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Despite having not yet been appointed as Celtic boss, Eddie Howe is reportedly already gathering a list of potential transfer targets and on it is Bournemouth defender Steve Cook.

According to The Sun, the former Cherries boss wants to bring the centre-back North of the border in what be a move that would hugely bolster their current options.

After all, Howe knows the 29-year-old extremely well having relied on him at the Vitality Stadium on several occasions, Cook going on to play 168 matches for the club in the Premier League following promotion in 2015.

It was even a relationship that led the manager to label the defender as “incredible” on numerous occasions.

Whilst not playing at the top level anymore, Cook continues to turn in some excellent performances.

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He has made 39 appearances for the Cherries in all competitions this season, captaining the club as they attempt to make an instant return to the Premier League.

Although one downside could be his wages, as he’s amongst their highest earners on a reported £45k-per-week on the south coast.

According to WhoScored, he is averaging 0.5 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game this season, whilst also contributing 0.7 blocks and a huge 4.3 clearances. They are certainly numbers that would see him become a massive defensive presence at Celtic Park.

After all, the Hoops could certainly do with adding to their centre-back options.

Shane Duffy looks likely to return to parent club Brighton and Hove Albion following the expiry of his loan deal, whilst the likes of Christopher Julien and Kristoffer Ajer continue to be linked with switches away from Celtic.

Cook then could be the perfect addition.

Rated at £6.3m but available on a free transfer come the end of the 2020/21 season, the Hoops must make a move for the Bournemouth man should Howe arrive at the club as expected.

AND in more news, take a look at which current on-loan star the Hoops must sell in the summer…

According to recent reports, the former Glasgow Rangers centre-forward, Umar Sadiq, is a shock transfer target for German giants, Bayern Munich, this summer.

Having arrived at Rangers from AS Roma on a season-long loan deal in the summer of 2018, Sadiq went on to play just 116 minutes of football for Gers, scoring no goals and providing no assists over his total of four appearances for the club, before being returned to the Serie A side just five months after his signing, with Andy Halliday suggesting that Steven Gerrard was not impressed by the Nigerian’s application in training.

However, so far this season, the 24-year-old striker has been in rather remarkable form over his 32 appearances for his new club, UD Almeria, scoring 17 goals and providing five assists for the Spanish Segunda Division side.

And, according to a recent report by Spanish publication AS, Bayern Munich are now considering making a €60 million (£52 million) move for Sadiq this summer. That fee could reportedly go even higher if Almeria earn promotion.

Transfer Tavern Take

If Halliday is to be believed, the blame cannot be attributed to Gerrard for not seeing the apparent potential of Sadiq during his spell at Rangers, as, if a player is simply not interested in putting in the effort on the training pitch, he should not be afforded an opportunity to feature in first-team fixtures.

Having said that, it is still likely that the Rangers coaching staff will be kicking themselves at how well Sadiq has done in his time since leaving Ibrox, particularly if the striker does go on to make a big-money move to Bayern this summer.

In other news: ‘I am not surprised’ – Pundit backs ‘exceptionally’ good talent to join Rangers after agent hint – find out more here!

علّق سكوت سيلارز المدير التقني لنادي ولفرهامبتون الإنجليزي على رحيل اللاعب أداما تراوري إلى صفوف فريق برشلونة، خلال موسم الانتقالات الشتوي الحالي.

وكان برشلونة قد أعلن أمس السبت حصوله على خدمات أداما تراوري، بنظام الإعارة حتى نهاية هذا الموسم مع خيار الشراء الدائم في الصيف المقبل.

ارتقى تراوري في صفوف أكاديمية برشلونة عندما كان شابًا، لكنه شارك مرة واحدة فقط في الدوري قبل أن يغادر إلى أستون فيلا في عام 2015.

وقال سكوت سيلارز في تصريحات للموقع الرسمي لنادي ولفرهامبتون: “لقد تصرف أداما تراوري دائمًا بأقصى قدر من الاحتراف”.

وأضاف: “ومع ذلك، ليس سرًا أننا لم نتمكن من الاتفاق معه على عقد جديد، على الرغم من المفاوضات المطولة، ورغبته في الوقت الحالي هي لعب كرة القدم في مكان آخر”.

