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Celtic boss Neil Lennon is after a left-back this summer and this week, the Scottish champions have been tipped to sign one name…

What’s the word?

According to Parkhead legend Frank McAvennie, the Hoops have an interest in bringing Leeds United defender Barry Douglas to Celtic Park.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said:

“I’ve been told by sources about the boy at Leeds, Barry Douglas. Maybe something is happening with that in the background, I do not know. I do not know what the situation is but I have heard that he is a really good player. 

“There are players out there for Celtic to go and get that won’t cost millions and millions. Celtic can pick up players from the Championship. This boy Douglas is supposed to be good, so why not? I do not know what the transfer fee would be but with one year left on his contract, I am sure they could negotiate something. He is not playing so Leeds might want somebody paying his wages.

“If Peter (Lawwell) wants him he will go and negotiate and maybe that is why he is umming and ahhing about the boy at Charlton.”

A good move?

Since the acrimonious departure of Boli Bolingoli this summer, Lennon has only had one option in the left-back role and as a move for young Charlton starlet Alfie Doughty continues to falter, it could make more sense to move for the experienced Scotsman.

The 31-year-old has twice won promotion from the Championship yet finds himself well down the pecking order in Yorkshire.

Over the course of his career, per WhoScored, Douglas has averaged 1.9 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 1.4 key passes and 1.4 crosses per game, and he’s widely known as a set-piece specialist, which is a bonus.

Alan Hutton believes that, on his day, the veteran is “up there among the best full-backs in the league,” adding: “His crossing ability, his engine, he really does well.”

Whilst Sky Sports pundit Matt Murray has also lauded the £3m man, saying: “He was very unlucky not to get to play in the Premier League but his set-pieces, crosses, deliveries, wonder goals earn him a spot. He’s a top lad, too – and if you’re trying to cultivate a winning culture in the dressing room, he has to be in there.”

With Douglas earning as little as £10k-per-week, it could be quite the bargain from Lawwell.

If I were Greg Taylor, I’d be looking over my back during these final ten days of the transfer window.

AND in other news, Leeds have interest in £20m Serie A star who’s like Samuel Saiz…

The start of a new Premier League season is just around the corner as fans prepare for the 2020 Community Shield clash.

Liverpool are set to take on Arsenal in this year’s battle, after the Gunners managed to resurrect an underwhelming season by scooping their 14th FA Cup.

Mikel Arteta’s men were victorious over Chelsea in last month’s final, despite finishing eighth in the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp and his men will be hoping they can replicate their double league win over the Gunners.

With pre-season in full swing, the Reds have been experimenting with their first team options. Rhian Brewster is a player particularly of note who has been relied on when coming off the bench. The 20-year-old has repaid the trust put in him by netting three goals in two appearances (via Sofascore).

Transfer Tavern has predicted how Klopp could decide to set up against Arsenal on Sunday…

With Brewster’s fine form doing the talking, Klopp could favour him over a stagnant-looking Roberto Firmino. The £64.8 million-valued striker may also be rested ahead of the first Premier League fixture which gives his young understudy his opportunity to shine and potentially help his team win silverware.

With the support of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, Brewster could find himself on the scoresheet once again.

Liverpool’s last two fixtures have been used to play about with the midfield. Curtis Jones started against VfB Stuttgart but was dropped for the RB Salzburg match. Again, he is another youngster who wants the chance to prove himself. Jones also enjoys a big occasion after he scored Liverpool’s winning goal against Everton in the FA Cup last season.

Naby Keita is starting to find his feet in this Reds side and if he keeps up his promising run of form, he could find himself a regular starter once the Premier League starts up again.

Despite coming off with a head injury, Klopp has stated that Virgil van Dijk will be fit to partake on Sunday. The Dutchman will likely captain his side again, surrounded by his usual defensive peers in order to keep Arsenal at bay with the exception of Trent Alexander-Arnold who was not involved against Salzburg and Neco Williams looks likely to continue in his absence.

How do you think Liverpool will line up against Arsenal? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Former Spurs wonderkid Marcus Edwards left Tottenham Hotspur last summer and some fans have been scratching their heads ever since.

