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Celtic may well be without a manager but that hasn’t stopped the transfer merry-go-round from rolling into Parkhead.

Roy Keane has been linked with the vacant manager’s job, but he is being rivalled by the likes of Lucien Favre and Thierry Henry.

On the chalkboard

One of the first things on the to-do list of any manager will be to improve the defence. Celtic’s backline has been shocking this season with individual errors plaguing their campaign.

They have shipped 14 more goals in the SPFL than Rangers and their issues in that position reared their ugly head again in the Old Firm derby.

This time there was a fresh culprit; Jonjoe Kenny. The Everton loanee was incredibly abject during that game and was the sole reason the score finished 1-1, rather than a Hoops win.

Kenny’s mind-boggling back pass led to the corner that Alfredo Morelos scored from, and the right-back didn’t particularly cover himself in much glory with his marking from that set-piece either.

The youngster has been inconsistent since being signed as Jeremie Frimpong’s replacement but fortunately, he’s only penned temporary terms in Scotland.

Keeping his departure in mind, the Bhoys will need some form of replacement.

The solution

Coincidentally, the answer to Celtic’s woes could also lie at Everton. Although Kenny is set to head back to Goodison Park, The Sun have suggested that Seamus Coleman could walk through the door and come to the Bhoys.

Discussing the potential signings that Keane may make if he becomes the new manager at Parkhead, they stated the defender could be tempted to reunite a partnership the pair developed in the Republic of Ireland set-up.

Coleman currently has a year left on his £70k-per-week deal at Everton so could move to Celtic on the cheap.

If they do sign him, not only will they be gaining an experienced international with 58 caps to his name, but they’ll be signing a leader and someone that’s perfect for their style of play.

Speaking about Coleman this season, Carlo Ancelotti waxed lyrical about his qualities, suggesting he was up there with some of the finest defensive captains we’ve ever seen: “I’ve had a lot of captains in my career but how Seamus expresses his love for the shirt is really top,” he began.

“He is a great captain, honestly. I don’t want to forget anyone [I have worked with] but he is up there as a captain with [Paolo] Maldini, John Terry and Sergio Ramos,” Ancelotti concluded.

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Appraisals don’t come much better than that but importantly he’d be an upgrade on Kenny.

Coleman is more vocal on the pitch and crucially, very rarely has a lapse in concentration, something that let Kenny down during his Old Firm induction.

The 32-year-old has won the same number of tackles per game this season (1.6) and has proven to be a prolific goal scorer and creator for someone in his position.

He helped to define the role of a modern-day full-back, registering 26 goals and 29 assists during his stay in Merseyside so far.

The Irishman has very often been involved in the goals, something Kenny is unfortunate enough not to bolster. He only has two senior strikes to his name at club level.

Coleman may be in the twilight of his career but judging by how this season has gone, they could do with some more leadership and experience.

AND in other news, Big twist emerges in Celtic manager hunt, Desmond is surely buzzing…

If recent suggestions are to be believed, Leicester City are set to move for a centre-back in the summer transfer window.

The Foxes have been linked to a number of central defenders around Europe, with the most prominent names being Fenerbahce’s Attila Szalai and Joachim Andersen, who is currently on-loan at Premier League rivals Fulham.

Whilst the latter could be considered as the better potential arrival due to his Premier League experience, it is actually the Hungarian that Brendan Rodgers and Jon Rudkin should swoop for instead.

When comparing the two defenders, the Fenerbahce man produces more tackles – 1.5 to 1 – per game than Andersen according to WhoScored.

Considering that his team have spent the majority of the season towards the top of the SuperLig table, those defensive statistics are eye-catching.

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Meanwhile, Szalai also commits far fewer fouls which, taking into account he is junior to Andersen, is a very impressive feat.

The 11-cap Hungarian, who only arrived in Turkey in the January transfer window, also racks up a far more impressive pass success rate – 85.9% compared to 81.2%. This is certainly an aspect that would appeal to the Foxes considering Leicester’s intentions to dominate the ball during a game.

Surprisingly, Szalai is also far more of an offensive threat than Andersen by having 0.8 shots per game compared to 0.3. Whilst not his primary assignment, that goal threat will, of course, come in useful.

Another benefit of targeting the Fenerbahce man would also be the ease at which a deal could be completed. Currently rated at £3.3m, he could be far less costly than Andersen, who possesses a transfer rating of £15m at the current time.

So with the Foxes on the hunt for a centre-back, Atilla Szalai certainly seems like the prime candidate of the names that have been suggested thus far.

AND in more news, the Foxes must remain at the front of the queue for Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare…

Get German Football News editor-in-chief Daniel Pinder has told Football FanCast that Arsenal should have signed Christopher Nkunku from PSG before his move to RB Leipzig, having been linked with him in April 2019 when Unai Emery was in charge.

