All posts by z3u9t.icu

If you thought the ongoing manager saga at Celtic was providing enough drama, then think again.

The Bhoys hierarchy have been on the hunt for a new manager for nearly three months now but that might not be the only thing Dermot Desmond has on his mind anymore.

What’s the word?

As well as being locked in negotiations to bring Eddie Howe to Paradise, Celtic have been keen to bring in a figure to take on their newly created director of football role.

It’s thought that Fergal Harkin and Richard Hughes are among the contenders but the root of Celtic’s problems stem far deeper than their transfer history.

After all, it is Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell who call the vast majority of the shots.

Lawwell will retire at the end of the season with Dominic McKay arriving to replace him but could a reduced role be on the cards for Desmond as well?

Well, after an audacious claim from the Notorious himself, Mr Conor McGregor, there could be a further change on the cards at Celtic.

Taking to Twitter in the early hours of Monday morning, the MMA superstar revealed that he wanted to invest in the Hoops after being asked whether he could get involved with Manchester United.

The UFC fighter said: “A conversation came up regarding Celtic first to be honest. To acquire shares from Dermot Desmond. I am certainly interested in acquiring a sports team at some stage! Both Celtic and Man United are teams I like for sure. But I am open. I feel I could do big things for a club.”

Time to sell?

McGregor may not have a background in football but if Dermot Desmond’s influence on Celtic is waning, it can only be a good thing for the Bhoys.

The Irishman appears to care about the club, regularly being snapped in Celtic jerseys while he previously professed his love for Kieran Tierney during an interview.

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That said, if Desmond does indeed decide to sell some of his shares, it would be a pleasing sight for supporters regardless of who it was going to.

After all, the businessman has left Celtic in the lurch in recent years with mass protests occurring outside Parkhead against his ownership.

The club’s majority shareholder was questioned about his stake as recently as March but his response was defiant.

“I am as passionate about Celtic as any other supporter. My shares are not for sale,” he commented.

Desmond may have been in charge of the club during their haul of nine Premiership titles in a row but it’s hard to argue that things behind the scenes have been run very well.

It was he, alongside Ian Bankier and Lawwell, who sanctioned the arrival of Neil Lennon back in 2019.

Celtic had just been given £10m in compensation fees for Brendan Rodgers but they decided against being ambitious and investing that back into finding a renowned manager. The result of which has been a disastrous season where they now sit 23 points off top spot.

Whether it be transfer strategies or coaching appointments, the Glaswegian’s have been run poorly for a while now.

To have a new investor on board with fresh and ambitious ideas would be a bright sign of hope for the Hoops.

AND in other news, Celtic interview “outstanding” 63 y/o for manager role, Hoops fans should be buzzing…

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit and Sky Sports regular Kevin Phillips has reacted to claims involving West Ham United star Declan Rice after club insider Claret & Hugh shared Manchester United’s rather bizarre new transfer stance.

The Lowdown: United interest cools for Rice

Recently, insider C&H shared news from United in regards to a swoop for star man Rice – with the outlet claiming that Red Devils scouts are having second thoughts over the price tag and his lack of pace.

This comes after heavy links with a move to Old Trafford, with the 22-year-old West Ham star also attracting recent interest from the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Any club that comes in for Rice would have invest heavily, however, as GSB apparently value him upwards of £100 million.

The Latest: Phillips reacts to Rice claim

In reaction to C&H’s claim involving United scouts and West Ham’s star asset, Phillips is amazed over the alleged stance on Rice from United officials.

However, he also believes this could come as ‘great news’ for the Irons overall.

“I do not think it is a fair assessment saying Rice is too slow,” he explained to FI.

“I think he covers the ground quite well. He is a bit like Jordan Henderson. It is not his kind of role.

“It amazes me when people say he is too slow. Look at McTominay, I’d say Declan is a bit quicker than him.

“It is great news for West Ham though. The more that pull out the better for them! David Moyes will be hoping they all think he is too slow!”

The Verdict: West Ham should be overjoyed…

One big fear for West Ham is losing Rice in the summer and it’s safe to say his exit would be a huge blow to manager David Moyes.

