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Celtic could wrap up a deal for Kawasaki Frontale’s Reo Hatate before the Hoops’ 2022 training camp, according to Kieran Devlin for The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Hatate’s heart set on move…

Hatate, who is currently on just £625 per week, is thought to have his heart set on a move to Celtic Park, with his deal up at the end of January.

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The 24-year-old recently picked up a second consecutive J1 League title but now wants to join Kyogo Furuhashi under Ange Postecoglou, and it appears as if the Hoops want to get a transfer finalised as soon as possible instead of waiting until the end of January.

The Latest: Devlin’s story

Devlin shared a story on The Athletic on Thursday looking at how Hatate could fit in should he seal a move to Scotland.

He admitted there is ‘talk’ that the Hoops may push to get the 24-year-old out of the final weeks of his current contract, meaning he would be able to join their New Year training camp when the Premiership stops for a winter break.

The Verdict: Smart thinking…

Hatate, who has scored 12 goals during his career, could prove to be a crucial member of Postecoglou’s squad due to his versatility, so looking to get a transfer completed before the New Year is a shrewd decision.

Leaving a move until the end of January would only increase the risk of Celtic missing out on the player, so even if Michael Nicholson has to get the chequebook out and pay a small fee, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Hatate can play as a left-back, on the wing or in a central or attacking midfield role, and maybe the Hoops could be about to land another fan favourite from Japan following on from Furuhashi.

In other news: Nicholson ‘plans’ to sell ‘terrific’ Celtic ace in record-breaking £25.5m deal. 

A number of Manchester City fans were unimpressed with Aymeric Laporte in their 2-1 win over West Ham United in the Premier League on Sunday.  

Pep Guardiola made two changes from the 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, with Gabriel Jesus and Laporte coming in for Oleksandr Zinchenko and John Stones.

It was the Spain centre-back who came in for criticism from a section of City supporters. The 27-year-old made his 10th league start of the season but struggled when coming up against Michail Antonio at the Etihad Stadium.

Laporte was booked in the first half after a risky challenge on the Jamaican on the edge of the penalty area and was fortunate that the resulting set-piece came to nothing.

Along with his booking, the Spain international made just one tackle all afternoon, lost the ball on five occasions and recorded zero blocks. [SofaScore]

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Man City fans react

Here is what these City supporters had to say regarding the £40.5m-rated defender, with many not impressed by his performance today and one labelling his defending as ‘heartbreaking’.

“Nahhhhhhh Laporte has to go”

Credit: @MoSakoooo

“sell Laporte man, I’ve seen enough”

Credit: @yuvtbf

“Laporte is a liability against pace and power but Cancelo needs to help him out there against Antonio”

Credit: @manccitehguy

“Laporte is just awful, no offence though”

Credit: @mcfctotti

“Laporte is a shell of his former self”

Credit: @mrmcfc22

“Laporte 1v1 defending is heartbreaking”

Credit: @MrAbbanGH

In other news: ‘No way’ – Many Man City fans erupt as beast Pep called ‘incredible’ linked with exit

Everton will be looking to address their eight-game winless run when they welcome Arsenal to Goodison Park for their Premier League clash this evening.

Rafa Benitez has been coming under increased scrutiny of late due to the Toffees’ poor results and underwhelming performances, with former director of football Marcel Brands already departing the club.

The Merseyside outfit’s recent run has seen them fail to pick up three points since 25 September, scoring just five goals and conceding 17 in that period of time.

Injuries to key players have hindered Everton’s progress on the pitch, but Benitez’s inability to galvanise better displays has become a growing concern.

For the majority of the campaign, the Spaniard has set up in a 4-4-1- 1 formation, something that worked at the beginning due to Abdoulaye Doucoure’s tireless displays and the form of Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend.

However, with Doucoure still getting back to his best following an injury lay-off and the two summer signings struggling to find the back of the net on a regular basis, the time has come for Benitez to change things up.

