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Alan Nixon has dropped a big update regarding Celtic’s bid to bring Riley McGree to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, The Sun journalist revealed that, despite previous reports suggesting that Celtic were closing in on a deal to sign the Charlotte FC midfielder, Middlesbrough are also very much in the running for the 23-year-old this month, with Chris Wilder’s side believed to be pushing very hard to tie up a £2m deal for the Australia international.

In his tweet, Nixon said: “Boro want him. Been trying to agree [a] fee. Celtic joined in at weekend. £2m gets him. Boro trying hard.”

Fans will be sweating

When taking into account just how eager Ange Postecoglou appears to be in trying to get a deal over the line for McGree this winter, in addition to the fact that Celtic could very much use further additions in the middle of the park ahead of the restart of the Premiership season, the news that Middlesbrough are also pushing very hard to get a deal done for the midfielder this month is sure to have left the Parkhead faithful sweating.

Indeed, the Daily Record recently reported that the 56-year-old manager personally involved himself in the negotiations with the 23-year-old, in what now looks to be an attempt to convince the £540k-rated man of a switch to Glasgow rather than making a move to a club south of the border.

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Furthermore, with the likes of James McCarthy, Ismaila Soro, Dane Murray, Liam Shaw and even Celtic veteran Nir Bitton all struggling for regular game time under the management of the Greek-Australian coach so far this season, it is clear to see that the Bhoys boss does not particularly believe that the club’s strength in depth in the middle of the park is up to the standard required for a title charge in the current campaign.

As such, the news that Middlesbrough appear to very much be an option for McGree this January is sure to have come as a major blow to both Postecoglou and his Celtic side, as the signing of a midfielder who the 56-year-old clearly has a great deal of faith in would certainly make a very welcome addition at Parkhead ahead of the restart of the Premiership season later this month.

In other news: Imagine him & Maeda: Celtic must swoop for 54-goal dynamo who can “sprint like Mbappe”

As per London World, Tottenham managerAntonio Conte has been trying to emulate one thing that Gareth Southgate did at Euro 2020 with England at Hotspur Way.

The Lowdown: Conte makes his mark…

From banning ketchup and mayonnaise at N17 to introducing extra training sessions (London World), the Italian serial winner had always been tipped to establish his order right from the off.

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Serie A experts claimed at the very start of his reign that Conte would be set for ruthless decisions, a distinct change in Tottenham’s philosophy and the introduction of high-intensity football (football.london).

However, in a more holistic approach, London World has now explained what he is emulating at Tottenham in a similar mould to Southgate’s England side at Euro 2020.

The Latest: Conte attempts Southgate trick…

As per London World, Conte has been ‘trying to create an open-door environment at Hotspur Way’ in a ‘similar’ approach employed by Southgate in the summer.

The 52-year-old, as a result, is candid with who deserves to play and who doesn’t – with there even being talk of Steven Bergwijn potentially being used as a makeshift centre-forward.

Conte has also issued one demand to his squad – that every player fights for their minutes in the starting XI.

The Verdict: Interesting approach…

If Conte can replicate an England side which won the hearts of a nation with their impressive run to the Euro 2020 final earlier this year at Tottenham, we believe this could come as an exciting claim.

Much has been made of the former Chelsea boss’ no-nonsense man-management tactics and ruthless demands behind the scenes, but an open approach could be what some Spurs players need to get them firing.

The likes of Dele Alli haven’t lived up to their skillset but Conte’s tactic of creating an ‘open door’ environment could motivate them to push and reignite their careers.

It remains unknown what impact this will have on the squad but it will certainly be interesting to see.

In other news: Tottenham in contact over signing ‘phenomenal’ star as club chiefs spotted in London, find out more here.

A number of Manchester United supporters have been reacting positively to another rumour claiming Anthony Martial could leave the club.

The Frenchman has had a curious United career in many ways, enjoying some success but never quite matching the expectations many had when he arrived in 2015.

Martial has scored 79 goals in 268 appearances for the Red Devils but he has found himself increasingly out of favour at Old Trafford.

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Only two Premier League starts have come his way this season, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Edinson Cavani all seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via Sport Witness and utdreport on Twitter], Martial will now do all he can to leave United in the January transfer window, assuming he is not in Ralf Rangnick’s plans.

