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Celtic will demand a ‘big money’ permanent deal for Odsonne Edouard or ‘nothing’, Italian transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has told Give Me Sport.

Romano says that Inter Milan pursued a loan move for the French striker last summer but were rebuffed by Celtic.

Edouard is approaching the final year of his contract at Parkhead, having signed for a club-record fee in 2018.

2020 Inter move was ‘impossible’ for Edouard

Romano expects the former Paris Saint-Germain striker to push for a move, with no shortage of suitors.

“Last summer he close to leaving Celtic but decided to stay, but now it’s time to decide for a new club probably,” the journalist said.

“Let’s see if the right bid will arrive, we have to respect Celtic because they’re doing an amazing job with him.

“Last summer Inter were thinking of Edouard as a backup option for Lukaku, but then it was impossible because Celtic wanted a permanent deal and they were offering a loan with an option to buy.

“Also Roma are interested in him… so there are a lot of opportunities for him.”

‘At the moment there is not a price’ for Edouard, Romano says

Celtic apparently have no set fee in mind for the 23-year-old, who has scored 16 goals in 12 caps for France at under-21 level, but a ‘big and important’ bid will compel the Hoops to sell him and duly enable them to reinvest in their squad.

“If someone wants the player they have to arrive and negotiate, but at the moment there is not a price they have decided because they are happy with the player,” Romano said.

“Normally you put a price when you want to sell a player, they would love to keep him, but probably with big and important bids, they need to sell him.”

Transfer Tavern verdict

How much, then, Celtic will eventually demand?

At the start of March, the Daily Mail reported that Leicester City had set their sights on the Scottish Premiership’s top scorer and that a £15m deal was in the offing.

Reacting to those claims, Celtic’s interim manager John Kennedy said the quoted figure was ‘far too cheap’. Partly because Edouard’s contract is running out, Transfermarkt only value him at £13.5m.

Celtic are under some pressure to sell given that, from next January, the player would be free to negotiate a free transfer with other clubs. However, what may aid them is added competition potentially leading to a bidding war.

Romano named Inter and Roma as prospective suitors, but alongside Leicester, there is also said to be Premier League interest from Liverpool and Arsenal.

This could theoretically push offers close to £20m.

You can view the full interview with Fabrizio Romano on Give Me Sport here!

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur recently had a bid rejected for AS Roma centre-back Roger Ibanez.

The report by Voce Giallorossa (via Sport Witness) claims that Ilario Di Giovambattista revealed both Tottenham and Leicester City made recent offers of €30m (£25.7m) for Ibanez, who just signed a permanent deal with Roma having initially been on loan from fellow Italian outfit Atalanta.

According to Di Giovambattista, both Jose Mourinho and Brendan Rodgers have been tracking the £18m-rated centre-back for some time and will continue to do so despite the 22-year-old officially becoming a Roma player in recent weeks.

Transfer Tavern Take

Considering that Ibanez has impressed over his 22 Serie A appearances for Paulo Fonseca’s side this season, with the defender’s average WhoScored match rating of 6.92 ranking him as the club’s sixth-best performer in the Italian top flight, the claim that Spurs have been keeping tabs on the Brazilian is not overly surprising, considering Mourinho’s desire to sign a new centre-back last summer.

However, it is more difficult to believe that the club would have offered a large sum of money for Ibanez in the January transfer window, as the Tottenham manager himself stated the club would not likely be doing any business in the winter market.

Indeed, Sport Witness suggested that Di Giovambattista’s claims could well be an attempt to make Roma’s business appear in a better light with the club’s supporters, which seems a much more plausible scenario.

In other news: Tottenham are also monitoring this attacker, find out more here.

Southampton fans have been reacting to comments from Ralph Hasenhuttl ahead of their Premier League clash against Brighton on Sunday.

The Saints go into the match on the back of a 5-2 defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday, and they will be looking to get back to winning ways against a side currently struggling at the wrong end of the table. Ahead of the clash, he was discussing the south coast outfit’s transfer plans for this summer.

It seems Southampton could be busy at the end of the campaign. Hasenhuttl appears to have opened the door to a return of Mohamed Elyounoussi, who is currently on loan at Celtic, while he has also reportedly told the board that he would like to double-up in every position. The full-back role is said to be a priority.

