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Celtic’s pursuit of a permanent deal for Jota could be ‘close to reaching completion’, according to The Daily Record. 

The lowdown: Busy Hoops

Celtic have had a busy January transfer window so far, with four deals already completed.

Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda have all arrived from the J1 League, while Johnny Kenny has joined from Irish outfit Sligo Rovers.

The Hoops are also lining up another new face in the form of Charlotte FC midfielder Riley McGree.

And on top of that, they’re hoping to turn summer loan deals for Jota (who belongs to SL Benfica) and Cameron Carter-Vickers (a Tottenham Hotspur player) into permanent moves.

The latest

The Record’s Craig Swan and Michael Gannon write that the club have been in talks with Benfica over a ‘long-term agreement’.

And those discussions ‘have progressed well’, with Jota now described as being on the ‘brink’ of becoming a Celtic player.

It’s thought that he will cost them around £6million, potentially ranking the deal as one of the ten biggest in their history.

The verdict

You could make the argument that tying down Jota would be Celtic’s most important piece of January business so far.

The 22-year-old has proven that he can light up Scottish football, scoring five goals and providing four assists in his first 11 Premiership appearances.

Jota has also shone on the continental stage with four direct goal contributions in his five Europa League group stage outings.

Overall, only Kyogo Furuhashi (15) can boast more goal involvements, and he’s played four more games.

Jota may only get better in the coming years too, and so there’s also significant resale potential here if he keeps playing at the level he has this term.

Ange Postecoglou certainly can’t complain about a lack of backing midway through the season, with the McGree (£2.3million) and Jota deals set to take their January spend to roughly £10.5million.

In other news, Celtic are willing to sell a fan favourite on the cheap.

Lots of Wolves fans have been flocking to transfer news on Dion Sanderson.

Writing in his latest piece for The Athletic, Tim Spiers has revealed that the Midlands club are giving serious consideration to recalling the defender from his loan spell at Birmingham City, at least as cover in January. They would then potentially send him out on loan again if they can get their other centre-backs fit.

Sanderson has done well in the Championship so far this season, ranking highly among his Blues teammates in terms of average interceptions (1.5), clearances (four) and blocks (0.4) per game (WhoScored). Indeed, with Willy Boly’s injury, he could be useful cover at centre-back for Bruno Lage.

However, some Wolves supporters feel as if his good loan spell should not be disrupted, and that they should look to sign central defenders instead.

Wolves fans on Sanderson transfer news

These Wolves fans flocked to the transfer news was it was shared on Twitter:

“I’d be happy to see him given a chance.”

Credit: @dougan_the

“So mess with his development because the board as usual isn’t backing the manager. Shock”

Credit: @ChriWoodward

“Just keep him there and back Lage to bring in some CB’s, because or else we mess with his development. Same happened last season with Morgan Gibbs-White”

Credit: @Wolvoryan04

“Instead of buying a first team CB we are going to stunt the progress of one of our own by making him sit on the bench. Can see the same happening with Gibbs-White and maybe even Giles”

Credit: @WolvesNumber37

“Buy a defender that we’ve needed for years anyway? No mate, let’s recall a settling defender at a Championship club, a penny saved is a penny earned!”

Credit: @SJwolvs

“I’d love this tbh”

Credit: @wwfcbilly

In other news, find out whose display against Burnley was slammed by numerous Wolves fans

A Newcastle United chief has now had a meeting over the potential signing of Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: On fire

Nunez is certainly on fire this season, with 11 goals and two assists in 18 games in total over all competitions for Benfica, including strikes against Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League (Transfermarkt).

His growing reputation has also seen the striker play six times for the Uruguay national team ahead of the likes of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, scoring two goals (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, the 22-year-old certainly has a bright future ahead of him, and may not be playing in Portugal much longer.

The Latest: Nickson meeting

As per Maisfutebol, Head of Recruitment at St. James’ Park, Steve Nickson, has now had a meeting with Benfica president Rui Costa over potentially signing Nunez, but the Portuguese giants do not want to let him go until the summer at least.

The player has a contract with them until June 2025, and has a whopping release clause worth €150m (£127.8m), although it is thought that the starting price for talks would be close to €50m (£42.6m).

The Verdict: Survival

The North East club must avoid relegation down to the Championship before they can even think about signing Nunez in the summer.

Described as an ‘incredible talent’ by sports journalist Maxi Angelo, there will no doubt be other suitors for him, especially given the fact that he has already shown his worth in the Champions League.

