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2021 is the year of mass change for Celtic. They are currently without a manager and soon, they will be replacing their CEO as well.

Neil Lennon is no longer at the club while Peter Lawwell is set to retire in a few months time, being replaced by Dominic McKay. However, new faces at Parkhead won’t stop there.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Celtic are closing in on the appointment of Fergal Harkin as their brand new director of football.

Sources have told the outlet that a deal to bring the Irishman to Parkhead is 90% done.

He has spent 11 years within the Manchester City recruitment team but Celtic have been trying to lure him to Glasgow over the last few months.

This comes with the club making landmark attempts to restructure and modernise their hierarchy.

Nick Hammond is currently head of football operations but he looks set to leave his post with a new director of football role being created.

Harkin is set to be followed through the door by a new chief scout and a plethora of analysts.

Desmond will be buzzing

Even if Celtic are yet to hire a new manager, this will come as major news for supporters and indeed for majority shareholder Dermot Desmond.

He has been desperate to revamp the hierarchy and this would be the first step in doing so.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-boupendza-mcgeady-marsch-mccarthy” title=”Latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

Harkin has a brilliant reputation too, one that could help solve one of the biggest underlying issues at the football club right now.

The 44-year-old is currently Man City’s partnerships manager and has been described as a bit of a transfer guru for the work he’s done.

He also has a large role in looking after the young players that walk through the exit door on loan at City.

The department, which he heads up, includes two video analysts, a psychologist, a nutritionist, a physiotherapist and a strength and conditioning coach.

He has helped develop talents like City first-teamer Oleksandr Zinchenko while he’s also guided both Olivier Ntcham and Patrick Roberts, two players who have featured in the famous green and white over recent years.

With this in mind, he could help stem the tide in terms of young players leaving Parkhead. Cameron Harper has already joined New York Red Bulls while Armstrong Oko-Flex and Karamoko Dembele are out of contract at the end of the season.

With a bit of extra care and love from a figure like Harkin, younger players may see a more vibrant future for themselves in Glasgow. This has the potential to be a great appointment from Desmond.

AND in other news, Better than Christie: Celtic made error selling “quick” Rodgers gem with 65 key passes…

Another professional debut was handed out by Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho as Marcel Lavinier earned a 16-minute cameo during his side’s 4-0 win over Wolfsberger in the Europa League.

The 20-year-old academy sensation replaced Matt Doherty late in the second half and enjoyed an energetic spell that saw him record 19 touches. He also delivered two tackles, made six passes from eight attempts and won 80% of his five duels, via SofaScore.

On the whole, it was hugely encouraging, which begs the question – could he break into the first-team full-time?

The right-back spot has been a problematic area for Mourinho all season with the likes of Doherty (nine league starts), Serge Aurier (14 league starts) and Japhet Tanganga (two starts) splitting game time there.

There are doubts over them all.

According to ESPN, the Portuguese manager remains unconvinced by Doherty, Aurier will soon enter the final year of his current contract and has always been regarded as a liability, while we’re still yet to learn of Tanganga’s natural role despite hints that he has a future as a full-back.

Lavinier could solve this should his development continue at this increasing rate, and it has every chance to as he’s part of Spurs’ 25-man UEL squad for the remainder of the campaign.

You could even argue that Spurs have never truly replaced Kieran Trippier, who swapped north London for Madrid in 2019. In some ways, the emerging prospect is a carbon-copy as he too can play on the other side of defence and through middle.

As noted by the Daily Mail, Lavinier’s speed is a key asset and is a very versatile weapon to have at your disposal, especially given his direct nature – only further drawing comparisons to the Atletico Madrid man.

The young defender was snapped up by Spurs in the summer on a free following his release from local rivals Chelsea, and that move has turned out to be a masterstroke thus far.

In fact, it was perhaps a surprise to see him depart Stamford Bridge after notching three goals and eight assists across their U18 and U23 squads, as per Transfermarkt.

There’s still a long way to do, but Mourinho really could unearth Spurs’ future at right-back in Lavinier.

Forget Tanganga, the 20-year-old could possess so much more potential.

AND in other news, Jose can kickstart exciting Spurs rebuild with “sensational” £30m gem who stopped Kane – opinion

According to reports, Leeds United are eyeing a move for Stade Brest’s Romain Faivre.

