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Celtic were unable to rectify their mistakes made against Rangers at the weekend after AC Milan handed them another loss on home soil. The Hoops were brushed aside by the feisty Italians, who rode out a 3-1 victory in their recent Europa League clash.

That’s now two losses on the bounce for Neil Lennon’s side, who haven’t registered such form since July. It appears that their Old Firm defeat has unsettled things and they will now shift attention to Aberdeen in hopes to regain some form. A poor display against Milan will see Lennon return to the drawing board, but he’ll have a tough decision to make when selecting his attackers.

Odsonne Edouard has been out of action after testing positive for Covid-19. According to the Glasgow Times, he is back in training but still not fully recovered and is a doubt ahead of Celtic’s next league match on Sunday.

Edouard a big miss for Celtic

The 22-year-old tallied an astonishing 21 goals and 12 assists in 27 Premiership appearances last season, playing a huge part in the Hoops’ ninth consecutive title. He is continuing his run of good form into the current campaign, already boasting four goals in seven games (via Transfermarkt).

Had Edouard been available against Rangers, it could have been a completely different game. Instead, Steven Gerrard’s men were victorious and extend their lead over their bitter rivals at the top of the table.

Lennon opted for a strike partnership between Mohamed Elyounoussi and Patryk Klimala at the weekend, who were both dropped in favour of Leigh Griffiths in a lone No.9 role last night. Neither of these approaches were successful, which puts a huge strain on the manager going into the Aberdeen fixture.

Elyounoussi pulled one goal back against AC Milan, which could earn him a start on Sunday, but after a poor display from Griffiths, it’s likely he will be demoted to the bench. Celtic would hugely benefit from Edouard’s influence right now and it’ll be euphoria on camp when he does finally returns to the action.

In other news, Leigh Griffiths let Celtic down in weakened Neil Lennon side against AC Milan…

Chelsea are hoping to offload Michy Batshuayi this summer and have offered his services to Championship winners Leeds.

According to Get French Football News (GFFN), the Blues are hoping to cash in on their forgotten striker and are looking to strike a deal with Marcelo Bielsa.

Frank Lampard has shown that he is serious about pushing for success next season after already welcoming Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner through the door. More new signings look to be on the table as the Stamford Bridge legend trawls the transfer market.

It seems only a matter of time before heavily-linked Kai Havertz make the move to West London, after agreeing personal terms with Marina Granovskaia. Lampard has also outlined that Chelsea are in need of a defensive makeover and is particularly eager to replace Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal.

Despite Roman Abramovich offering a £120m summer budget, the former England international clearly has more lavish spending in mind. As a result, he is hoping to offload some fringe players in order to make up the funds.

Whilst Batshuayi could suit a newly-promoted club like Leeds, Chelsea have very little chance of doing business with the Elland Road outfit. According to the GFFN report, the Whites are being bombarded with offers from French agents looking to send their clients to the Championship winners.

Leeds’ last season in the Premier League was back in 2004 and they will be taking extra care to ensure that they don’t slip back into the second tier any time soon. Bielsa and co are going to be diligent in selecting new personnel to ensure that they have the best men for the job in the top flight.

With Batshuayi currently earning £100,000 per week, according to Spotrac, the Yorkshire side may be unable to accommodate such high wages.

Chelsea must therefore consider other options for the Belgian if they are hoping to ship him out on a permanent deal this summer.

Do you think the Blues should keep or sell Michy Batshuayi? Have your say in the comments below…

It wouldn’t exactly be an understatement to say that Barcelona are currently very much a sinking ship. The new coach Ronald Koeman and the board have promised the fans a revolution and it seems that a revolution is what they are going to get.

The latest reports state some of the dressing room’s heavyweights are going to have to leave the club and Lionel Messi of all people has also requested to be transferred. Of course, at the very moment, the Argentine is everything the Catalans and the media can talk about but Luis Suarez is also a player whose future hangs on a thread.

According to an update from Globo Esporte, Barcelona have already contacted Manchester City about the availability of Gabriel Jesus. The forward is seen as the perfect replacement for Suarez as he is young and fits their desired profile.

If the same source is to be believed, the initial talks have been held but as of right now, that’s all we know about the deal. Of course, there were also whispers of Pep Guardiola potentially involving Jesus in a deal to bring Messi to the Premier League but that’s also where the rumour stopped for now.