The midfielder moved to the Bundesliga club for a fee of around €15m (£12.9m) and he has gone on to impress during his time in Germany.

Nkunku is just 23 and he can play in both central midfield and attacking midfield, and has done so well during his time at Leipzig.

In total, he has made 78 appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals and registering 25 assists.

He made the same number of appearances at PSG and Pinder, a Bundesliga expert, believes that the Gunners missed out by not signing the former France U21 international, who has won six caps for his country at youth level.

Arsenal have been linked with Nkunku after to his move but it is not clear if a bid was made prior to his switch.

He has also called on the Gunners to revert to the Arsene Wenger strategy of finding players who are unheralded but with the ability to grow and improve during their Gunners careers.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “Yeah, being an Arsenal fan, I like what Arsene Wenger did, signing unknown players.

“So maybe someone like Sasa Kalajdzic, Silas Wamangituka, but even just while we’re at it, obviously they were interested in Nkunku as well and I think that’s someone Arsenal should’ve signed from PSG before Leipzig got in there.”

Many Sunderland fans have been criticising the performance of Grant Leadbitter in their 1-1 draw with Lincoln City in League One on Saturday afternoon.

Lee Johnson’s team took the lead at the Stadium of Light through a rare goal for Callum McFadzean after a fine ball by Max Power, before Callum Morton equalised for the visitors just after the hour mark.

It will surely be seen as two points dropped by the hosts as they look to chase promotion back to the Championship at the end of the season.

Leadbitter was just one of a number of players who struggled throughout the game, losing out on four of his duels while also failing to record a single interception or tackle from the centre of midfield (Sofascore).

The former Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough man also lost possession of the ball no fewer than seven times in total over the course of the match, as he was substituted off in the 71st minute for Ross Stewart (Sofascore).

Sunderland fan reaction to Leadbitter display

These Black Cats supporters slammed the 35-year-old’s performance on Twitter, with one Sunderland fan describing the veteran as ‘leggy’:

“O’Nien and Leadbitter cost us two points today. Clear weak links against a strong, rapid counter attacking team”

Credit: @jpsleightholme1

“Every time Leadbitter starts the tempo is awful. We can’t press with him and he slows the whole game. Had his day, needs to be a sub used when we need to slow a game down and that’s it.”

Credit: @craigtrichardso

“Think Leadbitter performances of late has proved he should go to academy to train the kids…we have no momentum ..are ponderous and pedestrian when he starts #SAFC”

Credit: @Safcftm2016

“Think Leadbitter didn’t have a good game, slows the tempo down massively in the middle of the park. Baffled by the midfield selection tbh. #SAFC”

Credit: @TheSafcAnalyst

“Wrong starting line up, Power and Leadbitter have no pace in cm, looked very leggy, only one team looked like winning it in second half”

Credit: @theboovont

“How can he not see Leadbitter makes this team worse. He should have retired the same time as Danny Graham. The midfield is full of slow players we’ve never had a foothold in this game”

Credit: @CalPatterson17

In other news, find out whose performance was slammed against Tranmere Rovers!

After tasting defeat to Leicester last time out, Aston Villa take on fellow Premier League surprise packages Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.

Dean Smith’s side have just seen their momentum stall a little in recent weeks after that impressive 1-0 win over Arsenal, with a goalless draw against Brighton followed up by that disappointing 2-1 loss at home to Leicester last weekend.

With Villa still however very much in the hunt for a European spot next season, Smith is unlikely to make too many changes for Saturday’s clash, but could look to freshen things up, especially with a game against Sheffield United soon after.

And, with that in mind, below is a look at how the side might line up for the trip to Leeds.

In goal, Emiliano Martinez will be hoping to add to his tally of 12 Premier League clean sheets this season, with only Manchester City’s Ederson above him on that list.

Matty Cash’s injury meant Ahmed Elmohamady had to come in at right-back against the Foxes, and Smith was very critical of the Egyptian’s defending for one of the goals – the rest of the back-line should remain unchanged.

In midfield, Smith may finally look to unleash Morgan Sanson, after easing him into life in English football with a couple of substitute appearances. The Frenchman could replace the £52k-a-week earning Douglas Luiz in the engine room, with that of course being the change that he made with ten minutes to go against Leicester.

Further ahead, Ross Barkley’s poor form has surely warranted him being dropped from the starting line-up on Saturday, with 19-year-old Jacob Ramsey pushing for his first start in the Premier League since mid-December against Wolves.

Predicted XI: Martinez; Elmohamady, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Sanson, McGinn; Traore, Ramsey, El Ghazi; Watkins.

