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Celtic may be without a manager but transfer preparations at Parkhead are well and truly underway.

What’s the word?

The Hoops have already wrapped up a deal to bring Liam Shaw to Glasgow but two other players who could join are more youngsters from the EFL; Kyle Joseph and Kwadwo Baah.

However, they’re now looking to sign an explosive winger in the shape of Aaron-Salem Boupendza.

That’s according to 90min, who suggest that Celtic are one of a number of teams vying for the winger’s signature.

Boupendza currently plays in Turkey for Hatayspor where he’s been seriously impressive. Arsenal are one of the sides chasing his signature with the Bhoys facing plenty of competition from south of the border.

Southampton, Tottenham, Leicester, West Ham, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Brighton and Wolves are all monitoring his development while Rangers are also an interested party.

Christie upgrade

This will be music to the ears of Hoops supporters; Boupendza should be an upgrade on the much-maligned Ryan Christie.

The Scot has been in shocking form lately, scoring just twice in his last 25 outings for Celtic. For someone who found the net on 20 occasions last term, he has been abject at best.

Christie’s end product has often been left wanting and that has never been more evident than in the 1-0 defeat to Ross County.

He played as a striker next to Odsonne Edouard but spurned four chances, including an opportunity from just a matter of yards out that not only cleared the crossbar, but also the stand behind the goal.

With that in mind, signing someone like Boupendza would undoubtedly help Celtic. He is capable of playing on either flank, as well as through the middle as a central striker.

He has been electrifying for Hatayspor this season, scoring 18 times in just 28 outings. He’s failed to register an assist but with players like David Turnbull and James Forrest in the side, that should be of no concern.

Vital to the 24-year-old’s style of play is his dribbling. When one-on-one with the defender, Boupendza often gets the better of them. He has attempted 109 dribbles this season, completing 69 at a rate of 2.7 per match.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-transfer-news-onuachu-edouard-dembele-turnbull” title=”The latest Celtic news and views!”]

For context, no player at Celtic has recorded more than the 1.6 dribbles amassed by Tom Rogic and Edouard.

Clearly, he could offer something different to the new manager at Paradise. On top of that, he could even be a more potent goal threat than someone like Christie.

As Celtic try to reclaim their dominance of the SPFL, finding more goals will be of utmost importance. Boupendza would offer than in abundance.

AND in other news, Forget Christie: Celtic must unleash rarely-seen 23 y/o next term, he’s “outstanding”…

This season can essentially be classed as a write-off for Wolves. They won’t achieve European football and they’re looking unlikely to secure a top-half finish too.

With that in mind, Jeff Shi better start preparing for next term.

What’s the word?

Wolves are one of a number of sides vying for the signature of Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba this summer.

That’s according to the Express, who began their report this week by stating Manchester United have placed him under their microscope after scouting him.

They suggest that Leicester and Wolves have also scouted the defender on numerous occasions but in recent days, he’s been urged to join Barcelona.

It’s thought that Liverpool also have an interest in Tapsoba, a young defender who could cost a considerable amount. Sport suggests his value is at around €40m (£34.2m), while he currently earns £37k-per-week.

Perfect for Nuno

One of the Old Gold’s biggest problems this season has been their transition between a three-man and four-man backline.

The inconsistency in rhythm it’s caused has plagued the squad and as a result, they’ve struggled this term. Their clean sheet against Leicester last month, for instance, was just their second in the league since October.

Therefore, the addition of a player like Tapsoba could be the missing piece of the jigsaw. Not only is he adept in a back four but he’s also been very capable of playing in a back three. Crucially, he usually plays as the left centre-back, the clear weakness in the Wolves defence with Willy Boly and Conor Coady on the right and in the middle.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-news-on-wolves-from-molineux” title=” Check out the latest news on Wolves from Molineux!”]

Blessed with enormous levels of strength and pace, his ability to recover and batter opponents aside is truly eye-catching. A quick look at the statistics tells you all you need to know.

So far this term, the 22-year-old has won an impressive 2.1 aerial duels per game and produced 1.9 tackles per match. For context, no centre-back at Wolves has won more in the tackle department than Tapsoba has.

He’s a player that’s earned rave reviews and thus, it would be a big surprise if Wolves could lure him away from the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona to Molineux instead.

Germany legend and Leverkusen managing director Rudi Voller once said: “His really big potential makes Edmond Tapsoba a very interesting proposition as a player.”

Their sporting director, Simon Rolfes, added: “Edmond Tapsoba was a regular first choice at Guimaraes at the age of 20 and, in addition to his defensive ability, he’s also dangerous in front of goal.”

