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Celtic winger James Forrest has been pictured back in training ahead of the Hoops’ trip to Hibernian on Wednesday evening.

The Lowdown: Forrest’s absence

Forrest, who missed a large portion of the previous campaign through injury, has been absent under Ange Postecoglou since August.

His last appearance and goal came in a 2-0 win over AZ Alkmaar, with the 30-year-old, labelled as ‘priceless’ by Neil Lennon, missing the last 13 games as a result.

However, it appears as if he could be closing in on a return.

The Latest: Hoops’ under-the-radar post

Celtic posted a training gallery on their official website on Tuesday, however, they didn’t share the images on their Twitter page.

Forrest was pictured in the gallery for preparations against Hibs alongside his Hoops teammates, so it appears as if he could be involved at Easter Road.

The Verdict: Place on the bench?

Postecoglou has relied on summer signings Jota, Liel Abada and even Kyogo Furuhashi out wide with Forrest sidelined, so it would be a big boost if he could be involved in some capacity this evening.

It could still be too soon for a start, however, easing him back into the matchday squad with a place on the bench and a possible cameo appearance may well be the smarter call.

In other news: ‘Ambitious’ Celtic beast wanted by Premier League clubs in the summer may now leave in January. 

Having joined Celtic on a season-long loan deal this summer, Jota has wasted no time in winning over the Parkhead faithful, with the 22-year-old having already turned in a number of remarkable performances during his short time in Glasgow.

And, with the Bhoys holding the option to make the Portugal U21 international’s loan a £6.5m permanent move next summer, speculation has already begun as to whether Celtic’s acting CEO, Michael Nicholson, will active the clause – with Ange Postecoglou recently hinting that the 22-year-old would like to stay at the club.

Speaking about Jota’s future, the 56-year-old said: “Jota is just starting his career but he’s already fallen in love with the club. He loves the environment here and the supporters. Who wouldn’t?

“Who wouldn’t want to play for a football club where you get 60,000 cheering you on. The crowd is something special. Let’s just let him enjoy it. Those kind of decisions will come in due course.

“From our perspective, I know everyone here is the same, we’ll do what’s best for the football club moving forward and that will be in consultation with the player’s wishes.”

However, while all the noise surrounding Jota’s permanent switch to Parkhead is positive at present, considering just how impressive the winger has been so far this season, it would appear highly advisable for Nicholson to complete a deal for the youngster sooner rather than later, in order to remove the possibility the forward being tempted by another potential suitor at the end of the current campaign.

Indeed, over his six Scottish Premiership fixtures this term, the £3.15m-rated man has scored two goals, registered two assists and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.5 shots and making 1.8 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the player Postecoglou himself dubbed an “unbelievable” talent average a SofaScore match rating of 7.42, ranking him as Celtic’s fifth-best performer in the league – while the forward has also bagged one goal over one appearance in the League Cup.

The winger has also been in excellent form over his three appearances in the Europa League, registering two assists, creating four big chances and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.63 – ranking him as the Hoops’ second-best player in the competition. With that in mind, it’s obvious why supporters would love to see him become a permanent part of the furniture.

Despite it being so early in his Celtic career, it would nevertheless appear as if Jota has already proven he would be worth splashing £6.5m on to sign on a permanent basis, and Nicholson should be aware that it will no longer just be the Bhoys and their fans aware of this fact.

In other news: Ange must finally unleash “talented” 22 y/o starlet, he could be “huge” for Celtic

Now in his third season in charge of Queens Park Rangers, Mark Warburton has seen his Rs side get off to a rather remarkable start to their 2021/22 Championship campaign, winning three and drawing two of their opening five fixtures of the season.

These results have left QPR sitting in an impressive third place in the second-tier standings, just two points behind the recently relegated duo of Fulham and West Bromwich Albion, who occupy first and second in the league respectively.

As such, it will perhaps come as no surprise that a number of Warburton’s players have highly impressed for the west London side so far this season, with Christopher Willock, Yoann Barbet and Jordy de Wijs all averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.30 or above.

