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Celtic had an incredibly busy summer 2021 transfer window in terms of the amount of players who not only joined the club but also the number who exited Parkhead.

While the Hoops have already been linked with some new players even before the transfer window has opened for business, it seems as though the club could now be at risk of losing one of their reported targets to their closest rivals.

What’s the news?

After recently being linked with a move for Cardiff City youngster Japhet Matondo, Celtic could be at risk of missing out on signing the winger after Football Scotland claimed that Rangers have joined the race to sign him.

To give some insight on the player, the 16-year-old can reportedly play on the left and right wings and has already featured for Wales’ under-23 side.

This shows why Celtic and now their Old Firm rivals have taken an interest in the young talent and why it would be awful news for the Bhoys to potentially see their arch-rivals sign him.

Worrying news for Celtic

While the teenager may not have any senior experience under his belt just yet, he could well be a great addition for Celtic’s youth ranks.

Now that Rangers have entered the race to sign the young Welshman, the possibility of seeing him join the Ibrox club and making a name for himself there should give the Hoops more of an incentive to push forward and secure his signature.

Given how Celtic already have a significant number of young players in their squad who have spent time in the youth ranks and are pushing to break into the first team, adding Matondo to their ranks could give him and the other players more competition for a place in the senior side.

Therefore, if more players are vying for a place in Postecoglou’s squad, they’ll need to work harder to ensure that they catch the eye of the first-team manager.

While adding established senior players to their ranks should definitely be in Celtic’s plans for the summer transfer window, signing young talents like Matondo – who could replace Ben Doak and potentially Karamoko Dembele if he doesn’t sign a new deal – should also be on the club’s agenda.

In other news – Signed for £4.5m, now worth 70% less: Celtic had a huge howler on £9k-p/w “disaster”

According to the BBC, there has been a significant West Ham United transfer update involving long-time transfer target Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: Moyes attempts permanent move…

Ever since the Manchester United ace thrived during a loan spell at the London Stadium in the first f ew months of 2021, Irons manager David Moyes has been attempting to re-sign the player on a permanent deal.

The Englishman has been at the centre of West Ham transfer attempts both in January and last summer, but those failed to result in Lingard signing for the Hammers indefinitely.

However, as the 29-year-old’s contract at Old Trafford nears its end, Moyes and GSB have the opportunity to finally seal his capture for zero transfer cost on a Premier League Bosman deal.

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The Latest: BBC share Lingard update…

According to Simon Stone for the BBC, the West Ham manager is indeed back in for Lingard once more, with the east Londoners already making a pre-summer move in the form of an enquiry.

Stone added that Moyes has a personal long-standing interest in his former attacker, who is set to leave Manchester as a free agent next month.

The Verdict: Seal a move…

Signing Lingard for no transfer fee really is a no-brainer for Moyes and West Ham, who will be looking to build upon their remarkable rise over the last two seasons.

Having already excelled under Moyes, all while knowing the club from his first temporary spell, the Red Devils outcast could find a real home at Rush Green, and we believe that Lingard should give first priority to an Irons reunion.

Pundits like Paul Robinson, who was speaking to Football Insider on the possible transfer, have claimed that Lingard would be a ‘massive signing’ for West Ham, and we’re inclined to agree, especially considering that he can now join for free at the end of June.

In other news: Club chief flies to London as West Ham now eye ‘incredible’ £30m striker…find out more here

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be lining up a move for Renato Sanches this off-season…

What’s the word?

The box-to-box Lille midfielder is named among a shortlist by the Daily Mail, who claim that the 24-year-old is wanted by the north Londoners.

Their interest comes as no surprise given that they were reported to be battling arch-rivals Arsenal for his signature in January, as per Spanish outlet AS.

It remains to be seen whether the Ligue 1 outfit would sell their star midfielder, though history would suggest that would be likely, and how much he’d command in terms of a fee.

Sanches is currently valued at £27m by Transfermarkt.

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Bye-bye Ndombele

A new midfielder is probably the least of the priorities for manager Antonio Conte but that could soon change, with Harry Winks and Giovani Lo Celso linked with an exit.

Tanguy Ndombele is set to return from his loan stint with Lyon, who aren’t going to take up their option to buy, but it’s still hard to envisage a future for him at the club, especially amid interest in Sanches.

The Portuguese dynamo could quickly usurp the £55m club-record flop at Hotspur Way.

A career average of 4.3 total dribbles, 2.5 attempted tackles, 1.6 shots, 1.4 key passes and one interception per 90 minutes, via WhoScored, suggests that Sanches is very much capable of influencing games at either end of the pitch.

That is something that the Lilywhites faithful have rarely seen from Ndombele, who only mustered 3.2 successful dribbles, 0.8 shots and 0.6 key passes from his 33-game Premier League campaign in 2020/21.

