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Norwich City’s Max Aarons is a ‘primary target’ for Everton as the Toffees look to bolster the right side of their defence, according to 90Min. 

The lowdown

Aarons played in all but one game last season as Norwich won the Championship to secure an immediate Premier League return. He recorded four direct goal contributions (two goals, two assists) and averaged 1.4 key passes, 1.4 dribbles and 2.3 accurate long balls per match (via WhoScored).

Former Norwich defender Jon Newsome applauded the 21-year-old for his ‘outstanding’ performances over the course of the campaign (via Football League World).

Aarons would likely compete with Everton’s veteran skipper Seamus Coleman for the right-back spot at Goodison Park.

The latest

90Min reported that there’s an ‘open line of communication’ between Everton and Norwich regarding the 21-year-old, who is ‘widely expected’ to leave the Norfolk club this summer, and the Blues are keen to position themselves at the front of the queue given their ‘long-term’ interest.

Norwich are willing to let him leave but their asking price has been set at more than £25m. PSV’s Denzel Dumfries, who scored two goals for the Netherlands at Euro 2020, is named as Everton’s principal alternative if they cannot land the English youngster.

The verdict

Aarons would be a good signing for Everton, potentially solving any right-back headaches for a decade or more. He is one of the leading English defensive prospects and was unfortunate not to remain in the Premier League off the back of the 2019/20 season.

He has been coveted by the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the last year, underlining just how highly-regarded he is in European football circles as well as within his homeland.

Everton will be looking to repeat the success they enjoyed with 2020 addition Ben Godfrey, another graduate from the Canaries’ impressive talent pool.

In other news, what does Rafael Benitez’s appointment mean for Everton’s chances of landing this transfer target?

Mat Ryan is set to sign for La Liga outfit Real Sociedad following interest from other clubs including Celtic, according to his former teammate Victor Vazquez, as per Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Celtic gear up for 2021/22 season

Looking ahead to 2021/22, it will be intriguing to see how Ange Postecoglou goes about moulding a team capable of challenging on both domestic and European fronts.

The Scottish giants have already completed deals for ex-Sheffield Wednesday pair Osaze Urhoghide and Liam Shaw [Sky Sports], but one man who may not be making the switch to Parkhead this summer is 29-year-old Ryan owing to recent developments.

The Latest: Vazquez suggests that Ryan will sign for Real Sociedad

As per Daily Record, the Australian looks set to move to Spain and join up with Real Sociedad ahead of the forthcoming campaign. He is set to complete a medical before arriving at the La Liga club, whilst his former Club Brugge team-mate Vazquez spoke of his expectation that Ryan will end up in in the Basque Country.

He claimed: “Maty is super motivated, super happy and eager to fight Alex Remiro for the number one keeper position at Sociedad.

“His time in Valencia left him with a very good taste in his mouth, even though he didn’t play as much as he wanted.

“He has always been very attached to Spain, he loves its culture and its food.”

The Verdict: Missing out on Ryan could be a blow

This news could come as a blow to the Celtic hierarchy as their pre-season training intensifies.

The 1.84m (6 foot) ace worked closely with new Hoops manager Postecoglou in their time within the Australian national team setup, winning the Asian Cup together in 2015 [The Scottish Sun], while he was once labelled as a ‘beast’ by current Gunners manager Mikel Arteta [Football London].

In 2020/21, the Plumpton-born stopper made 14 appearances between his current employers Brighton and boyhood club Arsenal, who he joined on loan in the second half of the season [Transfermarkt].

With the 29-year-old looking set for a La Liga return, the Hoops may need to rely on existing goalkeepers Vasilis Barkas, Scott Bain and Conor Hazard to battle for the number one berth for the foreseeable future.

In other news, a former Premiership striker has been raving about this Celtic prospect.

The exit train has left Celtic and its carriages feature a number of their star players.

Where their destination lies, only some will know, but it’s looking like an increasingly bleak summer for on the departure front for the Hoops.

On the chalkboard

Odsonne Edouard is still attracting plenty of interest from the Premier League, while there is now a fear that Callum McGregor could follow him to England.

That said, one man who definitely looks set for a move south of the border is Kristoffer Ajer. The Norwegian had grown angry and frustrated at how his situation was developing at Parkhead.

The Bhoys had rejected bids from Norwich and Bayer Leverkusen for his services, with a £20m price tag slapped on his head.

However, Celtic eventually caved in and, according to reports, have ended up accepting an offer of £13.5m from Brentford for Ajer’s services.

The defender will be very hard to replace. He is a leader and possesses rare traits for a centre-back, dribbling forward like a winger and able to play a defensive-splitting pass like a playmaker in his prime.

