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Celtic have been handed a major boost regarding Josip Juranovic’s return from injury.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Daily Record, Ange Postecoglou revealed that the right-back could once again be available for selection for the fixture against St Johnstone this weekend, as the 26-year-old is in the tail end of his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Speaking about the current condition of the defender, the 56-year-old said: “Juranovic did his hamstring so didn’t go away [on international duty]. He’s been doing rehab here. It’s the tail end so we’re looking at [this] weekend for him.”

Postecoglou will be buzzing

While Anthony Ralston has performed incredibly impressively while filling in at right-back during Juranovic’s absence – with the 22-year-old averaging a rather extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.76 over his seven league appearances – it is nevertheless certain that considering the Croatia international was one of Celtic’s most exciting summer signings, Postecoglou will be buzzing about the defender’s return.

Indeed, over his four Scottish Premiership appearances prior to picking up his injury, the £2.25m-rated man had helped his side keep one clean sheet, as well as making an average of 0.5 key passes, one interception, two tackles and winning 3.3 duels per game.

These metrics have seen the player who Bhoys Analytics dubbed a “creative monster” average a SofaScore match rating of 7.00 in the top flight of Scottish football, while the 26-year-old also impressed in his one appearance in the Europa League, getting himself on the scoresheet and earning a SofaScore match rating of 7.00 against Real Betis.

As such, the news that the defender is nearing a return to first-team action will undoubtedly come as a major boost for Postecoglou and his side, although, the fact Juranovic does not look likely to feature in the Bhoys’ crunch match with Ferencvarosi TC on Tuesday afternoon may be slightly disappointing for the 56-year-old.

In other news: £3.8m out of pocket: Celtic had a nightmare in “magnificent” £12k-p/w dynamo’s sale

West Ham United have held talks with CSKA Moscow attacker Nikola Vlasic, amid growing suspicion that fellow target Jesse Lingard will stay put at Manchester United this summer [Hammers News].

Enjoying a commendable 2020/21 campaign, the Croatia international registered 18 goal contributions in 34 appearances for his current Russian employers; 12 goals and six assists [Transfermarkt].

Now, he could well be set for a move to East London following recent reports.

Speaking on the Sky Sports Transfer Show yesterday evening, Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth remarked that the Hammers have held talks with Vlasic over a move, whilst also adding that there is “a growing feeling that Jesse Lingard may remain at Manchester United” [Hammers News].

West Ham have allegedly put forward an offer of a season-long loan stint with a £28 million purchase clause at the end of the season inserted for Vlasic’s services [Hammers News].

In light of this news, no wonder loads of West Ham United supporters flocked to social media to share their opinion on the latest news.

West Ham United fans react:

Replying to multiple outlets on Twitter, here is what some Hammers had to say about the update, with one admitting they are ‘excited’:

“Sign Vlasic on Loan then get Lingard for cheaper in January when Benrahma goes to AFCON”

Credit: @OC02_”Excited about this one if we can get it over the line”Credit: @davewinsley”Jesse seems impossible and seems to be talking to CSKA Moscow over Vlasic now”Credit: @WHUFCJPNFans”Vlasic PLEASE”Credit: @ben_personal”Please”Credit: @WesthamDeku_”Okay for real west ham can you just do me this one solid and get Vlašić? You’re gonna make so much money off me alone if you bring him in”Credit: @NStamparIn other news, West Ham United fans react to a Declan Rice update. Find out more here.

Flocking to Twitter, many Manchester City supporters have been left excited as an update emerges on their striker plans for January – and it involves Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic.

A world class centre-forward was heavily courted by manager Pep Guardiola and sporting director Txiki Begiristain in the summer window with bids lodged for Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane.

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They were unsuccessful in their signing attempts, however, with Guardiola having to cope with makeshift options once again after the departure of club legend Sergio Aguero.

High-flying City are top of the Premier League with only Liverpool scoring more top flight goals so far (premierleague.com), testament to Guardiola’s tactical improvisation as he makes use of a plethora of his attacking midfield talent.

It is believed that the Sky Blues will still target a striker for January though with news now emerging on their pursuit of Vlahovic.