Because of his pace, he is able to recover incredibly quickly. Last season, the young centre-back made 13.05 recoveries per 90 minutes. For context, the highest in the Bundesliga was 16.21.

He also made 5.03 counter-pressing recoveries per 90 minutes, something that demonstrates his ability to fit into even the most demanding and intense teams.

The Burkina Faso international is clearly blessed with a lot of talent. Wolves must do as much as they can to secure his signature. He’d surely fit seamlessly into their defence.

AND in other news, Wolves could find another Neto by swooping for “unpredictable” £101k-p/w Mendes client…

It hasn’t all been plain sailing to the top for Steven Gerrard’s side, but Rangers find themselves at the summit of the Scottish Premiership, 23 points clear of Celtic.

If you cast your minds back a couple of weeks ago, you could have been forgiven for thinking Rangers had big plans in the pipeline to match their title ambitions.

Now, admittedly not much has changed in terms of the league table, but if there is one criticism that can be directed at Ross Wilson, it’s the club’s inability to make a high-profile signing.

That happened to be a young 19-year-old by the name of Billy Gilmour. If anyone could lure a player of Gilmour’s potential to the 54-time Scottish champions it was Wilson, who also brought in the likes of Jack Simpson and Scott Wright, and a return to his boyhood club via a short-term loan deal seemed to be on the cards.

Ultimately, Chelsea decided to perform a transfer U-turn after the former Rangers starlet impressed new boss Thomas Tuchel in training.

However, had Wilson pushed harder for his signature, those at the Bridge may have been prepared to budge, as the central midfielder has been absent from three of the past four Premier League squads and has not featured since the 3-1 win over Luton Town in the FA Cup.

When asked about Gilmour upon his arrival, Tuchel said: “I have a good impression of Billy.

“He is a very strategic guy, very, very high level of game understanding.

“Very good in the first contact, very, very clever in positioning.

“We will see if he has the physical level to play at the highest level, we will see that, but he is super quick with his feet and decision-making.

“Very, very good in positioning so for me, we have 21 or 22 field players available, and playing in three competitions there is no need for us to get rid of players.”

Since switching Ibrox for the lofty heights of Stamford Bridge, he has settled rather nicely into English football, having made 17 senior appearances for the first team. It’s a shame the same can’t be said for Bafana-Bafana midfielder Bongani Zungu, who has lacked any real confidence under Gerrard and struggled to fill the boots of Steven Davis this season, playing just 149 minutes of football.

Had they signed Gilmour, it’s hard to suggest he wouldn’t have been an immediate upgrade on Zungu.

Despite his age, in terms of sheer numbers alone, the Scottish U21 international is light years ahead of the 28-year-old. The highly-rated teenager is currently averaging more tackles and interceptions per 90 across all competitions and commits fewer fouls than Zungu, via WhoScored, whilst he also boasts a better passing accuracy too.

It’s evidence of Tuchel’s verdict that the £10k-a-week earning Gilmour is quick both on the ball and in his mind too, and would have offered a sense of control and discipline to the Rangers midfield. The fact Zungu has barely featured this season says everything about just where he ranks in Gerrard’s plans at the moment, and so the Chelsea youngster would surely have fancied his chances of muscling in ahead of him and getting more game-time.

He could, perhaps, have returned to Ibrox on a short-term basis had the Gers conducted their business earlier in the latest transfer window but they may have missed their chance to sign him as it’s unlikely he will be short of suitors in the summer.

Premier League club Leicester City were among the parties previously credited with an interest in the former Rangers kid and could return for him in the near future.

Gilmour’s arrival in the January window would have given Gerrard an added option in the middle of the park, but Chelsea’s late stance means the Gers have missed out on a talented starlet for the rest of the campaign.

AND in other news, Rangers should unleash Cedric Itten against Hamilton Academical…

Ahead of what will be a huge match for Leicester City in their chase for the title, they have been dealt a major injury blow. Brendan Rodgers confirmed that the problem James Justin picked up during their narrow FA Cup win over Brighton is the team’s worst fears.

Speaking to the club’s website, the manager revealed that the 22-year-old has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and will be undergoing surgery.

Since signing for the Foxes in 2019, Justin has been a revelation in the Leicester defence. This season in particular, the versatile right-back has been a stalwart for Rodgers, playing every single minute of Premier League football so far. In that time, he contributed nine clean sheets, two goals and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

But this is now Justin’s season over. Steve Howey spoke with Football FanCast about the impact of his injury and how it will affect Leicester moving into their clash with Liverpool this afternoon.

