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Much of the talk surrounding Celtic at present has been centred on the future of defender Josip Juranovic, with the Croatia international looking likely to be moving on from Parkhead next month when the market re-opens.

The 27-year-old has notably been linked with a move to West Ham United in recent times as well as fellow Premier League outfit Chelsea, while reports in Spain have even suggested that La Liga giants Barcelona could be eyeing a swoop for the World Cup star.

This rampant speculation comes following reports that the Old Firm outfit are open to a sale for the former Legia Warsaw man in the New Year, with negotiations regarding a new contract having seemingly hit an impasse.

Although Ange Postecoglou and co are likely not attempting to push the “immense” asset out the door – as described by writer Zach Lowy – there may well be a general acceptance that a departure is in the best interests of all parties, particularly if the Hoops can seal a sizeable profit on their initial £2.5m investment.

One man who the Glasgow side should be more actively looking to sell, however, is Republic of Ireland international, James McCarthy, with the 32-year-old having become something of a forgotten figure at Celtic Park of late.

Reports back in October suggested that the Scottish champions would be open to offers for the former Crystal Palace midfielder in the New Year, with the club likely looking to get his £14k-per-week salary off the wage bill.

There has as yet been no noise with regards to where the 43-cap dud could end up, however, with the Bhoys hierarchy potentially rueing their “strange” decision – in the words of pundit Alan Hutton – to give the Glasgow-born playmaker a four-year deal at the time of his arrival back in the summer of 2021.

That lengthy contract may well ensure that the one-time Everton man proves difficult to shift, although Postecoglou must surely do all he can to ditch an asset who simply appears to have no place in his plans.

The experienced figure has been restricted to just free transfer 18 months ago, having notably made just five substitute outings totalling only 62 minutes so far this season.

For the 5 foot 11 man to not even earn a start in the League Cup is a sign of his standings in the squad at present, with the recent absence of fellow midfielder and club captain Callum McGregor having also not afforded McCarthy a greater role in the side.

Amid talk that a new addition could be on the cards to help strengthen the midfield ranks – with Tunisia’s Aissa Laidoini a reported target – it does appear that the former Wigan Athletic star will only be shunted further down the pecking order.

As such, the best solution would be to seal a swift exit next month – be it permanently or on loan – with it seemingly no good to anyone to have McCarthy merely languishing on the periphery.

Everton have not had the start to their Premier League campaign that Frank Lampard would have been hoping for after surviving relegation only in their penultimate game of last season.

The Toffees are currently 17th after losing four of their last five league games ahead of the World Cup break which has now left them one point clear of the relegation zone and the Everton manager will be scrambling for solutions to improve his side when they return to action after Christmas.

Everton suffered the worst injury record in the entire Premier League last season and the team is yet again struggling with a similar situation this time around with a number of key players picking up fitness problems over the campaign so far.

Currently, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, James Garner, Tom Davies, Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Andros Townsend are out of action, with not only the attacking threat weakened but a number of midfielders, in particular, picking up issues.

As a result, Lampard will be hoping that he can add quality depth to his squad in the January transfer window which will open just a few days after the Premier League resumes.

One midfielder who has been linked with a move to Goodison Park is Serbia and Torino ace Sasa Lukic and could be just the profile of player needed to inject some quality into the centre of the pitch.

Over 12 Serie A appearances, the 26-year-old ace has scored two goals and created two big chances, demonstrating his efficiency in the final third. He has tallied up an 89% pass completion rate, as well as averaging 1.4 tackles and winning 3.2 duels per game, proving that he is a solid all-round threat in his central role.

The midfielder, who could cost €15m (£12.8m), has been the recipient of high praise for his performances in the Italian side with former Torino team-mate Gleison Bremer commenting:

“I know some players from Serie A, such as Saša Lukić, I was with him in Turin, he’s an excellent midfielder.”

In fact, Lampard could land his very own Koke with the Atletico Madrid star named as the third most comparable positional peer to Lukic according to FBref.

