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Ange Postecoglou took charge of his first Celtic training session on Thursday as he begins to assess his squad and where he feels improvements could be made.

With Scott Brown no longer at the club, central midfield could be somewhere he looks to strengthen with fellow Australian, Aaron Mooy, mounted as good option by former Newcastle United defender Steve Howey.

Mooy has spent the last 10 months out in the Chinese Super League with Shanghai Port who signed him for £4.05 million from Brighton, having made 22 appearances for the south coast club, and he has been linked with a move to Glasgow to play under fellow countryman Postecoglou.

The 30-year-old was a Manchester City player when he was starring at Huddersfield Town during their remarkable promotion season, which saw them finish the campaign with a negative goal difference and not winning a match in 90 minutes during the play-offs.

Brown leaving Celtic will have left a huge hole in the dressing room as well as on the pitch, so adding someone with Mooy’s experience and technical ability could certainly help soften the blow and he could turn out to be a good signing, according to Howey who spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“I always thought he was good at Huddersfield and if his standard hasn’t dropped from playing in China, then going to Celtic could be a good move for him.”

Mooy, who has 43 caps for Australia, was hugely influential during his 120 appearances for the Terriers and when they were relegated into the Championship, the Australian international got a move to Brighton where he only ended up making 32 appearances before jetting off to China.

His time in China will have been disrupted because of the pandemic and he may want to leave and get back to playing regular football and try and help Celtic regain their crown at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.

West Bromwich Albion are interested in a deal to bring Emiliano Marcondes to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Express, who claim that Valerian Ismael is keen to add more firepower to his Albion side in the summer transfer window, with the out of contract Brentford attacking midfielder thought to be a target of the 45-year-old.

It is reported that Ismael had been considering a move the former Denmark U21 international in his time at Barnsley, with the Frenchman believed to have retained his interest following his move to Albion.

Ismael must move

Having joined Brentford from FC Nordsjaelland back in January of 2018, Marcondes went on to feature 97 times for Thomas Frank’s side, scoring seven goals and laying on 13 assists for his teammates.

Last season, the £2.52m-rated man once again impressed over his 31 Championship appearances for the Bees, scoring one goal, registering two assists and creating three big chances, as well as taking an average of 0.8 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £12k-per-week 26-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.75, playing a huge part in Brentford going on to achieve promotion to the Premier League.

As such, with Ismael undoubtedly hoping to build a side in the summer transfer window that is capable of going on to secure an immediate return to the top flight of English football next season, the addition of a player Frank dubbed a “fantastic” talent would appear to provide the Baggies with a huge boost to their chances of going on to achieve this feat.

Furthermore, with the attacking midfielder being available on a free transfer, he would also represent something of a bargain signing for the club, something that will allow Ismael to bring in a greater number of his transfer targets this summer – leading us to believe the Frenchman should do all he can to get a deal over the line for Marcondes.

In other news: West Brom dealt transfer blow over “confident” £8k-p/w machine, Ismael will be gutted

Crystal Palace have finally appointed a new manager to succeed Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park in the shape of Patrick Vieira, but a tough job awaits the Arsenal legend.

The former Nice boss has filled the vacancy in south London after the likes of Nuno Espirito Santo and Lucien Favre turned down the chance to lead the Eagles into a new era.

While it’s certainly an exciting time for the capital club, much work is needed to be done in the transfer market over the coming months after several departures.

Many senior players left Palace after their contracts expired last month, and although some may yet be offered new deals, Vieira will undoubtedly need to bring in several fresh faces to bolster his options.

His task will be made even trickier if talisman Wilfried Zaha is granted his wish and gets a move away from his boyhood club, although the proceeds from his sale could fund a major squad overhaul.

With that in mind, how could Vieira’s starting XI look next season once the summer transfer window has concluded?

Here’s our prediction…

Spanish shot-stopper Vicente Guaita has been one of the Eagles’ standout performers in recent years and, the 34-year-old is expected to keep his place between the sticks next season.

The full-back positions are also likely to be occupied by familiar faces, with highly-rated 21-year-old Tyrick Mitchell on the left and experienced campaigner Martin Kelly on the opposite flank.

Kelly’s position is expected to come under threat from a new arrival, although rumours surrounding a new right-back have been eerily quiet so far, and the departures of Joel Ward and Nathanial Clyne leave him as the only current option.

It’s at centre-back where Vieira is going to be required to strengthen most. Gary Cahill, Scott Dann and Mamadu Sakho have all walked out the Selhurst Park exit door, leaving James Tomkins as the only central defender on the books.

As a result, at least two new centre-halves will be required in south London, and Nottingham Forest’s Joe Worrall has been linked with a £10 million move in recent weeks.

