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Ewan Henderson is set to sign a new three-and-a-half-year contract with Celtic, sources have told Football FanCast.

The youngster’s current deal expires in the summer with Henderson concerned about the amount of midfielders at the club and the pathway to the first team.

Those issues affected the development of his older brother Liam, who left Celtic a year ago for Bari before moving on to Verona.

Brendan Rodgers gave Ewan his first team debut last season, a month after his 18th birthday, and has gone out of his way to make him feel wanted.

The Celtic boss took the younger Henderson brother to Dubai with the first team squad then gave him game time in the matches against Airdrie and St Mirren. Against Airdrie he sent through the pass for Timo Weah to score his first Celtic goal.

With a new contract settling his future, Henderson will be looking to build on his recent first team appearances before assessing his prospects for next season.

Despite his obvious ability Henderson has only made four appearances for Scotland’s U17 and U19 squads.

Wolves could be a victim of their own success if they lose star midfielder Ruben Neves this summer, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Neves a wanted man

The Portuguese maestro has found his best form again this season after a dip in 2020/21, playing a big role in Wanderers pushing for European football.

Neves’ performances have reportedly caught the eye of a number of top clubs, however, with a summer exit from Molineux far from out of the question.

The 24-year-old, who has picked up nine Premier League bookings this season, will see his current Wolves deal expire in the summer of 2024.

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The Latest: Expert makes key assessment

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Wolves’ brilliance this season could ironically lead to them losing Neves:

“It is the price of success when your players are wanted by bigger clubs.

“As soon as you’re rising like Wolves have been, you’re always going to get to a point at some stage where teams start picking off your best players.”

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The Verdict: Hard to call

There is no denying that Wolves’ form under Bruno Lage and Neves’ own performances have played a part in raising his profile, but that is the brutal nature of football.

Unless you are one of the very biggest clubs in the world, there is always the risk that your star men excelling with eventually see them earn a move elsewhere, as happened with Diogo Jota, for example.

It is certainly easy to see the same occurring with Neves, and while it would be devastating to lose such a talented player at this stage of his career, it would be hard to begrudge him a move to one of Europe’s leading teams.

There is still hope that he will extend his stay at Molineux, though, which is something that has to be priority number one off the pitch in the coming weeks and months.

In other news, Jones has also dropped a key claim regarding another Wolves player. Read more here.

Fabrizio Romano has dropped a key update in Manchester United’s pursuit of Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.

The Lowdown: United closing in…

The Red Devils appear to be closing in on bringing Ten Hag to Old Trafford after holding ‘positive’ discussions last month.

Sky Sports revealed on Wednesday evening that the Red Devils, who have also spoken to Mauricio Pochettino, are now close to finalising a move for Ten Hag.

The report claims sources from the Dutchman’s camp have shared details regarding a compensation package and how Ten Hag will be announced after impressing United chiefs in an interview.

The Latest: Romano’s big update

Romano has now weighed in with a significant update on Ten Hag moving to England, posting on Twitter on Thursday morning.

He insisted that interim manager Ralf Rangnick has given his approval over a move for the 52-year-old in ‘private conversations’.

“While Man Utd sources insist no final agreement has been reached yet with any manager, even Rangnick has approved Erik ten Hag in private conversations.

“Rangnick is not involved in any negotiation – it’s up to the club to discuss details of the project with ten Hag.”

The Verdict: Good news…

United have stressed that no managerial appointment is imminent, but it looks as if Ten Hag will be the man to come in ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

It is easy to see why Ten Hag is wanted by United chiefs too, averaging an impressive 2.36 points-per-game with Ajax since 2017. He has successfully rebuilt the Dutch giants after losing several star men after their run to the Champions League semi-finals back in 2019, winning the double last season.

Hopefully, Ten Hag will be the man to turn United’s fortunes around, but he’ll have a lot of work to do over the coming months to make an instant impact at Old Trafford.

In other news: Sky Sports man: Fresh Man Utd ‘concern’ after Romano shares ‘bad news’ at Old Trafford. 

Leeds United correspondent Phil Hay has shared his view on Robin Koch following the 3-0 win over Watford.

The Lowdown: Leeds ready to sell Koch

The 25-year-old made just his 15th appearance of the season at Vicarage Road on Saturday and his 11th in a defensive midfield role.

