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Former England striker Brian Deane believes that Crystal Palace’s next appointment is crucial and thinks that Nuno Espirito Santo could be the right man for the job.

Having guided the Eagles to Premier League safety for the fourth campaign on the bounce, Roy Hodgson stepped down from his role at Selhurst Park last month.

The new season doesn’t get underway for more than two months, but with 16 players out of contract this summer, the Palace hierarchy are pushing hard to name an appointment for Hodgson.

Eddie Howe, whose move to Celtic recently collapsed, is the favourite, whilst Steve Cooper, Sean Dyche and Frank Lampard are all in the running to become the new Palace manager.

But following his shock departure from Wolves last month Santo is now being considered for the role in what would be an immediate return to management, less than two weeks after he resigned at Molineux following a four-year spell, with The Sun reporting he has the edge over other candidates such as Cooper and Valerian Ismael.

And whilst Deane told Football FanCast that Palace must pick carefully, he thinks they need someone with Premier League experience – another box Santo ticks:

“If they don’t get the next managerial appointment right, they’ve got problems. I don’t think it’s a time where they can take chances.

“They need someone who has pedigree and understands the league and has a good record of recruiting players. I think he could be the right fit for them, but I don’t know what they’re looking for.”

Dermot Desmond’s self-sustaining ownership model at Celtic is a perfect example for other clubs to use, according to financial expert Dr. Dan Plumley.

The Lowdown: Desmond’s successful era

The Irishman is the majority shareholder at Parkhead, fulfilling a lifelong dream by owning the club he has supported since childhood.

During Desmond’s tenure, Celtic have racked up Scottish Premiership titles galore, among numerous other domestic trophies, and another league crown looks to be coming their way this season.

The 71-year-old has run the club in shrewd fashion too, ensuring they are in a healthy financial situation and not getting themselves into worrying amounts of debt.

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The Latest: Expert hails Celtic owner

Speaking to Football Insider, Plumley praised Desmond’s model at Celtic, saying other clubs should take a leaf out of his book:

“It’s always a plus if you can stand on your own two feet. They are set up so they can manage themselves in their own right. We see it too often where a club is solely dependent on one owner.

“If the owner is in trouble, the club’s in trouble. It’s very different at Celtic. You have to class that as a benefit that they aren’t too worried about the owner’s finances.

“This is a blueprint for all clubs. Make them more self-reliant so when the owner does take a hit, they aren’t collateral damage.”

The Verdict: Credit where it’s due

Desmond deserves undoubted credit for the manner in which he has kept Celtic afloat, running the Hoops far more intelligently than some of the more reckless owners elsewhere.

Liverpool owners FSG are a good comparison to use in some ways, with their supporters not always enamoured by a lack of mega-money transfers but the Reds in a strong financial position compared to some of their rivals.

Supporters will always be critical of Desmond – it is the nature of a football fan to never be happy – but he may only be fully appreciated when he eventually sells up.

In other news, Frank McAvennie is in awe of one Celtic player’s development. Find out who it is here.

One of Sheffield Wednesday’s out-of-contract stars has received two pre-contract offers from abroad, according to Football League World this week…

What’s the word?

They claim that Belgian league leaders Club Brugge and Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon have offered 20-year-old Owls gem Osaze Urhoghide terms ahead of the summer, when his contract expires at Hillsborough Stadium.

Teams across Europe can enter negotiations with players in England six months before their deal ends, whilst domestic rivals have to wait until the contract is complete, thus handing them a considerable advantage.

Leeds, Palace and Watford have been mooted with interest in Urhoghide before, so it seems unlikely that he will remain a Wednesday player much longer, especially if they are relegated to League One.

Moore will be gutted

This will not only come as a huge blow to Moore but will also be gutting towards his plans next season, as the South Yorkshire academy graduate is the sort of player he’d love to build round.

The former West Brom manager has built up a reputation as a successful youth coach and that is a trend he continued when taking the helm at nearby Doncaster Rovers, where they were contending for a playoff spot under his tenure – also possessing an average squad age of 24.6, amongst the four youngest in the division.

Despite not being in the dugout recently, Moore has still continued to select the 20-year-old this season. Indeed, he’s made 16 appearances in all competitions, with the bulk coming since the turn of the year.

