Journalist drops exciting Haaland update

Taking to Twitter, Norwegian journalist and football expert Andreas Korssund has shared an exciting transfer development out of Manchester City.

The Lowdown: City eye striker move…

Over the summer, Manchester City and sporting director/transfer chief Txiki Begiristain appeared desperate to sign an out-and-out centre-forward as the club parted ways with club legend Sergio Aguero.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/man-city-latest-updates/” title=”Man City latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

City’s all-time top goal scorer bid an emotional farewell to Eastlands nearly a decade after he was signed from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2011.

Pep Guardiola clinched the 2020/2021 Premier League crown, a Carabao Cup and guided his side to a first ever Champions League final without the use of a natural striker.

That didn’t sway City’s attempts to sign one alongside the club record acquisition of Jack Grealish, however, as bids were lodged for Spurs attacker Harry Kane.

The Sky Blues couldn’t prise him away from N17 in the end and even briefly turned their attention to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Dusan Vlahovic.

Erling Braut Haaland, a player many City supporters want to see at Eastlands, was also linked.

Now, another update has emerged on the Norwegian superstar.

The Latest: Journalist reveals exciting Haaland development…

As per Korssund, an exciting development has emerged involving City and the red hot Borussia Dortmund striker.

It is believed that ‘Manchester City are ready’ to sign the 21-year-old next summer and Begiristain is even ‘planning meetings’ with super agent Mino Raiola ‘already in January’ (Twitter).

Haaland’s well known €75 million (£63.8m) release clause becomes valid in June 2022 (Fabrizio Romano), presumably motivating City to get ahead of the competition and begin winter talks ahead of a swoop later in the year.

The Norway international is currently valued at around £117 million by Transfermarkt but City could bypass paying any nine-figure fee with the 2022 clause.

The Verdict: Get it done Txiki…

Out of all the out and out strikers linked with a move to the Etihad, Haaland stands out as, by some distance, the most exciting of them all.

The footballing world’s most sensational young forward and son of former Man City player Alf-Inge Haland, he racked up a head-turning 41 goals and 12 assists in all competitions over 2020/2021 (Transfermarkt).

A physical and aerial presence at 6 foot 4, something the Sky Blues have arguably been missing for quite some time going forward, he appears to be the perfect Man City signing.

In other news: ‘No way’, ‘Get him gone’, ‘Sell’…Man City fans erupt over news on £300,000-per-week star, find out more here.

Celtic: John Terry could be open to Hoops job

Former Aston Villa assistant John Terry could be open to taking over at Celtic, should Ange Postecoglou leave Parkhead, Birmingham Live report.

The Lowdown: Ange under pressure?

The Hoops sit sixth in the Sottish Premiership after eight fixtures, with rumours over Postecoglou’s future at Celtic being raised recently.

Reports in Italy over the weekend suggested that his position is in the balance, with Andriy Shevchenko tipped to be in pole position to replace Postecoglou.

And another former well-known has been name-checked with becoming Celtic manager in the future.

The Latest: Terry keen?

Birmingham Live shared a report on Terry on Monday, looking at where his first position in management could be after leaving Villa Park over the summer.

They named a number of clubs he could pick up, one of which was Celtic. They claimed that Parkhead is one of two jobs in Scotland that would appeal to Terry, believing Postecoglou is already feeling the heat.

The Verdict: Keep the faith…

Terry has a UEFA Pro License and won 17 honours as a player, however, he has no senior experience as a club manager, just like Shevchenko.

On that basis, it could be a big risk by the Hoops hierarchy to part ways with Postecoglou and pick up an inexperienced boss.

Hopefully, Postecoglou will be given plenty of time to prove his worth in Glasgow, but if he isn’t, it appears as if Terry, a reported Celtic fan, could be keen on taking over.

Leeds must drop Stuart Dallas v Southampton

With the international break now over, Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa will be hoping to continue the momentum that his team built up following their first win of the Premier League season last time out against Watford.

The Whites secured all three points thanks to a first half strike from Diego Llorente, and they head into today’s game at St Mary’s no doubt keen on making it back-to-back victories.

Bielsa will have some big calls to make in terms of his team selection, and he could look to make a bold decision on one of his key men in Stuart Dallas.

The Northern Ireland international played all 38 games in the Premier League last season for the Yorkshire club – in fact, the versatile ace only missed nine minutes of action in the top flight, when he came off against Leicester back in early November.

He completed a sweep of the club awards for his performances, winning Goal of the Season, Players’ Player of the Year and the Player of the Year – a real indication of the kind of impressive displays he put in, and the high esteem in which his teammates hold him.

With his ability to play virtually anywhere across the pitch, Dallas is a manager’s dream, and it’s no surprise that Bielsa himself has made it clear just how much he rates him.