The updates, which were shared on Twitter by Tom Leach, have attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the comments from Hasenhuttl below

“How’s Elyounoussi got on at Celtic then?”

Credit: @DanJean09

“Elyounoussi – it’s a ‘NO’ from me.”

Credit: @L1minus10

“Hopefully this comes off”

Credit: @PSmith1994

“We’ve been asking for us to double up in every position for years It seems the board is about 5 years behind what the fans see”

Credit: @w1lkins82_mark

“Looks like plans are in place for the summer could be a very interesting summer!!! Hopefully a bit of deadwood gone freeing up funds for 2 or 3 quality players to come in”

Credit: @gouldino

“How utterly depressing. We’re that skint we’ve no other option but to use players out on loan to provide much needed depth. They’re out on loan for a reason. Buzzing for the return of Elyounoussi, Hoedt, Valery, Lemina and Vokins in the summer”

Credit: @StuartWoods1986

In other news, Southampton fans react to this FA charge.

According to Football Insider, Glasgow Rangers are struggling to offload Brandon Barker due to the huge wages he is on after being signed by Mark Allen.

Barker remains a problem

Barker signed for the Gers in August 2019 on a free transfer from Manchester City (Transfermarkt), but he has struggled to make an impact at Ibrox, scoring just three times in 26 appearances. During the previous transfer window, he moved on loan to Oxford United.

This latest report suggests the Gers are struggling to sell the 24-year-old permanently due to the “huge” wage he was given by previous sporting director Allen.

Difficult situation

While the 54-time Scottish champions may seem well-run right now, that wasn’t always the case. Nine years ago, they entered administration (BBC) and were demoted to the fourth tier of Scottish football, and some of the deals even in more recent years have not made too much sense.

Barker is under contract at Rangers until the end of the 2021/22 season. If they cannot find a buyer for him in the summer, the next-best solution would be another loan deal. At least in that case, a club would contribute to his wages, freeing up some space in the Gers’ financial books as a result. Either way, it is hard to see how he works his way into Steven Gerrard’s plans on the field.

In other news, Rangers fans slam this Ewan Murray tweet.

Liverpool are reportedly showing an interest in Sevilla winger Lucas Ocampos ahead of the summer transfer window, with recent reports suggesting that Takumi Minamino could be included in a swap deal with the Argentinian.

What’s the word?

According to the Express, Jurgen Klopp is tracking the 26-year-old with a keen interest, although reports from Spain claim that the Reds would have to pay his £56 million release clause if they wanted to bring him to Anfield.

The Express suggests that Liverpool would not be keen to pay the full fee, and are therefore exploring the option of including Minamino in a potential deal that would see Ocampos make the move to Anfield.

Would Ocampos be a good signing?

Whilst Ocampos has struggled to match his superb form from last season this time out, the former Marseille man has still managed four goals and four assists in 21 appearances, resulting in a solid 7.05 rating.

Last season saw the winger manage 14 goals and three assists in the Spanish top-flight, resulting in a superb 7.21 average rating, which ranked him in WhoScored’s top 10 rated players across the season.

Therefore, it seems fair to suggest that he would be a serious upgrade on Minamino if he were to join. His signing could also effectively allow Klopp to kill two birds with one stone, as his arrival could ease the pressure on Mohamed Salah to score goals in this Liverpool side, whilst also allowing the Reds to cash in on the Japanese international.

Since arriving from RB Salzburg last season, the 26-year-old, who reportedly earns £75k per week at Liverpool, has made 31 appearances for the Reds, managing just three goals and two assists.

He was sent on loan to Southampton in January, where he scored two goals in his first three games for the club, which could increase his value ahead of the summer if Klopp isn’t convinced that he deserves to stay with the Merseyside outfit.

Certainly, Ocampos would offer much more of a goal threat than Minamino when you consider his impressive contributions in his time at Sevilla, so Klopp and Michael Edwards should definitely try and bring him to Anfield this summer, even if it means losing Minamino.

AND, in other news… Liverpool suffer huge transfer blow with centre-back beast who “manhandled” Diego Costa

Ruthless Glasgow Rangers extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a routine 5-0 home win over Ross County.

