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With Celtic’s opening European qualification match rapidly approaching in a few week’s time, Ange Postecoglou needs to conclude some early transfer business.

He has a plethora of issues to iron out before the campaign gets underway in what will be a testing first summer in the job for the new Hoops boss.

On the chalkboard

The biggest issue for Celtic at the moment is fixing their error-stricken backline.

Kristoffer Ajer looks set to head for the exit door and if he departs, it will only make the Bhoys’ defence even worse.

The Norwegian was the glue that held everything together last term but Celtic still conceded 16 more goals than their biggest Premiership rivals.

If that wasn’t bad enough, they also shipped 19 strikes in six Europa League group stage matches.

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With that in mind, Postecoglou will need to find more bodies to fill in at centre half. He will also desperately be searching for a right-back.

Jeremie Frimpong left last January and with Jonjoe Kenny exiting at the conclusion of his loan spell, it leaves them incredibly light. Anthony Ralston is the only senior option but he played just once in 2020/21.

The solution

If Celtic’s new manager is looking to kill two birds with one stone then he should look no further than former Hoops target Japhet Tanganga.

They were linked with a deadline day move for the Tottenham defender back in the winter but Jose Mourinho ultimately wanted to keep him in north London.

However, the Special One is no longer in charge of Spurs and has been replaced by Nuno Espirito Santo.

What he does with Tanganga is uncertain but considering the Premier League side are chasing a defender, it could open the door for the Englishman’s temporary or permanent exit.

Capable of playing at right-back or in the centre of defence, he could help make up for the shortfall in a number of areas.

Celtic are in dire need of finding more full-backs while Ajer’s potential exit means they will need more quality in his position too.

Tanganga would be an astute signing. He has experience of top-flight football and in the words of Darren Bent, is a “very exciting” talent.

The £25k-per-week earner didn’t play much football last term but possesses a range of defensive qualities that would improve Celtic.

Last term, the 22-year-old won an impressive 3.7 aerial duels per game in the Europa League. For context, only Christopher Jullien usurped that statistic in continental action for the Bhoys.

On top of that, Tanganga prevailed in 1.3 interceptions per match, showcasing a strong reading of the game.

Like Ajer, the youngster also loves to rampage forward. From his six Premier League outings last season, the Spurs defender registered 1.5 successful dribbles per outing.

That’s a tally that demonstrates how well he could play at full-back with Odsonne Edouard the only player to manager more take-ons for Celtic in 2020/21.

Based on that, Tanganga would be a big upgrade for Postecoglou’s side.

AND in other news, Celtic open talks to sign £8.5m gem of the “highest quality”, Ange will love him…

Tottenham insider John Wenham believes the club could seal the signing of AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie in a number of days, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Talks at an advanced stage

Managing director at Spurs Fabio Paratici has been linked with a move for Kessie for a number of months now.

The Ivorian, capable of playing as a central or defensive midfielder, has just six months remaining on his AC Milan contract.

That means Tottenham will have the chance to seal pre-contract terms in the January transfer window, with The Daily Express reporting in recent days that talks are at an advanced stage.

Arsenal and Manchester United are also keen, but it’s believed Antonio Conte’s side are at the front of the queue for the 25-year-old’s signature.

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The Latest: Wenham’s comments

Spurs insider Wenham was talking to Football Insider in a story on Thursday evening regarding Kessie.

He feels that a move could be finalised in ‘days’, labelling Paratici as a ‘specialist’.

“The Franck Kessie stuff is still going on.

“The opportunity to get him on a pre-contract is coming up in a few days and I think that’s one to keep an eye on.

“I’ve mentioned before about Paratici’s links with Serie A and how he is a specialist at getting these deals done.

“That one would not surprise me. There are reportedly a lot of clubs interested in him.

“But now we have the pulling power of Antonio Conte, which could give us an edge.”

The Verdict: Brilliant…

Should Spurs land Kessie on a pre-contract agreement over the coming days, it could turn out to be an excellent piece of business both in the short and long term, with Paratici then able to look at immediate January additions.

Tottenham would be getting a £43.2m-rated midfielder seemingly in his prime for nothing, with Kessie bringing a wealth of international and European experience to north London.

There could also be a number of midfield departures at Spurs over the next few weeks, with Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso linked with exits. Should the pair move on, that would leave Conte with just four senior midfield options, so bringing in Kessie would help bolster the numbers in the middle of the pitch.

In other news: ‘I’m hearing’ – talkSPORT drop Spurs transfer update live on-air; Conte wants ‘world class’ ace. 

Wolves winger Francisco Trincao is unlikely to sign a permanent deal this summer with the Barcelona loanee reportedly unhappy at Molineux.

What’s the latest?

