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Now that Neil Lennon knows he will be taking permanent charge of Celtic heading into next season he can get on the with the business of rebuilding a squad at the end of its current cycle.

The club may have just won a treble for the third consecutive year but fans will be expecting that success to be sustained, with the dream of progressing in Europe also a consideration.

With experienced players like Mikael Lustig out of contract and others first-team regulars such as Dedryck Boyata leaving, the Hoops boss has quite a task ahead of him when it comes to strengthening his squad for the challenges ahead.

On the chalkboard

The defensive line is the key priority for Lennon this summer, with arguably four or five defenders in different positions needing to come into the club and replace those moving on and improve upon what’s already available.

At centre-back both Boyata and Filip Benkovic will not be around so two quality first-team ready players will be needed to compete with Kristoffer Ajer and Jozo Simunovic.

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

At right-back, Anthony Ralston is currently the only player expected to be available and given he has hardly played any matches for the Hoops over the last few years then another first-team calibre star is required in the position.

Those are simply the signings needed to keep up the numbers in the squad currently and although less of a priority, fans are craving a left-back that can play effective back-up to Kieran Tierney, who has been overused and run down in recent seasons to the detriment of his fitness and health.

Setting the tone

It’s fair to say that Lennon’s appointment has been fairly divisive amongst supporters of the Hoops, with many feeling he is a step backwards for the club and not able to maintain the standards set by Brendan Rodgers.

The way to get fans on board will be to both comfortably take care of early European qualifiers and also show real intent in the transfer market.

Fans are concerned that Lennon is simply the cheap option, but by showing authority and bringing in the signings he wants early in pre-season, he can demonstrate to supporters there is no reason to worry.

Sign a few quality players and there’ll be more hope around Celtic Park, providing the momentum needed heading into the new season.

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Leeds fans finally received the news they have been waiting for on Thursday after it was announced that Marcelo Bielsa would be staying on as manager for the 2019/20 season.

There had been much speculation about the Argentine’s future at the club due to his tendency to walk away from jobs after a short period.

Andrea Radrizzani has done an incredible job in convincing the Argentine to stay, but the update on Bielsa’s contract may bring more good news for the Yorkshire club in the future.

Promises been made

The 63-year-old isn’t one to stay at a club if he believes he won’t be able to do his job to the best of his ability.

He has walked away from more lucrative roles than Leeds United in the past due to clashes with the board and due to failure in the transfer window.

The United chairman must’ve made some serious promises to Bielsa regarding the upcoming transfer window to make him sign on the dotted line for another 12 months.

Transfer window

The Yorkshire club certainly have only one aim for next term, and that is promotion.

To go up, they will need to strengthen in key positions with the right players. The former Marseille boss wouldn’t have chosen to stick around if he thought he was heading into next season with a weaker squad.

Whether that means vital players such as Kalvin Phillips and Kemar Roofe will be retained, or that rumoured targets such as Dwight Gayle and Callum O’Dowda will be secured remains to be seen, but you can bank on Leeds lining up with a stronger XI next season.

Bielsa could have easily walked away, but he feels there is unfinished business at the club and that can only be resolved if the Whites are promoted to the Premier League.

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Brendan Rodgers completely turned Leicester around after arriving in the Midlands, doing a job with the Foxes which almost took them back to Europe.

There are plenty of reasons for supporters to be hopeful going into the new campaign and it’s a particularly exciting period now Rodgers will be able to sink his teeth into the transfer market for the first time since he walked through the doors.

Among those who could join is Bertrand Traore. Foot Mercato journalist Sebastien Denis confirmed on Twitter that the club had surveyed his entourage in a bid to bring him to the Premier League.

A host of clubs are interested, per Denis, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Everton also in the running. However, the Burkina Faso forward supposedly wants to stay with Lyon.

The 23-year-old has been superb since departing Chelsea, scoring double figures at Ajax and then again at Lyon last term. This season he’s scored 11 times in all competitions for the Ligue 1 side.