First-half goals from Ryan Kent, Filip Helander and Joe Aribo gave the Gers the lead before half-time and after Ryan Jack scored to mark his comeback from injury, Connor Goldson added the icing on the cake to put Steven Gerrard’s side in control.

The win has now established a comfortable cushion between them and their arch-rivals Celtic with a stroke of good fortune as well after County hit the woodwork after the break.

Gerrard made one change from the draw with Motherwell with Leon Balogun the only one to drop to the bench.

However, Helander stepped up in his absence and he played like he had a point to prove after he headed Rangers into a two-goal lead.

But it was his defensive contributions at the back that perhaps should not go unnoticed especially in light of Balogun’s defensive meltdown against Motherwell.

As per SofaScore, the 6 ft 2 Swedish colossus earned himself a high 7.8 rating for his efforts, which was bettered only by his teammates Alfredo Morelos (7.9) and Borna Barisic (8.7) respectively.

Against the Staggies, Helander made one tackle and three clearances, that being the best of all defenders and the highest overall out of every Rangers player during his time on the pitch, which suggests that Gerrard was duly rewarded with his decision to recall him to the starting line-up.

It’s worth pointing out the 27-year-old is currently averaging 2.2 clearances per game in the Scottish Premiership this season, further confirming that he was playing a level above his usual standard against the Staggies.

Not only was he a colossal at the back, but he was a potent threat in attack as well, as he also won six out of his ten duels overall (60%), drifting away from his marker to bury the ball into the back of the net with a header from Borna Barisic’s corner.

He would also complete 61 out of 65 passes with an impressive pass accuracy rating of 95%, which is far better than his season’s average of 86% in the Scottish Premiership this season.

John Hughes’ side failed to dribble past the centre-back once during the full 90′ minutes, suggesting that he got the better of his opposition, who all earned poor ratings for their performances apart from goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw.

It’s fair to say that Helander has somewhat struggled for game time under Gerrard since the start of this season after he succumbed to injury as it gave Balogun an early opportunity to establish himself at the back.

However, off the back of such a cool and assured display from the Swede, he has surely earned more playing time.

AND in other news, Rangers would be signing another Ryan Kent in Francis Amuzu…

Leeds are linked with a potential January swoop for recent free agent M’Bala Nzola, according to Tuttosport (via Sport Witness). The striker was released from former club Trapani before joining Spezia Calcio in October, where he is currently making serious waves.

The 24-year-old still has a lot to give and is showing his previous sides what they’re missing out on with his performances at his new club. According to Transfermarkt, Nzola has tallied nines goals and one assist in 13 Serie A appearances so far. These numbers are similar to that of Patrick Bamford (10 goals, 2 assists) and the two could very well strike up a beautiful partnership.

Should Leeds sign Nzola?

Getting the £3.6million-valued striker could be very good business for the Whites as they head into the market this month. Marcelo Bielsa really needs to recruit some more creative players so as to not burn out his star forward. Additionally, Bamford is starved of support at times and could hugely benefit from someone working alongside him.

The duo could complement each other very well, as one seems to have something the other lacks. According to WhoScored, Nzola registers less shots per game, but completes more dribbles and key passes. Bamford is also more disciplined on the ball and makes less errors, but these statistics could really work in favour of each other.

Bamford is a typical goal-poacher who makes easy work of firing home from close-range. With him free to do what he does best and Nzola doing more of the leg work in terms of chance creation and drawing defenders out, the two would be a nightmare for the opposition defenders.

With the Frenchman only recently joining Spezia, it’s uncertain whether they would be willing to let him go given his immediate impact. However, they could make a nice profit on him if they do decide to cash in and Leeds would reap all the rewards.

Fellow Premier League sides have seemingly figured out Bielsa’s attacking tactics, so sharpening his options and changing up his formation will catch all of their opponents off-guard.

In other news, Stuart Dallas continues worrying pattern with latest Leeds performance…

Manchester United have a huge selection headache on their hands ahead of the Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain after Edinson Cavani spared Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s blushes against Southampton on Sunday.