He said: “I had a player like Dallas before in Javier Zanetti, and Julio Saldana when I had my first experience of management at Newell’s Old Boys. Those two players are very like Dallas in terms of their versatility.

“Dallas is a very potent, powerful player and can play with either foot. In the majority of the games that the team has played, he has been one of our best players.”

However, he simply hasn’t been at his best recently, with no goals whatsoever in his eight Premier League appearances thus far and just the one assist to his name – to put that into context, Dallas netted a whopping eight times in the top flight last term, finishing as the club’s joint-second highest scorer.

His performance against Watford last time out was yet again below par, with Leeds Live’s Beren Cross giving him a measly six in his post-match player ratings (the joint-lowest of any player) as he wrote: “Some promising signs again through the middle, but final product is off, whether it’s the final ball or a shot. Had several chances to score around the edge of the box and only tested Ben Foster once.”

Whether it’s through personal issues or even just a case of burnout and needing a real break to recharge his batteries, the £35k-a-week earner just simply hasn’t been up to scratch lately, and it’s high time that Bielsa makes a ruthless call and axes one of his most trusted lieutenants.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has delivered an encouraging pre-match boost about Kalvin Phillips…

Wolves fans excited by Palhinha latest

A number of Wolves supporters are excited after Bruno Lage’s side were linked with a move for Sporting CP defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha.

Wolves are back in Premier League action on Saturday afternoon, making the trip to Leeds United for what could be an intriguing clash.

Lage’s men have won their last three league matches, including last weekend’s unforgettable 3-2 victory away to Aston Villa, meaning they now sit 10th in the table.

While Wolves are in good form at the moment, they are always on the lookout for potential new signings and a fresh update has emerged regarding Palhinha.

According to Calciomercato [via Talking Wolves], they are keen on acquiring his signature, with the 26-year-old winning nine caps for Portugal to date.

His a destructive presence in the middle of the park, winning an enormous 3.8 tackles per game this season in Liga NOS.

Wolves fans react to Palhinha latest

These Wolves fans took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the news, with many reacting positively, as one supporter called him a ‘perfect’ transfer target.

“If there is a god”

Credit: @tod1877

“Him or Renato Sanches in in the January window would arguably be the best winter window Wolves have had since promotion”

Credit: @krittterrr

“The perfect midfielder for us after Renato Sanches”

Credit: @WolvesNumber37

“PORFAVOOOOOR”

Credit: @raulismo9

“Do it please”

Credit: @Finsabu

“Get it done before we miss out”

Credit: @Dan__Vincent

In other news, a journalist has hinted at one Wolves player leaving the club. Find out who it is here.

Celtic: Kieran Devlin answers Graeme Mathie question

Celtic reporter Kieran Devlin has responded to a question regarding Graeme Mathie and a possible Parkhead return.

The Lowdown: Mathie’s visit

Mathie left Hibernian at the end of September following seven years at Easter Road, where he was sporting director.

He was then spotted at Celtic Park last weekend in the directors’ box for the Hoops’ 2-0 win over St Johnstone, sparking rumours of a possible move.

The 38-year-old is a former youth manager and analyst at Celtic, and Devlin has weighed in with his views on Mathie.

The Latest: Devlin’s claim

Devlin ran a Q&A with supporters on The Athletic for Celtic’s meeting with Hibs on Wednesday.

Before the 3-1 win, he was asked by one fan if it was true that Mathie was present at Parkhead and if he was being courted for a role at the club.

Devlin, who labelled Mathie as ‘very smart’, had this to say in reply:

“He was there yes, can’t comment on whether or not he might be being lined up, don’t know myself yet.”

The Verdict: One to keep an eye on…

Even though Devlin isn’t sure if Mathie’s presence at Celtic will go on to lead to a return, it could be one to keep a close eye on.

Celtic are still on the hunt for a permanent director of football and a head of recruitment, so bringing Mathie back to a club he will know well could be handy, especially with his off-field experience in Scotland.

He was hailed as ‘fantastic’ by Hibs chief executive Ben Kensell, and Devlin is also clearly a fan, but only time will tell if he returns to the club.

In other news: Lost the ball 48 times, 28 duels lost, 0 shots on goal: Celtic’s terrible trio despite Hibs win. 

Southampton linked with Chukwubuike Adamu

Prior to their Premier League clash against Aston Villa tonight, Southampton have only managed to score nine goals in their opening 10 league games of the season, leaving just Norwich City (three) having found the back of the net on fewer occasions in this top-flight campaign.

With this in mind, it seems as though the Saints have their eye on fixing this issue by potentially adding a new attacking talent to their squad.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by the Daily Mail that Southampton are among the clubs monitoring RB Salzburg striker Chukwubuike Adamu. The report added that French side AS Monaco and a number of Bundesliga clubs are also tracking the player.