With a potential transfer on the cards, Leicester fans have given their views on the player on forum FoxesTalk.

Any surprise comments?

The reaction to potentially signing Traore is incredibly mixed. Some supporters seem to like the idea but others are hinting that they’re against it.

What perhaps is surprising, is someone calling him absolutely terrible. His record over the last three years demonstrates he clearly has a keen eye for goal and the Foxes are lacking that barring Jamie Vardy. With that in mind, he’d be an astute acquisition.

One supporter called him the ideal forward which is hard to disagree with. The winger has the ability to cut inside, something Rodgers favours, whilst the fact he can play in more than one position means he’d be of great use to Leicester.

Whether they now pursue a deal for the player will be interesting to see.

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With Tammy Abraham’s loan deal expiring and Aston Villa achieving promotion, it’s clear they’ll need to add some more firepower to their squad ahead of a return to the top-flight.

Maxi Gomez, who bagged 13 goals for Celta Vigo last term, could well be the answer.

Ney Castillo, the President of Gomez’s former club, Defensor Sporting, revealed to Tiempo de Futbol on Sport 890, broadcast June 6th, that the Villans were interested in the player.

On the same day one of the club’s scouts, Juanfran, also declared his admiration for the player. Per quotes from Marca, he said that there was interest for the forward’s services from the Premier League.

At just 22-years-of-age, the Uruguay international is still particularly raw but has shown great potential in Spain.

Any club that does move for him though will have to be prepared to pay a large fee. His current buy out clause sits at £43.5m.

Reacting to the news, Football FanCast writers have given their verdicts on whether Villa should sign the player.

Here’s what they said…

Charles Jones:

“Maxi Gomez has been putting up some fantastic numbers for his age in La Liga, but we know that prolific strikers in that division can flop in the Premier League. Iago Aspas and Christian Stuani ended up near the top of the scoring charts last season and we saw how much they struggled to adapt in England. £43.5m is an incredible fee, but you can’t help but feel they would be better off spending a lesser amount on bringing Tammy Abraham back.”

Luke Glanville:

“I think that Maxi Gomez should be a complete no-go for Aston Villa, especially at an obscene price like £43.5m. The 22-year-old has no Premier League experience and is only proven in a league of far inferior quality. What Dean Smith’s men really need to add to their ranks in every department is players who know what it’s like to play in the English top flight and are proven at that level. After survival in their first term back and some top-flight stability, Villa can go after the lavish names.”

Harry Sherlock:

“A move worth £43.5m for a club who have just been promoted makes absolutely zero sense. Villa should be hunting for proven talent, Premier League players who have long had a knack of scoring in the top-flight. Gomez is unproven. For a top-six club, it’s a drop in the ocean. For Villa, it could be the whole budget. They should move on and find an alternative target.”

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According to The Mirror, Mohamed Salah was tempted by a move to Real Madrid or Italian champions Juventus but will now stick with Liverpool and reassess the situation next summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Los Blancos and Juventus were reportedly preparing £150m offers for the Liverpool talisman this summer, which tempted the Egyptian.

However, he now looks set to reevaluate the situation next summer as he feels the timing would not be right to leave Anfield just after securing the Champions League title – the Reds’ sixth major European Cup.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

Jurgen Klopp was aware of the interest and is said to have held talks with the club’s hierarchy over the threat of Salah’s potential exit, although a similar conversation will not need to be had for at least another 12 months now.

Sadio Mane is also of interest to some top European sides, but both him and Salah are happy to stay for the 2019/20 season and are reportedly keen to end the club’s 30-year wait for a league title.

It could be Liverpool’s last chance

Make no mistake about it – Salah is Liverpool’s clutch player when it comes to Premier League football.

The former Basel man hit a record-breaking 32 goals in his first league campaign as a Liverpool player, setting a new record for most goals in a 38-game Premier League season.

Salah has also won the Reds numerous points on his own, and it goes without saying that a title push last term and a top four finish the year before wouldn’t have been possible without the little Egyptian.

