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Former Newcastle United star Keith Gillespie believes that there will be plenty of interest in Joe Willock this summer, telling The Transfer Tavern that he has emerged as a fine player during his time at St James’ Park.

Willock moved to Newcastle on loan from Arsenal in the January transfer window.

And he has gone on to make a phenomenal impact at the club as they have climbed clear of relegation danger.

The 21-year-old has made 12 appearances in the Premier League for the Magpies and has scored six goals, netting in all of his last five outings for the club.

That includes strikes against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur.

As a result, there has been a natural suggestion that Newcastle will do everything they can to bring him in on a permanent basis, but Gillespie feels they will face major competition in their bid to sign Willock permanently.

However, he also doubts whether Arsenal will be willing to let him leave.

The former Newcastle star said: “I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s other clubs interested if he is made available for transfer but for me, I just thought he was getting let out on loan to get a little bit of experience by Arteta, so I don’t know whether they’ll be willing to let him go or not.

“For me, he looks a really, really good player.”

Celtic’s transfer policy this summer will depend on a number of factors.

It will come down to who departs the Hoops and it will also have something to do with whoever the new manager is at Parkhead.

One policy they’ve looked towards is recruiting young players from south of the border.

Liam Shaw is set to arrive from Sheffield Wednesday once his contract expires at Hillsborough but they’ve also been linked with Wigan teenager Kyle Joseph and Exeter’s Joel Randall.

Perhaps one of their most eye-catching targets from the English game is Siriki Dembele.

Currently at Peterborough, his radiant form for the League One side has taken them to the Championship.

He is out of contract in the summer of 2022 and if he doesn’t sign a new deal, this will be their last chance to cash in and receive a fee.

That means Celtic could potentially secure Dembele’s services on the cheap this summer, particularly if you head the words from Barry Fry.

The Peterborough director spoke to last week to Football Fancast’s sister site, This is Futbol.

He commented: “He’s got a year left on his contract and we’ve made him what we consider to be a lucrative offer but there has been a lot of interest in him, and I don’t think he’ll sign a new contract with us.”

That’s a huge boost to Celtic but what could he bring to Paradise? Well, with scintillating speed and “dazzling” dribbling, he has the potential to be a menace in attack.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-mcgregor-mccann-tierney” title=”Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

This could be wonderful news for David Turnbull, a creative midfielder who’s been playing with a lack of genuine width next to him this season.

On his way to being named in Scotland’s squad for the European Championship’s, Turnbull has provided 2.7 key passes per match for Celtic.

That’s more than any other player in the squad but very rarely have we seen a supply line in behind.

Coincidentally, one of the rare occasions we saw that was when he lined up alongside Siriki’s brother, Karamoko Dembele.

It was Turnbull who supplied the ball for the teenager’s first senior goal as he raced onto a glorious pass in behind before finding the back of the net.

That sighting is something we could see at Paradise regularly next term, particularly if they land the Peterborough forward.

Capable of playing on the flanks or through the middle as a striker, Dembele has scored 12 goals in all competitions this term.

That tally bodes well for a creative player featuring in behind him.

Like his younger brother, the 24-year-old is capable of beating his man for pace and trickery before finding the back of the net.

The thought of Turnbull and the English attacker playing together should be enough to make fans drool.

You only need to look at the way he combined with Karamoko against St Johnstone a few weeks ago. More football like that and it won’t take long for Celtic to click into gear next season.

They simply have to sign the Peterborough star.

AND in other news, Report claims £7.2m “horror show” will never play for Celtic again, fans surely elated…

The Ezgjan Alioski saga is set to run into the summer months, but former Leeds midfielder David Norris is still unsure whether the defender will be at the club next season.

Alioski has been a regular at Elland Road this term, but reportedly signed a pre-contract agreement with Turkish giants Galatasaray back in March, which appeared to mark the end of his Leeds career.

The Macedonian, who’s now preparing for the Euro’s, featured in all but two of Leeds’ Premier League matches, scoring twice and claiming three assists, quickly establishing himself as Marcelo Bielsa’s first choice left-back following the departure of Barry Douglas on loan.

Despite his agreement with Galatasaray, the Yorkshire Evening Post believe that Bielsa wants to keep Alioski, although his deal at Elland Road expires in this summer, meaning there’s no guarantee he will extend his stay and is set to be released at the end of his contract next month.

And Norris told The Transfer Tavern that he’s still confused about the situation heading into Alioski’s final few weeks as a Leeds player:

“It looked at one point like he was definitely gone and now it is still a bit unclear. I still think it is unclear, even when I spoke to people, they’re not sure what is going to happen there.

