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John Hartson has issued a warning to Celtic regarding the permanent transfer of Jota ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by the Daily Record, the former Celtic striker stated his belief that Michael Nicholson and his transfer team at Parkhead must look to secure the €7.5m (£6.5m) permanent signing of the Benfica loanee prior to the opening of the winter window, as a number of Europe’s leading clubs could be plotting a swoop for the 22-year-old.

Speaking about the situation of the Portugal under-21 international, Hartson said: “You do it now, you do it now. In January, you do it. He’s made a great impact and although Celtic have first refusal it doesn’t mean you get him over the line.

“They have an option to get him, but his agent and Jota will have the decision whether it will be Celtic or not. You don’t want Jota to be on 20 goals by February and then a Bayern Munich come in and say to his agent ‘we’ll give you £10m if you get him to us.’

“That could happen – a Bayern Munich or a PSG might come in and say, ‘we want this kid, he’s 22, he’s lit the place up at Celtic, he looks dynamite.’ I would recommend Celtic to it as swiftly as they can because he is a very special player.”

Nicholson must act

It is easy to understand Hartson’s concern regarding the future of Jota, as the winger has already proven to be a remarkable addition to Ange Postecoglou’s first team squad since his arrival on loan back in August.

Indeed, over his nine Premiership appearances so far this season, the £3.15m-rated forward has scored four goals, provided four assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 2.9 shots and making 1.4 key passes per game.

These metrics have seen the man who Postecoglou dubbed an “unbelievable” player average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.40, ranking the winger as the eighth-best performer in the Scottish top flight.

The £7.1k-per-week 22-year-old has also hugely impressed over his four Europa League games for Celtic, bagging one goal, registering two assists and creating four big chances for his teammates – returns which have seen him average an even more astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.55 in Europe.

As such, it would indeed seem advisable for Nicholson to tie up the winger’s permanent switch to Parkhead at the earliest possible opportunity, as Jota’s performances will more than likely be attracting a significant amount of attention, just as Hartson suggests.

In other news: Celtic could land Ange’s dream deal with 19 y/o sensation who “nothing seems to faze”

Trent Alexander-Arnold could be fit for Liverpool’s vital Premier League clash with Manchester City, according to journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Liverpool suffer Trent blow

The Reds are firing on all cylinders at the moment, with their quadruple chances still alive going into April, in what could be a legendary season at Anfield.

They suffered a blow recently, however, with Alexander-Arnold suffering a hamstring issue in the 2-0 win away to Arsenal in the Premier League.

It was reported that he would miss ‘weeks’ and therefore the potentially season-defining trip to City on April 10th, but that may have changed.

The Latest: Promising update emerges

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, The Athletic‘s Pearce claimed that Alexander-Arnold could now be available, in what is a significant update:

“Trent Alexander-Arnold’s rehab progressing well. Chance he could be fit for crunch clash at the Etihad on April 10 – but that would be a quick return. Important hurdles still to clear. (Includes an update on Naby Keita too).”

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The Verdict: Potentially result-defining

Alexander-Arnold’s influence is absolutely enormous, so him starting at the Etihad a week on Sunday has the potential to alter Liverpool’s title chances.

The 23-year-old is the Reds’ main creative force, registering 15 assists this season, with so much of their play coming through his wand of a right foot, in terms of his passing, crossing and energy down the flank.

Alexander-Arnold being fit would give City so much more to worry about than if Joe Gomez plays at right-back, with all due respect to the makeshift full-back, and it would enhance Liverpool’s hopes of picking up one of their biggest Premier League wins of all time.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has dropped a key Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

Former Newcastle United striker Andy Cole has called for his former employers to sign Burnley defender James Tarkowski this month as Eddie Howe’s side look to steer clear of any relegation threat as soon as possible.

What’s the story?

Speaking to Premier League Productions, as relayed by Chronicle Live, Cole suggested that the Tyneside club would be a good fit for the 29-year-old and backed the defender to make the move to the northeast.

He claimed: “In his (Tarkowski) case, if the Newcastle deal comes up, then why not?

“Financially, they are in a better position than Burnley. If they stay up, he knows they are going to buy better players come next season.

“So, for him, it’s not really a gamble because Burnley are in the exact same position. Looking at Burnley’s form, they look like they are going to go down.

“Newcastle or Burnley? I am looking at it and saying ‘go for it’.”

The centre-back has been linked with a move to St James’ Park before, with Burnley’s chairman Alan Pace telling The Express last month: “We [Burnley] will support him any way that he would like, whether he wants to stay or go. I don’t know about the other side.”

