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Keith Gillespie has exclusively told Football FanCast that Leicester have some of the best defenders in the Premier League.

Having lost Ben Chilwell to Chelsea last summer, Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers reinvested the money by bringing in young French centre-back Wesley Fofana and the well-established Belgium right-back Timothy Castagne from Atalanta.

And although Leicester might be the third top scorers in the Premier League this season having netted 53 times in their 30 games, only Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Tottenham have conceded fewer than Rodgers’ men (34).

Rodgers also has the experienced Jonny Evans at his disposal, whilst James Justin performed brilliantly prior to his season-ending injury sustained against Brighton in the FA Cup back in February.

Leicester return to Premier League action against Manchester City on Saturday, knowing that seven victories from their final nine games will guarantee a place in next season’s Champions League.

And whilst the likes of Harvey Barnes, James Maddison and Jamie Vardy have often grabbed the headlines this season, Gillespie lauded Rodgers for putting together defensive department.

He told Football FanCast:

“Defensively they have got great defenders in terms of Evans, Soyuncu, Fofana, Castagne, Pereira and Justin. There’s six there that are as good as anybody in the league. I think he has assembled a really good squad there.”

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting in worried fashion after Diogo Jota missed training ahead of Saturday’s clash with Newcastle United.

The Reds host the Magpies this weekend, in what represents a must-win game for the Premier League champions.

Victory for Jurgen Klopp’s men would take them above both Chelsea and West Ham in the table, with the pair meeting at the London Stadium later in the day.

[freshpress-quiz id=“350790”]

Liverpool continue to be plagued by a number of injury problems, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Jordan Henderson all key absentees.

Although it hasn’t been confirmed – Jurgen Klopp’s press conference is later on Friday – there are concerns that Jota may have joined them on the treatment table, having not taken part in training (Liverpool Echo) on Thursday.

It may be that he was simply being rested or doing indoor work, but considering how this season has panned out, another injury wouldn’t be a surprise.

Liverpool fans bemoan potential Jota injury

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to give their thoughts on another possible fitness issue for the Reds, with negativity the order of the day.

“Now what has happened to Jota? What’s the point?”

Credit: @FplFlynn

“No Jota? What the hell am I reading?”

Credit: @originalakin

“What are they doing in training? Only 7 players in the squad haven’t had an injury this season, that’s unacceptable”

Credit: @aidanthaprince

“No no no no no”

Credit: @LFCArran

“Why isn’t this affecting me? Think we have just got to the point where we’re use to it”

Credit: @NITOMHALLU

“Why always if one person returns another player get injured? Can someone please fire our medical staff, they clearly doing a bad job on keeping our players fit”

Credit: @9Boonzaaier

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to a potentially exciting transfer story. Read more here.

With Celtic currently lacking a manager, it’s perhaps a surprise to see so many new players being linked with Parkhead.

That being said, it’s positive thinking from a club who have done very little right this season.

On the chalkboard

The Hoops faithful are right to be scared about their current position. They have just lost the title for the first time in a decade and they didn’t even run their rivals close.

Neil Lennon is no longer in charge and thus, Dermot Desmond is searching for a new manager.

Whoever walks through the door could have to deal with a player exodus. Star striker Odsonne Edouard has long been linked with an exit, as too has Kristoffer Ajer.

Ajer has been a phenomenal addition since joining the club on a free transfer as a 17-year-old. He is now a matured international for Norway and that has undeniably come with its plaudits.

The centre-back was linked with a move to Tottenham last season while AC Milan have been monitoring his situation. If he does leave, it could leave a giant hole in the middle of Celtic’s defence to fill.

Christopher Jullien is out for the next nine months while Shane Duffy is due to go back to Brighton following the conclusion of his loan spell.

The solution

Celtic could well fill that gap with a certain Declan Gallagher. TEAMtalk reported this week that the Bhoys were ready to move for the Motherwell defender this summer.

They face plenty of competition for his signature with Cardiff, Barnsley, Aberdeen, Hearts and Dundee in the race to sign him.

Premier League clubs Burnley, Sheffield United and West Brom have him on their radar but it’s been claimed that Gallagher’s head has been turned by interest from Celtic.

At the age of 30, he is a seasoned professional and although the Hoops wouldn’t have much sell-on value, he’d be a fantastic acquisition.

Standing at 6 foot 6, Gallagher is a monster in the air and very rarely does he lose a defensive battle. The defender has won a colossal 3.9 aerial duels this term, a tally that betters every Celtic player apart from Duffy and Jullien.

