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Ange Postecolgou has been asked if he’s been offered the chance to become Celtic’s new manager by reporter Dan Orlowitz.

The Lowdown: A busy few days…

Celtic’s search for a new permanent boss has taken plenty of twists and turns in recent months, however, the last few days have been manic.

The Hoops were thought to be closing in on Eddie Howe, only to see a deal dramatically collapse on Friday afternoon due to budget, backroom staff and personal issues.

Hours on from the development, Celtic were thought to be in advanced talks with Postecolgou, who took charge of Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos on Sunday.

The Latest: Postecolgou’s response

Postecolgou guided Yokohama F. Marinos to a 2-1 win over Shimizu S-Pulse to take the club 15 points behind leaders Kawasaki.

As to be expected, he was asked about a potential move to Scotland after the game. This is what Orlowitz posted on Sunday morning, admitting the 55-year-old refused to comment on a move to Parkhead and insisted he was focused on his role with Yokohama F. Marinos.

“BREAKING: In response to my questions, Ange Postecolgou won’t comment on whether or not he’s been offered Celtic job, says he’s focused on his current job at Marinos.”

The Verdict: Not a surprise…

It’s not a shock to see Postecolgou batting off any questions regarding Celtic without a real answer.

It seems as if he may well be the man in the Celtic Park hot seat next season, though, and a deal for the Australian could prove to be a huge gamble by the Hoops board.

Fergal Harkin, who looks set to become the club’s new director of football, maybe the driving force behind a move for Postecolgou. Yokohama are part of the City Football Group, so Harkin, Manchester City’s football partneerships manager, likely knows him very well.

Considering Howe appeared to be Celtic’s main target for a number of weeks, a move for Postecolgou has appeared to gather pace quickly, but after the Howe disaster, the new candidate keeping his cards close to his chest is a good thing.

The Hoops have reportedly been tracking Postecolgou for months, so it seems as if they know just what they’ll be getting, however, it’s obvious he was never the club’s first choice, so it’ll be interesting to see how he may fare in Scotland.

In other news: Celtic still hold interest in Scottish Premiership ace, find out more here. 

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United and their plans to bring three players to St. James’ Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

90min reporter Graeme Bailey has revealed the three deals that PIF are plotting to complete heading into the upcoming transfer window as they look to bolster their squad for 2022/23.

Bailey Tweeted: “Newcastle United are ready to press ahead with the transfer plans they set in motion in January, and will look to finalise deals for Hugo Ekitike, Matt Targett and Jesse Lingard.”

Eddie Howe will be on cloud nine

The Magpies head coach will be left on cloud nine by this update as all three players would be excellent signings for the club.

Firstly, Targett would be a sensible, excellent, permanent signing for the Toon. He is a reliable, proven, Premier League performer who has been solid for Newcastle since joining on loan in January.

In the top-flight this season, he has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 6.92 across 29 starts, which shows that he can deliver on a regular basis from left-back in the division.

Secondly, Lingard has the potential to be an exciting addition to the team. He has found game time hard to come by at Manchester United this season but caught the eye on loan at West Ham last term as he scored nine goals and provided four assists in 16 league outings.

This shows that he has the quality to be a difference-maker at the top end of the pitch. The only question mark would be over whether he can sustain that over the course of an entire campaign as he caught fire in a six-month spell at the London Stadium.

Finally, Ekitike would be a phenomenal signing for now and for the future. He has produced nine goals and two assists in 14 Ligue 1 starts for Stade Reims and this suggests that he would be able to have an immediate impact on the team if he can adjust to English football.

However, he also has the scope to develop and improve over time at the age of 19. He has the majority of his career left ahead of him and that means he is a player the club can nurture over the course of a number of years, making him a good signing and investment at the same time.

Therefore, Howe will be on cloud nine if PIF can get all three of these deals over the line as they would all be fantastic additions in their own right.

AND in other news, Keith Downie drops exciting £50m Newcastle transfer claim that’ll delight supporters…

Tottenham Hotspur are in line to receive a major boost ahead of the Carabao Cup final this evening…

What’s the latest?

