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At this moment in time, Southampton have several players in their squad whose current contracts are set to expire next summer.

One particular player whose terms conclude at the end of the current season that should be offered a new deal to keep him at St. Mary’s is goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

Southampton signed the stopper back in the 2016 summer transfer window from fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace for a reported fee of around £4m.

Since then, the 31-year-old, who is currently valued at £4.5m according to Transfermarkt, has made 122 appearances for the Saints across all competitions, keeping 33 clean sheets in the process, the latest of which came in their recent 1-0 win over Watford at Vicarage Road. During that game, he managed to make three saves and earn himself an impressive overall match rating of 7.4/10 according to SofaScore.

So far this season, McCarthy has played every minute of Premier League action for the Saints after seeing his league appearances increase with every campaign he’s been at the club, showing how much he is admired by Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The 31-year-old has made a total of 24 saves in the top-flight so far this term, the 12th highest of any of the 29 goalkeepers to have made at least one appearance in the league.

Back in August, it was reported by The Athletic that McCarthy had put pen to paper on a new three-year deal at Southampton, but has yet to be officially confirmed by the club.

If by any chance McCarthy, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £50k-per-week according to Spotrac, hasn’t actually signed a new deal on the south coast yet, then this is something that should be at the top of the club’s priority list given how important he has been for the Saints over the years. After all, he’s previously been described as “fantastic” by Hasenhuttl.

Additionally, with fellow Southampton shot-stopper Fraser Forster’s contract set to expire next summer, it’s likely that he could be on his way out of the club considering he’s only played three games for the Saints so far this season and is currently their second-highest earner with a weekly wage of £70k-per-week.

As a result, it would make sense for the club to keep hold of McCarthy for the next few years as their first-choice goalkeeper.

In other news: Ralph must wield the axe on £10.8m-rated Saints ace with 55% pass accuracy v Watford – opinion

With Ange Postecoglou having endured something of an injury crisis during the early stages of his managerial career at Celtic, the 56-year-old manager will undoubtedly be delighted that a number of his first-team squad are finally returning to full fitness at Parkhead.

Indeed, Mikey Johnston, Josip Juranovic, Georgios Giakoumakis and James McCarthy were all available for selection against St. Johnstone on Saturday after varying lengths of spells spent on the sidelines due to injury, while Christopher Jullien and James Forrest are set to return to first-team training in the coming weeks.

Postecoglou himself recently commented on his excitement regarding the return of Johnston, stating after Saturday’s 2-0 win: “I was really pleased to see Mikey back because he looked really good in pre-season. I know how talented he is but the key for him was to get his body healthy and to be really patient with him.

“He’s a talented player and he’s now getting more game time. The way we play I know he can have a huge impact for us, he just needs to stay healthy and keep improving his game.”

It is easy to see why the 56-year-old appears so happy with the return of the 22-year-old, as, over his brief 8-minute cameo against Ferencvarosi in midweek, the £900k-rated man highly impressed, managing 13 touches of the ball, making one key pass, completing both of his attempted dribbles, creating one big chance and hitting the target with his only shot at goal.

These metrics saw the £9k-per-week forward earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.7, ranking him as the third-best player to feature in the match.

As such, while it is true that Johnston has failed to ever really cement a starting spot in the Celtic side after breaking through into the first team, with his highest number of league appearances in one season being 14 back in 2018/19, Postecoglou simply must unleash the 22-year-old in the coming weeks, as now would finally appear to be the time when the winger can have a real impact within the Bhoys side.

In other news: Conroy drops key update on “priceless” £15k-p/w dynamo that’ll delight Celtic fans

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a triple blow ahead of their upcoming Carabao Cup fixture.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Express & Star, Valerien Ismael revealed that on-loan Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Matt Clarke will miss up to six weeks of action as a result of a hamstring injury, which the defender picked up in the 2-1 win at Blackburn Rovers last weekend.

The Frenchman also confirmed that a further two Albion players are set to miss the EFL Cup tie against Arsenal on Wednesday evening due to illness, although the 45-year-old did not name these two players.

Speaking specifically about the centre-back’s injury, Ismael said: “We received yesterday the information that he will miss a lot of games – five to six weeks.

“We need to deal with the situation. It’s bad news for us, but it is what it is. You can’t influence injuries or [illness]. They’re two situations we have to deal with.

“It’s a good thing that the season is very long in the Championship, so we’ll see him soon.”

Speaking about the further two absentees, the Frenchman added: “They need to isolate. It’s a medical case so I can’t give the information.

“[The pandemic] is always a worry at the minute. You cannot control this. You can only get the jab and make sure you do the right thing, but we knew from the beginning we had to deal with injuries and [illness].

“We’ll deal with the situation and next week is an international break, so we’ll have more time to get the players back.”

