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Celtic will likely be working hard on sealing a new contract for Ange Postecoglou imminently, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Ange working wonders

The Australian took charge at Parkhead last summer and has enjoyed an incredible start to life at the club, proving to be a hugely influential figure.

The 56-year-old won both the Premiership and Scottish League Cup in his maiden campaign in Scotland, quickly winning over many Celtic fans in the process as the Hoops put the misery of 2020/21 firmly behind them.

Worryingly, his one-year deal expires on Tuesday, so a new contract needs to be sorted almost immediately.

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The Latest: New deal imminent?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke claimed that the Celtic hierarchy will already be hard at work behind the scenes to ensure that Postecoglou does not leave any time soon. The journalist stated:

“Celtic are hoping to build on this season and hopefully have Postecoglou around for quite a few years, so I’m sure talks will be ongoing right now to secure the Australian on a long-term contract and reward him for the success he’s had so far.”

The Verdict: Simply has to happen

Frankly, the thought of Postecoglou suddenly leaving Celtic doesn’t even bear thinking about, considering the massive success he has already enjoyed in Glasgow.

It would be a huge surprise if that were to happen, though, and it is surely just a case of the manager and the club agreeing terms on a deal in the coming days, especially with the 56-year-old recently speaking glowingly about his time in Scotland so far.

Postecoglou seems happy at Parkhead and has Champions League football coming his way next season – the hope is that this is just the start for him at Celtic.

In other news, Celtic are eyeing up a move for a Championship player. Find out who it is here.

West Ham United are reportedly hoping to secure a reunion with Jesse Lingard this summer, with the player destined to leave Manchester United in the coming months.

What’s the word?

As per Sky Sports News presenter Tom White, “West Ham have made initial enquiries” into bringing the versatile midfielder back to the London Stadium in the upcoming transfer window, with the 29-year-old set to be available on a free once his existing deal expires in June.

Having spent the second half of the 2020/21 season on loan in east London, the Red Devils academy graduate had been linked with a £25m permanent move to the Hammers last summer. Instead, he ultimately spent the entire campaign back at Old Trafford, where he was restricted to a bit-part role.

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A loan move to Newcastle United also fell through in January towards the end of the month, with a host of clubs now set to reinvigorate their interest to try and capture the 32-cap international for nothing.

Supporters will be delighted

That news will no doubt be music to the ears of Irons supporters and David Moyes, with the £18m-rated maestro having been a revelation during his previous stint at the club, rejuvenating his career after falling out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford.

In a stunning six-month spell at the London Stadium, Lingard netted nine goals and registered five assists in just 16 appearances for Moyes’ team, helping the club to secure Europa League qualification after narrowly missing out on the top four.

That blistering form saw the Warrington native with 165 Premier League appearances return to the England setup under Gareth Southgate, albeit that he was omitted from the Euro 2020 squad, with it expected that he would be able to kick on in the 2021/22 campaign.

However, his decision to remain at the Theatre of Dreams rather than push for an exit last summer has not gone to plan, as the £80k-per-week playmaker has started just two league games all season, having failed to earn a starting berth despite some notable cameos in the early months of the campaign.

One such outing saw the 29-year-old come off the bench to haunt the Irons, netting a stunning curled effort late on to secure a 2-1 victory for the Red Devils last September.

That strike was simply a marker of his undoubted quality, and it was bizarre to see him not being afforded a chance to prove his worth at Man United over the last few months, despite their dismal form.

It is easy to forget that this is a player who has scored at a World Cup and netted in three Wembley triumphs for his current club, with the Red Devils potentially more to blame for his current woes than he is himself.

Should GSB be able to secure a deal this summer, it would no doubt represent a major coup, with West Ham supporters set to be hoping that he can recapture the stunning performances that he showed at the London Stadium last year.

IN other news, Cost £1.5m per goal: GSB made a colossal blunder on “strong” £40k-p/w West Ham flop

A teasing Rangers transfer claim has emerged ahead of the summer transfer window at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

Gers midfielder Aaron Ramsey has confirmed that talks will take place later this month to determine what he will be doing next season.

He is currently on loan to the Ibrox giants and has two more games left to play – in the Europa League and Scottish Cup finals – before that loan spell comes to an end.