Since joining the Austrian club in the 2020 summer transfer window, Adamu – who is currently valued at £2.7m by Transfermarkt – has made 20 appearances for Salzburg across all competitions, in which he has managed to score four goals and provide one assist.

For his previous club FC Liefering, the 20-year-old sensation netted 26 goals and provided 11 assists in 49 appearances.

So far this season, Adamu has racked up three goals and one assist in 11 league appearances for Salzburg as well as averaging 1.8 shots per game in the Austrian Bundesliga. He has shown that he is a dangerous attacking threat and could well provide a big boost to Southampton’s squad going forward, potentially helping them to score more regularly throughout the season if they manage to sign him in the upcoming January transfer window.

Also, given Adamu’s age and the fact that current Saints striker Armando Broja, who has two goals under his belt so far this season in the Premier League, is only at the club on loan and will be going back to his parent club Chelsea at the end of the season, we feel that the Austrian could be a suitable long-term replacement for the Albania international at St Mary’s.

Overall, if Southampton go into the January transfer window with a plan to add a new attacker to their squad, we feel that the club should definitely see if they can work out a deal with Salzburg which would see Adamu move to St Mary’s to help fix the Saints’ goalscoring issues

In other news: Gao must avoid Saints disaster on “brilliant” £48k-p/w machine, he’s crucial to Ralph

Newcastle make contact over Brozovic deal

An update has emerged on Croatian international Marcelo Brozovic, regarding Newcastle’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to the Irish Sun, the Magpies have identified the Inter midfielder as a target for next summer’s transfer window.

The report claims contact has already been made with his representatives, as the club will be able to sign him on a pre-contract deal in January unless he puts pen to paper on fresh terms with the Italian giants.

Fans would love it

PIF must ensure that they are able to get a deal over the line for the midfielder in the January window. The fans would love it if the club could strike a pre-contract agreement with Brozovic as it would leave them with the exciting prospect of watching one of the most technically gifted midfielders play for them next season.

He could be a terrific signing for the Magpies and provide a step-up in quality to the squad. In the Serie A this season, he has averaged an excellent WhoScored rating of 7.09 in 11 starts, completing an impressive 92.6% of his passes.

With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise to hear him described as “special” by teammate Matias Vecino.

At Newcastle, meanwhile, Sean Longstaff has been anything but special. Although, he has been the ‘best’ performing midfielder with an average WhoScored rating of 6.53, completing 82.2% of his passes. This suggests that Brozovic would be a sizeable upgrade on what the club currently has, assuming he can translate his form in Italy over to the Premier League.

Former Inter coach Luciano Spalletti previously hailed the midfielder’s versatility and quality. He said:

“Marcelo has great quality and the characteristics to play as a trequartista on the shoulders of a centre-forward.

“I am fortunate to have different players who can occupy that role and I’m rotating them. I don’t see a problem with that.

“It is certainly an option [to play a second striker]. We might be able to score some more goals but I always need to judge what the best balance for the team is.”

It is no surprise to see such high praise for the Croatian, as he has maintained an impressive level of performance throughout his career. He has an average career WhoScored rating of 7.01 across 284 matches for club and country, including games in the Serie A, World Cup, Europa League and Champions League.

This shows that the £36m-rated gem has been able to perform at the very highest level for club and country and remain consistent in doing so. Therefore, the fans would love to see him playing in black and white as he has proven himself to be a top midfielder for Inter and Croatia, suggesting that he could have a huge impact on the Newcastle squad if he joins on a free transfer next summer and that is why PIF must get this deal done.

AND in other news, “Emery will..” – Journalist delivers crushing Newcastle update that’ll worry fans…

Liverpool linked with Bremer swoop

Despite managing to score more goals (31) than any other Premier League side with 11 games played this season, Liverpool have conceded 11 goals in the process, seven fewer than league leaders Chelsea and five fewer than Manchester City in second place.

With this in mind, it seems as though the club are interested in bolstering their defensive strength during the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Torino Granata, that Liverpool are considering making a move to sign Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer in January, with Reds manager Jurgen Klopp apparently following the defender for a significant period of time.

Torino signed Bremer during the 2018 summer transfer window from Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro.

Since then, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, has made 88 appearances for the Italian club across all competitions and has managed to chip in with 11 goals and five assists, which is rather impressive for a defender.

So far this season, Bremer, who has been described as “incredible” in the past by former Torino manager Davide Nicola, has played in all but one of Torino’s Serie A games, showing how important he is to their side, donning the captain’s armband on two occasions.