Liverpool secured their place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday evening with a 4-0 aggregate win against RB Leipzig.

It was Mo Salah and Sadio Mane who got the goals for the Reds and who arguably stole the headlines as the Merseysiders got back on track. In midfield, both Fabinho and Thiago had excellent games too.

However, it was at the other end of the pitch where the real star was and that man was 23-year-old defender Nathaniel Phillips.

The Reds’ academy graduate turned in an eye-catching performance throughout the game and one that was probably befitting of a player his senior.

Partnered with Ozan Kabak at the heart of the Liverpool defence, he was able to keep the Leipzig attack quiet all evening – no mean feat considering that Julian Nagelsmann’s troops are the third-highest goalscorers in the Bundesliga this season.

According to WhoScored, Phillips contributed a total of three tackles throughout the match, whilst also managing a further five clearances – only second to Leipzig’s Lukas Klostermann.

A further two successful aerial duels added to an eye-catching list of crucial contributions from the £1.62m-rated centre-back.

He did not stop there though, also having the confidence to get on the ball.

Throughout the clash in Budapest, he had 57 touches. Only full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and midfielder Thiago had more.

Phillips was also only beaten by fellow academy graduate, Alexander-Arnold, on passing, with the centre-back completing 48.

Despite having somewhat flown under the radar during the match, with Fabinho also turning in an extremely impressive showing and getting nominated for the Champions League Player of the Week award, Phillips’ display was certainly appreciated by his manager.

Jurgen Klopp labelled Phillips as a “monster” following the game, praise that was certainly justified and the club’s fans agreed as those who voted on social media helped him win the club’s Man of the Match award.

With the Reds still suffering injuries at centre-back, the performance of Phillips will certainly be a welcome relief to the club as him playing so well at the back will allow Klopp to use Fabinho in midfield.

AND in more news, Rob Lee has called for patience with Reds midfielder Thiago in an exclusive chat with Football FanCast…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, ex-Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has urged Bertrand Traore to step up, especially in the absence of Jack Grealish.

Following Villa’s recent 2-0 defeat to Tottenham, another former player of the Midlands club, Alan Hutton, criticised Dean Smith’s attack. Traore, Trezeguet, Anwar El Ghazi and Ross Barkley were all namechecked by the Scotsman for not doing enough, something that Hendrie agrees with.

Overall, Traore has arguably had a good season. Since joining from Lyon in the last summer transfer window, the 25-year-old has managed to score five goals and provide three assists in the Premier League.

He has scored one league goal less than Grealish, putting things into perspective, but the Burkina Faso international’s failure to provide much in his team-mate’s absence has become a concern for the likes of Hendrie and Hutton.

Reacting to what Hutton had to say, Hendrie told FFC:

“I think what Hutts is talking about is that with Jack not being in the frame, you need standout players, you need exciting players that are going to step up to the plate and fulfil Jack’s role, because otherwise you’re going to get branded as almost a one-man team.

“So, yes, I’m totally, totally with Hutts on that because when you’ve got someone of his [Traore] ability, that’s where he needs to come on and be that player.”

The ex-Villa player concluded by saying:

“Hutton is dead right. When he’s [Grealish] not in there, who’s going to be that man? Who’s going to be that focal point that’s going to be the next best thing? Traore should be, he should be.”

Traore will have the chance to add to his goal tally when Villa take on Fulham at home in the Premier League after the international break.

Many Liverpool fans did not take too kindly to what manager Jurgen Klopp had to say about Manchester City’s excellent form.

The German tactician commented during his press conference (via Anfield Watch) regarding his side’s fatigue issues this year, stating that the Citizens have had a two-week break after the outbreak which postponed their match against Everton.

Klopp was referring to City’s postponement of their trip to Goodison Park back in late December, following which they played a week later to beat Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool meanwhile have picked up just seven points in their past six games and have suffered back-to-back home defeats against the likes of Burnley and Brighton.

With this in mind, supporters could not come around to Klopp’s way of thinking and urged him to stop making excuses regarding the team’s recent form.

Fans criticise Klopp

“Even as a Liverpool fan this is just silly excuse, City had much less time to prepare for the season at the start of the season, that’s why they dropped points against Leeds and Leicester. You can’t use these kinds of things as an excuse to having 2 shots on target against Brighton.”