وواصل: “الكل يعرف أن برشلونة مدينة ونادي قريب جدًا من قلب أداما، لذا فهي خطوة حلم بالنسبة له”.

واستكمل: “لقد اتفقنا أيضًا على خيار مهم للغاية في الصفقة إذا رغب برشلونة في جعل الانتقال دائمًا هذا الصيف”.

واختتم: “نتمنى لأداما كل التوفيق في إسبانيا، ونأمل أن يلعب بانتظام، ويحقق نجاحًا كبيرًا ويظهر للجميع ما هو قادر عليه”.

Rangers have finally done it. They are Scottish champions for the first time in a decade after Steven Gerrard’s men officially won the title on Sunday.

This season has been a jubilant one for the Gers, a team who have knocked aside the negativity that surrounded Ibrox at the end of last term to usurp their biggest rivals.

This was not in the script but Gerrard has torn that to shreds and created his own story instead. This is his first league title as a player and a manager and it’s definitely one he’ll saviour for a long time.

Where Rangers go next is fascinating. They’re still in the Europa League and will have to add to their ranks once the summer window opens; the Glaswegians cannot afford to rest on their laurels.

That being said, there is still the fear of Alfredo Morelos leaving. His exit looked inevitable last summer and despite Rangers’ title win, he could still depart in a few months time.

Noel Whelan told Football Insider this week that the final piece of the jigsaw may have been put in place for his departure, suggesting the Teddy Bears could sanction an exit if a big-money offer comes in.

“It depends on whether he feels this was the final piece of the jigsaw that he needed to move. Maybe he wanted to leave in this sort of manner, with a championship under his belt,” he said.

Gerrard himself also hinted that Morelos could be on the lookout for move after the recent Europa League win Antwerp, suggesting that the forward likes that particular competition as it can put him in the shop window and allow him to prove to anyone watching that he can be successful at European level.

If the Colombian does indeed walk through the exit door then Rangers will certainly need a new striker. Fortunately, they already have one in their sights.

The Scottish Sun linked Gerrard’s side with a move for Zambian forward Fashion Sakala last month. He currently plays for Oostende in Belgium but is out of contract in the summer. Thus, the Gers are trying to steal a march in the race to sign him.

The 23-year-old isn’t a household name but his goal-scoring record is an eye-catching one. Sakala has netted 13 times this season, taking his tally in Belgium to 28.

Of course, Gerrard has Kemar Roofe who could take Morelos’ place up top but it would be foolish to rely on him alone, especially with Jermain Defoe out of contract.

Sakala possesses a host of qualities, not least the ability to hit the back of the net. Importantly, however, is his power. That’s a key quality Rangers will be missing if Morelos chooses to leave.

Speaking about Sakala previously, his former teammate Toby Sibbick commented: “Fashion has a lot of pace and is direct on the ball.”

Sibbick continued: “He is quite tricky as well and is good in front of goal with the ability to finish with both feet, there’s no issue with that. He is powerful – not necessarily tall – but strong and quick so there’s a lot to his game.”

With the ability to stretch defences, beat markers for power and find the net, he feels like a very suitable option for the Gers in a few months time. Add the fact that Morelos could leave and Sakala would be a great replacement.

AND in other news, Gerrard can cast an eye to the future by axing £30k-p/w Rangers gem amid exit links…

According to a recent report, Tottenham Hotspur have identified three potential summer replacements for Spurs goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris.

The report by The Sun claims that Daniel Levy and his Tottenham transfer team have all three of Dean Henderson, Nick Pope and Sam Johnstone on their shortlist as Hugo Lloris replacements, should the £100,000-per-week 35-year-old leave north London in the summer transfer window.

Indeed, Lloris has been heavily linked with a reunion with the former Spurs manager, Mauricio Pochettino, at Paris Saint-Germain, with The Sun claiming that the Frenchman would be open to the possibility of a return to Ligue 1 at the end of the season.