According to the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, leading talisman Harry Kane is set to be passed fit to play a part against Manchester City tonight, despite missing training on Friday.

The 27-year-old striker has been recovering from an ankle knock sustained towards the end of their defeat to Everton last weekend and was not involved for their win over Southampton in midweek.

It’s thought that Kane will feature but it remains to be seen whether the England captain will start the match or have to come on from the bench.

Game-changer

This is the best piece of news Spurs fans and interim boss Ryan Mason could have ever asked for ahead of kick-off. Kane’s return could prove to be game-changing towards their fortunes.

It is no secret that the £108m-rated beast is their best player and one they heavily rely on for success – for example, in the Premier League this season, Kane has contributed 21 goals and 13 assists, which is 60.7% of their overall total.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-manager-transfer-news-and-rumours” title=”Read this week’s latest Spurs manager news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Clearly, without him, the side struggles to score and even though they came from behind to defeat the Saints on Wednesday night, they were really gifted the two goals.

Gareth Bale pounded on a loose ball following an error in the backline, and then Heung-min Son converted from the spot to clinch all three points.

That was only his fourth goal of 2021, too.

Whilst he’s the only other Spurs player to hit double figures for goals scored and goals contributed, but it’s a tough ask for anyone to fill Kane’s void.

Speaking back in February, Rio Ferdinand expressed his concern over Spurs competing without the 6 foot 2 striker. “If Kane doesn’t play, the personality of this team is drained straight out of the team,” he told BT Sport (via Goal). “No confidence, no character, no leader. Nobody driving the team.”

Spurs will be aiming to end a 13-year wait for silverware later today and it’ll be no easy task given how strong league-leading City have looked throughout the season.

But having Kane back could swing the fortunes in Mason’s favour.

AND in other news, here’s why Mason must axe ruthlessly axe “gifted” Spurs star this evening…

Aston Villa fans want the club to make another offer for Caleb Chukwuemeka after they had an initial offer rejected for the striker.

The Villans have already completed a couple of deals this summer, with Emiliano Buendia joining from Norwich City in a club-record deal (Sky Sports) and Ashley Young returning to the club from Inter Milan on a free transfer (avfc.co.uk).

Dean Smith and co are also looking to bring in James Ward-Prowse as they aim to move up the Premier League table next term (Football Insider).

It seems they are also planning for the long-term as well. As per journalist Adrian Kajumba, the Midlands-based outfit have made a bid for Northampton Town forward Chukwuemeka, but is was unfortunately rejected. Caleb is the older brother of Carney, who is already a part of the Villa Park side’s academy.

The news was shared on Twitter by @villareport, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Chukwuemeka news below

“I think it’s a bit of keep Carney settled but Caleb is a decent forward in his own right from the bits I’ve seen. Raw talent.”

Credit: @S1ngh32

“Bring him in!”

Credit: @AshyOG_VillaFan

“I hope this goes through so we can sing the Chucklevision theme tune.”

Credit: @cratesofhippos

“Go back in lads x”

Credit: @VillaVisionBen

“This sauce will be unreal”

Credit: @Villal_

“Please please sign this guy, we absolutely need a song about the chuckle brothers”

Credit: @SteveJones88

In other news, several Serie A clubs want this Villa man.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld is edging closer to completing a move to Qatari side Al-Duhail, according to a recent report from The Telegraph.

The Belgium international has been with the club since 2015, and has made 236 appearances in total for the London-based side, having previously been on the books with Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.

That includes making 35 appearances for Spurs last season, as they finished seventh in the Premier League table. But it’s set to be a summer of change at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with experienced players potentially heading for the exit door, to make way for new signings.

With Spurs edging closer to a deal to sign Atalanta defender Cristian Romero, Alderweireld would likely have been pushed down the pecking order in Nuno Espirito Santo’s plans ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, so he’s seemingly set to depart instead.

The Telegraph claim that a deal is worth £13million, but is dependent on whether personal terms are agreed between Alderweireld and the Qatari club in the near future.

