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Celtic have been warned to move quickly or risk losing out on Peterborough United striker Siriki Dembele.

Noel Whelan, formerly of Aberdeen, discussed the potential transfer with Football Insider.

The lowdown

24-year-old Dembele scored 11 goals and provided 12 assists in 45 appearances for Peterborough as they secured automatic promotion from League One.

Overall, the striker has netted 25 times and set up a further 28 goals in 122 outings for The Posh.

Dembele is about to enter the final year of his contract at the Weston Homes Stadium, and the club’s Director of Football Barry Fry doesn’t currently expect him to commit to a new deal.

According to Football Insider, Celtic are one of many clubs eyeing him.

His younger brother, Karamoko, already plays for the Hoops, but arch-rivals Rangers are said to be in the hunt, along with Fulham and Crystal Palace.

Dembele is a supremely versatile forward. He’s just about played the majority of his games as a centre-forward, but has also notched 26 combined appearances as a left-winger and attacking midfielder.

The latest

Whelan reckons it would be good business for Celtic but cautioned that ‘goalscorers don’t hang around’.

“There’s no doubt they need new strikers in there,” he said.

“If you can get a player on the cheap who is a good standard and will do very well in the Scottish Premiership, it’s a no-brainer.

“But they have to get a manager in there to get a deal done as quickly as possible.

“Goalscorers don’t hang around too long and god forbid you don’t want Rangers swooping in there and beating you.

“They need to get things in place before you start buying players. The manager is the priority.

“He can bring his players, you can’t judge him if he fails with someone else’s players.”

The verdict

Dembele probably shouldn’t be viewed as a replacement for Odsonne Edouard, were the Frenchman to leave, because he’s not really an out-and-out number nine.

But his versatility would make him a valuable asset to any of his suitors and he’ll surely be available for a relatively small fee given Fry’s public admission over his contract.

Clubs are bound to pounce on bargains of this nature, but Celtic feel like a club in limbo at the moment, almost paralysed until they finally resolve this managerial uncertainty.

In other news, Danny Mills made this claim about John Kennedy.

Freddie Woodman could leave Newcastle United this summer because ‘there is no clear path for him’ to the first team, according to Chronicle Live journalist Mark Douglas.

The lowdown

Woodman impressed on loan at Championship side Swansea City this season, keeping a league-high 21 clean sheets.

The 24-year-old also featured in The Athletic’s team of the season for the division as a result of his heroics as he helped the Swans to reach Saturday’s play-off final, in which they were beaten 2-0 by Brentford.

The latest

Douglas reported that Swansea are keen on a permanent move for the 24-year-old, who has signalled that he wants to play regular football and ‘is hinting’ that he wants to stay in south Wales.

That may not be possible at Newcastle given that Martin Dubravka signed a six-year contract during the 2019/20 season and ‘is an important voice in the dressing room’. Karl Darlow is then ‘next in line’ behind the Slovakian.

Arsenal, where Woodman’s father previously worked as a goalkeeping coach, could also be among his suitors.

Douglas reckons that £15m is a realistic price tag if Newcastle were to sanction a sale. That deal, though, should include ‘smart clauses’ such as first refusal on future moves or a ‘hefty sell-on’. [Chronicle Live]

The verdict

Newcastle need to box clever here. Dubravka is a more than capable number one who delivered some strong performances after his return from injury in the spring and, right now, it makes little sense to deny Woodman a lucrative move in order to keep him as a rarely-used backup.

It has been reported that, with Mike Ashley intent on selling the club, Newcastle may have as little as £12m to spend this summer – this deal could more than double their transfer budget.

If they can insert one of the clauses mentioned above, it would be a no-brainer for the Magpies to cash in on the 24-year-old.

In other news, Newcastle are in pole position to land this teenage forward.

Marcelo Bielsa’s decision to leave out Illan Meslier at the end of the season was ‘really harsh’, according to former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Meslier left out by Bielsa

The Whites goalkeeper was one of his side’s outstanding players in 2020/21, starting 35 Premier League games and playing a key role in them finishing in ninth place.

Meslier was axed for Leeds’ final two matches of 2020/21, however, with Kiko Casilla starting against both Southampton and West Brom.

The Latest: Whelan unhappy with decision

It seemed a slightly baffling decision by Bielsa, considering what a consistent player the Frenchman has been throughout the campaign, and someone who wasn’t impressed was Whelan.

