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Former Scotland striker Frank McAvennie has delivered his verdict on the future of Celtic defender Christopher Jullien. 

The lowdown: Exit twist

Earlier this summer, Jullien was believed to be teetering on the edge of a fresh challenge involving a transfer to Bundesliga club Schalke, with the towering Frenchman flying out to Germany in order to undergo a medical ahead of the switch.

However, that move broke down during negotiations, leaving the 29-year-old facing an uncertain future as Ange Postecoglou seemingly begins to make plans without the former France youth international.

Now, as Jullien looks to breathe a new lease of life into a career stuttering due to wretched injury fortunes, one invested onlooker has delivered his verdict on the centre-back’s future at Parkhead…

The latest: ‘By all accounts…’

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie – who of course played for the Hoops – suggested that the twice-capped France Under 20 star will struggle to feature in Postecoglou’s side after the previous pre-season match vs Rapid Vienna.

He said: “Jullien’s not going to get a game, it’s obvious. He’s had his chance in the first team.

“The manager said it’s down to Jullien whether to leave but he’s got to step up if he wants to stay. In the preseason games he’s got to prove that he wants to stay there. He’s got to prove to the manager that he wants to stay there. By all accounts in the game (vs Vienna) he didn’t.

“I know it’s all about fitness but if you’ve been out the team for two years, you’re wanting to prove a point. There’s players that need to go out, [Karamoko] Dembele was one of the players that had to go and I think there’s a few more.”

The verdict: Spot on

Albeit keeping the experience of a 234 career games Jullien around would represent superb strength-in-depth in the Lennoxtown ranks, ousting Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt as the frontline central defensive partnership seems unlikely at this stage and could ultimately hinder the development of youngsters such as Stephen Welsh.

In the final 12 months of a contract at Parkhead and still holding a market value of £4.05million (Transfermarkt), the Hoops could still recoup a relatively worthwhile sum for the Frenchman, who was hailed as physically ‘immense’ by journalist Robin Bairner.

Furthermore, currently earning a reported £20,000 per week (Salary Sport), Celtic would be wise to move to free up those wages off the books in order to create space for alternative targets that remain on the list of transfer priorities at Celtic Park.

Leeds United have been handed a huge boost in their bid to bring Otavio to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by Portuguese publication Record (via Sport Witness), who claim that, after Victor Orta saw a €30m (£25m) bid for the right-winger turned down by FC Porto, the Spaniard could now land the 27-year-old at a discounted rate – as the Portugal international’s minimum fee release clause has temporarily dropped from €60m (£51m) to €40m (£34m) until July 15.

And, with Leeds looking likely to receive a figure in the region of €68m (£58m) from the sale of Raphinha in the coming days – with Fabrizio Romano recently revealing that the Brazilian’s move to Barcelona is now at the final stages – this would appear to suggest that Orta will have more than enough funds to activate Otavio’s release clause prior to Friday – when the forward’s price returns to €60m.

Orta must act

Considering the sheer amount of ability Otavio undoubtedly possesses, the fact that Leeds could now seal a £34m deal for the 27-year-old will undoubtedly come as a huge boost to Orta and his transfer team at Elland Road.

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Indeed, over his 32 Liga Portugal appearances last season, the £27m-rated attacker was in breathtaking form for Sergio Conceicao’s side, scoring three goals, registering 13 assists and creating 17 big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 2.3 key passes, taking 1.6 shots and completing 1.1 dribbles per game.

The £32k-per-week talent who Alex Goncalves dubbed “phenomenal” also impressed in a defensive capacity, making an average of 3.2 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 0.5 clearances and winning 7.4 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per fixture.

These returns saw the seven-cap international average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.48, ranking him not only as the Dragões’ best performer in the league but also as the joint third-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, it would very much appear as if Otavio would make something of a perfect replacement for Raphinha in Jesse Marsch’s Leeds squad next season – leading us to believe that Orta simply must activate the 27-year-old’s release clause prior to Friday’s deadline.

AND in other news: Contact made: Report reveals big Leeds transfer development, supporters surely buzzing

Southampton have boasted one of the Premier League’s more successful academies in recent history, having churned out many stars and sold them on for huge profits.

