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Newcastle United are reportedly now moving to sign Issa Diop before the January transfer window shuts.

The Lowdown: Centre-back still needed

Despite the good business that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium have done so far this window, a central defender has still not been signed.

They have been strongly linked with moves for Brighton and Hove Albion duo Adam Webster and Dan Burn, and with just a few more days left in the month, expect the new owners to be very busy on their phones as the clock ticks down.

And now, according to reports from the player’s homeland, it is another Premier League club that the Magpies are plotting to raid.

The Latest: Diop move

As per L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), the North East club are now ‘making moves’ to sign Diop, and there have been ‘discussions in recent hours’ with the player’s camp over a potential switch.

They ‘considered’ signing the West Ham United centre-back at the start of the window before moving on to other targets, but now it looks as if they have gone back in for him.

The Verdict: Get it done

With the clock ticking by, the Tyneside outfit just need to get this deal done as soon as possible.

Diop would be an upgrade on what Eddie Howe currently has at his disposal, as he is currently averaging more tackles and passes at a higher success than Ciaran Clark, Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles in the Premier League so far this season (WhoScored), and is at a good age at 25.

With his six-foot-four frame, the Frenchman is a bit of a beast, and Jose Mourinho even went as far as to dub him a ‘monster‘ back in 2018, after dominating duels against his Manchester United team.

Nonetheless, with his added experience of playing in the top flight, Diop would be a very smart signing.

In other news, find out what exciting transfer update Keith Downie has dropped here!

Southampton have a very tough task on the horizon with a weekend trip to Anfield next up for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side to take on Liverpool in the Premier League after losing 2-1 to Norwich City last time out.

With Liverpool scoring more goals (35) than any other top-flight side so far this season, it’s safe to say that this will not be an easy match for the Saints, despite managing to beat them and keep a clean sheet against them in their 1-0 victory at St. Mary’s last season.

However, one player that has contributed to a significant number of those 35 goals that will be on the hunt to add more to his tally is Reds winger Mohamed Salah, who has a particular knack for scoring against the Saints.

In eight appearances against Southampton, Salah has managed to score seven goals and provide two assists.

With a total of 16 appearances under his belt across all competitions so far this season, the emphatic Egyptian has managed to net 16 times and supply six assists along the way, highlighting just how dangerous he has been in front of goal for Liverpool.

That’s exactly why Southampton will have to keep him contained if they want to have any chance of securing a positive result at the weekend to make up for their disappointing defeat at Norwich.

In addition to his incredible goals and assists record this season, the 29-year-old’s performances have earned him an overall season rating of 8.15/10, making him the highest-rated player in the Premier League according to WhoScored.

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Given how there has only been two league games that Salah, who has been labelled as a “top-class” player by Jurgen Klopp, has played in where he hasn’t scored a goal or provided an assist this season, Southampton’s defenders will have to be at the top of their game this weekend.

Assuming that Hasenhuttl will stick with Kyle Walker-Peters at left-back, he will have to make sure he puts in a better performance this weekend than he did against Norwich where he only managed to make one tackle and win 50% of his duels. If he performs like that again, then Salah could have a field day on the right flank.

If Southampton are able to keep their £90m-rated nemesis relatively quiet and off the scoresheet, this will give the Saints a great chance of coming away from Anfield with a positive result.

In other news: Ralph must unleash “quality” Southampton machine, he could give Klopp nightmares – opinion

During the recent summer months, Liverpool managed to tie down a number of their senior key players with new deals such as Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson, Jordan Henderson and Virgil van Dijk among others.

One player that didn’t put pen to paper on a new deal over the summer that has a current contract set to expire in 2023 is Sadio Mane.

However, it seems as though the club could have a chance to secure the winger with a new deal before his current one runs out.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Goal that Mane, who has been described as being like a “wild animal” on the pitch by Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, would like to stay at the Merseyside club and would like “recognition for years of stellar service and a salary befitting one of the world’s top players.”

He joined the Reds back in the 2016 summer transfer window from fellow Premier League side Southampton in a deal worth a reported fee of £34m and since then, his value has shot up to £76.5m according to Transfermarkt.

In the process, he has made a total of 234 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions, bagging 106 goals and 44 assists in the process, firmly cementing himself as a crucial figure for Jurgen Klopp.

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Taking this into account and the fact that only Mohamed Salah (11) has managed to score more goals in the Premier League than Mane (7), it’s understandable why the £100k-per-week earner would think he deserves a better deal than the one he’s currently on at the moment.

Moving forward, Michael Edwards needs to make sure that Mane signs a new contract at the Merseyside club before the current sporting director leaves his role in the summer.

