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Dani Vivian’s performances for Athletic Bilbao have caught the eye of Wolverhampton Wanderers, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.net.

The lowdown

Vivian, a centre-back, has made his first-team breakthrough at the Estadio San Mames this season, starting seven of the first eight La Liga matches.

He’s averaged 4.9 clearances and 1.6 tackles per 90 minutes so far. Of Wolves’ current defenders, only Romain Saiss can better those numbers.

Wolves may still be in the market for a centre-back, having unsuccessfully pursued Lille’s Sven Botman and Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara during the summer transfer window (via The Athletic).

The latest

Vivian is ‘drawing the attention’ of three Premier League sides – Wolves, West Ham United and Arsenal. They’re said to be ‘compiling statistical reports’ on the Spaniard.

The new contract he signed last season runs until 2023 and, importantly, contains a release clause of €40million (£34million).

The verdict

Vivian may not yet be at the calibre of Botman and Kamara, two of the best young defenders in Europe, but his stock certainly seems to be growing by the week.

Intriguingly, the report adds that, the way things are going, the list of suitors will grow significantly before the end of the season.

Still, it’s hard to justify making him the third-biggest signing in Wolves’ history at this stage.

In other news, fans hailed this ‘magic’ moment.  

Crystal Palace shared footage of Conor Gallagher’s match-winning screamer on their official Twitter channel on Sunday night.

The Chelsea loanee was in terrific form in the Eagles’ 3-1 win against Everton, with the youngster scoring twice to seal an important three points for the south Londoners. SofaScore awarded him their player of the match with a tremendous 9.6 rating, blowing everyone else out of the water.

The 21-year-old midfielder’s electric form has seen him amass six goals and three assists in 15 Premier League games this season, making him Palace’s top scorer and assists provider.

Eagles manager Patrick Viera has been hugely impressed with Gallagher since his arrival and has said that ‘it’s a joy’ to work with him.

After consistently showing his quality, not least with his stupendous stoppage time goal against the Toffees, many Palace fans have called on the club to sign the 21-year-old from Chelsea on a permanent deal.

Palace fans erupt as Gallagher footage

Crystal Palace shared footage of Gallagher’s stunning goal on Twitter, posting with the caption: “Conor Gallagher put it on a postage stamp”, and unsurprisingly it evoked some gleeful responses from the Selhurst Park faithful, as you can see below:

“Sign him permanently”

Credit: @Callum_CPFC_

“He was by the corner flag when it was lumped forward by Everton. #Hunger”

Credit: @PalaceBySea

“can’t stop watching it”

Credit: @kimberley_e_

“Iniesta had posters of Gallagher on his wall growing up”

Credit: @no_context_Hans

“Will never tire of seeing this”

Credit: @RedAndBlueDave

“I’ll cry when he leaves”

Credit: @SamMwangangi

In other news: One of Gallagher’s team-mates came in for criticism from some Palace fans on Sunday

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side currently have the largest squad in the SPFL, with 32 players in their senior ranks – according to Transfermarkt.

Having had a massive overhaul during the summer and winter transfer windows, the 56-year-old manager was given the opportunity to shape the team in his image.

And, with the next market now in sight, it seems as though a clue has already been dropped regarding one deal that could take place at Lennoxtown this summer.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist and transfer insider Pete O’Rourke had this to say about Tom Rogic and his future at Parkhead.

He said: “I’m sure, behind the scenes, Celtic’s powerbrokers will be looking at Rogic’s contract again. He’s out of contract in 2023, so he’s not got that long left on his current deal.” 

Since becoming a Celtic player back in January of 2013, the midfielder has gone on to make a total of 266 appearances for the Hoops in all competitions, scoring 46 goals and providing 49 assists along the way.

With 27 league appearances under his belt in this campaign, the 29-year-old has provided six assists for his teammates and scored six goals – the same number of times he’s hit the back of the net over the three previous campaigns.

This highlights just how impressive the midfielder has been under Postecoglou in terms of his attacking play, so much so that only three other Hoops players have racked up more shots at goal in the league than Rogic.

The midfielder has also drawn more fouls (35) than any other Celtic player in the current campaign, showing how tricky he can be to play against.