Credit: @jonesdefutbol

“He’s not helping himself. We don’t care about city or however long they have a break, how about we concentrate on why we can’t score against defensive teams and keep doing the same thing against them expecting different results”

Credit: @nabydeco08

“This season has definitely got to him”

Credit: @1CraigFisher

“No need for this excuse again, at the start of the season city only had 6 days to prepare”

Credit: @Subindra99

“I’m a Liverpool fan but Klopp is already saying rubbish here. We should care about how we’ll break them not being jealous of the break they had”

Credit: @IreOluwadiran

“A bit poor from Klopp there on this occasion. Probably just frustration manifesting but doubt he meant any real dig at Pep tbf”

Credit: @robfreelancer

In other news, Jurgen Klopp provides positive news regarding centre-back with ‘proper personality.’

Leeds United are currently in the middle of a huge defensive crisis after Liam Cooper picked up an injury against Manchester United. He joins Robin Koch on the sidelines ahead of their clash with Burnley at the weekend.

Speaking to Lancashire Live, Marcelo Bielsa has confirmed that Diego Llorente will return to training ahead of the Elland Road clash, but there is no guarantee that he will start.

Pascal Struijk, Leif Davies and 20-year-old Oliver Casey are currently the only central options the boss has to choose from unless he dips into the youth team.

The former came on in place of Kalvin Phillips in midfield last time out, but Bielsa now has no other choice but to deploy him in his natural position in defence.

Bielsa must start Struijk vs Burnley

Despite being an excellent option to select, Struijk has made just three Premier League starts so far, tallying five appearances in total this season.

However, his absence is not something that’s new. Since joining the club’s youth ranks in 2018, the Dutchman has made a total of 11 appearances for the Whites, as per Transfermarkt.

In the absence of key players like Koch and Cooper, now could be the perfect opportunity for Struijk to show his worth at the Yorkshire outfit. It would be a huge confidence boost for the £25k-per-week workhorse, but it will also resurrect team morale following their lofty 6-2 defeat to Man United.

According to MOT Leeds News, Paul Robinson has expressed his concern over Leeds’ injury worries. He described the loss of captain Cooper as a “massive blow” that would “cripple any team”.

Indeed, the Whites will be fearful of Burnley’s star striker Chris Wood, who could seriously trouble their backline on Sunday. They should know all too well about his abilities.

Bielsa has been deploying Luke Ayling in the middle of the defence recently, but to maximise his chances of coming away with a result, the Argentinian needs to put faith in Struijk.

The 21-year-old could be vital against Burnley, allowing Ayling to perform more comfortably in his natural role at right-back.

In other news, Orta must move for “real talent” Michael Olise to replace Forshaw…

It seems as if Erik Lamela’s spell with Tottenham Hotspur could soon be coming to an end, with Fabrizio Romano confirming on the Last Word on Spurs podcast that the Argentinian was likely to leave the North London club this summer.

The Italian journalist suggested that:

“I am told that he would love to come back to Italy where he was with Roma. But at the moment, there is no Italian club looking for a winger, so I think next summer he will leave Tottenham.”

Spurs signed the winger from Roma in 2013 and in his seven and a half years with Tottenham, he has gone on to make 235 appearances for the North London club, contributing 35 goals and 46 assists.

Unfortunately for the 28-year-old, his time with the club has been marred by a series of injuries that have prevented him from ever really enjoying a consistent spell in the first-team.

This season has been no different for Lamela, as he has managed just two starts in the Premier League, with a calf injury keeping him out of action for much of November and December.

Jose Mourinho also has a plethora of wingers to choose from in his first-team squad which has limited Lamela’s game time further and considering his contract is set to expire at the end of next season, a summer exit seems likely, to ensure that Spurs don’t lose him for free at the end of his contract.

The Portuguese manager does seem to enjoy having Lamela in his squad, having praised his “amazing spirit” last season but he will surely be frustrated that injuries continue to mean that he is unavailable for selection.

It also makes financial sense to sell the £14.4 million-rated Argentinian, as he earns £80k per week with the North London club, the same as first-team regulars Lucas Moura and Toby Alderweireld, which seems an excessive amount for someone who is currently a fringe player, so it could definitely be argued that Lamela has robbed chairman Daniel Levy blind during his injury-hit time with the club.

The Argentinian was absent for more than a year between 2016 and 2017, as he missed as many as 57 games due to a hip injury.

Since the 2015/16 season, the winger has failed to make more than 12 starts in any Premier League season, suggesting that over the past five years, he has not been justifying his wage with the North London club, so it is perhaps a surprise that he has not been offloaded by Levy much sooner.

In his seven appearances in the top-flight this season, he has averaged a disappointing 6.52 rating, which is the 16th-best of any Spurs player, suggesting that on his rare appearances, he does not have much to offer Mourinho.

Therefore, Spurs must axe the 28-year-old at the end of this season, to bring an end to what will have been an underwhelming eight years with the North London club.

And, in other news… Levy can sign Spurs’ Lloris replacement in “insane” keeper who Jose loves