He could be partnered by the highly-rated Chelsea youngster Marc Guehi after a successful loan spell at Swansea City last term, and with the Blues valuing him at £15m, we think Vieira would be happy to sanction both deals.

Another Chelsea youngster who could be on the move this summer is Conor Gallagher. The England Under-21 international is expected to command a £15m fee, and he’d offer energy just ahead of the experienced Luka Milivojevic.

Alongside Gallagher could be Juventus star Aaron Ramsey. The Wales international has been linked with an £8.5m move to Palace, and the pull of working under a former Arsenal great could attract the 30-year-old to the capital club.

In attack, Wilfried Zaha’s potential £40m sale could allow Vieira to re-build his side’s forward line with Eberechi Eze set for a long spell on the sidelines due to injury.

The Gunners’ Eddie Nketiah and Sassuolo’s Jeremie Boga, both linked with Palace, could bolster their attack in £20m and £34m moves, respectively, while Celtic’s Ryan Christie could arrive for a significantly lower fee (£1m).

And, in other news…Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Crystal Palace transfer update, fans will be delighted 

Leeds United look set to announce the signing of Junior Firpo from Barcelona in the coming days, which will be a huge boost for Marcelo Bielsa ahead of next season.

According to Adam Crafton of The Athletic, Firpo has arrived in England to complete his £12.8m move from the La Liga giants, with a deal likely to be announced this week after he completes a medical.

Bielsa’s side have seen off interest from AC Milan and Southampton in order to sign the former Real Betis man, who was never really able to impose himself at the Nou Camp, playing second fiddle to Jordi Alba for the majority of his time at the Catalan club.

In total, he would make just 41 appearances for Barcelona in his two seasons at the club, contributing two goals and three assists in that time.

However, he was highly regarded during his time at Real Betis and at just 24-years-old, still has plenty of time to realise his potential with Leeds United.

When he first signed for Barcelona, former Betis and Barcelona manager Quique Setien sang his praises, saying:

“Barca have made a good deal. It’s a boy with enormous potential, youth, desire, excitement and quality. He’s worth the gamble.

“He will make progress at Barca because he has the desire and potential for growth. He has things to improve, of course.

“Barca have made an excellent deal. He has some qualities to polish, and good things that will come in handy.”

Whilst things didn’t work out for him at the Nou Camp, these quotes certainly bode well for his future at Elland Road, and Leeds fans will surely be excited to see him join.

Considering Ezgjan Alioski featured at left-back for much of last season but has now left the club after his contract expired, an upgrade was required at left-back, and Leeds have acted very quickly to bring in a player of Firpo’s quality, which will delight Bielsa and the Elland Road faithful.

Left-back could have been a problem area going into next season, but Leeds have acted quickly to address it and that will be music to the ears of their veteran manager.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Raphinha: Orta should seal Leeds summer swoop for “very talented” wonderkid

QPR are reportedly not pursuing a deal for Sheffield Wednesday forward Josh Windass, according to West London Sport. 

What’s the story?

The Rs finished the 2020/21 season ninth in the Championship table, and will be hoping they can build on a hugely impressive second-half of that campaign under the management of Mark Warburton.

QPR finished that season strongly, and the club’s supporters will have every reason to believe that they could mount a serious push for promotion into the Premier League next term.

Warburton has already acted swiftly in making Charlie Austin’s loan spell a permanent one, with the 32-year-old catching the eye with a number of strong showings whilst at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on a temporary basis from West Brom.

But QPR were rumoured to be interested in a deal to sign Windass ahead of the new Championship campaign, as Warburton looked to add depth to his attacking options over the summer, which could have potentially been a strong addition to the QPR team.

It’s a bold transfer stance to take by QPR

Windass still has one year remaining on his contract with Darren Moore’s side, and Sheffield Wednesday are seemingly keen to keep him at the club for the upcoming League One season, with Dejphon Chansiri reportedly valuing Windass in the region of £5million, which is likely to ward off any interest in his signature.

Windass was branded as ‘explosive’ by his father Dean Windass in a previous interview with Football FanCast, and he could have been the ideal signing for the Rs to take them to the next level.

The 27-year-old netted ten goals and was on hand to provide six assists in 44 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday last term, although his efforts weren’t quite enough to see the Owls avoid relegation into the third tier of English football.

QPR have both Charlie Austin and Lyndon Dykes as their main attacking options, but they could certainly have benefitted from adding strength in depth to their frontline this summer, and Windass would have provided them with just that.

Sheffield Wednesday are playing a risky game over Windass’ future though, as they’re likely to be pricing him out of a move away from Hillsborough this year, whilst also running the risk of losing him for nothing at the end of the 2021/22 season.

