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Some Celtic fans have taken to Twitter to drool over Mohamed Elyounoussi, after the forward put in a 5-star display against Ross County on Saturday.

The Norway international – who has 24 caps for his country – joined the Bhoys on loan from Southampton back in the summer and has had an exceptional start to life at Celtic Park.

Impressively, the 25-year-old has scored three goals and grabbed two assists in just six appearances, with two of those coming in Saturday’s 6-0 win – he is definitely finding his feet at the club after a nightmarish spell with the Saints, where he wasn’t involved in a single goal in 19 appearances.

One fan below said that the former FC Basel attacker is becoming one of the first names on Neil Lennon’s teamsheet right now, while a few others further down were found raving about Elyounoussi’s footballing intelligence – one said that he has “the biggest football brain at the club”.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction from some visibly impressed Celtic fans…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

West Brom will be looking to bounce back from their midweek defeat when they host Cardiff City at the Hawthorns on Saturday.

The Baggies’ unbeaten run of nine games came to an end at the hands of Leeds United, thanks to left-back Ezgjan Alioski’s deflected effort in the 38th minute.

Slaven Bilic’s men just couldn’t find a way back into the match despite a second-half onslaught, which resulted in them recording seven shots and 67.3% possession, per WhoScored.

Despite scoring a goal in every game before that, Albion continued a recurring theme of struggling in front of goal.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Summer signings Charlie Austin and Kenneth Zohore have hardly set the ground running in the west Midlands, managing just two goals between them – both of which were scored by the latter through penalties.

This weekend marks a return against one of his former clubs with the Bluebirds in town.

Neil Warnock’s side are in a rich vein of form themselves as they remain unbeaten in their previous seven Championship outings, but things weren’t so rosy last season as they were relegated from the top-flight.

Zohore was part of that squad before joining the Baggies in an £8m move this summer, and his new club have suffered just as much as his old.

The 25-year-old recorded just one goal and one assist in 19 appearances, per WhoScored, though an injury did play its part to some extent.

But in his last Championship season across the Welsh border, Zohore could only muster up nine goals and five assists in 36 appearances, which isn’t a fantastic return from your leading man.

At his current rate, Zohore could well follow down the same path as he’s only bagged two in eight matches so far this campaign.

Therefore, this weekend’s fixture serves as a reminder of the mistake Bilic has potentially made – spending that much money on the forward, instead of heavily pursuing a proven man such as Dwight Gayle, who ran riot for the Baggies last term with 24 goals.

Then again, the £8m man could well start and score against his old club on Saturday.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

Tottenham’s sorry week culminated in a shocking 3-0 defeat to Brighton on Saturday, but maybe it could have been a bit different had Lucas Moura started the match.

Off the Bench

Spurs hadn’t lost to Brighton since their promotion to the Premier League in 2017 but were blown away by the Seagulls, and had no response to their fast start after going 2-0 down inside 32 minutes.

They managed just three shots on target in the entire match and even struggled to keep possession as well as they usually do, with Mauricio Pochettino also leaving it too late to change things.

Lucas Moura got the nod when his side were already three goals down but showed an attitude and desire that had otherwise been missing from his teammates.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Brazilian also added a spark of quality which was absent, and if he had started – as some Spurs fans wish he was – then the outcome of the match may have been different.

Adding something different

Not for the first time this season, Spurs looked tiresome and lacked ideas on the ball, and crucially lacked pace when going forward with only Son providing an outlet to run in behind.

That aspect of Moura’s play makes him important to Spurs when he features, and he proved against Brighton with two successful dribbles in 17 minutes that he can also run at opponents and take the ball past them.

Had he been able to do that from the off he would likely have moved his side into Brighton’s final third more frequently and with that more chances would probably have arisen.

According to WhoScored, the £23m man also managed a pass success rate of 89% and had two shots, which showed that he worked well with teammates to create chances for himself and was heavily involved despite not being on the pitch for long, which could persuade his manager that he deserves a start.

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Lots of QPR fans have taken to Twitter to hit back after former defender Joel Lynch subtly labelled the club a ‘mediocre’ side.

Speaking to The Chronicle about his decision to join Sunderland this summer, the 31-year-old said: “I’ve always been at that sort of mediocre level – I’ve never been in the playoffs or been in a successful team so the challenge of coming here and being successful really appeals to me.”

While his words may well have been said in an innocent fashion, it has caused a great deal of offence to a number of QPR supporters.

His comments seem to have sparked even more of a fierce reaction given how poorly the Wales international performed whilst with the R’s.

Two fans below labelled Lynch as one of the worst defenders they have ever seen play for their club.

Back in August, meanwhile, another referenced his terrible ability when criticising centre-back Yoann Barbet this season – he was so bad, it seems as though his awful performances are being used as a benchmark in which to compare other below-par performers.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

There were many positives to be taken away from Barcelona’s weekend clash against Valencia at the Camp Nou, not least the sight of Ernesto Valverde discovering his best midfield.

