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Celtic endured a difficult start to the campaign, but Ange Postecoglou’s Hoops are now starting to find their form and head into their clash with AZ Alkmaar on a four-game winning streak.

The Scottish giants opened their 2021/22 season with a 3-2 loss to Midtjylland on aggregate in the Champions League qualifiers and a 2-1 defeat to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. They have, however, followed that up by scoring 16 goals in four games against Jablonec (x2), Hearts and Dundee.

Postecoglou’s side now face Dutch opposition in the form of AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League and the Australian head coach will be hoping his team can continue their incredible goalscoring form.

On the Chalkboard

Teenage forward Liel Abada missed out on Celtic’s last two matches due to a knock and is now available again for selection. He sat out the 3-0 win over Jablonec and the 3-2 win against Hearts, but is now in contention to return to the side as Postecoglou has revealed that he is ready to play.

With games now coming thick and fast throughout this month before the first international break, it is important for Celtic to rotate their side in order to avoid overplaying players. Supporters would be frustrated if a lack of load management caused a key player to suffer a crushing injury that keeps them out of the side for a prolonged period of time, so making changes is key.

30-year-old James Forrest has already played 446 minutes of competitive football this season and it could be the perfect opportunity to give him a rest and unleash Abada to make an impact against Alkmaar. The 19-year-old, who joined the club for £3.5m this summer, has the quality to be a game-changer for the Hoops

Postecoglou hailed the forward as unbelievable last week and explained his absence against Jablonec in the second leg of their Europa League clash. He said:

“He pulled up a bit sore yesterday. He’s 19 and we’re throwing him in there.

“He’s been unbelievable but I just felt it was about time to give him a rest. The medical team think he should be alright for Sunday. We erred on the side of caution.”

Abada has started his career in Scotland in fine fettle, with two goals and two assists in five appearances. Despite only playing 90 minutes in one of those five games, he has been able to show off his quality in the final third by delivering end product to go with his performances.

This shows that the £2.7m-rated talent can change a game by scoring or creating a goal from out wide. Therefore, Postecoglou must rest Forrest and unleash Abada against Alkmaar to give the Eredivisie side something different to think about whilst defending.

AND in other news, “Decision to make”: Manager’s update on 23 y/o gem will potentially excite Celtic fans… 

Many Wolves fans have been left buzzing as a transfer update emerged on Carlos Vinicius.

As per The Daily Mirror, the Midlands club could turn to the striker given the injury that has been suffered by Pedro Neto.

Vinicius enjoyed a great spell at Benfica when Bruno Lage was manager, scoring no fewer than 22 goals and making a further 12 assists in 41 games in total over all competitions across the 2019/20 season (Transfermarkt).

Thus, the new boss of the Molineux faithful would know how to get the best out of him if he arrived.

The Brazilian also has the added experience of playing in English football while he was on loan at Tottenham Hotspur last campaign, scoring 10 times and supplying three assists in 22 matches (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, Vinicius could turn out to be a shrewd signing by the Wanderers should they be able to get a deal over the line before the summer window ends.

Wolves fans on Vinicius transfer update

These WWFC supporters buzzed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter (via Talking Wolves), with one even going as far as to claim that he would be a ‘brilliant signing’:

“Pleaaaase”

Credit: @AndyEvers1

“Brilliant signing if we can sort it.”

Credit: @WV1Wolf

“I’ve wanted this for ages since he was linked with us, Can it just happen rather than being a rumour or simply just being considered as being linked with him, let’s get this window sorted with a new CB, CDM/CM and a well an extra striker like Vinicius”

Credit: @Moxy_Real

“I would defo take him, he should have been played more at Spurs. A good replacement for Mir and he can play 442 with Raul. He’s good in the air too but we mostly need a ball-winning midfielder and a quick strong CB”

Credit: @RyanBird7

“GET IT DONE!!!!!!!!!”

Credit: @robsterj2002

“Yesssssss”

Credit: @pjsaturday63

In other news, find out what transfer update has Wanderers talking here!

Leeds United are still in the race to sign Nahitan Nandez this summer, although Tottenham continue to provide strong competition.

The Lowdown: Nandez a constant target

Few players have been more heavily linked with a move to the Whites in recent months than Nandez, with endless reports tipping him to sign.

