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Journalist Mark Guidi believes Celtic are likely already discussing a three-to-four year contract behind the scenes with manager Ange Postecoglou.

The lowdown: Deal expiring

As things stand Postecoglou is under contract with the Hoops until the end of June having joined on a rolling 12-month deal last year.

Recent speculation has suggested that clubs could be making admiring glances towards the 56-year-old following a stellar start to life in Glasgow.

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However, the Bhoys may already be making plans to secure Postecoglou’s future in the Celtic Park hot seat…

The latest: Guidi makes on-air claim

Speaking live on Go Radio, as relayed by Vital Celtic, Guidi had this to say on the boss’s future:

“I’m sure that Celtic will be sitting down with his representatives and in the near future, if that hasn’t taken place already. I think they’ll want to be ahead of the game. Those initial talks should have taken place already.

“If we go back to the way they dealt with Brendan Rodgers after year one, they very quickly got him one bumper contract which gave him a big wage rise but also protected Celtic in terms of his transfer value, which eventually got them 7-8 million when went to Leicester.

“So it works both ways. They might offer a three or four-year contract rather than a one year rolling. So I don’t see him doing anything other than what he’s doing for the next 15 months or so.

“After that? You never know. I think it would send out a great message at some point at the end of the season.”

The verdict: Huge boost

Securing the long term future of Postecoglou before the end of the season would be a massive statement of intent from the club.

Whilst there would appear to be no immediate signs of unrest, having the peace of mind that the man who has led a superb transformation since arriving at Parkhead would be in situ for the foreseeable future would be a big positive for players and supporters alike.

Furthermore, having worked wonders in the transfer market so far, the club should be backing Postecoglou to the hilt in the summer and a three-year deal would give potential targets the security that the club is in safe hands.

In other news, Celtic eyeing summer move for Bundesliga starlet. Find out more here.

Liverpool have been linked with an audacious move for France and Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe this summer.

The Lowdown: Mbappe on the move?

The 23-year-old is undoubtedly one of the world’s best players at the moment, continuing to wreak havoc for PSG and registering 36 goal contributions (22 goals and 14 assists) in 29 Ligue 1 starts this season.

Mbappe’s future continues to be one of football’s biggest talking points, with a summer move to Real Madrid widely mooted while his contract ticks down towards its expiry in the summer.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for the Frenchman in the past and now a surprise rumour has emerged.

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The Latest: Liverpool back in the hunt

According to Get French Football News on Twitter, the Reds now look like possible front-runners to sign Mbappe this summer:

“His new suitor is likely to be Liverpool.”

PSG and France midfielder Jérôme Rothen has apparently been given new information that a different club has entered the race and may have a ‘new factor’, with Liverpool named as the mystery club due to the player’s personal appreciation for Jurgen Klopp.

The Verdict: Only if Salah leaves?

While the idea of seeing Mbappe in a Liverpool shirt is beyond mouthwatering, it is almost impossible to see a move happening this summer – unless one thing happens.

The wages that he would demand would surely be deemed too astronomical by FSG, while the the current options at Klopp’s disposal are already great.

The only way a move could seem possible is if Mohamed Salah leaves the club, perhaps to PSG, with Mbappe heading the other way. FSG would surely be more willing to pay the big wages Salah wants to a much younger player called ‘the best player in European football’ and ‘unstoppable’ by Carlo Ancelotti.

In other news, a journalist has dropped a key Liverpool contract claim. Read more here.

Sunderland could be about to land a huge injury lift over full-back Dennis Cirkin…

What’s the latest?

Black Cats boss Alex Neil has provided an update on the young defender and has not ruled him out of facing Morecambe in the final match of the regular League One season at the weekend.

He told The Chronicle: “Dennis, we’re hopeful won’t be out for too long and we’ll find out in the next couple of days whether he has a chance or not.”

Supporters will be buzzing

The supporters will surely be buzzing with this news as having Cirkin back and available would be a big boost to Alex Neil’s team.

Sunderland’s clash with Morecambe is a monumental match at both ends of the League One table and having as many key players fit as possible will help the Black Cats in their bid to land a play-off place. A win for Neil’s side will confirm their spot in the top six but it will not be an easy afternoon for the club as they come up against a team fighting to avoid relegation – with their opponents currently sitting two points above the drop.

This illustrates how big of a game this is for both sides and why fans will be delighted to see Cirkin back in action on Saturday. He has been a crucial member of the squad throughout the campaign in his first season of senior football and has shown that he can be a reliable League One defender.

The full-back has started 31 matches for the club in the division this term and averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.77. Cirkin has made 2.9 tackles and interceptions per match and won 59% of his duels, which shows that he has been a fine defender for the Black Cats by regularly winning the ball back and coming out on top in the majority of his individual battles.