“It’s a huge blow,” the former Foxes man said. “I think when you’ve got a player that you can rely on week in, week out, not only to play every minute, but to play every minute with the high quality that he gives Leicester then of course he’s going to be a big miss.”

Justin’s ability to play on either flank as well as in midfield has made him an indispensable cog in Rodgers’ well-oiled Leicester machine. According to Transfermarkt, the youngster has played just five Premier League games in his natural position at right-back. For the other 18 matches, Justin has played at left-back, left and right midfield and even centrally.

The boss has no choice but to rely on Ricardo Pereira, with Timothy Castagne still also sidelined due to injury. With an ACL injury, Justin will be out for a number of months and Leicester must work out how to cope without him.

In other news, Exclusive: Carlton Palmer waxes lyrical about Leicester’s transfer policy…

According to reliable source and transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, via Man City Xtra, the Sky Blues and Pep Guardiola are planning to sign ‘interesting’ and ‘young’ players in the summer – resulting in many Manchester City supporters heralding this update as they are wowed by his claim.

City are currently in a rich vein of form, having won their last 11 matches in all competitions, thanks to undroppable stars Ilkay Gundogan, Joao Cancelo, Phil Foden, John Stones and transformative summer signing Ruben Dias, among others.

Romano, sharing an update with supporters, claims the Sky Blues are now planning for next year after manager Guardiola seemingly ruled out any January acquisitions (The Independent).

The Italian journalist says City will be targeting ‘interesting’ and ‘young’ players – and who these names could be has been left open to interpretation.

Flocking to his claim, many supporters are still excited over what could lie ahead, and you can find all of their best verdicts down below.

Man City fans wowed by Romano claim

“FABRIZIOOO”

Credit: @bdeanMCFC

“Oh boy, already excited but scared too! I hope we dont target players that are not heard of in terms of young talent.”

Credit: @AdilSha41002424

“Fabrizio Romano does it again”

Credit: @MCFCPH

“WE’RE GOING TO WIN IT ALL”

Credit: @KZN22_

“Music to my ears..@ErlingHaaland you’re coming home”

Credit: @kelvin_Obika

“WE MOVEEEEE”

Credit: @onemilli19

“I’m tingling”

Credit: @DominicMurphy97

In other news: Plenty of Sky Blues also swooned over this potentially ‘great news’, find out more here. 

Southampton lost pace in the race for the top four spots in the Premier League as they were beaten 2-0 by Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday night.

The Saints rarely looked like scoring against Brendan Rodgers’ side as they missed Danny Ings up front, but it was perhaps the performance of Kyle Walker-Peters that will have disappointed Ralph Hasenhuttl the most.

The right-back has been superb for the South Coast club since joining on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur during the summer, averaging a solid 7.03 rating for his performances in the Premier League.

For his performance at Leicester, however, the 23-year-old would earn a disappointing 6.44 rating, which was his third-worst rating of the season so far, emphasising that he was nowhere near his best against the Foxes.

During the 90 minutes, the former Spurs man won just eight of his 15 duels, resulting in an overall success rate of just 53%. This is a sharp decline from his last appearance in the 1-0 win against Liverpool, where he won 11/16 duels.

During the game against Leicester, Walker-Peters struggled from a defensive point of view too, as he made no clearances, no interceptions and just one tackle, compared to the seven clearances, one interception and six tackles he made against Liverpool.

It was also a sloppy performance when you consider the defender’s passing against the Foxes, as he gave away possession on 25 occasions, compared to the 12 times he lost the ball against Liverpool.

The Englishman also completed just 31/46 of his attempted passes, resulting in a less than impressive success rate of 67%, which is some way below his season average of 80.7%, emphasising that this was simply not the defender’s night.

To compile his misery, Walker-Peters’ direct opponent winger, Harvey Barnes, would pick up an 8.05 rating for his display, his best rating in any league game this season, as he got the better of the Saints full-back throughout the game before sealing the three points with a late goal.

It is clear that the Saints defender was nowhere near his best against Leicester on Saturday night, which will surely frustrate Hasenhuttl, as it was a huge opportunity for his side to move back into the top-four spots with a win. Hopefully for Walker-Peters and Southampton, this was just a blip on an otherwise impressive season.

