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According to Japanese news agency Kyodo, as translated and shared by the Glasgow Times, Celtic are also set to sign Gamba Osaka midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi alongside known targets Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate.

The Lowdown: Celtic eye Maeda and Hatate moves…

Ange Postecoglou, coming after the summer signing of Japan international Kyogo Furuhashi, has been heavily tipped to add more talent from the Asian continent to his Hoops roster.

The former Australia national team manager knows these players well with Celtic’s boss having also apparently set his sights on both Maeda and Hatate over these last few months.

Maeda, a striker for Ange’s ex-club Yokohama F Marinos, has been on their radar with the 24-year-old bagging an incredible 23 goals and five assists in 36 J-League starts over 2021 (Transfermarkt).

Hatate, meanwhile, a versatile left-back for Kawasaki Frontale, has also been at the centre of reports that his move to Parkhead is also a matter of time.

The Latest: Celtic also set to sign Ideguchi…

As per Kyodo, shared and translated by The Glasgow Times, Celtic are now also set ‘to win’ Ideguchi alongside the heavily linked duo.

The 25-year-old, a former Leeds United midfield player, comes as part of a stunning Japanese triple swoop with the transfers apparently on the verge of completion.

The Verdict: Right man?

Ideguchi’s inclusion in this raid should raise some eyebrows, not least because Celtic’s fresh interest has attracted some raised eyebrows from experts on Twitter.

Respected journalist Dan Orlowitz of The Japan Times, for instance, at first glance thought Ange’s interest in the ex-Whites man was ‘kind of insane’ – citing the fact he ‘threw his international career away’ during his spell at Elland Road (Twitter).

However, looking at the positives, other Asian football experts have actually praised Ideguchi for turning his form around in recent seasons.

Speaking to HITC, Alan Gibson, the editor of JSoccer magazine, explained how the midfield ace is ‘prepared to be hard’ and possesses a ‘touch of malice’ – perhaps leaving little wonder why Ange wants him in Glasgow.

Celtic’s boss is certainly familiar with Ideguchi actually haunting Ange during his time as the Socceroos head coach.

Ending Japan’s once seven-game run without a win against Australia in 2017, Ideguchi grabbed a goal against Ange’s side to help secure his country a place in the 2018 World Cup with a 2-0 triumph (Taipei Times).

That result briefly came as a ‘major blow’ to the Aussies in their quest for Russian qualification, though they eventually made it with a 3-1 win over Honduras.

Clearly, Ideguchi’s reportedly imminent arrival comes as a mixed bag but Celtic supporters will be hoping Ange can get the very best out of him.

In other news, Celtic are eyeing this Bundesliga star…

Manchester United have a very important decision to make regarding their managerial position.

At this point, we expect that interim manager, and well-known advocate of the gegenpress; Ralf Rangnick, will be moving upstairs to begin his consultancy role.

Going by the latest reports, the race to become Red Devils boss is between managerial heavyweights Erik ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino, with Luis Enrique said to be concentrating on his job with the Spain National Team.

What’s the word?

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has given his opinion on the apparent front-runner, Erik ten Hag.

Pep worked with the 52-year-old Ajax manager at Bayern Munich and believes there is no doubt that ten Hag would be a success in the Premier League.

When asked about ten Hag, the Spaniard said:

“Are you asking me if Erik ten Hag could be here? Definitely. A lot could be here and I think he could be one of the ones.

“For the way he approaches the game, definitely, definitely.”

Glazers can win back United

City boss, Pep Guardiola, is a fan of ten Hag and his philosophy, describing him as “incredible” whilst praising his Ajax side as a team.

Ten Hag has previously been tipped to takeover Guardiola’s position when he eventually opts to call time on what has so far been a very successful spell at the club.

Prompted about this, Pep said that he would endorse him to City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain as he said “I will say it to Txiki now.”

With Pep’s endorsement for his fellow mass-possession advocate, the reported 87.9% of the United fanbase who want the club’s board to appoint the 52-year-old will be ecstatic.

