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If Celtic want to improve under the stewardship of Ange Postecoglou next season then they’ll have to be better in the transfer market.

Of course, a deal for the Australian to become the Hoops’ new manager isn’t concluded just yet but he looks set to be welcomed with open arms to Parkhead this summer.

He looks set to be joined by a new director of football, someone who specialises in player recruitment.

If the Bhoys hierarchy can get this set-up spot on then it would be a solid recipe for success. After all, the vast majority of their transfers 12 months ago haven’t gone down well.

Vasilis Barkas was charged with replacing the man-mountain of Fraser Forster but has never looked comfortable between the sticks for Celtic.

A £4.5m move took place but he lost his place fairly quickly and started just twice since January.

He looked a liability behind the defensive line and thus, Celtic should be looking to find a replacement this summer. After all, the likes of Scott Bain and Charlie Hazard have also made their own individual errors during the 2020/21 campaign.

Forster looks set to remain at Southampton so that won’t be possible but they could sign a like-minded player in Freddie Woodman.

The 6 foot 2 stopper is shorter than Forster but has strong arms and can play out from the back astutely.

He’s been linked with a move to Southampton but the Hoops are also interested in prising him away from Newcastle in the coming months.

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Woodman spent the current campaign on loan at Swansea where he helped the Welsh side to the Championship playoffs.

He didn’t miss a single game throughout the campaign, keeping 21 clean sheets during his 48 outings for the Swans.

An authoritative figure with high standards, Woodman is held in incredibly high esteem.

He’d been tipped to play for the England national team and has already trained with senior members in the Three Lions camp.

However, for a bigger glimpse of his potential, you only need to focus on words from Lee Clark who was in charge of Kilmarnock when Woodman spent a period in Scotland.

“I knew he was an outstanding young keeper and had all the attributes. The tough thing was I had an experienced goalkeeper in Jamie MacDonald in the team — that was causing one or two issues in terms of what I wanted to do,” he began.

“But I knew I was bringing a talented goalkeeper in. Freddie’s communication, his shot-stopping and his distribution skills are second to none. He’s an unbelievable professional and works extremely hard at his game,” Clarke concluded.

With those qualities in mind, he’d be an expert signing for Celtic. They need a goalkeeper after a horrific season defensively; Woodman would surely be a fix.

AND in other news, Celtic can find a new Jullien by signing “special” 6ft4 tank, he’s “one of the best”…

Allan Saint-Maximin continues to endear himself to the Newcastle United fanbase both on and off the pitch but Mike Ashley club could look to sell the Frenchman to give Steve Bruce a larger transfer budget, something former defender Steve Howey would not like to see.

Saint-Maximin dazzled during the second half of last season for the Magpies with his willingness to drive forward with the ball and attract three or four players to him at once something that really helped the club claw their way out of relegation trouble.

Newcastle have reportedly slapped a £70 million price tag on his head but the work he has done off the pitch recently is priceless, donating a handful of gaming consoles to a local school, which is what the fans would take hard if he left this summer.

The 24-year-old was signed as a very rough diamond from OGC Nice and if the club were to sell him this summer they could make a sizeable profit on the £16 million they paid in 2019, which would allow Bruce to improve a lot of his squad by selling just one player according to Howey, who spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“To build a better team you’ve got to keep him, unless the club are so wise and so clever with the money that they’d get from him to make the team better because if it does, then that’s fine. However, for me, I don’t want the club to sell him.”

Saint-Maximin is a crowd-pleaser, entertainer and such a talent that the Magpies could not afford to head into next season without the one player that makes everything click for Bruce’s side.

It is reported that Bruce is set to be dealing with a tight budget this summer so in one sense, selling someone for potentially £70 million could be feasible, however it would be disastrous given how the club acted when they last spend heavily in the transfer market on their current number nine.

According to a report by Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, writing on his website, West Ham United are now eyeing Sassuolo attacker Filip Djuricic.

The Lowdown: West Ham on the market…

Booking their spot in the Europa League group stage for 2021/2022 after a surprising season, West Ham have turned their attention to the transfer market.

As per Claret & Hugh, manager David Moyes has set out his priorities for the summer in a permanent deal for Jesse Lingard, a new striker and top class centre-half.