The Spanish and Serbian midfielders have shared many similarities in their output this season so far including goal contributions (2 v 2), pass completion (86.3% v 82.1%), tackles won (12 v 13) and clearances (9 v 9).

That shows that they are both aggressive central fixtures for their team with an element of composure sprinkled into their passing play.

Lukic is currently representing his national team at the World Cup in Qatar and the powers at Goodison Park will surely be keeping a close eye on the player’s progress during the prestigious international tournament with Serbia set to take on Cameroon this morning.

Leeds United remain interested in a deal to bring Noa Lang to Elland Road in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Voetbal Belgie, who claim that, despite the continued interest of the Whites and West Ham United, the Club Brugge KV winger would prefer a move to Italy this winter, with AC Milan and Atalanta BC believed to be keen on a move for the 23-year-old.

This is not the first time Victor Orta has been reported to be interested in a move for the Netherlands international, with Leeds having been linked with the €25m (£22m) valued forward ever since their return to the Premier League back in 2020.

De Ketelaere repeat

With Orta having already missed out on another of his Club Brugge transfer targets, Charles De Ketelaere, to AC Milan in the summer transfer window, the news that Lang now also favours a move to Italy ahead of one to Leeds in January undoubtedly represents something of a nightmare for the Whites’ director of football.

However, considering just how underwhelming Lang has been for Brugge this season, should Orta go on to miss out on the 23-year-old this winter, it could well be something of a blessing in disguise for the Spaniard.

Indeed, over his 11 Jupiler Pro League appearances – only three of which have come as starts – this season, the £16.2m-rated talent has been far from his free-flowing best, scoring just one goal, providing two assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.9 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £25k-per-week winger average a SofaScore match rating of 6.94, currently ranking him as Brugge’s 13th-best performer in the top flight of Belgian football.

The 23-year-old also failed to impress over his two appearances in the Champions League, failing to score, providing no assists and missing one big chance, with these metrics seeing the five-cap international average a SofaScore match rating of 6.75 – once again ranking him as his club’s 13th-best performer in the competition.

Furthermore, with Jesse Marsch currently possessing a wealth of young attacking talent in the form of Crysencio Summerville, Sonny Perkins, Joe Gelhart and Mateo Joseph, the signing of Lang would likely stunt the growth of a number of the Whites’ most exciting youth prospects.

As such, missing out on the winger in January would not appear to be a bad thing for the Premier League side whatsoever, as not only would Lang fail to represent a noticeable upgrade on the Whites’ current attacking options, but his signing would also cause a blockage in the pathway from U21s to first-team football at Elland Road.

Aston Villa fell to a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea on Sunday afternoon which will only increase the pressure on Steven Gerrard at Villa Park.

Despite having the better of the first half, Villa found themselves 1-0 down after Tyrone Mings’ mistake gifted Mason Mount the opener, with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga making a number of superb saves to keep the hosts out.

Mount then doubled his tally in the second half from a free kick that wrong-footed Emiliano Martinez and Gerrard’s side were unable to find a way through, with the defeat leaving them 16th in the table.

While Mings will take a lot of slack for his role in the opening goal, with the defender’s catastrophic clearance to blame, Danny Ings should also be very disappointed with his performance in Villa’s attack, as he was largely anonymous and was dominated by Chelsea’s back three.

As per SofaScore, the former Southampton man would earn a 6.8/10 rating for his display after touching the ball just 31 times, nine fewer than Martinez in the home goal.

Ings would also complete just 11/16 passes, with a success rate of 69%, which is a decrease on his 76% average for the Premier League season so far.

This was also the joint-fewest of any Aston Villa player to start the game, which emphasises how little the former England striker was involved on Sunday afternoon.

He looked a threat in the initial stages of the clash, but in the words of Birmingham Live’s Ashley Preece, was “anonymous” in the second period.

It has been a difficult start to the season for the 30-year-old, as he has just one goal in the Premier League in nine appearances, with his troubles in front of goal summed up in the first half when Kepa produced an unbelievable save to keep out his point-blank header.

While it was a great save from the Spaniard, Ings really should have found the back of the net at a time when Villa were on top and could have found an equaliser.