According to O Jogo (via Sport Witness), the Portuguese wide man ‘is not satisfied’ at the Black Country club and will look to return to Barcelona this summer. However, the 22-year-old is also seeking a move away from the La Liga giants.

There have also been talks of a potential swap deal involving the loanee and Adama Traore, who is currently on loan at the Catalan club. Although, this now seems unlikely if Trincao is unwilling to extend his stay in the West Midlands.

Wolves must part ways with Trincao

In all honesty, it’s no major loss for Wolves if Trincao objects to joining the club on a permanent basis. The winger has struggled to win over the Molineux faithful with just one Premier League goal in 24 appearances this term, a disappointing return.

The winger was given the nod to start on Friday night against Newcastle United, a game in which Wolves as a collective were poor, losing 1-0.

Although, the 22-year-old particularly struggled with Wolves journalist Tim Spiers labelling the Portuguese as “anonymous” in what could prove to be one of the final opportunities the Barcelona loanee gets in the famous amber.

Indeed, according to SofaScore, he managed just 13 passes in the entire game and none of them were key either.

Bruno Lage may inevitably opt to move Adama Traore on this summer too given his goal-shy first half of the season, but it now appears as though that deal will be separate.

The Portuguese manager still has a decent amount of options on the flanks with Daniel Podence as well as Pedro Neto, who is now back from injury, and the recently recruited Chiquinho.

However, there may still be a desire to recruit wide players in the summer with goals from wingers a rare spectacle this season for the West Midlands outfit.

Podence has netted just twice in the top-flight this season whilst Neto is still readjusting after a lengthy spell out and Chiquinho is slowly being integrated into the side.

It’s certainly an area for concern and fresh faces may be the necessary solution making it vital for Wolves to axe Trincao this summer with his loan spell ultimately proving to be a waste of time.

In other news: Disaster: Lage sleepwalking into huge Wolves error that could have dire consequences

West Brom have had a high turnover of players in the last 18 months, and are seemingly now trying to put together a squad with a consistent starting XI.

The Baggies will be keen to add quality to their side as they attempt to earn an automatic promotion spot, either challenging for the Championship title or finishing second to secure Premier League football next season.

One player that has been heavily linked to Ismael’s side is Tom Lawrence.

Lawrence is currently in Wayne Rooney’s side at Derby County, however, the move to a Premier League challenging side could prove more attractive to the 27-year-old gem as the Rams are struggling in the relegation zone after a series of points deductions this season due to financial troubles.

His record at his current club is 30 goals and 23 assists, with his hunger for goals he would be a great addition for the West Bromwich Albion side who will be trying to climb the table.

Tom Lawrence’s former manager Gary Bowyer, once dubbed the player “a fabulous talent” in an interview;

“He’s a wonderful player, a joy to watch. He’s one of these players that when he picks the ball up, half-turns and starts running, you get off the edge of your seat because you know something’s going to happen.

“I think today in the second half, he had a couple of runs and looked like he would make something happen. He’s a fabulous talent.”

Valerien Ismael could capitalise on Derby’s current situation by attracting Lawrence to a side with potential, and use the opportunity to offload Jordan Hugill, who has struggled to find the back of the net for West Brom this season, with just one goal so far and zero assists, offering little impact in the fight for promotion.

West Brom will have work to do to close the gap on Fulham and Bournemouth, as they currently sit in third, nine points adrift from the top of the table, but the Championship is ever-changing and the Baggies will hoping to use their experience in Championship title challenges to climb up the ranks in the second half of the season.

In other news: Callum Robinson must start against Blackpool

Celtic’s transfer model under CEO Michael Nicholson and manager Ange Postecoglou will mean they miss out on large incoming transfer fees for talented academy prospects, according to finance expert Dr Dan Plumley, speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown: First of many?

This comes after a report from The Athletic confirmed that the Hoops will receive just £600,000 in compensation for highly-rated winger Ben Doak.

The 16-year-old is set to join Premier League giants Liverpool, having made only two senior appearances for Postecoglou’s side this season.

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Unlike the £25million fee received following Kieran Tierney’s switch to Arsenal (Sky Sports), the Glasgow club have been left short in the Doak deal, and Plumley fears it is becoming a recurring trend.

The latest: Troubling times

Speaking to FI, Dr Plumley claims that Celtic’s youth-focused model means clubs south of the border may continue to exploit the rules.

“It’s largely because of Fifa regulations.

“England and Scotland are classed as different countries and they can settle on a compensation fee which is far lower than a transfer fee.

“Celtic do this in reverse as well, so you have to be mindful of it in this model. The player has a choice to stay at Celtic and develop into a £20m-plus player or move on and do the same at another club.

“Celtic have to be aware that big clubs will be looking at their players and are well placed to capitalise.