“I think Dallas is great, does a job wherever he is put, but if Leeds want to make a statement they go out and get a proper left-back, so I expect either way for him to go out and get a left-back.”

Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri is heading for disaster as young talent Osaze Urhoghide is preparing to leave the club.

What’s the talk?

According to Yorkshire Live, the 20-year-old is set to leave the club on a free transfer at the end of the month after rejecting the chance to stay at Sheffield Wednesday next season. The report claims that club bosses offered him a contract extension, only for the defender to turn down their proposal and opt to move on from Hillsborough this summer.

Leeds United, Crystal Palace, Sporting Lisbon, Club Brugge, Cardiff City and Watford are all said to be interested in the 20-year-old defender, although no deal is close with any specific club. Urhoghide is now poised to head into the summer as a free agent and can find himself the best possible transfer to further his career, instead of playing in League One for Sheffield Wednesday.

After a win over Barnsley in March, Owls manager Darren Moore heaped praise on the “immense” centre-back as he told The Star: “I don’t like to pick out individuals because I thought they were all excellent, but he was immense today in terms of his performance. In terms of his contacts, in terms of getting in the radar of the opponents and spoiling it – he was absolutely rock solid.

“The back three will take plaudits, and it was a team effort, but if you’re looking at him as an individual I thought his performance was solid today.”

Moore must be gutted

Chansiri is heading for disaster as he allows Urhoghide to leave on a free transfer. Wednesday have not been able to satisfy the defender with an attractive contract offer to stay at Hillsborough and they are now on the verge of losing an extremely promising young centre-back for nothing.
At the age of 20, Darren Moore could have built his Sheffield Wednesday defence around Urhoghide, with the Dutchman potentially primed to be part of the team’s spine for years to come given his age and potential, and the manager must now be gutted that he will not have that chance.
Instead, he will be moving on and Moore will need to potentially bring in another centre-back to bolster his options heading into next season, which is why this news is a massive blow to Wednesday. Not only are they watching a talented prospect walk out the door for nothing, they will also need to dip into the market to source an adequate replacement and that could cost a substantial sum unless Chansiri can find a bargain in the upcoming window.

Despite the club’s relegation from the Championship, Urhoghide impressed during his spell at centre-back. He started 10 games in that role in the league, averaging a solid WhoScored rating of 6.76 in those games. The £270,000-rated beast won three aerial battles, 1.8 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and made 2.7 clearances per game in the 2020/21 Championship for Wednesday, which highlights his defensive quality and shows why losing him is a big blow for the club and Moore moving forward.

AND in other news, SWFC handed major boost with 20 y/o gem as news emerges, Moore will be delighted…

Paddy Kenny has urged Glasgow Rangers to complete the signing of Siriki Dembele from Peterborough United this summer.

The Lowdown: Gers linked with Dembele

The Gers have been linked with a move for Dembele (Glasgow Live), who recently earned promotion to the English Championship from League One with Posh and has been described as “absolutely brilliant” by his manager Darren Ferguson.

The 24-year-old has been offered a new contract to stay with his current employers (Peterborough Today), but he is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal.

The Latest: Kenny urges deal to be completed

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny has urged the Gers to complete the deal, and he believes that Dembele could not turn down a move to Ibrox. The former goalkeeper said:

“It’s a clever move and clever way of doing things, waiting for players to get near the end of their contracts.

“Even if it’s a bit of a gamble, you might even end up getting someone you want on a free, then it’s only costing you wages.

“Peterborough have had an amazing season, getting promoted to the Championship. So I’m sure that if he’s been good enough to play there he could be a success at Rangers.

“If you’ve got the chance to go there, you can’t really turn it down. If it’s a choice between that and Peterborough, I’m afraid to say it’s got to be Rangers.

“As I’ve said before, the manager makes a massive difference too.”

The Verdict: Top talent

Dembele has enjoyed a very good season with Peterborough in 2020/21, scoring 12 goals and providing 12 assists in all competitions (Transfermarkt). Promotion to the Championship means that, if he stays, he will be performing at a higher level next term.

However, as Kenny says, a move to the Gers could be too good to turn down. As the Scottish champions, they will have a chance of playing in the Champions League group stages, something which seems far beyond Peterborough at this moment. If the Gers come calling, it should be an easy decision for Dembele to make.

In other news, this Gers legend is worried about one man’s potential departure.