The £19.8m-rated defender is now into the final six months of his contract and is yet to sign an extension at Turf Moor, further suggesting that the Englishman will move on in the near future after six years in Lancashire.

Newcastle should swoop for Tarkowski

It is no secret that Newcastle will need defensive reinforcements this month, with the Magpies conceding a joint-Premier League high of 42 goals in 19 games.

Although Tarkowski’s current employers are in the same relegation battle as Newcastle, the 29-year-old would be a decent addition for Howe’s side.

He is a colossus in the air, winning 4.9 headers per game – a far higher average than the Magpies’ leader in this regard, Jamaal Lascelles with 3.5. Also, the Burnley defender’s 5.1 clearances per game would theoretically put him second in Howe’s squad.

The defender has been a kingpin for Sean Dyche since the Clarets returned to the Premier League in 2016, making 175 appearances in the top flight over the course of the last five-and-a-half seasons. You would think that such experience would certainly help the Magpies in their quest for survival.

Moreover, the Tyneside club currently have four senior centre-backs and could do with greater depth in that area, as well as extra quality and experience with Howe’s team still very much in a relegation battle. That is something Tarkowski has plenty of experience in overcoming during his time at Turf Moor.

In other news, Luke Edwards delivers NUFC transfer claim which will leave fans elated

Tottenham Hotspur chief Fabio Paratici is said to hugely admire Adama Traore ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

In recent weeks, the north London outfit have been linked with a move for the Wolverhampton Wanderers winger, with the Telegraph’s Matt Law first revealing their interest.

The ever-reliable Alasdair Gold of football.london has since provided another claim in a recent Q&A with supporters.

“Paratici likes Traore and wanted to sign him at Juventus in the past and he’s got 18 months left now on his contract. I’d imagine a deal next month though would be difficult to do and still pricey.

“Personally, I said in the summer that while Traore scares defences with his running and strength, his end product is mostly dreadful. Since then he’s recorded a total of zero goals and zero assists in his 19 matches in all competitions this season. My opinion, not that it means much, obviously hasn’t changed.”

However, according to ESPN, the Old Gold are willing to accept as little as £18m for him, despite being valued at £25.2m by Transfermarkt.

Sign him up!

The 25-year-old’s poor end product should be the least of Conte’s concerns, after all, that’s why he has Heung-min Son and Harry Kane at his disposal. It’s the havoc he can create that’ll allow the duo to thrive even more.

Just like he did last season, the Wolves attacker leads the division for dribbles per game (4.7). That’s way more than players like Mo Salah, Wilfried Zaha and Spurs’ Lucas Moura.

He is also averaging 1.1 key passes per game, which suggests he’s more of a creative talent than one that needs to find the back of the net.

His brute strength and physicality is surely something that Conte would love to have in his squad, especially as he’s a perfect fit for his system as the Spain international can play right-wing, as an inside-forward, up top and at right wing-back.

“He’s a machine. I was watching him pre-game and he could be a powerlifter or a cruiser-weight boxer – he’s huge,” Rio Ferdinand once told BT Sport (via BirminghamLive), whilst Southampton forward Che Adams dubbed him a “monster” to the Premier League’s official YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has often deemed him to be “unplayable”, which is rather telling of his ability in the big games and would suggest that his lack of end product isn’t hindering to his overall talent.

On the above evidence, Traore would be a fine addition to Conte’s unbeaten Spurs side. If Paratici and co really want him, then £18m isn’t a stretch, especially in January.

AND in other news, Conte can finally axe Spurs’ “freak of a talent” by signing “explosive” £27m-rated gem…

Manchester United have not been making much progress in terms of incoming players during this transfer window so far, but that could all be about to change with a fee reportedly agreed with Ralf Rangnick to bring a star player to Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

The Mirror have reported that interim manager, Rangnick, has verbally agreed a £33m fee with RB Leipzig for Amadou Haidara, who is currently away at AFCON representing Mali.

According to the report, Manchester United are not the only club chasing down the Bundesliga star, with Newcastle United interested in securing his signature by the end of the transfer window.

With that being said, Rangnick is reportedly keen to sign the player from his former club and is high on his wish list, as the German coach remains keen to bolster his midfield options at Old Trafford this month, according to The Mirror.

However, the Premier League giants are yet to make an official bid for Haidara, and as a result run the risk of losing the player to another club.

Fans will be buzzing

The fact that any progress, even a verbal agreement, has been made for new players to join Manchester United this month will come as a huge relief to fans of the club, with the side dropping points in their last two games that has now made their race for a top four spot seem even further out of reach, with West Ham United currently five points ahead in fourth and if they win this afternoon, the Hammers could go eight points clear of them.

