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Celtic are interested in a swoop for Leeds United defender Barry Douglas, according to the Lancashire Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Douglas has enjoyed a solid season

Spending the season on loan at Blackburn Rovers, Douglas has enjoyed a solid campaign in the English Championship, making 30 appearances and recording two assists [Transfermarkt].

He also demonstrated considerable defensive prowess, making an average of 2.3 successful tackles per game for Rovers [WhoScored]. That was a better average than every single player who featured for Celtic in 2020/21, the rarely-seen Anthony Ralston the only Hoops man who averaged two per game [WhoScored].

Interestingly, the Scotland international confirmed on Instagram that he would not sign a permanent deal at Ewood Park following his loan stint [The Boot Room].

Scheduled to return to Leeds United imminently, his future at the club remains wholly uncertain. Contractually, Douglas will become a free agent at the end of this month when his Elland Road deal expires [67 Hail Hail].

Could this pave the way for Celtic to make an approach?

The Latest: Celtic re-ignite their Douglas pursuit

Presently, reports state that Celtic hold an interest in taking the former Dundee United left-back north of the border [Lancashire Telegraph]. In a dramatic turn of events, the Hoops’ Glasgow rivals Rangers are also said to be monitoring his situation [Lancashire Telegraph].

Of course, Douglas is a familiar name to Celtic fans. Shortlisted by the club last year following Boli Bolingoli’s departure [Sky Sports], the Bhoys appear to have reignited their interested in the experienced defender .

The Verdict: Douglas would be a solid addition

Douglas would likely represent a solid addition to the Hoops rearguard if he returns to Scotland. In need of reliable players to inspire a Premiership title charge, the man once dubbed an “an impeccable professional” by Marcelo Bielsa [Leeds United] could certainly fulfil an important function for Celtic .

However, the Hoops must act swiftly in order to secure the left-back’s services. If Celtic have serious aspirations of domestic glory next season, they cannot afford to lose documented targets to their fiercest competitors. The Parkhead club should be pulling out all the stops to finalise the deal.

In other news, Celtic are interested in this 17-goal striker as they plot for 2021/22.

Southampton take on Fulham at St Mary’s on Saturday, with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side looking to build on their 3-1 win against Crystal Palace in midweek to finish the season strongly.

A brace from Danny Ings and a goal from Che Adams secured the three points for the Saints against Roy Hodgson’s side on Tuesday and they have another big chance to earn three points this afternoon as they take on already-relegated Fulham.

Scott Parker’s side’s fate was confirmed when they lost 2-0 against Burnley last time out, securing an immediate return to the Championship following their victory in the playoff final last season.

The fact that Southampton are now safe from relegation suggests that we will see some youngsters given a chance in the final three games, to see if they are capable of making more of an impression next season.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Hasenhuttl to line his side up on Saturday afternoon, with four changes from the team that started against Crystal Palace…

Hasenhutl has already suggested that Alex McCarthy will return for this fixture, despite the “outstanding” Fraser Forster saving a penalty in the win in midweek.

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There is one change in defence, as after picking up an injury in the win against the Eagles, Jan Bednarek misses out, with Mohammed Salisu replacing him at centre-back.

There are two changes in midfield, as Nathan Redmond drops to the bench and is replaced by 20-year-old academy star Will Ferry, who makes his first senior appearance for the Saints, whilst fellow youngster Nathan Tella replaces Takumi Minamino on the right after the Japanese winger’s less than impressive recent displays.

Unsurprisingly, Hasenhuttl will stick with Ings and Adams up front after the two strikers inspired their victory in midweek, and hopefully they can both finish the season strongly and build on their partnership ahead of next season.

And, in other news… Southampton handed huge boost in race for 29-goal “phenomenon”, Semmens must deliver

Writing on Twitter, reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has lifted the lid on chairman Daniel Levy’s plan for Tottenham Hotspur surrounding 2020/2021 loanee Gareth Bale.

The Lowdown: Bale’s future up in the air?

Much has been made of the Welshman and whether he will sign for Spurs permanently or opt to remain at Real Madrid.

The 31-year-old, when available and ready to play, arguably made an impact under both Jose Mourinho and Ryan Mason – ending the 2020/2021 campaign as the club’s third top scorer.