Moving to a three-man midfield should allow for extra solidity in the Everton engine room, providing a more balanced foundation from which to attack, while also making the side harder to break down.

With Allan and Doucure maintains in Benitez’s starting XI, the 61-year-old must unleash Fabian Delph into the mix as well, providing his charges with the best opportunity to pick up a positive result.

In just his second appearance of the campaign, the £92,000-per-week Delph made an instant impact as a half-time substitute against Wolves, replacing the struggling Jean-Philippe Gbamin.

Speaking on the All Together Now podcast (as relayed by This is Futbol), Dave Vitty lauded the former England international for his second-half showing at Molineux.

“When they came out in the second half, the biggest change – or rather, the biggest lacking in the first half – was just graft and effort,” said Vitty.

“I know that they were light in midfield and Gbamin clearly isn’t fit; I mean, there was a massive hole there. Allan was running around trying to do everything and Wolves were just taking advantage of it.

“But I never thought I’d be so in awe of Delph’s arrival. I mean, it just made a huge difference but suddenly, there was some graft or some effort and they looked a lot better, but it was too little, too late.”

Since then, Delph started in the 0-0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur – the only point Everton have picked up in their last seven outings – before being dropped to the bench once again last time out.

Nevertheless, his underlying numbers highlight his effective displays when given the opportunity to shine, averaging 1.6 tackles and one interception per league game this term, achieving a passing accuracy of 83.3% along the way, as per WhoScored.

It’s clear that Delph, therefore, has the ability to sure things up for Everton, and Benitez must now compromise on his preferred shape in order to include the 32-year-old from the off.

And, in other news…“My understanding is”: Alan Myers drops Everton DoF update that’ll have fans intrigued

Liverpool will allow Nat Phillips to leave in January for a fee of £12million, according to The Liverpool Echo’s Paul Gorst. 

Jurgen Klopp told reporters on Friday that they are not planning to stand in Phillips’ way if the right offer arrived in the New Year.

The Reds had demanded £15million for the centre-back during last summer’s transfer window.

But even though he signed a new four-year deal in August, the club’s price tag has now fallen.

Could injury threaten Phillips move?

Phillips made his first start of the season in Tuesday’s Champions League victory over AC Milan, with Liverpool already through to the Round of 16.

He sustained a fractured cheekbone in the 2-1 win, ruling him out of competitive action for four to five weeks.

However, Phillips can continue to train individually to maintain fitness and Klopp doesn’t expect the injury to scupper any potential move.

Newcastle United and West Ham United are two of the clubs interested in the 24-year-old, This Is Anfield report.

Fan feed Anfield Edition relayed Gorst’s news, and here’s what supporters made of it.

Fans discuss Phillips exit links

“Bargain when you look at other English CBs, will get an England cap if he plays regular and then boom 40mil minimum”

Credit: @jack_w93

“I was thinking about £30m/£40m, haven’t other teams seen him play?”

Credit: @Daddie_Sy

“£12m, what they buying he’s left leg? Come on he’s better than that, single handedly got CL this season.”

Credit: @R3DLFC

“Nahhh £20m at least”

Credit: @jfritz66

“Stepped up multiple times for us in big league games and UCL games,worth much more than a measly £12m”

Credit: @Benslfcworld6x

“Insane”

Credit: @king_louie83

In other news, Paul Gorst also said Liverpool had their eye on this forward.

According to John Wenham of Lilywhite Rose (as shared by Football Insider), Tottenham could agree a new contract with Harry Kane which would see him commit the rest of his career to the club.

The Lowdown: Poor start to the season

Kane’s relationship with Spurs saw a rapid decline over the summer as he asked to leave the club in search of silverware. This came after Manchester City’s public pursuit of the England captain, which saw Tottenham reject two offers for the player, the second of which was for a staggering £125m.

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By his own standards, he has had a poor start to the Premier League campaign, having scored just once in his opening 13 matches. However, it seems recently that the striker is picking up form, netting in Spurs’ last two games against Liverpool and Crystal Palace.