Otherwise, the club could be staring down the barrel of a catastrophe if one of their star men left so easily, an eventuality that would surely leave Klopp furious if history were to repeat itself of their Gini Wijnaldum situation last summer.

In other news: FSG may be heading for a big Liverpool disaster in January on “outstanding” 26 y/o ace – opinion

Making a £4.5m move to Celtic back in the summer of 2020, expectations at Parkhead were high for Vasilis Barkas, with the Bhoys handing the goalkeeper a four-year deal believed to be worth around £20k-per-week.

However, after making just 23 appearances in all competitions, only one of which has come under the management of Ange Postecoglou this season, reports have claimed that the club are ready to cut their losses on the Greece international this January.

It is not difficult to see why, as, over his 15 Premiership appearances last time out, Barkas made an average of just one save and conceded 0.7 goals per game, returns that saw the £2.52m-rated 27-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore rating of just 6.79 – ranking him as the club’s joint ninth-worst performer in the league.

However, rather than splashing the cash on a new backup to Joe Hart this winter, it would appear wise for Postecoglou to take a closer look at one of the club’s up and coming prospects between the sticks – in the shape of Tobi Oluwayemi.

Postecoglou can axe Barkas by unleashing Oluwayemi

Having already been called up to first-team training by Postecoglou, as well as being selected to feature on the bench – ahead of Barkas – in Celtic’s Europa League campaign this season, it is clear that the 18-year-old shot-stopper is a player the Greek-Australian coach has high hopes for.

Indeed, speaking prior to the Bhoys’ 3-2 victory over Real Betis earlier this month, the 56-year-old manager said of Oluwayemi: “Stevie Woods, our goalkeeping coach, rates him very highly. We’ve had him up in training with the team and he’s shown some good qualities.

“With all of these guys, we try and include them as much as we can and give them that experience. Toby was on the [Europa League] list so it gives him a chance to travel with the team and get the experience.”

As such, while the England U19 international is yet to make a single appearance in senior football, it would very much appear as if he is a player who has the potential to one day go on to become Celtic’s number one, an objective that would only seem to be helped by him being included in the Hoops first-team squad on a much more regular basis.

So, should Celtic indeed move the 27-year-old Barkas who Tam McManus dubbed a “horrendous” player on this winter, it would seem a very intelligent move for Postecoglou to unleash the 18-year-old Oluwayemi in the Greek’s place.

In other news: Ange can finally axe “pathetic” £7.9k-p/w Celtic flop with swoop for £270k-rated beast

Celtic had a real opportunity this weekend to give their fiercest rivals a reminder that they’re still here.

This has been a torrid campaign for the Hoops and it didn’t get much better on Sunday afternoon, as they drew 1-1 at Parkhead.

It’s not often an Old Firm derby has little on it but because of the circumstances, this was one that was lacking in drama and ferociousness. Scott Brown wasn’t his usual bullish self and Alfredo Morelos’s discipline was near perfect.

It was a tale of two headers as Mohamed Elyounoussi’s diving leap opened the scoring before Morelos netted a tap in for the equaliser.

Elyounoussi was particularly vibrant and deserved his goal. He was playing off the wing but found himself in a central position to score a clinical header from a few yards out.

It was an inch-perfect assist from Odsonne Edouard, who delivered the cross, but besides the Frenchman and Elyounoussi, they lacked much in terms of attacking threat from other sources.

Unfortunately, it was yet another defensive mishap that cost Celtic. It’s been the story of their season to date and on this occasion, it was Jonjoe Kenny at fault.

His back pass went out for a corner from which Morelos scored and he didn’t cover himself in too much glory with his marking either.

Yet, if we are searching for positives we need to look no further than Stephen Welsh. When Christopher Jullien was ruled out for nine months, the Bhoys needed someone to step up.

Welsh has been that man. He is still relatively inexperienced but he’s struck up a fantastic partnership with Kristoffer Ajer that provides hope for the future. He has rarely put a foot wrong during his Celtic career and he was convincing once more on Sunday.

The 21-year-old was near flawless defensively, winning 85.7% of the duels he competed in. That meant the centre-back prevailed in two tackles, one interception and three clearances.

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On top of that, Welsh didn’t make a single foul, nor was he dribbled past by a Rangers player. On a day where his partner to the right, Kenny, looked out of sorts, the young centre-back managed to keep things watertight from his perspective.

Welsh was assured in possession, completing 90% of his passes while he even found room to make one of them a key pass which led to a shooting opportunity.

The central defender has only recently come into the team this year but he rose to the task of an Old Firm derby with ease. Long may his form continue.

