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Pundit and former Parkhead star Andy Walker has dropped a huge claim on Celtic in relation to the proposed European Super League, saying the Hoops would gladly jump at the chance to join if they could.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has recently talked about the need for a club like Celtic to be involved in UEFA competitions, but Scottish football pundit Walker has slammed the Hoops’ ‘hypocrisy’ over the proposed European Super League, saying that as much as fans have made their displeasure clear, those at board level for both Glasgow clubs would love to be involved.

‘Absolute hypocrisy’ from Celtic board

Walker was recently talking live on air for Sky Sports Scotland and he gave his views about Celtic’s perception of the Super League and their wishes to potentially support it or join it. He made it clear that while Celtic supporters would also react in the same, negative way as the Manchester United and Liverpool fans, senior people at Parkhead would want a slice of it.

The pundit claimed: “I think you’ll hear supports say ‘We don’t want to be a part of this‘, we’ve heard from Gary Neville with regards to Man United supporters, we’ve heard that from Jamie Carragher with regards to Liverpool supporters.

“I think it would be absolute hypocrisy if you were to speak to any senior person at Celtic or at Rangers, and they did not want a slice of this.

“How often have they tried to get involved into English football? How often have they discussed the idea of an Atlantic League? All of that was to generate more money. This European Super League as far as Celtic and Rangers are concerned is just another way to generate more money.”

Jean-Pierre Papin has also spoken about Celtic’s value to European football, saying that the clubs like the Hoops could disappear from the European stage because of the Super League.

Old Firm clubs have threatened to break away in the past

Breaking away from the Scottish Premiership isn’t a completely alien concept to Celtic (and the Gers). There have been rumblings of them moving to the Premier League or creating a new Atlantic League as well. Having said that, it is believed that Peter Lawwell is well against the ESL breakaway, despite the financial gap between Celtic and the other Premiership clubs.

Walker’s claim is massive as it goes against everything that fans of both Glasgow clubs stand for – in fact it may be the one thing that could unite both sets of supporters.

For all the fan desire to be on a level playing field with England’s big guns, this is certainly not how they’d like to do it, and if Celtic do follow Walker’s suspicion and jump in, the fan backlash could be enormous.

In other news, Pundit delivers new info on Hoops manager hunt, shares what ‘Celtic want’ – read more here.

Fabinho returned to Liverpool’s midfield when he came on as a substitute in the loss to Fulham on Sunday.

Even though the Reds could not find an equaliser to stave off a sixth consecutive home defeat, the 27-year-old was able to offer them a glimpse of what they had been missing in the middle of the park.

The Brazilian came up with three ball recoveries in the space of 15 minutes and helped sustain his team’s pressure on the Fulham goal (via WhoScored).

Jurgen Klopp’s Fabinho headache

Jurgen Klopp must now decide whether to keep him there for the Champions League round of 16 second leg against RB Leipzig on Wednesday or move him back into defence.

Using Fabinho as a holding midfielder would mean placing trust in the inexperienced duo of Nat Phillips and Ozan Kabak to clean up at centre-back if Leipzig bypass the midfield. It would be Phillips’ European debut after he was left out of the Reds’ initial Champions League squad.

Kabak, incidentally, was missing through injury at the weekend but the expectation is that he will return for the trip to Budapest (via The Athletic).

The hope is that playing central defenders in central defence and defensive midfielders in defensive midfield restores structure and balance to this pale imitation of a Liverpool team.

Here are the verdicts from some Kopites on the dilemma in response to a tweet from news feed LFC Transfer Room, with one wanting the Brazilian back in midfield “ASAP”.

These Reds fans want Fabinho shielding Kabak and Phillips

“This is probably the CB pairing we should try to have fit for the rest of the season. Fabinho in midfield asap.”

Credit: @DHardayal

“Yes please but it won’t happen. If Fab is fit, he’ll be back there. The fact that he dominated playing the 6 when he subbed in on Sunday won’t change the mind of the gaffer.”

Credit: @DaBigDaddyRen

“Watch Klopp play Fab at CB. Time to take some risks now.”

Credit: @SMiTLA

“It’s Phillips +1 now, he’s earned it”

Credit: @martyn1200

“It’s all about extra protections around the centre halves. And no high line plz”

Credit: @GusandSaM

“ABSOLUTELY YES, BRING BACK THAT INTENSITY”

Credit: @Mang_Tebal

“Perfect. Not sure why anyone would want Fabinho in CB”

Credit: @BaileyYNWA

“Fab must be back to mid, if not same result”

Credit: @mav8381

In other news, Kabak is not the only likely returnee for the Leipzig clash.

Reports have suggested that Manchester United are unwilling to meet Tottenham Hotspur’s asking price for striker Harry Kane.