Ismael will be devastated

While the Carabao Cup is not likely to be a competition that the West Brom manager is prioritising during a season in which his side are pushing for automatic promotion from the Championship, the absence of Clarke, as well as the two unnamed players, will undoubtedly have left Ismael devastated.

Indeed, while it is not the end of the world that the 24-year-old centre-back will miss the cup tie, the fact that he will also miss a number of league games for the club is sure to come as a considerable blow to the 45-year-old, as Clarke has highly impressed since joining the club earlier this summer.

Over his three Championship appearances for West Brom, the defender has made an average of 2.3 interceptions, one tackle, 2.7 clearances and has won a whopping 7.3 duels per game, with these returns earning the £2.7m-rated man an average SofaScore match rating of 7.03.

Meanwhile, it is difficult to comment how much of an impact the two unnamed absentees will have on the Arsenal fixture, however, the fact that Ismael’s selection options have been reduced by their unavailability will nevertheless cause an annoyance for the Albion boss, regardless of their standing in the first team.

In other news: Valerien Ismael drops fresh West Brom transfer claim that is sure to get fans excited

Leeds United star Raphinha has been his team’s saviour on numerous occasions this season, scoring eight Premier League goals in what has been a largely dismal campaign for the Yorkshire club.

However, the Brazilian has attracted plenty of interest whilst at Elland Road, with German giants Bayern Munich reportedly the latest prospective suitors to express an interest.

What’s the story?

According to French outlet Jeunes Footeux, Bayern are keen on the 25-year-old playmaker as a replacement for Kingsley Coman amid doubt regarding the Frenchman’s future in Munich.

The latter has had to deal with numerous fitness issues, including a heart condition, which has seen him in and out of Julian Nagelsmann’s side.

Furthermore, the report suggests that the Premier League outfit have put a price tag on their star player as opposed to refusing to sell for any fee. It is claimed that the Whites want €40m (£34m) for the Brazilian gem.

Leeds fans will be terrified

The prospect of Raphinha leaving Elland Road, especially mid-season, is a daunting thought for Leeds fans. With the Whites sat in 16th place after an underwhelming start to the season, the Brazilian has been a shining light in what has been a dreary campaign, netting almost half of their Premier League goals so far.

To emphasise how vital the 25-year-old is for the Whites, he is currently the top-flight’s fourth top scorer, despite Leeds being fifth from bottom.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are certainly in a relegation battle, particularly following their recent form of one win in eight and conceding 16 goals in the last four games. Without their key talisman in front of goal, the Whites would be in a much greater predicament and their top-flight status would certainly be at huge risk.

It does appear inevitable that Raphinha will one day seek a new challenge, but to leave mid-season would put Leeds into major trouble given his importance to the team and their current position.

In other news – Forget Ayling: £15.3m-rated dud who made one tackle was Leeds’ villain on Saturday

Celtic’s talks with Shamrock Rovers for defender Liam Scales are thought to be at an advanced stage, according to Glasgow Live.

The Lowdown: Scales links

Initial links to Scales came out last week, with The Irish Mirror’s Paul O’Hehir one of the first to share discussions between the two clubs for the 23-year-old.

Scales, who was described as ‘really, really good’ by Rovers manager Stephen Bradley, admitted recently that he could be on the move before the transfer window slams shut, with Norwich City and Southampton also thought to be keen on his services.

The Irish Examiner’s John Fallon believes that Celtic could have to pay a ‘significant’ six-figure sum for Scales, and it seems as if transfer talks are progressing well.

The Latest: Advanced stages

Glasgow Live shared a transfer story on reported Celtic target Fabricio Bustos on Monday evening.

Within their report, they dropped a line on Scales, stating that talks between the Glasgow giants and Shamrock Rovers are at an advanced stage.

The Verdict: Desmond’s deal?

Dermot Desmond has a 25% stake in the Irish champions, so perhaps the Celtic chief has helped talks to progress in the past week.

Should Scales arrive at Parkhead, he would offer Ange Postecoglou plenty of versatility. Last season, the Republic of Ireland under-21 international made 10 appearances in his primary centre-back position, 12 as a left-midfielder, one as a left-back and one as a defensive midfielder.

He also showed his goalscoring knack with a crucial last-gasp winner over Longford Town at the weekend, a result which maintained Rovers’ three-point lead in the League of Ireland Premier Division and ensured a happy 23rd birthday for the defender.

He may not be an instant starter, should he sign for Celtic, but over time he could prove a key member of the squad in a number of positions.

In other news: Roma interested in Celtic ace, find out more here. 

Everton’s chase for a new manager appears to be in the final stretch, with Rafa Benitez edging closer to an appointment on Merseyside.

What’s the word?

This has been a busy and frustrating week for Toffees supporters as they plea with the hierarchy to appoint anyone but the Spaniard.