A lot will depend on whether the Irons secure European qualification at the end of this season, and a previously unprecedented surge into the Champions League places could increase the odds of Rice committing his future.

C&H’s news that United scouts have took a bizarre fresh stance on star man definitely comes a boost given that’s one less horse allegedly dropping out of the race.

Phillips certainly has every right to call it ‘great news’ for West Ham.

In other news: West Ham fans want this prolific star signed, find out more here.

Kieran Maguire has reacted to the news that Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley claimed between £100,001 and £250,000 in February as part of the United Kingdom government’s furlough scheme.

The Lowdown: Ashley makes use of scheme

The global pandemic has wreaked havoc across Britian over the past year or so, with many being unable to work as result. As such, the UK government introduced a furlough scheme which allowed business owners to pay their staff via their funds.

However, Ashley decided to use the scheme even though he has the money to pay his employees himself. It has now been revealed he claimed between £100,001 and £250,000 during the month of February (www.gov.uk).

The Athletic reported that Newcastle have continued to receive state funding despite no public acknowledgement of their use of the furlough scheme.

The Latest: Maguire says it is “awkward”

Speaking to Football Insider, football finance expert Maguire has said that the news is “uncomfortable” for Ashley. He said:

“There is a case for saying that if football clubs are legally permitted to use furlough, what’s all the fuss about?

“The furlough scheme’s proper title is the ‘job retention scheme’. If in the long term this helps to retain jobs in Newcastle, you can see the benefit.

“From Mike Ashley’s point of view, he’s desperate to sell Newcastle. If this is a way of getting some more money into the club, why would he not do it?

“If he’s coped with all the criticism that’s come his way historically, this will be water off a duck’s back.

“It’s an awkward one, however. It looks uncomfortable.

“The sums involved are actually quite small. If it’s £100,000-a-month for a year, it works out as around 1.5 per cent of the total wage bill.

“For the clubs that have turned it down, they have probably benefitted in terms of their relationship with the fans.

“Ashley has no relationship with the Newcastle fans that can ever be resurrected. So he’s just said: ‘Sod you lot, I’ll do what’s best for my wallet’.”

The Verdict: Are we surprised?

It is hard to be too surprised by this latest news – it has long been known that Ashley puts profit above all else (The Mag). That is one of the many reasons why so many Newcastle fans are desperate for him to sell the club and leave St James’ Park (The Guardian), and who can blame them?

It must also be made clear that Ashley was not the only owner to take advantage of the scheme – both Daniel Levy at Tottenham (ITV) and John Henry at Liverpool (france24.com) went down the same path. The difference in both of those cases, though, is that they eventually changed their minds, whereas Ashley seemingly has no intention of doing that.

In other news, Newcastle are interested in signing this Premier League forward.

Former Premier League striker Marcus Bent has told The Transfer Tavern that one cannot rule out the possibility of Mauricio Pochettino returning to Tottenham Hotspur, with his verdict being “you never know”.

The club are on the lookout for a new manager after sacking Jose Mourinho amid a poor Premier League season.

Ryan Mason is in interim charge of the club at this stage, and he oversaw the club’s 2-0 win over Wolves at the weekend to keep alive Spurs’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Pochettino was sacked in 2019, with Mourinho appointed in his stead less than 24 hours later.

He is now at PSG but he is somewhat struggling to take the club to the Ligue 1 title.

With just one game of the season left, against Brest, PSG are second, a point behind Lille, who face Angers on the final day of the campaign.

They have also been eliminated from the Champions League at the semi-final stage, though Pochettino did win the French Cup after beating AS Monaco in the final during the week.

Bent believes it may be too early to discuss a potential return to north London for the former Spurs boss, but he has not discounted the prospect of him eventually being back at the club.

Speaking exclusively to TT, he said: “You never know. But I think it’s too soon. I think they’ve got to give him more of a chance.

“They did go out [of the Champions League] but obviously, to get to the semi-final is an achievement in itself so he’s doing something right.