Indeed, in all competitions, Bale notched an impressive 16 goals and three assists from out wide in just 34 appearances (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Romano lifts lid on Levy plan for Bale…

Writing on Twitter, reliable journalist Romano has claimed that Levy and co plan to hold talks with Real Madrid over Bale this summer but it will only be done once the new manager is officially appointed.

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“Gareth Bale is not planning to retire after the Euros,” he explained on social media.

“Despite rumours, Bale is waiting to decide his future – he’s still under contract with Real Madrid and Tottenham meeting will take place once the new manager is appointed. But he’s not retiring: fake.”

The Verdict: Do it Levy…

Despite fitness issues and a speculated lack of trust from former boss Jose Mourinho, Bale could prove to be a shrewd permanent signing for Spurs’ new boss considering his profile and record from 2020/2021.

Scoring 11 goals and assisting two others in just 10 Premier League starts (Transfermarkt), it is evident that the Wales international star still possesses the quality to succeed with Spurs.

The only caveat may be his reported sky high wages, and if Bale is to make a permanent return to Tottenham, it is fair to say he may have to make some concessions given the Lilywhites’ financial troubles.

In other news: Spurs now want to sign this ‘nearly unplayable’ star, find out more here.

Liverpool are reportedly battling with Chelsea to sign Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho, ahead of a potential summer move.

The Reds are expected to make additions in the next transfer window following a hugely disappointing season at Anfield.

While a new centre-back could be the most pressing area to address after an injury-blighted campaign in that regard, bringing in another attacker also makes sense given their struggles in the final third in 2020/21, especially those of Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

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Liverpool linked with Sancho move once again

Sancho has been linked with Liverpool numerous times in the past and it is a rumour which doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon.

According to Bild [via Sport Witness], the Reds and Chelsea are set to lock horns over the signing of the 21-year-old, who is described in the the report as a ‘superstar of the decade’.

Dortmund are believed to be willing to sell Sancho this summer, possibly at a discounted price after the financial impact the pandemic has had in the past 12 months.

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Transfer Tavern take

Sancho hasn’t had his most productive season, only scoring six times in the Bundesliga and not being a guaranteed a place in England’s Euro 2020 squad, but he is a player of immense quality.

At 21, he has already achieved so much – clocking 46 goals and 62 assists in 133 games for Dortmund – but he has years ahead of him to mature further and become one of the world’s most devastating wide players.

Liverpool have to find long-term replacements for Mohamed Salah and Mane eventually – if Diogo Jota is one, Sancho could well be the other, given his pace, trickery, work ethic and end product.

In other news, Liverpool have reportedly reignited their interest in one player – find out who it is here.

Aston Villa appear to have leapfrogged Burnley in the race to sign West Brom defender Harry Williams.

The Lowdown: Williams’ Burnley trial

The Baggies reportedly told Williams he is free to find a new club, with the 18-year-old recently heading to Lancashire for a Clarets trial.

Burnley were thought to be impressed with Williams following his youth-team displays and were set to give the youngster a number of weeks to impress.

However, no deal has been reached for the centre-back as of yet, and it now seems as if Villa have moved into pole position.

The Latest: Villa source shares update

Football Insider ran a story on Williams on Saturday morning, claiming he has headed to Villa after being given permission from West Brom.

A Villa source revealed that Williams has been at the club and is expected to spend a week with the Villans ahead of a potential move.

The latest report claims Burnley are still in the race, but with the central defender now at Villa, it seems as if Dean Smith’s side now hold the upper hand.

The Verdict: Latest addition to Villa’s exciting youth set up?

Should Williams pen terms at Villa Park, he could well become the latest addition to the club’s exciting youth side.

Villa are actually in the FA Youth Cup semi-final against West Brom, however, you’d expect Williams to link up with the club’s Under-23 side, should he move across the Midlands.

He already has eight Premier League 2 appearances under his belt at the age of 18, and that could well increase over the next 12 months if Villa secure his services.

In other news: Villa set to launch £15m bid for creative ace, find out more here. 

Rangers set up an Old Firm derby in the fourth round of the cup as they eased past League One side Cove Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday, with Jermaine Defoe particularly impressing for Steven Gerrard’s side.

The 38-year-old forward gave Rangers the lead with an excellent long-range strike and looked a quality above as he regularly found space in the area, coming close to further goals on several occasions.

