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Celtic fans were delighted when it was confirmed that Ewan Henderson had signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract with the club. Football Fancast broke the news on Monday with the club confirming his contract on Tuesday morning.

The teenager was out of contract at the end of this season but after being fast-tracked by Brendan Rodgers has extended his stay at Celtic Park.

Henderson, the younger brother of Liam, made a brief substitute appearance against Kilmarnock last season and was given a run from the bench in the recent wins over Airdrie and St Mirren after joining the first team for training in Dubai.

Like fellow graduates Callum McGregor, Kieran Tierney and James Forrest, Henderson started training with Celtic while still at primary school. As he worked his way through the system he picked up Glasgow Cup winners medals at u-17 level in 2016 and 2017.

His style of play and mannerisms are very similar to that of his older brother, although Ewan does have a notable turn of pace.

Henderson turns 19 in March and Celtic fans can now look forward to seeing him develop over the most crucial years of his career.

Here’s a look at how Celtic fans reacted to the news on Twitter…

Journalist David Anderson has provided an update on Leeds United winger Raphinha, amid links of a summer move to Barcelona.

The Lowdown: Costa and Summerville links

Raphinha, who Jesse Marsch has already forged a great relationship with since arriving at Elland Road, isn’t the only Whites attacker who could be on the move this summer. Helder Costa is currently on loan at Valencia, who have an option to make a move permanent in the summer.

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Meanwhile, youngster Crysencio Summerville is still being linked with an Elland Road exit after a move to Hamburg fell through in January, with the German side still keen on his services.

Raphinha, the highest-profile player of the three, may also be on the way out, with his agent Deco in talks with the Catalan giants.

The Latest: Anderson’s post

Anderson took to Twitter on Monday morning, claiming Leeds won’t sell the Brazilian on the cheap.

The journalist also added that there isn’t a release clause in Raphinha’s contract, should the club remain in the Premier League.

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“Leeds will not sell Raphinha on the cheap to Barcelona with the Spanish giants understood to be preparing a £33.5million offer. Also Raphinha does not have an escape clause in his contract in the Premier League.”

The Verdict: Good news

Should Raphinha play his part and help Leeds guarantee their top-flight status, then the Whites will be in total control when it comes to the winger’s future. That is obviously good news, with Leeds then able to call the shots in talks with Barcelona as their star man enters the final two years of his current deal.

Of course, Marsch’s side will need to pick up points in their final eight games to ensure they’ll be playing Premier League football next season, and if they do just that, a big-money move to the Nou Camp could be on the cards for Raphinha.

His current Transfermarkt valuation stands at a career-high £40.5m, so you’d expect Leeds chiefs will hold out for a fee way above that figure.

In other news: Orta now ‘open’ to signing ‘unbelievable’ Raphinha replacement who’s scored vs Leeds this season. 

Since Southampton were promoted to the Premier League at the end of the 2011/12 season, one player that has been a consistent and regular figure for them is club captain James Ward-Prowse, who has made at least one goal contribution in all of the ten Premier League seasons he’s had at the club, racking up 35 goals and 34 assists in 257 appearances.

After appearing in all 38 of Southampton’s league games last term, the 27-year-old managed to end the campaign with more goals (8) and assists (8) than he had done previously and is currently on his way to matching those numbers with five goals and two assists in 18 games so far this time around.

Given Ward-Prowse’s clear importance to the team as well as his useful knack for scoring and creating goals, the current January transfer window could give new Southampton owner Dragan Solak the opportunity to make a real statement and show his ambition for the team by bringing in a player that could push Hasenhuttl’s side forward alongside Ward-Prowse.

With the south-coast club previously linked with a transfer move for Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard, who has been previously described as being a “dynamic” player by former Red Devils player and coach Michael Carrick, this could be a great first signing under Solak’s ownership.

Having scored nine goals and provided five assists in 16 appearances on a loan spell with West Ham United last season, the £18m-rated star has proved what a dangerous player he can be in front of goal when given the chance to play regularly, which he hasn’t been given this season at Old Trafford.

During his spell with David Moyes’ side, the Englishman managed to rack up an average of 2.6 shots per game in the Premier League, which is higher than any current Southampton player has managed to make this season, showing that he could be a very dangerous player for the Saints if he decides to leave the Manchester club again this month in search for regular playing time.

If Southampton can secure Lingard’s signature this month and get him playing alongside Ward-Prowse as they have done in the past on the international stage, the pair could form a terrifying partnership in Hasenhuttl’s side and add an extra attacking outlet in the team that could potentially push them into the top half of the table by the end of the season.