What’s the story?

French publication L’Equipe claim that Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been monitoring the £7.2m-rated ace for several months now, but that they face a battle to land his signature in the summer transfer window.

The report adds that the likes of Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund are also said to be interested, while Serie A giants Inter are known to be long-term admirers too.

Another Raphinha

One of the biggest success stories at Elland Road this season has of course been Raphinha, with the Brazilian enjoying a superb debut campaign in the Premier League – he’s scored five goals and provided another five assists in 22 games in the competition.

In Faivre, Victor Orta could sign someone remarkably similar in terms of his dribbling, and ability to both create and finish chances too.

His teammate at Brest, Steve Mounie, said: “He’s an elegant player, you know, as you can see. He’s a brilliant dribbler, every weekend he does some enjoyable dribbles, and he helps us a lot, he creates chances, and helps the team in different kind of ways.”

It’s something Brest manager, Olivier Dall’Oglio, waxed lyrical about too, saying: “He’s a boy with real potential. He’s comfortable on the ball, and fast in possession, he’s got great vision too. He’s got something special. He rarely loses the ball, he can break through the lines by dribbling, and his passing creates so many chances for us. He’s a boy who can provide passes, but who’s also capable of scoring goals.”

Given the rave reviews Faivre has earned, it’s no surprise to see that Leeds are interested in signing him. With the Frenchman predominantly playing on the left-flank – he’s been used there 14 times this season –  Orta would land someone who can work in tandem with Raphinha on the opposite flank.

Teams would no longer be able to try and double-team Raphinha in the knowledge that Faivre could wreak just as much havoc with his dribbling on the other side, and that would open up a different dimension for Bielsa and Leeds.

Having multiple strings to your bow, especially at Premier League level is crucial, and Faivre’s arrival would give Leeds a potent edge to their attack on the left-hand side just as they have on the right. You only have to look at Liverpool’s recent success with two wide players in the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane to see how influential and effective a team can be when they have a pair of wingers able to cause damage.

Meanwhile, this Leeds man is surely facing an uncertain future after Bielsa’s decision…

Manchester City are reportedly taking an interest in Brighton right-back Tariq Lamptey and if signed, he could prove to be the ideal long-term replacement for Kyle Walker in Pep Guardiola’s side.

The young defender signed a new long-term contract with the Seagulls last week, which sees him contracted there until 2025, but a report from The Athletic suggests that Manchester City, Arsenal and Everton are unlikely to be deterred by this, in their hopes of signing the 20-year-old.

Since signing from Chelsea in January 2020, Lamptey has been something of a revelation in Graham Potter’s side, first establishing himself in the first-team following project restart last season and he has now made 19 appearances, contributing one goal and four assists in that time.

The youngster has quickly become renowned for his incredible speed, which naturally makes him a potential replacement for Kyle Walker, who has consistently been one of the quickest players in the Premier League in his time with Spurs and City.

However, the England international will turn 31 this year and his pace won’t last forever, so perhaps the Citizens should be starting to look for a long-term replacement for the right-back.

So far this season, Walker has averaged a 6.81 rating for his performances in the Premier League, contributing one goal and one assist in 13 top-flight appearances.

Lamptey, meanwhile, has averaged a 6.73 rating, also contributing one goal and one assist but in two fewer appearances.

The City man has averaged 1.2 tackles and 0.8 interceptions in each game, whereas Lamptey has averaged 1.5 tackles and 1.7 interceptions, which suggests that the 20-year-old is arguably already outperforming Walker from a defensive perspective.

The Brighton man also averages more key passes and the same amount of dribbles per game when compared with Walker, despite playing in a team that is likely to be doing less attacking than Manchester City, which emphasises his attacking potential.

During his time with Chelsea, manager Frank Lampard dubbed the youngster as “fearless” and you feel that if it wasn’t for the emerging Reece James at Stamford Bridge, Lamptey would have been afforded more first-team opportunities.

However, with the Brighton man now valued at €20 million (£18 million) by the CIES football observatory, it looks as if Chelsea made a mistake in letting him go to Brighton.

Therefore, considering the similarity in style of play, and the fact that Lamptey is only 20 and already impressing in the top-flight, Manchester City sporting director Txiki Begiristain must try and sign the defender in the future.