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The German partnered Mateusz Klich in a crucial victory but struggled throughout, losing possession 23 times and coming off second best in 12 duels, as per SofaScore.

Koch was also dribbled past five times and failed to complete any of his six attempted long balls, with this performance coming just a few days after reports suggested that Leeds are happy to move the 25-year-old on in the summer.

The Latest: Hay reacts

Hay shared a story on The Athletic on Sunday, with one fan in the comment section believing that Adam Forshaw’s presence was missed. This is what Hay had to say in reply, admitting that he ‘is not sold on Koch’ in midfield:

“Agreed, and the sooner Phillips can start the better. I’m not sold on Koch at CDM and Klich is always better further up the pitch. Cooper the stand out player yesterday. Genuinely excellent.”

The Verdict: Unfortunate

Koch has played in his natural centre-back position on just two occasions this season, so it isn’t a surprise that he is one of the club’s worst-performing players in the current campaign, as per WhoScored.

Labelled as ‘horrible’ to watch by Beren Cross in the opening day defeat to Manchester United, the German could be the one to make way over the summer, with the club planning a defensive overhaul.

The Whites have conceded 68 league goals this season, so you could argue that Koch being offloaded is unfortunate due to starting at the back just twice, but it looks as if that may well be the case.

In other news: ‘Outstanding…’ – Sky Sports man stunned at confirmed Leeds news regarding Radrizzani and 49ers 

According to a report from Spanish outlet Sport, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger. 

The lowdown: Time to say goodbye…

Amidst the takeover chaos at Stamford Bridge, players such as Rudiger are fast approaching the end of their current contracts and no new deals appear to be forthcoming.

Set to become a free agent at the end of the season (Transfermarkt), multiple clubs across Europe are likely to be closely monitoring Rudiger’s situation in west London given his form in the last couple of seasons.

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The Spanish press are even claiming Rudiger is all but certain to leave the club due to the uncertainty around their ownership, and have now name-checked Tottenham as an interested party.

The latest: ‘Meeting’ held

As per the report from Sport, Spurs boss Antonio Conte is believed to have held a ‘meeting’ with the 29-year-old Germany international regarding a possible move to the Lilywhites.

It’s claimed that a demand of €7million (£5.7million) per year salary has priced Barcelona out of the running but Manchester United are in the mix.

There is also interest from Paris Saint-Germain in the centre-back lauded as ‘fearless’ by Garth Crooks following the recent 6-0 rout over Southampton.

The verdict: Elite performer

Signing the man valued at £31.5million for free in the summer would undoubtedly be a superb piece of business by Fabio Paratici.

When compared to leading Tottenham defender Cristian Romero this season using WhoScored, Rudiger slightly outperforms the Argentinian with a rating of 6.92 to Romero’s 6.91 but falls short of the Spurs man when it comes to average numbers of tackles (1.3) and interceptions (0.9) per appearance.

However, the powerful 6 foot 3 50-cap star has scored three Premier League goals in 2021/22, proving to be a threat in both boxes, and would offer an unprecedented boost to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium squad without the requirement of a lofty transfer fee.

The fact that he has experience playing the left-sided centre-back role Conte is searching for is just the cherry on top.

In other news: Report makes exiting swap deal claim! Find out more here.

Aston Villa look set to pip the likes of Chelsea and Everton by winning the race for Dundee United defender Kerr Smith.

That’s according to The Daily Record’s Scott Burns, with a number of Villa fans reacting to the news on social media.

Villa have lost a centre-back this month with Axel Tuanzebe cutting his season-long loan short in order to join Napoli but appear to be closing in on Everton left-back Lucas Digne.

That leaves Steven Gerrard with Kortney Hause, Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings as senior options, but it appears as if they will bolster their academy ranks with the acquisition of Smith.

Burns has revealed that Johan Lange has struck an agreement with Dundee United for the 17-year-old centre-back in a deal that could rise to £2m.

Smith is now set to travel to the Midlands to undergo a medical and finalise a ‘dream move’, with Villa pipping the likes of Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton and Southampton.

The youngster will initially integrate with Villa’s Under-23 side, despite making 12 senior appearances for Dundee United.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared the update regarding Smith on Twitter. This is what these fans had to say in reply, with one labelling the defender as a ‘beast’.