He could improve his output in the final third, though, as he has only created 0.7 chances per game in League One and has registered two assists in total. However, his all-round performances and work on the defensive side of the game make up for his lack of attacking quality and this is why fans will be keen for him to make his injury return against Morecambe on Saturday, with a view to playing in the play-offs.

AND in other news, Speakman howler: SAFC may now be on the verge of repeating brutal Hugill disasterclass…

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Matt Targett to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by 90min, who claim that sources have revealed Victor Orta is hoping to hijack Newcastle United’s £15m signing of the Aston Villa loanee this summer, by launching an offensive of his own for the 26-year-old left-back.

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The report goes on to state that both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City are also keen on the former England U21 international, however, Targett’s preferred destination is thought to be St. James’ Park.

Orta must move

Considering how impressive Targett has been following his January switch to Newcastle, coupled with Junior Firpo’s struggles on the left of the Leeds’ backline following his own £13m move to Elland Road last summer, it is not difficult to see why Orta would be keen on a deal for the Aston Villa defender at the end of the season.

Indeed, over his 12 Premier League appearances for the Magpies, the £15.3m-rated full-back has been in fantastic form for Eddie Howe’s side, making an average of 2.3 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 2.3 clearances and 0.2 blocks per game.

The £35k-per-week defender has also impressed in a creative capacity, making an average of 1.3 key passes, 1.6 crosses and 1.8 long balls per fixture, in addition to completing 0.6 dribbles and taking 0.5 shots per outing.

These returns have seen the player who Aaron Stokes dubbed a “tremendous” signing and James Hendicott labelled a “beast” average a WhoScored match rating of 6.99, ranking him as Newcastle’s fifth-best player in the top flight.

Meanwhile, over Firpo’s 19 league fixtures for the Whites, the £10.8m-rated left-back has been rather less impressive, averaging an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.59, ranking him as Jesse Marsch’s seventh-worst performer in the division.

As such, it is clear to see that the signing of Targett would be a huge upgrade on the 25-year-old Dominican Republic international, leading us to believe that Orta must do all he can to land the former England youth international this summer.

However, with Newcastle also appearing extremely keen on making the defender’s temporary stay at St. James’ Park a permanent move at the end of the current campaign, the Spanish sporting director certainly has a battle on his hands for the Aston Villa sensation.

AND in other news: Forget Rodrigo: “Pathetic” Leeds dud who lost ball every 2 touches failed Marsch again

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of reported Liverpool transfer target Aurelien Tchouameni.

What’s the word?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist and transfer insider revealed that, following his own claim that Liverpool will be required to pay a far higher amount than AS Monaco’s €45m (£38.5m) asking price for the defensive midfielder last summer should they wish to sign him at the end of the current campaign, the 22-year-old’s price is now set at €70m (£60m).

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In his tweet, Romano said: “Two goals tonight, top quality again and pure leadership even if he’s 22. Aurelien Tchouameni will be one of the best [opportunities] on the market. What a talent. AS Monaco won’t accept less than €70m for Tchouameni this summer.”

Liverpool must move

Considering just how impressive Tchouameni has been in France this season, it is easy to see why Jurgen Klopp would be interested in a deal to bring the 22-year-old to Anfield this summer.

Indeed, over his 33 Ligue 1 appearances this term, the £42.5m-rated defensive midfielder has been Philippe Clement’s standout performer, averaging 2.9 interceptions, 2.5 tackles and 51.3 passes and winning 7.7 duels (at a success rate of 64%) per game.

The £19k-per-week France international has also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring three goals, registering one assist and creating four big chances for his team-mates, along with taking 1.5 shots, making 0.5 key passes and completing 1.1 dribbles per match.

These returns have seen the youngster average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.33, not only ranking him as Monaco’s best performer in the French top -flight but also as the fourth-best midfielder and the eighth-best player overall in the entire division.

Furthermore, according to FBRef, Tchouameni also ranks in the top 2% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for interceptions per 90 minutes, in addition to the top 14% for tackles, the top 12% for ariel duels won, the top 16% for passes attempted, the top 16% for progressive passes and the top 10% for shots over the last 365 days.

These metrics see FBRef compare the 22-year-old stylistically to the likes of Liverpool’s Thiago Alcantara, Arsenal’s Thomas Partey and Real Madrid’s Casemiro – demonstrating the calibre of player that the AS Monaco starlet is already considered to be amongst.

As such, it is clear to see that Tchouameni would be a signing Klopp would love to get over the line, and considering his undoubted ability and potential for further growth, Liverpool’s owners simply must stump up the £60m in order to seal a deal for the Frenchman this summer.