AND in other news, Celtic must ruthlessly axe £15k-p/w “enigma” this summer, Lenny hated him…

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has reportedly now told his friends that he would like to leave Everton in the summer, with Arsenal being his preferred destination.

The Lowdown: Big interest

It has been reported that both the Gunners and Newcastle United have now made enquiries over the possibility of signing Calvert-Lewin this summer, who is almost certain to leave Goodison Park if they are relegated from the Premier League.

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His season has been plagued by injuries, but the striker has shown his credentials in previous campaigns on Merseyside (one of the best‘ in his position.

The Latest: Arsenal preferred

As per Football Insider, a recruitment source has revealed that Calvert-Lewin is now ‘likely’ to leave the Toffees in the summer, whether they end up getting relegated or not.

He has ‘told friends’ that he would prefer to move to Arsenal over Newcastle, implying that he would be happy to move on from the Blues.

The Verdict: Sell

Given that Calvert-Lewin is seemingly unhappy at EFC with his willingness to move, added on top of his injury problems, the summer may now be the best time for the board to cash in.

An England international at 25 years of age, the former Sheffield United ace should still command a big fee in today’s market, regardless of whether the club end up relegated.

Calvert-Lewin would not be easy to replace, but with the likes of Richarlison still in the squad, they could then use that money to strengthen in other areas of the pitch.

In other news, find out who has now been talked about as a potential Frank Lampard replacement here!

Nottingham Forest have reportedly launched a bid for Peterborough United striker Siriki Dembele, dealing a blow to Glasgow Rangers’ chase for a new versatile forward, Football Insider reports.

What’s the word?

Peterborough director of football Barry Fry claimed last month that “Rangers have watched Siriki twice” following initial reports of interest from Ibrox.

But they have been dealt an apparent transfer blow after it emerged that Forest have submitted a loan-to-buy bid for their reported target.

Since then, Fry has denied these claims that Forest have made a fresh attempt to lure Dembele to the City Ground.

However, this could be because the Posh may be holding out for a bigger fee for a move elsewhere.

Wilson should act swiftly

The 24-year-old has been impressive so far this season, in fact over recent seasons as well, since he moved to Peterborough from Grimsby Town in 2018.

Dembele scored six goals over the whole of last season but has already bagged the same amount in 21 appearances across all competitions this campaign so far, also bagging seven assists, with Posh performing well in League One.

For context, that’s more goal contributions than Alfredo Morelos himself has managed this season so far.

Whilst it would be a bit of a stretch to suggest that Dembele would be a substantial upgrade on the 24-year-old, who has established himself as a regular starter under Gerrard, the Posh ace’s stats are actually already stronger in almost every area than the Colombian’s this season.

Per WhoScored, the London-born Scottish national currently averages more dribbles and more key passes than Morelos. Although the Colombia international takes more shots, Dembele’s versatility could be an added bonus.

After all, Ryan Kent has been heavily linked with the Ibrox exit with a move to Premier League side Leeds United, whilst Brandon Barker, Jordan Jones and Glenn Middleton have all fallen afoul of Gerrard for various reasons so far.

Posh boss Darren Ferguson dubbed Dembele “destructive” for his performances during the club’s incredible run of form last season.

Signing Dembele would bolster Gerrard’s firepower and boost the wide options at the Rangers manager’s disposal.

However, if any club wishes to sign him in January or next summer he won’t come cheap, with 18 months left on his current contract. Therefore, Ross Wilson must act swiftly before it’s too late.

AND in other news, Rangers can find perfect Barker replacement in Aberdeen’s Scott Wright…

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly considering a move for Napoli centre-back Nikola Maksimovic and if he were to join the North London club, he could be an upgrade on Eric Dier.

According to Italian news outlet Spazio Napoli (via FourFourTwo), Jose Mourinho is keeping tabs on the Serbian defender, who is out of contract at the end of this season.

Spurs could even complete a cut-price deal for 29-year-old this month, although they are currently free to begin negotiations with Maksimovic with the view to signing him on a free transfer in the summer.

Mourinho’s side struggled from a defensive point of view in their defeat against Liverpool on Thursday night, with both Dier and young Joe Rodon making mistakes that led to goals, which suggests that defensive additions are necessary if the Portuguese manager does want to challenge for the title this season, or next.

Maksimovic could represent a cheap, experienced option, as he has managed 86 appearances for Napoli in his career thus far, including plenty of appearances in the Europa League and Champions League.

The Serbian’s performances in Serie A this season have earned him a 6.69 average rating, although he has been limited to just five starts, whilst Dier has averaged a 6.73 rating in the Premier League from 18 starts.

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However, when given a consistent run of games in the Europa League, the Napoli centre-back has averaged a stronger 6.89 rating for his performances.