Nonetheless, if the Tyneside outfit can survive, then there is no reason that they cannot tempt him to move to the Premier League next summer, and he would certainly be a real signing of intent for their long-term project.

In other news, find out boost NUFC have now received in pursuit of this ‘extraordinary’ star here!

Everton have been going through a rough patch with injuries recently, with star striker Dominic Calvert Lewin side-lined since the beginning of the season.

Rafa Benitez’s side currently sit 11th in the Premier League after a bad run of form winning just four games so far this season.

There is no doubt that the large list of injuries has had an adverse effect on the Toffees, but Rafa Benitez will be thrilled that they seem to be on the other side of their crisis, with Richarlison and Yerry Mina already back in training ahead of the return of the Premier League.

Everton have been suffering defensive frustrations, leaking cheap goals, and at the other end of the pitch, not scoring enough to edge the three points needed, both Richarlison and Mina will be the perfect solutions for those issues going forward, but face huge competition in a number of difficult fixtures before Christmas.

The Blues will face Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City in the next few weeks and will be hoping to pick up points to tackle their tight top half of the table challenge.

One highly anticipated, long-awaited return that Rafa will be hoping to revive Everton’s season by unleashing £40.5m rated, Dominic Calvert Lewin.

The Everton frontman is renowned for his passion and performances in big games, of which Everton have plenty to come, there is no doubt the return of the forward would be a massive boost for the side, reigniting the confident attacking threat and dominance that the side are crying out for.

The 24-year-old striker was only tipped to be out of action for 2 or 3 weeks when he sustained an injury in August and has missed ten games so far following a setback in his rehabilitation.

Calvert Lewin spoke on Sky Sport’s Monday Night Football recently and discussed his injury woes.

He said: “It’s been so frustrating to start the season with three goals in three games and be sidelined.

“The hardest part is the mental part, to see the lads play and not have an impact. I love scoring goals and that’s what keeps me going in my rehab. It’s difficult.

“Being a player I want to play every game. To watch it, it’s difficult when results don’t go your way and you can’t help.”

However, the target man who was once dubbed a “nightmare” by teammate Richarlison, is supposed to be back in action over the next few weeks and even made comments over the weekend suggesting he could possibly be back for the upcoming Merseyside derby on the 1st of December, which will be a huge relief to Everton fans.

Rafa Benitez will be looking forward to implementing his best players back into his side and hopefully establishing a good run of form to climb the table with the Toffees before the turn of the year. The player who bagged 21 times last term will undoubtedly help revive their fortunes.

In other news: Everton given a boost with return of Yerry Mina

Steven Gerrard risks ‘annoying’ the Aston Villa players with his strict new code of conduct. 

That’s according to the former Manchester City and Leeds United defender Danny Mills, who was speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown

The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath revealed last week that Gerrard had banned fizzy drinks, sauces, puddings and hot chocolate after taking over from Dean Smith.

In his first press conference as Villa boss, the 41-year-old spoke of the influence of former Liverpool and Villa boss Gerard Houllier, who had monitored his diet during their time at Anfield. He took it as an indication of ‘what it takes to stay at the top level’.

The latest

Sky Sports pundit Mills insisted that there was no ‘scientific reason’ behind the sauces ban and said that an overly strict regime could frustrate the Villa squad, particularly if there is a downturn in results.

The former England right-back told Football Insider: “It always seems bizarre when a manager goes ‘You’re not having that’. It’s just a punishment.

“There’s no scientific reason to ban ketchup. Do they not think the players are having it at home? OK, fizzy drinks are unnecessary.

“Sometimes it’s just about making a point. It’s about being disciplined. Undoubtedly he wants to make it professional and set the law down.

“You’ve got to make sure you’re coaching is very good and you’re getting the results. They are the annoying niggly little things that can turn against you if you’re not careful.

“If you stop people from having something, they’ll just have it when they got the opportunity. It’s more about education saying ‘Look, these are the choices. This would be a better alternative for you’.”

The verdict

Gerrard isn’t the only new manager to impose such dietary restrictions. Antonio Conte, who was appointed Spurs boss at the beginning of this month, has removed ketchup and mayonnaise from the menu in the club canteen (according to The Times).

