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Celtic are stumbling their way through the 2020/21 season and continue to be dealt blow after blow. Their current run in the Europa League has left a lot to be desired and Rangers have established a strong lead over their arch rivals in the Premiership.

Individuals have also let Neil Lennon down over the course of the campaign so far. Mohamed Elyounoussi in particular cast himself a negative light after being pictured on his phone during the Sparta Prague match midweek.

But when it comes to forwards, others have also been disappointing. Odsonne Edouard recently returned from his self-isolation period and is yet to make an impact on the team.

Celtic must consider selling Edouard

Whilst this run of poor form is more than certainly a blip on the radar, there’s a bigger picture that Celtic must look at. There’s a high chance that they could lose the Premiership this season and their torrid run of form in Europe hints that they won’t make it far there either.

With clubs including Arsenal circling Edouard, it’s likely he will be looking to leave the club whether they salvage the season or not. His unstoppable form last campaign saw the Frenchman tally up an astonishing 21 goals and 12 assists in 27 league appearances (via Transfermarkt). Lennon is a huge fan of his too, naturally. The manager recently branded Edouard a “special talent” after he bagged a hat-trick against Hamilton in August.

Edouard is undeniably one of the best strikers in the Scottish league, but with a great label comes great risk of other clubs swooping in. Summer talks over the 22-year-old saw the Hoops slap a hefty £40million price tag on him to scare interested parties away. However, Premier League sides will have no issues paying that next summer once the financial climate is a bit more stable. Edouard currently earns £19,000 per week in Scotland, which elite level clubs will be able to double with ease.

Should a club meet the £40m asking price, it will line Celtic’s pockets with funds to kit out their troublesome squad. All areas of Lennon’s team are currently facing problems and Edouard’s transfer fee would do wonders for upgrading subpar players. It will be a huge blow for the Hoops to lose their top scorer, but when needs must, they may just have to bite the bullet and shake on a bittersweet deal, especially considering they already have an able replacement in Leigh Griffiths.

In other news, Leigh Griffiths keeps his recent promise and becomes the man Neil Lennon should focus on…

Many Aston Villa fans have responded to a report that claims Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will not activate a buy-back clause for midfielder Douglas Luiz.

The Brazilian midfielder moved to Villa Park last summer from Manchester City and had a superb season with Dean Smith’s side, featuring in 36 Premier League games which saw him score three goals and gain two assists.

Such performances have since seen reports emerge that former club City, who have a buy-back clause available to use, were keen to activate it.

However, Martin Blackburn from The Sun has now claimed that Citizens boss Guardiola has no plans to make such a move.

The 22-year-old originally joined City in 2017, spending time away from the Etihad Stadium to continue his development with Spanish side Girona until last summer.

Valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, the Brazil international is expected to continue playing a large part in Dean Smith’s Villa side next term.

Reacting to the news which was shared by Twitter account @villareport, fans gave their opinion with many delighted that it appears the midfielder will remain at Villa Park.

How much do you think Douglas Luiz is worth? Let us know in the comments section below…

Unless you have been living under a rock, you will have heard that Lionel Messi – a player who was targetted by Glasgow Rangers all the way back in 2004 – has told Barcelona he wants to leave the Camp Nou.

In a truly monumental story, it looks as though the Argentina international could be leaving the one and only club he has ever played for as a professional. He has managed a huge 635 goals and 285 assists in 731 games, whilst he has four Champions League titles and a record six Ballon d’Ors – he is arguably the greatest player to ever walk the planet. Currently valued at £100.8m by Transfermarkt, it would be interesting to see who could afford him.

There was a time, though, when he could have been a Gers players – albeit on loan. In 2004, when Messi was still just a 17-year-old, the Ibrox outfit made an approach to Barca – but in the end, they ended up signing Alex Rae.

With this news emerging, the Glasgow Times have put together an amusing article discussing Messi’s former Gers link, and it has attracted plenty of attention from the supporters, leading to some amusing responses. They took to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

Tottenham’s Eric Dier has been banned for four games after confronting a spectator during the FA Cup defeat to Norwich in March and he will now miss the clash with Arsenal at the weekend as a result.

According to ESPN, the Football Association have handed him a four-match ban after he leapt into the stands and started a fracas with a Spurs supporter who had directed insults at his brother, with security guards trying to break up the midfielder and spectator.

The Lilywhites will face the Gunners at home when one of the biggest rivalries in the country plays out again on Sunday. However, Spurs will have to go into the game without the services of Dier following his suspension, dealing a significant blow for Jose Mourinho’s plans.

The 26-year-old has played in every single minute since the Premier League restart as Tottenham bounced back from a disappointing defeat at Sheffield United by edging past Everton at home on Monday night.

After he conceded a penalty against Manchester United three weeks ago, Dier helped the defence to keep a clean sheet in the subsequent 2-0 win over West Ham and again on Monday night.

The England international, who was a favourite of Mauricio Pochettino, has played 18 Premier League games this season, supplying two assists, winning 1.2 tackles, averaging 1.1 interceptions and completing 3.1 clearances per game on average (via WhoScored).

