Celtic’s turbulent campaign took another dramatic twist as the Scottish giants scramble to salvage their season following one of their most disastrous managerial appointments ever.

O'Neill returns to Celtic for second time this season after Nancy disaster

Wilfried Nancy’s brief spell at Parkhead ended in humiliation earlier this week after the Frenchman won just two of his eight matches in charge, becoming the latest casualty in what has been a catastrophic season for the Glasgow club.

Nancy arrived from Columbus Crew with impressive credentials as the 2024 MLS Coach of the Year, replacing the departed Brendan Rodgers who resigned in October.

The 48-year-old then signed a two-and-a-half-year contract in early December, but lasted just 33 days before the board pulled the trigger following Saturday’s devastating 3-1 home defeat to Rangers in the Old Firm derby.

The final straw came at Celtic Park when the Hoops surrendered a 1-0 halftime lead to collapse spectacularly against their bitter rivals.

Yang Hyun-Jun had given Celtic the advantage with a fierce strike, but second-half goals from Youssef Chermiti and Mikey Moore turned the contest on its head, marking the first time in 152 home matches that Celtic had scored first and gone on to lose.

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Celtic shipped 18 goals across Nancy’s hapless eight matches in charge, with his stubborn refusal to adapt frustrating supporters who watched players regress dramatically under his management.

The dismissal came particularly harshly given Nancy replaced interim boss Martin O’Neill, who had won seven of his eight matches in charge following Rodgers’ resignation.

The stark contrast between the two spells highlighted the catastrophic nature of Nancy’s appointment, with the board also sacking head of football operations Paul Tisdale in acknowledgment of his recruitment failure.

Enter O’Neill for his second interim spell in charge this season.

The Northern Irishman returns alongside assistants Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham, tasked with stabilizing a crisis that has seen Celtic drop six points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts.

Behind-the-scenes, Celtic chiefs are prepared to back O’Neill to the hilt with transfers this month.

Celtic in talks to sign Nacho Laquintana with Jocelin Ta Bi

TEAMtalk reports that The Hoops are closing in on two exciting wide players with one deal already agreed.

The club have reached an agreement to sign Ivorian talent Jocelin Ta Bi for £2 million, with the 21-year-old right-winger expected to undergo a medical in the coming days.

Ta Bi has impressed during a loan spell at Hapoel Petah Tikva from Israeli side Maccabi Netanya. His pace and directness represent exactly the kind of energetic, exciting player O’Neill needs to inject life into his forward line after the Nancy debacle left the squad devoid of confidence.

Negotiations are also progressing simultaneously for Uruguay international Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Laquintana, with O’Neill’s side actively working on a deal.

The 26-year-old currently plies his trade for Red Bull Bragantino in Brazil, and has emerged as a prime target after talks were held over the weekend. TEAMtalk indicates the player himself is keen on making the move to Glasgow.

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Celtic are pursuing a loan-to-buy deal that would allow Laquintana to make an immediate impact while providing crucial financial flexibility.

The Uruguayan’s creativity and goal threat from wide positions make him an attractive proposition for O’Neill as he plots Celtic’s resurgence in the title race.

Both signings address critical areas of need following the tactical chaos under Nancy. The attacking reinforcements provide fresh options in wide positions where Celtic have lacked dynamism throughout a campaign that has lurched from one crisis to another since Rodgers’ October departure.

O’Neill will welcome the incoming talent as he attempts to close the gap on Hearts while simultaneously rebuilding confidence within a fractured squad.

With announcements expected imminently, supporters can anticipate a busy January.

Related Talks held: Yang upgrade now wants to sign for Celtic after Nancy sacking

Celtic have reportedly held talks to sign a star who could come in as an upgrade on Hyun-jun Yang.

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Tottenham Hotspur have long been regarded as one of the best-run clubs in the Premier League. Daniel Levy was nothing if not a savvy businessman.

However, on-field success left something to be desired, and the incredible Europa League triumph under Ange Postecoglou last season ended a 17-year wait for silverware, with Brennan Johnson striking the winner against Manchester United in the final.

Football does move at a relentless pace, though, and Johnson is seemingly in the process of packing his bags and leaving N17.

The latest on Brennan Johnson to Palace

Johnson, 24, scored 19 goals in all competitions for Tottenham last season, but he has fallen by the wayside under Thomas Frank’s wing, cast to the sidelines and with only two Premier League goals all year.

Given that his underlying data reveals a player struggling to produce any measure of success in creative and athletic metrics, it’s surely right that he’s shipped on, with Crystal Palace agreeing a healthy £35m fee with the north Londoners for the versatile winger’s transfer.