On the chalkboard

Even since Frenkie de Jong joined Barcelona this summer, supporters were very much waiting for him to come alive in Barca colours.

Valverde started off by experimenting with the young Dutchman, to the concern of fans.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

But now, it seems that not only has De Jong fully settled into the team but Valverde has also managed to find a solution to one of the key questions hanging over his head: the Blaugrana coach has finally found De Jong’s perfect midfield partners.

The perfect trident

In the game against Valencia, Valverde decided to start De Jong alongside Sergio Busquets and Arthur Melo for the very first time this season.

So far, only De Jong has played all four of the games of the new 2019/20 La Liga campaign while both the Spaniard and the Brazilian have been on and off, the former sitting out the curtain-raiser completely and the latter only making his first appearance on matchday three of the new campaign.

This suggested that Valverde was actually looking at different options, with other players like Sergi Roberto, Ivan Rakitic and Carles Alena all potential starters.

But now, the De Jong, Busquets, Melo trident has had its first real tango together and it ended in quite the rhapsody.

All three midfielders had a brilliant game against Valencia as De Jong racked up a goal and an assist, Arthur an assist and Busquets the second-highest touches in the game.

It also has to be pointed out that none of them had below 90% passing accuracy – De Jong had a sublime 100%, Arthur 95.7% and Busquets 91.7%. They also notched three, two and two key passes respectively.

Safe to say, Valverde has finally found his best midfield and if the early signs are any indication, this lineup in the middle of the park is here to stay.

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Reports in Italy claim Tottenham are keen to land Juventus ace Douglas Costa this summer, but would the Brazilian international be a good fit?

What’s the story?

Well, according to Calciomercato, Tottenham want to sign Costa this summer, and a stunning swap deal could be on the cards.

The report claims that if Spurs do make an approach, Juventus sporting director Fabio Paritici will attempt to lure Christian Eriksen in as part of the deal.

The Danish international has yet to pen a new long-term deal in North London, and his contract expires in the summer of 2020.

CheekySport’s Joel claims Spurs badly need to invest in January after not having “the balls” to beat Arsenal. Check out his uncensored opinion in the video below…

A huge mistake?

There’s no question that Costa is an electric player that would enjoy playing in the Premier League.

The 28 year-old already has five Ukrainian Premier League titles, two Bundesliga titles and one triumph in Serie A, and has proved himself at the Champions League level with both Juventus and Bayern Munich.

He is absolutely incredible with the ball at his feet, able to change pace at a moment’s notice and burst past defenders, and his crossing and shooting is far superior to most wingers of his calibre.

However, his levels have dropped off considerably this season, finding the net just once and adding two assists.

What is even more concerning from a Tottenham perspective is his controversial behaviour, as the 31-cap Brazilian served a four-game ban earlier this campaign for spitting directly into an opponent’s mouth.

Able to function on either wing, his versatility will definitely appeal to Mauricio Pochettino, but his work rate is questionable to say the least and losing Eriksen in an attempt to land the fiery winger would be betraying the very thing Pochettino has worked so hard to build.

The gaffer expects all his players to buy completely into the team philosophy, and Costa is the wrong man to target for a side that prides itself on grit, commitment and teamwork.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

It has been a long road of recovery for Seamus Coleman since suffering a broken leg whilst playing for Ireland against Wales in March 2017.

He returned to the pitch earlier this year and although he showed signs of getting back to form at the end of last season, building up an effective partnership with Richarlison, he is still yet to get back to his highest levels of performance.

The 30-year-old received the lowest rating of any Republic of Ireland player from Sofascore in the draw against Switzerland, and he was also the recipient of some criticism on social media, which suggests times have changed.

From a once bustling full-back who loved to get forward, the Irishman contributed just two assists last term from 30 appearances, and has often proved more error-prone in losing the ball, as his performance against the Swiss showed.

That match also indicated he is struggling with the pace of the game at times, as he made no interceptions in the European Championship qualifier, and that could be a worry for Marco Silva and Everton moving forward.

Despite that, his leadership qualities proved useful for his side as they were able to snatch an equaliser in the closing stages, and it is likely Coleman has helped to foster the belief that allows the team to never give up.

However, for Everton it could be a different story. They have their sights set on the top six this season and in order to crack it they will need all of their players to perform to the highest level.

As a result, the fact Coleman lost possession on 15 occasions on Thursday simply isn’t good enough, and he will need to improve drastically under a manager who likes to retain possession.

Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

One of the main reasons for his sloppiness with the ball was his passing. For a defensive player to have just 73% pass accuracy is worrying, and if repeated in a ruthless division such as the Premier League the Toffees could find themselves conceding not only chances, but goals.