Dier has never had it easy at Spurs, as he has been beset by multiple injuries, illness and mixed form over the years. However, he has established himself as a regular starter under Mourinho in recent weeks and has received high praise from the manager. He is currently valued at £18m via Transfermarkt.

The Lilywhites have leaked goals for fun all season long and now they will be without one of their most trusted players when they face the Gunners at home.

Mourinho will be well aware of the dangers posed by Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Dier’s absence could be sorely felt as they prepare for the derby on Sunday.

Tottenham fans, will Dier be missed against Arsenal? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Manchester United are set to sell Alexis Sanchez this summer after he agreed personal terms with Inter Milan. 

The Red Devils are ready to sanction a transfer for the Chilean, who has only scored five goals in 45 games for Man United. The 31-year-old has reportedly accepted an offer of a three-year deal from the Nerazzurri, according to reports.

He has spent the past season on loan at Inter Milan after falling out of favour with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and is deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford.

According to Gazzeta dello Sport, as per SportWitness, his representatives have reached an agreement with Inter which would see him stay at the Serie A outfit until 2023. Italian transfer guru that Fabrizio Romano revealed Antonio Conte’s side want to sign him on a permanent basis and the newspaper supports his claims.

The transfer window has barely been open and speculation is already rampant on social media as fans are discussing who United will sign this summer. Old Trafford is expected to become a hub of activity in the weeks ahead, with players set to come and go between now and deadline day.

Solskjaer could face his biggest transfer market challenge yet, as it will be difficult to find buyers for the deadwood in the current economic climate, although Inter seem to have made his job a whole lot easier.

Ed Woodward has held talks with the Serie A giants over a swap deal for Sanchez involving Ivan Perisic as part of an exchange deal. The executive vice-chairman will want to rectify his mistake of signing the Chilean in the first place.

Sanchez, who is valued at a figure of around £15m, currently earns a staggering salary worth £400,000-a-week, which Woodward will want to get off the wage bill as soon as possible.

Conte appears to have given his old adversaries a lifeline as he is keen to sign the veteran in the summer.

United fans, should Woodward swap Sanchez for Perisic in the summer? Let us know your opinion in the comments below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

After arriving at St Mary’s with the title of the Premier League’s final signing of the summer window to his name, Kevin Danso was somewhat of an unknown quantity.

Signed on a season-long loan from Bundesliga side FC Augsburg, the 21-year-old defender – who shares Austrian nationality with his club manager Ralph Hasenhuttl – didn’t make an appearance until the third Premier League game of the campaign against Brighton.

Before his next outing in England’s top-flight – a tie against Manchester United at St Mary’s – Hasenhuttl showered the youngster with praise, with The Mirror stating that the former RB Leipzig boss viewed Danso as key to getting any kind of result against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

“He showed from the first day he was here that he knows how to defend. He knows how to play football and, physically, has very good options. He is very quick and also good at jumping for headers. At this age, he is very experienced because he played a lot of games in Germany and this signing was a really good one.”

However, despite that initial optimism from the Saints manager, he appears to have gone cold on Danso if recent events are anything to go by.

The former MK Dons youth player hasn’t played a single minute of action since the 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on the 2nd November, appearing for just 15 minutes in that particular match.

Forget not playing a single minute – Danso has only been involved in two of Hasenhuttl’s five matchday squads since that trip to Manchester, managing to make the bench for the 2-1 defeat to Everton and the 2-1 win over Norwich, but failing to even be amongst the substitutes in the 2-2 draw against Arsenal, the 2-1 win over Watford as well as the most recent outing, a 2-1 loss to Newcastle.

There is clearly something that Hasenhuttl sees in his fellow Austrian, or else he wouldn’t have signed him nor would he have spoken so glowingly about him before the game against Manchester United.

However, what does seem apparent is that the 52-year-old has gone cold on his deadline day signing, and we can only sit and wonder what the reason for that might be.

In other news, Matt Crocker’s first project as Southampton’s Director of Football looks to be on the table after a development regarding this 17-year-old prospect…

According to Corriere dello Sport, AS Roma are very close to keeping Manchester United ace Chris Smalling in the summer, via @utdreport.   

The Italian newspaper claims Roma are only ‘one step away’ from signing Smalling on loan, which could become a permanent deal next year.

It seems likely Smalling will leave Old Trafford on loan again for another season and the Italians will be obliged to sign him permanently in 2021.

Although the defender’s first spell in Italy was brought to an abrupt halt as a result of the pandemic, he has still managed to play 20 games in Serie A this season (Transfermarkt).

Roma boss Paulo Foncesca has been impressed by the England international’s work ethic, as he has averaged 2 interceptions per game, completed 4.5 clearances on average, scored 2 goals, and created 1 assist so far (WhoScored).

In comparison, Phil Jones has struggled for form this season and the defender is now in a vulnerable position. It is worth pointing out Smalling has earned a higher WhoScored rating than his teammate at the time of writing.

After arriving at the Theatre of Dreams from Fulham for £7.2m in 2010, the 30-year-old has made over 300 appearances for the Red Devils, winning the Premier League twice, the Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup. He is currently valued at £14.4m via Transfermarkt.

