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With Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side now on a run of four consecutive wins in all competitions, things very much appear to be looking on the up for the 56-year-old at Parkhead.

As well as the positive results, the Hoops manager has also seen a number of key players make returns from injury. Josip Juranovic, James McCarthy and Mikey Johnston have all featured in recent matchday squads after spending varying lengths on the sidelines, while both James Forrest and Christopher Jullien look set to make a return to first team action in the not-too-distant future.

In yet more good news, summer signing Georgios Giakoumakis also scored his first goal on his full debut for the club in Saturday’s 2-0 win over St Johnstone, with the centre-forward’s impressive performance showing Celtic fans a glimpse of what could be to come over the course of the remainder of the season.

With a trip to high-flying Hibernian up next for the Bhoys tonight, Postecoglou must ensure that he sticks with Giakoumakis if the striker is to go on and replicate the extraordinary form he showed at VVV-Venlo last season.

Indeed, despite his team’s eventual relegation, the £2.25m-rated marksman bagged 26 goals, registered one assist and created three big chances over his 30 Eredivisie appearances, as well as taking 3.2 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the player who journalist Jeroen Kapteijns dubbed a “phenomenon” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.35, ranking him not only as his club’s best performer in the league but also as the joint sixth-best in the entire division.

As such, with Postecoglou undoubtedly hoping that the 26-year-old can hit similar heights at Parkhead this season, the Bhoys boss must stick with the Greece international tonight in order to give Giakoumakis the best possible chance of building up a similar run of form goalscoring form in the green and white of Celtic.

In other news: Ange confirms Nicholson negotiations with “huge” talent, Celtic fans will be buzzing

With Southampton having failed to win a game in the Premier League so far this season, it’s safe to say that Saints fans have not had a lot to shout about recently.

However, one shining light that supporters can take some pleasure in is the progression and development of full-back Kyle Walker-Peters since his arrival at the club.

Southampton originally signed Walker-Peters on a loan deal from fellow Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in the 2020 January window before securing him on a permanent deal in the following summer transfer window for a fee of £12m.

In terms of his development and progression since joining Southampton, the defender’s market value in April 2020 was £7.2 million according to Transfermarkt. However, after making a total of 51 appearances for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side across all competitions where he’s managed one goal and provided four assists along the way, Walker-Peters’ current market value has increased to £16.2m.

That’s a fine increase of 125% since penning terms on the south coast and suggests it was somewhat of a masterclass from the manager to sign him.

The rise in value shows just how well the 24-year-old, who is apparently earning a weekly wage of just over £23k-per-week according to Spotrac, has done since stepping away from Spurs and joining Southampton.

So far this season, the defender has made six appearances across all competitions where he has registered one goal and provided one assist, both coming in their 8-0 win over Newport County in the Carabao Cup.

For his five appearances in the Premier League, Walker-Peters has earned himself an overall season rating of 6.83/10 for his performances which puts him as Southampton’s third-highest rated player according to WhoScored.

Walker-Peters latest appearance for Southampton saw him play the entire 90 minutes in their recent 3-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.

Despite the poor result, Walker-Peters still managed to earn himself a respectable match rating of 6.8/10 for his efforts against the west London club. He won six duels all while playing out of position on the left-hand side of defence. His rating, via SofaScore, made him the second-highest-rated outfield player on the day from a Saints perspective.

Moving forward, we see no reason why Hasenhuttl would consider not continue starting Walker-Peters throughout the remainder of their Premier League campaign. However, they will need to make sure they secure their first win of the season as soon as possible or else they could find themselves in real trouble.

In other news: Forget JWP: £12.5k-p/w Southampton gem who made just 6 passes let Ralph down v CFC – opinion

According to reliable West Ham United insider ExWHUemployee, Jesse Lingard is on his way to London to speak to David Moyes ahead of a potential return to the Hammers.

The Lowdown: Hammers making late moves

So far during the transfer window, the Irons have brought in just two new faces in Alphonse Areola and Kurt Zouma, and the latter was signed in the last couple of days.

As such, the Hammers seem to be leaving it late as they aim to get their transfer business done before the Tuesday night deadline.

The Latest: West Ham eye Lingard

ExWHUemployee regularly updates West Ham fans about the club and their transfer dealings, and he has now provided news on Lingard.

As per his Patreon channel ‘The West Ham Way’, he has said that the 28-year-old is on his way to the capital to speak to Moyes about his future.

The Verdict: Big twist

After Lingard enjoyed a successful spell on loan with West Ham last season, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in 16 matches (Transfermarkt), there had been hope that he would stay with the club on a permanent basis. However, it soon emerged that the £19.8m-valued midfielder was looking to stay at Manchester United to fight for a place in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side (via The Sun).