In other news: Ralph could unearth the new Yaya Toure as Saints plot move for “unique” £9m-rated ace – opinion

Aston Villa’s season so far has been a story of two halves already, with the side facing a relegation battle under Dean Smith in 16th and then appointing Steven Gerrard who has restored Villa’s expectations of a potential top half finish as they currently sit 12th in the Premier League table after just seven games in charge.

Gerrard hasn’t had the opportunity to put his stamp on the squad in the sense of bringing in the right players to suit his style of play and his vision for the future at Villa Park, but he has had the time to work with a squad full of quality, with a number of signings made in the summer of this year, with the likes of Leon Bailey and Emi Buendia joining the ranks.

The former Rangers manager will have had enough time though to get settled in and experience working with the crop of players he already has at the club, giving him the right amount of time to establish which areas need more strength and where the squad need to offload players.

One player who has failed to make an impact on the side since he joined in a shock move during the summer is Danny Ings and now he has been called out for his lack of quality by former Villa player and all time top goal scorer, Gabby Agbonlahor;

“Every time I’ve watched Ings and Watkins play together it hasn’t worked, something isn’t working with their connection,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider.

“Ings is a goalscorer. He will have come in on very good wages and it was a £30million fee, you’ve got to try and make a place for him in the team.”

It is no surprise Agbonlahor has spoken out to expose the centre forward, when you look at the lack of presence and effectiveness in the first half of the season, there is no reason why Gerrard shouldn’t ruthlessly axe Ings until he can prove he can offer more to the team.

The £100K-a-week earning centre forward has scored just three goals since joining the side, with only one of those goals actually contributing to a win, with the other two scored in 3-2 defeats against Watford and Wolves.

On Twitter, an interesting statistic has surfaced from popular fan account @VillaAnalytics that further confirms the poor form displayed by the 29 year old;

“Danny Ings has the lowest non-penalty xG per 90 (0.15) and the lowest xA per 90 (0.02) of any Premier League forward this season. [understat, >800 minutes played].”

Gerrard has an important decision to make on Ings future in the starting line up for Aston Villa, and should take a closer look at how the striker can come back into the goal scoring form he was famous for at Southampton with 46 goals in just 100 appearances for the Saints.

In other news, Napoli could snatch Tuanzebe within 48 hours

Ben Jacobs has now dropped some Newcastle United transfer news involving Ousmane Dembele.

The Lowdown: Contract stalemate

There is still a stalemate between Dembele and FC Barcelona over a new deal, with manager Xavi recently claiming that he needs to renew his deal or look to leave in the January transfer window.

The winger is out of contract in the summer, and has recently released a statement claiming that talks are ‘ongoing’ over a potential new deal, should demands be met.

Nonetheless, with the days ticking by and Barca more likely to want to sell so long as the new contract is not signed, it may present an opportunity for the St. James’ Park faithful to pounce.

The Latest: Dembele offer?

As per CBS Sports journalist Jacobs, the North East club have not put forward an official offer for Dembele as of yet, but they have been ‘considering’ signing him since November:

“I am told neither Newcastle or Manchester United have tabled an official offer yet.

“Xavi wants an answer on Dembele’s renewal (which would force him to take a wage cut) this week to allow time for a possible January transfer.”

The Verdict: Potential bargain

If the Magpies can persuade Dembele to come to Tyneside, then it could turn out to be a potential bargain, thanks to his contract situation.

He should be available for a cut price with just six months left, or they could even sign him up on a pre-contract agreement for free, although the latter would be risky given uncertainty over their Premier League status at the end of the season.

Described as ‘unplayable’ at times by Rio Ferdinand, the Frenchman will want to prove why Barca spent so much money to get him from Borussia Dortmund back in 2017, and it’s fair to say the Toon Army have an appreciation for skilful French wingers.

It is hard to forget that he is still only 24 years of age, having had so much promise so young, as former teammate Lionel Messi even went as far as to call his ability ‘frightening’ back when he was at the Nou Camp.

Nonetheless, Dembele has a point to prove, and Eddie Howe’s team could reap the benefits from it.

In other news, find out the latest on NUFC’s move for this Premier League ‘diamond’ here!

Many Everton fans have been left fuming over a transfer revelation involving Tino Livramento and Denzel Dumfries.