As quoted by Rangers Review, when asked about a permanent move to Glasgow, Ramsey said: “That’s to be decided at the end of the season, there is no update on that yet.

“I’m just looking forward to the final few weeks here and hopefully making it a very memorable experience for me.

“I’m sure there will be conversations to be had after the season is finished but right now I’m just focused on trying to win these two competitions with Rangers.”

Gio van Bronckhorst will love it

The Gers head coach will surely love this tease from Ramsey, as the prospect of signing him permanently is an exciting one for the Dutch head coach.

Upon the Welshsman’s arrival at Ibrox in January, sporting director Ross Wilson outlined why it was an excellent signing for the club, saying: “This is a really exciting signing for both Rangers and Aaron. As soon as I was made aware of the opportunity we had to bring Aaron to Rangers around a week ago, we have worked really hard to secure his signature.

“Not only is Aaron a world-class player who will play a key role in our team, his level of ability and professional standards will be an inspiration to our existing players.”

When fit, the 31-year-old has showcased his quality in the Premiership in recent months as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.93. The Welshman provided two goals and one assist in seven league outings as he showed glimpses of the attacking threat that he can offer from out wide and in the middle of the park.

Ramsey would also be a hugely important member of the squad at Ibrox next season if the club win the Europa League this Wednesday.

They would automatically qualify for the Champions League with victory in Seville, and the ex-Arsenal man has plenty of experience in that competition, playing in it for both the Gunners and Juventus throughout his career as he has racked up 57 appearances in Europe’s premier club tournament.

Ramsey’s knowledge of the Champions League and the quality he has shown in the Premiership are two reasons why Van Bronckhorst will be excited and delighted by the prospect of bringing him back for a second spell at Rangers next season.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst must finally unleash “powerful” 19 y/o Rangers gem who “took his chance” in 2022…

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has made a claim regarding the future of experienced Liverpool midfielder James Milner. 

The lowdown: Seven-year service

The 36-year-old joined the Reds as a free agent and has since made 285 appearances for the club – making Liverpool Milner’s most represented club during an illustrious career spanning permanent spells at Leeds United, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Manchester City prior to arriving on Merseyside.

Out of contract at the end of this season (Transfermarkt), the former England regular faces an uncertain future at Anfield as things stand.

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However, according to one journalist, Jurgen Klopp will be desperate to see the influential midfielder stick around…

The latest: ‘Future manager’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke has claimed that the Reds’ boss is keen to keep Milner beyond the end of the 2021/22 season.

The journalist explained why when asked whether Klopp wanted the 61-cap ex-Three Lions ace to stay: “Yes 100%. He’s such a great servant to the club. Jurgen Klopp is a huge admirer of James Milner as well, not just because of what he does on the pitch but also off the pitch.

“He can probably see James Milner as being a future manager because of the way he is. I think a lot of people have said that because he’s just so absorbed with football and he’s always been available for Liverpool whenever needed.”

The verdict: Continuity is key

As Liverpool prepare for the next cycle under Klopp with the likes of Harvey Elliott, Luis Diaz and the incoming Fabio Carvalho at the forefront, Milner’s growing off-field influence could be crucial in overseeing a successful transition at the AXA Training Centre and beyond.

A stalwart of 586 Premier League appearances – fourth in the all-time list – few can offer the insight, knowledge and experience of the top-level football like the Leeds-born star and keeping someone with the ability to pass on information to emerging youngsters cannot be underestimated.

Albeit a diminished role on the field this season, the man labelled as ‘remarkable’ by Gary Lineker following a 3-0 victory over Leicester City in 2020 has still managed 35 appearances across all competitions for Klopp’s side.

That continued role in the German’s plans and an ever-developing father figure type position that as seen Milner keep a close eye on the academy outfits should be enough for the club to make a renewal offer.

In other news, French newspaper cites Liverpool interest in ‘unstoppable’ speedster. Read more here.

A Leeds United source has dropped a further worrying update regarding Stuart Dallas’ serious injury, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Femoral fracture

The Northern Irishman, who has started 121 of Leeds’ last 122 league games, became the latest Whites star to suffer a major injury this season.

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The 31-year-old was involved in a heavy collision with Manchester City’s Jack Grealish last weekend and had to be stretched off shortly before half-time.