“For every Tierney, you manage to keep and sell for a big fee, you might have a few of these along the way.”

The verdict: Hands tied

Ultimately it would appear that there is very little Celtic or Nicholson can do about Premier League clubs attempting to cherry-pick their most prodigious talents.

At present, the Bhoys boast a wealth of promising youngsters in the likes of Johnny Kenny, Karamoko Dembele and Dane Murray, all of whom it would surely be hoped will continue their development at Lennoxtown, but Dembele for example could even be the next one to depart.

Perhaps Postecoglou, with the help of the likes of Nicholson, can help secure a clear pathway for youngsters to the first team whilst also doing a spot of talent recruitment themselves.

As for Doak and the compensation fee, the teenage winger looks to be destined for greatness and may always be regarded as the one who got away, both in terms of finance and impact on the pitch.

A number of Liverpool supporters have urged the club to sign Atletico Madrid striker Joao Felix after he was linked with a move to Anfield.

The Reds had a quiet summer in the transfer market, with Ibrahima Konate ending up being the only new player to come in.

While Liverpool are well-stocked in a number of areas, there was a feeling that they were an attacker light, with freshening up needed in the final third. With Roberto Firmino now 30 and arguably past his absolute best, seeing a younger alternative come in would have pleased many.

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According to Fichajes [via Anfield Edition on Twitter], Liverpool could potentially sign Felix on loan in January, but only if Jurgen Klopp has an option to buy him permanently.

The Portuguese has been hailed as a ‘genius’ by Atletico idol Paulo Futre and is believed to be keen on an exit from the La Liga champions. At the tender age of 21, he has already won league titles in two countries, earned 18 senior Portugal caps and commanded a transfer fee of €126m (£113m).

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Liverpool fans react to Felix rumour

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to get behind the rumour linking Felix with a move to Anfield, with some imploring sporting director Michael Edwards to work his magic.

“Just this”

Credit: @SalahFanV1

“Michael Edwards please”

Credit: @sethmensa_

“BRING HIM TO ANFIELD”

Credit: @starwart1

“I can’t think of a better replacement for Firmino. Literally a like for like replacement”

Credit: @NiHADlfc

“YES PLS”

Credit: @Wiogo21

“I hope this happens”

Credit: @yUNg_KellA

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to another transfer claim. Read more here.

According to a report by Fichajes, West Ham United are now eyeing another defender for David Moyes as news emerges on Athletic Bilbao ace Dani Vivian.

The Lowdown: West Ham in summer defence chase…

West Ham were linked with a plethora of centre-backs over the latest summer before they eventually managed to capture France international Kurt Zouma.

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Indeed, the likes of Nayef Aguerd and Duje Caleta-Car were also being eyed by GSB and the Irons but it appears that, despite signing Zouma, the club could still add another defender to Moyes’ ranks.

This comes amid question marks surrounding the future of Angelo Ogbonna with the Italian still yet to put pen to paper on an extension at the London Stadium.

The Latest: West Ham now eyeing Vivian…

As per Fichajes, the Irons are now eyeing promising Bilbao defender Vivian – with some work being done behind the scenes.

It is claimed that West Ham are ‘compiling statistical reports’ on the player and have been following him very recently alongside the likes of Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The report claims that Vivian is ‘on the agenda’ of West Ham and they also lift the lid on his €40 million (£34m) release clause.

The Verdict: Bigger priorities?

While Fichajes make it clear that the 22-year-old is a top talent with ‘tremendous physical power’ and £34m could be a bargain considering his potential, West Ham arguably have bigger priorities for the moment.

New head of recruitment Rob Newman needs to prioritise the signing of a new back up striker for Michail Antonio after the club’s failure to bring one in over 2021.

The Jamaica international has been in sublime form under Moyes but his injury history always proves to be a concern.

Indeed, an alternative goal scorer is arguably imperative over the signing of Vivian.

In other news: ‘Yessss’, ‘Beautiful’, ‘This is massive’…Many West Ham fans erupt as ‘actually brilliant news’ confirmed, find out more here.

Paul Stewart reckons that another of his former sides in Liverpool will be Manchester City’s closest challengers next season.

Following two outstanding seasons when they finished second by one point before romping to their first Premier League crown, Jurgen Klopp’s men struggled for much of the 2020-2021 campaign.

However, a 10-match unbeaten run, including five consecutive victories, saw Liverpool sneak back into the top four above Leicester, with the Reds eventually leapfrogging Chelsea on the final-day to come third and salvage something from an otherwise frustrating campaign.

Klopp has made just one summer addition in Ibrahima Konate, but now has both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez back available after long-term injuries saw them miss the majority of last season.