Seldom do they return at the same or a higher level than when they left, but perhaps after having sold one player as a 17-year-old, he could return as the man to propel Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team up the table.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Arsenal back in 2011 and moved again to Liverpool six years later in a deal worth £35m. He has recently been linked with a return to the south coast as he looks to revitalise a career which has been ravaged by injuries.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke recently claimed: “His time at Anfield has been interrupted by injuries at key points when it looked like he was establishing himself in Jurgen Klopp’s side. But he’s still a top player.

“Maybe teams like Southampton, his old club, might be interested in him, and I’m sure there might even be interest from abroad as well because he’s still got a good CV.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain returning at the age of 28 as he entering his prime years could be perfect not only for the club, but for one academy graduate who stuck around in James Ward-Prowse.

Available for a reported £10m fee, it seems a no-brainer for the Saints to swoop for the Liverpool midfielder.

Although Oxlade-Chamberlain has struggled for game-time in recent years, he has still managed to impress for the Reds. He featured six times last season in the Champions League and averaged a 7.07 SofaScore rating.

Jurgen Klopp even claimed that last season he was witnessing the best version of the midfielder, saying: “It’s pretty much the best Oxlade since I was here. I know he’s had spectacular moments, but it’s a completely new quality. Like calming the game down, being able to know when to sprint with the ball, or shoot and the stuff like that.”

To place that attacking prowess alongside the stability of Ward-Prowse, who recorded an average SofaScore rating of 7.27 last season, could be an intelligent tactical decision by Hasenhuttl.

He also ranked in the 90th percentile for shot-creating actions, and when combined with Oxlade-Chamberlain – who ranks in the 96th percentile for progressive passes received and the 97th percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area – the stats suggest that they could create a potent partnership.

Southampton should swoop for the Liverpool midfielder, who could be the perfect player to allow them to take the next step.

It could also allow Ward-Prowse to further improve his output, as he would have another tricky attack-minded player at whom to aim his pinpoint passes.

AND in other news: Spanish report reveals big transfer development, Southampton supporters will be gutted.

A European club are reportedly now ‘ready to bid again’ for Glasgow Rangers central midfielder Glen Kamara.

The Lowdown: Another exit?

The Ibrox outfit have already lost two high-profile players so this summer, with Joe Aribo moving to Southampton and Calvin Bassey signing for Ajax.

Having reached the UEFA Europa League final last season, a lot of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad will be on the radar of some top European clubs, and the Gers need to do their best to keep hold of them.

The Latest: Bid readied

Taking to Twitter, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has revealed that 22-time Turkish league champions Galatasaray are now ‘ready to bid again’ for Kamara, while Nottingham Forest, Marseille and Salernitana are also thought to be interested in his signature:

“Serie A side Salernitana join Glen Kamara chase.

“Galatasaray ready to big again whilst Marseille are also looking at this situation.

“Also Premier League clubs, including Nottingham Forest, who have checked on him.”

Expanding in his latest piece for 90min, Bailey added that Galatasaray have already bid twice for Kamara, but have fell short of the Light Blues’ £10m valuation.

RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt, who the Teddy Bears lost to in the Europa League final, are also monitoring his situation.

The Verdict: Keep!

If RFC are to beat Celtic to the Scottish Premiership title and achieve their goals this term, then they simply need to keep hold of Kamara.

Once dubbed a ‘Rolls Royce’ by former manager Steven Gerrard, the Finland international racked up a mammoth 52 appearances in all competitions in the last campaign, scoring four goals and supplying a further five assists from the middle of the park (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, with Aribo gone, it would leave a big hole in midfield, which would not be easy to replace.

Nottingham Forest’s preparations for the new season have been dealt a blow following a fresh injury setback to midfielder Ryan Yates.

What’s the word?

As per Nottinghamshire Post, manager Steve Cooper has confirmed that the 24-year-old will be out of action for the next few weeks, having been absent from the recent 1-1 draw with Valencia in what was the newly-promoted side’s final pre-season game of the summer.

