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Celtic are reportedly edging closer to signing defender Cameron Carter-Vickers on a permanent deal this summer.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers impressing on loan

The American traded Spurs for the Hoops last summer, having failed to force his way into Nuno Espirito Santo’s plans in north London after several loan spells.

Carter-Vickers’ signing has been a masterstroke by Celtic, with the 24-year-old proving to be a dominant performer at the heart of the defence, averaging 4.3 aerial duel wins per game in the Scottish Premiership and ranking as the club’s fifth-best player.

While his move is only temporary currently, recent reports have claimed that it could become permanent ahead of the summer transfer window, with an extremely exciting update emerging late last night.

The Latest: Permanent deal close

According to The Daily Record, sharing an update late on Monday evening, Carter-Vickers looks increasingly like sealing a move to Parkhead, fending off interest from Burnley, Wolves and Leicester City in the process.

A £6million option to sign the USA international is set to be triggered for the defender, as Ange Postecoglou looks to seal a significant piece of business, with the report claiming the player’s camp feel Glasgow is the best place for his permanent development.

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The Verdict: Huge signing for Hoops

Carter-Vickers has shown all season why he could be a great long-term capture by Celtic – he has been hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Greg Taylor – so this update is hugely positive in that respect.

At 24, the Spurs man is at an age where he is already experienced but has another decade or so at the top level, meaning he could be a fixture in the team well into the Hoops’ future.

Carter-Vickers has already forged a strong understanding with Carl Starfelt at centre-back – both were exceptional against Rangers last weekend, making 20 clearances and six interceptions between them – and that is a partnership that could be the bedrock for more success for Postecoglou’s side.

In other news, Kieran Devlin has hailed one aspect of Celtic’s win over Rangers. Read more here.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Pete O’Rourke has shared a transfer claim involving Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford.

The Lowdown: Rashford unsettled…

The Red Devils forward is thought to be unsettled at Old Trafford, according to recent reports.

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Football Insider made a pretty big claim at the end of March, saying Rashford has already told friends he wants to leave Man United as Tottenham striker Harry Kane is linked with a move to his club.

Ralf Rangnick’s side are apparently considering a fresh approach to sign Antonio Conte’s key man this summer, coming after their arch rivals Man City failed in a bid to take him last year.

Amid these claims, O’Rourke has now backed the possibility of a head-turning Tottenham deal.

The Latest: O’Rourke makes Rashford/Kane swap deal claim…

Speaking to GMS, when asked if Rashford being offered in a deal for Kane could entice Spurs, the reporter explained:

“Maybe the potential availability of Marcus Rashford could be interesting to Tottenham because he hasn’t really figured much for Manchester United, especially in the second half of the season, and is meant to be unhappy at Old Trafford.”

The Verdict: Something to consider?

Apparently valued at around €80 million (£67m) by Man United transfer chiefs (Sport), Fabio Paratici could feasibly bypass that fee entirely with Kane moving the other way.

However, given just how integral the latter man is to Spurs, we believe the deal would simply not be worth it unless a huge fee comes to north London alongside the player.

Called the ‘poster boy’ of Old Trafford (Frank McAvennie, Football Insider), Rashford’s impressive 2020/2021 rate of 2.1 shots and 2.2 successful take-ons per 90 in the Premier League simply hasn’t been matched this campaign.

According to WhoScored, Rashford has played half the minutes he did last campaign – managing just four goals and two assists so far.

When taking into account the 11 goals and nine assists he bagged over 20/21, his drop in form is evident, and it could arguably be a controversial Paratici call to swap Tottenham’s prised asset for the attacker.

In other news: In recent weeks: Tottenham step up chase to sign ‘incredible’ player as club brace for their bid! Find out more here.

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Championship side Stoke City have identified Barnsley’s ace centre-back Liam Lindsay as a late January transfer target, per The Sun’s Alan Nixon.

What’s the word?

The Sun’s transfer expert Nixon has claimed that while Stoke are looking to complete a deal for Portsmouth’s Matt Clarke, they may be put off by his £5million valuation.

As a result, the Potters may turn their attention to other young defenders in League One, such as Barnsley’s Lindsay, who remained at Oakwell in the summer despite the Tykes’ relegation.

The Potters would benefit from a new centre-back, as Nathan Jones’ side have won just once in their last eight games in all competitions and conceded 14 goals. Clearly, a leaky defensive line is a problem Stoke’s new manager will need to address in the coming weeks.

Barnsley, though, would be losing the services of a defender who has featured in 25 of their 28 League One fixtures so far this season, and would be forced to hand 10% of any transfer fee to Partick Thistle, who The Sun claim hold a sell-on clause from the deal that saw Lindsay move to Oakwell in 2017.