During his time in England, his performances have been heavily criticised, with Alan Hutton describing him as “very lazy” and slamming his “bad attitude” to Football Insider.

Meanwhile, the Lille man has been lauded as a “top-class roaming playmaker” by scout Jacek Kulig and a “complete athlete” by Les Dogues president Oliver Letang, only further reinforcing his credentials across all thirds of the pitch.

Once likened to Clarence Seedorf, Sanches could offer Conte a far greater and more reliable option in the engine room than Ndombele, so if the opportunity arises, it wouldn’t be the worst of deals to complete.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops Filip Kostic transfer claim…

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of Ivan Toney heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

The Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards has claimed that the Magpies have been quoted fees in excess of £40m for both the Brentford centre-forward and Everton’s Dominic Calvert Lewin.

PIF are seemingly interested in both players and have now learned their valuations after enquiring about their potential availability ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Huge Chris Wood upgrade

The Magpies must secure a deal to sign Toney from the Bees this summer, as he would be a huge upgrade on Chris Wood.

Newcastle reportedly paid £25m to sign the 30-year-old from Burnley and he ended the Premier League campaign with five goals and zero assists in 34 appearances for both clubs combined.

For £15m or so more, the Toon can sign a player in Toney who produced 12 goals and five assists in 33 outings in the same division. These statistics show that he was far more productive than the New Zealand international and will now cost less than double what the club paid for Wood.

The Brentford man enjoyed a stellar debut campaign in the top flight and has previously earned plaudits from his manager.

Bees boss Thomas Frank once said: “Ivan is very intelligent, because he’s reflecting, and he deserves a lot of praise himself for also coming into a well-run club and listening to all the small bits and adding extra layers to his development and performance.

“If you want to be a top player you need to work hard, constantly reflect and want to learn and then of course you need to have that confidence that he’s got so naturally. He’s coming across so fantastically: he’s humble, calm, but with a mindset of a lion.”

These comments indicate that Toney has the right mindset to keep improving and push on to the next level. He seemingly wants to be the best and is willing to put in the work to achieve his goals, which means that Newcastle would be bringing in a highly-motivated player who will run himself into the ground for the team.

Toney’s Premier League statistics also show that he has the footballing quality to match that work rate, as he has scored and set up goals at an impressive rate. He dwarfed Wood’s returns in the top flight this season, and that is why he could be a major upgrade on the former Burnley man next term.

AND in other news, PIF plotting NUFC bid for “tremendous” £30m “champion of the world”, he’s Ben Arfa 2.0…

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United and the future of Dean Henderson heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards has claimed that the Magpies are not in for the Manchester United shot-stopper despite recent reports.

He tweeted: “The Henderson story is very, very strange but denials have been consistent from #nufc end and were especially strong when I checked again today. Got the impression they have had enough of it being reported.”

This comes after reporter Samuel Luckhurst was quoted as saying that the goalkeeper wanted a move to St James’ Park earlier this month, outlining: “He [Dean Henderson] wants the Newcastle deal done early and there’s been no indication so far that he should hang around. United are looking at options to replace him (Bachmann, Darlow) — He’s a man in a hurry.”

Eddie Howe will be frustrated

Edwards’ claim that the Toon are not in the running to land Henderson will leave Newcastle head coach Howe frustrated ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The 25-year-old had the potential to be an excellent signing for the Magpies, and Howe will be gutted that he will not be able to work with the shot-stopper next term. The Tyneside club may have alternative targets or perhaps they are happy to stick with Martin Dubravka for another season, with the latter being a potentially dangerous decision.

Karl Darlow is the current number two and having him as back-up for 2022/23 would leave Howe fuming, as the English stopper has proven that he is not good enough to be trusted. If the Slovakian number one suffers an injury over the next year, then Newcastle would be left with a goalkeeper who has shown that he cannot handle the top tier.

Darlow averaged a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.47 in 2021/22 as he let in 1.9 goals per game and made one error directly leading to a goal in eight matches. Meanwhile, Henderson has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.94 or higher in his two Premier League seasons to date, conceding just 0.9 goals per game across 49 outings in the division.

This shows that the Red Devils ‘keeper would be a major upgrade on Darlow and also provide Dubravka with serious competition for the number one jersey at St James’ Park.

Howe will therefore be frustrated by Newcastle’s lack of interest in Henderson and will surely be hoping that he is not forced to go into the 2022/23 campaign with Darlow as his second-choice goalkeeper.

AND in other news, Ashworth can land big Wood upgrade in NUFC deal for £30m gem who’s “one of the best”…

Rangers remain in talks with Alfredo Morelos over a new contract, according to Rangers Review. 

The lowdown

The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson reported on Monday that Rangers may consider listening to offers for Morelos this summer.