Having won seven caps for Scotland, he has what it takes to play at a higher level and he’d certainly be able to do that at Celtic. After all, Gallagher possesses a similar never-say-die mentality to Ajer.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-boupendza-mcgeady-marsch-mccarthy” title=”Latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

Speaking about the Hoops-linked defender in January, Gary Holt told Radio Clyde: “I used to say we were fortunate to have players who were prepared to get hurt in both boxes. He’s prepared to get hurt. That’s what you like about him [Gallagher]. He’s somebody who’s going to do his job to the best of his ability. He’s kicked on massively since he left Livi.”

How Celtic could have done with more players like that this season. Ajer was been one of a few who were really prepared to put their body on the line for the team.

Therefore, if he leaves, it would be a bitter blow. Replacing him with Gallagher would certainly be no bad idea, though.

AND in other news, Better than Kenny: Celtic must sign “fierce” gem who’s made 89 tackles this term…

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass has told Football FanCast that Jurgen Klopp will certainly be at Liverpool next season, but insists they must finish in the top four this season.

The Reds have endured a torrid defence of their Premier League title and are currently sixth in the table ahead of Thursday’s meeting with Chelsea.

Having lost just three games in the entirety of last season, they have already been defeated seven times this term, and they are 22 points behind runaway leaders Manchester City.

Not only that but Klopp’s men also sit two points behind fourth-placed West Ham United.

Windass does not believe Klopp will walk away at the end of the season, but he has emphasised the importance of the Reds finishing in the top four.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “The answer to your question is he’ll still be there next year, he’ll be there, he’s signed a new contract.

“Listen, the big aim for Liverpool now this season is to get into the Champions League.

“And then obviously next season is to try to emulate what they did last season. It’s the same with Chelsea, the same with Man City, the same with Liverpool, the same with Arsenal, you know, never got there in the last few years. So [Mikel] Arteta has been under pressure, everybody’s under pressure at the top and the bottom. So it’s a situation where he’ll stay. They’ll get in the Champions League, for me.”

Windass has stopped short of insisting that the Reds have excuses for their poor form, however.

There have been a number of injury issues for Klopp to contend with, mainly the fitness of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, but Windass does not believe that they can fall back on the defence that this has been a season unlike any other.

He added: “To be a top team and a top manager and a top player you’ve got to be consistent. And I’m not blaming COVID, I’m not blaming the supporters, I’m not blaming that they didn’t really have a pre-season as we went into lockdown, you can’t make all of those excuses because everybody’s in the same boat.

“Man City are in the same boat and they’ve done the same lockdown as everybody else. It’s just, can you sustain that self-belief and the standards that Liverpool have set? They haven’t.”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Carlton Palmer talked about his former club Southampton and the dreadful run of form they have been in, prior to their win against basement club Sheffield United on Saturday.

The Saints had lost eight of their previous nine Premier League fixtures before heading to Bramall Lane. It has left them in the bottom half of the table and far from safety, leaving manager Ralph Hasenhuttl with plenty of work to do before the season ends.

During this disappointing period for the club, Hasenhuttl’s men have also lost 9-0 to Manchester United. This, of course, comes after their defeat to Leicester City by the same scoreline in the previous campaign.

Undoubtedly, Southampton are in a difficult moment, with Palmer admitting that he would be worried if he was in the St Mary’s dugout. The retired England international told FFC:

“There’s obviously something going on there that needs to be addressed. They’ve conceded a lot of points from winning positions and that can just be a mental thing that needs to be addressed.

“But certainly, if you get beat 9-0, and it’s not just happened once, it’s happened twice, I’d be worried about that if I was a manager, I really would. In this day and age, you shouldn’t be getting done 9-0.”

Indeed, Southampton’s form is worrying. However, assessing their upcoming fixtures, there is reason for Hasenhuttl’s team to be optimistic.

Following their game against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, the Saints have a run of matches versus Brighton, Burnley, West Brom and Crystal Palace — teams all around them.

Before, however, they face a tough trip to the Etihad to take on runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City in what is likely to be another difficult day out for the Saints.

The upcoming international break marks five years since Danny Drinkwater made his England debut whilst he was a player at Leicester City.

Fresh off of the Foxes’ title triumph and at the peak of his powers, he has since endured a dramatic fall from grace following his move to Chelsea.

His switch to Stamford Bridge is a chief example of the mastery and excellent decision making from Director of Football Jon Rudkin that has seen Leicester City become one of the transfer market masters in recent years.

Since earning promotion to the Premier League in 2014, the Foxes have raked in approximately £323m in transfer fees by selling key players all whilst seemingly still managing to improve their squad.