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has delivered a major update on Aston Villa’s transfer pursuit of Man Utd defender Axel Tuanzebe.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have claimed that the centre-back could be set for a reunion with Dean Smith, having of course played under the Villa boss during their time in the Championship.

And now, Preece has said: “As for Axel. Villa will keep tabs on that. Engels could look to move and that opens up a slot at RCB. Could be one to watch.”

Perfect for Dean Smith

The £7.2m-rated centre-back has earned rave reviews for his displays even during his limited game-time this season, earning special praise from United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after helping to stop PSG and Kylian Mbappe in the Champions League earlier in the year.

He said: “Axel’s a tremendous defender, a great leader. He’s come through the academy and we’ve known for years that he’s going to be a top player for us and he’s got the character and the attitude that a Man United player should have. Sometimes you’ll get in a foot race with Mbappe and you have to run with him and we know Axel’s qualities, he’s a top defender.”

Former Villa man Lee Hendrie has previously delivered his verdict on a potential move for Tuanzebe, suggesting that the ball is really in the defender’s court about whether he would want to battle for his place at Villa Park.

He said: “It’s whether Axel wants to come in and actually fight for a place. The two at the moment (Mings and Konsa), basically they’re picked week in, week out if you look at it. I just think he isn’t going to overtake Mings and Konsa at this current time.”

Given the £50k-a-week earning ace has already played under Smith, he should be able to hit the ground running, especially with his experience of Premier League football at United too.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/aston-villa-dean-smith-transfer-window-premier-league-villa-park-emi-buendia-gregg-evans-gossip-rumours-update-news” title=”Read the latest Aston Villa transfer rumours and news!”]

If there is a deal to be done, then Villa should be all over it in the summer.

Meanwhile, a journo has dropped major Villa’s transfer plans after Buendia…

Speaking on his podcast, via City Xtra, Fabrizio Romano has shared news involving Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan and Barcelona. 

The 30-year-old enjoyed a phenomenal 2020/2021 campaign for the Sky Blues and became a key component of their domestic double-winning season.

Starting 23 Premier League matches and 12 Champions League outings (WhoScored), Gundogan was one of the many City men named in the 2020/2021 PFA Team of the Year.

He also finished the season as City’s top scorer in the Premier League with 13 goals (ESPN), with Romano now sharing a development on his future.

The Italian journalist believes La Liga giants, Barcelona, have made an enquiry for the Germany international.

Even though there is no agreement or anything advanced in terms of talks, they are currently talking to the player’s representatives.

Flocking to this development, it’s safe to say Sky Blues supporters had no shortage of opinions – especially considering the amount of reports linking City players to Barca recently.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

Man City fans flock to Romano claim

“Wooow”

Credit: @slimsuki_

“no wayyyyy”

Credit: @HiVutam

“The transfer window has been open for 15 hours and I’m already done with it. Losing half our squad to Barca, Bernardo’s joining Atleti, we’re missing out on Kane and we still aren’t gonna have an actual left back”

Credit: @NCPaine

“was signing aguero not enough for them”

Credit: @sxhmcfc

“I’m tired”

Credit: @SxrgioSZN

“Pain”

Credit: @YKMCFC

“I swear there are players in other teams”

Credit: @Rbh092

“No”

Credit: @GdpMcfc

In other news: ‘This is crazy’…Man City fans react as Sky Sports reporter shares development, find out more here.

Barry Fry insists that Crystal Palace need to appoint a new manager for a long-term project as they search for a successor to Roy Hodgson.

The ex-England boss has decided to walk away from his role at Selhurst Park.

He departs having repeatedly guided Palace to Premier League safety, and Fry believes that whoever comes into the club to replace him will have to be aware that this is now a long-term project at Selhurst Park.

Frank Lampard has been linked with the job, having been sacked by Chelsea midway through the 2020/21 season, but Fry thinks that their new manager hunt will depend largely on the budgets Steve Parish is willing to hand out to the new appointment.

There is also some doubt over just how many players will need to come into the club, given that so many of them are out of contract this summer.

Per Transfermarkt, 13 players, including Gary Cahill, Jeffrey Schlupp, and Patrick van Aanholt, have deals that are expiring in the next few weeks.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “I’m not sure what Steve Parish wants at Palace now because he’s got a lot of old players, and a lot of them are out of contract, and the new manager will have to make up his mind what he wants to do. It depends what sort of budget Frank Lampard or anybody else will have.

“I think, again, with Palace it’s a long-term appointment, rather than a short-term appointment, because I think there’s a lot of work to be done in and out in the transfer market. When you’re changing as many players as what Palace will have to change, I think it’s a long-term project.