Following a particularly impressive display against local rivals Barnsley last month, the Owls boss heaped praise on his young defender. He said to The Star:

“I don’t like to pick out individuals because I thought they were all excellent, but he was immense today in terms of his performance. In terms of his contacts, in terms of getting in the radar of the opponents and spoiling it – he was absolutely rock solid.”

Urhoghide has also been lauded by club captain Barry Bannan, who gave an insight into his potential too.

“He’s always willing to learn and ask questions,” explained the Scottish midfielder. “He’s a good lad and I’m really happy for him. I think we’ve got a player there.”

These are all characteristics that have already delighted Moore, as evident above, so to lose him for nothing – in the same vein as Liam Shaw to Celtic and many more before him – will be a truly crushing blow.

When teams that have the potential of playing in Europe next season come calling, you’d imagine that Wednesday stand no chance in keeping him. A disappointing but understandable likely end to his Owls career.

AND in other news, this Owls monster was Moore’s unsung hero against Rovers…

New Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has made some impressive moves in the transfer window as the Hoops desperately try to bounce back from a torrid 2020/21 campaign.

They have strengthened in all three areas of the pitch but one third they’ve neglected is between the sticks.

What’s the word?

Celtic have been linked with a number of goalkeepers in the summer window with Dundee United stopper Benjamin Siegrist on their radar and Leicester ‘keeper Danny Ward tipped to be an option.

Mat Ryan was a target before he joined Real Sociedad but Fraser Forster is now back on the agenda.

The 6 foot 7 goliath has already spent several periods at Celtic but after failing to bring him back last year, they’re making further attempts to re-sign the Englishman.

That’s according to The Scottish Sun, who report that the Bhoys will have to pay £130k-per-week in order to prise him away from the Saints.

Big improvement

Celtic’s goalkeeping options were shaky and unconvincing last term.

Conor Hazard may have been the hero in the penalty shoot out win over Hearts in the Scottish Cup final but in normal time, he was particularly nervy.

Scott Bain made his own individual errors but sadly, Vasilis Barkas was not a pillar of consistency either.

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The Greek goalkeeper looks set to be handed more of an opportunity this term which is deserved considering the way he was treated in the back end of last season.

However, in Forster, Postecoglou would get his hands on an almighty upgrade.

The giant shot-stopper has enjoyed four different spells with the Hoops but it was during his last one in 2019/20 that he became a real hero.

During the League Cup final against Rangers that season, he made an incredible 11 stops – including one from the spot. Speaking after the game, ex-Celtic boss Neil Lennon was overjoyed with his performance.

“He’s world-class,” the Northern Irishman began. “I have so much faith in him and he just keeps getting better. In his first spell here he put in some unbelievable performances and he’s done it again today.”

During that same campaign, Forster saved no fewer than four penalties. His record was simply staggering and that’s precisely why Postecoglou needs to bring him back for another bite of the cherry.

He is a giant dominating frame that scares the opposition to death.

AND in other news, Celtic handed ideal chance to sign “dazzling” 25-goal beast, Postecoglou needs him…

The Celtic Way’s writer Tony Haggerty believes Ryan Christie is “erratic” and believes if Celtic can get anywhere between £8-10m for him, it would represent good business. 

The Scottish Sun reported that both Burnley and Southampton are monitoring Christie, but new Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou hopes he can hold onto Christie, saying: “In terms of his future, there’s things that I can’t control, but I’d love to keep him at the club if he wants to stay.”

Christie has until December 31, 2021 to run on his current Celtic contract and with his future up in the air, Haggerty told The Transfer Tavern: “I’m not so sure that Celtic will get as much as they think for Ryan Christie. If they get anywhere near ten million, they’ll have done really, really well.

“I don’t see him as a £10m player. He’s got talent, he’s got ability, but I think too often he is erratic, his passing’s erratic, his shooting’s most definitely erratic because a lot of them are high, wide and handsome.”

During his time at Celtic Park, Christie has Scottish Premiership title on three occasions and the Scottish League Cup twice.

It appears that under Postecoglou, Christie is returning to form, as he grabbed himself a goal in the pre-season friendly against West Ham United and also got the assist for Liel Abada’s goal in the first leg of the club’s UEFA Champions League qualifier against FC Midtjylland.

An upturn in form and the fact Postecoglou wants Christie to stay, journalist Ekrem Konur has reported that Celtic have opened talks with his representatives about extending his stay with the Hoops.

Glasgow Rangers are interested in Coventry City midfielder Gustavo Hamer according to Football League World.

