

“Demiral was a Vidic fan growing up and he is a similar stature to the former Manchester United man. The Turkish international towers above most players, is physical, strong in the air and surprisingly technical with the ball for such a big man. He is a natural leader and cool under pressure.”

This is glowing praise for the former Sassuolo man and judging by the description of Sarigul, he could be the ideal man to replace Van Dijk whilst the Dutchman recovers from his injury.

Certainly, we saw Liverpool’s defensive frailties exposed at times in the 1-0 defeat against Southampton on Monday night, with Jurgen Klopp fielding two defensive-midfielders at centre-back in Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, so signing a centre-back such as Demiral must surely be a priority for sporting director Michael Edwards this month.

And, in other news… Forget Trent: Klopp will be fuming with “world class” LFC star who made just 11 passes vs Southampton…

Former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips says it will be a “big boost” if Leeds United don’t have to fork out for Jean-Kevin Augustin this summer.

The Whites will be hoping to build on an excellent season back in the Premier League in the summer transfer window and having the funds available to make the required additions will be vital for Marcelo Bielsa.

Augustin could yet play a pivotal role in that respect. Leeds signed the RB Leipzig forward on loan back in January 2020 and had an option to sign him permanently at the end of the 2019/20 campaign.

He flopped at Elland Road, however, making just three appearances, but Leipzig claimed that the Whites’ failure to earn promotion to the top flight by June 30 meant they had an obligation to buy for £17.7m.

Phillips hopeful over Augustin saga

Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips gave his thoughts on the saga, discussing the importance of Leeds not having to pay for Augustin. He said:

“It would be a big boost if they do not have to fork out for that because they can use that money somewhere else.

“They can use it to strengthen in key areas this summer with a striker one of the main things I think they need. I think it is something they will be looking at.

“If they can avoid paying that £15million or so it could go a long way to helping them pursue their summer targets.

“It did not work out with Augustin so let’s hope they do not have to pay it. It would be a big boost for the club.”

Transfer Tavern take

It certainly appears as though Leeds are in a strong position as per a recent update from Beren Cross, but it would be a setback if they have to eat into their summer transfer budget by stumping up the aforementioned fee for Augustin.

Bielsa no doubt has his eyes on potential reinforcements this summer, but having to suddenly find the money to pay for the 23-year-old could seriously hamper the club’s progress.

It looks like that might not happen, though, so Leeds should instead be able to focus on signing individuals they believe will take them up another level.

In other news, a reliable journalist has made a key claim regarding Leeds’ interest in one experienced player. Find out who it is here.

Many Everton fans have been left to buzz as a transfer update emerged on Sander Berge.

As per Sky Sports, the Goodison Park faithful as well as Arsenal are leading a number of clubs who are considering making a bid for the Sheffield United central midfield player in the upcoming summer window.

A host of top teams in Europe are also said to be interested, with the Blades’ relegation down to the EFL Championship meaning that his release clause has slashed from £45m to £35m.

Despite playing in a struggling side, Berge has done well in the Premier League so far in the 2020/21 term, even averaging more clearances (1.3), shots (0.7), key passes (0.9) and dribbles (1.4) per game than Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan and Andre Gomes (Whoscored).

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The stats suggest that he could fit straight into Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield, and at just 23 years of age, he will only get better.

Everton fans on Berge transfer update

These Toffees supporters buzzed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter:

“This guy is exactly what we need. Real box to box baller”

Credit: @DVDWLKNSN

“Think this would be a great signing depending on the price”

Credit: @carlofantasico

“Get him at my club now”

Credit: @Joe_17efc

“Top player”

Credit: @Toffee213

“All day boss player”

Credit: @davidforster88

“Yes please”

Credit: @adamsg1878

In other news, find out what other transfer update has left Blues buzzing here!