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Celtic have begun work on bringing in two new midfielders during the January transfer window, according to The Scottish Daily Mail, via 67 Hail Hail.

The Lowdown: Midfielder links…

The Hoops are reportedly confident of bringing in versatile Japanese forward Daizen Maeda in the New Year, and it seems as if he may not be the only winter window arrival at Lennoxtown.

Celtic have been linked with Japanese midfielder Reo Hatate in recent weeks, whereas rumours regarding a move for Shamrock Rovers’ Danny Mandroiu emerged earlier in the week.

Talks over a move for Hatate are underway with his club Kawasaki Frontale, whereas Celtic appear to fancy their chances of signing Mandroiu, a player they have been keeping an eye on since the summer.

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The Latest: The Scottish Daily Mail’s update

The Scottish Daily Mail state [print edition 19/11/21, p.86], relayed by 67 Hail Hail, claim that the Hoops are working on two new midfield additions.

However, the print report does not share any names specifically, but it seems as if Celtic have their sights on multiple signings.

The Verdict: Nicholson not hanging about

It appears as if interim CEO Michael Nicholson isn’t hanging about when it comes to working on January moves. Even though the recent report doesn’t name-check targets, it could be the case that Hatate and Mandroiu are the players in question.

Callum McGregor, David Turnbull and Tom Rogic have been Ange Postecoglou’s go-to options in the middle of the park, with summer signings Liam Shaw and James McCarthy failing to make the impact they may have hoped for this season.

Meanwhile, the likes of Ismaila Soro and Nir Bitton don’t seem to be fancied by Postecoglou from the off, so bringing in two midfield options in Hatate and Mandroiu, who are both versatile, could prove a wise decision as Nicholson and Postecoglou aim to build a squad capable of challenging for Scottish Premiership glory.

In other news: Jim White told live on air former West Ham man wanted Celtic move. 

While Liverpool currently have five senior centre-backs in their squad at the moment, both Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip have now hit the age of 30.

With this in mind, it’s not surprising to hear that the Reds have been linked with a move for a young centre-back from one of Europe’s top clubs.

What’s the news?

A recent report from ESPN Deportes claimed that Liverpool have an eye on Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo and his ongoing contract situation at the Spanish club.

The report claims that negotiations from Barcelona to get Araujo to extend his current deal, which is set to expire in the summer of 2023, are not as simple as first thought.

After joining Barcelona’s B team from Uruguayan club Boston River back in the 2018 summer transfer window, the 22-year-old centre-back made his senior debut for the La Liga giants in October 2019.

Since then, the defender, who is currently valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, has made 52 appearances for the club across all competitions, chipping in with three goals and one assist along the way.

Described as a player who “has everything” by fellow Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, Araujo showed in his latest appearance for the club just how impressive is by making five tackles and winning nine of his 11 duels during the 0-0 draw against Benfica in the Champions League, ultimately earning himself a solid overall match rating of 7.5/10 from SofaScore.

Taking all this into account, if Araujo doesn’t sign a new deal at Barcelona, Michael Edwards could have the opportunity to replicate a similar detail to that made for Matip, who joined the Reds on a free transfer back in 2016 after seeing out his contract with Schalke 04 and then went on to become an regular figure in Klopp’s team.

With all this in mind, Liverpool should definitely make a move to sign Araujo if they see an opportunity to strike a deal which could see him arrive as a free agent with plenty of playing years ahead of him, making him a potential long-term replacement for Matip or Van Dijk.

In other news: FSG could solve big Liverpool issue by signing “unplayable” £27m-rated “world-beater”

Aston Villa’s Keinan Davis is wanted by multiple Championship clubs in January, although Steven Gerrard is thought to be a big fan of the forward.

That’s according to Gregg Evans of The Athletic, and the winter window exit talk has unsurprisingly had plenty of Villa fans talking on social media.

The 23-year-old has struggled to make an impact at Villa Park following promotion to the Premier League back in 2019, scoring just once in 34 top-flight appearances.

He has made just one appearance in the Premier League during the current campaign, missing the start of the season through injury.

Davis’ injury over the summer stopped a summer switch to Stoke City, and according to Evans, multiple clubs in the Championship would now like to sign him on loan in the New Year. The journalist revealed that Gerrard is a big fan of the striker, who Jack Grealish labelled ‘brilliant’, and had even considered signing him for Rangers, with a January exit for the 23-year-old reportedly ‘unlikely’.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared Evans’ claim regarding Davis on Twitter. Here is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with many not happy at the prospect of the striker staying put, possibly due to his meagre goal return of just six in 86 appearances for the club.