“£2m? Scottish club? Tasty”

Credit: @Jannetts_

“He’s a beast on football manager, so I’m more than ok with this”

Credit: @DaleAC93

“BOOM! Love this.”

Credit: @PhilHRoberts

“Him, Digne and a DM and I’m absolutely buzzing, 10/10”

Credit: @TomC2312_AVFC

“Good deal, very good deal”

Credit: @_VillaJack

“my football manager CB hero coming home, there’s a tear in my eye”

Credit: @tiwari0216

In other news: ‘This is a shock’ – Many Villa fans ‘buzzing’ as club confirm ‘big’ news. 

Eddie Howe enjoyed a fantastic January transfer window with Newcastle United as he brought in a number of quality additions to his side.

Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Chris Wood and Bruno Guimaraes all came through the door and have played a part in the club’s sensational form since the turn of the year.

Since the 1st of January, Liverpool are the only team with more Premier League points than the Magpies and this highlights the phenomenal impact their work in the market has had on the team – along with Howe’s coaching on the training pitch.

With survival almost secured, as they sit 15 points clear of the drop with five games left, focus can start to turn to next season and what the head coach will want to do in the next window.

One player the club have already been linked with a swoop for is Lyon’s central midfielder Lucas Paqueta, as the Toon are reportedly set to battle Arsenal for his signature.

Imagine him & Bruno

PIF and Howe must ensure that they can get this deal over the line as they can seal a terrifying midfield duo by reuniting Paqueta and Bruno Guimaraes.

The pair have played together 47 times for Lyon and Brazil in their careers to date and this shows that they would already have a relationship on the pitch. They would not need time to adjust to each other’s style of play and would be able to instantly connect at the start of 2022/23, which will allow them to hit the ground running as a first-choice pairing for Howe.

Paqueta’s form in Ligue 1 this season suggests that he will be able to make a huge impact on the team. Talent scout Jacek Kulig went as far as to describe him as a “pure joy to watch” earlier this year and his statistics back that up as he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.12 in Ligue 1 – scoring eight goals and providing five assists from midfield.

Meanwhile, Magpies fans already know what a joy Guimaraes is to watch as he has been in fantastic form since arriving in England. He has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.16 in the Premier League as he has produced three goals and one assist in six starts for Howe.

Now, imagine both of them consistently turning in exciting, brilliant, displays in the middle of the park together as they score and assist goals! It is a mouth-watering prospect for the Toon faithful and a terrifying one for any opposition team…

AND in other news: Howe can unearth his own Ginola in Newcastle’s rarely-seen 19 y/o “bright talent”

Aston Villa announced the signing of goalkeeper Robin Olsen on Tuesday evening.

And a number of Villa fans were quick to give their thoughts to the club’s fourth January addition on social media.

The 32-year-old has joined Philippe Coutinho, Lucas Digne and Kerr Smith in moving to the Midlands in 2022, signing on loan until the end of the season.

Steven Gerrard was after a back-up goalkeeper this month to work alongside Emiliano Martinez and Jed Steer and has got his wish with the Sweden international.

Olsen spent the first half of the season with Championship side Sheffield United, where he made 11 appearances. However, he fell out of favour at Bramall Lane, with the Blades willing to cut his stay in Yorkshire short, with Villa now sealing a temporary move from parent club AS Roma.

Villa fans react

This is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply to the club’s official post on Olsen, with one ‘excited’ and another labelling it as ‘decent’.

“I don’t think people understand how great this signing is, allows Sinsalo to go out on loan and get first team football, also Olsen in himself is a great keeper and he’s obviously aware he’s come to be a back up and that’s a great mentality for him to do that.”

Credit: @JPAvfc_

“We’ve actually broken Lange”

Credit: @AzariaJohnson14

“Wow hope he can push for number 1 good to have 2 good gk”

Credit: @villamadfan

“What a busy window this has been, I’m so excited about this team”

Credit: @Hydracronis

“Decent cover for Martinez, was decent for Everton last season, didn’t work out for him at Sheffield United this season, will provide some mentoring to younger Villa keepers. Welcome Robin Olsen”

Credit: @Villaboy89

“Another new player in through the door”

Credit: @TalkTrinity

In other news: ‘£25m’ – Many Villa fans react as EPL rivals eye move for pacey 26 y/o. 