However, there is one player who has been the standout star of QPR’s Championship campaign thus far – Rob Dickie.

Forget Willock

While, as mentioned above, the headline-grabbing Christopher Willock has undoubtedly been in fantastic form for QPR this season, it is the industrious centre-half who has stolen the show for the club in 2021/22 so far.

Indeed, over his five Championship appearances for Warburton’s side, the £2.25m-rated Dickie has helped his side keep two clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.4 interceptions, one tackle, 2.8 clearances and winning a remarkable 10 duels per game.

The man Ryan Dilks dubbed an “unbelievable” player has also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals, as well as taking an average of 1.4 shots and making 0.2 key passes per league fixture.

These returns have seen the £8k-per-week centre-back average an astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.50, not only ranking the defender as QPR’s best performer in the league, but also as the joint sixth-best player in the entirety of the division.

As such, should Dickie be able to maintain this level of form over the course of the season, the 25-year-old could well go on to play a starring role in what very much appears to be a campaign in which the Rs could well mount a push for promotion out of the league.

In other news: Alan Nixon drops QPR claim on “outstanding” £4k-p/w beast which will have fans buzzing

Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick is eyeing up a move for Leeds United hero Kalvin Phillips, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Phillips’ future unsure

The 25-year-old has become a modern-day Whites great, helping the club return to the Premier League and becoming a vital player for England, too.

Phillips’ performances have caught the attention of some of the country’s biggest clubs, however, and Leeds could find it tough to keep hold of him.

The Englishman’s current Whites deal expires in the summer of 2024, with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City linked with moves in recent times.

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The Latest: Man Utd keen on move

According to ESPN sources, Rangnick sees Phillips as one of three ideal midfield options to come in next summer, as United look to return to the top of English football.

Also mentioned in the report are Amadou Haidara and Jude Bellingham, who are both impressing at RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund, respectively.

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The Verdict: Surely not joining them?

Many Leeds fans may understand Phillips deciding to move on at the end of the season, considering his potential interest in testing himself at Champions League level and potential to win major trophies.

That being said, the thought of him copying Alan Smith and moving to United is a grim one for Whites supporters, given the rivalry that exists between the two clubs.

Moving to Old Trafford could tarnish Phillips’ reputation, which would be a huge shame after 226 appearances and so many influential displays, so seeing him move elsewhere would be preferable if he does decide to leave.

In other news, a key update has emerged regarding Leeds’ January spending. Read more here.

An update has been dropped on the reported interest from Glasgow Rangers in signing David Bates before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Bates interest

It was reported earlier this month that the Gers hold an interest in bring Bates back to Ibrox this window, and look set to make a bid for him.

He only has a year left on his current deal at Hamburg, and the Glasgow club could afford to buy him should they end up deciding to make a move.

The Latest: Interest played down

Fussballnachrichten.de have now played down the reported interest from the Light Blues in Bates, even going as far as to claim that there is no interest in signing him at all.

As per the news outlet, there are no clubs currently looking into signing the six-foot-three central defender, who may be forced to stay with Hamburg until his contract expires.

The Verdict: Avoid

While Steven Gerrard’s team could afford to sign Bates if they wanted to, they should avoid looking into him for now.

The 24-year-old did relatively well while out on loan in Belgium’s top flight in the 2020/21 season, winning no fewer than 3.4 of his duels per game, as well as averaging 3.7 clearances and 1.1 interceptions per match, helping his side keep four clean sheets in the process (Sofascore).

However, the Gers are pretty healthy in the centre-back department at the moment, and should really be focusing on strengthening other areas of the pitch first of all.

Nonetheless, Bates has not tested himself in a major league since he was last in Glasgow, and so it is not guaranteed that he would adapt swiftly to Scottish football again.

In other news, find out what recent Rangers news has been lauded here!

Writing on Twitter, journalist Fabrizio Romano has backed Tottenham Hotspur’s deal to sign Cristian Romero and reassured supporters that the move is in fact ‘done’ with ‘no problem’.