AND, in other news, Forget Stones: MCFC beast who played 3 key passes was Pep’s hero vs CPFC…

David Moyes has confirmed that West Ham United striker Michail Antonio will be fit to face Aston Villa on Wednesday night after a brief injury scare.

The Irons boss had been forced to withdraw Antonio in the closing stages of Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at home to Liverpool, sparking fears of another spell on the sidelines for the 30-year-old.

West Ham have already been without their star attacker for eight Premier League fixtures this season, with him having sustained two separate hamstring injuries between October and December.

Antonio made his first start since returning from injury in last month’s 1-0 win at home to Burnley, in which he scored the only goal, before netting the winner over West Bromwich Albion next time out for his fifth goal of the campaign.

Only Tomas Soucek (7) has scored more for West Ham in the top-flight this term than Antonio, who Moyes has confirmed is showing no signs of an injury following the Liverpool game.

“I think everything is OK,” Moyes said. “We have a couple of knocks and niggles which we’ll look at in training this morning but, overall, everything seems to be OK.

“Mick is OK. We’re pleased he’s come through recent games well and he seems OK.”

Moyes added that January arrival Jesse Lingard, signed on loan from Manchester United, will be available to make his West Ham debut at Aston Villa on Wednesday night.

“Jesse Lingard’s fitness levels are fine. He’s a lean boy and doesn’t carry any weight so he’s in good shape, and I am sure Manchester United would have kept him in good condition as well,” Moyes added.

“More than anything for Jesse, it’s just if he’s completely match ready to play, but you only get that by playing matches as well. As long as everything is fine, I hope to have him involved. We’ll have him in and around the squad, but will he start? I couldn’t confirm that, and I wouldn’t confirm it anyway.”

Antonio being passed fit to play at Villa Park is exactly the news that Moyes will have wanted to hear ahead of West Ham’s midweek trip to Birmingham, having failed to sign a supporting striker in the winter transfer window.

The Hammers chose against signing a replacement for Sebastien Haller following the Ivory Coast international’s £20m move to AFC Ajax, with Moyes adamant that he would not splash out “just for the sake of it”.

His decision has left Antonio as the only senior striker at the London Stadium, and losing him for another lengthy period would seriously threaten their hopes of qualifying for European competition, with the Irons currently fifth in the Premier League table.

Moyes was already forced to rely on midfielder Soucek coming up with the goals to beat Crystal Palace as Antonio endured an off night at Selhurst Park last week, and again saw the forward cut a frustrated figure against Liverpool.

But it is one thing having an off game or two and your teammates having to step up, but managing without an out-and-out striker for a long period of time is a completely different kettle of fish. Luckily for Moyes, though, that is not what West Ham will have to endure.

AND in other news, West Ham eye future swoop for prolific £30m striker with “absolutely superb” movement…

Some Aston Villa fans have been left slamming the display of Ollie Watkins in their 2-1 loss on Friday night in the Premier League.

The 25 year-old failed to take any of his chances once again, which has meant that he has now gone eight games in the top flight without a goal (Transfermarkt), leaving some AVFC supporters growing increasingly impatient with him.

Aside from the fact that he failed to find the back of the net again for Villa, the striker also lost out on no fewer than 12 of his duels in the game, and also managed to record fewer touches of the ball than his own goalkeeper, Emi Martinez (Sofascore).

He lost possession of the ball 10 times in the match, earning him a quite measly 6.5 overall rating on Sofascore, the lowest out of any of his teammates to have set foot on the field.

Aston Villa fan reaction to Watkins display

These Villa fans slammed his performance on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far to say that the forward has been ‘poor’ as of late:

“Think it’s time to start questioning Watkins tbh. #MUNAVL”

Credit: @EthanTarr

“My patience with Ollie Watkins is running out. I make it 3 opportunities today, 2 VERY good opportunities. #AstonVilla #MUNAVL”

Credit: @oo0shak0oo

“Watkins having a mare”

Credit: @onesocialguy

“He’s been poor overall recently”

Credit: @VillansArmy

“WATKINS NOOO #AVFC #MUNAVL”

Credit: @ZabUchiha

“We were good against a very good united team. Some of our play was brilliant. In the end the quality showed. Love the way we play. Too many errors… Watkins seems to be a problem… he’s just not enough in the game. #AVFC”

Credit: @M7RNI

In other news, find out which AVFC ace has been praised by an ex-player here!