Unfortunately, that miss was crucial and Villa didn’t create too many better opportunities, so while Mings’ mistake will dominate the headlines, Ings should take a fair share of the blame after another disappointing display.

Chelsea, led by owner Todd Boehly, are now one of the many clubs eyeing a move for in-demand Lyon right-back Malo Gusto, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Potter unbeaten…

Since being appointed in early September, new manager Graham Potter has remained unbeaten over his first five matches as Chelsea boss across all competitions.

Indeed, the Blues have also won their last four matches with ex-Brighton boss starting life at Stamford Bridge with a real florish.

The dismissal of former fan favourite Thomas Tuchel would have left a sour taste in the mouths of some supporters but Boehly’s decision to hire Potter appears to be paying dividends thus far.

As a new era begins under the Englishman, Chelsea’s new owners will be looking to back him in any way possible, with news emerging on an exciting new target.

The Latest: Chelsea eye Gusto move…

Indeed, as per 90min, Chelsea are now one of the ‘host of clubs’ keeping close tabs on Lyon starlet Gusto – who is becoming one of the most ‘in-demand’ sensations in Europe.

Boehly is joined by many top clubs across the continent and closer to home in the Premier League as an army of sides take interest in the 19-year-old.

Chelsea are among them, and what’s more, Blues officials have apparently been sent to run the rule over Gusto ‘in recent weeks’.

The Verdict: Get it done…

The teenage talent is already growing quite a reputation in France.

Gusto has drew acclaim for a brilliant one-vs-one outing against Brazil superstar Neymar with scout writer Zach Lowy also calling him ‘one of the most exciting’ right-backs in the game right now.

Chelsea already have a right-back revelation in Reece James, but as his latest injury worry highlights, a quality back up option is arguably needed as Potter seeks to build a title-challenging squad.

Arsenal could sign Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz for a ‘cut-price fee’ as his contract continues to dwindle, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Luiz’s contract

Having signed a four-year deal upon his arrival at Villa Park in 2019, the Brazil international has just nine months remaining on his current contract.

The defensive midfielder was subject to a late push by Mikel Arteta’s side this summer, with three deadline day bids worth up to £25m having been made by the Gunners.

However, despite the player’s interest in the move, Villa remained firm on their £40m valuation, keeping him at the club until January at least.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Following reports that Luiz does not want to sign a contract extension at Villa, O’Rourke believes that the Gunners may be able to convince the Midlands outfit into selling the 24-year-old in January for a reduced rate.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed: “Douglas Luiz’s situation at Villa is uncertain and he is out of contract in the summer as well.

“Do Villa have to sell him in January if he’s not going to sign a new deal? Maybe Arsenal could land him for a cut-price fee.”

The Verdict: He’d be a great coup

Having also attracted interest from the likes of AC Milan, Liverpool, Roma, Juventus (Calciomercato), Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham (Daily Mail), Luiz’s technical quality is undeniable.

Previously hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by former Villa manager Dean Smith, the Brazil international has the experience to perform at the top level for Arsenal, given that he has made 109 appearances in the Premier League and a further 38 in La Liga.

Given Arteta’s lack of options in the middle of the park, signing Luiz a reduced rate would add a cut-price but strong addition to the north Londoners’ squad, and a renewed effort to sign the midfielder in January seems likely unless his contract impasse is resolved in the meantime.

West Ham United have been dealt a blow in their reported bid to bring Andrea Belotti to the London Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet CalcioMercato, who claim that, despite previous reports last month suggesting that West Ham had met with the centre-forward’s representatives in order to discuss a deal to bring the 28-year-old to east London this summer, Wolverhampton Wanderers have now made a move for the Italy international.

However, the report goes on to state that, at present, Belotti has rejected the proposal offered by Bruno Lage’s side, as he is waiting for AS Roma – who are believed to have an agreement in place with the striker – to make room in their first team squad in order for Jose Mourinho to be able to register the former Torino attacker officially.