The Englishman had only made his comeback from a knee issue in the meeting with Notts County on Tuesday evening, although Cooper has now revealed that he has sustained another injury problem:

“Ryan played 45 minutes against Notts County the other day. He’s picked up another knock on his knee, so he’s going to be out for a couple of weeks,

“You can imagine what he’s been like! It’s been a challenge for him to get back and get some minutes. It would have been great to have involved him today, but he’s just had a little bit of a few setbacks in pre-season. You know Yatesy, what hurts him will make him stronger. They are only minor things, and we will see him sooner rather than later.”

The former Swansea City boss did also insist that summer signing Wayne Hennessey will be available for selection ahead of next week’s season opener against Newcastle United, despite the 34-year-old having also missed the clash with the La Liga side due to a “quad problem”.

Cooper will be gutted

That setback to Yates will come as a real blow to Forest’s promotion-winning coach with less than a week to go until the new Premier League campaign gets underway, with Cooper set to be gutted at not having his midfield general to call upon.

The academy graduate had been instrumental in securing a long-awaited return to the top-flight last term, scoring nine goals in all competitions – including eight in the league – to help fire the City Ground outfit out of the second tier.

That was by far his best goalscoring return in his club career thus far, with the £3.6m-rated man – who previously endured four loan stints away from the Midlands side – seemingly having been reborn under his current boss.

Not just a threat in the final third, however, the Lincoln-born gem also offers real strength defensively, having averaged 1.9 clearances, 1.9 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game from his 43 Championship outings, while also winning a solid 61% of his aerial duels.

Having seen promising youngster James Garner return to parent club Manchester United after his impressive loan spell last season, the playoff final winners are distinctly short of options in the centre of the park, albeit with Belgian brute Orel Mangala seemingly set to sign as a matter of when and not if.

Losing Yates to another setback will only pose a further selection issue for the upcoming trip to St James’ Park, as the two-time European champions look to earn a positive start in what will be their first season in the top tier since 1999.

Once dubbed a “diamond” by former Barrow boss Paul Cox, the £7.7k-per-week titan was a key cog in Cooper’s relentless machine last term, with it set to be a major headache for the 42-year-old not to have the reliable figure in tow.

AND in other news: Contact made: Forest in talks for “superb” £10m signing, just imagine him & Mangala

Sunderland have received some welcome news ahead of Saturday’s Championship encounter with Queens Park Rangers at the Stadium of Light.

What’s the word?

As per West London Sport, this weekend’s visitors have been dealt a blow after it emerged that three first-team players – Kenneth Paal, Luke Amos and Chris Willock – have been struck down by injury, ruling them out of the trip to the northeast.

Manager Michael Beale – who took the job at Loftus Road earlier this summer – confirmed that triple injury setback, stating: “None of the players that were injured will be coming back into the squad. We’re still waiting on a diagnosis of the three players. But disappointed, obviously.”

That trio were all absent from Tuesday’s Carabao Cup defeat to Charlton Athletic, despite having started in the 3-2 victory over Chris Wilder’s Middlesborough side at the weekend.

Neil should be delighted

While not wanting to wish ill on any player, Black Cats boss Alex Neil will seemingly be delighted to learn that three such crucial players will be out of action on Saturday, with that fact only enhancing the home side’s chances of maintaining their unbeaten start to life back in the second tier.

In the case of Willock, in particular, the playmaker will be sorely missed having shone for the R’s in recent times, notably netting a stunning, long-range effort in the win over Boro to help set his side on course for victory.

The 24-year-old – who is the brother of Newcastle United man, Joe Willock – had also proven influential last term, scoring seven goals and providing 11 assists in 35 Championship outings under former boss, Mark Warburton, with his average match rating of 7.20 the highest in the QPR squad last season, as per SofaScore.

That fact seemingly rubber stamps his importance to the west London outfit, while teammate and former Tottenham Hotspur gem, Amos, also flourished during the 2021/22 campaign scoring six league goals in total from his midfield berth.

Equally, the loss of summer signing Paal will also prove a notable headache for Beale and co, with Niko Hamalainen – who underwhelmed in the midweek defeat to Charlton – the only reserve at left-back.