There’s also fans returning to grounds for the first time for more than 18 months, and Stewart exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that those factors could see Liverpool mount a title-challenge once again:

“I think they’ll challenge because he’s such a good manager. I think the fans will be back in the stadium, the two players that are coming back from injury will lighten up Liverpool into a challenge for the Premier League again.

“So, I see them being the closest to City out of all of them, even more so than Manchester United.”

With Liverpool’s top four rivals all strengthening significantly, Klopp has work to do in the window, but has kept almost every member that won the league two years ago, which means there’s no reason his mentality monsters can’t go again.

Aston Villa took their first win in five under new manager, Steven Gerrard on Saturday afternoon, with an attacking masterclass that enabled the side to bag two goals against Graham Potter’s Brighton.

Gerrard spoke out after the game to give his analysis on the game and explained why despite having less possession than the Seagulls, they were able to win the game comfortably with two goals in the last ten minutes of the game.

The Villa manager said;

“We wanted to block the middle of the pitch and when our moments came we wanted to semi-counter and full counter and wanted to hurt the opposition.

“It took until the last ten or 15 for us to look like a real threat but we have a lot of attacking players in squad who can run and who are dangerous.

“We allowed them to have the ball in certain areas of the pitch and when Brighton tried to win it from us, we made them pay.”

Despite winning the game with attacking tactics, Emi Buendia struggled to make a credible impact on the game, which is something he has been unable to do in his short time at Villa Park.

Buendia struggled to command the ball and be present in the final third, with a heavy touch that cost a potential big chance for Danny Ings during the game.

One player who didn’t start in Gerrard’s first game in charge was Anwar El Ghazi.

El Ghazi had a poor game against Southampton but has been known to offer moments of magic in his link up play with Ollie Watkins, scoring 26 goals and 15 assists since joining the club in 2018.

The winger came on moments before Watkins opened up the scoring for Villa in the 84th minute, with the player making a run outside so that the striker could move into the space to score the goal.

The £11.7m-rated gem has been in and out of the team for a while now but has proven on occasion that he is experienced in finding goal-scoring opportunities and assisting his teammates in the past, something Buendia is struggling to do for Villa, with just one assist in the league.

Gerrard will need to make a decision on whether he wants to include the 26-year-old in his future plans at the club, as he has been linked with a move away from the club, and on the radar of many clubs, who are keeping an eye on his situation at Villa.

The Villans will be pleased to have taken three points from the game this weekend as they plan to move away from a potential relegation battle but El Ghazi is somebody who must receive more game time.

In other news: Jacob Ramsey could be Steven Gerrard’s Grealish…

Leicester City have been linked with a move for Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles as Brendan Rodgers looks to strengthen his first-team squad this summer.

What’s the story?

According to BBC Sport (as reported by the Leicester Mercury), the Foxes are one of three Premier League clubs interested in signing the 23-year-old over the coming months alongside Burnley and Southampton.

Maitland-Niles is one of the players named as a potential makeweight from the Gunners in their proposed move for James Maddison, but it is understood that Leicester’s interest in the England international is not related to Maddison’s future.

Brendan Rodgers needs him

The versatile youngster made a big impression when he first burst onto the scene, putting in several solid performances in a variety of positions for the north London outfit.

His impressive displays saw Maitland-Niles earn a call-up to the senior England squad in August 2020, earning praise from former Nottingham Forest full-back Stuart Pearce.

“I think he’s been outstanding. I was surprised he didn’t get the nod to start before Saka last Thursday (against Wales). That was strange, for me,” revealed Pearce.

“Saka hasn’t done anything wrong, but I’m a big fan of Maitland-Niles. I saw him last season against Wolves, and he was up against the big lad Adama Traore. He was brilliant and coped really well up against him.

“For me, he’ll be integral to any success Arsenal have this season.”

Despite Pearce’s prediction, Maitland-Niles found first-team opportunities hard to come by at the Emirates Stadium last term, starting just five Premier League games in the opening months of the campaign.

The £14.4 million-rated gem was linked with a move to the King Power Stadium back in January as a result but ended up spending the second half of the season on loan with West Bromwich Albion.

Despite putting in some solid performances, Maitland-Niles was unable to prevent the Baggies from suffering relegation and returned to his boyhood club at the end of the campaign.

However, it doesn’t seem as though he’ll be back for long. His versatility, age and potential make him an ideal Leicester signing, and Rodgers needs an extra option on the right-hand side of attack or further back in defence.

Cengiz Under has departed following a disappointing 12-month spell with the Midlands outfit, leaving them lightweight in that particular position, with only Marc Albrighton a natural fit.

Therefore, director of football Jon Rudkin must swoop for Maitland-Niles this summer, adding another promising, young English talent to Rodgers’ ranks.

And, in other news…Rodgers must axe struggling £16.2m-rated Leicester dud, he’s been shocking