However, with just four minutes on the pitch in the Red Devils’ opening three Premier League matches this term, things may have changed. If the Hammers could get the deal done, it would come as be a huge boost to their hopes of being competitive in four competitions this season, given how Lingard performed during his loan spell in east London earlier this year.

In other news, some West Ham fans weren’t impressed with this player on Saturday

According to Football Insider, West Ham United have set their sights on securing wonderkid striker Divin Mubama to a professional deal when he turns 17 amid interest from Manchester City.

The Lowdown: Rush Green talents emerge…

Declan Rice, the most high-profile name to emerge from Rush Green’s academy in recent years, is closely being followed by other hugely promising talents.

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Indeed, the likes of Conor Coventry, Jamal Baptiste and Ademipo Odubeko spring to mind as ones to watch over the next few seasons, but manager David Moyes has shown no sign of stopping there.

The club bolstered their academy with a plethora of young signings in the summer and it appears they have their sights set on securing another one.

The Latest: West Ham set sights on Mubama contract…

As per Football Insider, West Ham have now set their sights on securing highly-rated young striker Mubama to a professional deal when he turns 17 next month.

This comes amid interest from Premier League champions Manchester City as they keep a close watch on the teenager, who is currently on a scholarship deal with the Irons.

However, West Ham don’t appear keen on losing him and talks have apparently been held over tying him down to professional terms as soon as possible.

The Verdict: Yet another one to watch…

Despite being sidelined by injury this season, Mubama seems like a hugely promising talent for supporters to watch over the coming years. He has 10 goals in 23 Under-18 Premier League appearances, including a hat-trick against Reading in April.

Moyes has transformed West Ham into a genuine force, signing a new and improved deal recently, and he briefly touched upon building for the future brick by brick (Evening Standard).

Hammers fans have certainly seen that so far and we believe the coming seasons hold plenty of more promise for supporters, especially considering all the progress made with young talents behind the scenes.

In other news: ExWHUemployee lifts lid on behind-scenes development in West Ham overhaul plan, find out more here.

Rangers got off the mark in their Europa League group on Thursday night as they beat Danish side Brondby 2-0 at Ibrox.

Kemar Roofe and Leon Balogun scored the goals for the Gers as Steven Gerrard led his team to their first three points in the group after losing to both Lyon and Sparta Prague.

They now return to Premiership action as they travel to face St Mirren on Sunday. Rangers are top of the table and could extend their lead if other results go in their favour.

Gerrard could make some changes to his starting line-up to keep the players fresh and offer opportunities throughout the squad to see what the lesser-seen options are capable of doing. One player he must ruthlessly axe from Thursday’s team is midfielder Steven Davis.

The Northern Ireland international was not at his best in the Europa League clash and the veteran’s time should be up ahead of this clash with St Mirren. At the age of 36, he should not be relied upon to play week-in, week-out, as he is heading towards the end of his career and his performance against Brondby suggests that it is the right time for Gerrard to pull him out of the starting XI.

As per SofaScore, Davis lost 66.6% of his duels in the match, winning one in total. He also failed in 100% of his attempted dribbles and managed one tackle in the game, whilst failing to make a single clearance, block or interception. This suggests that he was lacking defensively and unable to impose himself physically on the opposition.

He came on for 12 minutes against Hearts in the last Premiership outing and failed to win a single duel, completing seven passes and doing little else. Davis has not shown enough in recent games to be deserving of a starting berth this weekend.

Dropping him from the team gives a chance to another midfielder to show that they deserve to be a regular in the side moving forward. Scott Arfield and Juninho Bacuna were both on the bench against Brondby and could be motivated to put in a top performance to nail down a place in the starting XI.

Therefore, Gerrard must ruthlessly axe Davis from the team. His display against Brondby was not good enough to secure his spot against St Mirren and should open the door for others to prove that they can perform to a high standard, which will hopefully be the case on Sunday.

AND in other news, Gerrard could unearth McGregor 2.0 in Rangers gem who has shown “excellent progress”…

Tottenham Hotspur are said to have agreed a fee with Wolverhampton Wanderers for their talisman Adama Traore, but the clubs are at an impasse over their preferred approach to the deal [AS via Sport Witness].

The Lowdown: Paratici eyes more signings

In his quest for continental qualification in 2021/22, Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo will be looking to tap into all avenues necessary in order to secure quality players before transfer deadline day, working closely with managing director Fabio Paratici.

Thus far, the Italian transfer guru has managed to bolster the squad with three additions in the form of Pierluigi Gollini, Bryan Gil and Cristian Romero [Transfermarkt].

Now, Paratici and co look to have moved closer to signing one of Nuno’s former players according to recent reports.