Edwards has shown his old club exactly what they have been missing at Vitória de Guimarães this season. The talented winger is without a doubt a case of ‘one that got away’ from Spurs in recent years. For whatever reason, it never seemed to work out for him in north London and he moved to Portugal instead.

According to A Bola, as per Sport Witness, Jose Mourinho is eager to bring him back to Tottenham this summer, with his departure from the Portuguese club described as ‘inevitable’.

Mourinho wants to rectify the mistake made by his predecessor Mauricio Pochettino, who let Edwards slip through his grasp last year. The Argentine compared him to Lionel Messi but he never really got a chance to prove himself in London and was subsequently shipped out to the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques.

The 21-year-old, who plays on the right wing, has played 23 games in Liga NOS this season, scoring six goals, supplying five assists, taking 1.7 shots per game, averaging 1.4 key passes and completing 3.1 dribbles per game on average (WhoScored).

He enjoyed another eye-catching performance over the weekend as he supplied a beautiful assist in the 2-1 win over Gil Vicente.

However, Daniel Levy could face some competition from Manchester United, who have been interested in the winger for a while.

His release clause is reportedly worth €15m (£13.5m) but he won’t cost Spurs that much. In fact, they’d only have to pay the Portuguese side half the price, as they will receive half of the profits if he is sold.

Regardless, Vitória de Guimarães will make a huge profit either way, as he joined the club as a free agent.

Spurs have a lot of options on their wings, including Son Heung-min, Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn, and whether or not Levy will be willing to splash the cash on the Tottenham academy graduate remains to be seen.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sign Marcus Edwards in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!

Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson has set his sights on a move for Scottish midfielder Scott Fraser, according to Sunderland Echo.

After failing to gain promotion to the Championship via League One, Parkinson is under increasing pressure to deliver at the Stadium of Light.

The 52-year-old coach has already added some new faces to his side with the signings of Bailey Wright and Aiden O’Brien, whilst Tom Flanagan signed a new deal to remain at the club.

With the summer transfer window now in full flow, another name has emerged as a potential arrival in Fraser, who left Burton Albion at the end of the previous season.

Fraser, who had spent the last two seasons with Burton, opted to turn down a new contract at the Pirelli Stadium this summer.
Having played regularly under Nigel Clough, the 25-year-old netted an impressive five goals and gained 11 assists in 30 League One appearances this term.
Luke Garbutt has also emerged as a potential target for Sunderland having left Premier League side Everton on a free transfer this summer.

This could be a perfect attacking signing for Phil Parkinson and one that is very much needed. The more creative options Parkinson has next season the better as he sets his sights on a promotion to the Championship.

Sunderland fans can be happy with this transfer link.

Do you think Scott Fraser would make a good signing? Let us know in the comments section below…

Key information about Roots Hall

The current, new Roots Hall was built in 1952 and opened in 1955 and is now the home of Southend United. The ground is located in Southend-on-Sea and is the largest stadium in Essex.

Its current capacity stands at 12,392 and has a pitch size of 100m x 68m with no running track nor undersoil heating installed.

The record attendance was set in 1979 when 31,033 supporters gathered to watch the visiting Liverpool in action in the FA Cup.

A history of Roots Hall

Southend United have been truly nomadic since their inception and have called multiple grounds their home over the years. They were settled in the original Roots Hall from 1906 until 1919 and would then move to the Kursaal, the Southend Stadium, New Writtle Street, Chelmsford and then finally, to Roots Hall again from 1955 to the present day.

When the club was founded, they played at the site of Roots Hall but had to move away in 1919, as we mentioned, because of World War I. The area was used for storage so they were forced to vacant the ground and move to the Kursaal.

As we now know, they would spend around three decades moving around until they finally returned home in 1955, three years after the development of Roots Hall was started and once again opened for business. Interestingly enough, it would be the last new stadium in England to open until as late as 1988.

The first game to be played there was between the hosts and their visitors, Norwich, on 20 August 1955 and in the first season after the ground’s grand opening, the stadium was still incomplete with the drainage on the pitch a big problem during the 1955/1956 campaign. So much so that it had to be completely replaced in the off-season.

Some of the first changes were done in the 1960s with the added roof, the extension of the stands and the club installing floodlighting. Soon afterwards, in 1979, they recorded their highest attendance to date when Liverpool came to visit in the FA Cup in front of 31,033 supporters.

