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When it rains at Parkhead, it seemingly pours. This has been a very rocky season for Celtic and the war of words between Neil Lennon and supporters is unrelenting in its nature.

After the Hoops dropped yet more points against Livingston this week, Lennon revealed that he wouldn’t leave Glasgow behind unless he was sacked.

Given the way the club’s hierarchy backed him in November, it doesn’t bode well for fans who are keen on seeing the Northern Irishman leave.

Truth be told, the end of his tether must be near. The Bhoys have won just seven of their last 22 games and are trailing behind Rangers by a considerable margin of 20 points. It’s safe to say that their stronghold over Scottish football has gone as far as it can.

The likes of Eddie Howe and Roy Keane have been touted with taking over from Lennon in various circles, but another name that did the rounds in December was Hibernian manager Jack Ross.

Speaking on A Celtic State of Mind podcast last month, Hoops pundit Kevin Graham went as far as to say the Hibs boss could be at Parkhead come the end of January.

He said: “We’ve got at least four players that are wanting to leave and those players could actually leave in January. Give the new man a blank slate. And for me, by the end of January – and even maybe before we go to Ibrox, maybe even before Christmas Day – I’m going to say Jack Ross will be Celtic’s manager.”

Of course, Lennon is still in charge at the moment, but it’s reasonable to suggest that come the end of January, a new manager could be in the hot seat.

Ross had a troubled spell at Sunderland where he lost in the Checkatrade Trophy final and ultimately failed to gain them promotion. He crumbled under the enormous pressure of managing a big club, but we believe he’d be near perfect for Celtic.

Hoops fans won’t need reminding of the wonderful things Brendan Rodgers achieved in Glasgow. He took the club to numerous domestic honours and Ross is someone who has the seal of approval from the current Leicester boss.

They are like two peas in a pod, trading ideas and developing a wonderful relationship. What’s more, is that the 44-year-old coach is already familiar with Lennoxtown.

That’s according to Lewis Morgan who told Open Goal (via Glasgow Times) last August: “Brendan Rodgers loves him and used to invite him to Lennoxtown all the time. He’d taken his Alloa team to Parkhead and done well  and he’s got a similar coaching style, that’s his coaching idol. He loves him. All our team talks or analysis it would be like what Brendan was doing at Celtic.”

Morgan continued: “Or these drills are what he’d seen Brendan do at Lennoxtown. Brendan used to invite him and they’d talk tactics or whatever it was. He was very good. Obviously I wouldn’t compare him to Brendan, I’m not going to be disrespectful, he’s in the Premier League with Leicester. I’m not sure if he can be as successful as that because you need a lot of luck, but I would hold [Jack] in as high regard as I do Brendan, in terms of coaching and man management.”

Those are intriguing words and for Hoops supporters, this should bode well. Lennon clearly hasn’t been able to install the same mentality in his players but given the vast majority of the playing squad know what it was like under Rodgers, bringing in a like-minded coach could work wonders.

Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell have some big decisions to make at the club in the coming weeks, but the first they must undertake is sacking Lennon and bringing in Ross. His methods have the potential to be game-changing for Celtic.

AND in other news, Celtic veteran should be running scared if Hammond signs £27k-p/w speed demon in Jan…

According to a report by Italian news outlet FcInterNews, via Sport Witness, West Ham United have lodged a ‘serious proposal’ to sign free agent and former Premier League striker Graziano Pelle this month – with a suggestion that GSB talks are ‘advanced’. 

Pelle, who was apparently wanted in 2016 by former Hammers boss Slaven Bilic, is able to talk to clubs over the possibility of joining them as a free agent – with the former Italy international now without a club.

Pelle talks ‘advanced’

The 6 ft 4 powerhouse has emerged as a target for David Moyes in recent days, coming as his search for a striker to bolster his attacking options continues.

Reports have indicated that an extra forward option could be GSB’s priority for this month, especially considering the over-reliance on club record signing Sebastien Haller.

Michail Antonio’s injury worries have also prompted calls for the club to swoop for a new target man, and this update explains that the Irons have lodged a ‘serious’ proposal for Pelle as the answer.

There is a suggestion that talks are ‘advanced’ in an effort to acquire his signature, and he could be a sound outside option given his free agent status.

Transfer Tavern take

Likened to former Premier League star Robin Van Persie, Pelle has also been described as an ‘excellent’ striker by Juventus coach Antonio Conte.