“This pains me.”

Credit: @LucyAVFC_

“Gerrard out.”

Credit: @NickPJThompson

“Not good enough.”

Credit: @is_it_2021

“Sell sell sell”

Credit: @Jas10SG

“Really?! not another ‘big fan’”

Credit: @Josh1kz

“Must be playing like Lewandowski in training”

Credit: @Gibbolartos

In other news: ‘Needs to go’ – Many Villa fans slam ‘atrocious’ ace v Man City

ExWHUemplyoyee has dropped an update regarding West Ham United’s interest in bringing Jesse Lingard back to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on The West Ham Way, the club insider revealed that West Ham will start talks with the Manchester United forward regarding a move to East London in the coming weeks.

ExWHUemployee continued to state that the England international would be open to a move away from Old Trafford this winter, however, there is considerably more interest in his services ahead of the January transfer window than there was at the same time last year.

Speaking about the Hammers interest in the 28-year-old, the insider said:

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Lingard was during his loan spell at the club last season, the news that David Moyes and his side look set to open talks with the forward regarding a permanent move to the London Stadium this winter is sure to have left fans buzzing.

Indeed, over his 16 Premier League appearances last season, the £19.8m-rated man scored nine goals, registered five assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £75k-per-week attacking midfielder earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.19, ranking him as Moyes’ best performer in the top flight last time out, helping the Hammers to secure a rather remarkable sixth-place finish in the league.

As such, with West Ham aiming to go one better than qualifying for the Europa League with a top-four finish this time around, the signing of Lingard would very much appear to boost the club’s chances of going on and doing so, meaning the news that the Irons are planning to open negotiations with the 28-year-old in the coming weeks is undoubtedly good for everyone involved with the club.

In other news: Forget Bowen: West Ham’s “fantastic” 5-tackle beast seized his “big chance” vs Chelsea

Everton secured their first win in nine games on Monday night, seeing off Arsenal 2-1 in the Premier League, but it wasn’t a completely harmonious affair.

What’s the story?

Before the game, there was a shock as first-choice left-back Lucas Digne didn’t appear in the matchday squad, with Rafa Benitez refusing to give a clear reason behind his absence.

However, it’s now become apparent that the 28-year-old and his new manager had a falling out before the fixture against the Gunners, leading to him being dropped in place of Ben Godfrey.

That’s according to The Athletic’s Everton reporter Patrick Boyland, who provided a concerning update on the intriguing situation.

He tweeted: “Understand Lucas Digne was available to play against Arsenal. #EFC full back left out after disagreement with Benitez.”

Everton fans will be fuming

News that Digne and Benitez have had a major disagreement will leave the Everton fans fuming, giving the left-back’s importance to the first-team squad.

The France international has been one of the Merseyside outfit’s standout performers since his arrival from Barcelona back in August 2018, scoring six goals and providing 20 assists in 127 appearances.

And although he’s failed to have a huge impact in the final third of the pitch this season, he’s still averaged 1.2 crosses in his 13 top-flight outings, 1.7 key passes and 2.5 tackles, placing him second compared to his teammates for each metric, as per WhoScored.

Boyland went into further detail regarding the full-backs absence in his report, stating that he was not injured or unavailable, but was omitted “after his already fractious relationship with Benitez took another turn for the worse.”

It’s claimed that the creative talent has been growing ever frustrated with his more defensive role in Benitez’s setup, feeling his new responsibilities limit his ability to influence games, and being taken off set-pieces was another significant blow.

This latest revelation is bound to infuriate Everton’s weary fanbase even further, and they’ll be hoping a compromise can be reached between their manager and one of their most important players.

After all, they have already lost one key creative influence this year in the shape of James Rodriguez; they cannot afford to see another crucial cog in the wheel walk through the exit door.

And, in other news…Rafa must seal EFC swoop for “complete” £51k-p/w beast who plays like Platini & Zidane

West Ham United have been linked with a move for Torino defender Gleison Bremer ahead of the January transfer window, with David Moyes desperate to reinforce his depleted backline.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Torino Granata, the Hammers are one of several sides keen to secure the highly-rated 24-year-old’s signature, with Liverpool, Chelsea, Napoli, AC Milan and Juventus all listed as potential suitors.