United initially priced the centre-back at €25m, which equates to £22m, but it appears Ed Woodward has lowered the asking price to somewhere in the region of €12m-€15m.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted he is a fan of the veteran in the past, but Smalling wants to be playing regular football in order to improve his chances of being named in Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 squad, and this is something the club legend cannot guarantee.

Indeed, Solskjaer has frequently used the pairing of captain Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof at the back this season, and it is hard to imagine the Englishman would be given a place in the starting lineup if he returned to Old Trafford.

Naturally, many United fans reacted to the transfer news on social media, with one supporter urging the board to “cash in ASAP,” and another adding “take Jones instead.”

Have a read through the rest of the mixed reactions so far…

United fans, should the board sell Chris Smalling permanently in the summer? Let us know down below!

So after a miserable opening to the current campaign, it appears Unai Emery’s misery may be finally coming to an end.

Following a series of poor results, Arsenal find themselves in eighth in the Premier League table, and are already eight points off the top four.

Reports in recent weeks had suggested that Emery may have just a month to save his job, but it now appears it could be far sooner than that.

According to The Daily Mail, the Gunners have set their sights on Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo as their new manager, with the north London side’s hierarchy impressed by what the Portuguese man has done in his time at Molineux.

The report further claims that Nuno’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has particularly close ties with Raul Sanllehi, and that could prove to be decisive.

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After hearing their links with the Wolves manager, Arsenal fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their potential Emery replacement.

Many Gunners supporters insisted he simply isn’t good enough to manage a club like Arsenal, and revealed they are feeling particularly underwhelmed by the reports.

Check out some of the reaction of Arsenal fans below:

Meanwhile, Arsenal fans want former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri to replace Unai Emery.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

John McGinn has hailed Dean Smith for moving him further forward, citing the impact it has had on his game, as reported by The Daily Record.

What did he say?

McGinn has been a revelation since moving from Hibernian to Aston Villa in the summer of 2018, playing an integral part in the team’s success during that time.

During his maiden campaign at Villa Park, the Scotland international scored eight goals for the club, adding another ten assists to that tally from 44 games in the Championship and play-offs, helping to earn promotion.

He has already followed that up with three goals and two assists in 15 top-flight matches, indicating just how useful he can be in the final third.

The midfielder has opened up about the impact Smith’s alteration to his position has had, while speaking to The Daily Record:

“The move further forward in midfield has taken my game to the next level.

“It was Dean Smith that taught me that role and after that I’ve got more used to it and it’s definitely brought my game on.

“I use my energy to get the team further up the park and have been getting a lot more goals and assists. Hopefully I can carry on doing that for Scotland as well.”

No one-off

This is just one example of how Smith has been able to tweak somebody’s position within the team to help the balance and quality of their play.

He has also done that this season with Jack Grealish, who has been moved to the left-wing, after predominantly playing a central role before that decision.

No clues: Can you name all of these Premier League icons? Test your knowledge below…

FFC has already written about how this move has brought the best out of Conor Hourihane, while not jeopardising Grealish’s influence on proceedings.

Though it can now perhaps be argued that it has even enhanced it, as the talismanic figure has managed to get three goals and two assists from seven games since making the move, having managed two assists from six games in midfield.

The manager is beginning to show that he has a knack for spotting how changing someone’s position can benefit the team.

In other news, Smith has been standing up for one of his players amid criticism after the Chelsea loss.

TalkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino has labelled Arsenal as ‘soft’ following the team’s weekend defeat to Leicester City – because a number of players wore gloves.

Winter may be approaching, but that was no excuse for Arsenal’s performance on the night, according to Cascarino, who criticised the Gunners’ showing as they were beaten at the King Power Stadium by Brendan Rodgers’ high-flying side.

It was a damning result for the Gunners, which left them nine points adrift of their opponents and behind newly promoted Sheffield United on goal difference, which has now dipped below zero following James Maddison’s late clincher.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Cascarino held no punches.

He said: “They made mistakes, misplaced passes, they’re a soft team; a number of them, don’t get me wrong, wearing gloves – I think there were four Arsenal players who had gloves on.

“I know [Jamie Vardy] wore gloves yesterday, but I don’t question his attitude. I question the attitude of a lot of Arsenal players.

“This season they’ve gone through 12 Premier League games, they’ve won four. Their goals against column is worse than their goals for column. Everything about this Arsenal team is a team that I think needs ripping apart in some ways.

“I think there’s just a soft belly to Arsenal Football Club.”

While Cascarino is within perfectly good reason to lambast Arsenal for their performance on Saturday, his decision to criticise players’ preference to protect their extremities from an early winter chill sidesteps the issue a little.

As brought up by co-host Georgie Bingham, the fact that goalscorer Jamie Vardy wore gloves even dismisses his silly jibe from a factual point of view.

With protective clothing clearly not the problem for Arsenal, the Gunners may be soft after easily crumbling in the second half to a fourth league game without victory.

That said, the Gunners may be approaching the point of seeking more creative solutions to their troubles after falling further behind in the race for a Champions League place.

Arsenal fans, what is the Gunners’ main issue at present? Let us know in the comments below!