That’s because he’s entered the final of his contract, and they’re ‘adamant’ that they won’t lose him on a free transfer.

Wilson claimed that talks over an extension had ‘stalled’ at the end of last season, and that succession plans were already being drawn up.

The top striker target if Morelos does go is said to be Sunderland’s Ross Stewart.

The latest

Journalist Jonny McFarlane writes that Rangers are still holding discussions with Morelos behind-the-scenes and trying to prevent any details from leaking out.

The Gers may have ‘watched’ Stewart, but they do not see him as a direct replacement for Morelos, contrary to Wilson’s report.

The verdict

The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell recently reported that Morelos ‘may be open to prolonging his stay as long as the terms are not prohibitive for Rangers’.

Morelos is already thought to take home £33,000 per week, putting him at the top of Rangers’ earning list, and he may expect a further boost to that salary, so you can see why the negotiation is unlikely to be straightforward.

Stewart, for reference, is apparently on as little as £2,700 p/w following his £300,000 move to Sunderland in January 2021.

In an ideal world, perhaps 26-goal frontman Stewart could support Morelos, furnishing Van Bronckhorst with some enviable squad depth.

In other news, The 4th Official set the record straight on this transfer rumour.

Rangers have recently been linked with a move for striker Cameron Archer and a loan swoop for the Englishman could prove to be a repeat of the deal which saw Ryan Kent move to Ibrox in 2018.

According to Birmingham Live, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side are interested in bringing the 20-year-old north of the border after his impressive performances last season.

After excelling in Aston Villa’s academy sides, while also hitting Preston North End, where he notched seven goals in 20 appearances.

Archer has continued his fine form in the off-season, with four goals in four appearances for England U21s, so it is no surprise that he is a man in high demand ahead of next season.

Preston boss Ryan Lowe was full of praise for the youngster last season, saying:

“Cameron has got an abundance of talent. His quality levels are fantastic, he’s bullish, strong, he can roll, he has got that little burst of pace too.”

Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe both only just hit double figures domestically last season, so a striker as clinical as Archer could offer Van Bronckhorst something different in attack next term.

If he were to move to Ibrox on loan, it could be a similar move to the one which saw Kent join on loan from Liverpool four years ago.

The winger grabbed six goals and nine assists during his loan spell with the Gers, which was enough to convince them to pay £7m to the Merseyside outfit to make his move permanent the following summer.

He has since gone on to contribute a further 24 goals and 39 assists, with Transfermarkt now valuing him at £12.6m, which suggests that if he does leave Ibrox any time soon, Rangers will make a significant profit on him.

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If Rangers could negotiate a similar deal with Villa, that would see Archer join on loan, then perhaps they could also convince him to make a permanent switch in the future, should he also prove to be a huge success at Ibrox.

Given his obvious potential and goalscoring ability, it would be a mistake for Rangers to not at least push for a loan move for the £5.4m-rated forward.

And, in other news… Bye-bye McGregor: Rangers submit offer to sign 6 ft 3 monster, GvB will love him

Arsenal are reportedly interested in making a move for Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with manager Mikel Arteta seeking to add further attacking reinforcements to his squad.

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Paul Brown has suggested that the Gunners have a longstanding interest in the Englishman and could make an offer to pluck him from Goodison Park this summer.

Amid reports linking the 25-year-old with a move to north London, the transfer insider stated: “Arsenal have liked him for a very long time – that has not gone away.

“They have plenty of options in the market. I think now, if they were to make a bid for Calvert-Lewin, they’d be willing to sign someone else with him rather than make him the big, top-line marquee kind of signing that they’re looking for.”

The 11-cap marksman – who could reportedly cost in the region of £60m – could add additional firepower to a forward line that has been depleted following the January departure of former talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, as well as the more recent exit of Alexandre Lacazette.

Welbeck 2.0

As Brown alluded to, the signing of the former Sheffield United man would not be enough on its own to solve the club’s striking woes, although with that in mind it would seemingly make little sense to fork out a sizeable fee for a player who may not even be guaranteed a regular starting berth.

Equally, it is not as if the £72k-per-week has particularly warranted the move after enduring a dismal season last time out, netting just five goals and registering only two assists in 17 league games, having been sidelined with injury for much of the campaign.

While that may have been an unfortunate obstacle that prevented him from featuring as regularly as he would have liked, even when he was available the £36m-rated man underwhelmed, notably recording a dismal 60% pass accuracy rate and winning just 47% of his total duels.

Of course, prior to the 2021/22 campaign the 6 foot 2 marksman had been in impressive form after netting 29 league goals across the previous two seasons combined under Carlo Ancelotti, although prior to that he had hardly been prolific, bagging just 11 top-flight goals in his first three seasons at the club in total.