At the age of 28 and with just two-and-half-years left on his current contract, Spurs are keen on agreeing a new deal with Kane, keeping him at the club during his probable prime years.

The Latest: New contract closer

According to club insider John Wenham (via Football Insider), Kane could agree a new contract with Tottenham which would see him spend the rest of his career in north London. Fabrizio Romano recently reported the relationship between the player and his manager Antonio Conte as being ‘more than good’.

Following information from club sources, Wenham spoke to Football Insider, revealing: “Kane has made it very well known that he’s enjoying working with Conte.

“I heard some little snippets from well-placed people that Tottenham are confident of agreeing a new contract with him. That would signal that he is going to spend his whole career at Tottenham.

“If you look at his age and the fact some top strikers are probably going to be available soon, Kane won’t be on the shopping list of the big clubs. I’ve heard some murmurings that Kane is very, very happy with Conte.

“I saw a report from Fabrizio Romano that said the same thing. It seems as though it is building towards a new deal.

“Personally, I think we will agree a new contract with Kane sooner rather than later. His form is really improving on the pitch and he continues to be a big player for us.”

The Verdict: Kane is essential

Despite this season’s dip in form, Kane is an essential part of Conte’s plans. Having secured his status as a club legend by scoring 231 goals in a Lilywhites shirt, it would be ridiculous if Spurs weren’t trying their hardest to come to an agreement on a new deal, especially following their rejection of Man City’s £125m summer bid.

If Tottenham are to challenge for Champions League football, it is imperative that Conte is able to keep Kane at the club. As has been reported, the striker is desperate to win some silverware, so Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici will need to do everything they can to keep their star man happy.

Judging by Wenham’s revelations, the 52-year-old’s appointment as manager appears to have gone some way towards improving Kane’s morale in N17, which may just be the springboard towards him committing his future to the club.

In other news: 52-cap star already has proposal from Tottenham with Paratici in pole to sign him

A number of West Brom fans have been reacting to Valerien Ismael’s comments following the 1-0 defeat to Derby County on Monday.

The Baggies missed the chance to go second with a poor display against Wayne Rooney’s side, with Colin Kazim-Richards scoring the winner shortly after coming on.

He netted after a mix up between Cedric Kipre and Sam Johnstone, with Albion missing a cutting edge in front of goal against The Rams throughout the 90 minutes.

The Baggies registered just five attempts on target from their 19 shots, while they created just one ‘big chance’ in the entire match, per Sofascore.

Ismael said he was ‘really upset’ with his side’s performance, hitting out at his squad’s mentality and lack of quality. The 46-year-old labelled the goal they conceded as ‘embarrassing’ and told his players to take responsibility for their own displays.

The defeat to Derby was West Brom’s final game of 2021, with Ismael hoping he can get the Baggies back to winning ways against Cardiff City on Sunday.

Baggies fans react

Ismael’s strong words had these Baggies supporters fuming, with one labelling the club’s official Twitter post as ‘laughable’.

“Start TGH and Tom Fellows please. This terrible starting XI is getting nowhere.”

Credit: @apmcmanus

“HE KEEPS PICKING THE SAME PLAYERS IN THE SAME FORMATION”

Credit: @dan7heman

“‘We can’t keep saying the same things every week’……… But we can keep doing the same things every week and expect to be saying something different?? What a strange thing to say after what I’ve been watching”

Credit: @MattMarson1

“TGH has been man of match every game he’s played, yet he doesn’t play him. Same tactics, same personnel, same result. 5 goals in 9 games we’ve scored! Shocking”

Credit: @cadders10

“How about saying GOODBYE. You’ve lost the plot mate. Livermore? Hugill? Total waste of space & time”

Credit: @carswell_andrew

“Laughable but not haha shocking performance front to back set pieces now we are no threat whatsoever how’s that happened only plus points for me TGH and Fellows well done boys rest of you do l and take Val with ya stubborn to the end gutted coyb get Sir Roy back now”

Credit: @DavidGo08427803

Some Glasgow Rangers fans have been left flocking to some news on Rangers B player Tony Weston.

