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Ange Postecoglou has revealed that Celtic have been dealt yet another injury blow, this time concerning Yosuke Ideguchi.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Glasgow Evening Times, the Bhoys boss revealed that, despite stating after the 2-1 win over Alloa Athletic last weekend that the central midfielder’s injury was not too severe, the 25-year-old is still in a considerable amount of pain from the horror challenge of Mouhamed Niang.

Speaking about the current condition of Ideguchi, Postecoglou said: “[He’s] not great. I think I said after the game that it didn’t look too serious but I didn’t really get a good look at him. It was a terrible tackle and one that should’ve been addressed by the referee on the day. He hasn’t come out of it too well and he’ll be missing for a little bit.

“He’s still pretty painful. Again, I know the kind of character he is so for him to stay down and have come off I knew it was significant. I was optimistic it wasn’t anything too bad but, as everyone saw from the footage, it was a tackle that should never have happened and should’ve been addressed on the day.”

Postecoglou will be seething

With Celtic having brought in three central midfielders this winter – in order to provide greater depth in the position ahead of the second half of the Premiership campaign – the fact that both Callum McGregor and Ideguchi have already been sidelined as a result of injury after just two games since the conclusion of the winter break is sure to have left Postecoglou seething.

Indeed, with David Turnbull still out with a hamstring injury and Tom Rogic being called up to international duty with Australia, the 56-year-old Hoops manager has been left considerably short in the middle of the park once again, with only James McCarthy, Nir Bitton and Ismaila Soro – none of whom have been first-team regulars under Postecoglou – in addition to winter signings Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate, currently being available for selection.

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And, with some extremely challenging fixtures coming up for the Bhoys in the next 14 days, including the Old Firm clash on February 2, the fact that Celtic are still short of options in central midfield despite their transfer business this month will undoubtedly come as a gutting blow to the Greek-Australian manager – who must be cursing his bad luck regarding injuries.

In other news: Postecoglou drops teasing 8-word Celtic transfer hint, Nicholson must now act

Liverpool were on cloud nine yesterday after demolishing their bitter rivals Manchester United 5-0 at Old Trafford and sending out a message to the rest of the Premier League that they mean serious business this season.

Even though the prolific Mohamed Salah scored three of Liverpool’s goals on the day, taking his impressive record to ten goals scored in nine Premier League games, we feel that fellow Reds winger Diogo Jota stood out in the win against the Red Devils.

After coming on as a substitute in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in midweek, Jota found himself back in the starting XI ahead of Sadio Mane.

This move from Reds manager Jurgen Klopp seemed to work wonders for the Reds as the Portuguese was very much a thorn in United’s side on Sunday.

After playing the full 90 minutes against the Red Devils, Jota managed to score Liverpool’s second goal with a neat finish from close range.

He assisted their fourth strike and would go on to complete 32 of the 38 passes he attempted. He also won seven out of the 14 duels he was involved in, made two key passes, one tackle and one clearance which ultimately earned himself a strong overall match rating of 8.5/10, making him Liverpool’s joint second-highest rated player on the day according to SofaScore, showing just how useful he was.

Liverpool signed Jota in September 2020 from fellow Premier League side Wolves for a reported fee of £41m.

In his first season in Klopp’s side, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £40.5m according to Transfermarkt, bagged 13 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions.

So far this season, the winger, who has previously been described as “intense” by Klopp shortly after he moved to Anfield, has managed to score four goals and provide one assist in eight Premier League appearances, once again proving himself as an important figure for the Reds.

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Moving forward, with Liverpool set to take on Championship club Preston North End on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup followed by a Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend, we feel that Jota will be involved in both games in some way given how much of a goalscoring threat he is and he should help the Reds keep their unbeaten streak going.

In other news: FSG must land Liverpool swoop for £29.7m-rated beast who’s a “better version of Pogba” – opinion

Flocking to Twitter, many Liverpool fans have been buzzing over an update regarding star player Mohamed Salah and his potential new deal at the club.

The Egyptian, who has played a vital role under manager Jurgen Klopp since he signed from AS Roma in the summer of 2017, definitely played his part over what was a difficult 2020/21 campaign. Blighted by injury problems, Liverpool couldn’t retain their Premier League crown as they watched Manchester City clinch domestic glory.

However, Salah remained imperious with his individual displays – scoring 22 goals and setting up five more in the Premier League alone whilst attempting more shots on goal per match (3.4) than any other Liverpool player (WhoScored).

As a result, many supporters are keen to see him tied down with a bumper new deal, and Liverpool Echo journalist Paul Gorst has brought an update.

He explained that FSG and the club are eager to reward the 29-year-old with a contract which will make him the highest-paid player in Liverpool’s history. Indeed, an increase on Salah’s current £200,000-per-week salary will even take him above the record shared by him and former Reds star Luis Suarez.