Taking all of this into account, hearing that the Celtic hierarchy are looking to extend the Australian’s time as a Hoops player is certainly news that will leave Postecoglou and supporters alike buzzing.

As O’Rourke states, the £1.35m-rated gem’s contract is set to expire in the summer of 2023, meaning that, if he doesn’t put pen to paper on a new deal before then, the club would be at risk of seeing him leave on a free transfer, something that would come as a huge blow to the Bhoys.

AND in other news: Signed for 7 figures, left for peanuts: Celtic had a mare on “unplayable” £15k-p/w dud

Tottenham Hotspur continued their impressive Premier League form under the management of Antonio Conte with a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon, making it six league games unbeaten for the 52-year-old Spurs coach.

And, the performance against Patrick Vieira’s side was arguably one of their most impressive under the Italian, with goals from Harry Kane, Lucas Moura and Heung-Min Son sealing a dominant win for Tottenham – a result which sees the club climb to fifth place in the Premier League standings.

However, despite a number of impressive individual displays, one player who once again failed to live up to expectations was Tanguy Ndombele, with the 24-year-old failing to make any real mark on the match after being introduced in the second half.

Lost 100% duels

While it is indeed true that the France international was only on the pitch for 11 minutes against Palace, the central midfielder’s returns will nevertheless be something of a cause for concern for Conte.

Indeed, the £25m-rated man managed a grand total of just nine touches of the ball, completed a mere eight passes, was dribbled past by an opponent on one occasion, conceded one foul and lost all three of his attempted duels.

These returns saw the £120k-per-week midfielder earn an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.3, ranking him by far and away as the worst performer of any Tottenham player on the day.

As such, while it may be slightly harsh to judge the Frenchman on such a limited amount of time on the pitch, it is undeniable that Ndombele will have done nothing to convince his manager that he is deserving of a start when Spurs visit Southampton on Tuesday evening.

If the 24-year-old’s second-half stint was a test run, it was certainly one which the former Olympique Lyon midfielder failed.

In other news: Forget Moura: £62k-p/w THFC gem with 4 key passes proved he’s no longer “miles off it”

According to ESPN, Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is eyeing a major overhaul behind the scenes as he holds private meetings with club chiefs and makes a decision on midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.

The Lowdown: Conte ‘evaluations’ made…

The Lilywhites manager, as he candidly admitted to the press, has been making ‘evaluations’ on his Tottenham squad as he decides who stays and who goes this January and beyond.

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Spurs’ head coach recently finished his assessment of the Hotspur Way squad with many players currently linked with a possible move away from north London.

The likes of Matt Doherty, Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli are mentioned as possible departures with yet more news emerging on who could leave Spurs.

The Latest: Conte makes Ndombele call…

According to ESPN, club record signing Ndombele is one of six players Conte is now ‘willing’ to part with as he holds ‘private meetings’ with Spurs chiefs.

Chairman Daniel Levy is ‘expected to back’ the Italian’s exit decisions but club hierarchy recognise the difficulty in facilitating these deals mid-season.

As well as Ndombele, other players at risk of being sold are indeed Alli, Doherty, Lo Celso, Steven Bergwijn and even Japhet Tanganga.

The Verdict: Right call?

Given his arguable lack of application at N17 despite his obvious ability, with Conte publicly questioning it, perhaps may be the right time to entertain offers for the Frenchman.

As ever in January, the difficulty lies in finding a suitable offer for Ndombele but given the player’s pedigree, you would believe it is a possible a big club could register interest.

Described as ‘unbelievable’ by insider John Wenham, the midfield ace completed more dribbles per 90 last campaign than any Spurs player in the Premier League (WhoScored), with former boss Jose Mourinho hailing his turnaround at one point.

Alas, his bright flashes have come at an inconsistent rate and Conte will want players who can perform at a high level more regularly in his side.

In other news: Tottenham ‘working strongly’ for ‘phenomenal signing’ as reporter drops Twitter claim, find out more here.

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Filip Benkovic’s ankle injury looks like calling a halt to Jack Hendry’s hopes of going out on loan, according to the Evening Times.

What’s the word?