The defender stands at 6ft 1in tall, and reportedly earns £150,000 per-week according to Salary Sport, and Spurs’ supporters will be hoping that those wages can be reinvested wisely in the near future.

Spurs are set to take on Manchester City in their opening league match of the 2021/22 league campaign, and plenty of Spurs supporters took to social media to react to the news that Alderweireld will not be involved, with many being impressed that the club are set to receive £13million for him this summer.

Take a look at the best of the reaction from Twitter below….

Spurs fans react

“Wow we kept it quiet too, hopefully some others sales are close.”

Credit: @domsougly

“Woah, sweet deal if true.”

Credit: @spursman_foreve

“He was our best defender last year!”

Credit: @PoliticalGraham

“If we manage to make profit on a 33 year old fair play.”

Credit: @jacob_baum_

“13 mill. Damm we acc got a good deal.”

Credit: @k7rd_tohn

“13 mill is useful you know but why did it have to be the only competent defender we currently own?”

Credit: @frank_morrish

“Paratici is the greatest thing to happen for spurs oh my days.”

Credit: @reallynotsrs

“Paratici beautiful man.”

Credit: @abhicoys

A club from England are reportedly eyeing an ambitious move to sign Rangers ace Jermain Defoe once the summer transfer window opens.

The Lowdown: Defoe not signed new deal

Defoe has still not put pen to paper on a new deal in Glasgow, leaving his future at Ibrox in doubt.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United striker remains in talks with Steven Gerrard’s team over a new contract, as his existing one is about to expire, but while that has not been signed, other clubs are swarming over the Scottish Premiership champions in order to try and pinch him away.

The Latest: Ipswich eye Defoe

As per Football Insider, Ipswich Town are reportedly eyeing a swoop for Defoe should he not sign a new deal with the Light Blues.

A source from the EFL League One side have claimed that they are ready to make an ambitious move to sign the 38-year-old, and offer him a big-money contract to fire them to promotion next term.

The Verdict: Rangers should let Defoe go

While it would no doubt be a tough decision by the Gers to let Defoe go, logically it would make a lot of sense.

Currently earing £30,000-per-week at Ibrox, one of the highest wages out of the entire squad, it is simply too much to be paying a player who is not first choice, giving that he has only played in a mere 20 games in total over all competitions over the course of the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt).

Those wages saved can be used to invest elsewhere in the squad, as Gerrard’s men look to kick on from such a great season.

Defoe has certainly been a great servant to the Gers and British football as a whole, with Kevin Campbell recently describing the striker as ‘amazing’ over the course of his career.

However, the Light Blues need to be ruthless in this situation, and so it should be time to say goodbye to the Englishman.

In other news, find out what Gerrard update has left Gers buzzing here!

Leeds United could be facing late transfer misery over Cagliari’s Nahitan Nandez as a fresh twist emerges in their pursuit of the midfielder.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks had suggested that Marcelo Bielsa is eyeing up a summer move for the 25-year-old, with Italian publication La Nuova Sardegna even claiming that the Whites were ready to pay the €36m (£31m) release clause in order to bring him to Elland Road.

However, Il Giorno has now claimed (via Cagliari News 24) that Serie A giants Inter have joined the fray to sign Nandez, and that their offer could include the the likes of Radja Nainggolan and Andrea Pinamonti in a deal.

The report added that Inter will not give up on his signing.

Marcelo Bielsa will be livid

After reports emerged last year that Leeds were keen on signing Nandez, it’s clear that the Uruguayan has been a real key target for Bielsa as the manager looks to beef up his central midfield positions.

Connor Clancy, editor-in-chief at Forza Italian Football, has previously raved about what Nandez could bring to the table at Leeds, telling This Is Futbol: “Anywhere Bielsa wants to play him, he’d do a job. I like him a lot. I think he’s only about five foot seven, but you wouldn’t know it if you just watched clips of him, he is a little bit of a machine. He’s so powerful but at the same time, has really, really good ball control.”