As well as proving himself as an attacking threat, the Brazilian has racked up an average of 3.9 interceptions, 3.5 clearances per game and 1.9 tackles per game in Serie A so far this season, proving himself a solid defensive unit for them.

In terms of a potential January move to Liverpool, FSG could potentially replicate the same transfer masterclass that saw them bring in Virgil van Dijk back in the 2018 January transfer window, who has since gone on to make 144 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists in the process, not only making him a crucial figure for Klopp’s side at the back but also a goalscoring threat up top, as Bremer has proven himself to be for Torino.

Moving forward, if Liverpool believe adding Bremer to their squad in January could improve their defence, after conceding three goals in their previous Premier League match against West Ham United, then they should definitely explore the possibility of signing him during the upcoming window.

Also, given Bremer’s age and the fact that Van Dijk has now hit the age of 30, there’s every possibility that the Brazilian could well go on to become a long-term replacement for the current Liverpool centre-back.

In other news: Big relief: Liverpool handed encouraging injury update, Jurgen Klopp will be delighted – opinion

Erik Ten Hag interested in Man United job

Manchester United confirmed the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Sunday morning, after over three years in charge at Old Trafford.

In a statement, the Manchester United board thanked Ole and outlined their intentions moving forward;

“Ole will always be a legend at Manchester United and it is with regret that we have reached this difficult decision.

“Michael Carrick will now take charge of the team for forthcoming games, while the club looks to appoint an interim manager to the end of the season.”

The dismissal follows an embarrassing result for the Red Devils that saw them lose 4-1 to Watford on Saturday afternoon, which was seemingly the final nail in the coffin for the Norwegian manager, after an emergency meeting was held in the hours following the game, eventually leading to the club’s announcement.

Many names have been thrown into the mix for the highly speculated Manchester United manager job, and although the initial position to be filled is for an interim manager to take over for the next six months, moves are being made to find the right long term manager to lead them into the 2022/23 season.

One journalist has dropped a huge development on one particular popular candidate for the long term position next summer.

Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth claimed;

“It’s my information that Ajax simply wouldn’t entertain releasing a manager mid-season. However, I’ve been told that Erik ten Hag would 100% be interested in the Manchester United job in the summer. His contract runs out in the summer of 2023.”

Fans will surely be buzzing with this revelation, as Erik Ten Hag is said to be one of the ‘most promising’ managers in world football right now.

The 51-year-old Ajax boss has led the Dutch side to two league titles and to their first Champions League semi-final since 1997 beating Real Madrid and Juventus on their way.

He also has connections to a Manchester United player who, ironically, scored the final goal for the side against Watford.

Ten Hag developed Donny Van De Beek into the player that scored 41 goals and 34 assists for Ajax, before making his move to Manchester United.

The 24-year-old midfielder would clearly welcome Ten Hag with open arms after having a turbulent time so far at Old Trafford with not being able to get into the team and would hope that his presence could boost his game time, and ultimately make him more of a key player in the starting team.

With that in mind, everyone associated with the 20-time English champions would surely be elated to see him arrive at the club next summer.

Manchester United are set to face Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday with Michael Carrick leading the team in their must-win in Spain.

AND in other news, “Sources close to Sir Alex Ferguson say” – MUFC manager update will have fans buzzing…

Palace fans react to Wilfried Zaha update

Crystal Palace are set to reward winger Wilfried Zaha with a new Selhurst Park contract.

That’s according to Eurosport, and the update has had a number of Palace supporters talking on social media.

Zaha, who has now made more than 400 appearances for the club across two spells, is currently on £130,000 per week. His contract is set to expire in 18 months’ time, and it seems as if Steve Parish and co want to tie down the speedster to new terms following his solid start to the season.

The 29-year-old has started in 11 of Palace’s 13 Premier League games this season, contributing to five goals under Patrick Vieira.

According to Eurosport, the Eagles want to reward Zaha with a new deal amid fears that he could be on the radar of some of Europe’s biggest clubs. The report namechecks the likes of AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund with an interest over the past 12 months, with the Ivorian thought to be keen on remaining with Palace.

Palace fans react

@cpfc_xtra shared the news regarding Zaha on Twitter on Saturday morning. Here is what these Eagles supporters had to say in reply, with a few excited and one labelling his current deal, which is close to £7m per year, as ‘obscene’.

“Oh my”

Credit: @CPFCtomm

“give him a blank cheque”

Credit: @localpla6tic

“Why? Because 7 million a year is not enough?? Obscene already!”

Credit: @pete_algar

“Give him the whole club”

Credit: @christylord7

“YESSS”

Credit: @Sumo08112

“omg”

Credit: @CPFC_Ollie_

In other news: ‘Shadow of his former self’ – Many Palace fans slate ‘shaky’ ace in defeat to Villa

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