The Foxes sold Drinkwater for approximately £35m in 2017, then a club transfer record for Leicester – a fee which has consequently been eclipsed by the sales of Riyad Mahrez and Harry Maguire.

For context, it only took £40m for the Foxes to bring Youri Tielemans in from AS Monaco just two years after the Englishman left for the capital.

The two midfielders have certainly had completely different career trajectories since.

Whilst the Belgian has been key to the Foxes’ assaults on the UEFA Champions League places, Drinkwater has failed at Chelsea and has endured poor loan spells at Burnley and Aston Villa. He now finds himself stuck in the wilderness of the Turkish Super Lig with relegation-threatened Kasimpasa – about as far out of the England picture as it is possible to get.

Since his big-money move from Leicester, he has played just 34 matches. Tielemans meanwhile has taken to the pitch more than that in just the 2020/21 season alone.

From his reported £35m transfer fee, Drinkwater is now rated at just £2.88m – a dramatic fall for a player who is just 31 years of age.

Leicester then will be delighted that they elected to sell to Chelsea when they did, showing the type of timing that has only enhanced their sparkling reputation in the transfer market, especially as sellers, five years on from Drinkwater’s international bow.

AND in more news, have a look at which Foxes star could worry Rodgers with a potential absence from his national side…

According to reports, West Ham remain interested in signing former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko in this January transfer window.

What’s the story

With Sebastien Haller having left the club after a rather disappointing spell at the London Stadium, the Hammers have been linked with a number of strikers across Europe.

AS Roma forward Dzeko has been one such a name, with reports claiming in recent days and weeks that David Moyes’ side have been the offered the chance to sign the 34-year-old via some intermediaries.

Now, Italian publication La Repubblica claim that whilst Dzeko is looking to join a team that is fighting for a title, West Ham are still “always at the window”.

Imagine him and Antonio

Dzeko’s proven goal-scoring record in the Premier League – he bagged 50 times in the competition in his time at City – is something former Newcastle man Rob Lee is a big fan of, claiming that the Hammers could desperately do with someone who might be more of a guarantee of goals.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “I think he’d be a great, great signing for anybody. I read the other day that West Ham have wasted €200m on strikers in the last 10 years, and you look and they probably have and Haller was another massive loss for them.

“We’ve had some great players come over and fail miserably. They’ll be brilliant in the Spanish league or the Italian league. Edin Dzeko has proven he can score goals in the Premier League. He can score goals anywhere. So, even with his age, you’re still guaranteeing goals. And that’s what you want from your centre-forward, you want goals. I don’t care how old he is if he’s scoring goals.”

And at former clubs City and VfL Wolfsburg, Dzeko was more than comfortable playing alongside another striker, combining with Sergio Aguero for 17 goals between them, and then an impressive 26 with Grafite with the Bundesliga club.

At West Ham, Dzeko could be an intriguing option to play alongside Antonio if Moyes wishes to play two up top, or he could move the latter back out wide and have the Bosnian start as the out-and-out centre-forward.

Standing at an imposing 6 foot 4, the 112-cap beast is an imposing presence, and could feed off the likes of Aaron Cresswell and Vladimir Coufal whipping balls into the box. Add Antonio into the mix, and you’ve got the recipe for some major success if the Hammers want to play a bit more direct.

Michael Edwards looks to have delivered another masterclass in selling Jordon Ibe for £15 million back in 2016, as he is now struggling to get a game with Derby County in the Championship.

The Liverpool academy graduate would make 58 appearances for the first-team with the Reds, contributing four goals and seven assists, which was enough to convince Bournemouth to pay £15 million for his services back in 2016, in what was a club-record deal at the time.

However, the winger endured a nightmare spell with the Cherries, managing just five goals and nine assists in 92 appearances for the south coast club, which led to him being released on a free transfer during the most recent summer, following their relegation to the Championship.

He was then snapped up by Championship strugglers Derby County in September, but injury and fitness issues have meant that he is yet to make a first-team appearance for the Rams.

Jurgen Klopp was very complimentary of Ibe back in 2016 after his performance in a 3-2 defeat against Bournemouth, saying:

“He’s still a brilliant, big talent which is very good for English football. He did well with the pass for the first goal, and the cross for the second. I was very happy. It was a beautiful pass from Jordon Ibe [for Sturridge’s goal]. We had a lot of moments and it’s absolutely exciting.”

Whilst Ibe’s talent was never in doubt, the winger has himself admitted that he “lost passion” for the game and that he struggled with his mental health, which might explain his poor form with Bournemouth.

Hopefully, the £1.8 million-rated winger can rediscover his love for the game, as well as the form that once made him so exciting at Liverpool, but there can be no doubt that Edwards did superbly to get £15 million for his services in 2016 when you consider how his career has sadly declined since then.