However, alternative sources claim West Ham are eyeing players in other positions too, like between the sticks for instance, with Sky reporter Di Marzio now coming out with his information on the Hammers’ summer plans.

The Latest: West Ham now eyeing Djuricic…

As per the Italian, West Ham have now set their sets on the 31-cap Serbia international alongside Southampton.

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It is also stated that the Serie A side have ‘received offers from England’ for the player as the Irons and the Saints both hold an interest.

However, as explained, the attacking midfielder would ‘prefer’ to stay in Italy despite interest from the Premier League.

The Verdict: Look elsewhere…

Djuricic seemed destined for greatness at the start of his career, regarded as one of Serbia’s finest talents and dubbed the ‘Balkan Cruyff” (Goal).

However, it is arguable he hasn’t exactly lived up to that tag given he is plying his trade with Sassuolo, with the 29-year-old also approaching his twilight years.

Scoring just five goals and assisting four others in 27 league starts last season (WhoScored), we believe Djuricic should be a hard pass with plenty of better targets in his position out there for the Hammers to pursue.

In other news: West Ham gifted possible Lingard boost as behind the scenes claim emerges, find out more here.

Southampton must rue not signing Ollie Watkins last summer after the striker’s impressive debut campaign in the Premier League with Aston Villa, as the England international could have been a superb addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad.

The 25-year-old was heavily linked with a move to St Mary’s last summer but opted to join Aston Villa, with the Midlands side shelling out a club record £28m to bring him in from Brentford.

The former Exeter City man enjoyed a superb 2019/20 campaign, contributing 26 goals and three assists in 49 Championship appearances for the Bees as they failed to win promotion at the final hurdle, losing 2-1 to Fulham in the play-off final.

A move to the Premier League was always likely to be on the cards after Thomas Frank’s side were consigned to another season in the second tier and Watkins made the switch to Villa Park, where he has been a fixture in Dean Smith’s side.

Watkins has contributed 21 goals and assists in all competitions this term, with 13 goals and five assists in the Premier League, which has helped him average an impressive 7.17 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

If we compare the Englishman’s stats with the players at Southampton, he would be the top scorer and top-rated performer this season had he posted the same figures at St Mary’s, so it seems clear that he would have been a stellar addition to the Austrian’s squad.

The Aston Villa ace also earned his first call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad in recent weeks and marked his debut with a goal in the 5-0 win against San Marino, which will surely have increased his value further.

Whilst he would have been an expensive signing for Southampton to make, he looks to have been a great investment for the future by Villa, as his value on Transfermarkt has increased to £28.8m. Robbie Fowler also tipped him for a move to Liverpool recently, suggesting that the Midlanders could be in line to make a profit in the near future.

Therefore, it was definitely a mistake by Southampton chief Martin Semmens to not push harder to sign the “outstanding” Watkins last summer, as he could have been a superb addition to Hasenhuttl’s squad.

In other news… Hasenhuttl handed golden chance to axe £13.5m Saints flop, Gao surely buzzing

أعلن الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا”، نتائج قرعة دور نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا لموسم 2021/2022.

يويفا أجرى ظهر اليوم الجمعة، قرعة دور الثمانية والتي أسفرت عن مواجهات نارية لريال مدريد وأتلتيكو مدريد.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تعرف على موعد ونظام القرعة والفرقة المتأهلة إلى ربع نهائي الدوري الأوروبي

ريال مدريد في ربع النهائي سوف يصطدم بـ تشيلسي في تكرار لنصف نهائي الموسم الماضي، بينما أتلتيكو مدريد سيلتقي مع وصيف النسخة الماضية مانشستر سيتي.

وفي نصف النهائي ستكون هُناك مواجهات نارية، حيث أعلن يويفا أن الفائز من مباراة مانشستر سيتي وأتلتيكو مدريد سوف يلتقي بالفائز من مواجهة تشيلسي وريال مدريد. نتائج قرعة نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا

الفائز من مباراة (مانشستر سيتي × أتلتيكو مدريد) ضد الفائز من (مباراة ­ريال مدريد × تشيلسي).

الفائز من مباراة (بنفيكا × ليفربول) ضد الفائز من (مباراة فياريال × بايرن ميونخ).

Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius is being considered as a possible transfer target by Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart.

That’s according to a Kicker report published on Friday.

The lowdown

Since his implosion in the 2018 Champions League final, Karius has twice been sent out on loan. He spent the subsequent two seasons with Super Lig outfit Besiktas and then joined up with Union Berlin last September.

Karius has largely been second-choice in the German capital, starting only four league matches and one DFP-Pokal tie (via Transfermarkt). Manager Urs Fischer admitted that the 27-year-old is ‘not happy’ but said he could ‘handle’ the fact that the goalkeeper was ‘cross’ with him.

Karius is about to enter the final year of his £25,000-per-week Liverpool contract.

The latest

The proposed Stuttgart deal could hinge on the future of their incumbent number one Gregor Kobel, who is ‘in demand’. Borussia Dortmund are said to be interested in the Swiss ‘keeper, who would cost €15m (£12.9m) according to Kicker.

Karius is one of the two ‘favourites’ to succeed Kobel should the latter leave the Mercedes-Benz Arena, with Mainz’s Florian Muller also targeted by Stuttgart.

The verdict

This summer will probably be Liverpool’s best chance to make money from the sale of Karius, who will be able to walk away on a free next year as things stand, and Kobel’s possible departure could open the door to a move to Stuttgart.

He demonstrated in the months before the Champions League final in Kiev that he could be a reasonably good goalkeeper when his confidence in high, establishing himself as Jurgen Klopp’s firm number one in the latter half of 2017/18.

The task of any new manager will be to rebuild that self-belief and lift the 27-year-old from a difficult few years for him if Karius is sold by Liverpool, where Caoimhin Kelleher seems poised to secure the role of Alisson’s deputy given the Irishman’s impressive displays this season.

Elsewhere, there’s good news on this Liverpool transfer target.

It has now been two arduous months since Neil Lennon left Celtic behind but the Bhoys are no closer to announcing who his successor will be.

Parkhead is turning into a barren wasteland of disappointment but the arrival of a new manager could sprinkle the stardust needed to re-energise the entire football club.

What’s the word?

Eddie Howe has been the favourite to be appointed for a while now but another manager they’ve had on their radar has been Jesse Marsch.

The American is currently in charge of RB Salzburg in Austria and has openly admitted in the past that it’s an honour to be linked with the Celtic role.

A move hasn’t materialised but it could after worrying quotes for Salzburg supporters emerged courtesy of their sporting director, Christoph Freund.

He said: “He [Marsch] has a quiet environment, loves working with young players. He has a lot of fun in Salzburg, his family feels good, we are successful.

“On the other hand, I cannot say with 100% [certainty] that he will be my coach next year.

“No club has registered [their interest] yet. Jesse is good here, but we know that he only has a one-year contract. Some clubs have their eyes on him.”

Surprise twist on the cards?

Celtic haven’t had it all their own way in their hunt to find a new manager.

Howe has been in advanced talks but problems continue to mount over the backroom staff he wants to bring with him to Paradise.

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The 43-year-old doesn’t want to return to football until the summer while he’s also being courted by Crystal Palace and Brighton.

Unfortunately, Marsch is also attracting plenty of suitors.

RB Leipzig are reportedly interested in him but with Freund admitting he doesn’t know whether the 47-year-old will stay, it opens the door for Celtic to re-enter the market for him.

Marsch is honoured by their interest and does genuinely seem appealed by the project in Glasgow.

That being said, there would have to be a considerable change in feeling from a few months ago.

Despite recognising that Celtic wanted him, it was revealed by journalist Christian Falk that Marsch wouldn’t be going to Scotland.

According to Freund, though, conversations haven’t even taken place over whether he’ll be in Salzburg next term or not.

For the Hoops, he would be a superb appointment. He is used to dominating his league and also catching the eye in Europe; running Liverpool close during a 4-3 defeat at Anfield in October 2019.

With Celtic so often the dominant force domestically, they need someone who can not only gain results in that regard but also impress on the continental stage.

AND in other news, Worse than Keane: Desmond will create a bigger mess if Celtic hire “delusional” 37 y/o…

Former Premier League side Sheffield Wednesday could be relegated to League One this evening.