The England captain has been linked with a switch to Old Trafford for a considerable amount of time. With Edinson Cavani quickly approaching the twilight of his career having only signed a one-year deal at Old Trafford, albeit with the option of a second, the Red Devils have to make a move for Kane.

The Tottenham forward’s Premier League record really does speak for itself.

Now rated at £108m and being paid £200k per week at Tottenham, he has plundered an eye-watering 159 goals in 235 league appearances, an astounding record.

He has hit double figures in each of the last seven campaigns, even notching 30 during the 2017/18 season.

This all means that Kane has a strike rate of 0.67 goals per game, which is better than Marcus Rashford’s 0.31, Anthony Martial’s 0.33, Mason Greenwood’s 0.19 and of course Cavani’s record of 0.33.

With the mercurial Bruno Fernandes teeing Kane up with his 2.8 key passes per game, then an extremely fruitful relationship could well be in the offing in the future.

It won’t just be Kane’s goals that United will benefit from though. The 27-year-old’s creativity has improved just this season.

With ten Premier League matches to go in 2020/21, he already has 13 league assists, having added to those in his exhilarating performance in the 4-1 thumping of Crystal Palace.

The positives of Kane’s arrival at Old Trafford do not end there. Near neighbours Manchester City have also been backed to make a move for the Tottenham superstar in the near future.

If United manage to get there first, it could potentially signal a swing in power, not only in Manchester, but also in the Premier League.

So, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reportedly keen to recruit a striker as soon as this summer, no target makes more sense than Harry Kane.

AND in more news, take a look at Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s brilliant performance in the Red Devils’ 2-0 victory in the Manchester derby…

Tottenham Hotspur can still finish in the top four of the Premier League, according to Spurs legend Gary Mabbutt in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

The former captain of the north London club spoke exclusively to Football FanCast earlier this week.

And he believes that the congested and tight nature of the Premier League table means that the club retain every chance of qualifying for the Champions League through their league position.

They have been in relatively poor form in recent weeks, with Jose Mourinho’s side slipping as low as ninth at one point.

Their 4-0 win over Burnley at the weekend, though, moved Spurs eighth, six points behind fourth-placed West Ham United with a game in hand.

And Mabbutt insists that Spurs simply need to string together a run of results in order to be back in contention.

Mourinho’s men play relegation-threatened Fulham on Thursday, before taking on Crystal Palace on Sunday and then playing Arsenal the weekend following. The north London derby comes after a home clash with Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League.

And Mabbutt remains confident that the club can end the season strongly.

He said: “So Spurs dropping two or three results or whatever, here and there. We’ve got, in my own opinion, four or five games, coming up, and those games are all winnable.

“If we suddenly get any team in the top 10 that gets three or four wins on the trot, that’d be them back up in the top four. That’s how it is.”

Spurs also have the potential of qualifying for the Champions League via the Europa League, though they would need to win the competition to do so.

Beating Zagreb, of course, would move them into the quarter-finals of the competition.

Gio Reyna played just 10 minutes off the bench for Nottingham Forest, who were beaten 4-2 by Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday.

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• Reyna comes off bench again
• Plays just 10 minutes
• Forest fall 4-2 to Villa

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Aston Villa were absolutely on fire early, scoring three first-half goals to seemingly put the game out of reach. Ollie Watkins got the first, scoring just four minutes in while Douglas Luiz added goals 10 minutes apart later in the half.

  Villa, though, couldn't make it to the locker room with that three-goal lead. A Moussa Niakhate goal in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time gave Forest hope, and Morgan Gibbs-White used that hope to make it 3-2 with another goal just three minutes into the second half.

  Just as the comeback felt on, Leon Bailey put the match beyond doubt, making it 4-2 in the 61st minute to lock up three points for Villa.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The loss keeps Forest right in the thick of a relegation race. They currently sit 16th in the league, just four points ahead of 18th-placed Luton Town. That gap could shrink to one, though, as Luton do have a game in hand.

• Getty Images
  

  USMNT IMPACT

  Reyna's role at Forest continues to be extremely limited. He's only featured off the bench so far, having played just 39 minutes across his three appearances.

  The loan move to Forest hasn't provided much of a change for Reyna, who continues to be used sporadically despite changing clubs in the winter. There were no reasons to be concerned about Forest easing him in but, nearly a month after his arrival, he still hasn't cracked the Forest XI.

  Matt Turner, meanwhile, remains on the bench as Forest's clear No.2 and will need some sort of injury or massive change to reclaim his place in the XI.

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• Getty
  

  GOAL'S RATINGS

  Gio Reyna (6/10):

  Got nine touches and completed eight of his nine passes. Looked solid, but there's only so much you can do with a 10-minute cameo.

Sunderland chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus must complete a swoop to sign Scunthorpe midfielder Alex Gilliead this summer to bolster Lee Johnson’s squad.

What’s the talk?