It could be said that the Villa boss is taking some inspiration from a coach who has steered his teams to five top-flight titles, and as long as Villa are on the up, it’s hard to see there being many complaints about the high standards imposed by the Liverpool icon. As a legend of the game, he carries that enhanced authority.

In other news, Kevin Campbell talks up this potential Villa signing

Following Manchester City’s 6-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers in the Carabao Cup which saw a number of youth players make their senior debuts for the club and ultimately earn praise from manager Pep Guardiola, who also praised the entire youth academy at the club for the players they have and how they have developed over the years, it’s safe to say that it’s a good time to be a young player there.

One young player who has risen through the ranks at City is Phil Foden, who worked his way through the youth system before making his senior debut in November 2017 in a Champions League match against Feyenoord.

Since then, the 21-year-old, who has been described as “fearless” by Harry Kane, has gone on to make 130 appearances for City across all competitions, scoring 33 goals and providing 24 assists along the way.

In terms of his market value, in January 2018, not long after making his senior debut for the club, Transfermarkt had it listed as £4.5m, whereas it now stands at a massive £72m, highlighting a massive increase and how much he has grown, developed and progressed in his career at the Etihad Stadium.

Foden also won the PFA Young Player of the Year award for his efforts for City last season, while on the international stage, he has made 11 appearances for England’s senior team, scoring two goals and providing three assists in the process.

With recent reports claiming that he is on the brink of putting pen to paper on a new six-year contract, this says to us just how important he has been for the club since making his debut and how much they want him to continue with them for the foreseeable future.

Looking ahead to the future, we feel that if Foden can continue playing regularly for the Premier League champions, picking up more goals, assists and trophies, he has the capability to achieve great things in the game and become a club legend at City, possibly seeing his market value rise even further.

The Englishman could also be seen as a shining example of a young talent making his way through the youth ranks at an elite club and becoming an integral part of their first team at such a young age.

In other news: Guardiola could unearth next KDB at Man City with “intelligent” 18 y/o, he’s a star in waiting

The need for a ‘midfield spark’ might be a ‘more pressing’ priority’ for Celtic in the January transfer window than signing Daizen Maeda, according to The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin.

The lowdown

According to the journalist, there was ‘a painful lack of midfield creativity’ in Celtic’s goalless draw with Livingston at the weekend, a result which saw the Hoops slip four points back from arch-rivals Rangers at the top of the Premiership. SofaScore figures showing that just two of their 16 shots were on target on Saturday illustrate the lack of cutting edge in the final third.

Ange Postecoglou ‘definitely’ wants to strengthen his midfield ranks with at least one addition in January, but Yokohama F Marinos forward Maeda, valued at just £990,000 by Transfermarkt, is also thought to be of interest ahead of the mid-season transfer window.

The latest

In an article for The Athletic, Devlin confirmed Celtic’s interest in the 24-year-old and said that there’s ‘certainly a place’ for him at Parkhead, particularly if one of the club’s existing forward options was to leave.

He thinks that the Japanese international ‘has the attributes to succeed’ under Postecoglou but cited fears that the ‘agonising’ midfield weaknesses on show at Parkhead may need to be addressed first.

The verdict

Maeda looks like he would be a good addition. He has 18 goals in 35 appearances this season, and from a stylistic point of view, he might fill a gap in the Celtic squad.

Indeed, Devlin reckons he would represent ‘more like-for-like support and competition’ for compatriot Kyogo Furuhashi than Giorgos Giakoumakis, who has a different style to his game.

Are the funds there to both snap him up and address this midfield concern, though? Celtic did turn a profit of nearly £14m in the summer transfer window after selling Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer, but that figure needs to be placed in context, as Celtic have also reported a 13.4% decrease in revenue from 2020.

The January transfer window could be a balancing act, and the Hoops may be faced with a choice of either going for Maeda or addressing the midfield concerns highlighted by Devlin.

In other news, Alan Hutton reacts to Celtic’s links with this English Championship ace 

Rafa Benitez led his Everton team to a point at Old Trafford as the Toffees held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

Anthony Martial gave United the lead in the first half with an assured finish inside the box after Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina were dragged inside, with Andros Townsend failing to provide cover for the former.

Excellent play from Demarai Gray created space for Aboulaye Doucoure in the middle and he then threaded the ball through for Townsend to clinically convert the equaliser.

Whilst Townsend may grab the headlines with his Old Trafford strike, Rafa Benitez’s unsung hero was Godfrey at right-back.