Man United fans like Martial rumour

These United fans reacted to the news on Twitter, seeing it as a positive update due to the Frenchman’s lack of form recently…

“Please go”

Credit: @BigGruntz

“Thank God he wants to leave”

Credit: @_joromie

“Where does he want driving?”

Credit: @33georgejohnson

“On your bike then”

Credit: @alexkevans1992

“Who’s gonna miss a lazy striker???”

Credit: @Fabianhdw1

“He should have performed when he was given the chances…”

Credit: @lit08

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on one rumoured United target. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace are unlikely to make a move for out-of-favour Manchester United forward Anthony Martial, according to journalist Tom Barclay.

The Lowdown: Martial struggling for minutes

The Frenchman has struggled to force his way into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans at Old Trafford this season, making just two Premier League starts prior to the Norwegian’s departure from the club this morning.

The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani and Jadon Sancho all appear to be ahead of Martial in the pecking order, so he could leave the Manchester club soon.

Palace have been linked with a move for the 25-year-old, who has scored 94 goals in his career during spells with Monaco and United.

The Latest: Barclay plays down Palace move for Martial

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Barclay played down the idea of Martial heading to Crystal Palace, admitting that the Eagles likely couldn’t afford his wages.

The journalist said: “Would he even want to go to Crystal Palace? He’s obviously out of favour at United, and they probably are looking to let him go, but I would be pretty shocked.

“He would either have to take a massive pay cut or Palace would have to go down a massively different route.”

The Verdict: Highly unlikely

Martial is a talented footballer who has had good times at United – his record of 79 goals in 266 appearances is not to be dismissed – but as Barclay says, it is hard to see a move to Palace ever materialising.

The France international earns an eye-watering £250,000 per week at Old Trafford, which is almost double that of Palace’s highest-earning player Wilfried Zaha (£130,000). Also, Martial’s current United deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2024, so Patrick Vieira couldn’t even snap up his compatriot on the cheap.

Besides, it’s not as if the Eagles have been stuck for goals this season either – Christian Benteke, Wilfried Zaha, Conor Gallagher and Odsonne Edouard have already netted 15 times between them in the Premier League alone – so Martial isn’t a player that Palace desperately need.

In other news, some Palace fans criticised one player’s performance against Burnley. Find out who it is here.

For Leeds United, the prospect of losing Kalvin Phillips either on a permanent basis or temporarily through injury or suspension has long been a daunting one.

The England international has firmly established himself as the key figure in the heart of the Whites’ engine room, consistently breaking up opposition attacks before kickstarting some of his own.

In 2020/21, Phillips missed nine Premier League fixtures for his boyhood club. In those games, Leeds picked up a meagre total of six points from a possible 27, losing on seven occasions.

His absence at the base of the midfield was all too obvious for their grateful opponents, and planning for his potential departure or inevitable short-term absence became a priority.

However, due to the financial restraints of the ongoing pandemic, Marcelo Bielsa was unable to add significant reinforcement to his first team squad over the summer, leaving Leeds exposed in the middle of the pitch yet again.

With Phillips needing some extra time off following his impressive exploits for England in Euro 2020, the £36m-rated gem played no part in their curtain-raising fixture against fierce rivals Manchester United, a game that Leeds lost 5-1.

However, it appears as though Bielsa’s prayers have been answered. Adam Forshaw made his long-awaited return to action against Crewe Alexandra in the second round of the Carabao Cup back in August and has gone from strength to strength ever since.

The 30-year-old only played a handful of games in 2019/20 before missing the entirety of last season due to injury, but he has seamlessly slotted back into Bielsa’s side in recent weeks.

Forshaw came off the bench twice in the Premier League after his cup outings, starting in the draw with Leicester City, defeat against Tottenham Hotspur and the weekend’s stalemate with Brighton.

Before the 0-0 draw with the Seagulls, former Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford lauded the tough-tackling dynamo and said that his return to the first-team squad is like having ‘a brand new player’.

Speaking on Sky Sports ahead of the tricky encounter at the Amex Stadium, Beckford said: “He’s been like a brand new player. So much energy, so much hunger. But I like that when Adam came in it was like there was nothing to worry about, nothing was missing.

“His passing ability, his movement, he breaks up play really well, he links up the game really well. Brilliant, brilliant football player.”

The £20k-per-week maestro didn’t disappoint with his display on the south coast. As per SofaScore, he was awarded a match rating of 7.6 out of 10, with only goalkeeper Ilan Meslier receiving a higher total amongst his teammates.

