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Celtic fans will have breathed a sigh of relief after finally registering a win on Sunday. The Hoops had hit a huge slump in form that stemmed from their defeat to Rangers at Celtic Park last month. Despite being held by Aberdeen in the Premiership, the holding league champions came back with a vengeance in the Scottish Cup.

Thanks to Ryan Christie and Mohamed Elyounoussi, Celtic banked the win over the Dons and they head into the final of the competition. Whilst morale will be high in camp, Neil Lennon has some tricky decisions to make moving forwards.

Neil Lennon dilemma

Star striker Odsonne Edouard has returned to the pitch but has yet to make an impact since being ruled out with coronavirus. Recent comments made by the player could suggest that his future lies elsewhere, too. This will undoubtedly be resting heavy on Lennon’s mind as he decides which players to prioritise in this tricky season.

Elyounoussi has been in superb form for the Hoops but hasn’t been a regular starter. The Southampton loanee has been benched twice in the league this season and left out completely on one occasion against St Mirren. Despite his impressive goal return of seven and an additional four assists so far, it doesn’t seem Lennon is completely convinced as he continues to rotate his squad (via Transfermarkt).

Similarly, Leigh Griffiths has made big impacts coming off the bench this term. The 30-year-old hasn’t been on the right side of the manager recently after being subject to comments on his weight and fitness. However, Griffiths has outlined that he is keen to push on and break into the club’s top 20 goal scorers.

He has been out for some of the season with a calf injury but since his return, the striker has netted two goals in three games, both in substitute appearances.

Albian Ajeti is another contender to start in Lennon’s seemingly ever-changing lineup. Despite starting against Lille and getting himself an assist, the Swiss man was benched for the Aberdeen clash. Not to mention Patryk Klimala, who has been paired up with Elyounoussi as of late, but left out for Celtic’s last three matches (via Sofascore).

With five key players fighting for a place in the squad, now isn’t the time to be experimenting. Lennon needs to decide on a reliable attack that will see the Hoops over the line this season, or too many mistakes could hand Rangers the title.

In other news, Neil Lennon must not ignore recent pledge from Leigh Griffiths…

Liverpool are conducting their business early this summer and now new left-back Kostas Tsimikas is through the door, it’s time for further additions up the pitch.

What’s the word?

According to Yahoo Esportes, the Premier League champions have made contact with Brazilian outfit Vasco da Gama over a potential move for young forward Talles Magno.

The 18-year-old is hot property across Europe with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille and Sevilla also mooted with interest.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail expand on this story and claim that due to the club’s difficult financial situation, Vasco could be open into telling their prized asset for just £18m despite having a £45m release clause.

Firmino mould

This would be quite the bargain for the Reds if they are able to do a deal for the enigmatic teenager.

Magno was part of Brazil’s U17 World Cup-winning squad and was named in the Guardian’s top 60 talents to watch in 2019, where they labelled him a ‘breath of fresh air’ who is ‘utterly unafraid to use his skills’ to take on opponents.

He’s even been likened to Neymar as a result, but interestingly, it’s the comparison to Merseyside nemesis Richarlison which hints at a suitability to Jurgen Klopp’s system at Anfield.

The 6 foot 1 forward can play centrally or out wide and is known for his dribbling ability and showboating – he’d surely be right at home in Merseyside given the current Brazilian contingent at the club.

Magno is very much a similar build to Roberto Firimino and if you were to blend Neymar with Richarlison, then the apple wouldn’t fall too far away from being a match to Liverpool’s current number nine.

Which could be why Klopp is keen to bolster his attacking ranks with a player could fit in instantly and become the perfect understudy to the underrated 28-year-old.

He very much appears to be a special talent, one that Liverpool should be gagging to sign.

AND in other news, 6-foot La Liga colossus would be a bargain replacement for Dejan Lovren…

It’s the moment many Glasgow Rangers fans have been waiting for – the FIFA 21 ratings are finally out!

The football simulation game, which has been going ever since FIFA International Soccer was released in 1993, is one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. Every year, fans wait eagerly to find out how their favourite players are rated in the game and, more often than not, there is outrage when the numbers are revealed.

This year is no different. The grades for the players in the Scottish Premiership have been revealed, and it does not make for great reading for Gers supporters – there is just one representative from the Ibrox outfit in the league’s top ten, which is otherwise made up of Celtic players. The Gers’ top players are James Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos, who have both received 75 – the Bhoys have nine players who at least match that rating.

As you can imagine, the fans have taken to Twitter to quickly share their thoughts on the matter, with one supporter even calling the ratings “embarrassing”. You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

According to Football Insider, Chris Hughton has told friends that he is set to take the hot-seat at Bristol City, meaning that Glasgow Rangers’ Steven Gerrard is all but out of the picture.