“I’m not sure what the long-term expectations of Palace will be, I’m sure it’ll be to retain their Premier League status.”

Former Reading midfielder Lawrie Sanchez urged Michael Olise to reject interest from Leeds, and other clubs, to stay in the Championship this week

With Olise possessing an £8m release clause in his Royals contract, Sanchez expects teams to pay it, including Leeds.

“I read somewhere there’s an £8m release clause – I’m sure clubs will offer that this year for him I’ve no doubt.

“For me another year at Reading wouldn’t do him any harm – they almost got into the play-offs this year and it helped him develop and another year’s development isn’t a bad thing,” he said.

Described as a “super-talented” midfielder by Reading boss Veljko Paunovic in 2020, the boss iterated a similar trail of thought to Sanchez, suggesting he still needs to develop and continue to learn as a player. He told Four Four Two:

“Michael is super talented. He had a very good game.

“We acknowledge Michael’s talent but he also has to keep learning. He still needs to grow. He still has things that he can implement in the future and be an even better player.

“This is why I encourage him not to get content with what he is right now but to go on and show what he can be.”

Despite his need to improve as a footballer, Leeds fans would be buzzing if Victor Orta is able to secure a deal for Olise this summer. The midfielder is a superb young talent and could add an extra dimension to Leeds’ attacking options in the final third.

He could give Marcelo Bielsa another left-footed attacker to work with, whilst Olise has the versatility to play anywhere across the frontline. That could allow Bielsa to tinker with his formation in-game to exploit teams. This is why Orta must sanction a swoop for the promising prospect.

Olise has played on both wings, as an attacking midfielder, as a striker and as a central midfielder for Reading in the Championship. This shows that the teenager has the quality to fulfil a multitude of roles within a side, an outstanding quality.

it doesn’t restrict him to being a one-trick pony who can only be used – for example – as a right winger. If Leeds suffer an injury in any position across the attack, Bielsa could trust that Olise has the ability to come in and replace them.

The £8m dynamo has also shown that he has the quality in terms of performances to potentially make the step up to the Premier League.

The gem averaged an excellent WhoScored rating of 7.06 for Reading, as he produced seven goals and 12 assists from midfield. This earned him the Championship Young Player of the Year award, which suggests he has the potential to improve further.

Bielsa could enjoy working with the forward on the training pitch to develop his game, something he’s done with a plethora of Leeds players, the best example being Kalvin Phillips. Therefore, fans would be delighted if Orta can get this deal over the line as Olise could be a great player for the future.

AND in other news, Concerning Leeds transfer update emerges on “magic” £24k-p/w gem, Orta will be gutted…

Conor Coady could follow Nuno Espírito Santo to London, should the 47-year-old land the vacant position in the Tottenham Hotspur dugout, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Spurs get set for new season

As Spurs get their ducks in a row ahead of the 2021/22 season, their fans will be seeking clarity over the direction in which the club is heading.

Still managerless after the departure of Jose Mourinho in April [BBC], Nuno now looks to be odds-on favourite to take the reins ahead of pre-season, with talks progressing well [Sky Sports].

If that move comes to pass, could he be set to raid former club Wolverhampton Wanderers for his first acquisition in charge of Tottenham?

The Latest: Coady wanted by Nuno

Nuno is said to want the 28-year-old as a leader for the Spurs defence should he take on the managerial reins in N17 [Football Insider].

Tottenham are set to be in the market for defensive reinforcements this summer, with one or two central defensive incomings potentially being mooted for the Europa Conference League club [Football Insider].

Nuno reportedly wants the Liverpudlian defender to be his “lieutenant” at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, owing to Coady’s leadership qualities and familiarity with the England international.

The Verdict: Coady would be an ideal addition for Tottenham

Sensibility comes to mind with regards to these developments. Prospectively tasked with revitalising a fragmented Tottenham side, Nuno bringing in players who embody reliability would create an ideal environment for footballing progression if he takes charge.

A virtual ever-present in 2020/21, Coady made 40 appearances for Wolves, registering a solitary goal [Transfermarkt].

Illustrating his prowess within the backline, the 6 foot 1 colossus made more clearances in the calendar year than any other player for his current employers; averaging 3.5 per game [WhoScored].

Previously labelled “outstanding” by England manager Gareth Southgate [Rob Dorsett], he would represent the ideal profile of signing for a Spurs team in need of leadership and fresh impetus, and Tottenham should look to finalise a deal for the former Liverpool ace.

In other news, Spurs have opened talks with this Serie A defender.