The solution

Celtic will presumably go out and sign a replacement for Ajer – after all, they were shambolic from a defensive point of view last season. They shipped 16 more goals in the Premiership than their fierce rivals Rangers and will have an uphill task to improve on that with the Norwegian leaving.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-news-doig-nketiah-mccann” title= “Read the latest Celtic transfer news!”]

Hajduk Split centre-back Mario Vuskovic is a consideration for the hierarchy but the number one target at the moment to replace him is Carl Starfelt. They have agreed terms with the Swede and negotiations are now being finalised to complete a transfer.

However, Celtic may already have Ajer’s most natural replacement already at the club. That happens to be fellow Norwegian Leo Hjelde.

Just 17 years of age, it would be a tough ask to ask him to immediately step into the breach, but it’s important to remember that his defensive colleague was also very young when he became a first team regular at Parkhead.

Yet to make his senior Hoops debut, Hjelde spent the second half of last season on loan at Ross County, where he caught the eye immensely, even being compared to Virgil van Dijk. The Dutchman learned part of his trade in Scotland before moving to Southampton and then heading to Liverpool, quickly becoming one of the best defenders on the planet.

Speaking about Hjelde last season, John Hughes commented: “Leo is going to be the next Van Dijk. Trust me on that.” He then claimed that the youngster had a “massive future” ahead of him.

With that in mind, it would appear that the teenager is a ball-playing defender with plenty of technical attributes in his locker.

You get that feeling when Hjelde talks about his own game too, saying: “Kristoffer is a very good player and he had the same career path like me too.”

The teenager added: “I like to be on the ball and try to create things too but my main priority always has to be defending.”

After gaining valuable first team experience in the Premiership last season, it surely won’t be too long before he earns his Celtic calling.

Postecoglou has already spoken of his desire to field younger players. He said during his first week in the job: “I’m a big believer that, if you can produce homegrown talent and players who have come through the club, there’s extra meaning to represent that football club for the player.”

The new manager added: “My job is to give those footballers an opportunity and make them realise their potential. For me, age is irrelevant.”

Therefore, it’s time for the Australian to put his money where his mouth is and give a chance to Hjelde. Now feels like the perfect time to introduce him to senior team life at Lennoxtown.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Furuhashi: Ange can form magic Celtic duo by signing “exciting” 21 y/o…

An update has emerged on Jens Cajuste, regarding Wolves’ plans to sign him this summer…

What’s the talk?

According to SportExpressen, as relayed by Sport Witness, Wolves are one of the clubs eyeing up a swoop for FC Midtjylland central midfielder Jens Cajuste this summer, alongside Premier League rivals Leeds and Crystal Palace.

The report claims that all three teams are preparing bids for the midfield enforcer and interest in his services ARE expected to intensify in the coming weeks.

The Northern Echo have also reported that Newcastle have dropped out of the race, due to his £13m valuation.

Neves replacement

Ruben Neves is being touted with both Manchester United and Arsenal this week, which could mean that Bruno Lage will need to replace the Portuguese international ahead of next season. This could tie in with the club’s pursuit of Cajuste as the Midtjylland man may be viewed as his replacement.

The Swedish international is three years younger than Neves and plays a similar role in the midfield.

Their statistics match up well against each other to back up this point. Last season, their pass success, long pass accuracy, tackles made, duels won, take-on success rate and clearances were all similar according to Opta (viaSquwka’s comparison matrix).

Following the reports of interest from Elland Road, Leeds Live journalist Ed Mackey said of him: “Cajuste is an all-action midfielder whose attributes look ready-made for Premier League football. Tough tackling, close control and accurate passing are seen as his main strengths but he offers everything you would want in a player of his position.

“Standing at 6 foot 2, he is dominant both in the air and on the surface which would provide vital stability in the middle of the park for Leeds. The 21-year-old also enjoys exhibiting his flair with a number of fancy but effective touches and passes being a particular stand-out feature of his overall game.”

This suggests that, if Neves is sold, Cajuste could be an excellent replacement for the former Porto captain. Hopefully, Wolves’ bid is enough to convince the Danish side to part ways with the midfielder and that they can ensure Palace and Leeds do not sneak in ahead of them to beat them to his signature.

At the age of 21, he also has plenty of room to develop and improve. Lage could work with him on the training pitch to fulfil his potential and possibly replicate or even exceed the heights Neves has managed to reach at The Molineux in recent years.

AND in other news, Lage must brutally axe £50k-p/w Wolves dud this summer, Coady said he’s “outstanding”…

An update has emerged on Celtic’s pursuit of Royal Antwerp defender Aurelio Buta…

What’s the talk?

According to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur, Celtic have made their opening offer for Royal Antwerp right-back Aurelio Buta.