He told Football Insider that it felt needless on the manager’s part:

“Meslier deserved to play, there is absolutely no doubt about that in my mind. It is really harsh on him to not get to play in front of the fans after the season he has had. He’s been brilliant.

“Bielsa will have sat down and spoken to him regarding the decision before the game. He is a level-headed player so I think he will have taken it on the chin and moved on.

“I hope he understood Bielsa’s reasoning for leaving him out, whatever they were.”

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The Verdict: Water under the bridge

There is unlikely to be any great issue between Bielsa and Meslier, so this is more than likely something that has been blown out of proportion.

That being said, it made little sense to take out such a key player at the end of the campaign, especially when European football wasn’t completely out of the question.

Leeds won both games, of course, so Bielsa will feel vindicated in his decision, but the greater worry may be the exit links that have emerged for the young Frenchman in the past few months, which are bound to intensify with the summer window now looming.

In other news, one Leeds player has been tipped to leave the club this summer – find out who it is here.

According to a report by Football Insider, Daniel Levy and co have made an approach through third parties for RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann to join Tottenham.

Indeed, a Lilywhites source has apparently told the outlet that Spurs already established contact via third parties as the search begins for Mourinho’s potential successor.

Tottenham make Nagelsmann contact

The Portuguese was sacked on Monday following a very bizarre 2020/2021 campaign at the helm, one which started off brightly and briefly saw them climb to the top of the Premier League. 

One big highlight was thrashing Manchester United 6-1, and another reaching the Carabao Cup final, but a dismal run of form after the New Year eventually resulted in his official dismissal.

Now, as per Football Insider, Tottenham have made contact for Nagelsmann as a possible heir and are keen to enquire over his interest in the vacant post.

In the mean time, the club have confirmed that Ryan Mason will take interim charge for the remainder of this season.

The Lilywhites face stern competition from Bayern Munich for Nagelsmann but are apparently hopeful they can steal a march.

Transfer Tavern take

Lauded as a ‘fearless’ coach by Leipzig regular Tyler Adams (Bundesliga), he has held in very high esteem by sections of the media – and Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola even heaped praise on Nagelsmann as far back as three years ago.

His glowing reputation and electric brand of football is one of the main reasons why we believe he is a great managerial candidate and should be the number one priority for Spurs – especially considering he has been dubbed Europe’s ‘most exciting’ coaching talent (Lutz Pfannenstiel via Goal).

A report from the Daily Mail recently even claimed that those within Tottenham see him as the ‘perfect’ option – and it’s hard to argue with their assessment.

In other news: Tottenham could also turn to this ‘excellent’ £1 million-per-year coach, find out more here.

Former Tottenham Hotspur captain Graham Roberts has told Football FanCast that the club could well appoint Steven Gerrard as their new manager if Jose Mourinho is sacked.

Spurs are enduring a torrid season and are in very real danger of failing to finish in the top four.

The 3-1 defeat to Manchester United at the weekend has left the club six points behind fourth-placed West Ham United with seven games of the season to go.

Spurs have won just one of their last four games, and there have been various reports claiming that Mourinho’s future could come under scrutiny if the club fail to qualify for Europe.

He does still have the opportunity of silverware, however, with the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City looming.

Still, Gerrard has enjoyed a fantastic season by comparison, guiding Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title without losing a game thus far this season.

The former England midfielder has been touted as a potential replacement for Jurgen Klopp at his boyhood club, Liverpool, but Roberts thinks he could just as easily make the move to north London.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he asked why the 40-year-old wouldn’t be considered.

He said: “He’s won a trophy.

“He’s only been in it two years, just over two years, he plays the right kind of football so my argument would be, well if he’s good enough to be at Liverpool, why is he not good enough to be in the running for Tottenham?”

Eddie Howe doesn’t have the ‘personality and weight of character’ of two successful Celtic predecessors, according to former Hoops striker Kris Commons.

It was reported last week that Celtic were close to an agreement with the former Bournemouth manager, their first choice to replace Neil Lennon long-term.

Commons: Howe is no ‘force of nature’

Writing in his Scottish Daily Mail column, Commons compared Howe with Martin O’Neill and Brendan Rodgers. The former memorably led Celtic to a UEFA Cup final in 2003, while the latter won seven trophies in his three seasons in Glasgow.