A quickfire Kemar Roofe double, along with a well-taken goal from Nathan Patterson wrapped the win up for Gerrard’s side before half-time, with several youngsters such as Calvin Bassey and Scott Wright impressing.

However, it was arguably Defoe that sent the biggest message to Gerrard with his performance, and the fact that he was selected ahead of Cedric Itten upfront suggests that the 40-year-old manager still sees him as an important member of his squad.

It is surprising therefore that, as it stands, the former Tottenham Hotspur and England forward will leave Ibrox in the summer when his contract expires.

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His performance against Cove Rangers demonstrated that, no matter what his age, Defoe will always have the ability to pop up with a goal and he can still be an important part of this Rangers squad, even if he is behind the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Roofe in the pecking order.

Earlier in the season, Gerrard was full of praise for the veteran striker, saying:

“He is in incredible shape and he loves coming into work and he is still trying to learn and improve and get better.”

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Therefore, fitness clearly isn’t an issue for Defoe, as he emphasised in Sunday’s game, which will hopefully be enough to convince both Gerrard and Ross Wilson that he is worthy of a new deal at Ibrox, as he clearly still has something to offer in this Rangers side.

And, in other news… Gerrard handed huge Rangers boost with “unstoppable” gem, it’s perfect timing

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has shared his concerns over possible interest in Ollie Watkins in the future.

Watkins only joined Villa last summer, but Hendrie is wary of potential advances from other clubs given how well the 25-year-old striker has performed this season.

Watkins has managed to reach double figures in his debut Premier League campaign, with seven of his goals coming against Liverpool and Arsenal.

The former Brentford man has undoubtedly impressed, and Hendrie believes he could soon start to attract the attention of some of the top clubs in the country.

On Watkins, the ex-Villa player told TT:

“There’s been a lot of interest for certain players. I think when you look at the bigger picture of it, you know, if someone like Jack Grealish left, I think that’s when it does maybe happen where it might be that Ollie Watkins thinks, ‘well, there’s no ambition here. We’re going to have to move on; we’re going to have to go to a different football club’.

“When they’re playing well, there’s always going to be interest for players. So, yes, there’s elements that you do want to keep your best players because I feel that if Villa are going to go and push on and be a European side and possibly get into the Champions League at some stage, they’re going to have to build around these key players that they’ve got – Ollie Watkins is one of them.

“I still feel there’s more to come from him, but I do worry [ about interest from top-six sides].”

While there is nothing to suggest that Watkins is looking for or will look for a Villa exit, one player who the Midlands club could lose in the near future is captain Jack Grealish.

The attacking midfielder continues to be linked with a move away from Villa Park, with Football Insider recently reporting that he is interested in joining Manchester City.

Southampton goalkeeper Harry Lewis has failed to make a single appearance under Ralph Hasenhuttl thus far and the Austrian should ensure that the 23-year-old leaves the club this summer.

Lewis is an academy graduate at Southampton and made three FA Cup appearances for the senior side in the 2016/17 season, in which he conceded seven goals, and he has not been seen in the first-team since.

His record with the Southampton B team is not overly impressive either, with the shot-stopper having shipped 64 goals in 35 appearances there, keeping just six clean sheets in the process.

Lewis is unfortunate that Hasenhuttl has both Alex McCarthy and Fraser Forster available to him in his squad, meaning that his lack of experience was always likely to mean that he was going to struggle for regular game time.

Although the ‘keeper was a regular for Dundee United in the 2017/18 season, he hasn’t left the club on loan again since then and has been forced to settle for academy football in the three years since.

Considering Southampton also have Angus Gunn out on loan at Stoke City in the Championship, it is difficult to see Lewis ever making it as a regular with the South Coast club.

Fortunately, his contract is set to expire in the summer, so it seems likely that he will depart his boyhood club and, hopefully, find a side that is willing to offer him regular first-team football.

According to Sportrac, Lewis earns more than £20k per week at Southampton, which seems ridiculous when you consider he hasn’t made a single first-team appearance in Hasenhuttl’s two and a half years with the club.

Therefore, you can definitely argue that he is stealing a living with the Saints at this moment in time, and the club should make sure that he leaves when his current contract expires in the summer.

And, in other news… Southampton signing £7.2m-rated beast could be bad news for £55k-p/w Saints regular

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have been giving their thoughts to Connor Wickham’s goals for the Under-23’s on social media.

