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Ange Postecoglou has provided a fresh injury update on Celtic centre-forward Giorgos Giakoumakis… 

What’s the latest?

The Celtic manager has hinted at Giakoumakis making his return to fitness for the club after the international break.

The Australian head coach singled out the Greek summer signing from VVV-Venlo as a player who could benefit from the break as he needs ten days to get himself fit.

He told The BBC, via Vital Football:

“I think from our perspective, the last international window wasn’t kind to us.

“We lost a couple of key players through injury so from our perspective we’re just keeping our fingers crossed that we get through this international window unscathed.

“There’s still guys like Giorgos who needs some work to get them over the next sort of ten days so when everyone’s fit, we haven’t been close to having everyone ready to go, so hopefully that happens.”

Excitement

Celtic fans will surely be left feeling excited by these comments from Postecoglou. They appear to suggest that he could be in contention to make his Premiership debut for the club shortly after the international break, with the Hoops traveling away to play Motherwell on the 16th.

Since joining from Venlo in the summer, the Greek striker has only made one appearance for Celtic. He played 16 minutes off the bench in the 4-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, before missing the win over Aberdeen through injury on Sunday.

Upon his arrival at the club, Giakoumakis admitted that he has admired the club from afar and is confident that he has made the right decision to sign for the Scottish giants. He said:

“Celtic is one of the world’s great football clubs with the best fans around. It is a club I have admired for so long and it will now be an honour to wear this famous jersey.  To know that the manager wanted me so much to join Celtic is really humbling and it makes me know I have made the right choice.”

This shows how motivated he is to succeed at the club and fans should enjoy seeing his passion on the pitch. Along with that, his goalscoring record for Venlo suggests that he could be an exciting player for the supporter to watch in action.

Last season, he scored 26 goals in 30 Eredivisie games as he averaged a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.35 for the Dutch side. He has shown that he can score goals on a regular basis at a respectable standard of football, which is why fans must be excited at the prospect of the Greek forward lining up against Motherwell in two weeks.

AND in other news, “We are looking”: Ange drops Celtic transfer claim which is sure to have fans buzzing…

A number of West Ham fans have panicked at the latest transfer news linking Jarrod Bowen with a move to Liverpool.

According to The Athletic (relayed by Anfield Watch), Liverpool have continued to monitor Bowen’s progress since their interest last summer.

It has been revealed that Bowen is represented by the same PLG agency as Liverpool full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson.

In 22 Premier league appearances this season, Bowen has netted six times and has produced nine assists. This illustrates just how important the 25-year-old is to the Hammers, supported by his average Premier League match rating topping West Ham’s squad.

These West Ham fans panic at the Bowen transfer news

Anfield Watch relayed the Bowen transfer news reported by The Athletic on their Twitter account. West Ham Transfers proceeded to share their opinion on the matter, claiming that: “I have a feeling this’ll be our last season with Bowen.”

This sparked a number of Hammers fans to flood the comments with their reactions, with many fans reacting to the prospect of the Englishman’s departure.

Here’s what some of them had to say:

“Said it before, don’t really see Liverpool meeting the ludicrous price we’ll put on his head. All depends on how Kretinsky wants to run the club by summer, but 60m+ for a Mo Salah backup is mental for a traditionally sell to buy club”

Credit: @nathh_whu

“Fail to secure European football for next year and we could be in a bad place for sure. Fail to show any ambition to strengthen and doubly so. Plenty of time left in this window and season to head off potential trouble though.”

Credit: @GrazaWhu

“No European footy next year and we will lose Rice and Bowen defo. Areola will probs be on his way out too. Krals leaving already by the looks of it. Noble retires. I only see a downwards trend from here. Same old West Ham”

Credit: @HR_whuFC

“If we don’t improve our squad then I fear that he won’t be the only one.”

Credit: @neil_mccarthy

“Probably, let’s enjoy while he still with us”

Credit: @manelsaurio

“If he tries to chest it in from 1 yard again, we’ll have him for a few more seasons. It’ll be a shame to see him go. He’d be a bench warmer for LFC”

Credit: @mb7468

Former Leeds United star David Norris is disappointed that the club missed out on the signing of Rodrigo De Paul in the summer transfer window.