AND in other news: LFC now set to launch bid for “faultless” £25m ace, he’d be an “unbelievable” signing

A worrying Rangers transfer claim has emerged ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Dean Jones has suggested that several Gers players could be looking for a way out of Glasgow at the end of the season.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think for younger players in that Rangers squad, this is going to be extremely exciting.

“For the more experienced ones, a lot of them are at a key point in their career when they are still going to have to consider a transfer this summer.”

Van Bronckhorst will be deflated

Light Blues head coach Gio van Bronckhorst will surely be deflated by the prospect of a number of his first-team stalwarts wanting to leave in the summer.

In spite of Celtic securing the Premiership title earlier this week, Rangers are on a high and have the chance to end the campaign with two trophies to show for their efforts. They play Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final next week before facing Hearts in the Scottish Cup final later in the month.

It is an exciting time to play for, support or manage the Gers with these huge matches to come in the next few weeks, but that excitement and joy (if they win) will soon fade if several key players start to head for the exit door.

Jones believes that some of the more experienced heads may want to move on at this point in their careers, and leaving after a major European final would be the ideal send-off from their perspective. However, Van Bronckhorst will still be frustrated at the thought of losing the likes of Connor Goldson and Ryan Kent.

The former is out of contract in the summer and it remains to be seen whether or not he will want to extend his terms, whilst the latter has been linked with a host of Premier League clubs.

Both players have averaged SofaScore ratings of 7.06 or higher in the Premiership this season and have been putting in consistently brilliant displays throughout the campaign. This illustrates how important they have been for the Light Blues, as they have been mainstays in the team.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst will be feeling deflated at the thought of both of them leaving the club in the summer, as they would leave huge holes for Ross Wilson to fill if they depart.

AND in other news, Wilson heading for big Rangers disaster on “ridiculous” £6.4k-p/w tank, GvB needs him…

A big update has emerged on Rangers and Ross Wilson’s plans for the summer transfer window at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

Alan Nixon has claimed, on his Patreon page, that the Gers are plotting a bid to sign winger Dapo Afolayan as a potential replacement for Ryan Kent.

The report claims that Bolton may not be able to turn down a good offer as the player has one year left on his contract. He is currently said to be valued at a fee in the region of £1.5m, although it remains to be seen how much the Glasgow giants are willing to pay for his services.

Gio van Bronckhorst needs him badly

Wilson must ensure that he can get a deal over the line for the Englishman as the Rangers head coach is in dire need of reinforcements out wide.

Bolton commentator Derek Clark dubbed him a “master” of the dark arts and claimed that his “mentality is top-notch”. This suggests that he will be able to adapt to playing for a club the size of Rangers as he has the right mindset and attitude to make it at the top level.

He has also shown that he has quality on the pitch with the ball at his feet. In League One this season, the 24-year-old racked up 12 goals and four assists from out wide, showing that he was able to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

Whilst four assists does not make it look like he was a creative force for Bolton, his underlying statistics show that his teammates let him down. Afolayan averaged 1.6 key passes per game and created eight ‘big chances’ in total as his fellow forwards failed to make the most of the opportunities he created.

Meanwhile, Rangers’ top-scoring midfielder in the Premiership with Joe Aribo with eight goals and no player managed more than 12 in the entire squad. This shows that van Bronckhorst is in need of players who can score consistently and Afolayan has shown that he can do it in League One.

If he can carry over that form into the Scottish top-flight then he will be exactly what the head coach needs, whilst also adding creativity with his chance creation from out wide on the left. This is why Wilson must now work hard to bring the English attacker to Ibrox ahead of next season, whether Kent leaves or not.

AND in other news, GVB can unearth Rangers’ dream Steven Davis heir in “desperate” 20yo who’s “terrific”…

Manchester City defeated Aston Villa 3-2 to finally be crowned Premier League champions in a thrilling encounter at The Etihad Stadium today. Ilkay Gundogan grabbed the headlines with two goals that made sure City were victorious, but it was “monster” midfielder Rodri who stole the show and was key to them winning the title.

A player that’s often overlooked, the Spaniard has been pivotal for City this season and is the natural successor to the outgoing Fernandinho.

The 25-year-old moved to Manchester back in 2019 for £62.8m joining from Atletico Madrid as a relatively unknown player. However, like many others, he has been moulded into a world-class superstar by manager Pep Guardiola.

With City 2-0 down at the break his aggression one on one and ability to recover the ball ensured that City had enough time to score the goals they needed to. He also got himself on the scoresheet netting the equaliser.

When you look at his statistics in more depth his incredible work rate is proven. He won over half of his duels and made nine ball recoveries in the game.

As well as working hard at recovering possession for the Citizens he also had the composure to find a man when he had the ball with an overall pass accuracy percentage of 92%.