So, with the 27-year-old set to stay for at least another year, next term may be Liverpool’s best chance to win the league for some time if Salah does eventually leave next summer.

It will become substantially harder to win the league if they lose the diminutive forward, a player who is hitting numbers close to Lionel Messi’s – he is irreplaceable and a title challenge will be immeasurably harder without him.

2019/20 could be the last serious shot at the title for Liverpool for some time if Salah does decide to depart next summer.

[ad_pod ]Speaking exclusively to The Sport Review, Liverpool legend John Barnes shared his thoughts on a number of hot topics involving his former club.Barnes spoke about Divock Origi, Nabil Fekir, Rhian Brewster and other players who are in the spotlight at Anfield right now, but it was his stern assessment of Trent Alexander-Arnold that offered a different opinion to the more popular one currently doing the rounds right now.You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…The 20-year-old right-back has become a regular for Liverpool and has already earned six caps for England – including an appearance at the 2018 World Cup.

His 16 assists in all competitions last season have had some fans – mainly Liverpool supporters – heralding the Reds academy graduate as the best right-back in the world, but Barnes has been sensible with his words.

What did he say?

Barnes said: “You have to be doing it for three, four or five years before you can be considered as the best right-back in the world. He had a good end to the season but he went through a bit of a sticky patch.

“I don’t want to put pressure on him and talk about him being the best right-back in the world.

“He’s a fantastic player and a good member of the team but I don’t think at this moment in time that he’s the best right-back in the world.”

Correct response

One of the major reasons for a young player not fulfilling their potential tends to be the amount of pressure placed on their shoulders from a young age.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Barnes has been sensible in giving a level-headed response here, and he is spot on with his assessment of the young right-back.

Two Champions League final appearances already, winning one, whilst also playing at a World Cup bodes well for Alexander-Arnold’s hopes of becoming the best right-back in the world, but as Barnes says, he will need to keep his form up for many more years to come yet.

If he does, then he will have proven he is no flash in the pan but instead a footballer of real world-class pedigree.

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According to Alan Nixon of The Sun, Crystal Palace are interested in signing Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, whilst the Guardian states that talks are still ongoing between both clubs for right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Eagles are standing firm over their valuation of the England Under-21 star, with talks ongoing over a deal after the player himself expressed a desire to move to Old Trafford.

Palace are making life tough for United in negotiations and are believed to be open to a sale if the fee is guaranteed to be in excess of £50m.

Could United be in the hunt for an £85m blockbuster signing this summer? Check out the video below…

However, Nixon’s report suggesting that Palace want Scottish international McTominay could hand the Red Devils a vital negotiating tool in talks with the south Londoners.

McTominay plus cash for Wan-Bissaka?

McTominay, a United academy graduate, had a few good games last season but definitely should not be considered as good enough to start in Solskjaer’s midfield on a regular basis.

He isn’t of the required quality for United and they should definitely include him as part of the deal for Wan-Bissaka, which may be of interest to Palace due to their interest in landing the 22-year-old midfielder.

United have already shown a willingness to include their players as part of potential transfer deals in their pursuit of West Ham centre-back Issa Diop, who United have been linked with a £45m move for and an unnamed player included as well.

More than £50m is a lot to pay for a right-back who has just one full season on senior football under his belt, and it would be a purchase that would leave United with less funds to overhaul what is a faltering squad – wherever money can be saved, it should be, as a world-class centre back is still required.

McTominay, who is valued at £12m on Transfermarkt, should be thrown in as a bargaining chip without any second thoughts from United – Wan-Bissaka has three years left on his contract and Palace are in a very strong position in negotiations.

By doing this, United would have a vital asset in what is turning out to be a tough negotiation with Palace.

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Arsenal are after Kieran Tierney this summer and former Burnley boss Owen Coyle thinks he can make a big impression in the English top-flight, as reported by The Scottish Sun.

What’s he said?

The paper reported on Saturday that the Gunners have had a £15m bid for the player rejected by the Scottish champions, who are holding out for a fee around £25m.