The Lowdown: Spurs close in on third summer signing…

Over these last two weeks, new Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici has been quite the busy figure at N17 after being tasked with developing the club’s on-field sporting operations.

His first senior summer signing, Pierluigi Gollini, impressed on his Wednesday evening debut for the club in a 2-2 pre-season friendly draw against Chelsea.

Meanwhile, young winger Bryan Gil has been tipped for big things as he arrives at Spurs from Sevilla.

Now, Romano has reassured Spurs supporters that they can look forward to the announcement of a colossal third summer signing.

The Latest: Romano backs Romero deal…

Writing on Twitter, the Italian reporter has backed Romero’s move to Tottenham whilst telling supporters that there are no issues involved.

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He even says that the Argentine ‘will fly to London’ soon in what is a mighty boost for Spurs given their long, drawn out search for a star centre-half – which you could trace all the way back to last summer.

“To be clear. There’s no problem for Cristian Romero deal,” explained Romano on social media.

“Tottenham have reached an agreement with Atalanta since yesterday. It’s done.

“Once Demiral signs as new Atalanta centre-back (likely tomorrow), Romero will fly to London to complete his Spurs move for €55m.”

The Verdict: Good news…

New manager Nuno Espirito Santo is arguably set for his biggest boost of the summer so far with the signing of Romero from Atalanta.

He won the Serie A 2020/2021 MVP award for best defender and has been called ‘phenomenal’ by Italian football critics for his performances over this last year (Conor Clancy to This is Futbol).

Signing the 23-year-old for €55 million (£46.8m) comes as a very big coup, and the mere fact that Daniel Levy is willing to part with a huge sum to give Nuno a genuine chance at a successful rebuild should also delight fans.

In other news: ‘We’re now hearing’…Sky Sports reporter drops Harry Kane news from Tottenham training ground, find out more here.

An update has emerged on Tottenham target Jannik Vestergaard, regarding how much Southampton want for him if they do sell this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, Southampton value Tottenham target Jannik Vestergaard at £17m (€20m), with the Dane heading into the final season of his contract with the club.

Galetti claims that Spurs are in negotiations with Southampton over a potential deal for the centre-back, whilst Jose Mourinho’s Roma are also in the mix.

Imagine him and Rodon

Daniel Levy could land a dream deal by bringing Vestergaard to the club following this update. £17m is an excellent price for a player of his quality, especially given that Southampton paid around £22m for him in 2019 from Borussia Monchengladbach.

The Sun have claimed that Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier could all leave Spurs this summer, with the Belgian wanting to depart and Fabio Paratici being open to offers for the other two. This means that any new arrivals could end up playing alongside young defender Joe Rodon at the back.

Rodon averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 7.01 in 22 starts as a centre-back for club and country last season, including four games in the Championship for Swansea, which suggests that he could have the ability to thrive if handed a greater role in the side by Nuno Santo next term.

Vestergaard, meanwhile, has also proven himself for club and country. Domestically, he has caught the eye of pundits, with Arsenal legend Martin Keown saying earlier this year that the towering defender has shades of Virgil van Dijk about his game, comparing how the pair pass the ball out from the back for Southampton and Liverpool respectively.

He told TalkSport:

“It’s his passing. It reminds me of Van Dijk.

“I call it a stationary platform. When you don’t run with the ball you stop and when you look at those two, the way they ping balls, the way he threads things into midfield, the challenges, he’s a big man.”

The 28-year-old gave a timely reminder of his quality in England’s semi-final victory over Denmark in the European Championships on Wednesday.

He recorded a superb WhoScored rating of 7.04 as he won four aerial battles, five tackles and one interception, whilst also making seven clearances and two blocks. This shows that he has the defensive nous to be a nuisance at the top level, as he helped the Danes force the likes of Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount into extra-time.

He could be a brilliant addition to Santo’s squad and be a dream partner for the up-and-coming Rodon to learn from. They could form a strong partnership at the back.