One of English football’s lesser known rivalries was reignited on Saturday thanks to an unlikely source. Check out the video above to find out which one…

Could it happen?

Unfortunately for Barnsley fans, Lindsay’s fate at Oakwell remains uncertain until Stoke decide whether they wish to pursue Portsmouth’s Clarke or not.

Should the Potters dig deep and pay Pompey’s £5million valuation, any Tykes supporter can then rest easy as Lindsay would likely remain one of their players, at least until the next transfer window opens.

But if Jones is not convinced that Clarke is worth the figure the Fratton Park outfit demand, Barnsley supporters will have to hope the 23-year-old defender is confident in their chances of gaining promotion back into the Championship this season.

With Ashley Williams and Ryan Shawcross both over 30, and struggling to produce the form that made them amongst the most consistent centre-backs in the Premier League during prior stages of their career, Lindsay would be a welcome addition at the bet365 Stadium.

He could be key in not only getting the Jones revolution underway in the second half of this season, but also the long-term rebuild of this Potters team.

A promising Rangers injury update has emerged on Gers talent Ianis Hagi with the Ibrox forward progressing well at present.

What’s the latest?

The Rangers midfielder’s dad, Gheorghe Hagi, has opened up on his recovery following the season-ending knee injury the Romanian international suffered in January against Stirling Albion.

Football Scotland quote him as saying that his son is “looking very well” as he continues with his rehabilitation.

Van Bronckhorst buzzing

This update will surely leave Gio van Bronckhorst relieved heading into the summer. Gheorghe’s initial three-word claim suggests that his son has not suffered any setbacks in his recovery and is still on course to be back for the 2022/23 campaign.

At the age of 23, it could be easy for Hagi to get himself down in the dumps about his injury nightmare. Instead, it seems as though he has taken it in his stride and is now working to get himself back in the best possible condition to attack next season with all his might.

Van Bronckhorst will, therefore, be delighted with his attitude. He will also be excited to have the talented playmaker back in his side later this year as he is a proven Premiership performer who can take control of a game on his own at times.

In the league this season, Hagi averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.10 – scoring two goals and creating 1.5 chances per game. This shows that he was able to consistently deliver top-class performances as he regularly created openings for his teammates to score from.

He also caught the eye in the 2020/21 title-winning campaign as he produced seven goals and 11 assists in 23 Premiership starts. The mercurial playmaker is a difference-maker at this level and has proven it over the course of two seasons, which is why van Bronckhorst will be buzzing that his recovery is going well.

It is now down to Hagi to continue making progress to ensure that he does not suffer any setbacks before the next season gets underway. He can be an important player for the club domestically and potentially in the Champions League or Europa League next term if he can get back to his best, as shown by his statistics, and this latest update suggests that he is well on his way to doing that.

AND in other news, Sold at £4m, then became a £22.5m hero: Rangers had a disaster on iconic “phenomenon”…

Sunderland have been handed a big injury relief over attacking midfielder Alex Pritchard this week…

What’s the latest?Black Cats manager Alex Neil has revealed why the Englishman was absent against Oxford United and allayed any fears that he will now face an extended spell on the sidelines.Goals from Corry Evans and Elliot Embleton sealed the three points for the side on Saturday to keep them in the playoff picture, whilst Pritchard was nowhere to be seen.Neil told the Sunderland Echo: “We go it scanned and there’s a lateral issue there, but there’s not a big problem. I’m really hopeful that he’ll be involved for the next game, he just wasn’t quite ready.“I’ve worked with Al before so when he tells you something is not quite right, it’s not.“He trained earlier this week and he just said to me, ‘there’s something not quite right’,”Great news for SunderlandSupporters will surely be buzzing with this update from Neil as it comes as a major boost to the team heading into the final stretch of the campaign.Pritchard has caught the eye since making the switch from Huddersfield last summer as he has established himself as one of the club’s top performers. Ross Stewart (7.26) is the only player with a higher average SofaScore rating than the midfielder (7.10) and this suggests that he has been consistently impressive throughout the season.In 33 League One outings, he has produced four goals and seven assists. He has reason to feel hard done by in the assist department, however, as he has created 69 chances and eight ‘big chances’ over the course of the campaign so far, which indicates that his teammates have let him down at times as they have been unable to finish the openings he is creating.The former Tottenham prospect has shown that he can change games by creating opportunities and splitting open defences in the final third. He has the magic touch on the ball and his statistics reflect that, whilst his average rating proves that he has been doing it on a consistent basis – making him a reliable option for Neil.This is why fans will be delighted to read that he may be back in action for the club’s next match. Losing him for a number of games, and potentially the play-offs would have been a disaster because they would be missing out on his immense quality on the ball.AND in other news, Cost £13.6m, now worth £1.8m: SAFC had a nightmare on dud who “lacked professionalism”…

West Ham United will not look to secure a deal to bring Alex Kral to the London Stadium on a permanent basis.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Claret & Hugh, with the club insider revealing that David Moyes will not look to take up the £12m option-to-buy clause for the defensive midfielder. Indeed, they may even look to terminate the 23-year-old’s loan deal before the end of the January transfer window.

