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The rumours linking Celtic with a move for Shabab Al Ahli forward Mehdi Ghayedi are not true, according to GolBezan’s Arya Allahverdi.  

The Lowdown: Ghayedi links

The Hoops have already added to their attacking ranks this month by bringing in Daizen Maeda. They are also working on making Jota’s loan spell permanent, with sources suggesting Celtic now want a third attacking addition.

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Reports earlier in the week claimed that Celtic have had a bid rejected for Ghayedi but plan to return with an improved offer, while they are also linked with Martin Boyle in the search for a third forward signing.

Ghayedi, who can operate anywhere across the front three, is 23 years of age and has scored four goals in 2021/22.

The Latest: Allahverdi’s update

Allahverdi took to Twitter on Monday evening to provide an update on the Iran international.

Following reports of Celtic having an offer turned down, Allahverdi claimed that the rumours are not true.

“Mehdi Ghayedi to Celtic rumours are not true. Confirmed this with his intermediaries.”

The Verdict: Swoop for Boyle?

Ange Postecoglou revealed last month that he is happy to scout the Iranian market when it comes to transfer targets, but it seems as if the links to Ghayedi may simply be the media putting two and two together from the manager’s revelation.

Celtic look keen to sign another wide forward, though, with another player linked being Hibernian’s Boyle. Hibs are braced for offers from the Hoops for the Aussie, so perhaps he could be a smarter target.

Boyle, like Ghayedi, can also play anywhere across the front three and has contributed to 60 Scottish Premiership goals at Easter Road – the Hoops would surely have a proven quantity in the division.

Celtic are yet to make a Scottish Premiership addition under Postecoglou, so now may be the right opportunity with Boyle to strike a nice balance within their summer and winter arrivals.

In other news: Celtic now close to another signing; may be finalised in the coming days. 

Tomas Soucek and Kurt Zouma are both in contention for West Ham’s clash against Manchester United on Saturday, according to a report by football.london.

The Lowdown: Soucek and Zouma were big losses

Czech Republic captain Soucek was absent for the Hammers’ last two fixtures, in which they beat Norwich City 2-0 and lost 3-2 to Leeds United. The midfielder was unavailable after testing positive for Covid-19, which dealt David Moyes a huge blow.

So far this season, Soucek has ranked second out of the entire West Ham squad for numerous statistics occurring in the Premier League; these include tackles, interceptions, and even fouls – a debatably necessary trait for a defensive midfielder.

Zouma was another player who missed games out due to a positive test. Following his six-week absence after sustaining a hamstring injury, the Frenchman was only just back in training before that setback, rendering him unavailable for the Irons’ upcoming matches.

Before suffering his injury, Zouma was a crucial element of Moyes’ back-line, having led the team in clearances made per game, maintaining a level of stability for the East-London side.

The Latest: Soucek and Zouma in contention for Man United fixture

According to a report by football.london, Moyes has confirmed that Soucek’s isolation period is set to end this week and that he will return to training, ahead of the Irons’ clash against Manchester United. When questioned about Soucek, Moyes responded:

“He could be in contention but everybody coming back from Covid you are not sure of their ability, how they are feeling what their symptoms are. So those things make it very difficult to make a judgement.”

Furthermore, after an extra week of training following his positive test, Moyes confirmed that Zouma will be nearing a return.

The Verdict: Moyes relieved by their return

With Zouma once being labelled the ‘ultimate defender’, it is easy to see why Moyes will be relieved that the centre-back will soon be available for selection. The Hammers have suffered with a lack of depth this season, with Moyes keen on bringing in an extra centre-half in Angelo Ogbonna’s and Zouma’s absences.

Manuel Lanzini was tasked to stand-in for Soucek for the two games the Czech was unavailable: a tough task, given the praise hailing the midfielder as ‘incredible’ in his position.

The Argentine performed admirably in the Iron’s victory over Norwich but he struggled against Leeds, clearly suffocated by their ferocious press. As a result, fans will be glad to see Soucek’s return, as it will allow Lanzini to be utilised in his preferred position.

Following on from their 2-2 draw against Manchester United in their previous Premier League outing that saw Aston Villa crawl back from being 2-0 down to secure a point, Steven Gerrard takes his side to Goodison Park this afternoon to take on Everton in their latest league clash. 

Having sacked Rafa Benitez after their 2-1 defeat against Norwich City last weekend, Duncan Ferguson will be leading Everton in his first game as caretaker manager to try and get their season back on track. 

In terms of Villa and which players Gerrard could select to be in his starting XI, with Bertrand Traore and Trezeguet still away on international duty and Marvelous Nakamba and Leon Bailey still out through injury, Villa are also sweating on the fitness of defender Ezri Konsa after he picked up a hip issue in the draw against the Red Devils last weekend. 