Although, despite Roma’s agreement with the forward, CalcioMercato suggest that, should the Serie A side be unable to complete their signing of the 28-year-old in the coming days, the centre-forward will consider other options.

That eventuality could well open the door for West Ham to enter the conversation again and make a late move for the 44-cap international.

“Unbelievable”

While it is true that David Moyes has already added Gianluca Scamacca to his attacking arsenal this summer, considering the sheer amount of talent Belotti undoubtedly possesses, in addition to the fact the Italian would be available to sign on a free, the argument that the 28-year-old’s signing would be an unbelievable deal for West Ham to complete is an easy one to make.

Indeed, over his seven Serie A campaigns during his time with Torino, the £18m-rated forward proved just how deadly a marksman he well and truly is, hitting double figures for goals in all but one of these seven seasons.

The £60k-per-week hitman’s best league campaign for Il Toro undoubtedly came back in 2016/17, when he scored a quite astonishing 26 goals, registered seven assists and created five big chances over 35 fixtures, returns that saw the striker not only rank as his club’s best performer in the division but also as the sixth-best player in the Italian top flight as a whole that year.

And, with West Ham currently being the only side in the top flight who are yet to hit the back of the net so far this season, it is clear to see that Moyes is still in need of further attacking reinforcements should he wish to replicate the Hammers’ top-seven finish in the league, as well as their run to a European semi-final, this time around.

As such, the signing of a player who Tancredi Palmeri dubbed “unbelievable” and has 100 league goals in 232 appearances to his name would indeed appear to make for an unbelievable addition to the Irons’ current attacking options – particularly as he would not cost the club a penny in transfer fees.

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, West Ham United have made ‘three’ enquiries regarding a move for Chelsea sensation Conor Gallagher.

The Lowdown: Four-way race

The midfielder spent last season out on loan with fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace and enjoyed a breakthrough campaign at Selhurst Park, with his performances catching the eye of several potential suitors.

90min have claimed that Everton, Newcastle and the Eagles themselves have all been in contact with the Blues to ask about the 22-year-old’s availability, though they aren’t the only ones as the Irons have now also been credited with an interest and appear serious in their pursuit.

The Latest: West Ham make Gallagher enquiries

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones confirmed that West Ham have made several approaches for Gallagher this window, and that they remain focused on monitoring his transfer situation.

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He wrote:

“Conor Gallagher is a player they’ve asked about three times so far this summer, just to keep tabs on it more than anything.

“They’re just making sure that, as we go through the summer, Chelsea haven’t changed their mind on his stance. There’s still a possibility they do and they want to be in that conversation. So, they’ve got quite a bit of work to do still, West Ham. They’re definitely not finished.”

The Verdict: One for the future

David Moyes only currently has Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek at his disposal as experienced senior options in the midfield, and Gallagher could come in and provide a whole new creative outlet for the Hammers.

The four-cap international, dubbed a ‘warrior’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, made 13 goal contributions for Palace in all competitions last season, and averaged 1.5 shots, 1.3 successful dribbles and 1.1 key passes per top-flight game, via WhoScored.

Gallagher’s performances earned him his first call-up to the England squad towards the end of last year, and he is a player with bags of potential who will definitely be one to watch in the future.

Glasgow Rangers are closing in on a deal for a Turkish left-back, according to The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell.

The Lowdown: Yilmaz’s season

Ridvan Yilmaz made 27 appearances in the Super Lig last season, bringing his overall tally for his current club Besiktas to 62 games played – an impressive feat for the academy graduate.

The full-back even made two appearances in the Champions League, featuring against European giants Ajax and Sporting Lisbon in the group stage.

As a result, a number of clubs have been alerted to the 21-year-old’s presence this summer.

The Latest: Campbell’s news

After rumours emerged linking Yilmaz with a move to Ibrox, Campbell has now shared the latest update on the potential transfer.

Taking to Twitter as he shared a link to a corresponding report from The Athletic, the reliable journalist claimed: “Rangers closing in on a deal for Besiktas left-back Ridvan Yilmaz. 21yo Turk fits into Van Bronckhorst’s direct style.