As per The Athletic, both Rafa Benitez and Marcel Brands found it difficult to agree over transfer targets, with the recruitment team suggesting that they should sign Denzel Dumfries and Tino Livramento.

However, Benitez wanted to bring in a more experienced option at right-back, so ended up not signing one at all.

Dumfries is pretty experienced at 25 years of age though, and the fact that Seamus Coleman is 33 suggests that they should have signed someone much younger.

Nonetheless, both Dumfries and Livramento would have offered the Goodison Park faithful much more of an attacking threat than the Republic of Ireland international, given that they have more recorded goals and assists, and have averaged more shots and key passes and a higher pass success rate so far this season (WhoScored).

Everton fans on transfer revelation

These supporters of the Merseyside club fumed as the transfer revelation was shared on Twitter, with one Toffee even going as far as to claim that it was ’embarrassing’:

“Absolute embarrassment of a manager.”

Credit: @bluesofgoodison

“We’re in trouble”

Credit: @efc_alex18

“Rafa Benitez wanted to bring in a more experienced option, so decided not to bring in a right-back at all. Benitez out.”

Credit: @Owens_EFC

“Livramento…well that’s my day ruined”

Credit: @greenallefc

“We are a laughing stock”

Credit: @jamie_finegan

“Embarrassing, the FA Youth Cup game vs Chelsea was enough to show Livramento could make it at the top”

Credit: @jwilliam31

In other news, find out what transfer news has Blues gushing here!

Everton have suffered a potentially significant blow in their pursuit of Porto forward Luis Diaz after they were priced out of a transfer.

What’s the story?

The Toffees were heavily linked with the 24-year-old over the summer, and it was claimed that they wanted to sign him as part of a deal which would have seen James Rodriguez move in the opposite direction and return to the Estadio Dragao.

However, no agreement was ever reached, and Rodriguez ended up joining Qatari side Al-Rayyan after being deemed surplus to requirements by new Everton manager Rafael Benitez.

A Bola (via Sport Witness) are now claiming that Porto’s hierarchy are determined to receive a record-breaking fee for Diaz, eclipsing the €50m (£42.2m) they collected from Real Madrid for Eder Militao.

That fee is currently out of Everton’s reach due to their financial restraints, while Newcastle United, the other potential suitors for Diaz’s signature, would have no problem splashing out such a sum.

Benitez will be gutted

News that the Blues will no longer be able to compete for Diaz’s signature will leave Benitez feeling gutted, given the quality of the Colombia international.

The creative talent played a pivotal part in the Dragons’ domestic double in 2019/20 and has taken his game to new heights in the opening weeks of the current campaign, bagging a remarkable 11 goals in 16 appearances.

After firing Sergio Conceicao’s charges to a crucial Champions League victory over AC Milan in October, Diaz was showered with praise by his teammate Sergio Oliveira, who said: “I don’t have to answer, we know his qualities, apart from the human level he is also extraordinary on a technical level. The best for him will also be the best for us as a team.”

His impressive performances at club level have earned Diaz 30 caps for his country, and the youngster featured heavily for his nation in last summer’s Copa America, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with four goals.

Therefore, Benitez will be hugely disappointed that the 24-year-old won’t be pulling on an Everton shirt any time soon.

Injuries to Richarlison have forced the Spaniard to field the struggling Alex Iwobi and inexperienced Anthony Gordon on several occasions this season, hampering the Merseyside outfit’s progress.

Whether Marcel Brands is able and willing to dip into the market over the winter in order to strengthen Benitez’s forward line remains to be seen, but attacking reinforcement are certainly needed at Everton.

In other news… Brands could find Rafa’s next Pablo Aimar at Everton in “very clever” £22.5m-rated ace 

As per Sky Sports, some transfer news has come out of Tottenham Hotspur involving in-demand Wolverhampton Wanderers star Ruben Neves.

The Lowdown: Pochettino eyed 2018 move for Neves…

Journalist Adrian Kajumba, writing for The Daily Mirror at the time, revealed that former Spurs boss and fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino personally had Neves in his sights back in 2018.

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Indeed, the Argentine reportedly added Wolves’ star midfielder to his transfer wish list alongside other Portuguese internationals like Cedric Soares and Gelson Martins.

In the same year, reports suggested that the Molineux outfit would have demanded big money to let Neves leave, with Wolves apparently setting his valuation at ‘over £100 million’.

Now, as per Sky Sports, it appears that Tottenham have been eyeing him again this season as they aim to back manager Antonio Conte with fresh faces.