Johnson has yet to give the green light himself, but all the pointers suggest this one will be wrapped up in the early stages of the January transfer window, giving Spurs co-directors Johan Lange and Fabio Paratici ample time to find a replacement.

Tottenham have already missed out on Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City, but they remain ready to pounce on any opportunities that come their way.

However, there may already be an up-and-comer on the books who has the potential to far outstrip Johnson and become a superstar in the Premier League.

Spurs already have a Johnson upgrade

Make no mistake, Tottenham are going to need to dip into the transfer market for a new wide forward sooner rather than later, but in Mikey Moore, they do already have a prospect who may already offer more than Johnson.

The Welsh winger, after all, ranks among the bottom 5% of positional peers in the Premier League this season for shot-creating actions, the bottom 14% for progressive passes and the bottom 4% for successful take-ons per 90.

Moore, conversely, is regarded as a robust and energetic winger, capable, like Johnson, across both flanks and able to blend direct and creative firepower with ease. Currently on loan with Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, Moore has been cutting his teeth in a tough environment, with the Scottish giants at a low ebb.

He’s yet to establish himself as a prolific force on the senior stage, but this loan spell in Scotland will do the tricky winger the world of good, and his efforts for Tottenham’s youth set-up underscore his “superstar potential”, as has been noted by scout and analyst Ben Mattinson.

Mikey Moore – Club Stats so Far

Club/level

Apps

Goals (assists)

Tottenham U18

24

19 (13)

Rangers

21

2 (2)

Tottenham

21

1 (2)

Tottenham U21

5

2 (2)

Tottenham U19

5

0 (0)

Data via Transfermarkt

Even though his stint with Rangers has been testing at times, Gers podcaster has praised the “outrageously good” prospect for showing no fear and displaying evident technical quality.

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And his fleet-footedness has even led to comparisons with one lightning-quick former Spurs star, with Spurs writer James Harris remarking that Moore could “bring back the old Aaron Lennon” to north London.

Lennon didn’t score much, but he was a ferocious player in his heyday, so dangerous down the wings.

Given that Moore established himself in Postecoglou’s squad last season, featuring 21 times for the seniors and scoring his first senior goal in the Europa League, Frank could be onto a winner with this one, returning to London next summer with the experience to match the innate talent, ensuring Johnson is quickly forgotten.

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Sri Lanka coach Marvan Atapattu said Lasith Malinga’s lack of penetration, and the bowlers’ failure to execute plans has paved their path to decline, though the plans themselves remain robust.Sri Lanka had run hot in the first six months of 2014, winning all of their limited-overs tournaments, including an Asia Cup, a World T20 and an ODI series in England. However, they have been much poorer since January this year, losing bilateral series against New Zealand and now Pakistan, in addition to losing a quarter-final at the World Cup.

‘Shehzad played exceptionally’ – Azhar

Pakistan captain Azhar Ali lauded the consistency of his batsmen, as they chased down 252 with ease, to win their first ODI series in Sri Lanka since 2006. Pakistan’s top order has made runs all through the series. On Wednesday, Ahmed Shehzad hit 95 and Mohammad Hafeez scored 70.
“Shehzad played exceptionally,” Azhar said. “He played very positively and put the bad balls away. When Hafeez came, he played a crucial knock as they were putting a lot of pressure on us. He played like a senior player would play. We had a 100-run stand between them.”
Pakistan’s batsmen have also scored quickly throughout the series, notching run rates higher than six in each of the last two innings. “Once you have confidence that all the batsmen are in good form, you suddenly have a leverage to play fluently and take a few risks as well.”
The victory had been set up by Pakistan’s bowling, which has consistently been menacing through the tour. “When we got wickets we knew they lack a little bit of experience after Mathews – they didn’t have a lot of in form batsmen,” Azhar said. “When the wickets did come we knew that we can keep them to about 250 or 260.”

