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Sheffield Wednesday could lose their star forward Josh Windass this summer should they face relegation from the Championship…

What’s the word?

That’s according to reliable YorkshireLive reporter Dom Howson, who dropped a fresh claim over the future of the 27-year-old Owls ace earlier this week.

In response to one supporter in a recent Q&A, he said:

“I think they would struggle to keep Windass if they were relegated. I could see him having a lot of Championship interest. I know he was linked with WBA a couple of months ago.”

Bad news for Moore

The Owls have a tough task in staying up as it is, even despite their rampant 5-0 victory against Cardiff City last time out, they still remain seven points adrift of safety with only one game in hand on that 21st spot.

Windass has played a key role this season and is probably a player that Moore would love to keep around next season irrespective of what division they find themselves in.

In terms of goal contributions, the former Rangers man sits joint-top, having provided six goals and four assists. This accounts for a whopping 30% share of all the goals the Owls have scored in the second-flight this term.

He has also proven to be a versatile threat under Moore, playing in four different positions since the 46-year-old was appointed. Windass is the sort of player that fits the expansive, attacking style of football the ex-West Brom coach deploys.

Dean Windass highlighted a key part of his son’s game being his explosiveness in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, only bolstering his credential in south Yorkshire under Moore.

“He’s a quick, explosive runner,” explained Windass.

Indeed, the £1.44m-rated dynamo would be a big miss for Wednesday. He is under contract until 2022, but as Howson claims, the Owls are unlikely to be able to keep hold of him if they go down.

AND in other news, Sheffield Wednesday eye Jordan Rhodes replacement in 23 y/o on a “different level”…

Celtic’s hunt for a new manager at Parkhead has really gathered pace over the last week or so. After suffering setbacks in their quest to appoint Chris Wilder and Jesse Marsch, they have identified a new man to lead the Bhoys forward.

That happens to be one of their former employers; Roy Keane.

The Manchester United legend finished his playing career in Glasgow and is now being viewed by Dermot Desmond as the man to lead Celtic’s new era.

According to reports, discussions have taken place over the role with an interview even occurring.

If he does indeed come to Scotland, how could his starting XI look next season?

This could be a significant summer of change for Celtic, both among the football hierarchy and with the playing squad.

Part of that could see Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard leave. The former has been linked with a move to AC Milan while the latter continues to be touted with a switch to the English Premier League.

Liverpool have recently been linked with his services in a deal that could see Divock Origi go in the opposite direction. As a result, he is the first notable inclusion in Keane’s starting XI.

As many as seven new signings come into the team with another difference in the Celtic attack. Ryan Christie is axed from the starting XI after his disappointing campaign, scoring just five goals. Thus, Siriki Dembele starts on the wing. He has recently been touted with a move from Peterborough on a free transfer.

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Liam Shaw, who has agreed a pre-contract, replaces Scott Brown in the middle of the park alongside Callum McGregor.

The majority of changes come in defence, an area where Celtic have often been found wanting this term. They’ve shipped 14 more goals than Rangers in the league while there’s the threat Ajer could leave.

With that in mind, Declan Gallagher comes in at centre-back. He’s regularly been tipped to make a switch to Parkhead from Motherwell.

There is no permanent move for Jonjoe Kenny at right-back so Dutch target Milan van Ewijk starts at right-back. There is a further change on the opposite side too.

Diego Laxalt is due to head back to Milan following the conclusion of his loan spell, so Romain Perraud could be signed from Brest. He nearly joined Celtic in 2019 and is now being eyed up by the Hoops hierarchy once again.

The final change is in goal where David Marshall returns to Glasgow. He is another to be tipped with a move in recent weeks.

AND in other news, Celtic could finally axe Christie by signing “outstanding” beast with 28 assists…

Ralph Hasenhuttl has revealed Southampton tried to sign Timothy Castagne last summer before he made the move to Leicester City instead.

Saints tried to sign Castagne

Castagne made the move from Atalanta to the King Power Stadium last year for a fee of £21.5m (BBC).