The midfielder was long touted as a target for the Whites, with the club even tabling a bid for the star when he was at Udinese last summer.

The Serie A club rejected that offer and instead sold him to La Liga champions Atletico Madrid this summer.

De Paul moved for a fee of €35m (£29.6m), with Atletico looking to strengthen as they bid to retain the title this term.

The Argentine has been in fine form for Udinese in recent seasons and scored nine goals in 36 games in Serie A last term, while also laying on 11 assists, and he can play in a variety of positions, including attacking midfield, on either wing, or in central midfield.

And Norris has expressed his disappointment that Leeds did not manage to do a deal for the 27-year-old in this transfer window.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “Obviously, it’s not ideal because it sometimes doesn’t look great. I think De Paul would have been a statement signing.”

Celtic have been linked with a January move for Solihull Moors striker Kyle Hudlin, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Hudlin profiled

The 21-year-old only joined the National League side last October and has caught the eye of multiple clubs recently.

Premier League champions Manchester City were linked with a move for the forward who holds the record for the tallest outfield player in England.

The 6 foot 9 striker is out of contract next summer, meaning he’ll be available to discuss a pre-contract agreement in the New Year, should his situation remain the same.

Hudlin has scored 10 times in 38 appearances for the fifth-tier English side, and it appears as if Celtic have joined the race for his services.

The Latest: Celtic links

Football Insider shared a story on Friday lunchtime, linking Celtic with a move for Hudlin.

They were informed by a recruitment source that a Hoops scout watched the forward on Saturday during a 1-1 draw with Barnet where he came on as a substitute.

Hudlin is thought of as a possible January target for Celtic, with his price sure to be slashed as his current employers hope to avoid losing him for nothing the following summer.

The Verdict: Worth a punt?

Celtic made a number of attacking acquisitions over the summer, including Joey Dawson for the reserves, but bringing in Hudlin could be a gamble worth taking.

He’s clearly got talent as well as just his incredible height for City to have shown an interest, so a possible pre-contract agreement discussion between Celtic and Hudlin could be a wise one in the long run.

If Hudlin continues to impress prior to 2022, you’d expect more clubs will be keen on his signature, but Celtic might hold a trump card in being able to discuss terms in January.

In other news: 35-goal free agent Ange spoke about signing for Celtic now on verge of surprise move to new club.

Newcastle United have suffered a major injury blow to Joe Willock ahead of their Premier League clash against Watford.

What’s the story?

The Magpies have endured a difficult start to the new top-flight campaign, remaining winless in their opening five matches and currently lying 18th in the table.

Manager Steve Bruce said: “Joe Willock picked up an injury in this week, unfortunately, and Jamaal Lascelles hurt his thigh. So they, unfortunately, go on to the injured list, which makes that about five or six of our first team.

“Not that healthy, I have to say. Disappointed. Joe’s was a complete fluke, unfortunately he kicked the ground, damaged his toe. He’ll not make this week, and probably touch and go whether he’ll make next week as well.”Massive blow for Newcastle UnitedMake no mistake about it, being without Willock is arguably the second-biggest absence the Magpies could have faced, outside of Allan Saint-Maximin of course.The former Arsenal starlet arrived on a permanent deal in the summer transfer window, and in his initial loan spell at St James’ Park, he showed exactly why he’s a real match-winner. He bagged eight in 14 games following his winter arrival and set a new record by becoming the youngest player in Premier League history to score in seven consecutive matches.That ability to get into the box at the right time to finish things off is something which has been hailed by Owen Hargreaves, too, praising him after his goal-scoring display for Arsenal against Dundalk in the Europa League last season.The former England midfielder said: “The point is, he can do so much, he gets in the box in the right place at the right time. He wants it to feet, he’s always on the half-turn, which is nice to see. Today I saw a bit more athleticism rather than just coasting in there. His overall game is really good.”While Willock has yet to find the net so far this season, he has still shown his importance to Bruce’s side with a squad-high 4.3 tackles per game, while only Saint-Maximin has averaged more dribbles per match (SofaScore).Without him in the starting line-up against Watford, it really looks like it will be more the same of having to rely on Saint-Maximin for a moment of inspiration.Newcastle fans must be gutted over the injury to the 22-year-old gem, especially considering the freakish circumstances in which it came about.Meanwhile, Newcastle are eyeing a move for this Championship ace…

Former Nottingham Forest striker Nigel Jemson has exclusively told Football FanCast that Tammy Abraham needs to be playing regularly again – and said that Southampton could afford him by paying in instalments.

