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Neil Lennon’s chances of being appointed as Celtic’s new manager on a permanent basis may well have taken a severe hit following the 2-0 defeat to arch-rivals Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday, and these Bhoys fans would take the largely uninspiring David Moyes instead this summer.

Lennon would have been hoping to extend his unbeaten run since he took caretaker charge and send a message to both the board and the club’s local neighbours ahead of the 2019/20 campaign at the weekend, but instead the visitors fell to a miserable loss in which they were dominated by Steven Gerrard’s hosts.

The Northern Irishman may be facing an uphill task to be named as Brendan Rodgers’ permanent successor as a result, in what looks sure to be another competitive 2019/20 campaign.

The out-of-work and steady Eddie Moyes would likely be one of the names in the frame if the former Hibernian boss is cast aside by Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell, even if he would be an uninspiring arrival.

The 56-year-old has hardly pulled up any trees at the likes of Sunderland and West Ham United in recent years, while he doesn’t have that strong personality that would make him an instant Parkhead favourite.

Controversial. Uncompromising. Leader. C’mon the Hoops’ Keith talks the future of Celtic’s evergreen captain Scott Brown in the video below…

That hasn’t put off some Celtic supporters though, with one labelling him as a “better option than Lenny”, while another said “I’d be delighted with Moyes”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

When it comes to summer targets, central midfielders will be low on Manuel Pellegrini’s priority list.

With Declan Rice having a breakout season and Mark Noble still being solid in the midfielder, West Ham seems to be okay in this area of the pitch which other positions such as the attack and defence likely to be the main priority for the club this summer in where to improve.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be any central midfield signings this summer, and if the right one comes up the Hammers must be willing to get first in line to sign their services, and reports are indicating that such a player might be available.

Following the final day of the season, Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey admitted in an interview with the Chronicle that he was relieved to be able to get his name back out into the public eye during a campaign that the former Liverpool man said he was glad to see the back off, and this should catch West Ham’s attention.

The Hammers were reported to be interested in the midfielder back in March, who is valued at £13,5 million on Tranfermarkt, and with these comments indicating that Shelvey is ready to move on from the northeast side, Pellegrini should be making the playmaker a priority this summer.

Shelvey’s skillset will be welcome in east London, with the former Swansea City man on paper looking like a good midfield partner for Rice due to his creative abilities and passing range, which makes the 27-year-old a desirable target for the Hammers.

West Ham should be able to offer Shelvey first-team football, and the midfielder would be a welcome addition into a team that can do with more creativity.

West Ham fans, would Shelvey be a good summer signing? Let us know!

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Speaking to Football Insider, Noel Whelan has questioned whether or not Leeds can afford to keep Marcelo Bielsa next season.

There has been rampant speculation about the Leeds boss’ future since the Whites’ loss to Derby County last week.

Many fans and pundits believed that he would walk away from Elland Road, but the BBC pundit believed it may come down to his former club’s financial state.

What’s been said then?

The former striker questioned the Whites’ financial power when discussing the prospect of Bielsa leaving.

“It’s the million dollar question,” Whelan told Football Insider. “I know they’re holding talks and that will have a massive effect on so many things, including transfers and which players stay or go.

“The fans love the manager, he has integrity and has done a brilliant job with the same players that fell flat on their faces last season. What he has done is remarkable.

“The club have to do everything to keep hold of him. It depends what has been arranged Andrea Radrizzani and Mr Bielsa in terms of his contract. I know he is on a lot of money. Can they afford to keep him?”

Must break the bank

Radrizzani must do everything in his power to prove Whelan’s doubts wrong. Bielsa is reportedly on £4 million a year, this is a huge wage for the Championship, but he is absolutely worth it.

If the Whites allow the former Marseille man to slip through their fingers due to his wage demands they will live to regret it for years, especially if the funds are there.

The Yorkshire club have been linked to a plethora of transfer targets this window, and their spending this summer will most likely be higher than the sum of Bielsa’s salary, but there is no signing that could make up for the gap left by the Argentine if the Whites fail to retain his services.

Leeds’ return to the Premier League doesn’t hinge on signing a new striker or a better defender. Bielsa showed what he can do with an average squad last year, and if they let him go the Yorkshire club could very quickly fall back into mid-table mediocrity.

[ad_pod ]Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter in fury after former PSG man Habib Beye had some harsh words to share on midfield trio Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum and James Milner.Beye told Canal (via GFFN): “Liverpool are about to go into a Champions League final with Milner, Henderson & Wijnaldum. We need to stop thinking that PSG can’t do it because of the players that they have.â€Has Alisson been Liverpool’s most important signing of the season? Check out the video below to find out why Jurgen Klopp thinks so…Now, this is massively disrespectful to the midfield trio in question, who have worked their socks off to get Liverpool in some extremely exciting positions over the last few years.The funny thing is that Liverpool have already beaten PSG in the Champions League this season using that very same midfield, so Beye really doesn’t have a leg to stand on.