The team’s strategy has been brought into question through their limited-overs forays in 2015, as they have persisted with a substantial number of allrounders instead of fielding specialist bowlers. In this series, Pakistan’s bowlers have claimed 33 wickets to the Sri Lanka attack’s 15. Malinga, meanwhile, averages 37.50 this year.”I don’t think there’s a hell of a lot of issues with our planning and what we want to do with the ball,” Atapattu said. “Executing under pressure is something that concerns us. Plus we have played on good wickets. We’ve played on really good tracks starting in January this year when we started playing New Zealand in New Zealand.”We got six wickets in Kandy, but we haven’t got the wickets quite regularly as you would expect from Lasith Malinga. That’s something that we have missed. That’s one of the reasons we’ve lost the series.”Sri Lanka hit 252 for 9 batting first in the fourth ODI, but the ease with which Pakistan chased this total down suggested the target was at least 20 runs light. Atapattu said the absence of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara had left a considerable void in the side, but urged the young batsmen to begin converting their chances.”A lot of the batsmen getting starts and not going on to get a big score on basically flat wickets is disappointing. Most of them got starts and we needed a big one off one of them to get a big score or chase a big score. We got one when Kusal Perera got a 50 off 17 balls in Kandy. We haven’t had that frequently, and that is something people have to be responsible at the top of the order.”The exit of the two senior players has not just impacted the team’s batting, Atapattu said. “Missing two knowledgeable experienced players like that is going to be a bit difficult at the start, but life goes on. The young players have to take responsibility. Their capabilities and their thinking only surfaces when players like Mahela and Sanga leave. It’s a learning curve in terms of tactics and so on, but they are the ones who have to take Sri Lankan cricket forward. “Fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep bowled only 2.2 overs on Wednesday, before leaving the field with a hamstring complaint. He will be assessed before the team can decides on whether to draft another player into the squad, Atapattu said.

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Finishing top 10 in the rather feisty environment of the Premier League is usually a job easier said than done. Crystal Palace know that better than most. They just missed out on it last year, but it’s possible looking ahead to 2019/20, and here are five key dates that might determine whether they make it.

10 August, Everton (H)

Palace will start the new season with a bang, literally. Everton should be top of their list of teams they have to take down in their journey to the top 10. This becomes even more evident when we factor in that they barely scraped a point off the Toffees last season. Starting the new campaign strong is vital.

28 September, Norwich City (H)

Establishing themselves against the newcomers could also prove to be important. But this game is an absolute must-win considering it comes right after Spurs (A), as well as Wolves (H), and is preceded by West Ham (A) and Manchester City (H). A huge sequence for Palace where getting any points will be vital.

2 November, Leicester City (H)

Another huge home game where they can’t afford to drop any points if they are to make the top 10. Beating the Foxes is a top priority, considering this game is sandwiched between Arsenal (A) and Chelsea (A). The match against the Blues is also followed by a heavyweight contest with Liverpool at Selhurst Park.

7 December, Watford (A)

Watford finished one place above Crystal Palace last season, so beating them should definitely be on the agenda when the new campaign rolls around. This is amplified even more when we consider that the Hornets beat Palace home and away when the two sides met last term.

18 January, Manchester City (A)

Crystal Palace can’t really hope to take down too many of the top teams throughout the whole season, but let’s not forget that game at the Etihad in 2018/19. If Palace can somehow replicate that result, or maybe even improve on it in some other big encounters, it could prove to be essential if they are to break the top 10 ceiling, as Wolves beat Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea last term.

Crystal Palace and Wolves are both keen on signing forward Lucas Joao this summer, Football League World report.

The Lowdown: Joao profiled

Joao is 28 years of age and has been on the books at Reading since 2019. The Portugal international, primarily a centre-forward who can also play on either wing, has also played for Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn Rovers during his time in England.

He was described as ‘unplayable’ during his time at Hillsborough and will be into the final 12 months of his contract in the summer, with Palace seemingly eyeing a cut-price deal due to Reading’s financial situation.

The Latest: Palace links

Sources from Football League World provided an update regarding Joao on Thursday lunchtime.

They suggested that both Palace and Wolves are now keen on the player following Joao’s excellent form in recent weeks, where he has contributed to five goals in his last three Championship appearances.

The Verdict: Benteke replacement?

Reports recently have claimed that Christian Benteke is likely to leave at the end of the season, so perhaps Joao is viewed as a possible replacement for the Belgian.

He is three years Benteke’s junior and may well be available in a cut-price move, so if Palace secures their £5.8m valuation for Benteke, they could sign Joao and have funds left over.

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Joao’s form for Reading over the coming months could be one to keep an eye on, and if he continues to impress, it wouldn’t be a shock if links over a move to Selhurst Park gathered pace.

In other news: Journalist: Palace and Vieira leading race to sign energetic ace who ‘ticks a lot of boxes’. 

Manchester United could also be without midfield powerhouse Scott McTominay today as manager Ralf Rangnick shares some injury news before their clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Rangnick without key names…

The German head coach is already without a few key players for United’s crunch clash with the Lilywhites at Old Trafford.