Abraham has been linked to several Premier League sides with his future at Chelsea now in serious doubt, especially with Romelu Lukaku close to returning to Chelsea.

But Southampton’s need is greater than most of their Premier League rivals after losing talisman and topscorer Danny Ings to Aston Villa earlier this week following months of uncertainty over his contract situation at St Mary’s.

However, whilst Saints banked around £25m for Ings’ services, Chelsea have set a £40m asking-price for Abraham, who’s just 23-years-old and has several years remaining on his Blues deal, which would appear out of their reach.

Ironically, Southampton’s record-signing was when Ings joined permanently from Liverpool back in 2019 for just under £27m, some way below what Chelsea are demanding for Abraham.

But Jemson suggested that Saints could fund the deal in instalments. He told FFC:

“They could pay £10m every four years, then they may be able to afford him. For Tammy Abraham, he’s got to get out, he’s missed out on England in the Euro’s.

“He’s got to get back playing, there’s nothing worse for a player. He may have to take a step back and take two steps forward again.”

According to reports by The Sunday Mirror (via HITC), Barcelona have offered Philippe Coutinho to both Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur – but the Brazilian is not interested in a move to St James’ Park.

The Lowdown: Barcelona trying to offload Coutinho

Since leaving Liverpool for the Spanish giants in 2018 in a deal worth a staggering £142m, the attacking midfielder has not hit the heights he reached whilst playing under Jürgen Klopp at Anfield.

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The 29-year-old has made 12 appearances this season in LaLiga, scoring twice and failing to supply an assist. However, each of those games has involved a substitution, as the Brazilian is yet to play a full 90-minute league match this season.

The Latest: Spurs gifted chance to sign Coutinho

According to reports by The Sunday Mirror (via HITC), Barcelona are keen to offload Coutinho on a permanent deal, and they have offered the player to both Newcastle and Tottenham in a bid to push him away from the club. However, it is believed that the midfielder is reluctant to make the move to Tyneside.

Barcelona are desperately trying to sell some players to fund a move for Manchester City attacker Ferran Torres. Coutinho’s massive wages are proving to be a barrier in this pursuit, though, as AS have reported that the Brazilian earns around €20m (£17.07m) per season, which equates to roughly £325,000 per week.

The Verdict: Wages likely too high

With Coutinho reluctant to join Newcastle, Barcelona will continue to push Spurs into a move for the player.

The 29-year-old could prove to be a fantastic addition to Antonio Conte’s side due to his vast experience in the Premier League, where he played 152 games for Liverpool and once made the PFA Team of the Season. Former Reds teammate and international colleague Roberto Firmino has previously described the Brazilian as ‘phenomenal’, claiming that he has ‘magical powers’.

Despite such praise, it seems unlikely that Spurs will pursue a move for the player, as his enormous wages could prove to be too much for the north London club, whose top earner is Harry Kane on £200,000 per week.

In other news: Paratici backed by Levy as he tries to seal Spurs agreement for ‘sensational’ £100k-per-week ace

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has confirmed that Ianis Hagi and Alfredo Morelos will both be ‘missing’ for Glasgow Rangers on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Hagi timeframe

Van Bronckhorst revealed back in February that Hagi will likely even miss the start of next season, as well as the rest of this, after suffering a damaging knee injury.

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Of course, that timeframe could be shortened if the Romania international is able to speed up his recovery through rehab, but for now he will be ruled out for the foreseeable future, and he won’t be the only one missing on Sunday.

The Latest: Early team news

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of their Old Firm clash against Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, van Bronckhorst confirmed that both Morelos and Hagi will be ‘missing’.

The Dutch manager thinks that the striker will be out for at least a ‘couple of weeks’, after he was spotted on crutches at Glasgow Airport.