Speaking prior to the Saints’ clash with the Foxes on Friday, Hasenhuttl revealed his side attempted to capture the 25-year-old but were unable to do so. He told Hampshire Live:

“He was a player we were interested in. He was available and we knew this.

“Although they have lost players like [Riyad] Mahrez or [N’Golo] Kante or [Harry] Maguire, you see that Leicester are still able to bring very good players in,

“We had an eye on [Timothy] Castagne but as soon as they are in the duel, then we have no chance to get him. This is exactly what makes the difference between these two clubs. It is normal.”

Shame

Other than a couple of spells on the sidelines through injury (Transfermarkt), Castagne has proven to be an inspired signing for Brendan Rodgers and co. He has managed two assists and four goals in all competitions and has displayed his versatility by playing both at left-back and right-back, as well as in midfield.

It was an ambitious move from the Saints to sign him – after all, he competed in the Champions League last term with Atalanta and will have been wanting to play for a side that harboured ambitions of featuring in that tournament on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the south-coast outfit are unable to offer anything close to that at the moment. However, at least they are looking to capture top talent, it seems.

In other news, Southampton have been dealt this transfer blow.

According to reports, Leeds are eyeing a summer move for Real Madrid starlet Miguel Gutierrez.

What’s the story?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are enjoying a fine return to the Premier League after several years away, with their weekend victory over Manchester City seeing them enter the top ten of the table.

Now, TEAMtalk claim that the Whites already have one eye on the summer transfer window, and have earmarked 19-year-old left-back Gutierrez as a player of interest.

The report adds that Gutierrez has been offered to director of football, Victor Orta, and that Leeds would be open to signing the teenager on loan with a view to a permanent deal.

Orta’s golden chance

The 19-year-old is highly-rated at both club and international level, with a profile done by Madrid’s official club website saying: “Miguel has a great ability to play the ball out from the back and is a real bonus when attempting to unlock things if games become stagnant. He’s technically very good and reads the game well to cover for his teammates.”

Spain’s U17s manager, David Gordo, has meanwhile raved about his prodigy, declaring: “If they give him minutes and he plays games, he will be a top left-back. He has the characteristics of the perfect left-back for Real Madrid. He has quality, ability to get forward, a nice strike, he is ambitious and he has a winning mentality… he has a very bright future.”

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Given that Madrid themselves have offered Orta the chance to sign him, everything is all perfectly set up for Gutierrez to make his way to Elland Road for next season.

A loan deal gives Leeds that extra security knowing that they don’t have to splash out a big sum of money straight up, and can instead see whether he’s cut out for Premier League football.

Meanwhile, Leeds must unleash this starlet if Raphinha is injured…

Republic of Ireland legend Ray Houghton enjoyed a glittering international career, with his two greatest moments on that stage coming as he scored the decisive goal in the 1-0 win against England at the 1988 European Championships, before a repeat of the same situation and scoreline against Italy at the 1994 World Cup in America.

The midfielder was also a big part of the famous successful Liverpool team from the late 1980s and early 90s, winning the First Division and the FA Cup twice each between 1988 and 1992, before moving onto Aston Villa and lifting the League Cup in 1994.

Now retired, Houghton is set to swap the hallowed turf for a fishing rod to take part in an exciting new fishing programme called Angling Outlaws, which is to be shown on BT Sport next year.

We spoke exclusively to the football legend about a number of different subjects within the beautiful game…

What are your thoughts on the Celtic managerial situation?

“I think at the moment they’re probably doing their due diligence, which is probably the right thing to do, make sure you get the right person in because Rangers have already won the title. And I think people are getting a little bit panicky, because the Celtic fans want to see big names wanting to come to their club.

“I’m a Celtic fan. I grew up a Celtic fan. I don’t look at it as much as I once did. But yeah, there’s no doubt, you know, with Rangers doing as well as they are and Steven Gerrard, a big name in charge, Celtic feel that they could do likewise. And there’s been quite some names in the frame, Thierry Henry, Roy Keane, you know, amongst others. So, it will be interesting to see who they go for.”