Either way, it does seem like losing Jesus would not exactly be what the Citizens had in mind, but it could be worth it if they get something special in return.

Like Messi, for example.

Verdict

The ongoing summer transfer window is already bound to be a window of swap deals and maybe Man City could truly make an effort to milk Barcelona for all they’re worth with this Jesus transfer.

Of course, ideally, they keep him. But if he really wants to go and Messi wants to come to England, no matter how unlikely that may sound at the moment, maybe there is an avenue here the Citizens could explore.

Glasgow Rangers confirmed their third signing of the transfer window on Tuesday.

The ‘Gers had already completed the captures of Ianis Hagi and Calvin Bassey, but Steven Gerrard has previously said that they were also looking at “numerous” other targets (Rangers TV via Glasgow Times) as they look to close the gap at the top of the Premiership.

They have now added Scotland international goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin to their squad. The 32-year-old joins on a free transfer from Sunderland, where he conceded just 27 goals in 32 matches in League One. He also has previous experience in the Scottish top flight, having made 36 appearances for Hearts. With the recent departures of Wes Foderingham and Jak Alnwick, McLaughlin should be the first back-up option for Allan McGregor.

However, it seems that a number of ‘Gers supporters are far from happy with this signing, and they have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts – one fan even called it “terrible” while another pessimistically said that arch-rivals Celtic could be handed their 10th successive league title as a result.

You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below:

‘Gers fans, are you underwhelmed by the signing of McLaughlin? Let us know what you think by commenting below!

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.

Daniel Levy has made some major mistakes during his time in charge of Tottenham Hotspur, but arguably none of them come close to his decision to sign Roberto Soldado.

Levy signed Soldado for a then-club record fee of £26m from Valencia and he was awarded a reception similar to a summer blockbuster. Unveiled as a marquee signing, everything looked so promising for the former Real Madrid ace, but things quickly went downhill for him at White Hart Lane.

The Spaniard was meant to be the typical striker who bangs in 20 goals a season, like Dimitar Berbatov and Gary Lineker had done before him. Instead, Soldado turned out to be a complete and utter flop, condemned by fans and pundits alike.

In fairness, he actually started quite well, as he scored penalties in his first two games in the Premier League. However, looks can be deceiving, as it took him until October to score from open play and he only managed six league goals in his first campaign.

Admittedly Soldado had greater success in the Europa League, in which he bagged five goals in seven games, but that wasn’t enough to stop Spurs from crashing out to Benfica in the last 16.

He only scored one goal in the English top flight the following season and the emergence of Harry Kane quickly lead to Spurs calling it quits.

The onus was on him to deliver and he failed to live up to the expectations he merited on his arrival. His dramatic decline in form is exemplified by his market value, which plummeted from £25m at his peak in 2013 to a mere £9m towards the end of his career in England. To make matters worse, the Lilywhites sold him to Valencia for a fraction of the price they paid for him.

Spurs last won a trophy back in 2008 and the closest they have come since was making it to the Champions League final last year. While that can’t entirely be blamed on him, the fact he failed to reach double figures in the Premier League in two consecutive seasons is a damning indictment.

Levy has made some obvious blunders over the years, namely failing to sign Sergio Aguero in 2011, who ended up at Manchester City instead.

Without trying to rub salt in the wound, Aguero went on to become one of the greatest strikers in Premier League history, and some fans may dream about what might have been if the Argentine had moved to White Hart Lane instead.

As it stands, signing Soldado perhaps remains Levy’s biggest mistake to this day, as he struggled to make an impact and returned to Spain after just two seasons.

Tottenham fans, do you think Roberto Soldado is the worst signing in the club’s history? Let us know in the comments below!

It seems that Heung-Min Son is a player universally loved by most of Tottenham Hotspur’s fanbase. That much was visible just recently when he was awarded yet another crown for the Asian International Player of the Year, as many of them showered him with all sorts of praise on social media.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

And a rather similar thing happened once again after Jose Mourinho’s statement. The Special One said that he’s already in love with the player despite being at the club a bit less than two weeks, as was quoted by their official Twitter account.