The 25-year-old is seemingly eager to leave Serie A side Cagliari this summer, as he looks for a fresh challenge at a superior team.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Fresh update provided

A new update has now emerged regarding Nandez’s future, with Calciomercato [via Sport Witness] claiming that Inter Milan and Atalanta are ‘behind Leeds and Tottenham’ in the race to sign the Uruguay international.

A report from Centotrentuno does suggest that Spurs are favourites, however, with Napoli also mentioned as potential suitors.

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The Verdict: Ideal midfield signing

If Leeds manage to snap up Nandez this summer, it would feel like a major coup, considering he has won 41 caps for a strong Uruguay side also featuring the likes of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani.

He could help strengthen a Leeds midfield that lacks a top-class player alongside Kalvin Phillips, making Marcelo Bielsa’s side an even more fearsome unit.

Nandez has been hailed as one of the ‘most underrated’ players by Italian football expert Nina Rzouki, as well as ‘amazing’, which speaks volumes about his ability. One run of form last season even led the pundit to simply say: ‘Wow, unstoppable.’

This feels like the perfect move to add depth and quality alongside Phillips.

In other news, Leeds reportedly missed out on the signing of one international veteran this summer. Read more here.

Leeds United remain interested in signing Rangers star Glen Kamara as the summer transfer window nears its close.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks and months have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are interested in signing the Finland international this summer, but it now appears that they will have to fend off some intense competition.

TEAMtalk claim that along with the Whites, the likes of fellow Premier League sides Newcastle, West Ham and Wolves are all said to be monitoring developments as the Gers try and tie him down to a new contract.

He’s better than Lewis O’Brien

Given that Leeds’ interest in Kamara first surfaced way back in October amid suggestions that a move could be made in the January transfer window, a late deadline day beating swoop for the Finnish dynamo would surely go down well with Bielsa.

The 25-year-old ace was a cornerstone of Steven Gerrard’s side last season as they wrestled the Scottish Premiership crown away from Celtic, while he was also involved in the Gers’ impressive run in the Europa League.

His former manager at Dundee, Neil McCann, said: “He looks small but he’s strong and he’s a playmaker. When Rangers signed Glen, I sat there thinking he would smash it. Glen will end up back in the English Premier League. I’ve no doubts about that.”

“He isn’t a big, physical lad but he’s made of iron and really strong. I knew immediately that he could handle the ball under pressure and not give it away, so he was perfect. He’s a special talent. He’s lightning-quick but he doesn’t show it. He’s a player who takes instruction well.”

And, when you compare him to fellow Leeds transfer target, Lewis O’Brien, Kamara favours better.

As per Sofascore, he wins a far better percentage of the duels that he’s involved in, makes more tackles per game, gets dribbled past far less often, and is equally more impressive on the ball too – as well as boasting an incredible 93% pass accuracy compared to O’Brien’s measly 61%, he also provides more key passes per game too.

The 34-cap international appears to be more of a well-rounded player than O’Brien, and given he’s played in arguably more competitive games in the Europa League in particular, he should fancy his chances of hitting the ground running at Elland Road better than the Terriers man.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this Premier League record breaker…

Burnley winger Dwight McNeil is probably no longer a massive target for Aston Villa, says Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.

McNeil was linked with a move to Villa back in July, with Football Insider reporting that the 21-year-old was being lined up as an alternative to Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe.

In the end, though, nothing materialised, with Villa going on to sign Leon Bailey from Bayer Leverkusen instead to strengthen their options on the flank.

As a result, Hatfield believes McNeil is not a priority for the Midlands club, though he refused to rule out a move in the future.

“The investment they’ve put in elsewhere has probably meant that Dwight McNeil is no longer a massive target for them,” the Aston Villa journalist said.

“I think the big one was probably the signing of someone like Leon Bailey. You know, they’ve signed him, they’ve signed [Emiliano] Buendia, players who are obviously in very similar positions to someone like Dwight McNeil. 

“That’s not to say they won’t hold an interest in him come January or next summer.”

It is certainly not hard to see why McNeil would not be a priority for Villa.

As well as Bailey and Buendia, who grabbed his first goal for the club over the weekend, manager Dean Smith also has Anwar El Ghazi and Bertrand Traore to call upon so is hardly lacking in that area of the pitch.

A new era at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is firmly underway.

And it could not have gotten off to a better start, with the north London outfit currently sat top of the Premier League table unbeaten without conceding a single goal in their opening three league matches.

It’s fair to suggest that the appointment of Nuno Santo as head coach has, so far, been a massive success but of course, there is plenty of the season left to play.