Unfortunately, they’ve been dealt some pretty lusty blows, with Nuno Espirito Santo now eyed by Spurs, Christophe Galtier moving closer to Nice and Lucien Favre revealing that he doesn’t want to return to football yet.

However, we should know by now to expect twists and turns. Spurs were on the verge of hiring Paulo Fonseca before a move collapsed at the 11tt hour. Crystal Palace have also experienced similar misfortune, with moves for Nuno and Favre falling through at the last moment.

That eventuality could also occur at Everton, with fresh reports claiming Benitez is being eyed for a vacancy elsewhere.

According to La Nazione (via Sport Witness), Fiorentina are considering the Spaniard as their new manager after gaining cold feet over initial choice Vincenzo Italiano.

Fans should be elated

If the Italian club can convince Benitez to swerve his move to Everton and return to Serie A instead, it would surely leave many Everton supporters delighted.

In the same manner that numerous Spurs fans voiced their concerns over a move for Gennaro Gattuso, many members of the Goodison Park faithful have protested against the idea of Benitez becoming their club’s new manager.

The 61-year-old’s association with the red half of Merseyside has led to worries over his loyalties, with a number of fans growing angry at the very idea that he’s even being considered.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-everton-manager-transfer-nuno-conte-wood-marcelo” title= “Read the latest Everton manager and transfer news!”]

With Nuno, Favre and Galtier all seemingly ruling themselves out of the running for the Everton job, it looked like a foregone conclusion that Farhad Moshiri and co were going to announce Benitez. However, this fresh titbit of information is likely to come as a huge source of hope for those who don’t want the Spaniard at Goodison Park.

This is a crucial summer after the departure of Carlo Ancelotti and, if Everton really want to secure a place in the Champions League, they need to get this appointment spot on.

Benitez has a rich history in Europe’s premier competition, winning it with Liverpool, but his recent managerial jaunts don’t cover him in too much glory.

The Spanish coach was sacked from Real Madrid, and although he got Newcastle promoted from the Championship, a lack of finances held him back in the northeast. A move to China then followed, which perhaps signalled that his best days as a manager were behind him.

At the risk of upsetting their supporters, it would surely be a wise idea for the Everton boardroom to consider other options.

They may well be forced into that situation if Benitez heads to Florence instead. Fan groups will likely be crossing their fingers that he does.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Dumfries: Brands must seal Everton swoop for £34.5m “absolute beast”…

After suffering a disappointing defeat at the hands of Manchester United last week, Newcastle United will be hoping to finally get their Premier League campaign on track when they take on Leeds United on Friday night.

Steve Bruce’s side currently lie 19th in the top-flight after a winless start, tonight facing a Leeds side who are also struggling at the start of this new season and still in search of their first win.

The Magpies boss will surely have some big calls to make after the torrid nature in which they threw away a 1-1 draw into a 4-1 defeat at Old Trafford, and one man who will be sweating on his place is Ciaran Clark.

The Republic of Ireland international was hardly alone in enduring a nightmare afternoon against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, but his mistakes last week were costly’ and when you think of the kind high-pressing, high-intensity side that Leeds are, those errors could rear their ugly head once again.

As per Sofascore, he lost both of the duels in which he was involved, made no tackles whatsoever and was dribbled past once as Cristiano Ronaldo and co ran riot in the second half.

What will also be worrying is that he looked shaky on the ball too, conceding possession on seven occasions, the most of any Magpies defender aside from Matt Ritchie, who should be noted played as more of a wing-back. He also found his mark with just one of his four attempted long balls.

Writing for The Shields Gazette and The Chronicle respectively, both Miles Starforth and Lee Ryder were critical of Clark’s second-half performance in particular, giving him a measly five and four in their post-match player ratings.

Given the nature of how Marcelo Bielsa’s side look to press from the front and put players under pressure when on the ball, Clark might just well be a liability once again – as per WhoScored, his 77.8% pass accuracy this season is worse than the likes of Federico Fernandez, Jamaal Lascelles and Isaac Hayden among others.

If Clark plays, then there’s every chance Leeds will look to test both his ability on the ball and his questionable positioning, both of which let him down against Manchester United last week and could cost the Magpies once again.

The £35k-a-week earning ace simply has to be dropped tonight when the Whites come to town.

Meanwhile, Newcastle United are interested in this Championship star, he’s better than Almiron…

Leeds United have been dealt a blow regarding the fitness of Adam Forshaw ahead of the Whites’ upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by Leeds Live which said that Marcelo Bielsa revealed following the 3-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday that the midfielder was not available for selection as a result of a muscle strain, something which would appear to cast serious doubt as to whether the 29-year-old will be available for the trip to Newcastle United on Friday.

Forshaw has not featured in a league game for the Whites in almost two years, having previously been sidelined due to a hip injury.