Forshaw was dominant throughout the 90 minutes at Brighton, winning 10 of his 14 duels and making a whopping seven tackles, while losing possession just seven times, highlighting his effective performance.

Therefore, the player who was described as “class” by former Whites striker Noel Whelan and previously praised by Bielsa could be the solution to the Argentine’s midfield conundrum in the weeks and potentially years to come.

In other news… Big boost: Leeds receive lift over “important” £36m-rated gem, Bielsa will be buzzing

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left slamming the display of Alfredo Morelos despite their 2-0 win in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night.

It was overall a very good performance from the team to get three points on the board at Ibrox, with Leon Balogun and Kemar Roofe the scorers in the first half.

Morelos was unlucky to hit the post for one of his chances, but was again pretty wasteful overall, not being able to score from four of his shots on goal, as his 100th goal for the Light Blues still escapes him.

The Colombia international was also guilty of losing possession of the ball on no fewer than on 13 separate occasions in total in the game, the fourth-most out of his teammates (Sofascore).

Rangers fans on Morelos display

These supporters slammed his performance on Twitter, with one Ger even going as far as to claim that the striker was ‘horrendous’:

“Morelos? Really! Not for me….poor performance again”

Credit: @willstorrie

“Massive result, & bar a couple of defensive howlers, thoroughly deserved, more like it at times. Big Aribo unplayable at times, sensational, but Alfredo Morelos folks, absolutely horrendous. The only thing for him now is the bench I’m afraid. Imperative that Balogun is fit.”

Credit: @cozy1872

“Alfredo Morelos poor show tonight”

Credit: @michellemacrae2

“Morelos poor again, we can’t really justify starting him on Sunday.”

Credit: @Rangers_View

“Morelos having a nightmare”

Credit: @Rf1195401550

“Morelos, Roofe and Hagi have been less than satisfactory!”

Credit: @penfoldcommando

In other news, find out whose first-half display had Gers stunned here!

Celtic announced on Tuesday afternoon that right-back Anthony Ralston has signed a new contract at Parkhead.

The Lowdown: Ralston under Postecoglou

The 22-year-old has been Celtic’s best-rated performer this season in the Scottish Premiership, with an incredible average match rating of 7.92/10. [WhoScored]

He’s taken the chance handed to him by Ange Postecoglou with both hands, missing just two games and scoring four goals in all competitions.

The Scot’s previous contract was set to expire at the end of the season, however, he has now committed his future at Parkhead following his impressive displays.

The Latest: Ralston’s new deal; Sir Rod buzzing

Celtic officially revealed that Ralston has signed a new deal through to 2025, labelling it as ‘brilliant news’ on Twitter.

The Hoops also posted the news on Instagram, with Sir Rod Stewart one of hundreds of Celtic supporters to share their positive reactions to the update.

The Verdict: Well deserved

Ralston has cemented his place as Postecoglou’s first-choice right-back this season, despite the Hoops spending £2.7m on Josip Juranovic.

Juranovic has filled in at left-back recently with Greg Taylor out, so Celtic’s right-hand side looks well-stocked for the future following Ralston’s new deal.

As mentioned, he’s been the club’s best-rated performer in the league, with no other Hoops player making more blocks per game than Ralston.

Over 51% of his 41 Celtic career appearances have come this season, and hopefully, he’ll continue to be a regular over the next four years.

In other news: ‘Brilliant’ 25 y/o ‘leader’ drops Celtic transfer hint; he was recently in the Parkhead stands. 

Former Everton star Michael Ball has drooled over midfielder Abdoualye Doucoure, insisting that he has “everything”.

The French star has enjoyed a fine start to the campaign under the management of Rafael Benitez.

Doucoure has played in every Premier League game this term and has scored twice, while registering a total of four assists.

The former Watford star was also key for the Toffees last season, making 29 appearances in the top-flight.

Ball believes that he has developed into the club’s most important player and has pointed to the fact that they struggled to win games when he was not in the team last season.

Indeed, between March and May, Doucoure missed eight games through injury and Everton only won two of them; prior to that, they had won three in a row, including a 2-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield.

Ball said: “He was our key player last year. If Doucoure was missing, we struggled. He’s got everything you want from a midfielder. He’s got energy, he likes closing down, he likes cutting up the play.”