With that in mind, here’s how we fee Villa will line up today. 

In goal, having played in all but one of Villa’s Premier League games so far this season and recently putting pen to paper on a new deal with the Midlands club, it’d be hard not to see Emi Martinez start this afternoon. 

For the full-back positions, we think Gerrard will stick with the same pair that started against United with Matty Cash on the right and January signing Lucas Digne on the left once again. 

In the centre-back roles, Gerrard may not feel it’s worth the risk putting Konsa back in so we think he’ll stick with Tyrone Mings and put Kortney Hause in, who, like Martinez, has recently signed a new deal at the club. 

In midfield, with John McGinn back after serving a one-match ban in the game against United, we think Gerrard will have no issue in putting him back straight back in the side with Morgan Sanson dropping out. 

Next to McGinn we can see Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey playing in midfield to try and provide some stability and control against the Toffees.

For the attack, we think Gerrard will give Philippe Coutinho his first start in a Villa shirt on the left-wing after making a big impact off the bench on his debut against United by scoring their crucial equalising goal. 

Then finally we predict that Gerrard will make a big decision and drop Danny Ings, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £100k-per-week according to Salary Sport, from the side with Ollie Watkins playing through the middle with Emi Buendia on the right. 

In other news: Ashley Preece drops Villa transfer claim amid Gerrard comments, fans surely delighted – opinion

West Ham United have made a move in a bid to bring Bamba Dieng to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet RMC Sport (via the Daily Mail), who claim that both West Ham and Crystal Palace have made an approach to Olympique de Marseille regarding a deal to sign the centre-forward this month.

The report goes on to state that the Ligue 1 side are now in a position where they have to sell in order to balance their books, and could let the 21-year-old leave the club for a fee of just €10m (£8m) in the current market.

The next Drogba

With a new centre-forward very much being a priority for David Moyes over the remainder of the January transfer window, the news that Dieng looks as if he will be available for such a small fee this winter is sure to have intrigued the 58-year-old Hammers manager.

And, it is clear to see why the Scot would be interested in a deal to sign the Senegal international this month, not only because West Ham’s only current senior centre-forward is Michail Antonio, but also because the 21-year-old is clearly a player who boasts a remarkable amount of potential for the future.

Indeed, over his 14 Ligue 1 outings this season – only seven of which have come as starts – the £7.2m-rated hitman has already scored four goals and created one big chance for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.5 shots per game and finding the back of the net every 136 minutes of football played.

These returns have led to the player who Jorge Sampaoli dubbed “explosive” receiving some extremely high praise, none less so than from El Hadji Diouf, who stated of Dieng: “He’s a striker, a Didier Drogba. All he can do is score goals. He is a young person with a future. All I have to say is keep his head on his shoulders, keep working. He is an attacker who ends up in the box.”

As such, it would appear as if a move for the 21-year-old would be a very wise move for Moyes to make in the coming days, as, should Dieng continue his current rate of development following a switch to the London Stadium, the Hammers could very well have the next Drogba on their hands.

In other news: Moyes could form a deadly front three as WHU plot late Jan offer for £15m “greyhound”

Craig Hope has delivered a major boost for Newcastle United ahead of the Premier League clash against Everton next week.

What’s the story?

Writing on Twitter on Wednesday night, he said: “Chris Wood should be fine for Newcastle game v Everton on Tuesday & is travelling back to UK. There had been a virus outbreak in New Zealand national-team camp which forced cancellation of yesterday’s game against Uzbekistan.”

Massive boost for Newcastle

With both Newcastle and Everton within just four points of each other – the Toffees do have a game in hand however – Tuesday’s night could have massive implications for how this Premier League season pans out for both sides.

A win for the Magpies at St James’ Park would claw back the deficit and add to the momentum built by the success of the January transfer window, while similarly, a defeat for Frank Lampard’s new side would really drag them into the relegation dogfight.

It’s exactly why Hope’s update on Wood being fine for the game next week is sure to have Eddie Howe buzzing, with the New Zealand international already being tipped to be a major success on Tyneside.

Former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell said: “His goal record is very good and aerially he is brilliant. When you have the likes of Trippier whipping the ball in, it would appear to be another very clever signing. Wood is a striker who can go and attack it. He is as good as anyone at attacking the a ball in the box.

“I just think they need weapons who can keep them up. Wood is one of them. I think he’d be a very good signing for them. It’s a move that definitely weakens Burnley as well, which can only be a good thing for Newcastle.”

Both Howe and the club’s fans will surely be buzzing with this latest update on their new striker.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are now set to make this decision…

Tottenham insider John Wenham believes the club may revisit their interest in Juventus striker Alvaro Morata in the summer, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: January talks

Spurs were extremely busy in the final days of the January window, bringing in Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus and moving a number of players on, including Dele Alli.