Such disruption should hand the ascendency to Neil’s men for the upcoming encounter this weekend, with the former Preston North End boss likely to be delighted at having a potential advantage.

Dharmesh Sheth has dropped an update on reported West Ham United transfer target Thilo Kehrer.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Sky Sports reporter revealed that, following David Moyes submitting an opening offer for the Paris Saint-Germain centre-back on Tuesday, the 59-year-old manager has now lodged a second bid with the Ligue 1 side after the club’s initial offer was rejected – with further reports suggesting Christophe Galtier’s side want around £17m for the defender.

In his tweet, Sheth said: “West Ham United have made an improved offer for PSG defender Thilo Kehrer after having their first bid rejected.”

Imagine him & Zouma

Considering just how talented a defender Kehrer undoubtedly is, the prospect of the 25-year-old lining up alongside Kurt Zouma in the heart of the Hammers’ backline will certainly be an incredibly tantalising one for all involved with the club – not least Moyes himself.

Indeed, the £19.8m-rated talent proved his ability over his 27 Ligue 1 appearances in his debut campaign with PSG back in 2018/19, helping his side keep eight clean sheets, as well as making an average of 2.4 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 2.3 clearances and winning 5.1 duels – at a success rate of 61% – per game.

For comparison, over Zouma’s 25 Premier League fixtures last season, the £25.2m-rated centre-back helped the Hammers keep five clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 0.5 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 5.5 clearances and winning 2.8 duels – at a success rate of 59% – per outing.

Furthermore, the £78k-per-week Kehrer also clearly poses a threat going forwards, with the 25-year-old scoring one goal, registering two assists and creating one big chance in the French top flight that season, as well as completing an average of 45.9 passes, 1.4 long balls and taking 0.5 shots per fixture.

These returns saw the “two-footed” player average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.00 in 18/19, a rating that, should he have achieved at West Ham last season, would have ranked him as the Irons’ fourth-best player in the Premier League.

As such, should Moyes believe he is able to help the Germany international refind this level of form at the London Stadium this season, the Scot could well form an extremely deadly duo with Kehrer and Zouma – a partnership centre-forwards would fear up and down the country.

Crystal Palace have been linked with signing Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi recently and the winger could prove to be Patrick Vieira’s own version of Manchester United star Jadon Sancho at Selhurst Park.

Palace are among a number of sides taking an interest in the 21-year-old, who could be set to depart Stamford Bridge on loan in pursuit of regular first-team football.

A product of Chelsea’s academy, Hudson-Odoi has been part of the first team for a number of years and has gone on to make 126 appearances, in which he has contributed 16 goals and 22 assists.

However, he was limited to just 11 starts in the Premier League last season, with the majority of his top-flight appearances in recent campaigns coming from the bench.

If the youngster has any hopes of reclaiming a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad ahead of the World Cup then he will need regular football at the start of this season, so a move away would surely suit both parties.

Chelsea are already aware of the benefit of loaning players to Palace, as they saw with Conor Gallagher last season, so they should definitely consider sending Hudson-Odoi to Selhurst Park.

If the Englishman does join Vieira’s side, then the £25m-rated wide man could play a very similar role to Sancho, who looks set to play a big part of Erik ten Hag’s proposed revolution at Old Trafford.

According to FBref, the former Borussia Dortmund man is the sixth-most similar player to Hudson-Odoi in terms of play style.

Last season Hudson-Odoi and Sancho register very similar numbers in terms of goals and assists per 90 minutes (0.28 vs 0.27) and short pass completion (86.1% vs 86.9%).

According to WhoScored, both Hudson-Odoi and Sancho excel at holding onto the ball, crossing, dribbling and playing key passes, which again emphasises that they can offer very similar styles of play on the wing.

Considering Sancho is regarded as one of the top prospects in world football, despite his relatively slow start at United, Palace would be foolish to turn down the “fantastic” Hudson-Odoi this summer.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has delivered his verdict on Celtic’s reported interest in Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, with the future of the Englishman developing into a hot topic with just a matter of weeks left in the transfer window.