The Latest: Spurs and Wolves agree price

Spurs and Wolves are believed to have reached an agreement on the total price of the Traore deal, totalling around €46 million (£39.5m) [AS via Sport Witness].

However, there is said to be a ‘fine line’ that could alter the path of negotiations at any time.

Tottenham Hotspur want to take the Spain international on loan with a compulsory option to make the move permanent, whilst Wolverhampton Wanderers want the money up front with no loan.

The Verdict: News will breed nervousness amongst the Tottenham Hotspur faithful

With the window set to shut in less than a week, this news may breed nervousness amongst the Spurs faithful.

Traore would undoubtedly add lightning pace and ability to the Tottenham attack, as well as the added benefit of being familiar with Lilywhites boss Nuno.

In 2020/21, the wide-man registered six goal contributions in 41 appearances with three goals and three assists [Transfermarkt], and an improvement on that end product could turn him into a truly elite player.

In the current campaign, his dribbling ability has shone through to an extraordinary extent. Across his two Premier League outings so far this year, he has completed an average of ten dribbles per fixture [WhoScored], managing nine against Spurs last weekend after mustering up 11 at Leicester.

Once labelled as ‘unplayable’ by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, Spurs should look to come to a complete resolution to ensure the deal comes to a close as smoothly as possible [GOAL].

In other news, Tottenham Hotspur face a massive blow in a transfer chase. Find out more here.

Sky Sports News’ Dharmesh Sheth says that Aston Villa are negotiating with West Ham United over a potential deal for goalkeeper Darren Randolph. 

The lowdown

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans reported on Friday, following confirmation that a loan deal had been agreed for Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho, that Villa also wanted to sign a goalkeeper in January.

Randolph,  who is currently third choice at West Ham behind Lukasz Fabianski and Alphonse Areola, appears to be a primary target. The 34-year-old has 18 months left on his £42,000-per-week contract and is valued at £900,000 by Transfermarkt.

A move to Villa Park would see him provide further competition and cover for incumbent first-choice Emiliano Martinez, the club’s Player of the Season for 2020/21.

The latest

Speaking live on The Transfer Show on Sky Sports [via Football Daily], Sheth revealed that discussions were underway between the two clubs. He added that the prospective signing of Randolph could trigger the departure of current Villa deputy Jed Steer.

The journalist outlined: “We’re told they’re in talks to sign the West Ham United goalkeeper Darren Randolph. If a deal can be struck between Aston Villa and West Ham United, then Villa could allow their second choice keeper Jed Steer to move on loan so that he can get more regular first team football.”

The verdict

Randolph may be well down the pecking order at West Ham, but he is a solid goalkeeper with plenty of experience, including 34 Premier League games to Steer’s three. He also enjoyed a lengthy stint as Republic of Ireland’s number one, a post he held during Euro 2016, and he has racked up half a century of caps overall (via Transfermarkt).

He’d arrive with the endorsement of former Villa and Ireland boss Martin O’Neill, who called him a ‘very fine’ goalkeeper after an ‘excellent’ performance in a 2017 World Cup play-off clash against Denmark.

Furthermore, Ryan Shotton, a team-mate of Randolph’s at Middlesbrough, dubbed him ‘unbelievable’ and capable of making ‘ridiculous’ saves’.

As backups to Martinez go, Villa would do an awful lot worse than bringing in the Irish veteran from West Ham.

In other news, Villa are also in talks over this potential signing

Newcastle United are reportedly set to seal their first signing of the upcoming summer transfer window after agreeing a fee for Matt Targett…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are expecting to complete a deal to sign the Englishman on a permanent basis from Aston Villa at the end of his loan spell.

The report claims that the Toon are on the verge of securing a £15m swoop for the former Southampton full-back, making him their first addition ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Eddie Howe will be over the moon

This update will surely leave Newcastle manager Eddie Howe over the moon, as it means that the left-back position is not a cause for concern heading into next season.

Instead of worrying about who his first-choice will be in that position, the 44-year-old can plan ahead knowing that Targett will be slotting in on the left of the backline.

The likes of Matt Ritchie, Jamal Lewis and Paul Dummett are also at the club and can provide competition for the 26-year-old’s place, which means that there is no need for any more signings in that area of the pitch after this deal is completed.

Upon Targett’s arrival at St James’ Park on loan, Howe said: “We have gone into this transfer window with a plan to add strong competition in specific areas of the team and Matt will be a fantastic option for us on the left.

“He has important Premier League experience and know-how at this level, so I’m really pleased we’ve been able to add him to the squad.”

These comments highlight how highly the Newcastle head coach rates the defender, whose performances in the top flight have lived up to the hype. He has proven himself to be a reliable option in the Premier League, with an average SofaScore rating of 6.87 across 26 appearances for Villa and Newcastle this term.