However, Fabio Paratici seemingly looked at a third addition from the Italian giants, with a Spurs source revealing to Football Insider that he made a last-gasp swoop for Morata, holding talks at the end of January.

As we know, a move never came off, with Morata, who has scored 199 goals during his career, remaining in Turin.

The former Chelsea striker is on loan at Juventus from Atletico Madrid, with the Serie A side having the option to buy the Spaniard in the summer. If they don’t, Morata will be entering the final 12 months of his contract with the La Liga side ahead of the 2022/23 campaign

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The Latest: Wenham’s comments

Wenham, talking to Football Insider, revealed that he knows Spurs looked at Morata last month and believes they could ask the question again in the summer.

“One issue we didn’t fix in January was the striker position.

“There have been times before when Harry Kane has been injured and we have done really well.

“We reached the Champions League final without him but we have left ourselves short again.

“It’s an issue that needs to be addressed in the summer. I know Tottenham were looking at Morata in January.

“I think that would have been a good signing just for his experience of working in the Premier League and with Antonio Conte.

“We have seen Tottenham raid Juventus already so I do wonder if that is one we could look at again in the summer.

“It’s always worth asking the question and we do need another striker.”

The Verdict: Shrewd option?

Antonio Conte’s only out-and-out centre-forward option for Spurs is Harry Kane, with the Italian using winger Heung-min Son in a central attacking midfield role.

It’s clear to see that Spurs need back up when it comes to a striker, so if the price is right with his contract ticking down, a move for Morata could be a wise one.

He already has experience of playing in the Premier League under Conte at Chelsea, where he contributed to 17 top-flight goals in 31 games back in 2017/18.

It could prove a tricky deal to complete, though, due to his situation with Juventus and Atletico Madrid, but this is certainly one to keep an eye on over the coming months.

In other news: Spurs now keen on 6 ft 4 English defender with ‘every attribute’; Levy needs to act fast. 

Despite Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Glasgow Rangers side having secured one of their most impressive European results in recent memory on Thursday evening – besting Borussia Dortmund 4-2 in their own backyard – the 47-year-old Dutchman’s focus will undoubtedly have immediately turned to Sunday’s clash with Dundee United on the plane home from Germany.

Indeed, with Gers now chasing the leaders in the Premiership title race after a slight wobble in league form in recent fixtures, the Dutchman cannot afford any further slipups if he is to give his side the best possible chance of retaining the Scottish championship this season.

As such, despite the return leg of the Dortmund clash coming up next week, it would appear highly advisable for Van Bronckhorst to select as strong as starting XI as is possible at Tannadice tomorrow – with one player the 47-year-old simply must unleash being that of January signing Aaron Ramsey.

Van Bronckhorst must unleash Ramsey

With Van Bronckhorst appearing to have been building the central midfielder’s fitness since his move to Ibrox last month, awarding the Welshman 29 minutes of Premiership action over two fixtures against Hearts and Hibernian, four minutes in the Europa League against Dortmund in midweek and 61 minutes against Annan Athletic in the Scottish Cup, it would very much seem as if the trip to Dundee United could well be the perfect opportunity to finally field the 31-year-old from the off in the league.

Indeed, not only would the introduction of a player who has scored 74 goals and registered 75 assists over his 478 career appearances increase Gers’ chances of taking all three points back to Ibrox on Sunday, but giving the £4.5m-rated midfield maestro a significant number of minutes against Dundee United would also help to build the Juventus loanee’s match fitness ahead of the club’s European fixture next week.

As such, while the likely returns of both Fashion Sakala and Jon McLaughlin tomorrow are indeed major boosts for the Light Blues, it would undoubtedly be the introduction of a player who Martin Keown dubbed an “outstanding technician” that would most terrify the Terrors’ defenders.

In other news: Rangers handed major injury boost ahead of Dundee United clash, GvB will be buzzing

The returning Abdoulaye Doucoure will address significant weaknesses in Frank Lampard’s Everton team. 

That’s according to BBC radio pundit Noel Whelan, who was speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown

Doucoure has missed each of Frank Lampard’s first four games in charge with a groin injury. Everton have won two of those – beating Brentford in the FA Cup and Leeds United in the Premier League – but they have also suffered two-goal defeats to Newcastle United and Southampton.

The Frenchman, who has been virtually ever-present when fit, is now closing in on a return to action. Lampard revealed prior to last weekend’s trip to St Mary’s that the club had reintegrated the 29-year-old into training, adding that he hoped to see ‘strong progression’ at Finch Farm ahead of the clash with reigning champions Manchester City on Saturday evening, for which the midfielder could be fit.