Given the fact that he had a release clause in his contract, Leeds knew exactly what they needed to do if they were serious about signing him, rather than delaying or wasting time over potentially haggling a fee.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/leeds-united-marcelo-bielsa-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-elland-road-rodrigo-de-paul” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

Now that they’ve left it so long to do so means that rival clubs can swoop in at the last moment, and that appears to be the case with Inter now arriving on the scene.

It’s exactly why Bielsa must be livid that one of his main targets – who he had reportedly insisted on signing this summer – could fall through the club’s grasp.

It would be a major blow to the Leeds manager were Nandez to move somewhere other than Elland Road this summer.

Meanwhile, Leeds must sign this player Bielsa loves…

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…

Manchester United could receive a huge injury boost ahead of their upcoming Premier League encounter against Leicester City after key forward Marcus Rashford scored twice in a behind-closed-doors friendly.

What’s the word?

The 23-year-old is yet to feature for United this season after undergoing surgery for a persistent shoulder injury over the summer following his exploits for England in Euro 2020.

But now, The Athletic’s Red Devils reporter Laurie Whitwell has provided an update on Rashford’s situation, hinting the youngster’s return to first-team action is edging ever closer.

He tweeted: “Told Marcus Rashford scored twice in a closed-doors friendly against Blackburn Rovers today. 3-0 win for #MUFC but more importantly, Rashford returning to some match action after three months out. Good timing for a tough run ahead.”

Solskjaer will be delighted

In Rashford’s absence, United have made a stuttering start to the new season, falling to defeats against Young Boys, West Ham and Aston Villa while being held to draws by both Southampton and Everton.

As a result, the Old Trafford outfits manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be delighted that the versatile attacker is close to making a comeback.

Only Bruno Fernandes topped Rashford’s Premier League tallies of 11 goals and nine assists, respectively last term, while none of his teammates could match his average total of 2.2 dribbles per league game, as per WhoScored.

If the academy graduate is able to feature in United’s matchday squad against Leicester a week on Saturday, then it will be a huge boost for Solskjaer heading into a tricky run of fixtures.

The 20-time English champions are set to face Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea before the end of November, and Rashford’s availability could turn those fixtures in their favour.

And, in other news…Ole could unearth Man Utd’s next Van Persie in rarely-seen 17y/o, he’s a “top striker” 

Leeds United have been handed a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of Hertha Berlin forward Matheus Cunha.

What’s the story?

The Whites have been linked with a move for the 22-year-old throughout this summer as Marcelo Bielsa looks to strengthen his first-team squad ahead of the upcoming campaign.

And Leeds may be encouraged to make a formal offer for Cunha following some intriguing comments made by Hertha’s newly-appointed sporting director Fredi Bobic.

“If he wants to move on, it will only happen if the price is right,” Bobic revealed in an interview with BuliNews. “It’s simple: either you commit completely and dig in – or you bring up something else that makes sense.

“I had the feeling that the agent thought that was great. That was a clear statement, he can deal with that. And it’s not like there are 20 clubs lining up right now.”

Bielsa will be buzzing

Although Bobic appeared to be relatively content with how the talks with Cunha’s agent had gone, he refused to rule out an imminent exit and suggested the Brazilian can depart the capital club for the right price.

Previously, reports have claimed Hertha will demand £26 million for their prized asset over the coming months after he enjoyed a stellar 2020/21 campaign.

Despite the continued struggles of the Bundesliga outfit, Cunha bagged eight goals and provided a further eight assists in just 28 appearances last season, catching the eye of several sides.

His standout displays saw former Hertha manager Bruno Labbadia dub the South American wizard as “something special”, and it’s easy to undersand why Bielsa is reportedly keen to bring Cunha to West Yorkshire.

The Samba star’s versatility has seen him play on the left-hand-side, as a number 10 and even up-front, making him an ideal fit for Leeds’ fluid system.

Lining up alongside the likes of Raphinha, Jack Harrison and Patrick Bamford next season would make for a daunting prospect for any Premier League defence, and it’s a forward line that every Leeds fan is surely desperate to see.

And, in other news…Imagine him and Raphinha: Leeds can form dream duo in “phenomenal” EURO 2020 sensation