Maksimovic also scores much higher when it comes to passing when compared with Dier, registering a 94.8% pass success rate in Italy’s top-flight, whereas Dier has managed a much lower 82.2% pass accuracy on average.

The Serbian has also managed more tackles, more interceptions and fewer fouls on average than the England international, which suggests that he would be a strong addition to Mourinho’s squad.

Therefore, if Daniel Levy can complete a bargain deal for the 6 ft 4 centre-back this month, he could be the man to replace Dier in this Tottenham side, which based on recent performances from the former Sporting Lisbon man, can only be a good thing.

And, in other news… Forget Di Maria: Levy can sign Jose a goalscoring winger and he won’t cost a penny

Celtic’s pursuit of Eddie Howe has been a lengthy and drawn-out affair.

The Hoops were thought to be in advanced negotiations with the 43-year-old at the beginning of April but a number of sticking points have emerged in their chase since.

Howe doesn’t want to move to Parkhead or into any other job before the summer while they’ve also had to wait until Bournemouth’s season finished.

The Englishman managed the Cherries over two spells and wanted to bring a number of their coaching staff to Paradise with him.

Their campaign has now come to a conclusion so a deal could begin to accelerate in the coming days.

Though, if it continues to stall then Celtic chiefs should consider Frank Lampard for the vacant position.

Lampard lost his job with Chelsea back in January and has had a number of offers to return to management since. He’s caught the eye of the Bhoys and despite a deal for Howe being on the table, they are reportedly still keen on the 42-year-old.

Crucial for the Hoops is that he possesses Champions League and European experience, something he can easily one-up on Howe.

Celtic are in dire need of appointing someone used to the rigorous demands of continental football and league football.

Howe has managed in the Championship where the fixture list is pretty gruelling in itself but the travel demands aren’t quite as tough.

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Lampard, however, is familiar with the mentality and attitude needed to flourish on two stages at the same time.

Having left Brendan Rodgers “really impressed”, he’s received the seal of approval from a former manager at Parkhead. Vitally, though, he’d offer the club a manager adept at working with young players.

Celtic are stuck in a transition period at the moment where they need to move away from older statesmen like Scott Brown and Leigh Griffiths, and instead move towards the next generation.

Karamoko Dembele and Adam Montgomery made more of a breakthrough towards the back end of the season and could profit from a manager like Lampard.

He mentored Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount at Derby and then Chelsea as the pair rose to prominence. Lampard helped progress Reece James towards being a candidate for England’s squad at the upcoming European Championships and finally gave Tammy Abraham a chance to thrive at Stamford Bridge.

Last season, meanwhile, the former England international fielded the fourth-youngest squad in the entire Premier League with an average age of 24.3.

If anyone is finally going to extract more from Dembele and the club’s reserve side, it’s Lampard.

Combine his mentorship with the fact Celtic can register a reserve team in the Lowland League and a pathway suddenly begins to emerge at Lennoxtown.

That’s something that was very rarely the case under Neil Lennon.

Therefore, if Howe’s move does fall by the wayside, they certainly have an attractive alternative lined up.

AND in other news, £10m beast granted work permit ahead of possible Celtic move, he’d be great for Howe…

Alasdair Gold could only slam the display of Serge Aurier as Tottenham Hotspur lost 3-0 away at Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Europa League, with the journalist dropping his player ratings after the match.

The bad result after extra time meant that Spurs went out of the competition after winning the first leg 2-0 at home, with plenty of players to point the finger at in the North London club’s dressing room.

Gold was particularly critical of the performance of Aurier, who was given a torrid time down his side by Mislav Orsic, who ended up scoring a quite sublime hat-trick for the Croatian outfit.

Writing in his latest player ratings piece for football.london, the journalist claimed that Aurier ‘struggled’ down his flank and gave Orsic ‘so much time and space’ to score his first goal.

Gold also pointed out that the former Paris Saint Germain man was ‘sloppy’ in attack as well, as he let Orsic breeze past him to complete his treble, giving him a mere 3/10 overall rating, the joint-lowest out of any of his teammates to have set foot on the pitch along with Dele Alli.

Aurier struggled all night

As Gold points out, Aurier struggled to deal with Orsic, and his overall game was not the best at all for such an experienced player.

The Ivory Coast international lost out on three of his duels and also failed to block any shots or make any key passes in the match, while also losing possession of the ball no fewer than on 20 separate occasions, the fourth-most out of any Lilywhites player (Sofascore).

Nonetheless, he will have to perform much better than that if Jose Mourinho is going to keep him in the side in the longer term.

In other news, find out which global star Daniel Levy will be offered a chance to sign here!