According to La Repubblica, via Firenze Viola, Man City are in the ‘front row’ to sign La Viola’s star man as they enter pole position.

As well as this, Guardiola personally believes he can be the ‘perfect’ striker for his side as City ‘pushes’ for his signing in January.

City fans erupt…

Given the 21-year-old has drawn comparisons to fellow target Erling Haaland whilst netting a brilliant 15 goals in just 17 Serie A appearances so far, it’s little wonder Sky Blues are thrilled.

Still at a really young age, Vlahovic has set the Italian top flight alight with his dazzling form and could only get better – with there being the added incentive of real sell-on potential.

Here’s how City supporters reacted to what one fan called a ‘big’ transfer update down below:

“Just Vlahovic or Haaland, that’s all I want”

Credit: @SxrgioSZN

“OH MY GOD”

Credit: @vlahovicszn

“Big Wwwwwww”

Credit: @jadzein12

“don’t gas me”

Credit: @kunsologist

“YES YES YES”

Credit: @Jacob4rmstrong

“Perfect. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. Okay”

Credit: @King__kb

“Get my boy in Jan”

Credit: @orannie2

“Finally.”

Credit: @Mantus_G

In other news: ‘Siuuuu’, ‘Finally’…Man City fans also went wild after a ‘perfect’ £59.3m development, find out more here.

Providing an update on West Ham United and their transfer plans for January, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has now shared news involving Liverpool striker Divock Origi.

The Lowdown: West Ham looking to January…

As recently confirmed by manager David Moyes, speaking in a pre-match press conference ahead of tonight’s Europa League clash with Dinamo Zagreb, his Hammers side could be active in the winter window (Sky Sports).

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The Scotsman says that, as well as scouring for a new centre-half as emergency cover to the injured Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma, his side have been searching for a striker (Sky Sports).

There have been no shortage of links to new forwards already, including the likes of Andrea Belotti and Adam Hlozek most recently, with Ex now sharing what he knows on the West Ham Way Website.

The Latest: Insider makes Origi claim…

As per his information, West Ham could now ‘make a move’ to sign Origi in the upcoming transfer window – explaining it would ‘not be a surprise at all’ if the Irons swoop for his signature.

The 26-year-old, struggling for consistent game time at Liverpool, has also apparently been ‘very close’ to joining previously as Ex claims he may well be one to keep an eye on.

The Verdict: Good option?

Despite his lack of chances under Klopp, Origi has actually managed to turn it on this season when given the chance.

The Belgium international even scored a brilliant individual goal against West Ham at the London Stadium with Liverpool’s boss holding no shortage of praise for some of his exploits this season.

Klopp lauded the striker as a ‘really quick’ player and ‘monster’ in the air recently (The Mirror), and with Origi’s contract expiring in 2022, the Reds may feasibly be forced to sell for a cheaper rate in January.

Racking up a career tally of 63 senior goals, the 31-cap ace could actually come as an ideal back up striking option for Moyes and someone who can finally end West Ham’s year-long search for a Michail Antonio-alternative.

In other news: Moyes dealt worrying news as ‘another big injury blow’ comes out of West Ham, find out more here.

Newcastle United have now reportedly made an offer to try and sign Carles Perez before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Winger needed

The St. James’ Park faithful currently only have three natural wingers in their squad at the moment (Transfermarkt), and one of them is Jacob Murphy, who may be seen more as a right wing-back when the new 2021/22 Premier League season starts.

Thus, if he, Allan Saint-Maximin or Ryan Fraser were to find themselves injured for a sustained period of time, it would leave Steve Bruce pretty short in that area.

The Latest: Perez offer

As per Italian football journalist Rudy Galetti, the North East club have ‘officially stepped forward’ to sign Perez, and have made an offer to AS Roma of around €10m (£8.5m) for his signature.

There are ‘ongoing evaluations’ between both teams as the Tyneside club look to strike a deal before the window closes.

The Verdict: Sign

Given the lack of depth in wide areas, it would be a smart move for Bruce and co to go out and sign Perez, especially if they can get him for a mere £8.5m.

Once praised by Lionel Messi while he was at FC Barcelona back in 2019, the Spaniard will feel as if he has a point to prove, and at just 23 years of age, still has a lot of potential.