Numerous supporters were left stunned by his brilliant pass against Sunderland last week, and his display against West Brom on Monday once again had fans talking about him.

The 28-year-old netted twice in a 2-1 win over West Brom, one of which was a penalty. Wickham almost had a hat-trick in the second half but saw his free-kick fire against the post.

The forward, who is out of contract at the end of the current campaign, is yet to make a senior appearance under Roy Hodgson this season due to injury.

He has been on the bench in Palace’s last three league games but has failed to make a cameo display.

Palace fans react

Palace kept fans up to date on the club’s Under-23 progress on Monday afternoon, with Wickham’s goals, as to be expected, receiving plenty of interest.

This is what some supporters had to say in reply to the club’s updates on Wickham’s strikes.

“Leading us to Europe, Connor Wickham”

Credit: @erictwigs

“SHOW HIM THE MONEY”

Credit: @ohjoewalker

“The goat is back”

Credit: @cpfc_fpage_se25

“New 5 year deal incoming”

Credit: @CPFCAlfie

“HE’S BACK”

Credit: @standinthesun

“Best u23 player of all time baby”

Credit: @MaskedSolak

In other news: Galatasaray eyeing cut-price move for Palace star; it’s not van Aanholt, find out more here. 

Whoever replaces Neil Lennon as Celtic’s new manager will have a seismic job on their hands.

Given how terribly this campaign has gone, they will need to rip things up and almost start again. Certainly, with Peter Lawwell also departing in the summer, lots of change will be needed in order to take Celtic back to the top.

A plethora of renowned coaches from within the football world have been linked with the vacancy. Whether it’s Frank Lampard or Roberto Martinez, some eye-catching names are regularly being branded about.

Though, one manager who hasn’t been in the discussion too much is Stoke boss Michael O’Neill. On paper, this might not look like an attractive proposition for Hoops supporters but they’d be foolish to ignore him.

Trevor Sinclair recently spoke about his chances of moving to Glasgow and how a man with his CV could be game-changing in Glasgow. He told talkSPORT (24/02 – 10:30am): “I would look at Michael O’Neill. He’s done a fantastic job with the Northern Ireland national team, he’s done a superb job with Stoke City,” he began.

Sinclair concluded: “(O’Neill) is a David Moyes kind of manager. He knows the game inside out, how to run clubs from top to bottom. You need a manager like that to come in and give the club a shake – and I think that’s what is needed.”

Indeed, despite O’Neill’s win rate of just 39% with Stoke, he has revived them, replicating a similar sort of job that he did with the Northern Irish national side.

When he walked into that job, they were in a desperate place. Northern Ireland were very quickly slipping towards their lowest FIFA ranking and in September 2012, were placed 129th. O’Neill, however, used supreme professionalism and tactical acumen to breathe fresh life into not only the team but also the country as a whole.

Just four years later, they were competing at the European Championships in France. They weren’t just there to make up the numbers either. O’Neill had guided his team from being one of the worst in Europe based on FIFA rankings to reaching the last 16 at the Euros.

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Wales knocked them out, but despite that, O’Neill had brought a country and its fan base together with his pragmatic approach.

In the words of BBC reporter Richard Petrie; “O’Neill’s philosophy of the sum of the parts being more effective than individual star performers built a sense of togetherness and collective team spirit which served a squad with a paucity of Premier League players at its disposal well.”

Petrie continued: “Tactically, his style was pragmatic – always a bespoke game plan in place depending on the opposition – difficult to break down, with pressing and exploiting opportunities to score from set-pieces or on the counter-attack in mind. It was a formation that his squad grew comfortable and familiar with and yielded positive results.”

For a side like Celtic, so in need of being revived, this could be ideal. You only need to look at what he’s done for Stoke too.

The Potters were sitting rock bottom of the English Championship when the 51-year-old took over in September 2019. He subsequently guided them to a finish of 15th last term. This season, meanwhile, they are now sitting in 11th position with an outside chance of reaching the playoffs.

He has engineered successful revivals in two successive jobs now. With that in mind, O’Neill seems like the ideal man for a crisis. Celtic could benefit ten-fold from his arrival at Parkhead.

AND in other news, Forget Harper: Kennedy should unleash 18 y/o gem never-seen in the Celtic first-team…