Transfer Tavern Take

With it being reported that Henderson would be keen to leave Manchester United this summer unless he is installed as the first choice ‘keeper at the club, should this not come to pass, it would indeed appear as if Tottenham could be presented with an opportunity to land the 24-year-old, for whom Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are thought to be demanding around £40 million to part with.

Meanwhile, with both Pope and Johnstone facing the possibility of relegation from the Premier League with their respective clubs this season, should either Burnley or West Bromwich Albion ultimately drop down the Championship, Tottenham could again have a clear path to signing one of the ‘keepers.

However, it should be pointed out that, while Lloris remains at the club, all of these links would seem to be purely theoretical, for now.

In other news: Sources have revealed that Daniel Levy will be “all over” one club targeting multiple Spurs transfers this summer – find out more here!

Liverpool earned successive 3-1 away wins in the capital as they triumphed against West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

A brace from Mohamed Salah and a goal from Georginio Wijnaldum were enough to seal the win before Craig Dawson’s late consolation earned a touch of credibility for David Moyes’ side.

Whilst Salah will rightly get a lot of credit for his two world-class goals in the second half, it was perhaps Jordan Henderson’s performance that will delight Klopp the most, as he produced another solid display in an unfamiliar position.

As per SofaScore, the Liverpool captain would earn a strong 7.0 rating for his display, with only Wijnaldum, Xherdan Shaqiri, Thiago and Salah rated higher.

The 31-year-old was featuring as a centre-back once again on Sunday, following the injuries to Joel Matip and Fabinho earlier in the week, but he showed that he can be relied upon when needed.

During the game, Henderson would contest four duels with West Ham players. He would win all of them.

This is even more impressive when you consider the physical nature of Moyes’ side, which boasts the likes of Tomas Soucek, Dawson and Michail Antonio, to name just a few.

The 30-year-old would enjoy 95 touches of the ball against West Ham, which was 55 more than Hammers centre-back Angelo Ogbonna, whilst 80/89 of his passes would find a Liverpool shirt, resulting in a solid 90% pass accuracy – more than his season average of 87.2%.

Despite playing at the back, Henderson was still able to showcase his passing ability, as he contributed one key pass, which was more than both of West Ham’s central midfielders and more than his average of 0.6 in the Premier League so far this season.

Last year, Klopp was full of praise for his captain, saying:

“He is exceptional; he is outstanding.”

Therefore, whilst Salah was the hero for Liverpool with his brace, Henderson’s near-perfect display against an in-form West Ham side means that he should earn a lot of plaudits too.

And, in other news… LFC dealt big transfer blow as reported bid for “natural leader” CB rejected

أعلن بيتسو موسيماني، المدير الفني للنادي الأهلي، عن بدلاء الفريق أمام فيوتشر إف سي، في المباراة المقرر إقامتها اليوم الأحد.

الأهلي يواجه فيوتشر إف سي، ضمن مواجهات الأسبوع السابع المؤجل من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

طالع | تشكيل الأهلي أمام فيوتشر في الدوري.. موسيماني يدفع بـ عبد القادر وكوكا بدلاء الأهلي أمام فيوتشر

علي لطفي وعمار حمدي ومحمد هاني وكريم فؤاد وطاهر محمد طاهر وعلي معلول ومحمود وحيد وحسين الشحات ورامي ربيعة.

طالع أيضًا.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة الأهلي وفيوتشر في الدوري

يذكر أن الأهلي يحتل المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري، برصيد 18 نقطة، بينما فيوتشر يتواجد في المركز الثالث عشر بـ 7 نقاط. 

In his exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Carlton Palmer has criticised Manchester United defender Luke Shaw for his decision-making during the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side laboured to a 1-0 victory over Watford at Old Trafford on Saturday night, although there were a few positives as Alex Telles shone in Shaw’s absence.

Shaw is something of a divisive figure amongst United supporters, as he was slammed by some fans for his poor performance against Pep Guardiola’s side.

He was subject to constant stinging criticism from Jose Mourinho during his ill-fated time at Old Trafford.

And Palmer was left unimpressed with Shaw’s display as he looked out of sorts on the left-hand side of the defence in the middle of last week.

He told FFC:

“I’ve constantly had a beef with Luke Shaw because he never looks fit to me and he always looks like he’s carrying weight.