Off the ball he needs to be more aggressive, too, and if he fails to improve he could lose his place to new signing and France international Djibril Sidibe.

He was beaten by an opponent on two occasions, and lost five out of eight duels, which is uncharacteristic of the player we have seen over the years in the top flight.

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Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have raved over a transfer update involving exciting young attacker Fabio Carvalho.

The talented teenager has continued to thrive at Craven Cottage since breaking into Fulham’s first team in 2020, clinching the EFL Young Player of the Month in August whilst continuing to show his potential.

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His current deal at Fulham expires at the end of the season, prompting clubs to take a serious interest in the England youth starlet, with West Ham apparently among his many suitors according to TEAMtalk. Indeed, they claimed that the Irons, and by extension owners GSB, have Carvalho in their sights as talks over an extension stall at his current club.

The Hammers are joined by Spurs, Liverpool and Southampton in being linked with the youngster, with that trio also believed to keeping tabs on the 19-year-old with a view to making a move.

West Ham fans rave…

Amid this development, plenty of West Ham fans have raved on Twitter, and it’s not hard to see why given Carvalho’s performances and high ceiling.

Check out some of their best reactions to the news that their club want him below, with one Hammers fan labelling the player a would-be ‘fantastic signing’.

“I’d take Fabio Carvalho. He’s the sort of signing we should be making, lots of potential but already proving he can score and perform at that level. Once the transfer window opens for us in about 10 days time … hopefully we make a move.” 

Credit: @RockyWhu

“Yes plz”

Credit: @IronsJoes

“Baller”

Credit: @jakewhu16

“please please please please”

Credit: @3ndtroducing

“This would be a fantastic signing.”

Credit: @WestHamUtdScout

“Wanted him years ago, would be perfect for Lanzini back up.”

Credit: @Icevain7

In other news: West Ham source: Newman makes move to sign ‘devastating’ forward after price plummets by £32m, find out more here.

An update has emerged on Rangers and their plans for centre-back Connor Goldson’s future…

What’s the talk?

According to The Scottish Sun journalist Derek McGregor, the Gers have decided that keeping the defender until the end of the season and losing him on a free would be more valuable than cash in on him this month.

The report claims that his importance to the squad could be crucial to their success this season, which could earn them £30m if they secure a Champions League spot.

English Championship sides West Brom and Nottingham Forest are both keen on landing him on a free transfer when his contract expires and could seal a pre-contract agreement before the end of the window.

It is also claimed that Hearts defender John Souttar has been earmarked as his successor for the 2022/23 season, as Rangers sealed a move to bring him to Ibrox in the summer earlier this month.

Elation

Gio van Bronckhorst will surely be left feeling elated by this news as it is a shrewd transfer ploy that could work out perfectly for the club. It appears as though Ross Wilson has put all the pieces in place to pull off a masterclass in the summer and the Dutchman will be buzzing by it.

The club were heading into a dangerous situation in January with Goldson out of contract at the end of the season as they may have been forced to cash in on the Englishman. This could have led to van Bronckhorst losing a key player midway through the current campaign, which could have then hampered their chances of winning the Premiership and caused them to miss out on the £30m payday.

Instead, they are set to keep hold of him as they have already managed to secure his replacement come July, with Souttar coming in to take his place.

The Hearts man will then have the entire summer to prepare to hit the ground running, rather than having a player come in and attempt to replace Goldson immediately this month.

In the Premiership this season, the current Gers enforcer has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.15. This shows that he has been consistently delivering quality performances and that is why the head coach will be elated by the prospect of him staying to help the team win the Premiership in the second half of the campaign.

AND in other news, Rangers could finally axe “really poor” lightweight by landing £2.8m-rated playmaker…

Merry Christmas, City fans!

Following a historic 2021, Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues are soon set to draw the curtain on what has been a thoroughly entertaining year at Eastlands.

City clinched a fifth Premier League title and third under Pep Guardiola, enjoyed yet another Carabao Cup win and played in a first-ever Champions League final, all whilst dazzling supporters with enthralling football and breaking even more records. Off the pitch, the Sky Blues and sporting director Txiki Begiristain smashed City’s transfer record by signing England star Jack Grealish for £100m.

It’s also been a phenomenal year for the academy as even more more top talent emerged following Phil Foden footsteps, with many of them making their senior debuts at the back end of the year.

As a thank you for reading our content as The Transfer Tavern aims to report only the most engaging news possible for Citizens, we’ve prepared a City-related quiz to break up your festivities.

Are you good with ex-players’ nationalities? If so, this challenge will really put your trivia to the test.

We’ve given you four options for each question in a multi-choice format – you just have to correctly select the home country of each of the following ex-Man City players. Starting off fairly easy and becoming harder and harder, some will make the hardcore Cityzens stand out.

Good luck and remember to share your score!