Fans will be gutted

Considering the influential role Forshaw held in the side prior to his long-term injury, the midfielder’s latest setback in his recovery is sure to have left the Elland Road faithful gutted.

Indeed, the £1.8m-rated man impressed over his 30 Championship appearances in Bielsa’s first season at Leeds, averaging 0.9 key passes, 0.7 interceptions and 2.2 tackles and winning 5.4 duels per game.

These returns saw the £23k-per-week midfielder earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as the Whites’ joint eighth-best performer in the second tier of English football – level with Kalvin Phillips.

As such, it is undeniable that the 29-year-old’s return to first team action would be a considerable boost for his club, especially when considering the sheer length of time for which he has been sidelined.

However, whether or not Forshaw is the same player he was two years ago remains very much up in the air, and it is something which will only be discovered when (or even if) the midfielder finally manages to get back on the pitch on a regular basis.

In other news: Orta could be heading for his biggest mistake at Leeds to date, Bielsa would be livid

Kevin Phillips has dropped an intriguing verdict surrounding Ange Postecoglou’s prospective role in Celtic’s recruitment process [Football Insider].

The Latest: Celtic finally have a new man in the dugout after nearly four months of limbo

After nearly four months in the managerial wilderness, Celtic officially confirmed 55-year-old Ange Postecoglou as their new head coach on Thursday 10th June 2021 [Celtic FC Official].

Though youngster Liam Shaw is set to be the Hoops’ only playing summer arrival as of yet, Celtic have been linked with moves for Charlie Wyke and Mat Ryan as they look to build for 2021/22

As reported by the Scottish Sun, the Australian is set to have the final say over incomings and outgoings at the Glasgow giants. In response, Phillips was quick to share his take on proceedings, as the Australian is thrust into the Scottish football goldfish bowl.

The Latest: Phillips agrees that Postecoglou should have autonomy over transfer activity

Speaking in an interview with Football Insider, Phillips signified that Postecoglou should have full power to cultivate his own squad, stating:

“That’s one of the biggest things as a manager going in. They want to keep control of who comes in and who doesn’t because then there’s nobody to blame. There’s no director of football to blame, you take sole responsibility.

“It’s brave because if signings don’t work out, you get the blame for it.

“But I think it’s great that managers are going in there with full control because ultimately they’re the ones that have to work with them.”

The Verdict: Postecoglou should be given every chance to succeed at Celtic

Upon reflection, the ex-pro turned pundit makes an interesting point. If the former Yokohama Marinos manager is to be a smash hit at Parkhead, he should be given every opportunity to operate in an agreeable environment.

By having full control over his own acquisitions, Postecoglou will be able to tactically mould a side that is comfortable within the realms of his high-octane style of football.

Ultimately, this will create the fairest reflection of his capabilities to handle the pressure of being a Celtic manager without interference.

If he can get it right, the Hoops could mount a serious challenge as they look to reclaim the Scottish Premiership title at the first attempt.

In other news, Olivier Ntcham nears an exit from Celtic Park.

Sunderland have a chance to tighten their grip on a play-off position as they face Rotherham at the Stadium of Light tonight.

The Black Cats are fourth in the League One table and one point ahead of Sheffield Wednesday in seventh, with one match left to play after this game on Wearside.

Alex Neil’s men won 5-1 last time out against Cambridge and will surely be looking to bring that positive momentum into this meeting with Paul Warne’s visitors.

How many changes will Neil make to his side for this clash? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three alterations to the team from Saturday, with Alex Pritchard, Callum Doyle and Dan Neil all coming in.

Starting off in defence, Doyle may come back in at centre-back to replace the injured Carl Winchester. The Northern Ireland international suffered a groin injury against Cambridge and it remains to be seen when he will be able to return for the Black Cats.

However, the on-loan Manchester City defender has started 32 League One matches this season and made 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game. This shows that he is a player who Neil can rely upon as he has been a regular starter for the majority of the campaign.

In midfield, the head coach might bring in young Dan Neil to replace Luke O’Nien. Against Cambridge, the ex-Wycombe man – who former Black Cats manager Jack Ross once dubbed “awkward to get past” – was underwhelming as he missed a ‘big chance’ and recorded a SofaScore rating of 6.6 – the lowest of all the outfield players outside of the injured Winchester.

This may open the door for Neil to come into the team. The academy product has produced three goals and seven assists from midfield this season and has the potential to be a match-winner for Sunderland tonight.

Finally, we are predicting that Pritchard will start. Mark Cooper once dubbed him an “immense” player and that is exactly what the 28-year-old has been for the Black Cats. The maestro has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.10 in League One this season, chipping in with four goals and seven assists, and that is why he should return to the XI. 

AND in other news, Double blow as Sunderland hit with a huge setback ahead of final two games