Commons is concerned that Howe doesn’t arrive with the same stature, as he wrote in the paper’s print edition (via Daily Record):

“Howe is not the Messiah in the way Martin O’Neill was. Nor is he Brendan Rodgers, who revelled in the limelight from the moment he arrived.

“O’Neill and Rodgers were forces of nature throughout their time in Glasgow. Their personality and weight of character always gave them a chance of succeeding.

“Howe, by contrast, seems more reserved. He is articulate, but softly spoken. It is difficult to imagine him holding court in the dressing room in the same way O’Neill or Rodgers did.”

Commons: Bournemouth can’t compare to Celtic

Commons went on to warn Howe that he faced an ‘almighty culture shock’. Bournemouth have been described as a ‘tiny club’ in the 37-year-old’s words, while Celtic are former European champions.

“On the day Rodgers was unveiled, 13,000 fans were there in Celtic Park to greet him,” Commons wrote. “He was an instant hero.

“Howe was managing a club whose home ground only holds 11,000 fans. More people turned out to see Rodgers parade a Celtic scarf above his head than can fit inside Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium.

“This is not meant to sound flippant. Just an indication of the reality into which Howe is about to be thrust. It will be an almighty culture shock.”

Transfer Tavern verdict

Every manager has to start somewhere, and Howe’s success at Bournemouth was remarkable, guiding them from the bottom of the English Football League to spending five seasons at Premier League level.

This is the kind of opportunity for which he’s surely been waiting. He can be expected to relish the added scrutiny rather than shrink in the spotlight, and who’s to say he can’t go on to surpass the likes of Rodgers if indeed he is appointed?

Indeed, for all the Northern Irishman’s domestic success, he never made it beyond the Europa League round of 32. While regaining the title from Rangers is of course the immediate priority, the ultimate measure of a Celtic boss is perhaps their continental success.

Hopefully Commons’ concerns about Howe prove to be unfounded, if indeed the anticipated appointment is confirmed.

In other news, might Celtic face some late competition for Howe? 

Sean Dyche has admitted that he finds the links to the manager job at Newcastle United if Steve Bruce were to leave ‘very flattering’.

However, speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match against the St. James’ Park faithful at Sunday lunchtime, the Burnley manager also claimed (via Daily Mirror) that he will keep doing his job with the Clarets.

The North East club are reportedly eyeing up Dyche as a potential replacement for Bruce should the latter leave, given the growing pressure that the former Aston Villa and Sunderland boss is currently under to keep his team in the Premier League.

Newcastle and Dyche a good match

Dyche could be a good fit at the Tyneside club. He is vastly experienced in managing in the top flight, and has kept Burnley for a number of seasons there despite their relatively inferior transfer budget and status to other clubs in the division – something Toon fans know all too well about with Mike Ashley at the helm.

The fact that he has managed to do this should not go unnoticed, and that is what makes him such a good coach, with former EPL ace Frank McAvennie even going as far as to claim that he is ‘exceptional’ following links to the Celtic job back in March.

Nonetheless, he should certainly be a manager to consider hiring for the Magpies if Bruce were to leave his post.

In other news, find out what takeover claim from consortium sources Mark Douglas has dropped here!

Steve Bruce will surely be vexing the international break after Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough revealed that Newcastle United defender Jamal Lewis is injured.

That’s according to Sky Sports, who quote Baraclough as confirming that he will make a late call on whether or not Lewis will face Italy on Thursday night.

Northern Ireland begin their Group C campaign with a trip to Roberto Mancini’s Gli Azzurri in hopes of securing their first appearance at a World Cup since 1986.

Lewis is one of only three players listed in Baraclough’s squad who is a Premier League regular, making his experience in Italy vitally important.

The Toon full-back has earned 18 previous caps for the Green and White Army, and played 23 times in the English top-flight under Bruce since a £15m move from Norwich City in September.

But Lewis is a major doubt to play in Parma on Thursday night after missing training this week with a groin injury.

“We’ll decide in Italy whether we take the risk with Jamal,” Baraclough said.

“He hasn’t trained, so it’s something he’s had back at his club and we knew that coming into this camp.”

If Lewis had carried the groin problem into the international break, it would help to justify Bruce’s decision to leave the 23-year-old an unused substitute of Newcastle’s last three Premier League games.