“If you look at him as a defender, some of the decisions he makes – he’ll cut across somebody and block somebody, rather than challenge them.

“I can point out numerous times he’s done that in games. He’s a talented boy but I can see why managers like Mourinho would criticise him.”

Telles has shaken off a slow start for Solskjaer’s side with two goal contributions in seven appearances across all competitions.

Shaw’s time at Old Trafford has been a little more questionable, although he has shown signs of improvement this season. He was caught napping by Raheem Sterling and John Stones and failed to register a single tackle in the entire game.

With Brandon Williams itching to leave on loan, it remains to be seen who will stake their claim in the coming weeks and months.

AND in other news, Manchester United’s Alex Telles stole the show in FA Cup victory over Watford…

Dean Windass, while speaking exclusively with Football FanCast, has urged Everton to sign Real Madrid dynamo Isco in the upcoming January transfer window.

The former Hull City and Middlesbrough striker believes Isco is the perfect blend for the side Carlo Ancelotti and Director of Football Marcel Brands are striving to build at Goodison Park.

Everton sit comfortably inside the Champions League places after 14 games having claimed a 2-1 win over Arsenal on Saturday, even without summer arrivals James Rodriguez and Allan taking to the field.

Ancelotti is thought to be targeting midfield upgrades in the mid-season market after deeming the engine room to be an area of concern, with reports touting Isco as a potential target.

That’s according to Spanish publication Sport, who claim the £18m-rated maestro’s situation at the Santiago Bernabeu is only getting worse after failing to convince head coach Zinedine Zidane to recall him to the side.

Madrid would like to get Isco’s £210,000-per-week contract off their books but will not allow him to leave for free as they did with Rodriguez, though Windass would urge Everton to strike a deal nonetheless.

He told FFC:

“He’d be Ancelotti’s sort of player. He’s had him before so yeah, great player.

“When was the last time you spoke about Everton bringing players like that into the club? That’s how much of an impact Ancelotti has made. Players want to play for managers like that.

“They probably need four or five players in January to sustain being at the top of the Premier League.”

Isco has started just three of his nine La Liga appearances this season ahead of Real Madrid facing Eibar on Sunday, and is thought to be coming to terms with his time in the Spanish capital nearing its end with Juventus, Sevilla, AC Milan, Everton and now Arsenal all considering moves.

No bids have yet been put to Los Blancos, while claims by Eurosport suggest it will take a very impressive offer for Isco to leave the Santiago Bernabeu as he may yet stay and fight for his Galacticos future.

Isco has rejected several potential exit routes in the past through his love of Real Madrid and desire to succeed with the club he joined from Malaga in 2013 during the same summer as Ancelotti was appointed head coach.

Just maybe Brands will listen to Windass’ demand.

AND in other news: “Huge blow” – Exclusive: Pundit reacts to major Everton setback…

The Premier League may have breached confidentiality law by confirming their legal dispute with Newcastle United with regards to the failed takeover at St. James’ Park.

The Shields Gazette have reported that, according to sources, by confirming that the top flight are in a legal dispute with the Tyneside club, that represents an alleged breach of the confidentiality of the Magpies, with both said to be bound by privacy on the matter now that the case is actually running.

The confirmation by England’s highest division is also understood to have angered many close to the proposed £300m deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

The confirmation from the EPL was revealed in an official statement by the Newcastle Consortium Supporters Ltd (NCSL) that in turn was confirmed to The Shields Gazette.

When contacted by the news outlet, the Premier League refused to comment on the matter.

What does this mean for the Newcastle takeover?

Indeed, this means that the legal dispute between the Toon and the English top flight is likely to be taken to a court case if it cannot be settled by the two parties involved.

Ashley may possibly already have top lawyers Nick De Marco QC and Shaheed Fatima QC on standby to represent the chief executive of Sports Direct in court and it feels fair to predict the CEO of England’s highest division, Richard Masters, will already have his own army of lawyers at the ready too.

Nonetheless, the Premier League may have dug themselves a hole already if they are found to have breached the confidentiality law.

In other news, find out which key figure is concerned about one development in the takeover saga here!