He’s not been the only change at the club, though.

Spurs appointed their first sporting director since 2015 in Fabio Paratici and he deserves plenty of credit for his instant impact at the club.

The Italian supremo, who won 19 trophies during his time at Juventus in a similar role and was responsible for the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, has managed to shift on plenty of deadwood, including the injury-prone Erik Lamela as well as regressing veterans Toby Alderweireld and Moussa Sissoko.

Paratici has also worked some magic in the transfer market, signing a couple of players for the future in Pape Matar Sarr and Byran Gil, whilst improving the first-team squad with the arrival of Atalanta duo Pierluigi Gollini and Cristian Romero on loan and Emerson Royal from Barcelona, too.

Not to mention the fact that he managed to keep hold of the talismanic Harry Kane.

However, it was his decision on deadline day that could prove to be the best of them all after he cancelled the contract of the long-serving Serge Aurier, who had clearly slipped right down the pecking order under the Portuguese boss.

Had he remained at the club now, Spurs would have four right-back options and he would be sat rock-bottom in preference – and understandably so.

Earning reported wages in the region of a whopping £120k-per-week, the 66-cap Ivory Coast international would’ve been merely stealing a wage at a club he didn’t even want to be at.

The £18m-rated star told French publication L’Equipe of his intentions to leave N17 back in late May but with no club willing to take a chance on him, he had to be released from his contract.

“Everyone knows that if I wanted to extend my contract at Tottenham, I’d have already done so,” Aurier claimed. “I’m not going to do that in six months’ time. I’ve experienced the Premier League and a Champions League final. I’ve reached the end of a cycle and it’s time to look elsewhere.”

Not only are Spurs now saving a lot of money off their wage bill but they are also getting rid of a player that was often lambasted and marred by controversy.

Off the pitch, Aurier was fined for breaching the country’s lockdown guidelines for the third time whilst on it, he was regularly described as an “absolute liability.”

The Lilywhites’ defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final saw Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher become the latest name to lay into the 28-year-old’s ability.

“Aurier is maybe one of the biggest liabilities in Premier League football and is a player who would possibly put you off management with the amount of crazy decision he makes,” he said, via talkSPORT.

It merely adds to other scathing criticism of his performances over the years since he arrived in a £23m deal from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2017.

Fellow Sky Sports man Roy Keane once labelled Aurier as a “car crash” and suggested that he was a “huge problem” for Spurs. He said (via Football Daily): “He’s got a rick in him. He has caused loads of problems. I have described him as a bit of a car crash. Nice powerful boy, keeps going forward, but defensively I think he doesn’t smell danger or see the danger. And that’s been a huge problem for Spurs, the right-back position.”

On the above evidence, Paratici made a blinding call to offload the right-back. He can now be someone else’s problem as Spurs move on with Emerson and co this season.

AND in other news, Spurs handed “frustrating” injury blow ahead of Premier League return…

Former Crystal Palace striker Marcus Bent does not think a top-10 finish in the Premier League is out of sight for his old side.

Palace have made a strong start to the season, currently sitting just outside of the top 10 after that impressive 3-0 win against Tottenham.

Odsonne Edouard came off the bench to score twice on his debut, making it a great day for Palace and new manager Patrick Vieira.

It follows their 2-2 draw against West Ham, where another summer signing in Conor Gallagher also managed to impress after he grabbed a brace for himself.

All in all, after that disappointing defeat at the beginning of the season against European champions Chelsea, things are starting to come together for Palace under Vieira. And Bent believes a finish inside the top 10 is possible.

“Now that Vieira’s in there, I think he’s going to try and bring in players that are quality,” the ex-Palace forward exclusively told TT. “Hopefully they can be in the top 10 this season.”

Palace fans will surely love hearing such a positive view and will be hoping that they can indeed bag a spot in the top 10.

The south London club finished in the bottom half of the table in all of their seasons under Roy Hodgson, and while that is not a bad thing with the 74-year-old keeping the team away from relegation, the Selhurst Park faithful are probably desperate to see some progression now.

Leeds United chairman Andrea Rarizzani has been told to ‘be quiet’ by Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell, who is baffled by the way the chairman is being so public about the Whites’ plans.

The Lowdown: Club vision laid out

Radrizzani has seen the club return to the top of English football as Marcelo Bielsa led the Whites to a respectable ninth-placed finish in their first season back in the Premier League.