The report claims that the Serie A outfit’s current £95m debt is a major factor behind the Brazilian potentially leaving Turin over the coming months, meaning an imminent exit could be on the cards.

David Moyes can solve West Ham’s injury crisis

After arriving in Italian football from his homeland back in 2018, the South American has made a big impact at Torino, scoring 12 goals and providing a further five assists in 93 appearances for the Bulls.

Bremer enjoyed a real breakout campaign during 2020/21, though, playing a pivotal part as his side narrowly avoided relegation from the top-flight. And he’s gone from strength to strength in the current campaign.

As per WhoScored, the centre-back has averaged 3.5 interceptions per league game, a whopping 3.9 clearances and 0.7 blocks, while also winning 3.8 aerial duels, outperforming his teammates in each metric.

After achieving an overall rating of 7.32 out of 10 – comfortably outperforming all of his colleagues – Bremer has been labelled as the ‘best defender in Serie A’ this season by Italian football expert Carlo Garganese.

“Bremer has been highly-rated for a while, with the Brazilian heavily linked with a move to the Premier League last season,” wrote Garganese. “However, it is this season where he has truly exploded and demonstrated that he is certainly ready to join a big club.”

“The 24-year-old has undoubtedly been the best defender in Serie A in the first half of the season, despite playing for a mid-table Torino side. The centre back boasts excellent pace, is aggressive and is superb in the air.”

With first-choice centre-backs Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma set for extended spells on the sidelines due to serious injuries, Moyes needs to invest in that position over the winter window.

As a result, a move for Bremer, who has been described as “incredible” in the past by former Torino manager Davide Nicola, makes sense for several reasons.

The £13.5m-rated beast has showcased his talent in a top league over an extended period of time, would be available as a reasonable price and would instantly solve West Ham’s injury crisis at the back.

It remains to be seen whether Moyes and co. follow up their apparent interest in Bremer with a formal offer, but it’s certainly something the capital club’s hierarchy should carefully consider.

And, in other news…Moyes can seal West Ham masterclass with move for “unbelievable” £7.2m-rated “monster” 

It’s Christmas Day which means 2022 is soon on the horizon. And with the New Year comes a new transfer window.

Leeds United will surely be active given their struggles since the start of the season.

Injuries have crippled Marcelo Bielsa’s playing squad and the Yorkshire giants have found themselves sat in 15th place, just five points above the relegation zone and are at risk of being pulled into a relegation dogfight.

Second-season syndrome, perhaps?

The Whites notoriously do not operate much in the winter when it comes to transfers but you’d imagine that changes next month. It’s unlikely they spend big, though can you get 100% right in this quiz about Leeds’ most expensive signings?

Do you know your Rio Ferdinand from your Raphinha?

So sit back, enjoy your Christmas dinner and take on this not-so-very festive transfer quiz from us here at Football FanCast.

If you think you’re a die-hard Leeds fan, then you should have no trouble getting all of these right…

West Ham United are not interested in a deal to bring Adama Traore to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, with the club insider revealing in a post on The West Ham Way that he does not believe David Moyes will be making a move for the Wolverhampton Wanderers winger this month, despite recent reports to the contrary.

In his post, Ex said: “I don’t believe there is any serious interest in Traore at this point for that price. In the past, the club have held an interest in the player, but I don’t believe he is a name that Moyes has mentioned recently and he is also out of favour at Wolves after an unproductive season, so I doubt the club would wish to risk £20m and high wages on an out of form player. Should a loan deal be available this may change things but, at this point, I do not believe he is a target.”

Fans will be buzzing

While it is abundantly clear that, should Moyes wish to give his side the best possible chance of securing a top-four finish this season, West Ham simply must bring in attacking reinforcements during the January transfer window, whether or not the signing of Traore would have been a good move by the Hammers is very much up for debate.

Indeed, while the £25.2m-rated man has returned some impressive metrics over his 18 Premier League appearances so far this season, taking an average of 1.2 shots, making 1.1 key passes, completing a league-high 4.5 dribbles and winning a whopping 7.1 duels per game, the fact remains that the Spain international has failed to score a single goal or register an assist in the current campaign.