Leeds have since confirmed the worst, with Dallas suffering a femoral fracture and facing a lengthy period on the sidelines. The versatile full-back has already undergone surgery on the problem, but it looks as if it could be even worse going off a recent update.

The Latest: Leeds source

FI shared a story regarding Dallas on Friday morning after being informed by a Leeds source.

They were told by the Elland Road source that Dallas’ injury is worse than first feared and that he could be out for 12 months, describing it as a ‘devastating’ blow.

The Verdict: Nightmare

Should FI’s reveal prove accurate, then Dallas looks likely to be unavailable for most of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge.

That would be horrible news, with Dallas regularly the go-to man to provide cover in a number of different areas. Dallas has also been the club’s third-best Premier League performer this season behind Raphinha and Liam Cooper, as per WhoScored, turning out at left-back, right-back and in midfield.

He has established himself as a Leeds legend with his displays over the last three seasons, and hopefully, he’ll have a setback-free recovery and return sooner than this latest timeframe has suggested.

In other news: Leeds officials sent abroad as Radz plots move for 56-goal attacker. 

Manchester United are “one of the best placed clubs” to secure the services of Benfica’s 22-year-old sensation Darwin Nunez.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Portuguese outlet Record, via Sport Witness, who highlighted United in the competitive chase for the Uruguayan’s signature.

The report states that the Old Trafford club are not only “attentive” but are actually “one of the best placed clubs” to land the striker over the next few months.

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There is uncertainty in the United front-line going into next season, with the likes of Edinson Cavani and Marcus Rashford touted as forwards who could depart in the upcoming transfer window.

As such, it is reported that Nunezis “one of the targets” for the Red Devils.

Imagine Nunez and CR7

The signing of a young striker who has registered four assists in 40 appearances for Benfica this season would be one of the biggest statements of intent that Erik Ten Hag and Ralf Rangnick can make.

Nunez on his own would bolster the United attack, but with Cristiano Ronaldo looking as though he will honour his contract at the club, the partnership between the two could be terrifying for the rest of the Premier League.

Whilst Ten Hag mainly deploys a 4-3-3 formation for Ajax, Nunez could make the centre-forward role his own. The likes of Ronaldo could play off the left-wing as an inside-forward, with Rangnick feeling that the role of centre-forward is not his best position despite the Portuguese icon being United’s top scorer this season with 18 goals in the Premier League and 24 in all competitions.

What makes Nunez so well-suited to United at this current moment is his clinical nature in putting the ball in the net.

The 22-year-old, who has been described as a “diamond”, has averaged just 2.35 shots per 90 this season, almost 1.5 fewer than Ronaldo in the Premier League.

The 37-year-old’s creativity often goes unnoticed due to his success rate in front of goal, but with a match average of 2.99 shot-creating actions per 90, the Portugal veteran offers a burst of expression from which Nunez, a goal-poaching centre-forward, can thrive.

Whether United acquire their €100m-valued (£83m) target ahead of next season remains to be seen, but the potential partnership between Nunez and Ronaldo is surely enough to whet the appetite of the Old Trafford faithful.

In other news: Ten Hag plotting £29.8m bid for “unbelievable” 26-year-old; he’s better than Wan-Bissaka 

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United side fell to a disappointing defeat on Saturday afternoon, with Liverpool running out 1-0 winners at St James’ Park.

The Magpies had some of their own chances, but if it were not for Martin Dubravka’s highly impressive display between the sticks, the scoreline may well have made much worse reading, with the 33-year-old making a whopping nine saves throughout the match.

However, despite the result, it was not only the Slovakia international who turned in an impressive display for Newcastle against the Reds, with Matt Targett being “on point again” – in the words of Jamie Carragher – against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Targett impressed for Newcastle

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the 26-year-old was imperious in a defensive capacity, making three clearances, one interception and six tackles, blocking one shot and winning eight of his 12 duels – a success rate of 67%.

While the £35k-per-week talent did not offer much going forwards – a story which was consistent throughout the majority of the Magpies side – he still had 62 touches of the ball (the second-most for Newcastle) while also completing 21 passes and two long balls.

