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Celtic are interested in a deal to bring Hannes Wolf to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by German publication Bild, who claim that Celtic, as well as Trabzonspor and Rapid Vienna, are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Borussia Monchengladbach attacking midfielder ahead of a potential swoop in the winter market.

The report goes on to state that the 22-year-old is not currently used by Adi Hutter, as well as claiming that, despite having splashed €9.5m (£8m) in order to sign the Austrian from RB Leipzig this summer, the Bundesliga side are willing to sanction his departure in the January transfer window.

Postecoglou must move

While it is true that Wolf has not enjoyed the best of campaigns with Gladbach this season, the youngster nevertheless proved during his time with Red Bull Salzburg that he would make a fantastic addition to Ange Postecoglou’s options in attacking midfield ahead of the second half of the current campaign.

Indeed, over his 22 Austrian Bundesliga appearances – only 15 of which came as starts – back in 2018/19, the £13m-rated man scored a highly impressive eight goals, registered seven assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.1 key passes and taking 1.9 shots per game.

These returns saw the Austrian earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.92, efforts which, alongside the likes of Erling Braut Haaland and Takumi Minamino, saw his side clinch their league title at a canter.

The £27k-per-week forward also impressed in the Europa League that year, scoring one goal, providing three assists and creating four big chances over his 10 appearances in the competition, playing a crucial role in his side’s run to the round of 16.

As such, it is easy to see why Ralf Rangnick made a move to sign the 22-year-old for RB Leipzig, with the now-Manchester United manager stating of Wolf: “Hannes caught our attention due to his prominent development, which is reflected in his numerous national and international outings, in spite of his young age. His strengths make him a versatile option across the attacking midfield. He stole the show with [Amadou] Haidara in the Europa League [in 2018/19].”

As such, with winning the league title and going deep into European competition undoubtedly being two of the biggest objectives of Postecoglou’s tenure at Parkhead, something which Wolf is clearly capable of helping his side achieve, it would indeed appear highly advisable for the 56-year-old Hoops boss to do all he can to land the attacker in January – as he could be one of the final pieces to Postecoglou’s first-team puzzle in Glasgow.

In other news: Big blow: Celtic dealt huge injury setback ahead of Dundee Utd, Ange will be gutted

Wolverhampton Wanderers let midfielder, Morgan Gibbs-White, go out on loan to Sheffield United at the beginning of the season, and the youngster has been doing a fantastic job in the Championship.

The 21-year-old recently spoke out about his loan move to Sheffield United, and spoke about his lack of game time at Molineux:

“At Wolves I wasn’t getting the game time I wanted, so the recognition wasn’t there. Since I’ve been in Sheffield, it’s going well and I’m scoring goals and getting assists.”

The young player clearly has a point to prove, with five goals and two assists for his loan club so far, and his progress has not gone unnoticed by the Wolves manager, Bruno Lage.

“I am very happy with Morgan. I don’t look at him in the same way I look at Luke [Cundle – U23 player], I look at him as a main player.” Lage said.

“He is working hard and is a very good player. We are happy with the way he works with us and also the way that he works with Sheffield United.”

According to earlier reports this month from The Athletic, Wolves are set to ‘consider’ recalling Gibbs-White to his Premier League club earlier than expected as the Midlands outfit chase a spot in the Europa League.

A review from one of his peers provides a lot of evidence as to why Lage and co are considering that option. Sheffield United team teammate, Chris Basham, once said:

“Morgan has been in and has been a breath of fresh air,” said Basham. “He glides past players, he’s big, he’s strong, he’s powerful.”

Gibbs-White would certainly add additional creativity to the current Wolves side, and it wouldn’t be the first time he has been recalled back to his parent club, as the midfielder was recalled from a temporary stint with Swansea in January 2021 after Wolves sustained injuries they were incapable of covering. Thus, it is not something that would out of the question for the manager to do in the upcoming window.

Lage will need to assess in the transfer market whether he feels he needs to strengthen that midfield or run the risk of injuries for the second half of the season, something Wolves cannot afford to do if they want to keep up with the top clubs in competition for the European spots this season.

One thing is for sure, Gibbs-White expects first-team football and if Lage cannot offer that to him, it could create a toxic relationship between the budding young player and his parent club, as he has made it clear that he’s happy where he is playing every week and won’t want to warm the bench to add depth.

However, by returning in January, rather than splashing millions over the winter, he could solve an alarming problem of a lack of depth in midfield where Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho are their traditional options.