QPR’s rumoured stance on Windass is a somewhat surprising one though, and it’ll be interesting to see whether that could change in the future if another interested party was to register a formal bid for his services this summer.

It’s exactly why fans of the side may be worried at the prospect of missing out on a player like Windass, and what he could have potentially done at the club in terms of strengthening Warburton’s attacking options.

For now though, the Rs will be looking to make a positive start to the new Championship season, when they take on London-based rivals Millwall on the opening day of the campaign, in what is likely to be a closely-fought battle between both teams.

Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach has shared an update on Ralph Hasenhuttl’s plans for Shane Long this summer, with it looking likely that he will depart Southampton on a permanent deal.

What’s the word?

In a Q and A session with Saints fans, Leach shared his thoughts on Long’s future with Southampton, after the 34-year-old striker spent the second half of last season on loan with Bournemouth in the Championship.

He said:

“As things stand, Shane Long is training with the first team at Staplewood and has been front and centre of their pre-season preparations.

“It looks likely, at this stage, that he will leave this summer but Hasenhuttl is open to watching him during these early weeks, as he is with all his returning loan players.

“However, Long is not currently in his plans and will have plenty of Championship interest.”

Should Southampton sell Long?

Last season saw Long manage just 201 minutes of Premier League action across 11 appearances, in which he failed to contribute a single goal or assist.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-southampton-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Southampton transfer rumours and news!”]

The Irishman has never been a consistent goalscorer for Southampton, with the 10 goals he managed in the 2015/16 season the only time he has managed double digits in the Premier League, so it is somewhat strange that he has remained at the club for this long.

Whilst he was a useful squad player to have in the past, at 34, it seems clear that Long is no longer of any use to Hasenhuttl, and considering he reportedly earns £60k per week at St Mary’s, it would be for the best if he was let go this summer, even if it meant sacrificing any sort of transfer fee.

He did however manage two goals in 11 appearances whilst on loan at Bournemouth last season, so it is no surprise that some Championship clubs are keen to take a chance on him this summer, so hopefully, this update from Leach means that Southampton are well on their way to getting rid of him good, which fans will be delighted with considering his lack of impact in recent seasons.

And, in other news… Carlton Palmer suggests Saints should sell this star player…

Leeds United have opened talks to sign FC Midtjylland midfielder Jens Cajuste, and he’s a transfer target that could be a really shrewd buy for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

What’s the story?

According to Swedish publication Expressen, the likes of Leeds, Wolves, Newcastle and Crystal Palace are all in discussions to sign Cajuste this summer, with interest from English sides having intensified in recent weeks.

The report adds that Cajuste’s non-involvement in Midtjylland’s Champions League qualifying clash on Tuesday night was an indication of the Danish club not wanting to risk anything ahead of a potential move for their 21-year-old starlet.

Wins more duels than Kalvin Phillips

Able to play as a holding midfielder or slightly further forward as he did last season, Cajuste could arrive as the player to take the burden off Kalvin Phillips’ shoulder in the engine room.

The Whites looked a shadow of themselves without the England international running things in the middle of the park, with Leeds winning just two of the eight Premier League games that he missed in the 2020/2021 campaign.

But in Cajuste, they could get that steady presence who could fill those shoes whenever needed.

A profile done by Leeds Live, said of him: “Cajuste is an all-action midfielder whose attributes look ready-made for Premier League football. Tough tackling, close control and accurate passing are seen as his main strengths but he offers everything you would want in a player of his position.

“Standing at 6 foot 2, he is dominant both in the air and on the surface which would provide vital stability in the middle of the park for Leeds. The 21-year-old also enjoys exhibiting his flair with a number of fancy but effective touches and passes being a particular stand-out feature of his overall game.”

In fact, as per Sofascore, Cajuste actually won more duels per game last season than his Leeds counterpart (5.6 to 5.3), while he also had a marginally better success rate in those 50/50s too, winning 56% compared to Phillips’ 52%.

The 21-year-old Sweden international is the kind of combative player that Bielsa desperately needs to bolster his midfield ranks, especially when Phillips could do with a breather or finds himself on the side-lines with injury.

It’s exactly why the Leeds boss will be buzzing that the Whites have opened talks over signing the midfielder this summer.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped a Leeds United update…

The 2021 transfer window is upon us but the big question being asked by soccer fans throughout the world is how will the after effects of the Covid-19 pandemic change things for major football clubs throughout Europe this summer?

Here’s what we do know. According to a recent report by UEFA, the pandemic cost the top football clubs in Europe roughly eight billion Euros which equals approximately $9.78 billion. The main reasons for the loss in revenue was due to cancelled matches, matches played in front of empty stadiums and stadiums that could only have a fraction of a full house, a loss of sponsorship and a loss in broadcast revenues.