Doucoure has been with Everton since 2020 having been brought in by director of football Marcel Brands, and is valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt; his contract expires in 2023.

West Ham remain interested in Sam Johnstone, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Irons were originally linked with a move for the West Brom goalkeeper during the summer transfer window, when Football Insider claimed that the 28-year-old was a firm target for David Moyes and he was “very keen” to join the east Londoners.

With his contract set to expire in the summer, the Scotsman could well plot to sign him once again.

“WBA and England goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is targeted by Tottenham. Southampton and West Ham are the other interested teams with the young keeper,” claimed verified Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur.

He added: “Johnstone will be free to negotiate with those clubs in January. His West Bromwich contract will expire at the end of this season.”

Bye-bye Fabianski?

The Hammers brought in Alphonse Areola on loan from Paris Saint-Germain instead of signing the England international, so this renewed interest could mean one of two things.

Either Moyes is not convinced by the 6 foot 5 loanee or he wants to replace the likes of Lukasz Fabianski, Darren Randolph and Dave Martin, all of whom are the wrong side of 30.

The latter scenario seems more likely and a goalkeeping department of Areola and Johnstone would be very competitive and something you’d expect from a Premier League side vying for a European spot.

West Ham’s new head of recruitment Rob Newman could seal a bargain in the Baggies shot-stopper, especially if he secures him for nothing.

Despite being relegated last season, Johnstone made Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2020, though that should come as little surprise as he was one of the more impressive options between the sticks. No goalkeeper made more saves (161) than the 6 foot 4 glovesman in the 2020/21 Premier League, as per FBRef.

Former Villa boss Steve Bruce lauded him as a “diamond” for his work ethic on the training pitch. “He’s a diamond – first in, last out. He’s a typical goalkeeper who wants to learn,” the 60-year-old said, via BirminghamLive.

The £7.2m-rated star is only thought to be earning around £32.5k-per-week at The Hawthorns, which further suggests that it would be an absolute steal to secure him, especially ahead of Spurs and the Saints.

Newman and co must look to replace Fabianski with Johnstone in 2022.

AND in other news, Signed for £18m, now worth 81% less: GSB endured nightmare with “special” West Ham dud…

Jesse Lingard remains a priority for West Ham manager David Moyes ahead of the January transfer window, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Football Insider claim that the Irons will ‘maintain dialogue’ over a potential move after failing to secure him during the summer following his successful loan spell at the London Stadium.

Talks are set to continue behind the scenes with the 28-year-old’s representatives but there are several hurdles to overcome, including Manchester United’s £30m asking price and convincing the player to move down south permanently.

The Old Trafford outfit recently tried to increase Lingard’s value by offering him an extension to his £100k-per-week contract but that was rejected due to concerns over his playing time this season.

Bring him back!

Lingard should hardly be surprised by his lack of game time at Old Trafford this season, with the likes of summer signing Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes ahead of him in the pecking order, and now there’s the small matter of Cristiano Ronaldo, too.

After providing nine goals and five assists to rank as Moyes’ second-best player in 2020/21, he should’ve snatched at a potential return to east London and continued his cult hero status amongst the fanbase as a first-choice regular – something which would bolster his claims to make England’s squad for the World Cup in 2022.

Of course, as evident above, the chances of that happening aren’t completely dead in the water, even despite the arrival of attacking midfielder Nikola Vlasic in this transfer window.

Both Moyes and his assistant Stuart Pearce were very keen to see Lingard back at the club this summer, publicly expressing their interest on numerous occasions, so if the club’s new recruitment team can seal him in January, then you’d imagine that the pair will very much be delighted.

After their final day win over Southampton in May, the 58-year-old Scot told reporters, via the Evening Standard: “I hope Jesse’s here, we’d like to keep him, he’s done an exceptional job for us but there’s no guarantees, he’s not our player.”

This was then reiterated by Pearce during an interview on talkSPORT just a week before deadline day.

“We would like him to come and join us. That has been an open secret. He was wonderful last year,” the Hammers assistant boss said, before later adding: “He’s a special lad and was very good around the players – the players really like him.”

The £19.8m-rated dynamo certainly seems to still be a key target for Moyes, so it’s now on the club to deliver at the turn of the year when the transfer window reopens for business.

Many around the London Stadium would love to see Lingard back in the claret and blue.

AND in other news, Moyes could fix alarming West Ham problem by unleashing 19 y/o gem who’s “on fire”…