The former Dundee man has slipped to fifth choice for a place in central defence but that has changed, with Benkovic out of action for at least a month while Dedryck Boyata has missed the last three games.

Jozo Simunovic and Kris Ajer were paired up for Thursday night’s 2-0 win over St Johnstone with Rodgers set to carry out a head check this morning at Lennoxtown.

“Filip’s injury could change the plan for Jack,” the Celtic boss told the Evening Times. “We wanted to get him out for games but I need to ensure our squad is covered – before anyone else’s. We will assess that on Thursday morning and see where it is at.”

Catch 22

This is a real Catch 22 decision for Rodgers – by the middle of March, Benkovic and Boyata could be reunited with Hendry left watching from the stand. On the other hand, an injury to Ajer or Simunovic in the next couple of weeks would make Rodgers look foolish if Hendry is impressing out on loan.

Since joining Celtic exactly a year ago, the three-cap Scotland international has had the unfortunate knack of playing in some of the worst performances of 2018 with his stats seized upon by the critics.

Getting a dozen or more games out on loan at an English Championship side would do his game the world of good. Before joining Dundee in July 2017, Hendry had barely sampled first team football.

It is probably in Hendry’s best interests to go out on loan but to Celtic’s benefit that he stays on as cover. Ultimately Rodgers will have to act in Celtic’s interests to provide insurance against any further injuries, but both potential outcomes have their own set of negatives.

Newcastle host Tottenham at St. James’ Park today in what could be Steve Bruce’s final match in charge of the club following the takeover by PIF.

The 60-year-old is reportedly facing the sack after Mike Ashley sold the club to the Saudi Arabian consortium, with a number of managers being eyed to replace him.

This should not detract from the special achievement that this game brings Bruce, as it will be his 1000th match in management. Irrespective of what the fans may or may not think about his time at the club, he should be praised for reaching this milestone and will, hopefully, mark it with a win.

The Magpies head into this match off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Wolves in the top-flight. How many changes will Bruce make from the team that lost to Bruno Lage’s side? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three changes to the side, along with moving to a back-three/back-five formation to face Spurs.

First of all, the formation could alter to deal with the attacking threat Tottenham pose. Nuno Santo’s side could line up with Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane up top, with the pair managing 40 goals and 24 assists between them in the Premier League last season.

This means that a wide player must be cut from the side to bring in another centre-back. With Miguel Almiron having been away on international duty in South America, we are predicting that he will be given a rest and Jamaal Lascelles will return from injury to start in the middle of the defence.

In midfield, Sean Longstaff could be axed from the team to make way for Jeff Hendrick. The £18k-per-week beast could be sacrificed in order to get the Irish midfielder in, as Hendrick scored against Wolves and may have played his way into a starting role. Longstaff lost ten of his 14 duels against Wolves and was dribbled past an unbelievable seven times, suggesting that he deserves to drop to the bench.

Finally, we think that Bruce will go with Callum Wilson up front alongside Saint-Maximin, with Joelinton coming out of the team. The striker is back from injury after scoring two goals in his first three appearances of the season, having netted 12 goals in 23 starts last term in the top-flight – showing that he has the quality to find the back of the net at this level.

AND in other news, “Definitely”: Journo claims NUFC want £49.5m-rated star, he’s a huge Joelinton upgrade…

With just three wins, seven draws and five defeats under their belt, it’s safe to say that Southampton have had a rather mixed season in the Premier League so far.

One man who has played a big part in their campaign so far is Mohamed Elyounoussi, who has scored four goals and provided two assists in 13 appearances across all competitions.

After spending a couple of years on loan at Celtic, where he racked up 24 goals and 17 assists in 67 appearances, the winger has been a regular figure for Ralph Hasenhuttl this season.

Back in October, it was reported that fellow Premier League clubs Arsenal and Leicester City were interested in signing the Norwegian, who has been described in the past by Tom English as a “dangerous” player.

However, it seems as though the south coast club have been handed a boost regarding his future, which will surely have a lot of fans buzzing. Elyounoussi has revealed in recent days that he and his family are comfortable living in Southampton at the moment and that it’s where they “belong.”

This should be a big relief to the club and any Southampton fans who may have been concerned about a potential exit being on the cards for the 27-year-old, who is currently earning £59k-per-week according to Salary Sport.