New upgrades were recorded in the 1980s and 1990s, even though the club was somewhat struggling financially at that time. In 1994, Roots Hall was converted into an all-seater and part of the south stand got sold off to real estate developers to give Southend United a financial boost.

Some of the final improvements were made in 1995 when the west stand roof was extended with seating also being installed in the north-west corner of the ground. Lately, the club has been looking into the possibility of moving to a brand new stadium, Fossetts Farm, and they received planning permission in January 2007.

Even though it was initially planned to be opened in December 2018, we are still waiting on the final verdict as to when the club can move to their new home.

Tickets to watch Southend United at Roots Hall

All tickets to watch Southend United at Roots Hall can be found on the club’s official website. The price varies depending on multiple factors such as category and age but the adult ticket bought in advance costs £22.

Southend United also offer season and half-season tickets as well as group and student discounts. More information can be found on their official website.

Related links

https://www.southendunited.co.uk/ – Official website of Southend United

Former Sunderland ace Kevin Phillips has shared his latest thoughts to Football Insider about Newcastle United man Matty Longstaff as news broke that Udinese had tabled him a lucrative contract.

Sky Sports revealed that the academy graduate, who currently earns just £850 per week, has been offered a deal by the Italian team believed to be in the region of £30,000-a-week with a signing-on bonus.

The Tyneside club’s original contract offer was just half of that but The Telegraph now claim that they have come back with an improved offer worth more than £20,000 per week.

Phillips insisted the Series A side would be getting a bargain with the compensation fee for Longstaff, said to be only £400,000.

“I was shocked,” the ex-England striker told Football Insider.

“You would not put Udinese as one of the biggest Italian clubs.

“I was surprised but they might be able to get him for £400,000 which is nothing to get a player of his quality.

“It would be a great lifestyle move for him but at his age he just wants to learn and play football.

“He will be thinking, that if the new owners come in and bring in a new manager, he might not be their kind of player.”

Perhaps Phillips is right when he says that Udinese are not one of the biggest Italian clubs, as they are arguably struggling in Italy’s top flight and are currently languishing in 14th place, just three points above the relegation zone, as per BBC.

The England under-20 international, who will be out of contract on 30 June, has scored three goals in 12 senior appearances under Steve Bruce this campaign so far, according to Transfermarkt.

By breaking through into the first team, he has shown the quality that Phillips believes he has, but moving to a different country may prove to be a great lifestyle move for him. Moreover, at only 20 years of age, Longstaff may just want to learn and play football as Phillips suggests.

However, under potentially new owners and possibly a new manager, providing that the prospective takeover at St. James’ Park is approved by the Premier League, the central midfielder may not be their ‘marquee’ kind of player.

Geordies, will Matty Longstaff be at Newcastle next season? Comment below with your views!

Everton are reportedly linked with Palmeiras ‘jewel’ Gabriel Veron in a potential £25 million move that could force the hands of the club. 

According to Yahoo (via HITC), the Blues are interested in signing the Brazilian and have already had a £12m bid rejected. However, the report claims Palmerias may be forced to cash in if Everton can make a second offer closer to £25m, but Arsenal are reportedly also monitoring the starlet.

In a recent interview, technical director Edu Dracena has likened Veron to Gabriel Jesus, who also made the move from Palmeiras to England to become one of the Premier League’s biggest names. “I think he will be one of Palmeiras’ jewels,” Dracena said.

“Of course, he needs to be polished. We have to be calm (but he has) great potential. Fast, explosive player, I see him on the same path as Gabriel Jesus.”

Despite being just 17-years-old, Veron has already tallied two goals and one assist in the three matches he has played for Palmeiras in the Brasileiro (via Transfermarkt). The versatile forward can play on both the right and left wing, according to Sofascore.

The Toffees have struggled with their options up front for several seasons, so much so that Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly planning an upheaval of deadweight attacking options (via Liverpool ECHO). Although £25m could be viewed as a steep price tag for a 17-year-old, there is no denying the player Jesus became after his move to Manchester City.