Reliable transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed the latest on Everton left-back Lucas Digne’s future at Goodison Park with the Frenchman heavily linked with an exit this window.

What’s the story?

Romano has confirmed that Digne will be leaving the Merseyside club this month, tweeting: “Lucas Digne will leave Everton, never been in doubt. Three Premier League clubs interested, next week will be key.”

Digne has been linked with a handful of Premier League clubs, including the aforementioned Newcastle and Chelsea, after falling out with Everton manager Rafa Benitez.

The quarrel has meant that the 28-year-old hasn’t played a minute of football for the Toffees since their 4-1 home derby defeat to Liverpool on 1 December.

The left-back has also reportedly requested for the Merseyside club to allow him to leave Goodison Park this window.

Everton fans will be sweating

Since arriving in the North-West three-and-a-half years ago from Barcelona, Digne has become a fan favourite on the blue side of Merseyside and Everton fans will be gutted to see him depart if a move is able to materialise.

Benitez has been able to bring a replacement in already with 22-year-old Ukrainian left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko joining from Dinamo Kyiv last week.

However, Toffees supporters haven’t been pleased by the breakdown of the manager and Digne’s relationship, with Everton columnist Michael Ball making his feelings towards the situation known after Everton lost 3-2 to Brighton last weekend, stating:

“One of the most baffling decisions Rafa Benitez made for Everton’s defeat to Brighton was selecting Lucas Digne as an unused substitute.

“We’ve got a current international for world champions France in the squad but he’s not in the team.

“Rafa’s stubbornness has once again backfired on him. It’s not the first time it’s happened, he’s done this at previous clubs.

“He’s putting his own pride above the health of our football club. I think from this moment, the fans have now lost trust in him.”

This decision, among many others made by the Spaniard since being appointed in the summer has led to discontent among the Goodison faithful.

Digne’s imminent exit is made all the worse by Mykolenko’s shaky first showing this weekend, being dribbled past twice, losing possession 22 times and completing just 67% of his passes on debut.

As a result, the club’s fanbase will undoubtedly be sweating over the situation even more.

In other news, Everton have been linked with this well-known forward…

West Bromwich Albion have been expected to make moves in the transfer window this January, after a disappointing start to their Championship campaign that has seen them struggle to keep up with their competitors for the promotion spots in the first half of the season.

Luckily, the Baggies have already done some business to add a new player in a vital position during the opening day of the transfer window, which will be welcomed by the fans.

What’s the word?

On Saturday evening West Brom confirmed the signing of Orlando SC and former Barnsley striker, Daryl Dike, in a deal that secures the forward for four and half year deal.

The £9m-rated striker who has a “rocket right foot” according to former teammate Jordan Williams, joins the Baggies after an impressive run of performances in the MLS, with 18 goals and four assists this season for his former club, and is no stranger to Valerien Ismael.

Dike was signed for Barnsley in a loan deal this time last year and scored nine goals in the five months he spent under the management of the French manager, with the 21-year-old returning to America in the summer and Ismael making the move to manage the Midlands club.

Time to go

The signing has prompted further fuel to the rumours that Jordan Hugill’s loan deal at the Hawthorns will be cut short and the forward will return to Norwich City this January.

Former Baggies striker, Carlton Palmer, spoke out earlier this week to GIVEMESPORT in favour of the termination:

“Well, he’s scored one goal, so it’s not worked out for either party in terms of goals. His work rate, his endeavour and his effort has been fantastic, but what they need is goals, so for both parties, it frees up money.”

The £36k-per-week flop has failed to make an impact on the Championship side since he was signed on a season-long loan deal in the summer from newly-promoted Premier League side, Norwich.

According to data taken from SofaScore, Hugill has made 20 appearances, with only one goal and zero assists, missing nine big chances and a 0.4 average per game for shots on target.

For a team that is trying to boost their chances of promotion, Albion have the least amount of goals scored in the top six, it is a dismal record.

However, judging by the attacking statistics the 29-year-old Hugill has displayed, he is not helping the cause at all and should be axed from the team in place of a much more prolific goal-scorer like Dike.

In other news: Carlton Palmer weighs in on potential Dwight Gayle signing