In the update, Claret & Hugh said: “West Ham look likely to allow Alex Kral back to Spartak Moscow after the midfielder has been found himself unable to make any impact at the London Stadium so far this season.”

They later added: “The Hammers organised a loan with a permanent deal option at around £12m but given his shortage of any real action, one wonders why the boss agreed to such a move in the first place. Now it looks likely that he could even be back in Russia before the current season comes to an end.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering how little impact Kral has made at West Ham since making his temporary switch from Spartak Moscow last year, the news that Moyes is not planning to sign him on a permanent basis is sure to have left the London Stadium faithful buzzing.

Indeed, so far this season, the £7.2m-rated Czech international has made just one Premier League appearance – coming on for the final minute of the 4-1 win over Watford – in the current campaign, as well as making three appearances in the Europa League and one in the Carabao Cup.

It is not difficult to see why Moyes is so reluctant to afford the 23-year-old more regularly game-time, as, over his three European outings, the £24k-per-week midfielder has averaged a disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.63 – ranking him as the Hammers’ joint fifth-worst performer in the competition.

As such, it is clear to see that the player who Moyes claimed has “bags of energy” is simply not of the standard required to be a first-team regular at the London Stadium. That leads us to believe that the 58-year-old simply must send the Czech Republic midfielder back to his parent club this month.

In other news: Moyes could finally replace Haller as West Ham plot bid for “complete” £13.5m-rated machine

Leeds United sent scouts to watch Timo Hubers in action this weekend, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Football Insider claim that the Yorkshire giants were in attendance as FC Koln defeated Arminia Bielefeld in the Bundesliga on Saturday afternoon.

The 25-year-old centre-back played the full game but conceded an own goal in their 3-1 win, though he seemingly impressed. He registered five clearances and three interceptions, whilst he also won seven duels, per SofaScore.

United are in the market for a new central defender and the club have stepped up their interest in the 6 foot 3 German colossus, who is also believed to have a £6.7m release clause at the RheinEnergieStadion.

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Marsch mission

After the weekend’s Premier League fixtures, only rock-bottom Norwich City (69) have leaked more goals than the Whites (68), so it’s abundantly clear that manager Jesse Marsch needs to bolster his backline heading into next season.

Their fortunes defensively have gradually improved but he is still light on solid and reliable options, so Hubers represents a cheap but viable option.

Indeed, journalist Pete O’Rourke believes he’d be an ideal signing for the former RB Leipzig boss. He told GIVEMESPORT:

“He’s a talented young player from Koln as well, so he definitely fits the bill for Leeds United because they’ve been forced to have a bit of a makeshift central defence this season.”

Hubers has been Steffen Baumgart’s standout player with Koln on the cusp of qualifying for a place in Europe, having averaged a squad-high average WhoScored rating of 7.09.

Only one other player is winning more aerial duels per game than the 25-year-old (2.5), whilst he leads the way for interceptions (2.7 per game) and isn’t far behind for tackles either (2.1 per game).

Once lauded for being an “exemplary” professional by Hannover 96’s sporting director Gerhard Zuber, it certainly appears as if Hubers would be a player that Marsch would love to sign heading into next season, one that wouldn’t take too much out of the transfer kitty.

After sending scouts to watch him excel, it seems only right that the German titan is amongst their top targets this summer.

AND in other news, Orta had a Leeds disasterclass on “outrageous” £50m dynamo, he’s better than Rodrigo…

A move for Tanguy Ndombele to Valencia from Tottenham Hotspur is reportedly now in doubt, despite an initial agreement being reached with the La Liga club.

The Lowdown: On his way out

Ndombele has been linked with a loan move away from Spurs throughout the January transfer window, with Everton just one of a number of clubs reportedly interested in his signature.

He has not featured for the North London club since the 3-1 win at home to Morecambe in the FA Cup earlier this month, after he was booed off by some supporters for trudging too slowly off of the pitch, leaving Antonio Conte very disappointed (The Sun).

Nonetheless, it seems as if a move away would be best for all parties, as Ndombele can get some more game time ahead of a potential FIFA World Cup with France, and the Lilywhites can get some of his astronomical £200,000-per-week wages off of their books.

The Latest: Valencia move in doubt

As per Calciomercato, a loan move for Ndombele to Valencia is now in doubt, as ‘in the last few hours’, there has been some hesitation from the central midfielder to go to Spain.