Buzzing over this “massively significant” update, many Reds fans took to Twitter in sheer joy over Liverpool’s stance – check out some of their best responses to LFC Transfer Room, Anfield Watch and Liverpool News below.

Liverpool fans buzz over Salah update

“The news I have been waiting to hear”

Credit: @NewHouse_NM

“Thank God for that”

Credit: @alcandynamo

“Give him the contract fast. He deserves that”

Credit: @IvFon

“Good. He’s earned it, and we need him here for the long term.”

Credit: @philippehunt21

“The way he looks after himself, I’d back him to follow Ronaldo’s lead and be at the very top for years to come. This is massively significant.”

Credit: @reid1892

“Finally some good news, I don’t say this lightly but give him whatever he wants.”

Credit: @Eire1892

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“YESSSSS. Positive to hear”

Credit: @Callum__Moran

“Great news! He really deserves that”

Credit: @mosirandu

In other news: ‘No way’, ‘We are filthy rich’…Liverpool fans erupt as bid news emerges, find out more here.

Nottingham Forest have confirmed that James Clarridge has signed his first professional deal with the Reds.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a statement posted on the club website, in which Forest revealed that they have tied the highly-rated 17-year-old centre-back, who has been on the club’s books for 10 years, down to a professional contract.

In reaction to the deal, Clarridge said: “This is a really big step for me and I’m excited to continue my time with the club. My first professional contract is a big step for me and my family and it’s a really proud moment for us all.”

Hughton will be buzzing

With The Athletic’s Paul Taylor stating his belief that Clarridge is one of Forest’s stars of the future, the fact that the Reds have got the signing of such a promising young player over the line is sure to delight Chris Hughton.

According to Taylor, the 17-year-old is seen as a “very interesting” prospect by the Nottingham Forest academy staff.

Having regularly featured for both the club’s U18 and U23 sides this season, the centre-back has demonstrated that he is already comfortable while in possession of the ball, as well as showing that he has the attributes to develop into a leader at the club. It is also claimed by The Athletic that Clarridge is very strong physically, while also being accomplished technically.

In the same article, it is reported that a number of Premier League clubs had been beginning to take notice of the Forest youth prospect, who is currently a part of the England U17 setup.

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As such, the fact that Clarridge will now be spending the next few years with Forest, at the very least, is undoubtedly fantastic news for the club, as it would very much appear as if the Garibaldis could have a real talent on their hands in the not so distant future.

In other news: Promising transfer news emerges on “unreal” 23 G/A star that’ll have NFFC fans buzzing – opinion

Leeds United could clinch a transfer bargain this summer by making a move for Real Madrid star Lucas Vazquez.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks and months have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are one of a number of sides interested in signing the 9-cap Spain international this summer, with the winger’s contract at the Santiago Bernabeu set to expire come the end of the season.

Now, Spanish publication Sport (via Sport Witness), have delivered an update on his situation, revealing the nature of his summer demands.

It’s suggested that Vazquez is looking for €3m (£2.6m) a year – a number which will be after tax. It’s added that “the player is clear” with his demands and that if Madrid don’t offer that amount then he will have no problems looking elsewhere.

Bye-bye Helder Costa

Despite only signing on a permanent deal from Wolves last summer, it appears the writing is already on the wall for Helder Costa’s long-term future at Elland Road.

Reports recently have claimed that the Whites are willing to listen to offers for the Portuguese ace, and see him as someone who could be sold to raise some cash for reinforcements.

Selling Costa for a chunk of money would more than pay for the wages of Vazquez – there would obviously be no transfer fee involved given it the Spaniard would arrive as a free agent – and it would be absolute bargain for Victor Orta.

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has waxed lyrical about the winger and what he brings to the table, and it’s surely music to the ears of Bielsa.

Speaking after a 2-0 win over Celta Vigo earlier this year, the French icon said: “What he’s doing right now doesn’t surprise us. Not only do I like him, we all like him because he is always on the job and reliable. He always gives everything on the pitch and we appreciate that. I congratulate him.”

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Vazquez’s reliability and work-rate is something Bielsa will surely love given how he wants his teams to play with intensity, and add that to the fact he would arrive for virtually nothing, Leeds could strike gold with a move this summer.

Meanwhile, Leeds must unleash this academy starlet who’s like Raphinha…

Wolves could only pick up a point against Southampton on Monday night in the Premier League, and the performance of Rayan Ait Nouri did not go down well with some of the club’s supporters.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side went 1-0 down when Theo Walcott opened the scoring, but fortunately for the Midlands outfit, Pedro Neto was on hand to earn his side a point. As a result, Wolves are now up to ninth in the table, jumping above Manchester United in the process.

