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Joachim Andersen is a target for Arsenal this summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Athletic, who claim the Lyon centre-back is likely to end up in North London with both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur battling it out for his signature after an impressive loan spell at Fulham this campaign.

Arch-rivals Spurs appear to be the clear favourites, whilst Europa League runners-up Manchester United have also been mooted with interest, but there is seemingly still a chance that he could end up at The Emirates.

The 25-year-old is likely to command a fee in the region of €23m (£20m) and the Ligue 1 outfit are said to be open to offers, with them not planning for his return ahead of pre-season.

Luiz replacement

This could be quite a shrewd piece of business from Mikel Arteta and Edu as they certainly need to bolster their side’s defence following the confirmed departure of David Luiz.

After two years at the Emirates Stadium, the 34-year-old will leave the club following the expiry of his contract, leaving a huge hole in the backline.

Andersen may well have been part of a side relegated from the big time this season but he was one of the few shining lights in Scott Parker’s side – evidently if three of the traditional top seven are mooted with interest.

Luiz, a renowned livewire, has been a very good ball-playing defender for the Gunners. For example, this season, his 83.5% passing accuracy and 3.6 long balls per game saw him rate out as one of Arteta’s best options.

As per WhoScored, the five-cap Denmark international recorded a respectable 5.8 successful long balls each outing and still brought home 81.4% accuracy, which was better than midfielders like Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ademola Lookman.

His form at Craven Cottage has earned a fair share of plaudits, with the 6 foot 4 centre-back being described as “absolutely sensational” by club legend Tony Gale and “magnificent” by the Mirror’s chief football writer John Cross.

For just £20m, there can’t be many better alternatives out there at such a bargain price, especially if Arsenal want to instantly get back on track next season.

Andersen just proved he can cut the mustard in the Premier League and with Arteta in need of a new option, Edu must look to secure him as he seems to be the dream replacement for Luiz, on the above evidence.

AND in other news, Edu could finally replace Ozil with Arsenal swoop for “exceptional” £18m-rated wizard…

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. 

Manchester United might well have the opportunity to sign an excellent partner for captain Harry Maguire this summer.

The Red Devils have been linked with a move for Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic, with reports from Calciomercato claiming that they are interested in the defender and could agree a deal worth approximately £26m with the Serie A outfit to bring him to Old Trafford.

Ed Woodward must certainly try and do that as United aim to bolster their defensive options heading into 2021/22.

Milenkovic has certainly harnessed his reputation as one of the most promising defenders in European football in recent seasons.

Rated at £25.2m by Transfermarkt, the 23-year has amassed 118 appearances in Serie A since a 2017 move from Partizan Belgrade. He has played a key role with the Florence club securing two top 10 Serie A finishes in his time at the club.

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Milenkovic has drawn lofty praise for his performances, too, with former Serbia head coach Mladen Krstajic labelling him as “a new Vidic” – a prospect which will certainly be tempting the Red Devils into making a move considering the 39-year-old’s achievements at Old Trafford in the past.

When comparing his statistics to his Manchester United counterparts, the current Fiorentina man comes out overwhelmingly on top.

According to WhoScored, he averages more tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks per game in the league this season than Victor Lindelof. He also exceeds the Sweden defender for aerial duels won per match.

It all makes a convincing argument for Milenkovic to be Harry Maguire’s partner in Manchester. With the Red Devils linked with a move for the Serbian, they must convert that interest into a tangible offer to his current employers and do all they can to bring him to Old Trafford in the near future.

AND in more news, find out why last week’s Liverpool postponement is a disaster for the Red Devils…

If you thought Celtic were in trouble then think again. The Hoops lost their first league match of the new campaign last weekend but bounced back in devastating fashion by securing a whopping 6-0 win at Parkhead on Sunday afternoon.

The Bhoys were at their free-flowing best with Ange Postecoglou’s side playing their opponents off the park with some of the best football we’ve seen at Paradise since the reign of Brendan Rodgers.

There was no Odsonne Edouard and there was no James Forrest either but that didn’t seem to matter as Japan international Kyogo Furuhashi put in a ruthless performance against Dundee.

Celtic’s new star man helped himself to a brilliant hat-trick, nearly shunting Edouard out the door before he’s even agreed to leave.

There were significant concerns about the Bhoys’ side without their bullish Frenchman but Furuhashi has shown in the space of one afternoon why they might be better off without him.

He ran rampant this afternoon but he couldn’t have done it without the rejuvenated Ryan Christie.

At the beginning of the summer, it looked as though the Scot was heading for the exit door. His contract is due to expire in January but under Postecoglou, he looks a man reborn.

He was devastating against Midtjylland a few weeks ago and after scoring an excellent header versus Jablonec in midweek, showed he’s all of a sudden a crucial component to this team.

In the words of The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin, he was “astounding” this weekend and it was clear to see why.