The Owls host Blackburn Rovers at Hillsborough Stadium tonight knowing that a defeat plus a win for relegation rivals Derby County would see their fate sealed.

In the absence of manager Darren Moore, assistant coach Jamie Smith will once again lead the side out and he will want to see a reaction after the south Yorkshiremen were held by ten-man Bristol City at the weekend.

But what sort of XI could we see selected? Here’s our prediction along with the latest news from the Wednesday camp…

There could be as many as three changes from the weekend.

Moore and Smith have a big decision to make in attack as the Owls looked toothless against the Robins despite having a player advantage, so we’re banking on a recall for Jordan Rhodes after he was axed for Saturday.

He’ll replace Callum Paterson upfront, with Josh Windass keeping his place just in behind and he could be joined by Andre Green, who is pushing for a start after an impressive cameo from the bench and a recent goal for the U23s.

The 22-year-old dynamo comes in for Kadeem Harris.

Out wide, both wing-backs Adam Reach and Liam Palmer should remain as they have done throughout the last few weeks, whilst Sam Hutchinson could move back into midfield, having been utilised at centre-back for the past two matches.

He’ll join skipper Barry Bannan in the engine room, with Osaze Urhoghide likely to return in a three-man defence after being snubbed in successive games for the first time since his opening league game of the season against Preston at the end of January.

Saturday’s goalscorer Julian Borner and vice-captain Tom Lees should partner the 20-year-old gem in front of veteran shot-stopper Keiren Westwood.

AND in other news, Worrying update emerges on £20k-p/w Sheffield Wednesday “leader”, Moore will be gutted…

أعرب محمد شريف مهاجم الأهلي عن حزنه إثر الهزيمة من بالميراس البرازيلي اليوم الثلاثاء في كأس العالم للأندية 2021.

وانتصر بالميراس على الأهلي بهدفين نظيفين في المواجهة التي احتضنها ملعب آل نهيان بالإمارات في نصف نهائي مونديال الأندية.

طالع أيضًا.. موعد مباراة الأهلي القادمة في كأس العالم للأندية

وقال محمد شريف في تصريحاته بعد المباراة عبر قناة “أبو ظبي”: “كنا نتمنى أن تكون النتيجة أفضل من ذلك، ولكن ما زال أمامنا مباراة للمنافسة على ميدالية”.

وبسؤاله عن إمكانية فتح الأهلي لخطوطه لمهاجمة بالميراس أجاب: “هذا أمر لا يخصني، هو أمر يعود للمدير الفني ونحن ننفذ الخطة والتعليمات”.

جدير بالذكر ان الأهلي سيلاقي الخاسر من مباراة تشيلسي الإنجليزي والهلال السعودي من أجل تحديد صاحب المركز الثالث في مونديال الأندية. تصريحات محمد شريف بعد مباراة الاهلي وبالميراس بكاس العالم للاندية

عبر جناح منتخب المغرب ونادي جينت في الدوري البلجيكي، طارق تيسودالي، عن حزنه الشديد بعد الإقصاء على يد مصر من بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2021.

وخرجت المغرب من دور الثمانية بعد الهزيمة في الأشواط الإضافية أمام مصر بنتيجة 2-1 بهدفي محمد صلاح ومحمود حسن تريزيجيه وأحرز سفيان بوفال هدف أسود الأطلسي من ركلة جزاء.

وكتب تيسودالي تعليقا عبر حسابه الرسمي على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “إنستجرام” مع وضع صورتين له وهو يبكي بعد المباراة وتريزيجيه يواسيه بسبب الهزيمة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. وائل جمعة يقدم وعدًا لجماهير مصر بعد التأهل لنصف نهائي أمم إفريقيا

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وقال المغربي: “لم أشعر أبدًا بمثل هذا الألم من قبل في أي هزيمة تعرضت لها في مسيرتي”.

وتابع: “لأنني شعرت بالدعم والمساندة من جميع مشجعي المغرب، وهذا ما جعلني أقدم كل شيء وأبذل قصارى جهدي لأجعلهم فخورين بهذا المنتخب”.

وأضاف في النهاية: “أريد أن اعتذر لكم جميعًا إذا خيبت أملكم، وأحبكم من كل قلبي”.