These returns saw the £15.3m-rated left-back earn an impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.2, ranking him as Howe’s joint second-best performer on the day behind Dubravka. The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder also awarded the defender an eight in his own player ratings, in addition to stating: “A solid display with half a dozen successful tackles. Did well.”

Indeed, from this performance, it is easy to see why the 44-year-old Magpies boss is reportedly eager to make Targett’s temporary stay at St James’ Park a permanent one this summer, as the former England under-21 international has already proven himself to be a key part of Howe’s first-team squad since his January arrival.

AND in other news – Forget Almiron: “Sloppy” 18-touch Newcastle passenger failed Howe against Liverpool

After watching on as he limped off in Saturday’s 3-0 defeat against Coventry, Birmingham City boss Chris Davies has confirmed the extent of Ethan Laird’s injury.

David admits "frustration" after Sheffield Wednesday draw

It’s not been a good week for Birmingham, who were pushed aside by Frank Lampard’s Coventry side at the weekend and then forced to rescue a point in the 99th-minute against Sheffield Wednesday last night. The Blues were expected to defeat the Owls, whose struggles away from the pitch have created an impossible scenario for the players on it, but found themselves frustrated once again.

Davies couldn’t hide his frustration in his post-match reaction, but did admit that there is some “relief” among the Birmingham squad after they salvaged a late point.

He told reporters: “We stabilised at half time and regrouped, we came out well again and on the front foot, having moments and chances. We couldn’t take them and then they go in front from a set piece, out of nothing, and a goal.

“What it leads to is a very difficult situation, at home, 2-1 down in a game that we really feel we should be winning. That’s a test of character, that’s a test of mental strength, and the players did it. It could be one of the biggest points of our season, and one of the biggest moments of our season.

“From our point of view there’s very mixed feelings in the dressing room. There’s a sense of relief, or happiness that we got the goal, but there’s an underlying frustration because we know that we let that game turn into a game that was possibly going to get away from us.”

The manager also had more bad news to share regarding the extent of Laird’s injury, who has added to the Blues’ woes.

Birmingham games that Ethan Laird will now miss

Revealing the extent of Laird’s injury, Davies said: “Ethan is unfortunately an injury that will take him some time, a few months, which is a real blow. A real blow to him and us. He’s had it assessed and looked at, and unfortunately it was as bad as we feared it would be. We won’t see him for a few months.”

Based on the manager’s verdict, Laird is likely to miss at least three months of action and will be absent for a number of games as a result. The right-back had featured in all seven of his side’s Championship games prior to his injury – starting four times – but could now be forced to sit out for the next 16 in a monumental blow.

Rooney's "dreadful" Birmingham loan flop is now playing like a £65m star

This Birmingham City loan flop has kicked on since exiting St. Andrew’s.

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That run could include games against the likes of Southampton, Sheffield United and will most certainly include Wrexham this weekend. Sat one point adrift of the playoff places, it’s an injury blow that Birmingham could do without.

Chelsea are prepared to make another move for a “fantastic” BlueCo target after already seeing an offer rejected, according to a new report.

Chelsea enjoy big spending summer but still lack in key areas

Last summer, Enzo Maresca’s side marked themselves out as the Premier League’s second-biggest spenders behind champions Liverpool — splashing north of £280 million on new recruits.

Chelsea balanced out this major squad investment by agreeing a plethora of player sales over the course of the window, so much so that they actually a registered a negative net spend and made a small profit.

Liverpool

£415,000,000

£187,000,000

£228,000,000

Chelsea

£285,000,000

£288,000,000

-£3,000,000

Arsenal

£255,000,000

£9,000,000

£246,000,000

Newcastle

£250,000,000

£152,000,000

£98,000,000

Man Utd

£216,000,000

£68,000,000

£148,000,000

Nottm Forest

£205,000,000

£107,000,000

£98,000,000

Tottenham

£181,000,000

£36,000,000

£145,000,000

Sunderland

£162,000,000

£44,000,000

£118,000,000

Man City

£152,000,000

£53,000,000

£99,000,000

West Ham

£124,000,000

£55,000,000

£69,000,000

via BBC

From a purely business perspective, the summer was an undoubted success, and Maresca watched the likes of teenage sensation Estevao – who just scored a winner against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge – Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho all come in to bolster his attacking options.