Rodri also made one key pass and had the fourth most touches out of anyone on the whole pitch.

He was given a score of 7.6 by SofaScore which was perhaps harsh given how much his performance meant to the victory and therefore City’s season. He’s made 32 appearances in the Premier League this season and despite playing a deep role has managed to score six times and get two assists.

He is one of the most important players at the club and his quality is appreciated by the fanbase but needs to be appreciated more by those outside the club.

The win means that City don’t end the season trophyless and retain the title for the first time since 2019 and secure their 4th title in five years.

They will head into next season full of confidence that they can do it all over again but will face yet another massive challenge from Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool.

IN other news: Huge blow: Big behind the scenes Man City claim emerges, it’s bad news for supporters…

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Ivan Perisic.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that the versatile Inter Milan midfielder has now been approached by three clubs, including Antonio Conte’s Tottenham, concerning a move in the summer transfer window.

However, the transfer insider also went on to relay the comments of Simone Inzaghi regarding the 33-year-old’s future, in which the Nerazzurri manager revealed he will be initiating talks with the Croatia international concerning a new deal at the San Siro.

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In his tweet, Romano said: “Inter manager Inzaghi: ‘I want Ivan Perisic to stay here. There will be a new meeting with his agents and I hope an agreement will be reached soon’. Meeting will take place next week. Perisic has been approached by three clubs, including Tottenham, but no decision yet.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Perisic has been at left wing-back for Inter this season, in addition to the fact that Conte enjoyed a great deal of success with the 33-year-old during his time in charge of the Nerazzurri, it is easy to see why the 52-year-old would be keen on a deal to bring the Croat to north London this summer.

Indeed, according to FBref, the £9m-rated talent ranks in the top 2% of full-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90 minutes, as well as the top 3% for non-penalty xG, the top 3% for shots, the top 15% for assists, the top 1% for xA, the top 1% for npxG + xA and the top 5% for shot-creating actions over the last 365 days.

Furthermore, the £125k-per-week flanker also ranks in the top 38% for progressive passes, the top 13% for progressive carries, the top 1% for touches in the opposition penalty area, the top 4% for progressive passes received, the top 44% for tackles and the top 18% for aerial duels won over the past year.

These returns see the 113-cap international compared to some of the leading full-backs currently playing the game, such as Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso, Inter’s Denzel Dumfries, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Filip Kostic, AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez and Atletico Madrid’s Yannick Carrasco.

As such, it is clear to see that Perisic would be a huge coup for Spurs this summer, especially on a free transfer, something which leads us to believe Romano’s update that Fabio Paratici is in talks with the 33-year-old regarding a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is sure to have left supporters buzzing.

AND in other news: Spurs now “tracking” £17m “incredible” talent, he’d be “one of the leaders” for Conte

Tottenham Hotspur are set to receive a huge boost ahead of the upcoming transfer window after Harry Kane has reportedly decided that he wants to remain at the club, according to football.london journalist Alasdair Gold.

The Lowdown: Kane’s Spurs journey

The 28-year-old has been with the Lilywhites for the majority of his career, having worked his way up through the ranks from the youth academy after completing various loan spells with the likes of Norwich and Leicester during the early stages of his Spurs development.

Since then, the forward has gone on to be arguably the most important member of Antonio Conte’s current starting XI, with a staggering 307 goal contributions in just 386 senior appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Last summer, the 69-cap England international was heavily linked with a move away from N17 following reported interest from Premier League rivals Manchester City, meaning that his future has been a topic of speculation ever since. However, a reassuring update has emerged on that front for Tottenham fans.

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The Latest: Decision made

In a fresh article by Gold for football.london, it is claimed that Kane has ‘made a decision’ regarding his future in the capital and ‘isn’t planning to leave’ Tottenham anytime soon.

The report added that the England captain is ‘excited’ by what the imminent years hold in N17, a belief which has ‘likely’ been fuelled by Spurs successfully securing Champions League football for next season.

The Verdict: Prolific partnership with Son

With the £90m-rated talisman looking set to stay at Tottenham, this will come as a great start to the summer transfer window for Conte, who is reportedly planning a significant squad overhaul throughout the next three months.

Kane, who was once dubbed an “animal” by Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness, has had yet another prolific season in front of goal, having found the net 27 times in all competitions for Spurs, with 17 of those coming in the Premier League.

His on-field relationship with strike partner Son Heung-min, with the duo having broken the Premier League record for the most goals scored by a particular combination of players, just goes to show how much their attacking prowess has helped Spurs to achieve that all-important top-four finish.

After all the uncertainty of last summer, it will be massively comforting to hear that Kane intends to stay put at Tottenham for another while.

In other news… a Sky Sports reporter has made this ‘surprise’ claim over some fresh Spurs player news