The Lowdown: Gers plan for the future

With the Premiership title already wrapped up, the Gers can plan ahead for the future. As they prepare for a Champions League campaign next season, there are likely to be upgrades made to the playing squad.

In midfield, the likes of Glen Kamara are being linked with a move away (via The Daily Mail), while Ryan Jack is recovering from surgery (via Sky Sports). As such, a new midfielder could be on the radar.

The Latest: Gerrard eyes Hamer

It has therefore been reported that the 55-time Scottish champions are interested in signing Coventry’s Hamer.

They are one of a number of clubs said to be in pursuit, with Norwich, Brentford and even Premier League side Brighton also mentioned.

The Verdict: Plenty of talent

Hamer has enjoyed a good season with the Sky Blues this campaign, managing five goals and three assists in 43 games in all competitions (Transfermarkt). With 1.5 key passes and 1.4 tackles per game (WhoScored), he has proven to be a versatile midfielder and has even been compared to Steven Gerrard’s assistant manager Gary McAllister thanks to the quality of his deliveries (via The League Paper).

Currently valued at £1.8m (Transfermarkt) and with two years left on his contract, it could take a substantial bid for the Gers to prise him away from the Ricoh Arena. If they were able to capture him, though, they will be getting a player with plenty of ability – Ali Maxwell said on the EFL on Quest highlights show that Hamer is a ‘class act’ (via The Coventry Telegraph) – and who has plenty of years ahead of him at just 23 years of age.

In other news, this pundit believes Steven Gerrard will be delighted at transfer interest in one Rangers man.

Former West Brom midfielder Carlton Palmer has warned Valerien Ismael that there is a huge issue with how the club is being run right now.

Ismael is close to succeeding Sam Allardyce as West Brom manager, with BBC Sport reporting that the Midlands outfit have met a compensation clause in the Barnsley boss’ contract.

This comes after reports of both David Wagner, who is now the manager of Young Boys, and Lincoln City’s Michael Appleton turning down the job.

For Palmer, that is a red flag and something Ismael should be wary of as he closes in on the position.

“The worry is for me, why so many people are turning down the job,” the ex-West Brom player told TT in an exclusive interview. “It’s a massive club, big opportunity for somebody to take on.

“Alarm bells started ringing with me when Sam Allardyce turned the job down straight away because Sam’s not going to be offered too many more jobs. Why wouldn’t he have taken that job on if there was the opportunity to bring them back?

“All these other managers turning the job down, seeing the director of sport Luke Dowling resign, there has to be an issue with how the club is run and how they want to run things going forward.”

Certainly, West Brom’s search for a new manager has turned into a bit of a mess, while Dowling’s recent resignation has only added to the chaos.

Fortunately, there is still some time before the new season kicks off. So while things obviously have not been plain sailing for the club, it has not been too much of a nightmare scenario.

West Ham United will throw the chequebook at Declan Rice in a bid to keep him at the London Stadium for the foreseeable future, according to Irons hero Frank McAvennie…

What’s the word?

During an interview with West Ham Zone this week, the former Hammers striker – who enjoyed two spells in east London – claimed the club were prepared to pay “big bucks” to tie him down for the long-term.

“Listen, from what I’m hearing the club want to keep him and they’re willing to pay big bucks.

“Now, I don’t know if he’s wanting to go somewhere. [But] I think this team [and] this squad of players, could be challenging for the Champions League for the next two or three years. I think they’ve got a decent squad, keeping everyone fit. They’ll buy more players in.

“From what I’m hearing, the owners are willing to give Declan pretty much on a par with everyone else in England, so that’s a good thing.”

Encouraging news

The 22-year-old midfielder has been continually linked with a move away in recent transfer windows, with the likes of Chelsea and both Manchester giants mooted with interest.

All three of these teams made a final of last season’s European competitions. The Blues defeating City in the Champions League, whilst United were beaten by Unai Emery’s Villarreal in the Europa League.

They can clearly offer Rice a better chance of achieving silverware sooner than West Ham can, so it would be no surprise to see him keen to join any of these teams.

During the summer, the £63m-rated star was said to have rejected fresh contract advances from the Irons’ hierarchy and according to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee, this was because his salary was not in line with some of the club’s highest-earners, such as the rarely-seen Andriy Yarmolenko, who is thought to earn a whopping £115k-per–week in east London.