However, bar the signing of young defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax, Chelsea finished the window short of new options for their backline.

After Levi Colwill’s ACL injury, which is expected to keep him out for most of 2025/2026, Maresca was clear that he wanted another centre-back and publicly urged the club to sign one before deadline day on September 1.

This wasn’t to be, leaving the west Londoners pretty short of quality in a key area, while Chelsea’s attempts to sign another goalkeeper also faltered.

Maresca is believed to be unhappy with his current Chelsea squad (Simon Phillips), but reports suggest that they’re set to try and back the Italian with a proven defender in January (Pete O’Rourke).

Meanwhile, given Delap will take a while to get back up to speed once he returns from injury, Chelsea are also looking at new striker options for the winter market — who’d come in for a cheap fee, on loan or are possibly already owned by BlueCo (Simon Phillips).

Chelsea could even choose to bring in another winger, specifically Juventus sensation Kenan Yildiz.

Chelsea to make second Kenan Yildz approach after rejected £61m offer

Fabrizio Romano has already confirmed that Chelsea are “very interested” in Yildiz, and now a report from Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport has shed more light on the situation.

According to their information, Chelsea had a £61m million bid rejected for the Turkey international rejected last summer, but Maresca’s side aren’t resigned to giving up on his signing just yet.

It is believed that Chelsea will make a second approach for Yildiz, with the Old Lady running into some delay regarding his new contract and the Stamford Bridge side sensing an opportunity to take him from Turin.

The 20-year-old was Juve’s star forward last season, racking up 12 goals and nine assists in all competitions, totalling 21 contributions, and he averaged the highest Serie A match rating out of all of his teammates with more than 15 starts (WhoScored).

He’s started this campaign in equally imperious fashion, averaging more shots and key passes per 90 than any other Juve player in the top flight (WhoScored), but Romano says that the Premier League isn’t that tempting for him right now amid renewal talks.

Rangers are believed to be interested in completing the signing of a “very interesting” attacking player in the summer transfer window.

Martin desperate to keep key players

Russell Martin is looking to nail his summer transfer business at Ibrox, having been confirmed as the Gers’ new manager last week, following a lengthy search for the right choice.

The Englishman will no doubt be eyeing new signings, but for now, he is equally focused on retaining the services of key current players.

“We have to try and keep our best players. I think we’re all really aligned with that. So unless things come in that really help the club to build and move forward, I don’t think it’s a necessity to do that [sell] at all. That’s my understanding of it. And we’ve all been really clear on it. So we’ll just have to wait and see. But I’m looking forward to working with those guys. There are a few positions where we’ll need to strengthen fairly quickly and fairly early on.”

In terms of players who have been mentioned as potential signings, Southampton midfielder Flynn Downes could be Martin’s first addition as Rangers manager, having worked with him at St Mary’s already, but it appears first up on the agenda is a new number nine.

Rangers want to sign "very interesting" attacker

According to a new report from 24 Sata, Rangers are interested in signing Westerlo forward Matija Frigan this summer, as Martin looks to bolster his attacking options. The 22-year-old is seen as an exciting option for the Scottish Premiership giants, with his performances for his current club being noticed on the “big stage” by clubs around Europe.

Frigan could be a great young signing for Rangers, having been described as a “very interesting” attacking player by scout Jacek Kulig in the past.

The Croatian has outlined his goalscoring prowess throughout his career, not least when he netted 15 times in just 32 appearances for HNK Rijeka, and he has made a total of 25 appearances across various youth levels for his country.

The new Lundstram: Martin wants to make £18m star his first Rangers signing

As Russell Martin starts his overhaul of Rangers’ squad, could he sign a “class” midfielder in a deal reminiscent of John Lundstram’s move to Ibrox?

Jun 8, 2025

At 22, Frigan’s best years are still likely to be ahead of him, too, so Rangers would be acquiring the services of a player who could be a star at Ibrox for a long time to come.

Croatia Under-21s

15

2

Croatia Under-19s

8

4

Croatia Under-18s

2

3

His tally of 13 goals for Westerlo in the Jupiler Pro League in 2024/25 was superior to any Rangers player in the Scottish Premiership, further suggesting he could be an upgrade on the current options.