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Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring James Garner to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Sun, who claim that, following an extremely impressive season-long loan at Nottingham Forest, Victor Orta is now keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Manchester United central midfielder ahead of a potential move for the 21-year-old in the summer market.

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The report goes on to state that Leicester City, Everton and Southampton are also interested in the England U21 international, with the youngster’s long-term future at Old Trafford looking to be rather uncertain following the appointment of Erik ten Hag as the Red Devils’ new manager.

“Absolute beauty”

With the signing of a new central midfielder reported to be one of Leeds’ priority targets in the summer transfer window, it is not difficult to understand why Jesse Marsch and Orta would be interested in a deal to bring Garner to LS11 ahead of the Whites’ 2022/23 campaign.

Indeed, over his 44 Championship appearances this season, the £6.3m-rated talent was in breathtaking form in the heart of the Forest side, scoring four goals, registering eight assists and creating seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.1 shots and making 2.0 key passes per game.

The £20k-per-week midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.9 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 1.5 long balls, 34.0 passes and winning 3.9 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per fixture.

These returns saw the 21-year-old who Martin Keown dubbed an “absolutely beauty” and Josh Wright labelled “unreal” average a quite extraordinary WhoScored match rating of 7.09, ranking him as Steve Cooper’s fifth-best performer in the second tier – playing a key role in the Reds going on to secure promotion to the Premier League.

As such, it is clear to see that Garner would be an exceptional signing for Orta to get over the line this summer, however, with a number of top-flight clubs interested in the youngster’s services, the Spaniard must act fast if Leeds are to have any chance of securing a deal for the midfielder in the coming weeks.

AND in other news: Orta could seal “unbelievable” Leeds signing with bid for £20m talent, he’s Walker 2.0

Celtic had a turbulent period last season after Neil Lennon left his role as manager for the second time in February, leaving the Hoops 18 points behind their fierce Old Firm rivals in the SPFL table at the time.

Things looked to be even more calamitous for the Bhoys after a reported deal to appoint Eddie Howe as their next manager collapsed just over a year ago.

Celtic then moved on and appointed Ange Postecoglou on a 12-month rolling contract in June.

Now that the Australian has completed his debut season with Celtic and his deal will run out soon, it seems as though a clue has emerged regarding what could be going on at Lennoxtown regarding the matter.

What’s the news?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist and insider Pete O’Rourke had this to say about Postecoglou’s future at the Parkhead club.

“Celtic are hoping to build on this season and hopefully have Postecoglou around for quite a few years, so I’m sure talks will be ongoing right now to secure the Australian on a long-term contract and reward him for the success he’s had so far.”

Fans will be buzzing

With 60 games in charge of the Bhoys, Postecoglou has won 42, drew seven and lost 11 across all competitions.

As a result, despite a disheartening campaign in Europe, the former Yokohama F Marinos manager evidently gave the Celtic fans plenty to shout about on the domestic front by taking the league title off their Old Firm rivals.

Not only did they win the league but they also did it with the best attacking and defensive record in the top flight, having scored 92 goals and conceding 22 in the process.

Taking into account the domestic success that Postecoglou delivered during his first season in charge of the club, it’s easy to see why O’Rourke thinks Celtic and their hierarchy will be looking to tie the 56-year-old down to a long-term contract.

It would allow him to continue his journey with the Hoops and would present him with the chance to make the great Glaswegian club even more successful, something he will no doubt do by remaining at Celtic Park.

Should this happen, then many Celtic fans would be delighted to see him put pen to paper on a long-term contract.

In other news: Celtic can replicate CCV masterclass by signing 25y/o gem who’s “one of the very best”

West Bromwich Albion failed to secure promotion back into the Premier League next season so it will now be up to Steve Bruce to put them in a better position to challenge again and now another transfer target has been linked with a move to The Hawthorns.

What’s the latest?

Football League World reported on Tuesday that West Brom were competing with Watford to secure the signature of Newcastle United’s Sean Longstaff who was initially out of contract at the end of the season.

The report suggested that his current club on Tyneside had offered him a new contract with the player facing many for next season with opportunities to gain extra game time.