And, in other news… 20 touches, 8 passes: Southampton ace badly let Ralph down with an absent display

Steve Bruce has confirmed Martin Dubravka will make his return from injury in Newcastle United’s FA Cup tie with Arsenal, but will be without Jamal Lewis and Ryan Fraser at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

The Toon are chasing only their second win over the Gunners since 2010 after losing 14 of their past 17 meetings with the north London side, who boast an imperious FA Cup record having scored in 31 of their last 32 fixtures in the competition.

Mikel Arteta’s side, who won the oldest national football tournament last season, have also found the back of the net exactly two times in each of their last five FA Cup ties and rediscovered their form this term, highlighting the scale of the task Bruce and his defenders face this weekend.

So, with a trip to an Arsenal side who have won their last three fixtures coming on Saturday night, here’s a predicted line-up Bruce could favour in search of an end to Newcastle’s six-game winless streak…

Dubravka is yet to play a single minute of football this season after sustaining a heel injury in pre-season, but Bruce has confirmed the Slovakia international will replace Karl Darlow between the sticks in north London.

Lewis will not take to the pitch at the Emirates Stadium after he and Fraser were ruled out through injury, but Jamaal Lascelles is in contention for his first outing since November after recovering from coronavirus.

Ciaran Clark has started Newcastle’s last nine fixtures across all competitions and will expect to see his run continue on Saturday beside Fabian Schar and DeAndre Yedlin, after Federico Fernandez proved the weakest link in central defence against Leicester City last time out.

Sean and Matty Longstaff endured a troublesome afternoon in the engine room at home to Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes and would count themselves lucky to start alongside one another at Arsenal, where Bruce will have Isaac Hayden available again.

Hayden missed the Leicester clash through suspension after receiving his fifth yellow card of the campaign against Liverpool, and will likely start at the Emirates next to Joelinton after the Brazilian did well on the left-wing in defending from the front last weekend.

Miguel Almiron also worked hard to help defensively against Leicester but the £42,000-per-week Paraguayan offered little with one off-target shot, no key passes or successful tackles to his name, per WhoScored, and will likely be replaced by Jacob Murphy in north London.

Bruce may consider handing Callum Wilson a rest at Arsenal with the 28-year-old playing 1,358 minutes across all competitions this term, but would face questions over whether Dwight Gayle or Andy Carroll can lead the line on Saturday night.

AND in other news, Steve Bruce has no alternative but to perform a U-turn and tie a £4.5m-rated Newcastle star down with a new deal now…

Marcelo Bielsa has written himself in the history books at Leeds and he needed just one year to do it. The Whites fans have waited an agonising 16 years to return to their rightful place in the Premier League and managers have come and gone trying to force the comeback. Bielsa got the job done with ease.

Last season saw Leeds top the Championship table with an impressive ten point margin over runners up West Brom. After winning an impressive 28 of their 46 games played and losing just nine, the Whites made their grand return to England’s top flight.

Despite their slump in form recently, they started their first season back in the Premier League with huge guts. Their opening match may have been a loss, but they put reigning champions Liverpool to the sword with a 4-3 scoreline. The Reds were able to scrape through, but Leeds didn’t hesitate in showing their strength in attack.

Carlton Palmer spoke to Football FanCast about Bielsa and his clever tactics at Elland Road.

“That’s not a shock that he’s come to the English league and is doing well,” the ex-Leeds man said. “His reputation precedes him. He’s a very good manager and a very good coach.

“And you know what you’ve got to remember when you’re a manager or coach – you can only be a good manager and a good coach if you have the tools to do your job.”

Indeed, Leeds aren’t squeaky clean when it comes to their squad. There’s a lot of kinks that need ironing out before Bielsa can fully re-establish his side as Premier League giants. But with the Argentinian at the hilt, there’s no doubt that the January transfer window will be an interesting one for the Whites.

In other news, Leif Davis could make huge statement with performance against Nicolas Pepe…

Football has established its fanbases over years of play. The international language of the sport means that it has been adopted as a favourite past time by those around the world. For what is ostensibly a game of kicking a ball around, the sport is revered. Could eSports follow in football’s footsteps and discover how to be taken more seriously by those in the mainstream?

eSports as an Olympic Event

Men’s football has been a part of the modern Summer Olympics games since its inception (barring 1896 and 1932). Women’s football was even added in Atlanta in 1996, which helped the branch of the sport gain further legitimacy at a time when women’s football was seen as dramatically different than men’s. The inclusion in the world’s biggest and most revered sporting competition shows that football has credibility. But could eSports also be added to the Olympics?