Time will tell whether West Ham do land the 35-year-old, but despite his accolades, Moyes and GSB could have to be patient in seeing the very best of Pelle given he hasn’t played Premier League football since leaving Southampton for China in 2016.

In other news: ExWHUemployee says West Ham could swoop for this star ‘like Luis Suarez’, find out more here.

DeAndre Yedlin was Steve Bruce’s real star as Newcastle United produced a defensive masterclass to secure a point at home to Liverpool on Wednesday night.

Bruce welcomed Jurgen Klopp’s champions to St. James’ Park and saw his players prove resilient in the face of danger to record the first goalless league draw between the Magpies and Reds since February 1974, 69 meetings ago.

The result also saw Liverpool fail to score in a Premier League fixture for the first time in 21 matches, having been denied throughout by a sublime display from Karl Darlow to prevent Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Liverpool had a string of chances during their time on Tyneside to end the year on a high and move five points clear at the top of the table, yet were forced to accept a stalemate with Fabian Schar saving Darlow’s clean sheet 10 minutes from time by clearing off the line after a fortuitous rebound for Sadio Mane.

Yedlin often had Mane, plus Reds full-back Andrew Robertson, in his back pocket as he continued to hold down honours at right-back in Bruce’s plans, after taking over the role at home to Fulham.

The 27-year-old, who continues to be linked with a move away from St. James’ with his £30,000-per-week contract due to expire next summer, has now started Newcastle’s last three league games and proved against Liverpool why the position has become his.

Yedlin continually brought exuberant overlapping runs in partnership with Jacob Murphy down United’s right-hand channel, while contributing an array of vital tackles and coming close to only his fourth-ever Toon goal when his 17th-minute effort was deflected wide.

Salah fell victim to the 62-cap USA international, whom Rafa Benitez once declared “I love this player” for, late in the first-half when Yedlin timed his challenge to perfection to snatch the ball as the Egyptian sought to release the trigger.

Yedlin saw out the midweek meeting with two successful tackles to his name in total, while registering two interceptions and six clearances, per SofaScore.

He additionally won five of his six ground duels, never committed a foul, was successful with his only attempted dribble and provided one key ball from 11 accurate passes, despite failing to connect with a Magpies teammate with his only cross of the night.

Javier Manquillo may have returned to the matchday squad at Manchester City on Boxing Day, while Emil Krafth once again took a seat on the bench at home to Liverpool, but both will struggle to displace Yedlin from the starting line-up should he maintain his current form.

AND in other news, an “unplayable” £75k-p/w Newcastle United player is in-demand ahead of the January transfer window.

According to German publication BILD, Aston Villa’s rumoured transfer target Milot Rashica is heading to Bayer Leverkusen in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

Reports over the summer had suggested the Kosovo international was closing in on a switch to Villa Park, and that Dean Smith’s side had agreed to meet the release clause of £20.5m in his contract.

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However, talks broke down after Villa revealed they wouldn’t be signing Rashica after all due to his wage demands. Now, BILD claim that the winger has agreed a five-year deal to join Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, and that the deal will become official in January.

Shades of Alexis Sanchez

With 11 goals in 31 games for Werder Bremen last season, Rashica was a real live-wire from out wide for the Bundesliga outfit, and was a key reason behind why they survived relegation via the play-offs.

His manager at Bremen, Florian Kohfeldt, hailed: “Milot’s taken a massive leap in the last year or so. He’s got more confidence in himself and makes scoring look so easy.”

With his ability to play anywhere across the front-line, and a real touch for finishing, it’s no surprise to see that the Bundesliga’s official website has drawn comparisons between him and former Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez.

It said: “A one-man attacking force with pace to burn, the Bremen talisman has that self-same stocky build and low centre of gravity that made Sanchez such an overwhelming prospect for opposition defenders back in his Barcelona and Arsenal days. He loves a set-piece goal, too.”

But with Rashica set to move to Leverkusen, Villa look set to miss out on yet another winger following Said Benrahma’s move to West Ham.

And in other news, Aston Villa dodged a bullet by not signing this Premier League ace.

As the dust settles on another hectic transfer window, Aston Villa’s attentions will already have turned towards their plans for the following year.

Big decisions will have to be made, not just in terms of the kinds of signings that need to be made, but also which of Dean Smith’s current first-team squad need to be sold.