The left-back has created 1.3 chances per game and showcased his defensive quality with an impressive 3.3 tackles and interceptions per match. He is a modern day full-back who can excel at both ends of the pitch, and this is why the ex-Cherries boss will surely love to keep him heading into next season.

At the age of 26, the Magpies can get many more years of service out of Targett, whose performances on the pitch suggest that he could nail down the left-back spot for the foreseeable future at St James’ Park. Signing a player who could be a regular for the next four or five seasons for £15m seems like a bargain on paper, and Howe will be delighted with this prospective deal.

AND in other news, NUFC now eye swoop for “breathtaking” £36m-rated phenomenon, he could be Ginola 2.0…

Tottenham Hotspur are hoping to tie down Hugo Lloris to a new contract in the coming weeks.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent report by Charlie Eccleshare for The Athletic, in which the journalist revealed that, despite being tempted by a move to AS Roma this summer, the goalkeeper is now keen to extend his stay in north London.

Eccleshare added that Antonio Conte is also eager to tie down the France international to a new deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the 34-year-old’s current contract set to expire at the end of the season. That means the shot-stopper can discuss terms with foreign clubs regarding a free transfer from January 1.

However, the journalist then claimed that there is a quiet confidence at Spurs that they will be able to reach an agreement with Lloris, with negotiations regarding a fresh deal expected to intensify in the coming weeks.

Paratici must avoid disaster

Considering just how important Lloris has proven to be for Spurs this season, not to mention over the past nine Premier League campaigns, it would undoubtedly be something of a disaster for Fabio Paratici to allow the 34-year-old to depart north London on a free transfer next summer.

Indeed, over his 14 Premier League appearances this term, the £8.1m-rated shot-stopper has kept six clean sheets, as well as making 2.9 saves per game. These returns have seen the Frenchman averaging an impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.05, ranking him as Spurs’ sixth-best performer in the top flight.

Conte is also a huge fan of the £100k-per-week 34-year-old, stating after Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Brentford last week: “I just arrived. I’ve only been here a month. At the moment, of course, we have several situations to resolve. Hugo Lloris is the captain of this team. He is the captain of the France team too. We’re talking about a world-class goalie.

“We will have time to talk about him. I consider him an important player for Tottenham, for his experience and because he is first and foremost a good goalkeeper. He has played for many years with Tottenham and he is still invested in this club.”

As such, with Lloris very much appearing to be an important part of Conte’s first-team plans at Spurs, Paratici simply must do all he can to ensure that the 34-year-old does indeed put pen to paper on a new deal with the club in the coming weeks, or else the shot-stopper may be tempted by an intriguing offer come January 1.

In other news: Conte could save Spurs millions by unleashing “quality” 18 y/o gem who has “great feet”

Leeds United’s medical staff have been particularly busy throughout the current Premier League campaign, with the Whites being hit by a number of injury blows.

Even though there are only a handful of games left to play before the season draws to an end, it seems as though Jesse Marsch will have to get through this period without one player in particular.

What’s the news?

In a recent post on Twitter, The Athletic’s Phil Hay revealed that Leeds midfielder Adam Forshaw will be out of action for the remainder of 2021/22 after fracturing his knee cap.

In his post, the journalist said: “A fresh injury setback for Leeds United as Adam Forshaw ruled out for the rest of the season.”

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Terrible news for Leeds

Since arriving at the Yorkshire club back in the 2018 January transfer window, the Englishman has gone on to make 78 appearances across all competitions, chipping in with three assists along the way.

With 22 league appearances under his belt this season, the midfielder has been a rather important figure for the Whites in this campaign.

The 30-year-old has been one of Leeds’ best passers of the ball in the campaign, with only Jamie Shackleton, Liam Cooper and Pascal Struijk having a higher pass completion percentage than Forshaw – out of players to have played more than one game.

And, taking into account how Leeds are quite light in the central-midfield position, as well as having only just seen Kalvin Phillips back on the pitch following his hamstring injury, this news on Forshaw will certainly come as a huge blow to Marsch and his side heading into the final stages of the season.

Also, with the Englishman having recovered from a very significant hip injury that kept him out of action for a total of 560 days between September 2019 and April 2021, this latest setback will also be a disappointing blow for him on a personal level.

Moving forward, with the Whites having some big games ahead of them against the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, Marsch will have to make sure that his side can pick up as many points as possible so they don’t potentially end up at risk of getting relegated.

Then, for next season, everyone at the club will undoubtedly be hoping that Forshaw can make another recovery and play a big part in their campaign.

AND in other news: Orta must launch Leeds bid for “complete” £72k-p/w gem, he could be their Luis Suarez