Some eSports fanatics argue that the Olympics – in the US at least – loses viewership year on year. In fact, the Olympics is more about the hosting city than about the sport. eSports fans suggest that with the addition of professional gaming, younger audiences may be attracted to watching the Olympics. The idea stands up – Twitch, which helps host gaming streams has millions of viewers, most of whom are interested in professional competitive gaming.

Betting on eSports

eSports is doing well by following football in one aspect, however. While online sites offer many opportunities for sports betting – from football to tennis, hockey to basketball – there is also the opportunity to bet on eSports. Being offered as a form of betting has helped older audiences begin to take eSports seriously. The addition of money helps give eSports more credibility.

In terms of betting on eSports, it does follow the same principles as football. Players can be analysed based on past performance. There are coaches and sponsors, as well as tournaments that allow fans to follow teams and players. There is a thriving social community online. If eSports applies this same attitude to other aspects to be more like football, it could be seen as a more legitimate sport.

eSports Needs a FIFA

Back in 2017, it was reported that eSports would be a medal event at the 2022 Asian Games. The sport/gaming industry has been more readily adopted in the east. Not only is Japan the spiritual home of video games, but China promotes their technology sector, which encompasses eSports. However, proponents of the industry were puzzled, despite the bluster, to discover that in the 2019 event announcement there was no mention of eSports.

It was suggested that the lack of a single international federation meant that eSports couldn’t be officially accepted. Football has FIFA, for instance. Gaining this international body and having some consensus could help see eSports be taken seriously.

Football is in a league of its own. eSports, which many dub the football of the future, could potentially carve a niche for itself. But while football is a simple game with a set of rules and an appeal that many are attracted to, eSports is viewed as being more niche. There are dozens of different eSports titles, for instance. There are also financial barriers to becoming a player. But by following in the footsteps of football, eSports could eventually become a legitimate alternative to physical sports.

Phil Parkinson has confirmed Sunderland forward Benjamin Kimpioka is expected to miss four months through a hamstring injury with surgery planned for next week, per the Sunderland Echo.

The 20-year-old has started the season in sublime fashion with six goals for the Black Cats’ Under 23s, leading to his nomination for the Premier League 2 Player of the Month Award for October.

Kimpioka’s brace helped secure Sunderland their first U23s league win of the season in a 4-0 triumph over rivals Newcastle United, before another double in a 5-3 win over Fulham.

Sunderland’s U23s lead coach Elliott Dickman failed to see Kimpioka turn the ball home against Aston Villa, though the talented youngster provided an assist in the 2-0 victory before needing replacing through injury.

Initial assessments suggested the blow would deny Kimpioka any further involvement before the New Year, but further tests have revealed the need for surgery, ruling the academy product out deeper into 2021.

“Benji is going to have an operation on his hamstring next week,” Parkinson said. “Unfortunately, the specialist feels that it needs surgery.

“It’s a real shame for him because he had been playing well and had got goals in the U23s. As you can imagine, he’s pretty down about it, but we’ve just got to make sure he gets the best possible treatment so that he can come back ready to go again in three to four months.”

The blow will deny Kimpioka the chance of featuring in Tuesday night’s Papa John’s Trophy clash with Fleetwood Town, having been in line for his 15th first-team appearance and first of the current campaign.

“He would certainly have figured,” Parkinson added. “That was in our mind, to give him an opportunity. He’s done really well in the U23s, I watched the game against Aston Villa last week and he showed a good understanding of his role.”

Kimpioka’s form came after the talented Sweden U21 international penned a new one-year deal at the Stadium of Light, with an option of a further 12-months, after his previous terms expired in the summer.

Parkinson had hoped to see the 20-year-old kick on with the transfer sage now in the past, having urged the Black Cats product to put his undivided attention into his football.

“He’s got to start showing that he can be a player,” said Parkinson, via quotes by The Northern Echo. “Maybe the people advising him haven’t quite been giving him the right advice, but he’s a decent lad so let’s see if he can start running about and putting the ball in the back of the net.

“I said to him yesterday, there’s been a lot of talk about him – too much, in my view. I want Benji to let his football do the talking now. If he can push his way into the first-team picture, then great. If not, we’ll look to loan him out and do what we did with Jack Diamond last year, where he got that first-team exposure elsewhere.”

Kimpioka had certainly done enough to earn a look into the first-team, but that chance has now faded away through an injury he and Parkinson will hope does not put a dent in his development.

The major blow will come as a marginal bit of relief for veteran forwards Will Grigg and Danny Graham, though, knowing they have less competition for places after slack starts to the season.

AND in other news, Sunderland botched the chase of an “aggressive” £1.5m gem now winning nine duels a game.