Gerrard, who has now been at Ibrox for two seasons, had been linked with a move to the English Championship side along with the former Brighton boss, with him emerging as a shock target for the club’s billionaire owner Steve Landsown. However, if Hughton’s reported latest words are anything to go by, the former Liverpool man will not be moving on from his current job any time soon.

There would have been plenty of reasons why a move to England would be appealing to Gerrard. After all, that is likely where he will want to end up in the long term, and the Championship is a very competitive league. Also, he would have more funds available to him – for example, last term the Ashton Gate outfit spent £29.39m, whilst the 54-time Scottish champions have not spent that much in the last two seasons combined.

Having said that, Gerrard still has unfinished business north of the border – he is still without a trophy at the Gers and, although there have been some positive signs, such as their progression to the Europa League round of 16, the only real success that will count, at the end of the day, is silverware.

As such, it is a big boost for the club that Gerrard looks as though he will be staying put – clearly, he is still hungry and believes that he may not be too far away from reaching his goals.

Let us know what you think below!

Hibernian are after Ross McCrorie from Rangers this summer. The 22-year old midfielder spent last season on loan at Portsmouth, and is on the radar of Hibs boss Jack Ross.

According to Edinburgh News, McCrorie would prefer a permanent move away from Ibrox this summer rather than going out on loan again. Jack Ross is in pursuit of the versatile midfielder and he feels like the addition of McCrorie will be vital to his squad.

McCrorie has played nearly 50 times for Rangers, though has been subject to various loan spells at Ayr, Dumbarton and recently Portsmouth. He is a defensive midfielder by trade, though he can also play at centre-half and right-back if needed.

The young Scott has two years left on his contract, and it is still unclear as to whether or not Rangers would be willing to let him leave on a permanent deal. In addition to McMcrorie, Hibs are also hopeful of signing Greg Docherty on a permanent deal from Rangers, having spent the last few months with Hibs.

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers take on Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday, and McCrorie is in his extended squad, despite being low-down the pecking order.

Rangers could lose a future gem

If Hibs can sign McCrorie on a permanent deal he would be a great addition to their squad and he has a lot of potential for the future also. He is very versatile and can fill in many positions if needed, and this is vital for any team. Rangers would hope to keep him on loan, though McCrorie is after a permanent move to progress in his career.

McCrorie is a natural born leader, having captained the Scotland under-21 team, and has had a taste playing at different levels during his loan spells. It would definitely be a great move for the young Scotsman.

According to The Evening Standard’s David Lynch, Liverpool have turned down the chance to sign RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner this summer due to two key reasons.

What did he say?

The Germany international has been linked with a move to Anfield for a number of months now, with recent reports indicating that Werner would be prepared to join Jurgen Klopp’s side should they meet his release clause.

But now, the forward looks set to join Liverpool’s Premier League rivals Chelsea, and Lynch has suggested that a couple of reasons played a part in them choosing not to make a move themselves.

Can you spot your Xabi Alonso from your Bruno Cheyrou? This Liverpool quiz will have you questioning your knowledge…

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He said: “With Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino set to stay put this summer, the Reds feel they would have been unable to offer the sort of regular game time the 24-year-old might expect.

“That famed front three have been virtually ever-present for Liverpool since first being assembled by Klopp ahead of the 2017-18 season. The German is believed to favour relying on his current crop of fringe players, including Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino, to back them up next term.”

Gamble

Make no mistake about it, Liverpool are taking a major gamble by not choosing to bring Werner to Anfield.

Not only are they missing out on someone who could provide them with extra firepower to ease the goal-scoring burden on the likes of Mane and Salah, but they are seeing him join one of their direct rivals.

It’s a double blow for Klopp, and whilst his trust in his back-up options like Origi and Minamino is admirable, it’s certainly a big ask for those two to come straight into the starting eleven and offer anything close to the kind of quality provided by Mane and co.

If next season doesn’t pan out in the way the Reds want, then this moment will surely be looked back on as a potentially decisive one.

Loads of Tottenham fans have reacted to a post from the club’s official Twitter account featuring Son Heung-min. 

Spurs uploaded a photo of Son to mark a year since he swept up all the accolades at the end of the season awards ceremony.

Ever since he arrived at White Hart Lane from Bayer Leverkusen for £27m back in the summer of 2015, the South Korea international has established himself as a true fan favourite with the Lilywhites, scoring 83 goals and creating 44 assists in 220 appearances for the north London club.

‘Sonny’ has played in 21 Premier League so far this season, bagging nine goals and providing seven assists, taking three shots per game, averaging 1.4 key passes and completing 2.3 dribbles on average this season (via WhoScored). He recently completed mandatory military service with flying colours and is spending two weeks isolating after arriving back in the UK (The Sun).

As expected, many Spurs fans buzzed over the club’s post, with one supporter dubbing him a “legend” and another adding that Son is “amazing”.