AND in other news, Levy agrees personal terms with £17.2m-rated “warrior”, Tottenham fans will be buzzing…

Everton fans are livid after it was revealed the Toffees are willing to pay some of James Rodriguez’s wages for him to leave the club before the Turkish window slams shut.

When Rodriguez made the move to Goodison Park from Real Madrid last summer, there was shock around the footballing world. He showed signs of his ability on Merseyside, scoring six goals and providing five assists (Transfermarkt), but the departure of Carlo Ancelotti appears to have left the 29-year-old without much desire to stay put (talkSPORT).

It seems there may be a way out for the Colombia international. As per Pipe Sierra, Istanbul Basaksehir are interested in signing the attacking midfielder and, in a bid to push through the deal, Everton would be willing to pay part of his wages. This has angered the club’s supporters, who believe there is no point in letting him go if that is the case.

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

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

“Absolutely pathetic.”

Credit: @UTFT_1878

“Awful deal for us if true.”

Credit: @paulmomber

“Will be fuming if we do this deal”

Credit: @simoncooper107

“Whats the point in that?”

Credit: @Tony_willow86

“Ridiculous from the club. Just play him while he’s here!”

Credit: @johnjon69972607

“Not a good deal sell or we keep and play would make more sense to offload tosen”

Credit: @johnsonk62

In other news, Everton fans are livid with this injury news.

Everton appear to be closing in on the appointment of Nuno Santo as their new manager, but one other name tipped to replace Carlo Ancelotti is Graham Potter. However, Lawrie Sanchez believes that the Merseyside outfit might have been cautious of going for the Brighton boss because of how Marco Silva’s tenure went.

Potter and Silva have similarities in terms of how they started at smaller Premier League or foreign clubs before getting a move to a more established top-flight English club and now being linked with big clubs like Spurs and Everton, but Silva’s term at Everton did not go to plan.

The Brighton manager, who director of football Marcel Brands is reportedly especially keen on, has earned rave reviews from managers such as Pep Guardiola, and was widely tipped as a candidate for the Spurs job. However, despite all the praise he is still yet to guide the Seagulls to a higher finish than 15th in the Premier League.

This next appointment has to be spot on so Everton can plan for the long term future both on and off the pitch, and Sanchez believes that the Toffees could be a bit wary of appointing Potter because of his lack of experience, much like Silva, as he told Football FanCast exclusively:

“Clubs look at what they’ve done before and they went and got the new bright manager when they signed Marco Silva from Watford, and he had only just got there as he had just left Hull.

“They’ve been stung before with a young manager with the Silva situation and then they’ve ended up going for established names like Koeman, Ancelotti and Allardyce. So, I’m not saying he couldn’t do it at Everton but they seem like they want an established name.”

Everton are going to move into a new stadium in the coming years so they will be wanting to have the club in the best possible position on the pitch for that happening, and hopefully have European football in their debut season in their new ground.

Potter has managed to turn Brighton into a slick possession-based team in only two seasons and if they had a striker last season who was clinical in front of goal then they would have been pushing much higher up the league, as they had an xG of 51.6 compared to them actually only scoring 40 times.

Jon Newsome doubts that Leeds United will be able to pull off a move to sign goalkeeper Sam Johnstone from West Bromwich Albion this summer.

The Whites have been linked with a move to snap up the Baggies goalkeeper, who enjoyed an excellent season despite their relegation.

Johnstone made more saves than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League and appears almost certain to remain in the top-flight, with West Ham United also linked with an interest.

Leeds may need to sign a new goalkeeper this summer amid uncertainty over the future of Kiko Casilla, who has fallen out of favour under Marcelo Bielsa after being found guilty of using racist language while playing for the club in the Championship.

Newsome insists that Johnstone would not come into Elland Road and instantly become a starter, because of the excellent form of Illan Meslier, and believes that could place any potential transfer in doubt.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “Sam Johnstone, I don’t think he’d want to come in and fight for his place. I think he’d want to come in, you want to come in and not be guaranteed the No.1 shirt but you’re being bought and brought into a club where you’re going to be playing every week unless something else happens.

“I can’t see that happening because Meslier’s had such a great season.”