He was given a match rating of 10/10 by SofaScore, delivering a simply sublime performance that was deserving of a new contract in Glasgow.

Christie was miles off the pace last term, scoring 13 fewer goals than he’d managed in 2019/20 and for that reason, he was hounded by supporters.

However, they were singing his name at full-time on Sunday after he delivered a creative masterclass.

The 26-year-old put in one of his best displays in a long time, providing no fewer than eight key passes, three of which led to a goal.

He nutmegged a Dundee defender in embarrassing fashion for Furuhashi’s second strike, darting down the left before putting the ball on a plate for the striker.

His assist for the forward’s third and final goal was even more eye-catching. Christie picked the ball up in the middle of the park and then played an inch-perfect reverse pass in behind the backline that was tucked away deliciously by Kyogo.

This was the Christie of old, a player who can dominate Premiership defences for fun. He completed 100% of his dribbles and also won six of his nine ground duels.

Speaking on ACSOM at full-time, Paul John Dykes helped to explain why he’s back to his best: “What he’s doing now, he’s got the work rate and there seems to be far more discipline to his play and his game,” he said.

“On that performance, that Ryan Christie, if we can get him playing consistently, he would be tough to replace,” Dykes concluded.

With those words in mind, Celtic would be foolish to let the £12k-per-week earner depart. Remarkably, their best piece of business this summer could be tying the Scot down to a new deal.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Edouard: Celtic can boost title hopes by signing “wonderful” 19-goal beast…

Former All Leeds TV presenter Joe Wainman has called for Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa to excite fans by beating a host of Premier League rivals to the signing of Mikkel Damsgaard.

The Whites have had a fairly quiet transfer window, with just two fresh faces heading to Elland Road ahead of the new season getting underway.

While Jack Harrison has made his move from Manchester City permanent, Bielsa has also completed the £13million signing of Junior Firpo and welcomed highly-rated goalkeeper Kristoffer Klaesson.

According to Italian media outlet Sport Mediaset, Denmark international Damsgaard is on Bielsa’s wishlist. The report suggests the Yorkshire club are just one of numerous Premier League sides tracking the creative midfielder, with Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa also showing an interest.

Damsgaard sprung into the limelight after enjoying an impressive Euro 2020, where he registered two goals and an assist as Denmark reached the semi-finals.

The 21-year-old joined Serie A side Sampdoria last year and made 37 appearances during his first season in Italy.

But JustJoe Football Show anchorman Wainman wants to see Damsgaard swap Sampdoria for Leeds.

He told The Transfer Tavern: “He would get us off our seats and we need a marquee signing, that’s for sure.

“Certain sections of the fanbase would ideally like a marquee signing and Damsgaard would be that.”

Rangers were heavily linked with a move f0r Peterborough United winger Siriki Dembele in January and after the Posh’s director of football Barry Fry’s recent admission on the 24-year-old, Ross Wilson and Steven Gerrard should definitely reignite their interest in him and try and bring him to Ibrox this summer.

Rangers were among a number of clubs linked with the former Grimsby Town man in January but he ended up staying with the Posh and helped them to earn promotion back to the English Championship.

In 42 league appearances for Darren Ferguson’s side, the winger contributed 11 goals and 10 assists, averaging a superb 7.32 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This ranked him as the second-best player in Peterborough’s squad behind fellow Rangers target Jonson Clarke-Harris, so it is clear just how important he was to their promotion.

Whilst the Cambridgeshire outfit will have been desperate to keep hold of him ahead of next season’s Championship campaign, it seems increasingly likely that the “outstanding” winger will depart, especially after Fry’s recent comments.

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The 76-year-old told This Is Futbol: “He’s got a year left on his contract and we’ve made him what we consider to be a lucrative offer but there has been a lot of interest in him, and I don’t think he’ll sign a new contract with us.

“The club’s policy is if you’re in the last year of your contract, and the club offers a contract and you refuse it, we put you on the transfer list. We’ve had bids worth millions for Dembele and rejected them.”

Therefore it looks as if Dembele is keen to leave Peterborough United in the near future and Rangers could be the beneficiaries, should Wilson and Gerrard feel he is worth bringing to Ibrox this summer.

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His performances in 2020/21 certainly suggest that he would be a worthwhile addition to Gerrard’s squad ahead of next season and this latest update means he could come relatively cheap, so Wilson should definitely consider going back in for Dembele this summer.

In other news… Wilson should seal Rangers swoop for “brilliant” 21 y/o who will “only get better”

Aston Villa have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Manchester United centre-back Axel Tuanzebe.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested that Dean Smith’s side have got their sights set on bringing the English defender back to Villa Park for a second spell at the club, and now, Football Insider have delivered an update on the situation.

It said: “The Midlands giants are front of the queue to make a move for the versatile 23-year-old after registering their interest in a deal.