A mere 12.1% of supporters want Pochettino and thus, if the Glazers end up picking the Dutchman, they could win back the Old Trafford faithful and also guarantee a much rosier future.

After all, the Argentine has already struggled with the big egos of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at PSG and considering the number of stars in the United side, it wouldn’t bode well.

Whilst this endorsement from one of the most successful managers of all time is wholeheartedly positive, it’s an act that may panic United fans with Guardiola well into the final 18-months of his contract and potentially due to call-time on his Manchester City career in 2023.

The Red Devils faithful will surely want the club to act now, before noisy neighbours Manchester City hijack the deal in what would be an incredibly astute move and ultimate act of one-upmanship from the Citizens.

Taking away a head coach from the jaws of their City rivals would surely go down well with fans and everyone associated with the red side of Manchester. It really does feel like there are only cons to hiring the 52-year-old. Pep does think he’s incredible, after all.

In other news – Man Utd now plot bid to sign £31.5m dynamo, he’s ever better than Rashford – opinion

Wolves have had a pretty underwhelming January transfer window when it comes to adding new first-team players to their squad, with Hayao Kawabe and Sang-bin Jeong arriving and then being loaned out to Grasshopper Club Zurich shortly after.

However, it seems as though the Old Gold have their eyes on securing the signing of a potential future star that has been tearing it up at youth level with his current club.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness) Wolves are one of the three teams that have shown an interest in signing 18-year-old Paris Saint-Germain winger Djeidi Gassama alongside Hamburg and FC Basel.

The winger joined PSG’s youth ranks from fellow French club Stade Brest back in 2019 and has managed to rack up five goals and three assists in just six UEFA Youth League games last year, showing the attacking talent he has and how much of an exciting young prospect he is.

Traore 2.0

As a young winger that has experience of playing for a top European club at youth level, a move for Gassama from Wolves could be seen as being the club’s potential long-term replacement for Adama Traore, who has recently returned to Barcelona after working his way through their youth ranks before eventually moving to Wolves.

In addition to that, with an ability to score goals, provide assists and play across a number of attacking positions on the pitch, the 18-year-old certainly has the capabilities of developing his game and becoming an exciting player for Wolves in the future.

That’s much in the same way that Traore was, who was also capable of playing in numerous of attacking positions.

Moving forward, if Wolves are able to strike a deal to bring Gassama to Molineux before the end of the day and he follows in the same footsteps as Chiquinho, who made the move to the Midlands club earlier in the window, this could be a mouth-watering transfer for the Old Gold if the player can grow and acclimatise himself to English football positively.

In other news: “I have been told..”: BBC journo drops deadline day Wolves update, fans surely gutted – opinion

Wolves have rejected Tottenham’s £15million bid for Adama Traore, according to reliable journalist John Percy.

The Lowdown: Constant Traore exit rumour

The 25-year-old has been continually linked with an exit from Molineux in recent weeks, whether it be for the January transfer window or this summer.

Bruno Lage seemingly doesn’t see Traore as part of his plans moving forward, with some reports even suggesting the manager has green-lighted an exit, so it feels inevitable that he will leave the club in the near future.

Spurs are clearly the front-runners to snap up the Spaniard and a key update has now emerged regarding their pursuit of him.

The Latest: Wolves turn down £15m bid

According to The Telegraph‘s Percy, Wolves have turned down a £15million bid for Traore from the north Londoners, as the journalist claimed it is “becoming a bit of a saga” on Twitter.

Wanderers value the wide man at £20million and won’t budge until that amount is met.

The Verdict: Up the offer, Spurs

Spurs know what they have to do in order to get their man and it would benefit all parties if they simply up their offer and get a deal completed.

Traore himself is likely to jump at the chance of a fresh challenge – he has only managed ten starts in the Premier League this season – and Wolves can hopefully then use the money on a new signing this month.

While the Spain international has done good things in a Wolves shirt, his tendency to flatter to deceive means it is time for him to move on, with just 11 goals to his name in 153 appearances for the club.

In other news, some Wolves fans have reacted to a transfer exit rumour. Read more here.