“I think the players are behind him, they do play some good football but I think that’s one we’re going to have to look at and speak about at a later stage.”

Leicester City’s hopes of finishing in a Champions League qualification place were extinguished on Sunday afternoon after they fell to a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur.

It was a desperately disappointing end to an otherwise outstanding campaign for the Foxes, who lifted their first-ever FA Cup crown just a few weeks ago.

For much of the season, it seemed inevitable that Brendan Rodgers’ men would finish inside the Premier League’s top four and return to Europe’s elite cup competition for the first time since 2016/17, but defeats to Newcastle United, Chelsea and Spurs in their final four league games saw them end up in fifth place.

It’s the second consecutive campaign where the Midlands outfit have missed out on a Champions League spot on the last day of the season, however, this one may hurt Rodgers even more, given Leicester led on two occasions over the weekend.

Chelsea’s defeat to Aston Villa meant three points would have seen the 2016 Premier League champions leapfrog the Blues in the top-flight table, and it seemed as though that would be the case with under 15 minutes of action remaining.

That was until a rare goalkeeping howling from Kasper Schmeichel badly let Rodgers and his teammates down. The 34-year-old shot-stopper punched the ball into the back of his own net when attempting to clear a corner, levelling the scores in the 79th minute.

As per SofaScore, the Denmark international received a rating of 5.4/10, by far the lowest score awarded to any player on the King Power pitch.

The big error topped off an underwhelming display from the usually dependable keeper. He let in four goals, he only had a passing accuracy of just 68%, and managed to pick out a teammate with only four of his 11 attempted long balls.

Fortunately for the Foxes, this kind of display is certainly infrequent as far as Schmeichel is concerned, and he received the backing of his manager after a mistake against Burnely a few months back.

“He’s been brilliant for me in my time here, there’s moments where it looks like it’s going to be a goal and he pulls off a save,” said Rodgers. “His concentration and his desire to stop the ball going in the net is so good.

“He always produces for us, he’s absolutely outstanding when he had to be here. That’s why he’s one of the top keepers at this level.”

The Leicester fans will surely forgive their great Dane on this occasion, given his past heroics, but it will still be a disappointing way to end 2020/21 nonetheless and it was, all in all, a hopeless performance from one of the club’s modern-day legends, a performance that cost his side a Champions League place.

And, in other news…Lost 60% of his duels: £21.6m-rated Leicester City lightweight badly let Rodgers down 

Arsenal are thought to be keeping tabs on Crystal Palace left-back Tyrick Mitchell, according to The Athletic.

And, as to be expected, the transfer links has had a number of Eagles fans talking on social media.

The Athletic ran a piece on Saturday, looking at the Gunners’ transfer plans for the summer.

It is thought a left-back to challenge Kieran Tierney is high up on their list, with Mitchell and Hibernian’s Josh Doig two names mentioned.

Arsenal have reportedly watched both players in action, however, Mitchell and Doig aren’t thought to be their first-choice target.

Mitchell is under contract at Selhurst Park until 2025 and ended the season as first-choice at left-back under Roy Hodgson, at the expense of Patrick van Aanholt. The 21-year-old is currently valued at £4.5m and has made 24 senior appearances for the club to date.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared the Gunners’ interest in Mitchell on Twitter on Saturday lunchtime.

This is what these Palace supporters had to say in reply, with one describing the full-back as ‘priceless’.

“£50m or go away”Credit: @RRcpfc”Tyrick is priceless in my mind. Not sure he has the potential to play for the top 6 but is most definitely a prem player so why sell? It’s a free left back for the next 10 years. If he’s not gonna play at some higher level we never have a need to sell him”Credit: @ElGaeito”Ermmm nope go away Arsenal”Credit: @mandyswagsta”And the lies go on”Credit: @CPFCMax9″£60m should do it. Never like selling youngsters but this is what Cat 1 can do for us. They break into our first team, do well and get sold for tonnes to “bigger” clubs. Hopefully during that time we can improve as a team and It’s sustainability. Promote Hannam and give him a go”Credit: @D_Shootz”Arsenal lol”Credit: @RoccoSeipel

In other news: Many CPFC fans react to club’s interest in Spanish midfielder, find out more here. 