According to Football League World, Sunderland are among a number of clubs exploring a deal to sign Gilliead from Scunthorpe this summer. The report claims that Championship duo Huddersfield and Coventry are in talks with the 25-year-old, whilst Ipswich and Sunderland are also interested in the former Newcastle midfielder.

Gilliead is out of contract at the end of the month and is expected to leave Scunthorpe on a free transfer after opting against signing an extension with the club. Huddersfield, Coventry, Sunderland and Ipswich have all reacted to this situation and are attempting to reach an agreement with the 25-year-old.

Earlier in his career, Luton Town manager Nathan Jones lavished praise on the midfielder, who he labelled a “wonderful” player during his loan spell with Luton and backed him to become a Premier League player.

The 48-year-old told Luton Today: “He’s a thoroughbred and I genuinely believe he will become a Premier League player. We know how good Alex Gilliead is, I know what he can do in possession.

“He’s a wonderful, wonderful player and is starting to prove that now. He’s had to be patient, he hasn’t wanted to be patient because he came here to play, but providing he keeps at the level he is, he will.”

Get it done

Louis-Dreyfus needs to get a deal over the line for Gilliead to strengthen Lee Johnson’s squad ahead of the 2021/22 League One campaign. Sunderland have a chance to bring in a quality addition for nothing due to his contract situation, and they need to take advantage of this opportunity to improve their squad without paying a transfer fee for the Scunthorpe ace.

Gilliead enjoyed an excellent season in League Two on a personal note. He averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.82 across 43 starts in the league, whilst playing in a variety of different roles for Neil Cox’s side. He played in central, attacking, right and left midfield as well as right wing-back throughout the campaign, showing off his impressive versatility – all whilst keeping up an average WhoScored rating of 6.82. This shows that he is adaptable and could operate in Johnson’s side in a multitude of ways, offering the former Bristol City boss more flexibility in his tactical setup.

The £2,500-per-week utility man particularly impressed during his spell in central midfield during the season. Gilliead started nine games as an orthodox central midfielder and averaged a superb WhoScored rating of 7.06 for Scunthorpe, scoring once and assisting one goal. The defensive side of his game excelled in that role, averaging 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game in League Two.

For context, Grant Leadbitter posted 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game in midfield for Sunderland in League One and averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.80. This suggests that Gilliead could prove to be an upgrade this summer, with Leadbitter set to leave the club on a free transfer at the end of the month.

He could come in and take the veteran’s place in central midfield and use his tough-tackling to firm up the spine of Johnson’s side.

AND in other news, Sunderland could strike gold with £3,000-a-week ace after major transfer update…

With West Ham set to embark on a Europa League campaign, David Moyes will be wanting to strengthen his squad depth and someone that would prove to be a handy signing is Gleison Bremer who is suited for the Premier League, according to Forza Italian Football editor in chief Conor Clancy.

The Hammers made a smart signing at centre back last season when they brought in Craig Dawson and Moyes could go one better by bringing in Bremer who has stood out in a very poor Torino side.

If Moyes is wanting to play with three centre backs next season then he must add more depth and he has been tipped to do so by splashing out on the 24-year old who is capable of playing as a centre back and potentially a holding midfielder given his ability on the ball.

Torino finished just three points above the relegation zone and that highlights how highly regarded Bremer is that he is still standing out and he appears ready for the Premier League, according to Clancy who spoke exclusively to Football FanCast:

“If we’re going to tick the boxes of all the old stereotypes where you’ve got to be a little bit strong and powerful and able to go the distance in a physical battle, then absolutely he’d suit it.

“He could probably play in a deeper midfield role as well as at the back so I think he could do quite well in England, but he’s not had an easy time in a terrible Torino team.”

Moyes often favoured a back three consisting of Issa Diop, Angelo Ogbonna and Dawson and the introduction of Bremer could see that defensive unit who faltered at the back end of the season really shore up.

If Bremer came into the Premier League and continued with his excellent ball-playing ability then the Hammers may allow themselves to play 10 yards higher up the pitch and impose themselves on a lot more matches next season.

Speaking to FootballFanCast, Barry Fry, Director of Football at Peterborough United, has dropped a revelation surrounding Brentford striker Ivan Toney – with the 76-year-old claiming he offered West Ham United joint-chairman David Sullivan a chance to sign him. 

Toney, who enjoyed a sparkling 2020/2021 Championship campaign with the Bees, bagged a brilliant 33 goals and 10 assists in 47 starts (WhoScored).

His goalscoring form has prompted recent interest from the Hammers as they search for an alternative to striker Michail Antonio going forward, who has suffered with a plethora of injury problems.

Lifting the lid on him, Fry has claimed to FFC that he offered West Ham co-owner Sullivan the chance to snap up Toney while the forward was at Peterborough.