Acquiring Veron would be a smart investment from Ancelotti and the club, especially as the manager has shown he wants to nurture young talent. The Brazilian’s versatility will help support the wide positions where Everton have been struggling, let down by subpar performances from Alex Iwobi and Theo Walcott.

“I see a very promising path and it is up to him to listen and put it into practice,” Dracena continued. “Veron will be very important for the club.”

Blues fans, do you think Everton should snap up the young Brazilian talent? Join the discussion in the comments below!

Tottenham Hotspur Head Coach Jose Mourinho said midfielder Moussa Sissoko “was different than my needs” when explaining his decision to start Harry Winks and Eric Dier in central midfield against West Ham United, and Spurs fans have been quick to react.

Speaking post-match as reported by BBC’s Football Daily (3:40), the former Manchester United and Chelsea manager said that he wanted one positional player and one who could pass the ball in the middle of the park against the Irons, and Sissoko was the one to miss out.

It was one of the Portuguese’s first major changes since replacing Mauricio Pochettino at the helm, given he had started all 12 of their Premier League matches this season previously, only failing to complete the full 90 minutes once.

While he was clearly a favourite of the Argentine in that regard, it appears as though it could be a completely different story under Mourinho – something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by Tottenham supporters reacting to his comments.

One individual stated that “Jose doesn’t rate him”, while another believe the remarks mean that “he’s gone”.

It will be interesting to see how regularly the France international features in the next few matches.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

In other news, Tottenham fans were quick to react to a notable absentee on the training pitch on Monday…

West Ham United manager David Moyes could be tempted to sell Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko in the summer transfer window, that is according to a report from Claret & Hugh.

It is suggested that Anderson could depart as he is a ‘luxury player’ that doesn’t really fit into how the Scot wants to set up, whilst it points to the January arrival of Jarrod Bowen as the reason why the Ukrainian may be allowed to leave as he is now second choice right-winger.

Both players are amongst the highest earners at the London Stadium, with Spotrac claiming that Yarmolenko is on £115,000-per-week whilst the Brazilian isn’t far behind on £85,000-per-week.

If Moyes doesn’t really fancy either player, then it would make sense to try and move them on as their wages are too high to have them sat on the bench.

After @WHUFCFZ posted on Twitter that Moyes was considering binning the duo, many Hammers fans have been quick to give their opinions. It seems that it has actually split them, with some thinking that either or both are dispensable, whilst others believe otherwise.

Here is what some had to say…

What do you think West Ham fans, should you sell either or both of Anderson and Yarmolenko? Let us know below…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.

Aston Villa currently have a number of first-team players out on loan but Dean Smith is likely to be keeping tabs on the progress of young right-back James Bree who is playing a regular role in Luton’s Championship campaign. 

With former Hatters full-back James Justin departing for Leicester City in the summer transfer window, an opportunity has emerged in the starting XI, and Bree has gone on to make 11 starts out of a possible 16 in the second tier. 

So far this season, Bree has won an average of 1.3 tackles whilst also registering 1.9 clearances per game. That may sound quite low but in the context of Luton’s squad, only five players have produced higher averages on each front, and it must be remembered that this is a side just a point above the relegation zone having lost five of their last six games.

Within that context, and considering he’s been used on his less-favoured left-hand side five times, Bree is arguably holding his own for a 21-year-old still learning the ropes. However, he was criticised by Luton Today for his role in the first Nottingham Forest goal in a 2-1 defeat prior to the international break and then found himself dropped to the bench for a subsequent 3-0 loss against Reading.

Certainly there is work for Bree to do then and perhaps more influence offensively could be the answer, especially considering Luton’s promotion campaign last season was built on the accumulation of a very impressive 90 League One goals. The Villa loanee has averaged just 0.6 dribbles and 0.4 key passes per game during his time at Kenilworth Road.

And that could be a factor in earning himself a place in the first-team back with Villa as well. Frederic Guilbert and Ahmed Elmohamady are both offensive-minded right-backs, the latter even featuring in midfield for Villa previously, and Smith appears to prefer that profile of modern wide defender.

Of course, variation is key to any successful squad but with Elmohamady’s contract due to enter its final twelve months in the summer, meaning Villa may well be tempted to cash in, Bree still has some way to go to prove he can be a direct replacement.