Is Eddie Howe a big enough name?

“Yeah, I think so. Yeah, I think in many respects, as I said earlier, it’s about reinventing yourself, it may be a good place for Eddie. Just to go and because your only real opposition is Rangers, you get into Europe and you’ve done well, you know, the fans will enjoy that give a decent run.

“But your main priority is to finish first in the league. And they just need someone to take them forward again, hopefully the owners invest money in the club. I think that’s one of the stipulations that a big manager coming in would have, they’ve got you have the finances to take the club forward.”

Who’s going to replace Jose Mourinho at Tottenham?

“I really don’t know. They’ve had Pochettino who got them to a Champions League Final – the only time they’ve ever been in the Champions League Final. Tottenham is a huge job, it’s a massive club, they’ve got a fantastic stadium, they’ve got training facilities to die for, but I just don’t see them getting the funds and I don’t know if the owner Joe Lewis puts in anywhere near what other clubs do, or he’s prepared to go into debt or get loans to bring in players.

“There’s no doubt Pochettino and Mourinho are massive names, and whether they can have that calibre of manager again if the finances aren’t there, I don’t know. It’ll be interesting to see who Daniel Levy, who looks like he’s the main man at the club when it comes to the appointments, has got in mind. He thought Mourinho with his CV was going to be the game changer as far as bringing trophies to the club, and that didn’t happen.”

Could you see Steven Gerrard becoming the next Tottenham manager?

“Well, I think with Steven he’s learning. Look what happened to Frank Lampard. Frank went to Derby and had a good season. And then suddenly, the Chelsea job came up, and of course, he’s going to jump at it. You know, you might not get that offered that again. Was it too early?

“So, with Steve, he probably feels he’s still got a little bit of work to do in the managerial side. Every year he’s doing work as a manager, he’s learning about players and with all due respect to Rangers and the players that they’ve got, going to Spurs or Liverpool is a whole new level of expectation.”

Would you see David Moyes getting the Spurs job?

“If it was purely just only football that might be the case. But don’t forget David Moyes was at West Ham when they let him go. So, loyalty works two ways. The club weren’t very loyal to him, were they?”

Do Liverpool need to freshen up their front three?

“I think there were rumours of going after Werner before he went to Chelsea, but there are not an awful lot of strikers around. Harry Kane would be great because he’s like your finished article up front. I don’t know what the finances are like, all I know is that over the last few years recruitments been very good.

“Last season it’s really slowed, we brought in the lad from Preston was in for £400,000, we brought we brought in the other centre-back for Germany – that’s not Liverpool’s way. They buy the best. They did that with Salah, Mane, Allison, and Van Dijk.”

Ray Houghton will be joining Paul Parker, Tony Gale and Frank McAvennie on BT Sport’s Angling Outlaws, next summer.

With the help of Outlaw Pro, the four former pros will be trying their hand at fishing, with the quadruplet facing off at the end of the six-part series to see who knows their slide tackles from their tackle boxes.

Wolves are currently blessed with some hot talent sitting and waiting eagerly within the under-23s for a senior opportunity.

Their academy has been growing in recent years, with Jeff Shi aiming to buy young players who will eventually be first team ready. Fosun spent a record fee for the club in terms of an academy player when they welcomed Christian Marques to the Midlands in 2019.

A centre-back by trade, Wolves seem to be well-stocked in that third of the pitch. Nuno could have Marques in his squad next season and he will also have Toti Gomes at his disposal, someone who has caught the eye on loan at Grasshoppers Zurich in Switzerland.

The Old Gold have made good use of the loan system this season, with another centre-back in Dion Sanderson impressing significantly.

The defender has spent the campaign on loan at Sunderland in League One, where his performances have been so astute that he was named their Young Player of the Year.