Both sides are well in contention for a top four finish in the Premier League but Rangnick is set to miss the likes of Luke Shaw, who still hasn’t recovered from COVID-19 (confirmed), with reports emerging this morning that David de Gea is ill as well.

Man United’s boss, speaking to the media yesterday, has revealed that McTominay is also a major doubt for their match against Antonio Conte’s men.

The Latest: McTominay a major doubt…

As confirmed by the United manager and shared by journalist Samuel Luckhurst of The Manchester Evening News, the Scotland international is more likely than not to miss this afternoon.

“Luke Shaw will still miss out,” Rangnick said to the press.

“Until yesterday, he was still testing positive for Covid. Scotty is a question mark, he had some problems with his calf, so we have to wait and see until after training.

“Right now it’s more likely he will not be available because if we risk him tomorrow he will more likely be out for the game on Tuesday (against Atletico Madrid). With some muscular issues, more if it’s the calf, I tend to be careful.”

The Verdict: Big blow…

McTominay is a name the away side will certainly be familiar with going by their last top flight encounter in north London.

United’s midfield engine ran the show for United against ex-Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo’s side with former Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer describing him as ‘man of the match’ and ‘by a mile’.

The Norwegian lauded McTominay’s ‘absolute top’ performance against Tottenham in October last year with club legend Sammy McIlroy also in absolute awe of his display.

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Speaking to Love Sport Radio (via allfootballapp), McIlroy called the 25-year-old ‘absolutely unbelievable’ for some of his displays this season and cited his ‘magnificent’ outing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as one of them.

Likely being without the colossal presence will certainly come as a blow for Rangnick and co.

In other news: Old Trafford twist: Man United set sights on ‘mad’ new manager target after dramatic development, find out more here.

Noel Whelan has been reacting to the injury to Aston Villa left-back Lucas Digne, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Digne injured against West Ham

The 28-year-old was forced off after 10 minutes in the 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Sunday with a hamstring problem and now looks set to join Marvelous Nakamba and Jed Steer on the treatment table.

Calum Chambers and Douglas Luiz also took blows to the face but carried on at the London Stadium as Villa’s run of three straight wins without conceding came to an end.

Steven Gerrard labelled Digne a ‘major doubt’ for the Arsenal game this weekend, with the full-back set to undergo an MRI scan back in the Midlands.

The Latest: Whelan reacts to Digne injury

Whelan, who contributes as a pundit for BBC Radio Leeds and watched Digne in the recent 3-0 win at Elland Road, was asked for his thoughts on the defender’s injury by Football Insider.

He labelled Digne’s absence as a ‘huge blow’ and believes they could have done with the Frenchman being fit up against Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka this weekend, saying:

“When you bring in new players, you want them to be part of the team week-in, week-out.

“There’s no other way to help them find their feet at a new club. They’ve got to get that understanding with the players around them, and you want them to feel a real part of the team.

“He’s not really had the chance to build those types of relationships on the pitch because of the stop-start first couple of months he’s had.

“It’s a huge blow for Aston Villa because he’s a quality player. Set-pieces, experience, talent – they’re going to miss all of that, especially going into a big game against Arsenal.

“They could really do with him fit against someone like Saka – who is in incredible form.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Everyone at Villa will be hoping that Digne’s injury isn’t too serious and that he can make a return prior to the end of the campaign. He has impressed since joining in January, averaging 1.4 key passes per game and drawing more fouls than team-mate Philippe Coutinho. [WhoScored]

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You’d expect that Ashley Young will come in and provide cover for the Frenchman this weekend, but hopefully the experienced 36-year-old won’t need to line out at left-back for the remainder of the season due to Digne’s injury.

In other news: ‘Not strong enough’ – Ashley Preece slams Villa man who completed just seven passes against West Ham

Celtic’s appointment at Parkhead of Ange Postecoglou has been an inspired one for the Bhoys since he arrived before the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

The former Australian national team head coach has already won a domestic honour with Celtic and the Hoops are currently top of the league table after 31 matches.

He has also guided the team through to the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup and this means that he is in with a shot of sealing the domestic treble.

Blinder

Part of his success so far has been down to how he has handled his players and one gem he has played a blinder with is Liel Abada.

He brought the 20-year-old to the club from Maccabi Petah Tikva as his third signing and the winger has been brilliant in green and white. Abada was valued by Transfermarkt at £1.44m at the start of 2021 and rose to £2.7m in May, just before his move to Scotland.