Fans have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the potential signing of Haidara, with many desperate to welcome the 23 year old to the club, one fan tweeted: “Haidara is such a beautiful talent man. Man United need him I swear.”

Haidara offers versatility in his position which is something Manchester United desperately need from their players, especially in Rangnick’s 4-2-2-2 formation.

From his defensive midfield position, he offers fantastic offensive attributes, scoring two goals in 13 appearances, and has been successful in 72% of his dribbles this season so far in the Bundesliga, proving that he is effective in being progressive in his play, which is essential for the pressing style Rangnick adopts at Man United.

With Newcastle also reportedly keen to sign the young Malian midfielder, it is imperative that Rangnick moves fast to secure his signature at Old Trafford during this transfer window. Should he move then fans will be delighted.

In other news: Offer rejected for Andreas Pereira from Flamengo

Manchester United’s proposed move for Ajax manager Erik ten Hag is now in the final stages, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Verbal agreement

The Athletic’s David Ornstein shared a huge development on Tuesday evening regarding the 52-year-old moving to Old Trafford.

He revealed that the Red Devils had reached a verbal agreement with Ten Hag and now need to reach a deal with Ajax.

No announcement is expected this week due to Ajax’s Dutch Cup final against PSV Eindhoven, alathough Romano has shared what he knows on the situation.

The Latest: Romano’s update

Romano took to Twitter shortly after Ornstein, confirming his information. The transfer guru added that Ten Hag’s backroom staff still needs to be decided and shared details of a €2m (£1.67m) clause:

“Sources close to Erik ten Hag confirm David Ornstein report: his appointment as new Man United manager is at final stages.

“Nothing signed yet – back room staff to be decided. No announcement expected this week. Ajax and Man Utd will be in contact about €2m clause.”

The Verdict: Getting closer…

It looks as if it is just a matter of time until United can formally reveal Ten Hag as Ralf Rangnick’s long-term successor.

Of course, everything can still change, but it does appear that the Red Devils will get their man, with whom they held ‘positive’ talks last month.

Finalising a move before the end of the season will give Ten Hag and United the best possible chance of making the right decisions over the summer with regards to incomings and outgoings, instead of those calls being rushed should he have arrived during the summer window.

In other news: ‘Interesting’ Man Utd news has pundit talking; says Leeds supporters ‘will be devastated’

Celtic have been dealt a major injury blow ahead of their upcoming Europa League fixture.

What’s the latest?

According to a report by the Daily Record, Celtic centre-back Stephen Welsh looks set to miss out on the Bhoys’ trip to Bayer Leverkusen this Thursday after the defender was withdrawn during the Scottish League Cup semi-final against St. Johnstone on Saturday due to injury.

The defender’s knock came in the 76th-minute of the cup clash, with the 21-year-old being on the receiving end of a Shaun Rooney elbow which saw the St Johnstone defender pick up a yellow card – although Sky Sports reported at the time that the 25-year-old was lucky not to be shown a red.

Major blow

Considering just how dangerous Rooney’s elbow quite evidently was, it would not appear to be an exaggeration to suggest that the decision to only award the right-back a yellow card was something of a shocker by referee Nick Walsh.

Indeed, speaking to Premier Sports, the former Celtic centre-forward, John Hartson, said of the incident: “I think his elbow is up. When you watch it back and slow it down; and obviously Stephen Welsh is caught heavy because he has had to come off. But that for me I think in today’s game, with the rules that referees have to adhere to, he is a very lucky boy not to get a red card.”

Derek McInnes then added: “If that is in England it’s a red card once the referee has reviewed that, so he is lucky. Obviously, the boy Welsh has had to come off and I hope it’s nothing serious for him.”

However, despite the former Aberdeen manager’s hopes, it does indeed look to have been a rather serious injury for Welsh, as the defender now appears set to be out of contention for Celtic’s crucial European tie on Thursday evening.

This will undoubtedly come as a major blow to Ange Postecoglou, as the 56-year-old has now been left with just three fit senior options in the position, two of whom – Osaze Urhoghide and Liam Scales – have made a total of three appearances in all competitions for the Bhoys so far this season, something that would appear to considerably dent Celtic’s chances of picking up all three points from the fixture.

In other news: “I saw..”: Journo drops exciting claim on “dream” Celtic target, he’d be a big coup

Rangers’ title hopes suffered a hammer blow on Sunday as they lost 2-1 to their Glasgow arch-rivals at Ibrox.