They may not be as exciting as the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Isco, but Milner, Henderson and Wijnaldum will guarantee you commitment, hard work and an abundance of effort; around players such as Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, their graft goes a long way to helping the flair players perform.

Beye’s comments are extremely unfair on the Liverpool trio, and have quite rightly been met with anger from some of the Reds supporters on Twitter…

[ad_pod ]Charlton Athletic sealed their return to the Championship by beating Sunderland 2-1 in the League One Playoff Final.Lyle Taylor set up the equaliser – and was an all-round pest for the Black Cats defence all afternoon – as Patrick Bauer scored at the death to send the Addicks fans wild.A tweet from a Sunderland fan mocking Taylor’s decision to join Charlton has since resurfaced, and the clinical striker couldn’t resist the opportunity to rub salt into the wounds.

Taylor has every right to be smug about this after winning promotion to the second tier. Sunderland, meanwhile, will spend another season hoping to climb out of League One.

His decision to join Charlton has been vindicated and the supporter has been made to look foolish with the cruel benefit of hindsight.

The 29-year-old had a fantastic season for Lee Bowyer’s men, scoring 21 goals and providing 11 assists.

Taylor, who played for Wimbledon for four years, turned down the Black Cats in the summer in favour of a move to South-East-London.

The move has turned out perfectly for Taylor as he played a crucial role in the Addicks promotion.

His performances may well leave Sunderland pondering over what might have been if they had convinced the former Sheffield United man to move to the North East.

Jack Ross’s men sold Josh Maja in January and replaced him with Will Grigg, but the move has not worked. Indeed, Charlie Wyke and Grigg scored eight league goals between them this season.

Missing out on Taylor, in the end, proved to be a massive blow for the club.

Sunderland’s loss has turned out to be Charlton’s gain and, if Taylor wasn’t already a hugely popular figure at The Valley, he certainly will be after his tongue-in-cheek tweet.

It’s painfully obvious that Nottingham Forest need to add some pace to their forward play next season and Hull’s Kamil Grosicki would add just that and perhaps even launch them to the play-offs.

The Polish international had a great season in the Championship, scoring nine and assisting 12 from 39 appearances. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Someone to excite fans, lifting proverbial backsides off of seats. Indeed, he’s right in his peak at 30-years-old and would be a perfect addition to Martin O’Neill’s side which has lacked excitement this season.

The club’s form dipped towards the last few months and so his experience could help them be more consistent. The Sun on Sunday (26/5; Page 69), via Seat Pitch, believe Forest agree and are preparing to take him to the City Ground this summer and, frankly, they better be.

The former Rennes ace can play down the left or down the right, and that’ll be an attractive trait for O’Neill too. He’s rated at £4.5m on Transfermarkt, but he’d be worth much more for the club if he can fire them into the play-offs and even to the Premier League next term.

Hull finished 13th last season and are showing no signs of returning to the top division any time soon. Believe it or not, Forest look far more likely, so it seems like a move would suit both parties down to the ground.

Grosicki would add pace and creativity to what’s been a rather bland Forest side in the last few months. All in all, time to spend some money, Forest!

Forest fans, how well do you think Kamil Grosicki would fit into your side next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Rangers are interested in signing Matty Willock this summer after he was released by Manchester United, according to website Football Insider.

What’s the story?

Willock was one of the players announced to be let go by the English giants on Friday having failed to make the breakthrough at Old Trafford.

Football Insider reference Ibrox sources who have told them that the club are preparing a move for the 22-year-old, who is obviously now available on a free transfer this summer.

Willock has playing experience in Scotland having spent time out on loan at St Johnstone and St Mirren in recent seasons, making 26 appearances between the two clubs.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Worth a move?

Players don’t last at Manchester United into their 20s unless they have some sort of talent but it’s fair to say that Willock might be operating at a level lower than Rangers need right now.

His last three loans have been at the two Scottish sides mentioned and in League Two with Crawley Town.

It doesn’t exactly inspire confidence he can make the step up to performing regularly for Rangers, even if he does have a Man United education behind him.

Even on a free transfer a move for him doesn’t make much sense, considering the amount of central midfielders Steven Gerrard already has available.

Gers talents

When you consider a player like Greg Docherty, who was a stand-out in League One with Shrewsbury Town last season, hasn’t been able to break into Gerrard’s plans, it demonstrates how difficult it would be for Willock to.