However, with the midfielder now signing a new contract on Wednesday afternoon, it seems unlikely a deal will be forced through.

Should a move ever occur though, they could land a big upgrade.

Better than Livermore

Bruce is no stranger to Longstaff after managing him during his days at Newcastle United so will be more than knowledgeable on how to deploy him.

Although Longstaff’s game time has been limited in the Premier League this season, he still offers more on the pitch than Jake Livermore in the glimpses he has given for this current club.

According to SofaScore, has scored one goal and contributed one assist, was successful in the majority of his dribbles (55%) and made 2.3 tackles on average per game in 24 appearances.

The Magpies midfielder scored more goals, won more ground and aerial duels combined (50%), made more tackles and has a better pass accuracy (81%) on average per game in 13 fewer appearances than Livermore at West Brom this season.

The £23k-per-week ace who was hailed “immense” by Chronicle Live journalist Charlie Bennett, was chased in January by Everton but the bid was rejected ahead of contract talks with Newcastle after the negotiations broke down when Bruce was in charge almost two years ago.

Ultimately, if Bruce could secure the signing of Longstaff it would be a major coup for West Brom and add a fresh perspective in their midfield set up.

AND in other news: In talks: West Brom on the verge of landing 1st summer signing, Bruce will love him

Manchester United are reportedly sizing up a move for Ajax’s left centre-back Lisandro Martinez.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from The Telegraph, who claimed that Ten Hag is keen on a reunion with the 24-year-old and sees Martinez as an “ideal player” due to his pace and passing ability.

As such, it is said that the 52-year-old has added Martinez, whom he signed for Ajax from Defensa y Justicia in 2019, to his wish list, alongside Ajax team-mate Jurrien Timber.

At current, Martinez has three years left on his contract at Ajax, with a reported fee of £25m enough to prise him from the clutches of the Amsterdam outfit.

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Ideal option

Martinez’s arrival would spell trouble for Harry Maguire, who is not an orthodox centre-back by way of Ten Hag’s style.

As a 24-year-old left-footed centre-back at a major European club, with three years left on his contract, his reported £25m fee looks to be a bargain. Add in the fact that Ten Hag has worked with him and understands his character and competency as a ball-playing defender, and you have a foolproof and versatile central defender for an absolute snip.

These are the sort of signings that the 52-year-old should be looking to make – underrated but proven stars who can be astutely acquired for a relatively small fee.

Martinez not only fits the bill financially but possesses numbers far greater than the options in the United back-line. His averages of 80.88 completed passes, 3.13 tackles, 11.63 ball recoveries and 6.13 progressive carries per game illustrate that he is excellent at his job, with his scores ranking him between the 89th and 99th percentile for the aforementioned metrics, as per FBRef.

For additional context, Raphael Varane averages 50.64 completed passes, 1.23 tackles, 9.23 ball recoveries and 3.13 progressive carries per game.

Martinez’s “bulldog-like” approach in defence has seen him scoop Ajax’s Rinus Michels Player of the Year award, joining a list which boasts the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Jari Litmanen, Frank Rijkaard and Luis Suarez, to name a few.

Ten Hag is right to add Martinez to his shortlist, and with United’s desperation for a left-footed centre-back, you would hope that the 24-year-old’s name is high up on the Dutchman’s list.

In other news: Man United lead the race to sign £84.9m “exciting prospect”, he’s a dream Cavani heir 

A big update has emerged on Rangers and their plans for Ibrox gem Joe Aribo heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, Giovanni van Bronckhorst may be willing to part ways with the midfielder for less than £10m in the coming months.

The report claims that he is attracting interest from south of the border as Crystal Palace, Brentford and Aston Villa are all interested in acquiring his services.

Ross Wilson wants to create an auction to drive the price up but The Sun claims that he may settle for a seven-figure sum.

Nightmare for Wilson

The Gers sporting director is heading for a nightmare at Ibrox following this update as selling the midfielder for less than £10m would be a disaster.

Aribo has been superb for the club throughout the campaign and allowing him to leave on a cut-price deal would leave the fans fuming, both in terms of the talent that they would lose from the team and the minimal fee.