Konur has claimed that the Hoops have offered £2.1m (€2.5m) for the defender, although Antwerp are hoping for a fee closer to £3m (€3.5m). Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is said to want the deal completed as swiftly as possible to bolster his squad ahead of next season.

Frimpong 2.0

Celtic could land Jeremie Frimpong 2.0 if they are able to get a deal over the line for the defender. The Hoops must go in with a second offer closer to Antwerp’s asking price as he could be an excellent addition to the squad and a player Postecoglou would love to work with next term.

Frimpong played 22 matches in the first-half of the 2020/21 Scottish Premiership campaign before his January move to Bayer Leverkusen, averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.81. Buta, meanwhile, averaged a score of 6.74 in 25 games for Antwerp, suggesting that the pair are of a similar level in terms of ability – albeit Frimpong has a slight edge.

The full-back was linkedd with a move to Wolves back in 2019 and, at the time, was Buta was lavished with praise in a review by journalist Aster Nzeyimana:

“He’s one of the best full-backs in the Belgium league – that’s a widespread opinion.

“In the last two years he’s grown defensively, he has admitted that himself. He’s quite a small player but he’s technically very gifted. We have a history in Belgium of good attacking full-backs and he really fits right in. He’s instrumental to Antwerp.”

Nzeyimani mentions that the Antwerp ace is a small player for a right-back, which is another comparative point to Frimpong. The ex-Celtic man stands at 5ft 6, which is exactly the same height as Buta. This, along with their respective statistics, shows that he could be the club’s Frimpong 2.0 if they are able to get a deal over the line for him, which is why Postecoglou would love him at Celtic Park.

The Hoops coach would also be delighted to have a player with his defensive qualities. Buta made zero errors leading to goals last season and conceded zero penalties. This shows that he is a solid player who could come in and be a reliable option on the right flank.

AND in other news, Journalist drops 28-word Celtic bombshell that is sure to leave fans devastated…

Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett has addressed the links regarding Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish and a potential move to Manchester City live on TV.

The Lowdown: £100m bid

Reports emerged on Friday lunchtime from The Telegraph’s John Percy that City have offered Villa £100m for the attacking midfielder.

The reliable journalist stated that City have finally put a huge bid on the table and are hopeful of striking an agreement over the coming days.

However, Dorsett doesn’t believe a formal offer has been made, as of Friday.

The Latest: Sky Sports claim

Sky Sports’ Dorsett was speaking live on TV on Friday, cited by Football Daily, sharing his in-depth thoughts on Grealish to City.

He said that ‘we’re very aware of Manchester City’s admiration for Grealish’ and ‘it looks like’ Pep Guardiola’s side are making him their number one transfer target this summer.

However, Dorsett then went on to claim that although talks began a few days ago, City ‘are yet to make a formal bid as far as we understand it’.

The Verdict: Next few days key

Although there are contradicting reports going around, it certainly seems as if City are extremely keen on Grealish, so the next few days appear to be crucial.

He’s set to return to Villa training on Monday following his break after the Euros, and you’d expect a move to the Etihad could be discussed between the 25-year-old and Villa chiefs fairly swiftly at Bodymoor Heath.

Should he wish to leave, Villa may have to reluctantly grant his wish and make sure he is replaced, with Gregg Evans believing two creative players could be signed to replace Grealish.

In other news: ‘Exactly what I wanted’ – Many AVFC fans buzz as ‘excellent’ exit news is confirmed. 

Sheffield Wednesday are interested in a deal to bring Josh Sims to Hillsborough this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Yorkshire Live, who claimed that Darren Moore’s side are in talks with the former Southampton winger, who is a free agent following the expiry of his contract at St Mary’s at the end of last season.

The report added that the Owls manager is keen to bolster his attacking options at Wednesday ahead of the new League One season, and is a known admirer of the 24-year-old, having managed him at Doncaster Rovers and hailed his “wonderful skill”.

Finally, it is mentioned that the former England under-20 international has also been linked with a move to Portsmouth this summer, but it would now appear as if Dejphon Chansiri is close to securing the signing of the forward.

Chansiri masterclass

While Sheffield Wednesday have made a number of ill-fated signings in recent years, something which has largely contributed to Owls’ relegation to League One for 2021/22, it will undoubtedly be something of a masterclass by Chansiri if he can get a deal over the line for Sims this summer.

Over his 28 League One appearances while on loan at Doncaster last season, the £1.08m-rated winger scored one goal, registered eight assists and created five big chances for his teammates, making 1.4 key passes and taking 1.1 shots per game.

These returns saw the player who Ralph Hasenhuttl hailed as “strong” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.93, ranking him as Rovers’ joint fifth-best performer in the third tier.