Sheffield Wednesday must work to secure a deal for Southampton’s 19-year-old centre-back David Agbontohoma after Lee Bullen confirmed that a contract offer is on the table for the defender.

What’s the talk?

Under-23’s head coach Lee Bullen has revealed that Wednesday have spoken to Agbontohoma and made a formal offer to the centre-back. Bullen has said that he was impressed by the “powerful” youngster when he saw him play and believes that he would suit Darren Moore’s style of play. He told Yorkshire Live:

“The latest thing on David is that he went and played a game at Stoke, but we’ve made a formal offer to him.

“We’re just waiting to hear back from David, and I think there has been a counter-offer come back, but I don’t know exactly where we are with it.

“We’re not going to be throwing bucketloads of money about, especially at U23 level. I really liked what I saw, I thought there was big room for improvement, and I think that he plays the way that Darren Moore would like to play – and he’s also big, powerful and quick

“We’d love to have him on board, but ultimately the decision is in their boat.”

He won’t cost a penny

Agbontohoma is out of contract this summer and Yorkshire Live claim that he is expected to depart from St. Mary’s upon the expiry of his deal at the club. This means that Sheffield Wednesday will not have to pay a transfer fee to bring the centre-back to Hillsborough ahead of next season and will avoid, as Bullen explains, spending bucketloads of money on new additions.

They can add a promising young centre-back to their ranks and he won’t cost them a penny in transfer fees. Sheffield Wednesday just need to make sure that they have offered him the right wages and bonuses to get him to sign across the dotted line. Bullen has said that a counter-offer has come back, although he does not know where they are with that but Wednesday should meet his demands, as long as they are not hugely unreasonable for an under-23’s player.

The centre-back may not be a player for the first-team next season, but that does not mean that this is not a good deal for the club. Agbontohoma made 18 appearances for Southampton’s under-23 side this season, including two appearances against senior sides in the EFL Trophy, which suggests that he could be a player primed for the youth ranks next term.

However, at the age of 19, he has plenty of years left ahead of him to develop and as Bullen says, he has the qualities Moore looks for in a defender which could make him the ideal player to bring in and develop into a first-team option in the coming years.

AND in other news, this pundit is backing £10k-p/w ace to fire SWFC to glory next year

The outlook at Molineux will look incredibly different next season as Wolves prepare for life without Nuno Santo.

Their manager of four successful years has departed but he may not be the last familiar face to walk through the exit door.

What’s the word?

Nuno left the Midlands as a result of the club’s transfer plans this summer. He endured a feud with Jeff Shi after the former Wolves boss was told that he wouldn’t have much to spend in the window.

The Portuguese was informed that in order to spend big they’d have to sell some of their prized assets.

One such player is Ruben Neves, a man Wolves are searching for £35m in order to sell during the coming months.

Fresh news has ramped up the midfielder’s exit from Molineux after various sources declared that Arsenal were interested.

The Times claim that work has begun on a deal to sign him while The Athletic understands that contact has been made between the two clubs.

Devastating blow

Neves has been the beating heart of everything good associated with Wolves since he became the club’s then-record signing in 2017.

Nuno had brought the captain of Porto and one of the most exciting young players in Europe to a Championship side.

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The move raised eyebrows and he’s continued to do so with some captivating and memorable goals from distance throughout his time in England.

The 24-year-old may have taken a step down from being linked with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool but to lose him to a club that finished below them in the 2019/20 Premier League campaign won’t go down well.

Indeed, supporters have already taken to Twitter in the wake of his potential departure to voice their displeasure. One fan claimed Wolves would be looking at a relegation battle if they sold their best players while another stated that the dream would be over.

It’s easy to see why the fan base holds this point of view. Neves has long been the quarterback of this Wolves side, a player who can dictate the tempo of the game and dominate the midfield.

Even more frustrating to the Old Gold will be his current form. This was the Portugal international’s best season at Wolves for attacking numbers since they were promoted to the Premier League.