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the reliable source has revealed that the 28-year-old’s agent is currently trying to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge for his client before the September deadline, with the Hoops – along with a host of other clubs – reportedly keen on a swoop.

Amid that interest, Jones revealed that while a move to the Premiership champions could be an ideal solution, the player’s potential salary demands could prove a notable obstacle, saying: “I think this is a move that suits all parties, but the big sticking point is whether Celtic can find a way to pay his wages.

“I think if it can get done, it will, because his agent has been working to find him a new club because they know he’s got no future at Chelsea.”

As referenced above, the 6 foot 2 ace is likely to depart his current club with just a year remaining on his contract, having not been handed a shirt number by Blues manager Thomas Tuchel for the new season.

Postecoglou must sign him

Although his reported £96k-per-week wages could well hamper the Old Firm side’s chances of getting a deal over the line, Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou must surely do all he can to make it happen, with Barkley set to be a real statement signing, such is his undoubted quality.

With the Hoops having lost their chief creative midfield spark following Tom Rogic’s departure at the end of last season, the arrival of the former Everton man would no doubt be an ideal solution to fill that void, despite his woes in England at present.

The £10.8m-rated playmaker has been reduced to a bit-part role in west London since his arrival from Merseyside in 2018, scoring just 12 goals and providing 11 assists in 100 games in all competitions.

Prior to that, however, the Liverpudlian had emerged as a leading figure at Goodison Park, notably providing 55 goal contributions in 179 games for the Toffees across all fronts, having risen through the youth ranks at the Merseyside club.

Once likened to England icons Wayne Rooney and Paul Gascoigne, the attacking midfielder possesses undeniable natural talent, with his time at Chelsea having simply not allowed him to show it due to the fierce competition for places.

Equally, at international level, while he has not featured under Gareth Southgate since October 2019, he has managed a respectable tally of six goals and six assists in 33 caps, showcasing his ability to make an impact at the highest level.

With Champions League experience also under his belt, the former Aston Villa loanee could prove integral to the Scottish champions’ European voyage this season, with pundit Noel Whelan suggesting that the midfielder still has “loads to offer”.

At just 28, Barkley has more than enough time to try and rejuvenate his career, with the case of Joe Hart proving that Celtic Park can be the ideal place to do just that.

It may represent something of a gamble, yet Postecoglou must simply ensure that a deal for the creative gem goes ahead.

Leeds United suffered their first defeat of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign on Saturday afternoon, with Jesse Marsch’s men succumbing to a 1-0 loss at the hands of an impressive Brighton & Hove Albion side.

Indeed, while it is true that Graham Potter’s outfit – who are currently sitting behind Manchester City on goal difference alone at the top of the table – look to be an incredibly well-drilled and efficient team this season, it is undeniable that the Whites were simply not good enough for large spells of the 90 minutes at the Amex Stadium.

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In defence, Pascal Struijk very much looked like a centre-back being played out of position on the left – which, of course, he is – in midfield, Brenden Aaronson struggled to make any meaningful impact on the game over his 82 minutes in the middle of the park, while out wide Daniel James once again offered his side very little going forwards.

While both Struijk and Aaronson will certainly look to put their respective performances against the Seagulls behind them as quickly as possible, it will undoubtedly be James who is the most disappointed of all Leeds players with his display on Saturday afternoon.

Indeed, over the course of his 59 minutes on the pitch, the £16.2m-rated forward enjoyed just 23 touches of the ball – exactly half of the amount that Illan Meslier had between the sticks – completed a mere seven of his 11 attempted passes and managed no shots at the Brighton goal.

The £50k-per-week Wales international also failed with his one attempted cross and one attempted long ball, was dribbled past by an opponent once and lost possession of the ball six times.

These returns saw the 24-year-old earn a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.9, while Leeds Live journalist Beren Cross awarded the winger a four in his own player ratings, stating of James’ performance: “Some decent pressing, but threat to Brighton was non-existent.”

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in a £20m move for the forward over the final few days of the summer transfer window. Considering just how poor James was today, coupled with how disappointing the former Manchester United man was last season, the argument that Victor Orta simply must cash in on the Welshman while the interest is there seems easy one to make.