When you consider that Nathan Patterson left Glasgow for a reported fee of £16m, £9m or less for the Nigerian international appears to be a huge bargain.

Patterson had only started two Premiership matches and the Toffees may have been signing him for the potential he has to fulfill, at the age of 20. Whereas, Aribo has scope to improve – at the age of 25 – and has been a crucial player for the Gers.

He has played a whopping 55 times in all competitions and chipped in with eight goals and ten assists from midfield for van Bronckhorst, and Steven Gerrard before him.

His former Charlton teammate Ezri Konsa once heaped praise on the Nigerian midfielder, saying: “Having Gerrard as his manager at Rangers, that has made him go up another level.

“Joe’s style is unique. When I was with him at Charlton he did remind me for a while of a left-footed Yaya Toure. But you don’t get a lot of midfielders like Joe, there aren’t many around.

“Like Toure, for a tall guy he’s got such great feet. But that languid style he’s got is actually fairly unique in the game.”

Gerrard also claimed that the gem can “play anywhere” and these comments further illustrate Aribo’s importance to Rangers as he is will be difficult to replace.

He is consistently available for selection, versatile in where he can play, and has shown his quality with his contributions in the final third.

Therefore, it would be a nightmare scenario for Wilson to sanction his sale for anything less than eight figures in the upcoming transfer window.

AND in other news, GvB already heading for huge summer disaster at Rangers, Ross Wilson will be livid…

Celtic are once again being credited with an interest in SC Heerenveen full-back Milan van Ewijk ahead of the summer transfer window, as per Dutch outlet Voetbal International.

The lowdown: Previous links

The Hoops were initially linked with the 21-year-old back in March of 2021 – when John Kennedy was in interim charge – prior to the starlet’s £540,000 switch from ADO Den Haag (Transfermarkt).

Since then, the Holland youth international has gone from strength to strength in the Eredivisie and has previously been likened to compatriot and now Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries.

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Amidst interest from across Europe, Celtic have once again been cited as potential suitors for the talented right-back…

The latest: Major interest

As per VI, newly crowned Scottish champions Celtic, PSV Eindhoven, Stade Brest, Lille and QPR are all attentive to Van Ewijk’s situation.

It’s claimed that the Under 21 Dutch ace, who has already made 77 top-flight outings in his homeland, is ‘of interest’ to the Bhoys as Ange Postecoglou attempts to strengthen the Parkhead squad ahead of a season in the Champions League.

Furthermore, it’s suggested that there is a ‘real chance’ the full-back – described as possessing ‘tons of potential’ by journalist Michael Bell – could make another move this summer despite his recent switch.

The verdict: Strength in depth required

Albeit many would point to the rise of Anthony Ralston at right-back this season and question the need for reinforcements, Celtic will embark on a quest for all three domestic trophies next term whilst also needing to compete in the group stages of Europe’s elite competition.

With that in mind, top-level understudies will be required in every position and at present, Postecoglou can only truly call upon Ralston or Josip Juranovic for the big occasions to fill what is a pivotal role in the Greek-Australian’s favoured system.

Capable of playing as a conventional right-back or in a more advanced position, Van Ewijk has earned an impressive 7.02 average Sofascore rating this season, winning 6.1 duels per game and completing 77% of all attempted passes, ticking an abundance of required attributes in both a defensive and attacking capacity that make the Dutchman a viable candidate to add to the Lennoxtown ranks.

In other news, journalist haiils Celtic man with ‘twinkle toes’. Find out who it is here.

But there was more, like the lack of home advantage, and the rise of the homegrown finisher

Hemant Brar31-May-2023Home advantage is no advantageThis was a strange season where teams failed to take advantage of their home conditions in quite the same way as before. Of the 69 completed games in the league stage, home teams won just 27. That win percentage of 39.1 was the poorest in any IPL season. The previous lowest was 44.3% in 2012.Only three teams – Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans – had a positive win-loss record at home. Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings fared the worst, managing just one win each from their seven home matches respectively, while Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals won two each.