Having signed for Everton last month for a fee believed to be around £16m, there is certainly a lot of hope for young right-back Nathan Patterson.

The Scotsman is yet to make a first-team appearance for the Toffees since his move from Scottish champions Rangers having played once for the U23s, however, it’ll only be a matter of time before the youngster is given an opportunity…or at least it should be.

On the chalkboard

With first-choice right-back Seamus Coleman now 33-years-old and in his 13th season at Goodison Park, there is little doubt that the loyal servant will have to step down in the near future.

Although the Irishman appears to be new manager Frank Lampard’s preferred option too, having started the 4-1 FA Cup win over Brentford, there will surely be a chance for Patterson to show the new manager what he can do before the end of the season.

Patterson has been highly rated up in Scotland over recent seasons, particularly at an international level, having made his senior Scotland debut in June, just before the start of the European Championships, in which the right-back played six minutes.

Recently, the 20-year-old was subject to serious praise from Scotland teammate Che Adams, who described the Scotsman as “fantastic” after scoring his first goal and assisting the Southampton striker in a World Cup Qualifier against Moldova in November.

Moreover, former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard directed plenty of praise towards the youngster, saying after another impressive Scotland performance: “It was certainly no surprise. You’re talking about a kid who is really hungry, he’s full of desire and commitment. I think you could see that in his performances.

“It was really good for me to see him playing with other top players like Andy Robertson and Billy Gilmour, these type of players.”

However, whilst in charge at Ibrox, Gerrard didn’t give Patterson as many opportunities as his price tag would’ve suggested, with the right-back making just five appearances in the Premiership as the Gers secured their first league title in ten years.

The Scotsman did make 14 appearances in total in all competitions last term and also scored a goal against Royal Antwerp in the Europa League.

This campaign, prior to the move to Merseyside, the right-back got slightly more of a look in, making six league appearances as well as two in the Europa League, two in the League Cup and one in the Europa League Qualifiers.

There’s little doubt that the Everton hierarchy signed Patterson thinking that he could certainly be the long-term heir to Seamus Coleman’s throne. However, the 20-year-old will need to be trusted by Lampard and given opportunities to prove that he has what it takes.

In other news: Lampard drops worrying injury update that’ll have Everton fans sweating

As per an update by Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo, there has been a promising update as Tottenham Hotspur’s links to Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho continue.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye attacker move?

Since the departure of former club favourite and long-serving midfield creator Christian Eriksen, there is certainly a case to be made that Tottenham have severely missed his presence.

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The likes of Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli have failed to replicate the Dane’s influence further forward leading to Tottenham reportedly scouring the market for fresh faces.

Juventus ace Dejan Kulusevski, who can operate as an advanced playmaker, is on Fabio Paratici’s transfer list whilst the Lilywhites have also been linked with Man United outcast Jesse Lingard and Coutinho.

In an update on the latter target, Mundo Deportivo have now dropped a fairly encouraging claim.

The Latest: Coutinho ‘would choose’ Tottenham…

As per their information, it cannot be ruled out that Barca may sell Coutinho ‘in the coming days’ as they work to find him a new club.

Indeed, the Brazil international is apparently ‘already’ eyeing an exit and is ‘receiving offers’ – but is it believed the 29-year-old ‘would choose’ Tottenham over fellow suitors Newcastle United.

The Verdict: Get it done Paratici?

There is little denying that the midfielder comes with plenty of pedigree having already dazzled for ex-club Liverpool in England.

Coutinho managed a brilliant 54 goals and 45 assists in all competitions for the Reds over his 201 appearances, highlighting the fact he is a proven Premier League player, while compatriot Roberto Firmino has even called him ‘magical’ and ‘phenomenal’ (Goal).

Barca would apparently accept €20 million (£16.6m) for the player this month too, but the only red herring for Spurs is arguably Coutinho’s sky-high £380,000-per-week wages.

This is almost double the salary of Tottenham’s highest earners Harry Kane and Tanguy Ndombele with the South American almost certainly having to accept a big wage reduction if he wishes to seal a north London move.