Ait Nouri made the move on loan to Molineux during the summer, and it was arguably his play-acting on the left flank that allowed the Saints to break into the box and put the ball into the back of the net. Even though he is just 19-years-old, he needs to learn from his mistakes as soon as possible.

The Wolves supporters were far from happy with his showing, and they took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Ait Nouri below

In other news, Jorge Mendes is working on bringing this ace to the club.

No doubt one of the more sensationalist transfer stories involving Newcastle in recent weeks, but the Gareth Bale rumours appear to have been dead and buried already.

With the Magpies in the midst of a potential takeover, and some big-money signings possibly on the horizon, the Real Madrid star was one of the marquee names linked with a move to St James’ Park.

Best of the Decade: Top scorers & creators – Can you name them?

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But now, according to journalist and sports correspondent in Spain for AFP, Tom Allnutt, even if the takeover goes through and Newcastle do show some interest in luring Bale away from Los Blancos, the Welshman is “not interested” in the making the switch.

After hearing about the update on Bale, Newcastle fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the news.

A couple of Newcastle fans insisted that they didn’t want another “overpaid” star to turn up at St James’ Park.

Well that didn’t take long.

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Just as the Bale to Newcastle rumours started emerging, the story has effectively been killed off. And even fans of the Tyneside club don’t seem too surprised or bothered.

Whilst new signings and big names could be on the cards, there is also an air of realism to the kinds of players the club would be able to attract. And Bale just doesn’t fall into that category.

Charlton Athletic want Troy Parrott.

The Daily Mail reports that the Championship club are hopeful of luring the young Tottenham Hotspur striker to The Valley as the January transfer window reaches its conclusion.

A host of second-tier clubs are said to be interested in signing the 17-year-old and, really, this interest has come at the perfect time.

The big fat Tottenham quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Spurs?

Spurs are busy elsewhere, attempting to sign Steven Bergwijn from PSV Eindhoven in a deal that could be worth £21m, per sources.

There are a number of strikers that the club are interested in, too, including AC Milan’s Krzysztof Piatek, and Real Sociedad’s Willian Jose.

The time, then, has come to move Parrott on and ensure that he can gain the minutes he needs to reach his potential.

While he has been prolific at youth level – scoring 17 goals in 14 U18 appearances and nine in nine UEFA U19 games – he has yet to truly get the chance he needs to improve and develop in north London.

He has played twice for the club at senior level, against Colchester United in the EFL Cup and Burnley in the Premier League, coming on as a substitute in the latter with his side 5-0 to the good.

Loaning him out and exposing him to proper first-team football is exactly what needs to happen.

Harry Kane is injured and manager Jose Mourinho has said that Parrott is not yet ready to step in and replace the England captain; that has been borne out by the club’s hunt for an out-and-out striker.

Thus, sending Parrott out and giving him the chance to either sink or swim in the Championship, is a move that needs to happen.

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The fact of the matter is that we don’t really know how good Parrott is; youth football is not always the best indicator when it comes to charting a player’s progression.

If he can actually play for Charlton between now and the end of the season, Spurs will finally know what they have on their hands.

He could well struggle, he could well thrive; this is the perfect way for Spurs to find out.

Meanwhile, Spurs could land their ideal Eriksen replacement this month!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers.

Former Everton man Michael Ball has identified the club’s main issue as their inability to produce quality in the final third.

What did he say?

Everton have struggled both defensively and in attack this season, forcing them into an early relegation scrap as a result. The club’s 11 goals from 11 games in the Premier League currently puts them in 17th and has heaped immense pressure on the players and Marco Silva.

Ball told the Liverpool Echo: “We just need more quality in the final third, that’s what’s been letting us down when sometimes it seems like we run out of ideas a little bit.

“We’re okay at passing around the back and in midfield but if we can get it right more often in that final third, it can help get us back up that league table.”

Lack of quality and consistency

Som Everton players have proven to be a handful in previous seasons. The likes of Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson scored 13 league goals last season, whilst Alex Iwobi’s six assists with Arsenal last year prove he can be creative.

However, this season, Iwobi has not assisted at all and Richalison and Sigurdsson have just three league goals between them.

Part of this is also down to Marco Silva, who has constantly chopped and changed his side. The former Watford boss has often gone with Richarlison up top but then tried the Brazilian out on the wings as well.

Then there is Moise Kean, who Silva doesn’t seem to understand whatsoever. The Italian scored seven goals from a centre-forward position with Juventus last season, but Silva has resorted to playing him as a winger on a handful of occasions.

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The 42-year-old needs to establish his strongest starting XI to transform Everton’s fortunes in the final third.