Postecoglou spotted a player on his way up and has been able to get the best out of him this season to make the most of his development.

In the Premiership this term, the winger has produced nine goals and six assists in 23 starts whilst averaging an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.08. He has created an incredible 13 ‘big chances’ and this suggests that he has been let down by his teammates as he only has six assists to show for his superb playmaking.

Ex-Hoops player Frank McAvennie showered the winger with praise earlier this season, telling Football Insider: “He looks a wonderful player and when he first arrived he wanted everything. There was an early game where he took the ball off Edouard for a penalty and Edouard just went ‘no, that’s mine’.

“That was brilliant and it’s what you want to see from a young player. You can’t buy that desire and hunger. He probably didn’t expect to play as much as he has so he will be delighted.”

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On the 31st of December, Transfermarkt updated Abada’s market value to £4.05m. This is a 181% increase on the £1.44m he was valued at during the opening months of 2021, which shows that the £15k-per-week gem has been developing at a phenomenal rate over the last 15 months or so.

Postecoglou has been able to help him progress as a player, with his value going up £1.35m in less than a season under the Australian’s management. This, along with his sublime performances on the pitch, shows that the head coach has played a blinder with the Israel international and, hopefully, he will be able to kick on and continue to improve in the coming years.

AND in other news, Forget Giako: Celtic’s 74-pass “easy target” proved his true worth to Ange vs County…

Manchester United star Marcus Rashford has told those close to him that he wants to quit Old Trafford over the coming months, Football Insider have reported.  

The Lowdown: Barcelona and Liverpool links

The 24-year-old has struggled this season under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, scoring just four Premier League goals.

He was recently labelled ‘absolutely shocking’ by talkSPORT pundit Micky Gray and is thought to be ‘concerned’ over his lack of playing time.

Barcelona and Liverpool have both been linked with a move for the forward this year, with Rashford out of contract in 2023.

The Latest: Source drops update

Football Insider shared a major update regarding Rashford after being informed by a source with knowledge of his situation.

They claimed that the Englishman has told friends that he wants to quit Old Trafford and a new challenge could be the best option.

The Verdict: Big…

It looks as if Erik ten Hag could come in to replace Rangnick in the Old Trafford dugout after ‘positive talks’ last week, but it seems as if Rashford will still want out regardless.

This summer may well be the last chance for the Red Devils to receive a respectable fee for the 24-year-old’s services, so an exit and a fresh start could be best for all parties.

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Plenty of change off the pitch looks set to materialise over the coming months, and Rashford leaving could be a big part of a summer shake-up at United.

In other news: ‘Agreement in place’ – Fabrizio Romano drops huge Man Utd news after Old Trafford ‘breakthrough’

According to journalist Gabriel Sans (via Managing Barca), Tottenham Hotspur are very interested in signing Barcelona forward Memphis Depay, having made an offer to the Catalan club.

The Lowdown: Depay’s Barcelona tenure

Upon the expiry of his contract with Lyon, the 28-year-old signed a two-year deal with La Liga giants Barcelona last summer. Since his arrival at Camp Nou, the Dutchman has netted an impressive 10 goals in 20 league appearances.

Whilst this suggests a strong start to life in Spain, Depay has suffered from multiple injuries this season, as a hamstring issue and Achilles problems saw him sidelined for 13 games. This has consequently raised general concerns over his fitness and availability.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-copy/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Tottenham linked with Depay

As reported by Spanish journalist Sans (via Managing Barca), Spurs are very much interested in signing Depay in the summer. To that effect, they have already made an offer to Barcelona for the player.

Due to his injury issues and the club’s financial problems, it has been reported that the Catalan outfit are open to offloading the Netherlands international when the transfer window reopens at the end of the current campaign.

The Verdict: Would be a great signing

Spurs manager Antonio Conte could do with the addition of a forward alternative who can play in a different system to Harry Kane, who is the club’s only out-and-out senior striker.

Depay certainly has that killer instinct in front of goal – at Lyon he scored 76 goals in 178 games, while for the Dutch national side he has amassed a stunning 39 goals in 76 caps.

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Hailed by former La Liga striker and Dutch compatriot Roy Makaay as a “quality” player, the Barcelona ace has even received plaudits from the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, who would agree with Ronald Koeman’s assertion that the 28-year-old is “a joy to watch”.

Given such glowing praise and a fantastic goal record, along with being in the peak of his career at 28, Depay would no doubt be a brilliant signing for Paratici and Conte if they can pull it off.

In other news: Pete O’Rourke makes Paulo Dybala to Spurs claim