The Latest: Spurs in mix for Neves?

The big-name broadcaster, as written by their reporter Lyall Thomas, have claimed that Spurs ‘have also been interested in Neves this season’ alongside Manchester United.

This comes as Sky Sports also revealed that the 25-year-old is emerging as a top transfer target for north London rivals Arsenal.

The Verdict: Make a move?

Given the signing of Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus in January, not to mention the presence of other dependable central midfielders like Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp in their squad, a move for Neves shouldn’t be too hotly pursued by Spurs in the summer.

Tottenham arguably need a backup to star striker Harry Kane much more urgently, with The Athletic also stating that Conte’s major summer priority is a left-sided central defender.

Despite Neves being lauded as a ‘quality’ Premier League player by ex-Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips, the Lilywhites may have other priorities this summer, and we believe they should leave Pochettino’s one-time target alone.

In other news: Tottenham could strike imminent agreement to sign ‘magical’ £25m striker! Find out more here.

A journalist has revealed that Newcastle United are now ‘having contacts’ over the possibility of signing Dusan Vlahovic in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Rising star

At just 21 years of age, Vlahovic is a rising star in the beautiful game.

He has already managed to score 18 goals and make a further four assists in 21 matches in total over all competitions so far this season (made his mark on the Serbia national team.

His performances have certainly caught the attention of the Italian press, who have described the Fiorentina machine as a ‘force of nature’, already comparing him to strikers like Erling Haaland and Romelu Lukaku.

On Friday, the Italian outfit added fuel to the fire of rumours around his future, confirming the signing of a possible replacement in the shape of Krzysztof Piatek.

The Latest: Bid prepared

As per beIN Sports journalist Tancredi Palmeri, the St. James’ Park faithful and Fiorentina are ‘having contacts’ over a potential move for Vlahovic, and that the former are ‘working’ on a bid of €70m (£58.5m) for his signature.

That would of course smash the club-record £40m that they paid for Joelinton back in 2019, and so would be a real statement of intent from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

Nonetheless, the Serie A club are ‘keen’ to sell, but Vlahovic himself is not as keen on moving to the North East.

The Verdict: Unrealistic

Vlahovic has the world at his feet, and so given that the Tyneside outfit are currently in a relegation battle, a move for him this month seems too unrealistic – Tottenhem and Arsenal are also in the race.

The Serbian is also not keen on the move himself, and so would take a lot of persuading, perhaps with a ridiculous wage packet that the new owners would not want to shell out even despite their riches.

Nonetheless, a number of top clubs in Europe will surely be swarming all over him learning that Fiorentina are keen to sell and are signing other front men, and so the Magpies may get crowded out.

Thus, they should be looking at more realistic targets for now.

In other news, find out which ‘unplayable’ ace NUFC could now sign here!

Wolverhampton Wanderers ended West Ham’s run of fantastic form this afternoon and also managed to keep a clean sheet at Molineux for the first time this season.

Securing the three points today has put Wolves in a fantastic position in the Premier League, elevating them above Manchester United and Brighton into sixth, two points clear of the aforementioned duo.

Bruno Lage’s team dominated in almost every area of the game, with 53% possession and more completed passes and more shots on target compared to David Moyes’ side. Raul Jimenez championed this dominance with a second half strike which finally burst West Ham’s bubble, notching his third goal of the season to decide the match in Wolves’ favour.

Lage will be delighted with the result and performance from his team today, in particular his decision to put his faith in Portuguese forward Daniel Podence, who made his first start since the win at Southampton nearly two months ago.

The £52k-p/w winger played an important part in the win today, with three key passes, two shots on target and an assist for Jimenez’s goal, fully justifying his manager’s decision to start the 26-year-old over Adama Traore.

Podence has been challenging both the Spain international and Barcelona loanee Trincao for a place in the line-up but has given those players a pushback after such a fine attacking display this afternoon.

SofaScore rated Podence at 7.0/10 today as he put on an attacking masterclass against an impressive West Ham side, showing how much of a threat he can be in the final third.

Lage spoke after the match about the 26-year-old and how his ability to find space in a tight game, saying: “We needed to find different spaces and we found it. The way Saiss and Max found the spaces to Podence or Hwang, and how Ruben and Joao control the game with the ball… We controlled everything”.

Wolves will be hoping to continue their winning ways to push for European football next season, and more performances like this one from Podence should give them every chance of embarking on a continental tour in 2022/23.

In other news: Wolves have been dealt a big transfer setback