However, offering the England international a new deal that would see him match similar quality players in his position is certainly a positive step in the right direction, especially after Ex’s revelation.

Rice is believed to be on just £60k-per-week at the London Stadium, which is poor considering he has now amassed 26 caps for the Three Lions since his debut in March 2019, whilst he continues to be a major influence for West Ham under David Moyes.

Last season, he ranked amongst the Hammers’ four best performers and he has continued that form into the new campaign, where he has already registered two assists in seven starts and averaged a squad-high two interceptions per game, via WhoScored.

He’s also managing the best passing accuracy in the team (92.7%), by quite some margin, too.

If the club are indeed prepared to pay him what he wants and deserves, then it should leave much of the Irons faithful absolutely buzzing as there is the intention to put right their previous offers.

Whether he wants to stay or go remains to be seen, though given he is under contract until 2024, he’s likely to remain for at least the next season or so.

AND in other news, Newman could become an instant hit at West Ham by signing £36m-rated “world-beater”…

West Bromwich Albion manager Valerien Ismael must offer Sam Johnstone a significant pay rise in order to keep the goalkeeper at The Hawthorns.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by the Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield, who stated in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that the only way West Brom will be able to convince the England international to put pen to paper on a new deal with the Championship side is to substantially increase his reported £30k-per-week salary.

In the interview, Hatfield said: “The club are in talks with him. It was an unfortunate situation for Sam, dropping out of the Premier League.

“It’s an interesting one for Sam because he could either play out his contract and get a free move in the summer or maybe re-sign with Albion if they go up, or he could commit his future to his club and protect his value and maybe get a little bit of a wage bump.

“That’s the only way I can see him signing a new deal unless he’s very happy at the club. He’s still getting England call-ups as well.”

Ismael must act

Considering just how important a part of the West Brom team Johnstone has been in recent seasons, it would seem highly advisable for Ismael to offer the 28-year-old a new deal with a significant pay rise, as Hatfield suggests.

Indeed, despite the club’s relegation from the Premier League back in 2020/21, the £7.2m-rated ‘keeper nevertheless highly impressed over his 37 league appearances, keeping six clean sheets and making a rather extraordinary average of 4.5 saves per game.

These returns saw the shot-stopper earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as West Brom’s second-best performer in the top flight.

And, while the former Manchester United man has not exactly been in the best form of his career over his ten Championship appearances so far this season, he has still managed to keep four clean sheets, save one penalty and average a SofaScore match rating of 6.88.

As such, losing the services of Johnstone in January would undoubtedly come as a major blow to Albion’s hopes of securing an immediate return to the Premier League this season, leading us to believe that Ismael indeed must do everything in his power to tie the 28-year-old down to a new deal in West Bromwich.

In other news: Ismael drops fresh update on “consistent” £4.4k-p/w ace, West Brom fans surely buzzing

Crystal Palace posted a video of England manager Gareth Southgate during his playing days for the Eagles on Wednesday morning, and a number of supporters were quick to react to the footage on social media.

Southgate, who came through the Palace youth system and spent seven years as a professional at Selhurst Park, guided England to their first major final since 1966 after a 2-1 semi-final win over Denmark at Wembley on Wednesday night at Euro 2020.

The 50-year-old made 75 Premier League appearances for the Eagles and, on the day of the Euro 2020 semi-final at Wembley, Palace featured the England boss in their Goal of the Day.

Southgate picked up the ball in his own half, advanced upfield and unleashed an unstoppable strike in front of the Palace faithful, which is available to view here.

Palace fans react

Palace posted the video on their official Twitter page and here is what these Eagles fans had to say in reply, with one supporter describing it as ‘class’.

“I’m so proud of Gareth Southgate. Palace we’re taking this win, we’ve produced one of England’s all time greatest managers and a lovely bloke too. Up the Palace!”Credit: @se25jg”How had I forgotten this strike – magnificent”Credit: @rickyj555″Class”Credit: @amancpfc”There’s nothing the man can’t do”Credit: @James_SE22″Was thinking the other day that getting England to a major final would finally out do this stupendous goal as the best thing I’ve seen Gareth Southgate do. Glad the site are tweeting this though because probably only Palace fans of a certain age are even aware of this goal”Credit: @tashkat81″What a hit!”Credit: @Dave_Winbod

In other news: ‘Is there anything worse?’, ‘Ugh’ – Many Crystal Palace fans react as ‘awful’ news is confirmed, find out more here.