In other news: Lage could solve defensive issues with Nikola Milenkovic

Following on from their convincing 5-0 win over Morecambe on Tuesday, Sunderland are back in League One action once again this weekend with another home clash against Plymouth Argyle, who are currently just two points below the Black Cats in the league table, making it a big game for Lee Johnson’s side and their promotion hopes.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Johnson could pick to start on Saturday afternoon, one man who played a big part in the win against Morecambe and should duly keep his place in the starting XI to face Plymouth is Leon Dajaku.

With 90 minutes under his belt against the Shrimpers in the left wing-back position, the youngster showed his manager how capable he is of playing in that role.

During the game, Dajaku had 78 touches of the ball and completed 42 of his 48 passes, with two key passes and one goal to his name. The 20-year-old also recorded five successful dribbles and won five duels, highlighting his energy to attack and win the ball back for his side.

This performance earned the German an overall match rating of 7.6/10 from SofaScore, making him Sunderland’s joint-third highest rated player on the day.

Since joining the Wearside club on a loan deal from Union Berlin back in August, Dajaku – who is currently valued at £1.62m by Transfermarkt – has scored four goals in 11 League One appearances.

With Kevin Phillips saying when the 20-year-old joined Sunderland that he must have “serious ability” having been involved with Bayern Munich’s youth ranks earlier in his career, he certainly seems to have been showing that ability at Sunderland, particularly in front of goal, making it a smart piece of summer business from the Black Cats to get him in.

Looking ahead to the Plymouth game, Johnson should definitely stick with having Dajaku in the starting XI – as well as Lynden Gooch, who also impressed in the win against Morecambe – to give Sunderland some extra attacking power, which they will need if they want to pick up all three points against Argyle and push closer to the top of the League One table.

In other news – Big relief: Sunderland handed major injury boost which will surely have Johnson buzzing 

Speaking to West Ham Zone, former Irons striker Frank McAvennie has been left thrilled by a transfer update involving Paris-Saint Germain star Georginio Wijnaldum.

The Lowdown: West Ham gifted Wijnaldum chance…

As per 90min, a major transfer claim emerged last week with West Ham namedropped among the clubs who have refused to rule out signing the former Liverpool star on loan in January.

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Indeed, according to their sources, the Hammers and manager David Moyes have been approached by intermediaries and gifted the chance to sign Wijnaldum along with other Premier League clubs.

Despite just signing for PSG after leaving Anfield on a free transfer, it appears the Netherlands international could return to the Premier League as McAvennie shares an excited reaction.

The Latest: McAvennie thrilled…

Speaking to WHZ, the ex-West Ham frontman simply ‘can’t believe’ that they are being linked and goes on to say he would be a ‘great addition’ to the side.

McAvennie explained:

“He’s a big player, I just can’t believe West Ham are getting linked in the same breath as this boy because he’s a wonderful talent.

“If West Ham could get him he would be a great addition to the squad.

“I don’t know where he would play, with [Declan] Rice and [Tomas] Soucek in midfield. Maybe he would play Soucek’s role with Rice, or perhaps they could change to play a three in midfield.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Signing Wijnaldum on a temporary deal with little cost to West Ham could be a shrewd move, with the only major cost being his reported £165,000–per-week wages.

The latter factor makes this a difficult move to pull off considering the club’s current highest earner, Kurt Zouma, is on around £120,000-per-week by comparison.

However, the 85-cap star would certainly add a degree of real quality going forward and may even come as an alternative to Jesse Lingard if West Ham can’t win the race with Newcastle.

He can play in the attacking midfield positions and has often proved deadly when called upon by Pochettino this season, netting two goals in the Champions League group stages.

There are certainly incentives to sign Wijnaldum, but the logistics of his salary could make it difficult.

In other news: ‘Pleeease’, ‘I would cry’…Many West Ham fans erupt with Moyes eyeing ‘quality signing’, find out more here.

With 2021 coming to an end, it’s a good time to reflect on the year that Wolves have had a fairly eventful year, firstly under the guidance of Nuno Espirito Santo before Bruno Lage came in during the summer to take charge of the Old Gold.

After ending the 2020/21 season in 13th place in the league table with just 45 points, Wolves made the managerial change after Espirito Santo took on the role as Tottenham Hotspur manager.

Prior to Wolves’ upcoming Premier League away clash against Arsenal, Lage has managed to deliver a very mixed bag of results with seven wins, four draws and seven defeats.

After a disappointing campaign last time out, it would be a great boost for everyone at Wolves if Lage and the players were able to finish in a European place this time around, which they are well in the running for.

How well do you remember Wolves’ 2021? Test your knowledge with our Big Fat Wolves quiz of the year to find out!