As such, with Moore currently lacking depth in the wide attacking positions of his squad, the addition of the £18k-per-week Sims this summer would very much appear to be an astute addition for Chansiri to make ahead of the club’s upcoming League One campaign, which kicks off against Charlton next Saturday.

The manager’s previous comments about the 24-year-old certainly suggest that he would relish a reunion with the winger at Hillsborough.

In other news: Moore’s reported stance on £5.1k-p/w Sheffield Wednesday flop is the right call

Leeds United defender Diego Llorente looks set to miss the start of the Premier League season, according to LUFCFANZONE.

The Lowdown: Llorente’s injury

The Spaniard, who made the move to Elland Road last year in a deal worth £18m, went off injured for the Whites against Real Betis last weekend.

Llorente made way after just 24 minutes, shortly after Betis took the lead against Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

The 27-year-old hasn’t featured since with Phil Hay stating the centre-back suffered a muscle pull, but it wasn’t serious.

The Latest: Source shares update

LUFCFANZONE were informed by a source close to Llorente to share an update on his condition.

They posted on Twitter on Thursday morning, stating Llorente ‘has a leg muscle injury which will take 2-3 weeks to heal’.

The source added that it is ‘not major but he probably won’t be ready for the start of the Premier League season’.

The Verdict: A worry

Llorente’s first season with Leeds were plagued by injuries, so this latest update comes as a worry.

He missed half of the previous Premier League campaign with groin and hamstring issues, so hopefully, the latest injury isn’t a reoccurring one.

A timeframe of two to three weeks will see him miss Leeds’ Premier League opener against Manchester United and possibly their first league fixture at Elland Road against Everton.

Should it take three weeks, Llorente may also be a doubt for the trip to Burnley, so it’s not exactly ideal news for Bielsa, who made the defender a regular in his side towards the end of last season.

In other news: Leeds offer on the table: Whites now swooping for 6 ft 2 tank who is on £22,000 p/w. 

Evening Standard reporter Jack Rosser believes Alphonse Areola’s arrival at West Ham United has ended the chances of Sam Johnstone securing a move to the London Stadium.

Areola has joined the Hammers on a season-long loan deal, which also has the option to make the move permanent, from French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

The 28-year-old has headed back to the Premier League having impressed with Fulham, where he made 37 appearances, last term.

It comes despite West Ham boss David Moyes also targeting 6 ft 4 West Bromwich Albion shot-stopper Johnstone and reportedly failing with a £10million bid last month.

Moyes, who has led the east Londoners into the Europa League thanks to registering a club record Premier League points tally last month, had made signing a new goalkeeper a priority.

First choice custodian Lukasz Fabianski has entered the final 12 months of his £65,000-per-week contract and Areola will now provide competition.

Rosser believes the Hammers’ pursuit of Johnstone has now come to an end.

He told Football FanCast: “I’d be surprised if they got both [Areola and Johnstone].

“I think they wanted to bring in some competition for Fabianski. Moyes was pleasantly surprised by how well Fabianski did last season but then there were a couple of niggling injuries that he had to put up with.

“They’re looking beyond him now, with competition for Fabianski and then an eventual successor.”

Manchester United made a flying start to the new season on Saturday afternoon, powering past Leeds United.

Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring half an hour into what turned out to be a stunning performance from the hosts, with the Portuguese star netting a hat-trick while Paul Pogba racked up four assists.

Luke Ayling’s screamer had levelled the scores early in the second half, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side proceeded to blitz their opponents.

One man who didn’t impress however was Dan James, with the Wales international struggling to get involved in the action before being withdrawn in the second half.

James struggles to make his mark in United rout

Despite the comfortable victory, which has the Red Devils top of the early table, James started on the right-hand side of United’s attack ahead of new signing Jadon Sancho and did not impress fans.

His Sofascore rating of 6.8 was the third-lowest of United’s outfielders after he failed to deliver an accurate cross and lost possession 12 times.

James lasted 74 minutes before Solskjaer sent on Sancho for his debut.

These United fans critical of James

“Dan James looks like some random fan that Ole picked to play for Manchester United”

Credit: @captain300k

“Send Dan James on loan to Mozambique.”

Credit: @OnFaaya

“I think Dan James is in the wrong sport. Man should be representing Wales on track & field events, 100 & 200 meters precisely.”

Credit: @saba_dee

“Dan James? Cmon just get rid of him please. Championship player if I ever seen one”

Credit: @Ravenman301

“Dan James should just go uni and become a lawyer. This football ting ain’t for him.”

Credit: @Tzimur

“Dan James need to be sold good lad but not made for Manchester United at all”

Credit: @FootballFan_8

In other news, fans were buzzing over this transfer update.