Scroll down through the rest of the best reactions below…

Tottenham fans, are you looking forward to seeing Son back on the pitch when the season resumes? Let us know in the comments section!

According to Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold, Tottenham are wary of blocking Troy Parrott’s path into the first-team as they continue to search for a new striker.

What did he say?

The north London side were in the market for a new centre-forward throughout the January transfer window, but failed to see a deal for the likes of Olivier Giroud come to materialise.

With Harry Kane and Heung-min Son out injured, Spurs’ shortage of options up front has been laid bare, and while Gold has admitted that the Lilywhites are on the look-out for a number nine, he did reveal Jose Mourinho’s team are “wary” of stopping Parrott’s progression.

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He said: “Spurs are wary of blocking the path in front of Troy Parrott but clearly Mourinho needs more experience and in the form of a natural striker.

“Younger strikers who can fit the bill are more expensive and Tottenham will not have massive funds to work with in the next window. The Harry Kane issue will always remain in that unless you’re throwing money at the situation – which Tottenham won’t – then you’re going to struggle to convince someone to come and be essentially second fiddle to Kane for periods of the season.”

Opportunity

Having barely featured after Kane was ruled out of action with an injury, it would be even more difficult to see how Parrott gets more of a look-in were Spurs to sign a new striker in the summer.

Mourinho had the perfect chance to blood the young starlet into the first-team in the past couple of months, but consistently failed to do, instead suggesting that he simply wasn’t ready.

If Mourinho gets his way and a new number nine comes through the door, and Parrott subsequently falls further back into the shadows, then there will be no-one else to blame but the Portuguese man.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans react to links with ace reminiscent of Heurelho Gomes.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Turkish-Football, Liverpool have entered the race to sign Ugurcan Cakir.

What’s the story?

Jurgen Klopp currently has two goalkeepers at his disposal. Brazil international Alisson is the number one, whilst Adrian is his back-up.

Now, it appears as though the 52-year-old is looking to add a third option to his arsenal, at least according to his agent.

Engin Kirkpinar, Cakir’s representative, told the website:

“Liverpool are one of four English sides keeping close tabs on Ugurcan. Liverpool are among the sides interested in Cakir and have been monitoring his progress. Trabzonspor value Cakir as being worth a minimum €20m (£17.1m) and will not sell him in January. An end of season move could however, be on the cards.”

Great signing

Since signing from West Ham, Adrian has done well. With former Roma goalkeeper Alisson out of action towards the start of the season, the 32-year-old has made 11 appearances in all competitions, keeping two clean sheets, whilst he was the hero in the UEFA Super Cup final against Chelsea after saving Tammy Abraham’s penalty in the shoot-out.

Having said that, Cakir’s arrival would be a boost to Klopp’s options and depth in the ‘keeper department. During this campaign, Adrian has a save percentage of 66.7%. That only puts him in 14th place on the list of all the shot-stoppers to appear in the Premier League this season.

Cakir, meanwhile, has managed 75.5% for current club Trabzonspor in the Super Lig. Not only does that put him in fourth place in the Turkish top flight, but it would also put him in the same position in the Premier League.

Also, at 23 years old, he has his whole career ahead of him, whilst Adrian is approaching the end of his. Cakir has been recognised at international level as well, having picked up two caps for Turkey. He has conceded just one goal in those two matches.

With a potential price tag of just £17.1m, this transfer would be a shrewd bit of business from Liverpool, and would show their desire to plan for the future. The supporters should hope they beat those three other clubs to his signature.

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…

Speaking on The Season So Far (as quoted by The Express), Andros Townsend has insisted Manchester United’s approach to playing the youngsters will eventually “pay off”.

What did he say?

The Red Devils have endured a topsy-turvy campaign this year, with speculation mounting in previous weeks that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be fighting for his future as manager at the club. However, a recent revival which has seen them pick up five wins in their last six games has certainly stemmed the wave of criticism, and the Manchester side currently find themselves back up to seventh in the Premier League.

And whilst Townsend revealed it is unlikely United will return to their former glories almost immediately, he backed them to eventually become the real deal when some of their young stars further develop and mature.

The Crystal Palace winger said: “Man United are probably not going to get to where they want to be until Rashford is maybe 26, 27, (and) McTominay’s 25, 26. Until they get to a mature age and then probably you’ll start seeing the real Man United again. But definitely in the long run I think blooding those youngsters is definitely going to pay off.”

The long game

In fully investing in this approach of going with the youngsters, United are in it for the long haul. There will be periods of short-term pain, the likes of which they have already experienced this season when they succumbed to really disappointing defeats to Crystal Palace and Newcastle.

But those moments of turmoil and difficulty will undoubtedly stand their young players in good stead, giving them a whole new understanding of the game. Football isn’t always about constant success. The lows are also make up for a significant part for it, and in experiencing it now, United’s young prospects will learn and be the better for it.