This would appear to be the primary reason as to why many of the London Stadium faithful took to Twitter to state their bewilderment at their club’s link with a move for the 25-year-old – with a great deal suggesting that, while a backup to Michail Antonio is very much needed, the £20m signing of a player who is yet to contribute to a single goal this season is simply not the answer.

As such, it is clear to see that ExWHUemployee’s latest update will have left many of the Hammers fanbase buzzing, and we have to say, we can understand why.

In other news: “Been told…”: Fabrizio Romano drops transfer update that will leave WHU fans fuming

Leeds United ambassador Noel Whelan has backed Diego Llorente and Robin Koch to start at centre-back together against Burnley this weekend.

The Lowdown: Leeds host Burnley

The Whites get their 2022 action underway on Sunday afternoon, with the Clarets making the trip to Elland Road. It is a crucial game at the bottom of the table as Marcelo Bielsa’s side desperately look to find some form and pull themselves clear of danger.

Leeds have been injury-plagued at centre-back throughout the season but Llorente and Koch are both fit for the weekend showdown, with the pair in contention to start.

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The Latest: Duo backed to start at centre-back

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan backed the duo to face the Clarets on Sunday in the absence of the injured Liam Cooper, saying:

“This is what we bought them for. We bought these players to be our regular centre-halves.

“It’s only due to injuries when they first came into Leeds United. You’ve had Struijk who came into some really good form and started pushing and competing for these places.

“I would love to see the two of them start together. I think a lot of the fans will love to see that partnership try and develop over a space of time, especially when you’ve got Liam Cooper out.

“You can get yourself Luke Ayling back to the right wing-back role, which is fantastic. That’s where he’s got all the energy. Then pop Dallas back into that central midfield area, where we know he loves to play in that position.

“I think you’ve got to look at those two. You’ve got to stop putting round pegs in square holes here and play two quality, international centre-halves together.”

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The Verdict: Form a partnership

Having a settled centre-back pairing is crucial to any team’s success, laying the foundations and allowing two players to build a strong on-pitch relationship.

Llorente and Koch may well be tasked with doing that in the coming months, with Cooper expected to be out until March, and Sunday could be the first test of their credentials.

Both players have suffered injuries of their own this season – they have only started 15 league games between them – but now is the time for them to show their worth, hopefully playing their part in Leeds rising up the table.

In other news, Leeds have suffered another big injury blow. Read more here.

Everton have already signed two young players in this transfer window, with 20-year-old Nathan Patterson and 22-year-old Vitaliy Mykolenko joining the squad this week, and Rafa Benitez could be set to sign his next youngster.

What’s the word?

The MailOnline has reported that Everton are keeping their eye on Nottingham Forest forward, Brennan Johnson after he has impressed in the Championship so far this season.

The report suggests that Forest would like to keep the youngster with them, but a large bid from a Premier League club would be hard to ignore, with both Brentford, Tottenham and West Ham also named as potential suitors for Johnson, with the Championship club reportedly setting a £14m valuation.

Johnson was once hailed by Glenn Murray speaking in an interview on Sky Sports:

“For me, Brennan, he just looks special. He just looks a cut above and he’s destined for the top.”

The youngster’s contract doesn’t end with his current club until 2023, and  Forest are currently chasing a playoff position, six points off the mark so they may feel that he is worth more to the club’s future than an offer a club could make for him in the January transfer window.

Benitez must secure the signing

Johnson has been impressing Premier League clubs with his performances this season, with five goals and four assists for his Championship side in 25 appearances.

The youngster is no one-season wonder either, and enjoyed a successful 2020/21 season at Lincoln City during a loan spell, where he scored 13 goals and bagged 14 assists in 48 appearances, which sees his senior tally already at an inspiring 18 strikes.

Signing young players who can offer a future worth to their price tag should be a priority for the Everton manager, as he can change the path the Toffees have been on with reckless spending.

The club needs to continue to buy young players to build a team for the future that can develop together, bringing the average age of the team down, which is currently one of the highest in the league at an average of 28-years-old.

Benitez will have the opportunity to distract fans from the poor performances in the Premier League this season, by leading his side out at Goodison Park with a good performance in the FA Cup this weekend.

After that, they must ensure that Johnson becomes a member of their team. Blessed with plenty of potential, he certainly looks like a very attractive acquisition this winter.

In other news: Moshiri could go over Rafa’s head on Coutinho signing