That would be a record fee for a player leaving Scotland so there would be massive expectation on Tierney’s shoulders if he does make the move, but former Premier League manager Coyle believes he has the talent required to make it at a big club in England.

From 6-0 FA Cup final maulings to Mkhitaryan missing the the Europa League final, is football broken? Fans discuss in the video below…

As quoted by The Scottish Sun, the 52-year-old said:

“Kieran is a sensational talent and is only going to get better. Arsenal won’t be the only admirer. Top clubs all over the world will be watching him.

“Every club in England will know how good a player he is. I watch a lot of Premier League football and Kieran could play for any team in the league.

“I truly believe that. He is capable of going into the Man City team — that’s how good he is. You look at Andy Robertson and the impact he has made at Liverpool. Kieran could do the same at a top club in England.

“Scotland have two left-backs who belong in the top bracket of world football in that position. I am so excited to watch him develop because I think he will be even better next season.”

Is Tierney at that level?

It’s a big call to compare Tierney to a recent UEFA Champions League winner like Robertson and the 22-year-old would likely need a season or two in the Premier League, just like the Liverpool defender, to grow and adjust to playing at that level on a consistent basis.

The Celtic left-back has quite the rapport with supporters in Glasgow, being a boyhood fan of the club just like them, and has already won a massive amount of trophies in a pressurised environment.

That popularity is no small part due to his ability though. Tierney is considered to be one of the best young players in Scotland, having won the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award three years in a row between 2015 and 2018, an award that Andy Robertson has won previously.

With 41 appearances in European competition too, he’s not completely without experience at the top level. The body of evidence in his career so far suggests he could make it in England and Arsenal should be ready to pay Celtic’s asking price this summer.

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Arsenal will have to pay £100m if they want to sign Crystal Palace attacker Wilfried Zaha this summer, according to The Daily Mail.

Zaha is reportedly one of Unai Emery’s big summer transfer targets, but a deal now seems a fair distance away after this latest report.

The paper say that Palace are not keen on selling both Zaha and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the same transfer window and will now protect against his departure by placing a nine-figure valuation on his shoulders.

Check out the video below to find out why Arsenal fans aren’t celebrating Spurs’ UCL final defeat as much as they’d like…

With the Gunners’ spending power said to be limited this summer, it means a deal looks all but dead for the 26-year-old.

Zaha scored ten goals and assisted ten more in the Premier League last season, proving to be an effective attacking threat and someone who might be able to make the step up to a top six side.

At the reported £100m though, his price is steep and many Arsenal fans simply don’t want to see the club pay it.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

These supporters have taken to Twitter over the weekend to share their thoughts…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

West Ham United have confirmed that Marko Arnautovic has completed his transfer to Shanghai SIPG.

What’s the word?

Arnautovic requested last week that a bid for him from the Chinese club be accepted, per Football FanCast sources.

That offer totalled around £19.7m and was rejected, with the club viewing it as derisory.

However, a new bid was tabled of £22.5m over the last few days and, after the go-ahead from manager Manuel Pellegrini, per sources, the Hammers have done business.

One figure within the club confirmed to FFC that the club were aware of how poor the finances of the deal were but that, due to the Austria international’s behaviour, they wanted him gone.

The Irons confirmed the news in a particularly frosty statement, saying: “West Ham United can confirm that Marko Arnautovic has joined Chinese Super League champions Shanghai SIPG for an undisclosed fee.

“The 30-year-old Austrian departs after two seasons at London Stadium, during which he scored 22 goals in 65 appearances in Claret and Blue.”

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A delayed decision

West Ham have made completely the right decision here but it may well have come six months too late.

Indeed, FFC reported in January that the club had rejected a £30m bid for the striker and they have now been forced to take a major hit on that valuation.

Nevertheless, the move is the right one; it is the second time Arnautovic has asked to leave the club and a club simply cannot keep a player who appears to actively poison the first-team as he does.

Shifting him out of the club, for a fee that can be reinvested, was always going to be the right move.

If only the Hammers had come to their senses in January.