His three goals and three assists in 31 games in total over all competitions last term (Transfermarkt) show that he can be deadly at times in front of goal, but is perhaps lacking a little consistency.

Nonetheless, £8.5m could turn out to be a steal for a position that needs filling for the Tyneside club.

In other news, find out which £12.6m-rated ‘phenomenon’ NUFC are keen on signing here!

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa is now being wanted by Fiorentina to take over the reins at the Serie A club.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that the Argentine is expected to put pen to paper on a new contract at Elland Road, with Fabrizio Romano claiming that this should be done “soon”.

However, RAI journalist Sara Meini has revealed that Fiorentina are plotting a move to lure Bielsa away from Yorkshire, adding that he figures among the contenders to take over the manager’s job there.

Nightmare for Andrea Radrizzani

Make no mistake about it, losing Bielsa this summer would be the kind of seismic blow from which Leeds would find it extremely difficult to recover.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Brian Deane said of the Argentine: “He’s brought a massive change to the club and I don’t know what the figures are, but he’s delivered. He’s over-delivered.

“I think their target was to finish fourth bottom and look where they are in the table, so he’s doing something good. And I’m sure these guys have factored into any budget that they’re going to offer the manager.”

Touching on what Bielsa has managed to do at Leeds, former Wigan manager Paul Jewell told FFC: “What I like about Bielsa is, and I think he can speak English but he’s pulling our legs, so fair play to him, but what I like about him is that he doesn’t make excuses.

“The difference he’s made to those Leeds players like Dallas, Cooper and Ayling, the list is endless. They were Championship players, and not great ones, but he’s turned them into Premier League players.

“He deserves unbelievable credit and he won’t have a trophy at the end of the season, but what a manager he is.”

As Jewell says, Bielsa has turned essentially lower-division players into fully-fledged Premier League stars, and even internationals in the case of England hero Kalvin Phillips.

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It would be a massive nightmare for Radrizzani to lose Bielsa to Fiorentina, and it’s exactly why he must be proactive in trying to get the Argentine to put pen to paper on a new deal at Leeds as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this Copa America star…

Many Everton fans have been left fuming over an update on their Carabao Cup third round tie away at Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday night.

As per Phil Kirkbride, Kevin Friend is set to referee the game against the EFL Championship team next week.

Incidentally, he has given more yellow cards to the Goodison Park faithful (57) than all but one other side in his career, and they have only won one of their last six games in which he has been in charge (Transfermarkt).

There has been some controversy between Friend and the Merseyside club in the past, and so it is not a surprise to see so many Toffees supporters against his appointment, as Rafa Benitez’s team will look to book their place in the fourth round of the competition with as little trouble as possible.

Everton fans on Friend news

These Blues fumed as the news of Friend’s appointment was shared on Twitter:

“Is there some agenda to give us the worst of the refs?”

Credit: @Toffeelewl

“And they get worse”

Credit: @paulhalligan29

“Boooooooo”

Credit: @bluesofgoodison

“We are out we never win when he refs”

Credit: @barryho55127160

“God help us.”

Credit: @KelvinPhelpsk

“NOOOO”

Credit: @TheDanMox

In other news, find out why James Rodriguez’s summer move fell through here!

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Graham Roberts believes that Kyle Walker-Peters has found his level at Southampton.

The right-back departed Spurs for St Mary’s in 2020 and has gone on to impress under the management of Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Walker-Peters went on to make 30 appearances in his first full season at the club, laying on three assists along the way, and has played twice in the Premier League this term.

Reports claimed that Spurs were interested in bringing the defender back to the club in the summer, before deciding to sign Emerson Royal from Barcelona instead.

Roberts, though, believes that the former England U21 international is at the ideal club, where he will continue to play, and make an impact.

Asked about his performances on the south coast, the former Tottenham ace told Football FanCast: “I think that’s his level. We’ve got a player who’s played at Barcelona so he’s a top-notch player, but I thought Kyle Walker-Peters did very well at Southampton.

“But don’t forget, we scored five goals down there against them. He’s had a decent season but, for me, I think that’s his level, I think Southampton is as high as he will go.”

Walker-Peters made a total of 24 senior appearances for Spurs but was never really trusted to complete a season in his position, unlike he has been at Southampton.