Newcastle United have reportedly made an official offer to sign Kieran Trippier in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Looking likely

Writing in a recent piece for The Telegraph, journalist Luke Edwards revealed that the St James’ Park club are closing in on signing Trippier and are hopeful that they can strike a deal with Atletico Madrid soon.

The January window is now open, so that transfer can be made so long as both clubs can come to an agreement.

It looks set to be a busy month for the Magpies as they look to bring in the players who will help them avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The Latest: Bid made for Trippier

As per Craig Hope on Twitter, Newcastle have now made a ‘formal bid’ to sign Trippier, and there has been ‘significant progress’ in talks between the two parties.

The Daily Mail journalist added that there is ‘expectation’ that the deal ‘will be done’ soon.

The Verdict: Great start

Bringing in Trippier would be a great start to the window for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium, and it should mean that other quality players could follow.

The 31-year-old has experience of playing in the English top flight before during spells at both Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur, while he has also played at the highest level in the Champions League.

He should certainly improve Newcastle’s defence – after all, England manager Gareth Southgate described him as a ‘defensive animal’ last June – while Eddie Howe will likely know how to get the best out of him, having coached him at Burnley.

Trippier would certainly be a statement signing from the new owners at St James’ Park and could give the Magpies a good chance of staying up.

In other news, NUFC are also ‘keen’ on signing this ‘unreal’ talent

Ruben Neves ‘ran the show’ in Wolves’ incredible 1-0 victory away to Manchester United on Monday night, according to journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Unforgettable Wolves win

Bruno Lages’ side picked up their best win of the Premier League season so far at Old Trafford, as well as their first triumph there in more than 40 years.

Wolves were exceptional throughout the game, outplaying United for the vast chunk of proceedings and eventually taking home all three points after Joao Moutinho’s late winner.

The victory has taken Wanderers back up to eighth in the table, as confidence continues to grow regarding a European finish this season.

The Latest: Neves hailed by Spiers

Taking to Twitter after the game, Spiers paid special attention to the outstanding Neves, delivering a simple seven-word verdict on the midfielder’s display.

The journalist gushed: “Neves ran the show. What a night.”

The Verdict: Magnificent performance

Spiers is quite right to laud a special performance by Neves, with the Portuguese midfielder arguably the best player on the pitch against a team he has been linked with joining.

He completed a team-high 55 passes (with an 81% success rate) and played seven accurate long balls, as per figures from Sofascore, not to mention chipping in defensively by winning two duels and making one interception and one clearance.

The calmness that Neves showed in the middle of the park alongside Moutinho allowed Wolves to dominate the contest. The 24-year-old proved to be the man for the big occasion last night.

In other news, Spiers has also hinted at one player leaving Wolves. Find out who it is here.

Sky Sports News’ Dharmesh Sheth says that Aston Villa are negotiating with West Ham United over a potential deal for goalkeeper Darren Randolph. 

The lowdown

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans reported on Friday, following confirmation that a loan deal had been agreed for Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho, that Villa also wanted to sign a goalkeeper in January.

Randolph,  who is currently third choice at West Ham behind Lukasz Fabianski and Alphonse Areola, appears to be a primary target. The 34-year-old has 18 months left on his £42,000-per-week contract and is valued at £900,000 by Transfermarkt.

A move to Villa Park would see him provide further competition and cover for incumbent first-choice Emiliano Martinez, the club’s Player of the Season for 2020/21.

The latest

Speaking live on The Transfer Show on Sky Sports [via Football Daily], Sheth revealed that discussions were underway between the two clubs. He added that the prospective signing of Randolph could trigger the departure of current Villa deputy Jed Steer.

The journalist outlined: “We’re told they’re in talks to sign the West Ham United goalkeeper Darren Randolph. If a deal can be struck between Aston Villa and West Ham United, then Villa could allow their second choice keeper Jed Steer to move on loan so that he can get more regular first team football.”

The verdict

Randolph may be well down the pecking order at West Ham, but he is a solid goalkeeper with plenty of experience, including 34 Premier League games to Steer’s three. He also enjoyed a lengthy stint as Republic of Ireland’s number one, a post he held during Euro 2016, and he has racked up half a century of caps overall (via Transfermarkt).

He’d arrive with the endorsement of former Villa and Ireland boss Martin O’Neill, who called him a ‘very fine’ goalkeeper after an ‘excellent’ performance in a 2017 World Cup play-off clash against Denmark.