Taking into account how Southampton have a track record of selling players to fellow Premier League clubs in recent years – such as Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool, Matt Targett and Danny Ings to Aston Villa and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to Tottenham Hotspur among others – it seems unlikely that fans would have been open to seeing their club flogging yet another one of their assets to a top-flight rival.

Moving forward, if Elyounoussi can add some more goals and assists to his tally for the season in the Premier League, he could finally prove himself to Hasenhuttl after spending such a long time in Scotland with Celtic.

If that is the case, however, there’s every possibility that other clubs could then have an interest in signing Elyounoussi and could make it difficult for Southampton to keep hold of him, especially if a club which can offer him European football and higher wages were to come in for him.

With that in mind and his current contract at St Mary’s set to expire in the summer of 2023, it could be worth the hierarchy at Southampton offering him a new deal before this one runs out.

In other news: Gao could replicate Adam Armstrong masterclass at Southampton with “elite” 16-goal ace

Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt was forced off for the under-23s on Monday evening with a fresh injury concern.

The Lowdown: Gelhardt’s season so far

He has featured in four of the five Premier League games under Jesse Marsch, scoring a crucial winner against Norwich City last month.

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The 19-year-old has slowly been establishing himself as a valuable figure in the American’s squad from the bench and played 31 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Southampton on Saturday.

He was given a start for the under-23s in a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on Monday evening, but it didn’t go to plan.

The Latest: ‘Bad news’ for Gelhardt

The Yorkshire Evening Post shared the news of Gelhardt’s injury on Twitter, describing it as ‘bad news from Elland Road’.

They added that the forward had an issue with his left leg and had to receive treatment, with the Whites’ initial hope being that it is a dead leg.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Gelhardt started for the under-23s looking to build up his fitness, with a reported fake positive virus test impacting the striker during the international break.

Fans may well be wondering why he was even playing on Monday, considering that both Patrick Bamford and Tyler Roberts are long-term absentees.

Hopefully the issue is a minor one and the 19-year-old can be available for selection for the huge trip to Watford this weekend following the club’s assessment this morning.

In other news – 9.1/10 rating: Leeds target produces incredible display after Orta name-dropped him

If any Tottenham fans were keeping their eye on England’s U21s during the international break, then there must surely have been a tinge of sadness over seeing Noni Madueke shine so bright.

The former academy youngster began his career in north London, and actually captained the U16s before making his debut for the U18s at just 15-years-old.

But, in June 2018, he signed a three-year deal to join Dutch giants PSV, snubbing a reported offer from Manchester United in the process, and his career has only gone upwards since that move.

With nine goals and eight assists in all competitions last season, Madueke really took his game to another level with PSV in 2020/21, so much so that he earned a call-up to the England under-21 setup, where former manager Aidy Boothroyd talked up his potential.

He said: “He’s a powerhouse of a player, technically very good, left-footed and likes to come in off the side of the pitch, off the right and go and link. He’s got a goal in him, he’s very creative. He’s got a massive smile, a lovely kid. The lads have taken to him, as they would because he’s a good player, he has that respect for what he’s done at PSV.”

Former PSV ace Tommie van de Leegte raved about the 19-year-old’s style of play, saying (via Goal): “He’s fast and has the capability to trick his opponent. He brings creativity and is very explosive in his actions.”

This campaign has seen him take yet another step in his development, with the now 20-year-old scoring nine times and providing five assists in all competitions, as well as showing off his versatility by playing off the right in his most natural position, and through the middle too.

When he arrived at PSV, he was worth only £540k but the England U21 international is now valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt – a huge 2,233% increase.

Indeed, reports last summer suggested that PSV had told Spurs that it would take around £40m for the Lilywhites to bring their former academy starlet back to north London.

Given Spurs have seen a number of wingers come into the club over the years, you can only wonder what could have been had the Lilywhites managed to convince Madueke that his long-term future remained with them and that they could offer him a genuine pathway into the first-team.

Instead, Madueke is lighting things up elsewhere.

AND in other news – Paratici masterclass: Spurs now eyeing 6 ft “phenomenon”, he’s perfect for Conte