“A Villa source has told Football Insider that the club have been given encouragement that United are planning to let Tuanzebe go in the current window. The 20-times champions have been sounded out by Villa over a potential deal and they will listen to offers if they can secure a replacement.”Dean Smith wants an athletic centre-back with Premier League experience to provide cover and competition for first-choice duo Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa. Tuanzebe has been targeted as he fits the profile of the recruitment team and has the potential to develop.” Dean Smith will be buzzing

In a highly successful first loan spell at Villa Park, Tuanzebe played 35 times for Villa during the 2018/2019 campaign, helping to secure promotion back to the Premier League via the play-offs.

And then, speaking ahead of Villa’s clash with United back in 2019, Smith himself said: “He is a terrific guy. He’s got a terrific attitude, that is the thing which will stand him in good stead with his career. I can’t speak highly enough of him.

“He was a big part of why we got promoted last season. I loved working with him, and I would like to think I helped in a small part in his development. I look forward to seeing him, but hopefully he doesn’t play too well against us.”

So, it’s no surprise that Villa are targeting a move for Tuanzebe, and given this latest transfer update on their pursuit of the centre-back, there’s no questioning Smith will be buzzing at the prospect of joining forces with him once again.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa have been handed an encouraging transfer update…

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

With their 5-0 thrashing of Manchester United now behind them, Liverpool are on the road again this evening with a Carabao Cup clash against Championship side Preston North End.

Ahead of the match, Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders revealed that there are a number of injury concerns at the Merseyside club at the moment, especially in midfield with the likes of Naby Keita, James Milner, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara and Harvey Elliott all expected to miss the match at Deepdale.

On the chalkboard

Taking this into account, one senior midfield option that Klopp should turn to tonight to help his side get through to the next stage of the competition is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

In Liverpool’s previous Carabao Cup match that saw them beat fellow Premier League side Norwich City 3-0, Oxlade-Chamberlain started and played the full 90 minutes of the game and managed to grab one assist, make two key passes, block two shots, complete two successful dribbles, make one interception and one tackle in the process.

This season as a whole has seen the Englishman make eight appearances for the Reds across all competitions, starting just two of them, making him somewhat of an outcast at the moment.

His latest appearance saw Oxlade-Chamberlain come on as a substitute in the second half of the match at Old Trafford at the weekend in which he managed to complete 90% of his passes, complete 100% of the long balls he attempted, win both of the ground duels he was involved in, have one shot at goal and make one interception and two tackles, ultimately earning himself a very good overall match rating of 7.1/10 according to SofaScore.

The Merseyside club signed Oxlade-Chamberlain back in the 2017 summer transfer window from fellow Premier League side Arsenal in a deal worth a reported fee of £35m.

Since then, the midfielder, who is currently valued at £16.2m according to Transfermarkt, has made 112 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions in which he has managed to score 14 goals and provide 12 assists along the way.

Looking ahead to the Preston game, given the number of injury issues Liverpool currently have in midfield at the moment and the fact that it has been reported that Oxlade-Chamberlain is apparently concerned about his lack of game time at the Merseyside club, he could be what the team needs right now and that this is a great time for him to play another 90 minutes to show Klopp what he has to offer the side.

In other news: Klopp could save LFC millions by unleashing 21 y/o “leader”, he’s VVD’s heir apparent – opinion

Celtic are interested in signing Manchester City defender Yan Couto, according to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph.

The Lowdown: Couto profiled

City agreed on a deal for Couto last March, with the right-back penning a five-year deal.

The 19-year-old, who can also play as a right-midfielder, spent last season on loan at Spanish side Girona, making 30 appearances in all competitions.

The 5 foot 5 full-back scored twice and provided five assists during his temporary spell in Spain.

He’s on a £15,000-a-week deal at the Etihad, and it seems as if Celtic are now targeting the Brazilian ahead of the new campaign.

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The Latest: Joseph’s post

Reliable reporter Joseph took to Twitter on Friday evening to share the links to Couto.

He claimed that the Hoops are looking at a loan deal, with a number of clubs from Portugal also keen on the teenager.

“Not back to work yet – far from it! But I’m told Celtic are targeting Man City right-back Yan Couto for a potential loan. There’s interest from Portuguese clubs too.”

The Verdict: Needed

Ange Postecoglou has just Anthony Ralston and Lee O’Connor as right-back options at this moment in time, so one, perhaps two right-back additions appear to be needed this summer.

Bringing in Couto, who enjoyed a successful loan spell in Spain last season, could be a shrewd move. He would give Postecoglou another full-back to choose from while also providing cover as a right-midfielder if needed after turning out 14 times further forward last season.

Couto could challenge any senior right-back that may possibly arrive at Parkhead, but with the Hoops signing Olivier Ntcham and Jeremie Frimpong from City previously, perhaps they will be willing to do business.

In other news: Reporter reveals Celtic ‘talks’ for 6ft ace on Thursday evening; he wants Parkhead move.