As shared by the official Twitter page of Rangers B & Academy, the striker scored Rangers B’s fourth goal in a 6-0 win away at Vale of Leithen in the Scottish Lowland League in their last game of 2021.

Alex Lowry, Robbie Ure (two), Kane Ritchie-Hosler and Cole McKinnon also found themselves on the scoresheet for the young Gers, but it was Weston once more grabbing the attention of the Ibrox faithful.

After a hat-trick last month, the Englishman has been in fine scoring form so far this season, and certainly has promise at just 18 years of age.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst may now be thinking of a loan for Weston to play men’s football and further continue his development, or even bring him into the first-team squad with the view of giving him some game time.

Rangers fans on Weston goal

These Teddy Bears flocked to the news of the goal as it was shared on Twitter, with one Light Blues supporter even going as far as to call it ‘unbelievable’:

“Unbelievable how many goals this lad has. Must be on the cusp on promotion to 1st team squad?”

Credit: @dave_n84

“Shock Tony scores yet again”

Credit: @harricrowe

“Scoring for fun”

Credit: @WillieS38914473

“Boy seems to be a player”

Credit: @legendsofibrox

“Tony scores goals.”

Credit: @JHC17626935

“Can see him getting his call up to the first team very soon”

Credit: @strokecity61

In other news, find out who could now leave RFC in the new year here!

West Ham United are targeting a move for Monaco centre-back Benoit Badiashile this month with David Moyes’ side short on numbers at the back and in need of defensive reinforcements.

What’s the story?

According to Foot Mercato, the Hammers are looking to sign Badiashile and the Frenchman’s representatives have already been contacted.

The £25.2m-rated defender has been subject to interest from numerous Premier League clubs and could be on his way to England over the coming weeks.

West Ham fans will be buzzing

The Irons are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements whilst first-choice duo Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna are sidelined, with the latter out for the foreseeable future after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Thus, the signing of Badiashile would surely be one that goes down well with the London Stadium faithful.

At just 20 years of age, the young defender is certainly a hot prospect, having started eight of Monaco’s 19 league matches this term with the French outfit 7th in Ligue 1.

The centre-back was also an ever-present in Monaco’s Champions League qualifying campaign as well as starting four of their six Europa League group stage games.

Like Zouma, the Frenchman has recently suffered a hamstring injury but returned just before Christmas off the bench in a 2-1 win over Stade Rennais.

Although inexperienced, Badiashile is now in his fourth season as a regular for Monaco’s first team, having made his Ligue 1 debut in a 4-0 home defeat to PSG back in November 2018 as a 17-year-old.

The defender went on to make another 25 first-team appearances in all competitions that season and has made 104 appearances in total since stepping up from the Monaco youth ranks in 2018.

All of that has seen him impress rapidly in French football, winning a mighty 2.1 aerial duels and 1.7 tackles per match this term. Funnily enough, that first statistic ranks exactly the same as Kurt Zouma, a fellow French defender, meaning they could create a mightily impressive partnership at the back.

As for his tackling, he’d be ranked first for centre-backs at West Ham, winning more than every defender besides Arthur Masuaku and Ben Johnson.

As a consequence, he’d surely fit seamlessly into Moyes’ defence in East London.

After a strong start to the campaign, in which they won eight of their first 15 Premier League games, the Hammers’ form has stagnated slightly since both Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma were ruled out.

Since Zouma suffered his injury in early December, the Hammers have lost four games out of seven in all competitions, winning two whilst keeping just one clean sheet.

In other news: West Ham interested in promising forward

Roma goalkeeper and Sheffield United loanee Robin Olsen is set to have his loan deal at Bramall Lane cut short in order to join Aston Villa on loan until the end of the season.