The ex-Norwich man is a central defender by trade but did not look out of place at right-back as he impressed in Manchester. He was strong defensively and composed on the ball, almost setting up a late winner for Everton in the second half.

Godfrey controlled the ball 25 yards out and prodded a clever ball through to Tom Davies in acres of space inside the United penalty area, only for the midfielder to pass to an offside Yerry Mina instead of making use of the time he had to get a shot away himself. The 23-year-old had the time to set himself and take a free shot at David de Gea’s goal, which could have resulted in an assist for Godfrey.

Defensively, Godrey was a rock for Everton. As per SofaScore, he won eight duels during the game, including five of his seven attempted ground duels. He also made six clearances and four tackles, whilst only being dribbled past once in the entire match.

This shows how strong he was at the back for the Toffees. You could question his positioning on the Martial goal, although he was trying to prevent Bruno Fernandes from doing damage and did not have any support from his winger, which made it a difficult situation for him to handle.

Aside from that incident, however, he was almost flawless. Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo came on in the second half and Godfrey did not give a sniff to either of them, particularly Sancho on his flank, as he was able to stay solid throughout the 90 minutes.

Never mind Townsend, the 23-year-old defender was the real hero for Everton today. Benitez will surely be delighted with his display and hoping that he can maintain this standard for the rest of the campaign, whether he is playing at centre-back or right-back.

AND in other news, “Let the fans down numerous times” – Exclusive: Michael Ball drops major Everton verdict…

Many Everton fans have been left gushing as some comments emerged from Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The game at Goodison Park against West Ham United has been dedicated to the No Room For Racism campaign, from which the Merseyside club continues to urge its supporters to challenge and report discriminatory behaviour when and wherever they see it.

Ahead of the match against the Hammers in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, Calvert-Lewin has been speaking about his own experience with racism, and lifted the lid on his ambition to see it stamped out of society for good: “It is my fervent hope that through a more inclusive and diverse world, racism will naturally filter out of society.”

It is a great message to put across from a great character, who as a Premier League star and England international will certainly have plenty of people looking up to him, and a lot of Blues were very appreciative of what he said.

Everton fans on Calvert-Lewin comments

These EFC fans were left gushing as the comments were shared on Twitter, with one Evertonian even going as far as to claim that they are ‘absolutely fantastic’:

“We are very lucky to have DCL”

Credit: @HemJEFC

“Great message from a mature, down-to-earth, role model!”

Credit: @JHowEFC08

“Well done Dom, absolute brilliant message.”

Credit: @EFCMatt1

“A truly wonderful young man. Evertonians are rightly proud of him.”

Credit: @terry77owen

“That is such a good message. Well done Dom, absolutely fantastic.”

Credit: @ValDaveSpain

“@CalvertLewin14 is a class act”Credit: @NickHoyle1In other news, find out which Everton ‘parody’ has been slammed ahead of the West Ham game here!

Flocking to Twitter, lots of Manchester City fans have erupted over the latest claim involving Barcelona attacker and their new number 10 Ansu Fati.

The 18-year-old, a major breakthrough star of the last few seasons in European football, is highly rated at the Camp Nou but there is currently some speculation surrounding his contract.

Indeed, the £54m-rated star and Barca are yet to agree on new terms despite him being handed Lionel Messi’s previous shirt number at the club.

His representative, super-agent Jorge Mendes, is apparently trying to put pressure on the La Liga giants for a new and improved deal before Fati returns to the pitch. The Barca forward is still recovering from a serious knee injury, having not played since 2020.

El Nacional have now claimed that Mendes offered Man City the chance to sign Fati among the clubs he has ‘contacted’ to try and force the Catalan giants into accepting their demands

Flocking to this claim on social media, many Sky Blues have erupted with their takes. Check out some of their best verdicts, in response to Twitter account City Chief, below.

Man City fans erupt over Fati claim…

“YES YES YES YES”

Credit: @GreasyGrealish

“Deal!!”

Credit: @Conversator

“This can’t be true”

Credit: @thembvlihle_jt

“No way this is true.”

Credit: @ngozulumatondo

“Oh god”

Credit: @KdbEnthusiasm

“Bring him fast.”

Credit: @baraka_techie

“We’ll take him”

Credit: @Joel_Ivuso

In other news: ‘Yesssss’, ‘We’re winning it all’, ‘Best day ever’…Man City fans erupt as ‘perfect’ news emerges, find out more here.