The latest

Whelan thinks that Doucoure’s physicality, as well as abilities in and out of possession, will greatly strengthen Everton midfield ahead of the visit of Pep Guardiola’s side, saying that the Frenchman’s return is a ‘welcome’ boost for Lampard in the wake of the defeat at St Mary’s.

The 47-year-old told Football Insider: “I think you need his presence in there. He brings real energy in that midfield and I think he will tick all the boxes for Lampard.

“He can break up the play, drive with the ball, as well as bring that real height and power they desperately need. We’ve seen him given that freedom to get into the box and cause problems as well this season.

“Every option will be a welcome one for Lampard right now. Doucoure’s return will be a brilliant boost for him.”

The verdict

Everton’s injury list isn’t looking pretty at the moment. They are without two senior centre-backs in Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina, in addition to central midfield duo Tom Davies and Fabian Delph, and winger Demarai Gray.

However, at last there seems to be positive news on that front for Lampard, with Doucoure potentially slotting into midfield alongside new signing Donny van de Beek against Man City after Allan and Andre Gomes came under fire for their displays last weekend.

Allan looked like an ‘imposter’, in the words of BBC’s Dave Downie, and tellingly, The Athletic’s Greg O’Keeffe said in light of Gomes’ performance that ‘Doucoure’s return can’t come quickly come enough’.

With the Frenchman being Everton’s third-best player this season according to WhoScored metrics, it’s hard not to feel that he has indeed been sorely missed in recent weeks.

In other news, Dean Jones names three players Lampard may want to sign for Everton

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that numerous players could leave Aston Villa during the summer transfer window as Steven Gerrard looks to form his ideal squad.

The Lowdown: Poor recent form

The 41-year-old’s start to life at Villa Park was very positive. The team picked up four wins in their opening six games under their new boss, revitalising their season following a disappointing end to Dean Smith’s tenure in the autumn.

However, in Villa’s last eight Premier League matches, they have gained just eight points, having only won twice during this period.

This included embarrassing back-to-back defeats to relegation-threatened 12th place in the top flight.

The Latest: Jones expects numerous Villa exits

With Villa’s owners having invested a huge amount of money into transfers over the past year, Jones believes that a number of departures will take place in the summer as Gerrard continues to imprint his philosophy on the club.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed: “I think there will be quite a lot of exits at Villa. I think that Gerrard will almost demand that because he needs to get a grip on this squad and have it reflect his own identity and personality.”

The Verdict: Is an overhaul needed?

Villa have pulled off some remarkable signings recently in a bid to push for European football.

The club signed Barcelona attacker Philippe Coutinho on loan, their most high-profile signing to date. Further additions such as Emiliano Buendia and Lucas Digne also added to this cause, illustrating Villa’s ambitions to elevate themselves into top-six contenders.

One consequence is that many players have been tipped for potential Villa Park departures. As a result, it seems like the club are acting on short-term results, rather than long-term vision. Consequently, this could lead to a lack of consistency and philosophy at Villa, which could do more harm than good in the long run.

In other news: Gerrard is reportedly ready to sell this Aston Villa stalwart

Leeds United are now facing a real battle to sign Middlesbrough right-back Djed Spence in the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

It was reported back in January that the Whites were interested in striking a deal for the defender, who is currently on loan at Championship side Nottingham Forest.

Now, Football League World have claimed that fellow Premier League side Spurs have also got their eye on Spence as they look to bring in a new full-back come the summer.

Raphinha would love him

After falling down the pecking order at the Riverside, the defender has been a real star for Steve Cooper at Forest – as per WhoScored, he has averaged 1.4 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game, and a team-high of 1.8 dribbles and 0.8 key passes per game too.

That ability to be a real threat going forward is something that someone would like Raphinha would surely love to play with down the right flank, with Spence’s overlapping runs and being able to beat players himself giving the Brazilian a genuinely quality player to link with and form an understand with.

Spence really hit the headlines earlier this year when he shone against Arsenal in the FA Cup in January, a display which had Ian Wright positively raving about him.

The Gunners icon said: “Let me say, that was one of the best right-back performances I have seen for a very long time. A very long time. I have not seen a combative, technical, swashbuckling performance like that for a very long time.”

And, with transfer insider Dean Jones telling GIVEMESPORT that it would take a fee in the region of £10m to sign him, it’s certainly a price tag that seems reasonable when you consider some of the big-money moves being made by clubs in the modern market.

When you think of some of some of the Premier League’s top sides like Manchester City and Liverpool, who have formidable wide partnerships in the likes of Joao Cancelo and Raheem Sterling, and Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, Leeds could have one of their own if they were to bring in Spence.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this attacker…