But with Lewis now on international duty and a key part of Baraclough’s Northern Ireland squad, it is out of Bruce’s hands how much or how little the full-back plays.

Bruce will surely be vexing the lack of control he has over one of his players, knowing that Lewis featuring against Italy – or next week in a friendly with the United States before a World Cup qualifier with Bulgaria – could see the defender aggravate his issue and face a lengthy spell in the treatment room.

Newcastle have already lost a key part of their side for the remainder of the season in Isaac Hayden, after the midfielder was confirmed to have sustained a serious knee injury during last weekend’s 3-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Hayden is not currently thought to require surgery but will play no part in United’s fight for survival, removing the option whom Bruce has relied on more than all bar one of his squad with the 26-year-old featuring for 1,946 of a possible 2,610 minutes in the top-flight this term.

Only goalkeeper Karl Darlow (2,250) has played more minutes in the Premier League this season than Hayden, while Lewis (1,827) registers in third ahead of Callum Wilson (1,816).

Lewis may have been out of favour in recent weeks, potentially due to his groin injury, but being sidelined for a lengthy period will come as a blow for Bruce.

AND in other news, Newcastle have landed a huge boost ahead of facing Tottenham…

Fans of Aston Villa have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which relayed the ‘significant’ news that Jaden Philogene-Bidace has put pen to paper on a new deal with the club.

According to a statement on the club website, Philogene-Bidace has signed a new deal with Dean Smith’s side that will see him remain at Villa Park until the summer of 2024.

The 19-year-old forward, who is yet to make a senior appearance for Villa, is said to have highly impressed for the club’s U23 side this season, bagging five goals and providing two assists over his 11 appearances.

And, after the club relayed the news of the England U19 international’s new contract on Twitter, fans of Villa flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing delighted at the prospect of  Philogene-Bidace remaining at their club for the foreseeable future.

So, what exactly did these Aston Villa fans have to say in reaction to the news regarding Jaden Philogene-Bidace?

“Our club is doing all the right things. This kid is special.”

@hill_hilly18

“Fantastic news!! I love the approach our club is taking to promoting youth and building for our future!”

@jamesupnorth

“YESSSSSSSSS UTVVVVV.”

@Finleydb10

“Fantastic news! A lot of big clubs been sniffing round him, one to watch for sure.”

@TheWillRoss

“This is great news. Chukwuemeka next, hopefully.”

@SimonLRead

“Class news.”

@vill1874

“Outstanding. This club is amassing all the best young talent out there. Well done Jaden. Great choice.”

@EvoflashUK

“This is super, super news and shows the ambition and pull of the club – up the villa!!! Aaron Ramsey next!!”

@StephenArnold78

“Superb Jaden.”

@gazswain

“Excellent news. Future star! Massive statement on intent by Villa.”

@tonywoots69

“Incredible.”

@DOUGLASLUlZ

“This is significant. Congratulations.”

@richallen10

In other news, these Villa fans are loving this crazy statistic – find out more here!

علّق جواو موتينيو لاعب فريق ولفرهامبتون على فوزهم الثمين في مباراة اليوم أمام مانشستر يونايتد، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة الحادية والعشرين من البطولة على ملعب الأولد ترافورد، حيث فاز ولفرهامبتون بهدف دون رد عن طريق جواو موتينيو. هدف فوز ولفرهامبتون على مانشستر يونايتد

وقال موتينيو في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “ما أريده هو مساعدة الفريق، الفوز هنا في الأولد ترافورد ضد فريق كبير هو أمر رائع بالنسبة لنا”.

وأضاف: “جئنا إلى هنا للعب كرة القدم، هذا ما نفعله، صنعنا الكثير من التسديدات في الشوط الأول، لقد تغيروا قليلًا إلى ثلاثة لاعبين في قلب الدفاع مثلنا، لقد سيطرنا على كل شيء، سمحنا لهم بفرصة واحدة فقط”.

وواصل: “لقد استحقينا ذلك الفوز بسبب ما فعلناه على مدى 90 دقيقة، آمل أن نتمكن الاستمرار على هذا الأداء”.

واستكمل: “هدفي؟ فيل جونز سدد الكرة برأسه، حاولت أن أرى أين ذهبت، بعد اللمسة الأولى قلت إنني بحاجة إلى التسديد، هذا ما أحتاج إلى القيام به، تسديد المزيد، إنه هدف جميل”.