And one man whose future is really up for debate, is Ahmed Elmohamady. The Egypt international’s contract at Villa Park comes to an end in the summer of 2021, meaning that he will be free to negotiate a pre-contract with foreign clubs in January and thus eventually seeing him leave on a free transfer when his deal expires.

Whilst the right-back has proven to be an astute piece of business since arriving from Hull City in 2017 – he has made an impressive 117 appearances for Villa – the time is surely right for the club to say goodbye to him.

At 33, he’s way past the peak years of his career, and whilst he’s done well in terms of his longevity thus far, if Smith is intent on ensuring his side push on and establish themselves as a top ten club, then making ruthless decisions on players like Elmohamady have to be made.

The £25k-a-week earning ace has been a reliable performer and welcome dressing room presence for Smith, with the Villa boss waxing lyrical about the veteran right-back when he penned an extension to his deal in 2019.

He said: “He’s deserved it for his performances, which is what all players deserve to get new contracts from. He was integral to the 10-game winning run we had at the end of last season to get into the playoffs. If you captain a country like Egypt, you have to be a certain type of character and player. He’s established himself in our dressing room and the English game and he’s a very well respected and good player to have in our squad.”

With Villa also spending decent money on Matty Cash from Nottingham Forest, it already feels like the club are moving in a fresh and new direction. When Elmohamady’s contract comes to its end, the Midlands side should just bid a fond adieu.

Bongani Zungu has added fuel to the fire regarding rumours of a move to Glasgow Rangers.

The ‘Gers have been heavily linked with Zungu over the past few months, with the Ibrox outfit said to be in advanced talks with his current club Amiens over a potential deal. However, news of any agreement has cooled recently, and it seems as though the 54-time Scottish champions have moved on to other targets.

However, there have been further developments over the past few days. When asked on Twitter whether he still played for Amiens, Zungu replied that he does not, and he then proceeded to like a tweet from a Rangers fan account saying that he should make the move to the ‘Gers.

As a player with 52 Ligue 1 appearances to his name and 24 caps for South Africa, Zungu would be a good signing on paper. Having said that, this kind of attitude will surely be a warning to Steven Gerrard and Ross Wilson. If he is acting in such a way to secure a move now, who is to say that he wouldn’t do so again in the future if he were looking for a move away from the ‘Gers?

Having the playing ability is one thing, but that means nothing if the mental part of your game is just not as strong. Gerrard and co must do their due diligence if they are still in the market for the £1.44m-valued 27-year-old.

‘Gers fans, are you alarmed by Zungu’s denial about being an Amiens player? Let us know what you think by commenting below!

West Brom have a big transfer window ahead of them as they look to build a squad capable of remaining in the Premier League next season.

The Baggies looked fantastic for the majority of 2019/20, but their drop off in form at the end of the season almost cost them promotion and highlighted the frailties in their side.

Fortunately, the financial windfall that comes with being promoted to the top-flight will allow the Baggies to bolster the positions that they want to strengthen.

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However, their resources are not limitless and one player that Steve Madeley believes would fit the bill at the Baggies would be too expensive.

What’s been said then?

Madeley stated in his Athletic column that Bilic may be looking towards a midfielder, claiming that Phillip Billing would fit the bill of what he is looking for, but the finances involved make that deal unlikely.

“Philip Billing, who has Premier League experience with both Huddersfield and Bournemouth, would fit the bill but the latter paid £15 million for him after the Yorkshire club went down a year ago and, should they be intent on recovering much of their outlay now they have also been relegated, he will be too expensive,” he wrote.

Bullet dodged, but worrying

Billing being out of West Brom’s price range could be a good thing, considering the fact that the midfielder has been relegated in each of his past two seasons, but the fact that he is too expensive for them is slightly worrying.

Bournemouth reportedly want to recoup a lot of the £15m they spent on Billing, but after earning over £100m alongside promotion, that should be something of a drop in the ocean for the Baggies rather than a massive hurdle.

We’ll have to see how much the Midlands club spend this summer, but if they’re struggling to spend £15m on a player, they may have to rely on a number of bargains.

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.

Back in the January transfer window in 2018, West Ham signed Jordan Hugill from Preston on deadline day. They acquired the forward for around £9.18m, per Transfermarkt and he had a decent season at the Championship side whilst he was there in the 2017/18 campaign as he scored eight goals and supplied two assists in 27 appearances.