Other young stars like Ross McCrorie are also more deserving of playing time having made excellent progress in the Rangers team over the last 12 months..

The Gers should be investing playing time in talents like that rather than bringing in failed prospects from other academies.

In the end, it was a solid season for Newcastle, who ended the season in 13th place, way ahead of the relegation zone. Yet, there are now so many questions ahead of the new season. Will Rafa Benitez still be the manager? Will Mike Ashley still be the owner? Who will Newcastle sign? The questions are seemingly endless. So, while we cannot yet answer them, we can certainly speculate.So, who have Newcastle been linked with thus far? Well, news emerging in the last few days is that the Magpies are interested in former Arsenal man and now Juventus attacker Stephy Mavididi. Indeed, Team Talk have reported that Newcastle are one of a number of clubs who have asked Juventus about the possibility of taking the 21-year-old on-loan.

Clearly, Newcastle are in serious need of attacking reinforcements. Solomon Rondon, who won Player of the Year last season, has now returned to West Brom after completing his loan spell and the Birmingham Mail have reported that the Venezuelan forward is to be offered to Fenerbahce, with the current manager and owner questions at Newcastle placing doubt on a deal.Furthermore, the Sun have reported that Wolves are also interested in Rondon, who has a £16.5m release clause in his contract. This isn’t to say last season’s No.9 shall not be returning to Newcastle, but it’s important to mention the man Mavididi would be replacing. Frankly, he would certainly have big shoes to fill, after Rondon netted 11 times and claimed seven assists in 32 league games last season.Now, how do Mavididi’s stats compare? Well, not particularly well. The forward has made just one appearance for Juventus, making little impact but he does have six goals in 27 games for Juventus’ U-23 side, which is certainly encouraging. Still, his goal record in England perhaps doesn’t match. The 2017-18 season saw the Englishman loaned out both the Charlton and Preston – League One and the Championship respectively where he totalled two goals in 24 appearances. Worrying.Of course, Mavdidi is still only 21-years-old and yes, he certainly has time to develop. But at this stage of his career, he must be recognised as nothing more than a prospect. While Newcastle may indeed be looking at him as a signing for the future, he simply cannot be brought to the club as Rondon’s replacement – it’s just too big a risk.The whole team only scored 42 goals over the course of the Premier League campaign, after all. Yes, signing young players is exciting and comes with obvious merits but relying on a player of this profile if Rondon does depart to bring goals to the team seems really rather reckless.Newcastle fans, what do you think of the situation? Will Rondon return next season? How would you view the potential incoming? Comment below. 

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According to ABC.es, Real Madrid have placed a £76m valuation on Gareth Bale, who Tottenham Hotspur are interested in bringing back to the club, as reported by The Sun last month.

The 29-year-old only scored eight La Liga goals for Los Blancos during a disappointing 2018-19 campaign.

The Wales international has a contract at the Bernabeu until the summer of 2022, however, and is therefore in a strong position.

According to ABC.es, Real Madrid are keen to sell the attacker this summer but are looking for a price of around £76m.

Due to Bale’s current struggles it is perhaps easy to forget just how impressive the Welshman is when in full flow.

Tottenham saw plenty of magical moments from the former Southampton youngster during his time in the English capital, that is for sure.

Watch the best UCL final reactions from Liverpool and Spurs fans (and their enemies) in the video below…

The Spurs fans have caught wind of the latest rumours surrounding the future of Bale and many have taken to social media to express their thoughts.

A selection of the Twitter reaction is available to view below:

Over the last few years, Sam Gallagher has played most of his football out on loan at Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers and MK Dons.

And according to Sun journalist Alex Nixon, a return to Ewood Park could now be on the cards this summer if the Championship club can manage to get the funds together.

Based on that and the Lancashire Telegraph talking about a £5m price tag last month, every indication is that any potential move will be a permanent one, which is exactly what Gallagher needs.

The English centre-forward, simply put, probably does not have a future at Southampton as Ralph Hasenhuttl continues to rebuild his attack.

Following the arrival of Moussa Djenepo, the south coast club have since turned their attention to Birmingham’s Che Adams (also per The Sun), and his arrival or one of another striker would surely make life at St. Mary’s even more difficult for Gallagher.

The former England U20 international only made four appearances in the Premier League last season. Competing against the likes of Adams and Danny Ings if he can stay fit, you would not expect that number to drastically improve.

Turning 24 in September, Gallagher is at an age where he really needs to be playing regularly if he wants to get anywhere, something he has a better chance of doing at Blackburn or another team in the Championship.

Furthermore, now is arguably a good time for the Southampton academy graduate to leave for good in a quest for more minutes and some stability in his career.

Southampton fans, is it time for Gallagher to move on? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!