“Frankfurt were close three weeks ago but talks broke down. Interest from Germany and Italy but the player has heart set on Ibrox.”

The Verdict: He’d be a great signing

With such interest in the youngster, this could be a huge swoop for the Light Blues, who have been looking to add fresh talent to their ranks.

Calvin Bassey’s £20m club-record sale to Ajax raised concerns over Rangers’ potential replacements for their star defender.

However, with the Gers closing in on a deal for Yilmaz and after Ben Davies’ arrival from Liverpool, the Glasgow outfit have wasted little time in finding a solution.

With six Turkey caps to his name since making his debut against Azerbaijan in May 2021, this could be a shrewd piece of prospective business from Van Bronckhorst and co.

After what proved to be something of a car-crash campaign for Everton last time out, the hope among supporters would have been to see their club make significant investment in the playing squad in order to spark a drastic improvement upon that narrow relegation escape.

At present, though, the Goodison Park faithful are seemingly preparing themselves for another survival scrap next term, having only brought in former Burnley stalwart James Tarkowski on a free transfer so far this summer.

That astute, albeit uninspiring, addition has also been further overshadowed by the departure of talisman Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur, with the Toffees yet to invest any of his reported £60m transfer fee.

Amid that stark lack of transfer action and the dire need for new additions, one name who has emerged as a potential option is that of Ross Barkley, with the 28-year-old having been tipped to make a return back to where it all began for him.

As per The Mirror, Frank Lampard and co have been offered the chance to sign the England international this summer from Chelsea, with the west London outfit seemingly desperate to cut ties with a player who has largely been surplus to requirements during his time at Stamford Bridge.

While once an impressive emerging star for the Merseysiders, a reunion this summer with Barkley may not go down too well with supporters, with journalist Paul Brown suggesting there could be a “massive backlash” if the midfielder is to make a shock homecoming.

The local lad irked his former club due to the nature of his departure in January 2018, as the Toffees lost out on a £35m transfer fee the previous summer as the playmaker reportedly changed his mind over the deal, only to then join Chelsea for just £15m a few months later.

Furthermore, his addition to Lampard’s squad would also be a bizarre move due to his lack of regular game-time in recent years. The 33-cap midfielder had just six top-flight outings last term, only one of which came from the start.

A peripheral figure throughout his time at his current club, the £10.8m-rated man has netted just 12 goals and provided 11 assists in 99 games in all competitions for Chelsea.

His only real regular run in the team came under Maurizio Sarri in the 2018/19 campaign, when he made 48 appearances across all fronts under the Italian. Last season, his 14 appearances in all competitions amounted to a mere 452 minutes.

Previously likened to the great Paul Gascoigne in his youth, it has been an almighty fall from grace for the 6 foot 2 menace – who was once described as “woeful” by journalist Daniel Storey – over the last few years.

The rationale behind a possible move could be to try and rediscover the previous bright form he showcased in his early career – where he provided 55 goal contributions in 179 games for Everton – although Lampard has seemingly already been stung by trying to rekindle the career of another once-exciting prospect in Dele Alli.

The 26-year-old arrived from Tottenham Hotspur in January after falling out of favour in north London, although he went on to make just one league start for Everton in the second half of last season, doing little to warrant his reported £100k-per-week wages.

That dismal stint has been followed by another horror moment in pre-season, with the one-time MK Dons man inexplicably failing to convert a chance with the goal at his mercy in the recent 4-0 defeat to MLS side Minnesota United.

While he did recover to net a brace against Blackpool at the weekend, the indication is that he is already proving a costly mistake, amid reports that the club could already look to cash in on him this summer.

Not only would it make little sense to acquire a player who features in a similar position in the form of Barkley, being lumbered with another former England international who is on the decline is seemingly a recipe for disaster.

Also on a reported £100k-per-week wage at Stamford Bridge, Barkley could well follow his compatriot in being yet another expensive error of the Farhad Moshiri era at Everton.

Lampard must surely look elsewhere…

AND in other news – “We hear..”: Journalist drops major transfer update on £30m Everton target, it’s bad news