What’s the story?

According to transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Olsen is set to make the move from the Championship up to the Premier League and become Steven Gerrard’s third signing as Aston Villa manager after the exciting captures of Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne.

Romano tweeted: “Robin Olsen from Sheffield [United] to Aston Villa now at final stages, agreement in place. Last details to be resolved.

“AS Roma will cancel loan to Sheffield [United] and then will let Olsen join Aston Villa until the end of the season. Olsen already agreed personal terms with Villa.”

Olsen had spent last season on loan at Premier League outfit Everton, making 11 appearances for the Toffees as their second-choice behind Jordan Pickford.

The Sweden international was signed by former Sheffield United manager Slavisa Jokanovic as a short-term replacement for Aaron Ramsdale who joined Arsenal in the summer and has made 11 appearances in the Championship thus far.

However, it appears as though the 32-year-old will cut his spell in South Yorkshire prematurely and return to the English top-flight with Aston Villa.

Fans will be buzzing

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez’s status as first-choice ‘keeper is under very little scrutiny after another impressive campaign so far for the Villans with five clean sheets in 18 Premier League matches.

However, what Steven Gerrard does lack is a reliable backup should the Argentinian ever be absent from the Englishman’s side.

Jed Steer is currently the West Midlands club’s only other recognised goalkeeper and has only played two Premier League matches since Villa’s promotion in 2019.

With Olsen, Gerrard’s side will be better equipped should any factor that would make Martinez unavailable arise. Moreover, they will have a goalkeeper with plenty of experience, having played in Serie A, the Premier League, the Champions League and the Europa League.

There may be a slight concern regarding the fact that the 32-year-old hasn’t had the most impressive spell at Sheffield United, keeping just one clean sheet in 11 matches.

However, being a loan deal, it is an ideal solution to what is a major problem in Villa’s squad depth and the presence of Olsen will undoubtedly improve Gerrard’s squad.

In other news: Villa have “agreement†for £13k-p/w ace with a “big presenceâ€, Gerrard will be elated

Celtic are closing in on MK Dons midfielder Matt O’Riley, according to reliable reporters Stuart James and Peter Rutzler of The Athletic.

The Lowdown: O’Riley profiled

O’Riley is 21 years of age and is primarily a central midfielder who can also play in defensive and attacking roles.

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He joined the League One side 12 months ago and has made 54 appearances for the club, 30 of which have come this season.

O’Riley has contributed to 12 goals in the third tier and even began the campaign as captain, and it appears as if the former Fulham man is now heading to Scotland to join Ange Postecoglou’s side.

The Latest: £1.5m deal

The Athletic’s James and Rutzler shared a story on Wednesday lunchtime, with the latter describing the midfielder as a ‘standout’ player.

They claimed that Celtic are close to signing O’Riley in a deal worth £1.5m in the next couple of days.

He had been attracting interest from Blackburn Rovers, Swansea City and sides across Europe, but it seems as if Celtic Park will be his next destination.

West Ham youngster Conor Coventry has joined MK Dons on loan this week, perhaps suggesting they are prepared for O’Riley’s departure already.

The Verdict: Hopefully not another McGree

Michael Nicholson and the Celtic board have had a fairly smooth time of things in the January transfer window, with four players already through the door at Parkhead. O’Riley looks set to be the most expensive of 2022 at £1.5m – surpassing the £1.38m fee the club paid for Reo Hatate.

However, the Hoops did suffer a blow in their pursuit of Riley McGree, with a transfer falling through due to personal terms after agreeing on a fee.

Hopefully, that doesn’t happen again with O’Riley. He was without a club for six months during the pandemic, but fast forward 18 months and he’s now on the verge of joining one of the biggest clubs in the United Kingdom, so you’d like to think personal terms won’t be an issue for a player seemingly on the rise.

In other news: ‘Wolves are…’ – Journalist makes big claim with Celtic gem now wanted at Molineux.