This is because PSG are still considering signing him, and Roma also remain interested, of course managed by former THFC managers Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho respectively.

Valencia had an initial agreement with Tottenham over Ndombele’s signing, but it now looks as if he could move to a different club with just a few days of the window remaining.

The Verdict: Just get rid

If Spurs can do a deal to offload Ndombele abroad now, they simply must just get rid.

Freeing up some of his wages from the bill could then potentially be used to fund an incoming deal, and if he performs well, they could recoup a decent transfer fee for him in the summer.

He has only managed to score a mere six goals and supplied five assists in total in the Premier League since his arrival (Transfermarkt), which for a club record signing, is simply not good enough.

Added to the disappointments with the fans and Conte, now is the best time to part ways.

In other news, find out who Tottenham are now preparing a ‘big-money transfer’ for here!

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a frustrating setback ahead of their return to Premier League action this evening…

What’s the latest?

Following the postponement of Sunday’s north London derby, the Lilywhites head to the Midlands to face Leicester City, who themselves have not played for nearly three weeks.

Antonio Conte’s side are on the cusp of breaching the top four and do hold several games in hand, though their task is a little harder without the availability of one key starter.

It appears as if Spurs will still be without centre-back Eric Dier after a fresh update was revealed during the Italian’s pre-game press conference.

“For Eric, we have to wait a bit, and also have a bit of patience, and not take a risk,” he said (via the club’s official website).

Huge blow to Conte

This will come as a gutting blow to Conte as he will surely have liked his first-choice and best ball-playing defender fit to feature against the Foxes, who had been challenging for a Champions League spot regularly over the last few seasons.

Brendan Rodgers has a strong attack at the King Power Stadium, where the likes of Jamie Vardy, Kelechi Iheanacho and summer signing Patson Daka feature, and they are often supported by the midfield talents of Harvey Barnes, James Maddison and Youri Tielemans.

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Dier will be a big miss if any of those are involved tonight.

“He has a great space for improvement but we are talking about a really good player, strong physically with a good personality and good technically because he was a midfielder,” Conte told reporters (via the Daily Mail) back in December. “This role is perfect for him. He has to continue this way because he can become one of the best central defenders.”

Indeed, the Englishman looks very comfortable in this system, having registered an 87.9% passing accuracy in four of his last five league appearances, as per WhoScored.

Without him, Conte is left with much weaker options, such as the inconsistent Davinson Sanchez, who has often been dubbed a “liability” by fans and pundits alike.

There is also Japhet Tanganga, who has been at fault for some of their conceded goals against Chelsea and Morecambe in recent cup games. Meanwhile, left-back Ben Davies has been slotted into the back-three due to the lack of left-footed options.

Conte also has Cristian Romero absent through injury and he would take one of the places mentioned above, so to be without Dier for this clash is certainly frustrating.

The Italian could quite rightly be fuming heading into kickoff this evening.

AND in other news, Spurs eye 1st Jan signing in £22.5m-rated “outstanding talent”, Conte would love him…

West Ham United have joined the race to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, according to reports in Spain. 

The lowdown

Kondogbia, 29, joined Atletico from Valencia less than 18 months ago for a fee of £13.5million (which remains his estimated Transfermarkt value).

He has just over two years left on the £107,000-per-week contract he signed on his arrival at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Kondogbia, who’s started four of the last six games following his return from a muscle injury, is predominantly a defensive midfielder but he can also operate as a centre-back.

A summer transfer ‘revolution’ could apparently take place at Atletico as a result of their disappointing title defence. They currently sit fourth in La Liga, a full 15 points behind pace-setting city rivals Real Madrid.

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The latest

Diego Simeone is reportedly reluctant to let Kondogbia leave, but interested clubs are queuing up.

‘The siren songs have already begun’ from the Premier League, with West Ham one of the most recent additions to the ‘list of candidates’.

Reigning champions Manchester City are also interested as they scout potential replacements for Fernandinho.

The verdict

Kondogbia could potentially serve as a replacement for Declan Rice, should he leave the London Stadium in the summer.

Indeed, transfer insider Dean Jones believes that Rice will be ‘gettable’ in the upcoming transfer window and says he’s ‘willing to consider his options’.

Alternatively, David Moyes may view him as a competitor for Rice and Tomas Soucek in the middle of the park, and as potential cover at centre-back. From that point of view, the signing would significantly boost West Ham’s squad depth.

The Central African has already shown how good he can be against PL opposition, having ‘absolutely devoured’ the Manchester United midfield in the Champions League Round of 16 (in the words of La Liga TV presenter Phil Kitromilides).

In other news, The Athletic have broken a big West Ham story.