While we were still in the grips of the pandemic, major clubs cut spending significantly mostly due to the uncertainty surrounding when play would resume, how many fans would be allowed to attend and how much revenue would eventually be lost due to the disruption in the season.

Statistically, teams reduced spending by approximately 56 percent during the January 2021 transfer window as compared to the previous year. During the summer of 2020 transfer window, spending was down by 39 percent as compared to 2019.

Now, things are returning to something resembling normal as vaccine rollouts spread throughout places like Europe, America, and the rest of the world. We’re even beginning to see signs of life from related industries in the sports realm.  Merchandise and team apparel has seen a spike as well as people’s interest in sportsbook wagering.  There has been a surge of adverts by pub owners and oddsmakers offering incentives like free NFL picks, for the American fans, and unique betting opportunities for football fanatics, including a projected date for a full return to normalcy for European football.

In the short term, however, because revenues are still down and there is still come uncertainty about what lies ahead, it is likely that we will still see reduced spending from major football clubs throughout Europe during this summer’s transfer window.

Still, because this is a competition, it would only take one club that chooses to spend freely to get other organizations to try to keep up and obtain top players to match some of their biggest rivals.

We have already seen some early moves made that indicate that things are starting to pick up again. For example, Liverpool FC has signed former Leipzig star Ibrahima Konate in exchange for a transfer fee of 41.5 million euros.

Bayern Munich also signed Dayot Upamecano away from Leipzig for 42.5 million euros. Again, we see some rather expensive moves being made for star players despite the decrease in revenue this past year throughout the sport.

The most likely outcome is that spending on transfers will increase over last summer but still not quite return to pre-pandemic levels. That means teams will be a little more prudent in their spending. They will still try to acquire the top level players and they are also likely to make some inexpensive moves, but the solid middle class of players will likely be hurt the most by this situation.

In the end, this change is likely to be temporary and if the Covid-19 pandemic continues to wane, things should be back to normal next season. But for now, expect some adjustments by major football clubs across Europe during this summer transfer period.

Ravel Morrison was once described by Sir Alex Ferguson as the “the best kid he’s ever seen”, and Dean Windass believes that another Manchester United great, Wayne Rooney, should give him a chance at Derby.

Morrison, still just 28-years-old, has played for no less than 11 different clubs since leaving Old Trafford nine years ago, but has spent just a single season at all but one of those.

His last adventure was a brief stint with Dutch outfit ADO Den Haag, but he played just five times across all competitions.

Morrison has played a limited amount of football in recent seasons but is currently on trial with the Rams as he looks to finally fulfil at least some of his incredible potential.

He has started each of Derby’s two pre-season friendlies, playing the first hour against Man United before 72 minutes in Saturday’s defeat at Salford United.

Rooney’s side are currently under a transfer embargo, but Morrison is a free agent following his release from Den Haag back in January, meaning he could become an option for the Derby boss should he impress in the coming weeks.

Windass exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Rooney could be perfect for the troubled United academy graduate:

“The boy has got so much ability. He’s had his off the field problems, but Wayne will know him, and will know what a talent he is.

“Maybe he needs a Wayne Rooney, who will go ‘come on, the penny has got to drop with you some time. Do you want to come and play in the Championship with me?’

“Everyone makes mistakes, you don’t become a bad player overnight. He would be a great signing for Derby, so let’s have a look and see what his attitude is like.”

Former Newcastle United star Steve Howey believes that Sean Longstaff’s contract situation will give him extra motivation to perform at a high level this season.

The midfielder’s current deal expires at the end of the upcoming campaign, sparking fears at St James’ Park that he could well leave on a free transfer next summer.

Longstaff has emerged as a key player for the club in recent seasons and has made a total of 69 appearances, scoring four goals and laying on four assists.

He played 22 times in the Premier League last term and Howey believes that he will be keen to show exactly what he can do this season, either to earn a new contract or potentially convince another club to try to sign him on a free transfer.

And that may, in turn, ultimately work in Newcastle’s favour, as they look to improve on last term’s 12th-placed finish.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Howey said: “I think it’s up to the player himself to make sure that he has a very, very good season. Because somebody that’s promised a lot when he first broke into the team, obviously had a dip in form, there’s injuries and stuff like that which happens, which is totally understandable.

“Now, he could hold all the cards because obviously he’s coming to the last year of his contract. If he has a really good season, then he can either pick the club that he wants to go to or he could be saying to Newcastle, ‘well listen, I want X, Y, and Z’ and it’s up to the club so I think it’s in his own interests if he has a really good season.”