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“I spoke to David Sullivan before I sold him to Brentford, because I thought Ivan Toney would be ideal for West Ham,” the DOF explained.

“But David didn’t agree and thought I wanted too much money and didn’t think he would have the impact in the Championship.”

Flocking to this revelation, many West Ham fans have been left livid, and you can understand why given his enormous contribution to Brentford’s promotion-winning campaign.

Find a flavour of their best verdicts from social media down below.

West Ham fans livid after Toney revelation

“Embarrassing”

Credit: @JoshVernege

“further proof our owners are clowns”

Credit: @danw_1986

“Oh my lord.

Remember when we all laughed at that Sky Sports News interview when Barry Fry answered on live TV and said that it was David Sullivan after one of his players?

Well look what happened…”

Credit: @AranNicol1994

“A missed opportunity”

Credit: @bonzoRay

“Why are we ‘trying to sign’ him if we believed he wouldn’t impact the championship in the first place. The geezer is clueless”

Credit: @waller_whu

“Get him away from EVERYTHING!!”

Credit: @bird_david

“David Sullivan ace scout”

Credit: @GB_Hammer

“Know all Sullivan. #GSBOUT”

Credit: @TembyWayne

In other news: ExWHUemployee’s ‘refreshing’ claim has these Hammers fans talking, find out more here.

Glasgow Rangers fans are livid after a report said they are at war with the Scottish National Party after it was suggested the Gers players sang a sectarian song as they celebrated the end of the season.

This past weekend was a special one for the Ibrox outfit. Their 4-0 victory over Aberdeen at Ibrox meant they completed an unbeaten Premiership season (BBC), and they also received the trophy after the match. As such, thousands of fans took to the streets to celebrate, while the players enjoyed themselves at the stadium.

There have been reports that a sectarian song was sung at the party, and it has now been said the SNP are at war with the Gers. Rangers themselves have already questioned whether the video is genuine.

The news was shared on Twitter by @PoliticsForAll, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Gers supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say about the news below

“And?”

Credit: @NotForMeMate

“Only one winner.”

Credit: @owenmt_1

“It’s not just selik we’ve rattled, we’ve rattled the full country, quality hahahaha”

Credit: @leewill90899218

“Let’s hope Rangers sue tinpot government and Yousaf in particular. Trumpian garbage from the SNP”

Credit: @scotgardener

“SNP regime hate Rangers as it’s a British football club, and the SNP despise everything British and have spent the past decade trying to purge anything British from Scotland.”

Credit: @BritishAlba

“That’s the best bit, Nats are utterly clueless”

Credit: @Odiepops

In other news, many Rangers fans loved this Burj Khalifa tribute.

Leeds United are eyeing a summer move for Slavia Prague sensation Abdallah Sima in the transfer window.

What’s the story?

With the Premier League season inching closer towards its finale, it appears Marcelo Bielsa is already turning his eye to how best to strengthen this Leeds squad.

And, according to Football Insider, the club are keeping close tabs on the 19-year-old Sima, and that the forward “fits the profile” Bielsa is after.

The report adds that Leeds could face competition from rival Premier League clubs, with the likes of Everton and Manchester United also credited with having an interest.

Imagine him and Bamford

Primarily a right-winger, the teenager can also play up top, and has drawn impressive comparisons with Arsenal Invincible Thierry Henry, who, of course, started his career out wide before being transformed into one of the Premier League’s leading marksmen by Arsene Wenger.

Brian Laudrup meanwhile said (via GlasgowLive): “Sima, in particular, is a wonderful player. He is only 19 years of age, but is very good in the air and can take players on. He’s quick and is scoring for fun in the Czech league.”

And, former Chelsea goalkeeper and Czech Republic legend Petr Cech even went so far as to suggest “there aren’t many players like this in Europe.”

Dubbed as “always a threat” by former Liverpool star Vladimir Smicer, Sima could build a strong relationship with Patrick Bamford, and offer the Leeds man some vital support in terms of sharing the goal-scoring burden.

This season for Slavia, the attacker has bagged 19 goals in 36 games in all competitions, including showing his pedigree at European level with four goals in the Europa League – one of them coming in a 2-0 win away at Leicester.

Sima’s ability to come inside and be a threat in the penalty box would give Leeds that security of always having a presence in the area whenever Bamford makes those darting runs into the channel to draw the centre-backs out of position.

And, standing at 6 foot 2, Sima has got the height and physicality to be a real danger from crosses being whipped in from out wide, and offer the Whites another player to hit other than Bamford.

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Sima’s versatility in being able to play on both flanks and through the middle gives Bielsa the perfect option to either partner him with Bamford as a front two, or use him as an inside forward who can link up with Leeds’ number nine by coming in off the flank.

Either way, it’s a partnership that could bear rich fruit for Leeds next season.

Meanwhile, Bielsa could find a perfect Alioski successor in this star…