“I’m in love with him and I’ve been here for 10 days!”

The fans, naturally, loved that verdict and were quick to share their love on Son as well, swarming the comment section with their replies and own views on the matter, even calling the player the “glue of the squad”.

It will be interesting to see what kind of a role Son will have under Mourinho, however. Needless to say, Mauricio Pochettino saw the talent in the 27-year-old forward and he utilised it perfectly.

Spurs die-hards are getting 70% on this Ultimate Tottenham Quiz. Can you beat them?

After all, we’re talking here about a player that managed to tally 20 goals and ten assists in a total of 48 games played across all competitions in 2018/19, including four goals and one assist in their march towards the Champions League final.

It seems the fans can’t really imagine Spurs without Son and Mourinho also likes the player, as he stated himself, but with the Special One still very much at the beginning of his tenure in London, we can’t say for sure what lies ahead.

Of course, with Son looking revitalised under the new regime, it’s no wonder he has already turned his coach’s head.

Will he continue that trend moving forward?

Only time will tell.

Elsewhere, many Spurs fans were in awe of one of their youngster’s brilliant display, even comparing him to Harry Kane…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Atletico Madrid were supposed to have their breakout season.

After all, with both Barcelona and Real Madrid – their main competitors for the La Liga crown – somewhat wounded and not really firing on cylinders at the very beginning of the campaign, this was Diego Simeone’s golden opportunity.

But Rojiblancos ended up having problems of their own and with just 16 goals scored in 16 games in the domestic league and eight in six Champions League clashes, they have so far been ineffective in front of goal.

As a result, they sit in sixth place in the table, eight points behind league leaders Barcelona.

And just recently, they were handed more bad news as Mundo Deportivo claim Manchester United could be making a swoop for one of their key players, Saul Niguez.

Of course, the midfielder reportedly has a release clause of €150m (£126.8m) but Paul Pogba’s reported desire to leave the club could spike interest from the Red Devils.

The 25-year-old has been Atletico’s second-best player according to Whoscored and offers the team a little bit of everything, with one goal in 1.3 shots per game, alongside more than just a decent defensive contribution with 2.1 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game.

Evidently, he is someone Simeone can’t afford to lose, especially considering that this Atletico side is very much known for their astute defending – seeing how they have the least amount of goals conceded in La Liga – which makes hard-working midfielders like Saul even more indispensable.

Of course, with Pogba potentially leaving the club, he does look like an excellent alternative for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Granted, the Spaniard doesn’t really influence the final product as much as the Frenchman – seeing how Pogba rattled the inside of the net 16 times across all competitions in 2018/19 – but his presence in the middle of the park is something United can definitely use, especially with their star’s potential departure to mull over.

And with 19 goals conceded in 16 Premier League games, a bit more solidity in front of their defence could definitely go a long way.

From their point of view, splashing the cash for someone like him does make a lot of sense, even in the scenario in which they are forced to pay his release clause.

If his work-rate and skill won’t persuade Solskjaer, maybe his versatility will.

In times of need, Saul can be deployed practically anywhere across the pitch bar the forward line. Against Barcelona, he even played as a make-shift left-back, plugging the holes when Simeone needed him to.

So far this season, we’ve seen him in four different positions as per the games Transfermarkt have in their database and he is the definition of a utility man.

But for that same reason, he is indispensable for the Rojiblancos.

One team’s fortune might mean the other’s demise if this deal goes through.

In other news, many Spurs fans were absolutely loving one of their key man’s recent quotes…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Harry Kane could be set to break even more records at both club and international level.

The England international scored against Kosovo at the weekend as the Three Lions won 4-0, meaning that he became the first player in English football history to score in every single qualifier for an international tournament, this one being Euro 2020.

It also took his tally for his country to 32 goals in 45 caps.

Wayne Rooney, who scored 53 goals in 120 caps, currently holds the all-time scoring record.

Football FanCast has crunched the numbers, both at national and club level, and one has to feel that Kane can break both the national team record and the Premier League one held by Alan Shearer, who hit 260 goals during his time in the top-flight.

As it is, Kane has scored a goal every 0.7 games at international level. He needs 22 more goals to pass Rooney’s record, meaning he needs to win roughly 32 more caps.