And, in other news… Liverpool handed huge boost in pursuit of “astonishing” 20 y/o beast likened to Sergio Ramos

According to Football Insider, Glasgow Rangers target Daniel Johnson’s future at Preston North End is in doubt after he rejected a club-record deal.

What’s the word?

It’s claimed Johnson is still of interest to Rangers and that Alex Neil is resigned to the loss of the 28-year-old in the summer.

Rangers seem to be in a one-horse race to sign the attacking midfielder, whose current contract is set to expire at the end of this season.

Johnson has been in decent form for Preston after a sluggish start, providing four goals and three assists in 18 appearances in all competitions this season, via Transfermarkt.

Barry Ferguson 2.0?

He has played 17 games in the Championship, bagging three goals and three assists, but he now seems destined for the Deepdale exit.

A transfer for Johnson would be a good move for Rangers, especially if the club don’t intend to renew Bongani Zungu’s contract, which will run out at the end of the current season.

From the outside, it seems he has a lot of factors that make him the perfect fit for Steven Gerrard’s side: an experienced box-to-box midfielder itching for a new challenge; available for little more than a compensation fee; and he has the ability to play in a variety of positions across the midfield.

Just like Rangers legend Barry Ferguson before him, the £3.6m-rated colossus could become the lynchpin in the midfield, as he is able to control the ball and dictate play. Ferguson famously scored 19 goals from the middle of the park to win the Scottish Football Writers’ Association and PFA Scotland Players’ Player of the Year in the 2002-03 season.

In over 200 appearances for Preston, Johnson has contributed to 76 goals in total, via Transfermarkt.

Speaking to Football Insider, Alan Hutton heaped praise on his old Aston Villa teammate, saying: “Obviously, I know Daniel Johnson from his time at Villa, so I was very surprised at the time when Villa let him go, I thought it was very early, I thought they could have held onto him to see where he went in his career.

“He’s gone to Preston and he’s been unbelievable, done unbelievably well. Last season, he played as a number 10 and I think the numbers are there for everyone to see, he’s done really well, but he’s also a number eight in my opinion, he can do both.”

As Gerrard’s Gers look to derail Celtic’s bid for ten in a row, recruiting the Jamaican would be a shrewd bit of business. It’s rare to find a talented player for such a low transfer fee, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Rangers target John Lundstram produced one of his worst performances in the FA Cup…

According to The Athletic, Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes is in no rush to sign a new contract at Old Trafford, and that he is is motivated by the desire to win trophies.

What’s the word?

Fernandes has been nothing short of a revelation since joining the Red Devils on a five-and-a-half year deal from Sporting Lisbon, scoring 30 goals and supplying 20 assists across all competitions.

The Portuguese is desperate to push the club forward following a top-four finish in the previous Premier League campaign.

However, The Athletic claim he is holding off on committing his future to Manchester United as he will wait and see how this season will play out before deciding whether or not to sign a new deal, with silverware the thing that “fuel(s) his fire” .

Over to you, Ed Woodward

While a lot of eyes will be on what United do in terms of Paul Pogba’s future at Old Trafford in the summer, Fernandes must be their top priority, as Ed Woodward will surely be keen on extending his contract.

It’s fair to say that Pogba doesn’t necessarily represent the long-term future of the club as he has made no secret of his desire to leave the Red Devils in recent times. On the other hand, Fernandes – who is one year his junior – is everything that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should look to build his side around.

His latest display against Everton on Saturday was further proof he has added another dimension to the United midfield, in a similar manner to his fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo, who the club did not adequately replace at the time.

Fernandes is currently averaging more shots (3.4) and more key passes (3) per match and commits fewer fouls (1.1) than Pogba in the Premier League, which suggests that he poses a greater attacking threat, albeit from his favoured position as a central No. 10 behind the striker.

United legend Rio Ferdinand was effusive in his praise for the 26-year-old after United’s draw with Liverpool last month, saying: “The geezer’s output has been phenomenal.”

It may be early in his United career in terms of appearances, but the £180k-a-week earning star has taken to life at Old Trafford like a duck to water and Woodward can’t afford to let him slip through his fingers, especially with the lack of attacking depth in the midfield areas.

Convincing Fernandes that he can win trophies at Old Trafford, whether that’s through better on-pitch performances or marquee signings in the summer, is absolutely crucial to whether United actually lift silverware. The Portuguese star has quickly become the talisman of this side, and he surely has to be  Woodward’s priority.

AND in other news, Woodward must sanction Man Utd swoop for Aston Villa star Jack Grealish…