Sanderson has learnt plenty on the field but he has also matured off it. He had to wait patiently for his chance and didn’t become a regular in the Mackems side until the New Year.

An injury to defensive stalwart Bailey Wright earned the 21-year-old a chance in the middle of defence and he didn’t look back.

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Speaking about Sanderson’s efforts in 2020/21, Black Cats manager Lee Johnson said earlier this term: “He’s a centre-half. At his age, he’s an absolute Rolls-Royce.”

Johnson continued: “He’s got the competence on the ball of a right-back, so he’s very good on the ball for a centre-half, and he’s got a bit of physical maturation to come. That’s part of his potential.”

Versatile, aggressive and always on the front foot, he would be ideal for Nuno Espirito Santo’s system.

Sanderson is capable of playing out from the back in a similar way to Conor Coady and has registered a passing success rate of 81.6% this term. He is also dominant in the air, winning 2.3 headers per match.

It would be difficult to suggest that he’s the complete defender at such a young age but he certainly seems to have the qualities to make a successful career for himself in the Premier League.

Wolves have hardly been a pillar of consistency defensively this season, either. They kept just two clean sheets during a run of 14 games from October to January.

As such, the Molineux outfit have several targets in mind this summer. Middlesbrough’s Djed Spence is on their radar but they’ve also been intrigued by Bayer Leverkusen’s imperious centre-half Edmond Tapsoba.

With players like Sanderson coming through the ranks, Wolves already have an internal solution to their defensive problem, one which could save them millions in the transfer market.

His season was curtailed in unfortunate circumstances due to a back injury but he will surely be fit and firing come next season if Wolves are willing to hand him a chance.

If they don’t, he could flee the nest. Sunderland are only too keen to have him back, while Crystal Palace, Brighton and Sheffield United are also interested.

Nuno must duly ensure that there is a pathway for him to be unleashed at Molineux in 2021/22.

AND in other news, Move over Semedo: Wolves should unleash “exciting” 18 y/o, he’s an “exceptional guy”…

Southampton look to have been robbed blind in their negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer, with the Danish international continuing to impress in Jose Mourinho’s side this season.

The former Saints captain was sold to the North London club for a reported fee of just £15 million, despite Southampton reportedly setting an asking price of £35 million earlier in the summer.

Of course, they were able to negotiate a deal with Spurs that saw Kyle Walker-Peters move the other way for just £12 million, which has proved to be an excellent deal for the club, but you could definitely argue that the South Coast club could have negotiated a much better deal for the defensive midfielder.

In his time at Spurs, Hojbjerg has seen his market value rise to a career-high of £31.5 million, despite being valued at just £18 million during the summer.

He has been a mainstay in Mourinho’s Spurs side this season, making 29 appearances in the Premier League and averaging a very solid 6.96 rating for his performances.

After impressing in Spurs’ 2-0 North London derby win earlier in the season, Mourinho was full of praise for the former Bayern Munich man, saying:

“Simplicity is genius. And the guy is so simple in everything he does with the ball. And I think he’s a phenomenal player. Congratulations, Mr Levy.”

The fact that Mourinho was saluting Spurs’ chairman Daniel Levy, who is renowned for his ability to negotiate transfer deals, suggests that even the Portuguese manager believes that they got a bargain when signing Hojbjerg.

Although Southampton were almost forced into a decision with Hojbjerg due to his old contract being set to expire at the end of this season, the fact that the Danish international’s value has gone through the roof during his time at Spurs definitely suggests that they could’ve demanded a bit more.

If he continues to impress with the Lilywhites, then you could definitely argue that Southampton were robbed blind by Levy in the negotiations for Hojbjerg.

And, in other news… Saints can forget about relegation after news on £75k-p/w star; Ralph surely buzzing

Liverpool are reportedly set to make Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Adama Traore their first signing ahead of the 2021/22 season.

According to reports in Spain, the Reds have agreed a deal with the Midlands outfit in a switch that would see the winger become the second player to switch Molineux for Anfield in as many years, following the transfer of Diogo Jota.