That would take him to 77 – more than achievable for a player who is currently the captain of Gareth Southgate’s side.

Indeed, in his last 11 caps, Kane has scored 13 goals. If he were to keep up that record, he would break the record within his next 21 appearances for England, meaning he would be their all-time goalscorer after just 63 outings.

At Premier League level, the hill is higher and harder to climb.

Thus far, the 6 foot 2 striker has scored 131 Premier League goals and is 13th in the list of the league’s all-time top scorers.

He has averaged 18.7 goals per season so, if we round that up to 19, we can get a clear picture of how long it will take the Spurs striker to break Shearer’s long-standing record.

Now, it must be said, that Kane could well leave for a club like Real Madrid or PSG but let’s assume that he stays in north London or joins a rival Premier League club like Manchester United or Man City.

If he continues at his current rate of scoring and hits 19 in every single season, it will take him until the 2025/26 season, when Kane is 32, to break Shearer’s record. At that rate, he would reach 264 goals by the end of 25/26. A 19-goal season in 2019/20 would take his tally to 150, equal with ex-Liverpool star Michael Owen.

Yet there is hope that it could be reached quicker.

Kane’s zenith came in 2017/18, when he hit 30 goals. Now, if he were to score 30 goals in every season hereafter, he would smash Shearer’s record by 2023/24.

The amazing thing about these numbers is that they are achievable for Kane.

He is a goalscorer, first and foremost, and has proved that he can hit the net with regularity in a variety of different Spurs and England teams.

The stats point to the realisation that Kane could well become both the best goalscorer England have ever had and also the best goalscorer the Premier League has ever seen.

It would be quite a career for a player who spent 2011 on loan with Leyton Orient.

At desperate times like these, Everton could really do with a pick-me-up. And in the form of Marcel Brands’ update on Richarlison, they have got exactly that.

The Brazil international has been a permanent fixture in the Toffees’ squad since his arrival from Watford, featuring 54 times across all competitions. There were even suggestions earlier this season that Manchester United have been watching him in view to him potentially being the solution to their lack of strikers.

But it now appears Richarlison’s long-term future is set to be at Goodison Park. Speaking to the club’s official website (as quoted by The Liverpool Echo), Brands said: “We have to look at the positives ahead and one of the positive thing this week is that we are now busy with the last details of extending a new contract with one of our key players, Richarlison, until 2024.”

After hearing the contract update on the forward, Everton fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

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Many supporters of the Merseyside club insisted it is a great piece of news for the club moving forward, and that it is refreshing to hear something positive amidst the side’s struggles.

Check out some of the reaction of Everton fans below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Eddie Nketiah’s injury will hurt Leeds United in a lot of ways.

Of course, there’s the obvious point that the Whites will be without their top goalscorer for three weeks, but there’s also another way in which this setback hampers Marcelo Bielsa’s plans.

Indeed, the Arsenal loanees injury could see one of the Argentine’s plans set back even further, and many Leeds fans won’t be happy to hear it.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Two up top

United supporters have been clamouring for the manager to play both Patrick Bamford and Nketiah upfront with each other, and it looked as if we were moving towards that eventuality.

Indeed, Bielsa had said in one of his press conferences that he could get both in the team by playing one behind the other, and it seemed as if he was considering using that tactic in the near future.

However, the 64-year-old has previously complained that he’s not been able to see how the pair would work together in training due to Nketiah’s England U21 duties as well as fixture congestion.

It seemed as if Leeds would have had a perfect opportunity to work on playing both strikers together this week, but that simply can’t happen now that Nketiah is injured.

Why being the away goalkeeper at Leeds is the toughest job in football in the video below…

Tactical setback

With Football Insider reporting that Nketiah will be out for over a fortnight, that means Bielsa won’t be able to experiment with a two up top tactic in training.

They say that the striker will have to convince the staff of his fitness after the upcoming international break, but even if he does there may not be a chance to train this new style for another couple of weeks as the Whites have to play three games in eight days after the break is over.

If Leeds are to use this new formation it won’t be for a little while, and that’s partly down to the injury Nketiah has suffered.

Not only is this a setback for the 20-year-old, it’s also a huge one both tactically and in terms of the potential of their attack.

After all, Bamford is now ten games without finding the back of the net.