The midfielder scored five goals and had more shots on target per 90 minutes (0.47) than he’s managed since the Midlands outfit were in the second tier.

Neves also produced more shot-creating actions per 90 this season – a pass, dribble or foul that led to a shooting opportunity – than he ever has in the Premier League with 2.09.

That not only demonstrates that he’s getting better but it also shows he’s adding a further layer to his game.

Wolves supporters should be absolutely gutted if Neves packs his bags and heads for the departure lounge this term. He is vitally important to their play.

AND in other news, Better than Vitinha: Wolves must sign £13.5m-rated gem who was nicknamed Maradona…

Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce is eyeing a move for Arsenal centre-back William Saliba in the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

After conceding a whopping 62 goals in the Premier League last season – only four teams had a worse record – it’s no surprise that the Magpies are keen to reinforce the centre of defence this summer.

According to the Daily Mail, Bruce has his sights set on Saliba, who is yet to play a competitive game for Arsenal after spending time on loan at Saint-Etienne and Nice back in his native France.

The report added that “the 20-year-old is waiting on a decision from Mikel Arteta about whether he figures in the manager’s first team plans for next season with interest mounting in the centre back.”

Fans would love him

Described as someone with “cold blood” for the way he defends so calmly and with intent, the £17m-rated Saliba is the kind of centre-back signing which would likely have Newcastle fans raving.

The 1.93m (6 foot 4) powerhouse has excelled in his time away from Arsenal, proving why he is one of European football’s most promising centre-backs – during the 2020/21 season with Nice in Ligue 1, he was dribbled past just once.

His former coach Fabio Frasconi once claimed: “William Saliba will go far, very far. He reminds me of Raphaël Varane”, whilst former Saint-Etienne teammates Yohan Cabaye and Mathieu Debuchy, both former Newcastle players, have also waxed lyrical about him to the Official Ligue 1 podcast.

Debuchy said: “I think he is a great player. He’s strong, with good technique. He’s quick, too. I think he has a lot of quality to play at Arsenal.”

Adrian Ursea, his coach at Nice, added: “You can see he has character and above all, he reassures the others. He’s not vocal, but he’s a leader in his own way.

“To see you a young lad who isn’t even 20 yet playing with such assurance against strikers like Wissam Ben Yedder and Kevin Volland, it really is quite amazing.

“He also gives off a calm air that the team needs. I’m not interested in age. The only question about a rookie is whether he’s a good player or not.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/newcastle-united-steve-bruce-premier-league-magpies-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-st-james-park-mike-ashley-takeover-pif” title=”Read the latest Newcastle transfer rumours and news!”]

Given Newcastle’s struggles defensively last season, Saliba’s potential arrival could go a long way to giving the Magpies a real leader at the back and someone with a tendency to rarely ever be beaten by opponents.

Meanwhile, Steve Bruce must avoid a move for this Premier League star…

A number of Liverpool supporters are keen for the Reds to sell Neco Williams this summer, following a report surrounding his future.

Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to make a few new signings in the next transfer window, with Ibrahima Konate already arriving from RB Leipzig.

While plenty of focus may be on players arriving in the summer, other individuals could head the other way, moving on to pastures new.

One player who has been linked with an exit is Williams, with the Liverpool Echo reporting that as many as five clubs are eyeing up a move for him.

The Welshman made just three starts and a total of six appearances in the Premier League last season, very much playing second fiddle to Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back.

Liverpool fans want Williams to leave

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the situation, saying a move away makes total sense.

“I’ll pay for his petrol money to go to either those teams bruv”

Credit: @virg_vantweeks

“TAKE HIM”

Credit: @beamerrrrr

“I will make my Twitter profile pic a blank image to honour this sale. Pls”

Credit: @DembeReloaded

“Edwards masterclass”

Credit: @_Nkazi_mulo

“Swap him with Max Aarons Norwich RB”

Credit: @Domen128

“Sell him and get a good price for him…he is not good enough – LFC sold the better player to Wolves”

Credit: @JUNIORSTARDUST

In other news, some Liverpool fans are excited after an update on one player. Find out who it is here.