Sunderland striker Charlie Wyke has multiple contract offers from elsewhere as he ponders his next move, as reported by the Sunderland Echo.

The Lowdown: Black Cats set for fourth consecutive League One campaign

Sunderland face an uphill rebuilding task, as they prepare to enter their fourth consecutive season in Sky Bet League One [BBC].

Though the Black Cats have not yet braved the summer transfer market, they have been linked with making a permanent swoop for Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Dion Sanderson following his loan spell at the Stadium of Light in 2020/21 [Football Insider].

However, outgoings may well prove to be their first concern moving into the new campaign – a successful clear out could lead to a more productive quest for incoming signings.

The Latest: Celtic, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough all keen on the 28-year-old

Presently, Wyke is allegedly being courted by Scottish giants Celtic, Nottingham Forest and former club Middlesbrough [Sunderland Echo], but the report claims he could now have even more offers.

Contractually, he is free to negotiate with other clubs and will become a free agent at the end of this month unless he pens a new deal with the North East side [Transfermarkt].

The report states the 28-year-old has had an offer of a contract extension with Sunderland.

Celtic, who will participate in the Champions League qualifying stages soon, have a long-standing interest in his services dating back to April [Glasgow Live], so perhaps they will emerge as an early front runner.

The Verdict: Sunderland cannot afford to lose Wyke just yet

Without doubt, Sunderland cannot afford to lose Wyke this window. Scoring an incredible 30 goals in 53 appearances in 2020/21, his efforts were instrumental in the Wearside outfit’s promotion push [Transfermarkt], regardless of some poor moments which frustrated fans.

Not only that, Wyke’s ability to occupy opposition backlines with his physical presence has also been an important element of the Black Cats’ play, successfully winning around 4.8 aerial duels every 90 minutes across last campaign [WhoScored].

Labelled as ‘brilliant’ by assistant Sunderland coach Jamie McAllister [Chronicle], it is not hard to see that his departure would leave a huge void that needs to be filled – finding a 30-goal striker is not exactly easy.

In other news, a former Sunderland striker is now a free agent.

Leeds United reporter Conor McGilligan was left shocked by Junior Firpo’s yellow card record this season as the Whites close in on unwanted Premier League history.

The Lowdown: Two away

Jesse Marsch’s side are in a real relegation battle heading into the final five games of the season. They picked up what could prove to be a valuable point away to Crystal Palace on Monday evening, leaving them five points clear of Everton and three clear of Burnley.

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Dan James and Diego Llorente both received yellow cards at Selhurst Park in the 0-0 draw, taking Leeds’ total in the Premier League this season to 93.

As per LUFCDATA, the Whites are now just two away from setting a new Premier League record for the most bookings by a club in a single season, which is currently held by Sunderland (94) set in 2014/15.

The Latest: McGilligan reacts

LUFCDATA broke down the 92 bookings in the Leeds squad on Twitter, with Firpo, who has only just returned from injury, topping the list with nine.

Leeds Live’s McGilligan couldn’t quite believe the numbers, labelling what he’s just seen as ‘quite remarkable’. This is because, as the reporter points out, the left-back has actually only made 19 Premier League appearances, just 15 of which have been starts.

Supporters agreed, lambasting the Spaniard as a ‘terrible signing’ in response to McGilligan’s post.

The Verdict: A season to forget for Firpo and Leeds

Firpo hasn’t had the impact he would have been hoping for after joining from Barcelona in the summer, making it a season to forget on both an individual and team level.

He returned to the bench on Monday after missing four games due to injury, with Stuart Dallas keeping his place at left-back.

Only Kalvin Phillips ranks higher than the Spaniard when it comes to fouls committed per 90, as per WhoScored, while Firpo also ranks near the bottom for blocks made, suggesting his defensive aggressiveness is not paying off in the ways that actually matter.

Hopefully, Leeds will remain in the top flight over the coming weeks and Firpo can put his first year in Yorkshire behind him ahead of a more positive injury-free season in 2022/23, where we may get to see the best of the 25-year-old.

In other news: Radz and 49ers will now reward Marsch if he keeps Leeds up by moving for 29-goal forward.