Aaron Ramsey put Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side in front after just three minutes, but Tom Rogic quickly pegged the hosts back before Cameron Carter-Vickers scored what proved to be the winner shortly before half-time.

The defeat leaves Rangers six points adrift of the league-leading Hoops with just six games left to play.

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Here at The Transfer Tavern, we delve into the three worst-rated starting outfielders for the Gers as per statistical specialists SofaScore, with players required to feature for at least 45 minutes for ranking. This trio were dribbled past six times and collectively lost possession 60 times on an afternoon to forget.

Leon Balogun – 6.4/10

Balogun made just his second league start in the Gers’ last seven matches, but the figures suggest that he failed to deliver on the big occasion.

He lost half of his ground duels (two out of four) and half of his aerial battles (four out of eight), with Celtic players able to dribble past him on two occasions. He also gave away possession 12 times and misplaced 10 of the 52 passes that he attempted (nearly 20%).

John Lundstram – 6.6/10

Unlike Balogun, Lundstram has been very much in favour recently, with this his sixth start in seven league matches. Perhaps his place in the team won’t be as secure after this showing, though.

The headline for the midfielder was that he made the error leading to Carter-Vickers’ goal. The former Sheffield United man was unable to clear, and Rangers were duly punished.

Beyond that, he was dribbled past once, lost three ground duels (42.8%) and turned the ball over 10 times.

James Tavernier 6.7/10

Gers captain Tavernier is generally one of the first names on the teamsheet but he didn’t quite make the impact that he would have desired on Sunday.

The right-back gave the ball away a whopping 38 times, at least 15 more than anybody else on the pitch, while only two of the 17 crosses he attempted during the game were accurate.

Unfortunately, he also led the way in the undesirable ‘dribbled past’ stakes (on three) and lost eight of his 15 duels overall (53%).

In other news, Rangers have also been dealt an off-field blow.

Sunderland have been dealt a fresh blow as Lee Johnson gave some injury news on Aiden McGeady.

The Lowdown: Still missing…

The 35-year-old has not played for the Black Cats since November, with three goals and four assists in 14 League One games so far this season (Transfermarkt).

He had only missed most of his appearances, clearly showing how much Johnson rates him and how important he is to the team.

The Latest: McGeady setback

As per The Chronicle, Johnson has now given an update on McGeady’s injury, and unfortunately does not think that the Republic of Ireland veteran is close to returning to the pitch in a Sunderland shirt.

The manager revealed: “I wouldn’t say he is close at the moment. How long he’ll be exactly I don’t know, but I think it will certainly be at least four to six weeks.”

The Verdict: Blow for Sunderland

It would certainly be a big blow if the Black Cats were to be without McGeady for another six weeks. While they have been doing well without him recently, as they are currently unbeaten in their last six League One games and sitting in the promotion spots, their luck could run out sooner rather than later.

Virus cases within clubs seem to be a lottery at the moment, as Sunderland’s scheduled match against Fleetwood Town tpday was postponed due to cases in the opposition’s camp, so Johnson could find his squad more depleted as the season goes on.

Therefore, players like McGeady – who has been ranked by WhoScored as the Wearsiders’ fourth-best player so far this term – will surely be needed for the promotion push.

Described as ‘unbelievable’ by former Republic of Ireland teammate David Meyler, McGeady still has quality despite being 35 years of age, and he will certainly be a miss in the next few matches for Sunderland.

In other news, this transfer latest has had many Black Cats fans buzzing

A number of Manchester United supporters are pleased after Dean Henderson was linked with a loan move to Eredivisie giants Ajax in January.

A new era has got underway at Old Trafford, with Ralf Rangnick winning his first game in charge against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

With a winnable run of fixtures coming up, there is a feeling that United could build some momentum and get themselves back in the Premier League top four.

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One player who hasn’t featured much at all this season is Henderson, with the goalkeeper finding himself behind David De Gea in the pecking order and making just one solitary Carabao Cup appearance.

According to Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst on Twitter, the Englishman could move to Ajax on loan next month in order to enjoy more playing time.

Man United fans react to Henderson rumour

These United fans have been reacting positively to the rumour on Twitter.

“This would be class for Deano, he needs it”

Credit: @MufcKeaneo

“Would be very good for him”

Credit: @Fergie1boy

“This is perfect for him”

Credit: @ezxreal_

“Will be a good move for him imo”

Credit: @UtdSwizz

“Then we can get Ten Hag next year”

Credit: @Abhishek_Utd31

“YESSSSS! Very good for his development. Just on loan please. He can definitely at some point become the United number 1.”

Credit: @nerdz_am

In other news, one United player could reportedly remain at Old Trafford. Find out who it is here.