There was hope that he could replicate this at the Hammers and the Englishman was joining at a good time as the East London side sat 11th in the Premier League.

However, it did not start well for the forward as he featured for only 22 minutes in the 2017/18 season for the Irons and failed to score, per Transfermarkt. This clearly highlighted that he was not rated at the club, which was further proven when they loaned him out to Middlesbrough for the 2018/19 season.

At the Championship side he managed to make 41 appearances, scoring seven times and providing two assists, but clearly this was not enough as the Hammers then loaned him out last season to Queens Park Rangers, where he scored 15 goals in 41 appearances.

With the 28-year-old now returning to the club as his loan has expired, it seems that West Ham want to get rid of him permanently, with Norwich and QPR interested in permanent deals. However, the Canaries only want to pay £2m upfront, potentially rising to £4m.

So far he has still only managed 22 minutes of football at West Ham and the fact he could leave for less than half of his initial transfer fee highlights that he has been a total dud for the Irons.

Hammers fans, what are your thoughts on Hugill? Comment below with your views!

Everton may have missed out on their namesake in the transfer window, but the door has opened for another target this summer…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh Solhekol, Lyon winger Bertrand Traore is a wanted man with at least four Premier League teams keen on his services, including the Toffees.

It’s claimed that the French outfit are prepared to sell the 24-year-old, three years after paying Chelsea £9m.

Whilst it remains to be seen how much Traore would cost, Transfermarkt value him at just over £8.5m and during the January transfer window, AFC Bournemouth were mooted with a €35m (£31.5m) swoop for him as per Foot Mercato, via GFFN.

Forget Soares

The Merseysiders had been tipped to sign Gremio winger Everton Soares for quite some time, but the Brazilian appears to be closing in on a move to Benfica in a €20m (£18m) move.

It’s no secret that Carlo Ancelotti needs to bolster his wide department after a sub-par showing across the board. Big-money £34m signing Alex Iwobi scored one strike all season in the PL whilst the rest combined for a paltry five goals and five assists.

Some at Goodison Park may recognise Traore’s name as he struggled to break into Chelsea’s first-team – he made 16 senior appearances, scoring four times before being cast off as a flop to Lyon.

It’s in Ligue 1 where he’s found his feet. In the 24-year-old’s first two seasons at the club, he provided 25 goals and eight assists, recording a best average of 2.6 shots, 1.7 dribbles and 0.8 key passes during his maiden campaign, via WhoScored.

Evidently, he’s a player who likes to put himself about in front of the onion bag, something that’s been lacking in Merseyside this year.

Former Blues boss Guus Hiddink has previously labelled Traore “very clever” and “ambitious” whilst his ex-teammate Papy Djilobodji claimed the Burkina Faso international is “technically he is very, very good: with his feints, he is very hard to stop.”

He’d be the perfect solution to the width issue at the Toffees, if the price is right, then Marcel Brands should absolutely pull out all the stops to clinch him this summer.

AND in other news, £30m speedster would bring excitement back to Goodison Park…

Ex-Glasgow Rangers man and cult hero Andy Halliday has urged the Ibrox outfit to sign Dundee United striker Lawrence Shankland.

The 24-year-old was in stunning form in the Scottish Championship last term, scoring 24 goals in 26 games as his side earned promotion to the top flight – that was no flash in the pan either, with him having scored 128 times in 253 games across his career. He has been linked with a move to Glasgow, but as of yet there appears to have been no formal approach from the Gers.

Halliday, who left the club on a free transfer following the premature end to the Scottish campaign, believes Steven Gerrard should look to add him to his squad. He told Open Goal:

“I would [take him at Rangers]. He’s done it wherever he’s been and he looks like the type of boy that, if he gets chances, he’s going to score. If you’re at a bigger club you’re going to get more chances.

“He’s just got the knack for scoring goals and that’s something that’s hard to find.”

There could well be a changing of the guard up-front at Ibrox this coming campaign as the future of Alfredo Morelos remains up in the air – Everton are said to be focused on taking him to Goodison Park, whilst it has previously been reported that the Gers expect to lose their star man this summer.

Currently valued at £428,000 by Transfermarkt, it remains to be seen what kind of transfer fee he would demand if the Gers were to make a move, but it would likely be an awful lot less than the £15m the Gers want for Morelos – that would make Shankland a bargain.

Let us know what you think below!