Leeds have started the current season winless in their opening four games however, drawing to Everton and Burnely but being easily defeated by Manchester United and Liverpool.

Following the game against the latter, the Leeds chairman laid out his ambitions for the club to Sky Sports, claiming he wants the club in Europe in “two or three” years.

The Latest: Not impressed

Speaking to Football Insider, former Arsenal man Campbell has said he isn’t a fan of the very public approach Radrizzani is now taking with the club’s ambitions.

The Sky Sports pundit said: “Having chairmen come and do interviews. Maybe he felt he had to come and say his piece.

“It hasn’t been the greatest start for Leeds this season, they went down to 10 against Liverpool and were just picked off.

“I’m happy for the chairman to stay up there and be quiet if I’m totally honest.”

The Verdict: Each to their own

As Campbell says, if Radrizzani wants to speak to the press and express his views then fair enough, but coming after a 3-0 drubbing at home may have not been the right time.

Having the ambition and stating that on record for the footballing world to see will please Leeds fans, but Campbell’s comments are fair – the quotes heap pressure on players and came in a bizarre setting following a humbling defeat.

If Leeds can reach European football with the current crop of teams above them, then Radrizzani will have proved himself right with a tremendous feat, but for now, perhaps he should keep the club’s plans in the boardroom.

In other news, this pundit has provided a positive update about a potential sell-on clause. Find out more here.

Many Aston Villa fans have gone wild on Twitter, following an official post by the club showing a picture of Leon Bailey playing in their previous clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Tentatively being eased into his Villans career, the speedster has so far made two appearances for his new side, registering one assist [Transfermarkt].

Now, an official post about the Jamaica international has sent fans wild over on social media.

In the official club communication on Twitter, there is a photo of the 24-year-old in his new employers’ colours away to Chelsea, which is captioned “LB31”.

Building up his fitness, many Villa supporters will be keen to see if he is involved in their home clash against Everton this coming Saturday, and perhaps the post is a clue that we will indeed see him involved more and more over the coming weeks.

In light of the excitement around the winger’s arrival this summer, no wonder loads of Aston Villa diehards took to Twitter to gush over the club’s tweet.

Aston Villa fans react:

Replying to the official Aston Villa Twitter account, here is what some fans had to say about the post:

“THE GREATEST WINGER I HAVE EVER SEEN”

Credit: @andrewshort57

“hero”

Credit: @rad_nauseam

 “Masterclass incoming Saturday”

Credit: @GW_94″This man is gonna be something seriously special for us”Credit: @AdamLeen4″different gravy”Credit: @tiwari0216″OH BAILEY”Credit: @AVFCLatamIn other news, a significant behind the scenes development has become apparent at AVFC. Find out more here.

Aston Villa are tracking Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Michael Cooper ahead of a potential move, but they look set to face significant competition for him.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith’s side lost one of their senior goalkeepers over the summer transfer window, with Tom Heaton leaving the club to join Manchester United on a free transfer.

That has left the Villa boss with Emi Martinez and Jed Steer as his only two proven options in the Premier League, and the latter had to be called upon in the top-flight just recently following the whole quarantining debacle involving the Midlands club’s Argentine players.

Now, Football League World have claimed that Villa scouts, along with the likes of Southampton and Brentford, among others, have all checked in on Cooper this season, with Argyle going well in League One at the moment.

Competition for Emi Martinez

At just 21, Cooper has got all the time in the world to become a top-class player, and his age certainly means that his best years as a goalkeeper maybe even a decade or so away.

But already, he’s turning heads with his performances at club level, and it’s no surprise that the 6 foot 1 titan has been part of a Plymouth back-line who have conceded just six goals in eight games this season in League One – the second-best defensive record in the division.

His manager, Ryan Lowe, said: “He’s fantastic isn’t he? That’s what he’s there for, it’s what he gets paid for. We know what he has got, he has got quality in abundance. He looks solid and resolute in that goal – it’s a presence.

“We want him to communicate more and be demanding, and that’s what he’s doing. If he keeps continuing to do that he will be fine. Physically, he’s a monster. He wants to be strong, you have seen him coming for catches and grabbing hold of them. He used to play cricket so he has got that over-arm (throw) as well!”

With Heaton having departed in the summer, Cooper’s arrival would give Martinez some much-needed competition to keep him on his toes going forward.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa have another exciting academy starlet in this teenager…