Although Celtic are struggling with  coronavirus issues, Neil Lennon has a lot to look forward to once he and his team are allowed to return to action.

The Hoops have an alarming 14 senior players in self-isolation due after they were deemed to be close contacts to Christopher Jullien, who tested positive. The boss has been forced to join them in quarantine and as a result, he missed his side’s latest Premiership fixture.

Despite the fact Celtic were operating with a skeleton crew on Monday, they were able to avoid total embarrassment and registered a draw against Hibernian, a game they very nearly won too. The man of the hour in that game was, not for the first time, David Turnbull.

Lennon gamble on Turnbull paying off

Many Celtic players are waiting patiently for their chance to break into the first team. However, only those who have caught the boss’ eye have been so lucky. Even veteran Leigh Griffiths finds himself low down in the pecking order these days.

Lennon recently took a chance on 2020 summer signing David Turnbull after his other midfield options failed to impress. The former Motherwell man made his first Celtic start against St Johnstone in the league and has gone on to contribute to five goals in nine appearances, according to Transfermarkt.

Turnbull was the difference for the Hoops last time out, scoring a late goal in the 82nd minute to  put his side into the lead. Unfortunately, Kevin Nisbet’s injury time strike meant Celtic had to settle for a draw.

On the back to that goal, In his last eight appearances under Lennon, Turnbull has gone just two games without contributing to a goal.

Sofascore reports that he averages a goal every 211 minutes, which is more than creative teammate and full Scotland international Ryan Christie.

Turnbull has produced the goods during Celtic’s hour of need and that simply mustn’t be overlooked. The £1.6million-rated midfielder has completely transformed Lennon’s engine room and must now be one of the first names on Lennon’s team-sheet every match, even when those 14 players return from quarantine

His portfolio of six goals so far is more than any other Celtic midfielder, which only highlights how crucial he is to this Glaswegian side.

Lennon has already admitted that he is in awe of Turnbull’s “excellent form” and provided he is continuously given chances, he will almost certainly continue to thrive.

The manager simply must continue to select him for as long as he remains fit as he is the man to provide the much-needed goals from midfield.

In other news, Celtic could land a bargain in Sheffield Wednesday’s Adam Reach…

Spurs will be hoping that they can continue their impressive run of form as they take on league heavyweights Manchester City as domestic football returns.

Jose Mourinho’s side are unbeaten in their last seven games and have banked impressive results including their shock 6-1 win over Manchester United. Despite the fact the team has suffered a few injury blows, including losing Tanguy Ndombele to a foot injury, Spurs will be favourites going into the match based purely on form alone.

Whilst Ndombele being out will be a blow for Mourinho, it presents new signing Giovani Lo Celso with a perfect opportunity to show what he’s all about.

Tottenham signed the attacking midfielder from Real Betis over the summer on a £27.2million deal worth £60,000 per week. His final season in Spain saw him rack up a handsome 16 goals and six assists, numbers he could may well replicate for Spurs, but is yet to really get going.

So far this term, Lo Celso has struggled to make his mark on the Premier League and has no goalscoring involvements in six appearances. However, all but one have come from off the bench, so today could be the day he puts pressure on his teammate and fights for his place in the starting lineup.

Man City are currently tenth in the table and are in desperate need of banking some points. They are currently six behind league leaders Leicester, which may not be a huge deficit but it doesn’t bode well for Pep Guardiola and his men to be on the border of the bottom half of the table. They will likely come out all guns blazing in order to strike first, which will give Spurs ample opportunity to catch them on the counter-attack.

With both Harry Kane and Son Heung-min both in impeccable form, Lo Celso could help pull the strings from the midfield and notch up an assist or two. He certainly has the backing of many, with teammate Harry Winks labelling him as an “exciting player”. Now he must repay their faith.

In other news, Mourinho should deploy this Spurs man as shock Bale replacement vs City…

Liverpool travel to Denmark on Wednesday evening to face FC Midtjylland in the Champions League safe in the knowledge that top spot in Group D is secured no matter what the result in the final group stage match.