In other news: Tottenham racing to sign ‘sensational’ player with Levy willing to table ‘huge’ offer, find out more here.

Celtic have been hit with a fresh injury setback over defender Josip Juranovic after the Old Firm clash on Sunday…

What’s the latest?

The Hoops full-back was forced off in the 67th minute of the game as he hobbled off with what appeared to be a hamstring strain and was replaced by Anthony Ralston.

Bhoys boss Ange Postecoglou did not comment on his situation after the match and Celtic now face a nervous wait to find out the severity of the injury in the coming days.

Supporters will be gutted

This news will surely leave Celtic supporters gutted as it will be a big blow to lose him for any period of time between now and the end of the season. Depending on how bad of a strain it is, he could be out for days, weeks, or months and that is why the supporters will be anxious to hear more about him.

After he came off, Ralston struggled against Ryan Kent for the rest off the game. Athletic journalist Jordan Campbell noted that the Gers were “getting joy” against the Scot and this highlights Juranovic’s importance to the team and the impact his loss will have in the coming weeks if he is missing.

The difference between Celtic when he was off and on the pitch in the Scottish Cup semi-final clash was obvious, as illustrated by Campbell’s comment. They struggled defensively after he went off as Ralston was unable to cope with the Gers and this suggests that it would be a disaster if the Croatian is now absent for a number of games.

In the Premiership this season, he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.21 across 27 appearances. He has helped the Hoops to keep 11 clean sheets in the league, making 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game whilst winning 56% of his duels.

This shows that he has been strong defensively and a key part of Postecoglou’s resilient back line in the division throughout the campaign. However, he has also caught the eye going the other way with 1.4 key passes per game and three goals, showing that he can find the back of the net himself and create openings for his teammates to score from.

Therefore, he has been crucial for the Hoops this season with his flying play down the flank. He has been able to impress in attack whilst remaining consistent and reliable at the back and the fans will be gutted by this injury blow.

AND in other news, AND in other news, Signed for 7 figures, left for peanuts: Celtic had a mare on “unplayable” £15k-p/w dud…

According to reports by Voetbal24 (via SportWitness), West Ham are a ‘serious candidate’ for Club Brugge star Hans Vanaken, who is expected to make a Premier League move if he wins the Belgian Golden Shoe.

The Lowdown: Vanaken having a fantastic season

Attacking-midfielder Vanaken signed for Brugge in 2015, having already spent five seasons playing in Belgium – first at Lommel United, then at KSC Lokeren.

The Belgium international is currently having a fantastic campaign in the Jupiler Pro League, having scored five goals and producing two assists.

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He has also performed on the European stage, scoring three times and assisting once in six Champions League games this season – drawing international attention.

The Latest: Vanaken linked with the Hammers

The Hammers have long been linked with the midfielder, having previously been rejected by the player following a £15 million bid. Vanaken cited that if he were to move to the Premier League, he would want only want to do so to win trophies.

However, according to a report by Voetbal24 (via SportWitness), if Vanaken is able to bring home the Belgian Golden Shoe, it is expected that he will move to the Premier League, with West Ham now once again considered a serious candidate.

This arises after a previous report Voetbal24 (via SportWitness) claimed that the move was no longer out of the question despite the previous rejection.

The Verdict: A fine addition for David Moyes

The attacking-midfielder could prove to be a fantastic addition to David Moyes’ side, who have struggled for goals recently, with Michail Antonio failing to score in his last seven Premier League games.

Former teammate Onur Kaya has said that Vanaken has the technique of a much smaller player – he is 6 foot 5 – and believes that his friend ‘has his place at 16 of the 20 Premier League clubs’.

Current teammate and former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has even claimed that Vanaken is a better finisher ‘than Roberto Firmino’ and that he is of a ‘comparable level to Mo [Salah]’.

It seems that the Belgian beast could be the perfect fit for West Ham as an alternative goalscoring option playing off Antonio, so fans will surely hope to see this deal cross the line.