The Uruguayan striker came off the bench to inspire the Red Devils to a remarkable comeback victory over the Saints at St Mary’s at the weekend, scoring two goals in the second half to secure an unlikely three points and stake his claim for a place in the starting line-up.

There’s no doubt that this will be one of the biggest dilemmas that Solskjaer will have had to deal with since he first took over at Old Trafford.

Whilst Anthony Martial has been the club legend’s trusted man for the big occasions, Cavani could keep his place with Martial still seeking his best form.

As per WhoScored, the veteran versatile forward is averaging more shots in the Premier League than the France international so far this season, whilst he has also managed to score more goals than Martial, despite the fact that he hasn’t started a single game in the top flight as of yet.

In five appearances in the Premier League this season, Cavani has scored three goals and supplied one assist. WhoScored lists one of his main strengths as being able to hold onto the ball and that has been proven as he hasn’t been dispossessed in the Premier League at all so far.

It’s worth remembering his former boss Thomas Tuchel favours a possession-based style of play, as PSG tend to start their attacks from the back, so United’s ability to retain possession in forward areas could prove useful to disrupting their supply chain for the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

Valued at £10m via Transfermarkt, it’s safe to say that the monster striker has turned out to be an absolute bargain so far, as he proved to be the decisive factor in turning the tide against the Saints at St Mary’s on Sunday.

Now Solskjaer must reward him with a start against his former club as he still has a point to prove having left the French Ligue 1 league leaders in the summer after seven seasons in Paris.

AND in other news, Manchester United must cash in on Timothy Fosu-Mensah in January…

Whether it was their time as a Premier League force, or the years spent toiling away trying to get out of the Championship, Leeds United have seen a lot of players come through the door.

Some carved out legendary careers and etched themselves into folklore, whilst others…well, it’s probably better left unsaid.

FootballFanCast have created a bumper quiz designed to test the knowledge of those die-hard Leeds fans who have been following the club week-in and week-out over the years.

Sure, faces like Mark Viduka and Ian Harte are recognisable to absolutely everyone. But how about those players who barely played a minute of football in a Leeds shirt, or those who came and went without a whisper?

See if you can put a name to these obscure faces, and truly prove once and for all that you’re the biggest Leeds fan going around!

Completed it? Why not share it with your friends and family and find out who the real Leeds United fans are!

Meanwhile, Leeds could find their Pablo Hernandez successor in this Scottish gem.

Leeds United’s striker problems seem to be solved with Patrick Bamford finally finding his shooting boots after two years of being one of the country’s most wasteful strikers.

Indeed, Bamford underperformed his xG by over 18 goals last term, but this season he has been banging them in on a regular basis.

However, that may not be the end of Marcelo Bielsa’s striker selection headache as Ryan Edmondson is looking set to stake his claim while out on loan at Aberdeen.

Leeds fans should be familiar with how good Edmondson is, he netted 20 goals for the U23s outfit during the 2018/19 season despite being 17 years old for the majority of that campaign.

He was spoken very highly of from a young age, with current Leeds U23s manager giving him a rave review back when he was playing for the U18s.

“I’m pleased for Ryan. He scored his first goals for the club two weeks ago and it had been a bit of a burden off his shoulders after scoring two against Birmingham,” Mark Jackson said.

“His work rate is fantastic and you can see what it means to him when he scores a goal, we’re obviously delighted for him, although he has cost me another match ball.”

The 19-year-old has two goals and two assists in just 244 minutes of action in the SPFL this term, and if he keeps that up he will be an intriguing option for Bielsa to consider next season.

It’s easy to write off the Scottish Premiership as being a poor league where scoring goals doesn’t really mean that much, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that one of Leeds’ best strikers ever came from north of the border.

Indeed, United took a punt on a Celtic striker by the name of Mark Viduka back in 2000, and they didn’t live to regret it.

The Australian would hit double figures in each of the four Premier League seasons he spent at Elland Road, hitting a high of 20 in the 2002/03 campaign.

Edmondson may be the next Leeds hero to follow that same path by ripping it up in Scotland before coming to Elland Road and continuing that fine form.

The teenager is very much in the same mould as Viduka as well with LeedsLive describing him as tall, strong and powerful, three words that are synonymous with Viduka’s style of play.