Therefore, it seems likely that Jurgen Klopp will ring the changes in his side in order to rest some of the senior players who have been relied upon so much recently because of the injury crisis at the club.

The Merseyside club face Fulham away from home on Sunday in the Premier League, before facing Tottenham Hotspur in a top-of-the-table clash next Wednesday, so the German manager will no doubt be keen to rest some of his key players ahead of two important top-flight fixtures.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Klopp to line his side up in Denmark, with eight changes from the side that beat Wolves on Sunday…

Caoimhin Kelleher deservedly keeps his place in between the sticks after keeping two clean sheets in his last two appearances for the Reds.

There are three changes in the defence, as Trent Alexander-Arnold makes his first start after returning from injury, having come on as a substitute in the 4-0 win against Wolves at the weekend.

Konstantinos Tsimikas replaces Andrew Robertson to give the Scottish international a much-needed rest, whilst Nathaniel Phillips returns at centre-back alongside Joel Matip to ensure Fabinho is fresh for the upcoming Premier League games.

In midfield, only Jordan Henderson keeps his place, as his leadership will be important if this second-string Liverpool side are to pick up the win in Denmark. He plays alongside Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who both will hopefully pick up some fitness on Wednesday evening after returning from injury recently.

Having Keita back could be a huge boost for Klopp, with Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk full of praise for the Guinean earlier this year, saying:

“Naby is a fantastic guy, he works so hard and he is an outstanding football player. We see it week in and week out. He has unfortunately been unlucky with some injuries, but hopefully, he can stay fully fit for the next season.

“I think he is world-class if I’m absolutely honest. I see all the moments when he has the ball, the smart moves, the smart intelligence. It’s just incredible to see and I’m very happy for him.”

Meanwhile, there are three changes in attack for the Reds, with Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino under pressure to make the most of what could be a rare start, whilst Diogo Jota will be hoping to continue his excellent form for the Reds by adding to his goal tally in Denmark.

It seems more than likely that Klopp will make a lot of changes for Wednesday’s game, so it will be interesting to see if the Reds can finish with a flourish and earn the three points against Midtjylland.

And, in other news… Klopp can sign Liverpool’s next Gerrard in £45 million star who’s “going right to the top”

Earlier this week we spoke about one of Leeds’ worst sales in history in the shape of Kasper Schmeichel, but now it’s time to look at one of the smartest sales the club ever made.

Back in 2014, Ross McCormack was the hottest property outside of the Premier League, he’d just won the Championship Golden Boot and was scoring all types of goals including long-range screamers and picture-perfect free-kicks.

All in all, McCormack scored 58 times for Leeds, and that made him a highly-coveted player at that level.

Unfortunately, Leeds weren’t the force they are today, and the Scot was ripe for the picking for any club with bigger ambitions, and eventually, newly-relegated Fulham signed him for £11m as they tried to navigate their way out of the Championship at the first time of asking.

Unfortunately, it didn’t quite go that way for Fulham or McCormack. The Scot was the London club’s top scorer, netting 17 in the league, but the team was too reliant on him, finishing 17th at the end of the season.

It was more of the same next season, McCormack bagged 21 times as Fulham finished 20th, and his good goal return earned him another big-money move, joining Aston Villa for £12m.

Meanwhile, Leeds were busy unearthing a striker better than McCormack with Chris Wood winning a Championship Golden Boot of his own before getting a Premier League move.

McCormack’s move to Aston Villa signalled the start of a huge decline. He would only score three goals for the Villans before being slammed for his fitness and becoming a forgotten man at Villa Park.

What followed was a litany of unprofessional behaviour, he missed training because his gate at his house wouldn’t open and was pictured looking out of shape asleep on a sofa in Magaluf just weeks after his Villa contract was terminated.

Nowadays he turns out for National League outfit Aldershot Town, and while transfermarkt value him at £1.08m, it’s hard to imagine that any club will pay a fee for him ever again.

Leeds got out at the perfect time, they cashed in and unearthed a better striker just a couple of years before his career went off the rails.

McCormack is undoubtedly one of the most talented players to have turned out at Elland Road in the 2010s, but Leeds can be happy with the fact that they didn’t hold onto him for any longer than they needed to.