The Verdict: Double blow

Of course, it is a double blow for the Teddy Bears that they will be without two of their key players in what looks to be their biggest game of the league campaign so far.

Both Hagi and Morelos rank in the top seven performers for the Light Blues in the league this term, while the latter is their top scorer with 11 goals and has also contributed seven assists (WhoScored).

Hagi is more of a creative influence, having ranked highly among his teammates in terms of average key passes, crosses and through balls per game (WhoScored), and both of them can form a formidable partnership when they are on song.

In other news, find out who Frank McAvennie thinks ‘will start’ for Gers here!

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse had dropped out of international duty with England due to illness.

Even though there is still a week to go until Southampton are back in Premier League action with an away clash against league strugglers Norwich City, there’s every chance that the skipper may not be fit enough to play at Carrow Road next week depending on the nature and severity of the condition currently afflicting him.

With this possibility in mind, this could provide one other Southampton midfielder with a great chance of showing Ralph Hasenhuttl what he can bring to the party.

Opportunity knocks

Despite appearing in nine of the 11 Premier League games Southampton have played so far this season, 22-year-old midfielder Ibrahima Diallo has only started two of them, the first being their 1-0 win over Leeds United followed by their 2-2 draw against Burnley, completing the full 90 minutes on both occasions.

These two games were the two that Ward-Prowse missed as a result of the red card he picked up during their 3-1 defeat against Chelsea last month, proving that Hasenhuttl has made no issue in turning to Diallo in Ward-Prowse’s absence, which he could well do again if the Englishman is not fit enough to play against Norwich.

After earning himself a decent overall match rating of 7/10 for his performance in the Leeds match according to SofaScore, Diallo then followed that put by providing an assist in the draw against Burnley, proving that he can be a useful figure for the Saints when called upon.

With Hasenhuttl recently describing Diallo, who is currently valued at £13.5m according to Transfermarkt, as a “very physical player” who has a “very good amount of ability with the ball”, the Austrian should have no issues with including the midfielder in his starting XI against Norwich if Ward-Prowse isn’t able to play.

Looking beyond that, given Diallo’s young age and the fact that fellow Saints midfielder Oriol Romeu has now hit the age of 30 and has his current contract at St. Mary’s set to expire in the summer of 2023, there’s every possibility that Diallo could go on to become Romeu’s long-term heir at the club if the Spaniard leaves at the end of his deal and if Diallo can continue to make the most out of any opportunities he gets to start for the Saints.

In other news: “Intelligent” £30k-p/w Saints dynamo proved that he can be Ralph’s main man

Newcastle United have suffered a setback in their hopes of appointing Brighton’s Dan Ashworth as their new sporting director.

What’s the story?

Journalist Craig Hope revealed: “As it stands, Ashworth – who resigned as Brighton’s technical director in February – will be made to see out his notice period, meaning it is likely to be November before he arrives at St James’ Park.

“We understand there is frustration on Newcastle’s part that they have been unable to reach a compromise and install the man who will oversee the club’s restructuring.

“However, the Saudi-backed owners – led in the UK by Amanda Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi – will not pay what they believe to be inflated prices, be that for players or staff.”

Blow for Howe

After enjoying a relatively successful January transfer window, one which saw the likes of Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes arrive in high-profile deals, getting off to a good start in the summer would have been something Howe was hoping for.

Instead, the delay in getting a deal for Ashworth over the line threatens to cloud some of their potential work in the transfer market, particularly with the kind of valuable input the Brighton man could have provided with all his experience.

Indeed, according to Hope, it’s the Magpies boss who might once again be tasked with playing a bigger role in the recruitment process, adding: “Head coach Eddie Howe is prepared to fill some of the void in Ashworth’s absence, primarily when it comes to recruitment, as he did during a successful January window.”

Given the exhaustive list of targets that have been linked with a move to St James’ Park since the arrival of the new owners, having a streamlined process where people with experience and knowledge are walking in the right corridors of power during the summer window will be key.

Ashworth’s absence in such a crucial period of the Magpies’ history when they no doubt plan on taking that next step in the Premier League is sure to be a big blow for Howe and one that might leave the club’s supporters worried.

AND in other news – Sold for just £100k, now a 2-time title winner: NUFC flop has delivered huge payback