The forward may have a “unique” skillset – as dubbed by pundit Shaun Goater – with his impressive leap and athletic ability, although there are clear issues with his ability in possession, as ranks in the bottom 7% for pass completion and the bottom 1% for progressive carries among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, while also floundering in a number of other metrics.

While he may have an admirable work ethic, the Toffees star is far from a prolific striker and one who has been plagued by injuries of late, with those traits bearing a striking resemblance to former Arsenal man, Danny Welbeck.

The one-time England international arrived at the Emirates from Manchester United in a £16m deal in 2014 having been deemed surplus to requirements by manager Louis Van Gaal, arriving with a reputation as a hard-working, yet goal-shy asset.

As it proved, the current Brighton man went on to score just 32 goals and provide 15 assists in 126 appearances for the north London club over the next five years, enduring a number of spells on the treatment table as he failed to ever nail down a regular starting berth.

Arteta and sporting director Edu will surely want to avoid making a similar, albeit more expensive, mistake this summer with Calvert-Lewin.

IN other news, Arsenal now plotting record-breaking bid for £100m gem, he’d be a “superstar” signing

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has dropped a Glasgow Rangers transfer update that will surely excite the Ibrox faithful as Giovanni van Bronckhorst aims to bolster his attacking options.

What’s the word?

The news surrounds PAOK striker Antonio Colak, with the Greek side reportedly unwilling to accept anything under €2.5m (£2.1m), with O’Rourke dropping an update in an interview with GIVEMESPORT.

The journalist said: “Obviously, they’re pushing forward looking for a striker because I think the injury to Alfredo Morelos maybe hurt Rangers last season in a number of games when they missed an out-and-out number nine.

“They’ve already sold Cedric Itten this summer, so Giovanni van Bronckhorst will be looking to strengthen, and maybe Colak could be the right trick for Rangers, who obviously know all about him having played against him.”

This news will surely excite supporters, who are desperate to see some new faces arrive at Ibrox.

Colak could be the perfect fit

With one confirmed arrival in John Souttar already this summer, with the potential move for Zak Lovelace not being announced until the start of July, the Dutchman only has five weeks to sign some new players before the new Premiership season begins.

The attacking department needs both depth and quality added to it. The future of Alfredo Morelos remains uncertain, Kemar Roofe is far too injury-prone to sustain a good run in the team and the jury is still out on Fashion Sakala – who turned in some good performances last season but is still too unpredictable.

As such, a move for Colak would appear to be a wise one, as the striker netted 14 league goals while on loan with Malmo last season – two of which came at Ibrox to shatter the club’s Champions League dream in August last year.

The 26-year-old has been capped three times by Croatia and this international experience could be a big bonus for Van Bronckhorst, who needs quality as he aims to wrestle the title back from Celtic.

It could be an interesting transfer window for the manager and the next few weeks will be crucial.

AND in other news: Contact made: Wilson now closing in on second Rangers signing, GvB will be buzzing

Nottingham Forest have reportedly agreed on a deal to sign Burnley goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, according to Football Insider. 

The lowdown: Doubling down

The Reds have already completed the capture of Dean Henderson on loan from Manchester United for the 2022/23 campaign, but they could now be looking to further bolster the goalkeeping department at the City Ground.

Amidst increasing doubts over play-off hero Brice Samba’s future and the departure of American stopper Ethan Hovarth on a season-long loan to Luton Town, Steve Cooper is seemingly desperate to strengthen the options available to him as Forest’s last line of defence.

A fresh report has now suggested that the Welsh manager has done just that with the signing of a compatriot…

The latest: Deal agreed

As per Football Insider, Forest have ‘agreed a deal’ to sign 35-year-old stopper Hennessey this summer.

It is claimed that a ‘Forest source’ has informed the outlet that the club has ‘secured a full agreement’ to bring the 103-cap Wales veteran to the City Ground.

The report added that the Welshman – who was lauded by commentator Ian Darke for his ‘exceptional’ recent heroics whilst on international duty, earning a standout 9.30 Sofascore rating in making nine saves against Ukraine – is now ‘set to join on a permanent deal’ in the coming days.

The verdict: Why not…

This is very much a transfer in the no-risk bracket for Forest, with Henderson almost certain to take over the number one role from Samba, Hennessey will provide a vastly experienced and, judging by his recent international exploits, high-quality backup option.

Valued at just £450,000 and into the final 12 months of a contract at Burnley (Transfermarkt), the fee required to land the 6 foot 6 goalkeeper is likely to be minimal, and therefore it should still leave plenty in the bank for Cooper to pursue other targets.

With the manager seemingly unsure about the capability of Jordan Smith as Henderson’s understudy, the signing former Crystal Palace stopper Hennessey, who has 183 Premier League appearances, appears a no-brainer for City Ground transfer chiefs.