Furthermore, Ryan Shotton, a team-mate of Randolph’s at Middlesbrough, dubbed him ‘unbelievable’ and capable of making ‘ridiculous’ saves’.

As backups to Martinez go, Villa would do an awful lot worse than bringing in the Irish veteran from West Ham.

In other news, Villa are also in talks over this potential signing

An update has emerged regarding the Ibrox future of Rangers dud John Lundstram…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has suggested that the Gers could sell the midfielder this month in order to make a quick profit on him.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Obviously he was signed by a different manager, in Steven Gerrard.

“So for Rangers, they might decide to cash in on Lundstram right now and they make a bit of money out of it after getting him on a free transfer.”

This comes after The Daily Record claimed that Chris Wilder is interested in signing Lundstram for English Championship side Middlesbrough. The pair worked together at Sheffield United in the Premier League and a reunion could be on the cards in the coming weeks.

Fans will love it

Rangers fans will surely love this update from O’Rourke, as Lundstram has struggled since his move to Glasgow, so selling him for an instant profit could be a great move for the club from a footballing and financial perspective.

In terms of the off-field benefits, it would mean that Ross Wilson managed to bring a player in for nothing before selling him for a profit just six months later, handing him more funds with which to improve Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad.

On the pitch, it just has not worked out for the English midfielder, and fans could well love to see him being moved on. He has been unable to nail down a regular starting spot and has only started twice since Van Bronckhorst took over from Steven Gerrard, suggesting that the Dutchman is not a fan of his style of play.

Last month, Frank McAvennie has suggested that the end to Lundstram’s Blades career foreshadowed what has happened at Ibrox this season, saying: “He’s dropped off the map. Rangers made a big fuss of signing him in the summer and to me, it seems like he never gets a game.

“I know he’s scored a couple of goals so clearly he can hack it up here. I remember Sheffield United fans being happy he was leaving, that was never a good sign.”

This highlights how much of a disaster the last 12-18 months have been for Lundstram, as he seemingly had a poor end to his spell at Bramall Lane and could now be dumped by Rangers. Hopefully, if he does leave Ibrox, he is able to find his feet and enjoy a good run of form to rejuvenate his career.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst could land the new Prso as Rangers submit offer for “groundbreaking” January transfer…

This has been a quite staggering transfer window for Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa side with the Midlands outfit bringing some of Europe’s top talent to the club.

Lucas Digne was signed from a top-flight rival while the addition of a certain Philippe Coutinho, who has already bagged his first Villa Park goal, has really made the supporters stand up and take notice.

What’s the word?

Villa have added two further players to their ranks and on Tuesday confirmed the signing of Swedish goalkeeper Robin Olsen until the end of the campaign.

However, Johan Lange and the club’s recruitment team aren’t done yet.

They could raid another of their Premier League rivals before the window closes with the club still very much holding an interest in Brighton’s Yves Bissouma.

That’s the word of Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth who was speaking live during the broadcaster’s Transfer Show earlier this week.

He said: “They remain interested in the Brighton midfielder, Yves Bissouma. I mean, if they were to get a signing like that over the line in addition to the ones they’ve already got, what a window that would be.”

Fans surely buzzing

As the reporter alludes to, this would cap off a quite wonderful window for Villa where they will have strengthened in a number of hugely important areas.

Signing Digne has added international experience to their full-back positions while it really feels as though Coutinho’s arrival, even if it does end up being for just six months, has finally replaced Jack Grealish.

Watching the attacking midfielder walk away for £100m last summer was a bitter pill to swallow for those associated with Villa but it feels as though Christian Purslow and Lange have now made up for that judgement call.

Coutinho opened his account for the club on his debut last weekend, rescuing a point at home to Manchester United and although Bissouma doesn’t offer the same attacking threat, he could also help the club replace one of their lost stars.

That happens to be Idrissa Gueye, somebody who left Villa to join Everton and is now starring for French giants, PSG.

A tough-tackling machine, the now 32-year-old won a mind-boggling 4.1 tackles per game in the 2015/16 campaign at Villa Park and has carried that form on throughout his career, winning 2.7 in Ligue 1 this term.

Bissouma offers up similar characteristics, battling to 3.6 successful tackles per match in 2021/22, showing all the fight and aggression needed to succeed at the top level. That’s a remarkable tally and with that in mind, Gerrard would be adding another proven Premier League performer to his armoury.

Combine that with his ability to finally replace Gueye in the middle of the park and it’s a potential acquisition this winter that would leave supporters buzzing with excitement.

AND in other news, NSWE heading for disaster on “outstanding” £27m-rated dynamo, AVFC fans will be fuming…