A transfer update has emerged on Sunderland and their interest in Tottenham winger Jack Clarke…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the Black Cats are eyeing up a potential swoop to sign the attacker before the window slams shut next week.

The report claims that Spurs have given him the green light to head out on loan and Sunderland are one of a number of teams showing interest in his services, having made an approach to bring him in.

McGeady 2.0

Lee Johnson could land a new wing wizard by securing a loan deal for Clarke in the coming days as he could be a fine addition to the squad.

The 21-year-old has not been able to kick on since joining Spurs from Leeds and a move to League One could be his chance to make a breakthrough at senior level and impress on a regular basis. He has the raw qualities to be an excellent player for the Black Cats and could be the next Aiden McGeady on the wing.

He has been restricted to youth team outings of late, with four goals and two assists in his last eight academy matches for Spurs. This is after he made played 14 times in the Championship on loan to Stoke last season, joining Spurs after making 25 appearances for the Lillywhites in the second tier.

Former Leeds man Noel Whelan was effusive in his praise of Clarke prior to the player’s move to Tottenham, saying:

“He’s quite a player, he really is. At the minute I would say he’s better as an impact player, coming off the bench second half when teams are a little bit tired.

“He has got a great ability to glide past players. I don’t think I’ve seen a winger really as talented as that, where it looks effortless, just to take somebody on and he really does get you on the edge of your seat, he’s one of those exciting players.

“He’s only going to get better but once again a player we can only enjoy if we go into the Premier League because there’s teams sniffing around him.”

This provides an insight into the type of player he is as he likes to beat defenders and make things happen. McGeady is a player who has a similar style, with the Irishman holding a career average of 3.1 key passes and dribbles per game, whilst he also has his own signature skill move – the McGeady spin.

Therefore, Clarke could come in and be the club’s McGeady 2.0 if he is able to find his feet and fulfil his potential under Johnson’s management. The Black Cats must now work hard to ensure that they are able to win the race for the wing wizard’s signature.

AND in other news, 13 duels won: Sunderland beast with six tackles was Johnson’s shining light vs Pompey…

Having gone through October and November without a win in the Premier League and with just one victory under their belt from four league games so far this month, Everton have been going through a rather rough patch in their season, leading to public fan unrest and the departure of Marcel Brands from his role at as their director of football.

One factor that has contributed to Everton’s poor form this season is the fact that Toffees striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin hasn’t played a game since August as a result of a fractured toe.

Taking into account how he managed to score a goal in all three of Everton’s opening games of the campaign that he played in, this shows just how important he is to the team in an attacking sense and why their results have dipped since he’s been out of action.

Despite his injury, Calvert-Lewin has still managed to be linked with a move away from Goodison Park with fellow Premier League club Arsenal interested in signing him in the future.

Given how important he’s proved himself to be for Everton this season alone, it would be nothing short of an unforgiveable disaster for the club and Rafa Benitez if he left anytime soon.

Since making his senior debut for the Toffees back in December 2016, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £40.5m according to Transfermarkt, has gone on to score 56 goals and provide 16 assists in 176 appearances across all competitions.

Having been praised by former Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti for being “cold” in front of goal, it’s safe to say that Everton would be in a better position than the one they’re currently in had Calvert-Lewin been available for the entire campaign.

With all of this in mind, Benitez will undoubtedly be hoping that not only will the England international be able to make a full recovery as soon as possible but also that he doesn’t get tempted with a move away from the club to somewhere like Arsenal. An eventuality like that surely wouldn’t improve the relationship between the Everton fans and Benitez.

On a more positive note, the fact that Calvert-Lewin’s contract at the Merseyside club isn’t set to expire until the summer of 2025 should put to bed any concerns that some Everton fans may have that he will be leaving anytime soon.

That said, with a torrid run of form, seeing their best player head for pastures new would only exacerbate their problems and the pressure on the manager’s shoulders. Considering his relationship with the fans already, selling him could have disastrous consequences.

In other news: Benitez should brutally axe £110k-p/w “nightmare” who’s thrown his Everton career away – opinion