Whilst the Portuguese has been a success story with the reigning Premier League champions, signing Traore would be a huge mistake by Michael Edwards as Liverpool aim to re-establish themselves at the top.

The £31.5m-rated wideman is of course a talented player but his productivity is simply not enough to justify a big-money swoop.

In five seasons of Premier League action, Traore has only managed to accumulate five goals and 14 assists, with the vast majority of those contributions coming in his fantastic 2019/20 campaign.

The five-time Spanish international’s statistics have nose-dived since then though, having only supplied a solitary assist for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men throughout the current season.

When comparing Traore with his former teammate, Jota, during 2020/21, it is the Liverpool man who continues to come out on top.

According to WhoScored, the Portuguese ace produces more shots and passes, whilst getting dispossessed much less frequently.

Considering he would also have competition from the likes of first choices Sadio Mane and Mo Salah, as well as Jota, Xherdan Shaqiri, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and the returning Takumi Minamino for a starting berth out-wide, it is hard to envisage Traore making a significant impact on Merseyside.

Whilst Klopp might be keen to strengthen his options out wide with the “unplayable” Wolves man, Traore does not look like the correct solution.

Should they have agreed to a deal already, as reported, Edwards should do everything he can to back out as quickly as possible.

AND in more news, Liverpool should increase their bid for a Serie A starlet…

Liverpool might have been handed a great chance to sign the perfect Georginio Wijnaldum replacement this summer in the form of Yves Bissouma.

The Reds have been linked with a move for the Brighton man in the past, with ESPN indicating that he was being tracked as far back as the winter.

His current employers will, of course, be loath to lose him, especially to a Premier League rival. However, Seagulls boss Graham Potter has admitted that he is being “sensible” in relation to any potential interest in Bissouma, whilst the Daily Express indicate that the South Coast club have priced him at £40m – which should certainly be enough for Liverpool to make a move.

For context, that price is less than the £48m that Liverpool agreed to pay RB Leipzig for the underwhelming Naby Keita. They would certainly be receiving a far more accomplished midfielder this time around.

Since arriving at Brighton from Ligue 1 outfit Lille in 2018, the 14-time Malian international has gone on to make 91 appearances for the club, scoring four goals.

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His performances have also garnered plenty of praise too, with Gary Lineker labelling Bissouma as “exceptional”.

He is just the type of player that Liverpool, and Jurgen Klopp, need.

When comparing his attacking stats to the potentially outgoing Wijnaldum, it is surprisingly the Brighton man that comes out on top.

According to WhoScored, Bissouma has averaged more shots per game – 1.2 to 0.8 – more dribbles  – 1.5 to 0.9 – and the same amount of key passes compared to the current Liverpool midfielder in the Premier League this season.

Meanwhile, he is also far more impressive from a defensive standpoint, racking up more tackles, interceptions and clearances.

So, with Wijnaldum potentially set to depart in the summer and Brighton apparently open to parting for a certain price, Liverpool now have the perfect opportunity to bring Bissouma to Anfield.

AND in more news, find out why Liverpool could be missing Mo Salah ahead of next season…

Kevin Campbell has claimed that he does not think that Jesse Lingard will be at West Ham United next season.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Arsenal, Everton and West Brom striker believes that the East London club will struggle to sign him on a permanent deal from Manchester United in the summer transfer window:

“I think West Ham will struggle to sign him in the summer.

“At the end of the day, he is a United player. It is not as if he has never performed for Manchester United before.

“There is nothing worse than sending someone out to go and get some game time and the next thing you know he is ripping it to pieces. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be thinking, ‘He could be doing that for us.’ 

“West Ham are benefitting now but I cannot see him being there next season.”

West Ham must sign Lingard

David Moyes’ team need to do all that they can to try and sign Lingard permanently at the end of his loan spell from the Red Devils.

The England international has been nothing short of a revelation at the London Stadium, scoring no fewer than six goals and making a further four assists in just eight games in total in the Premier League so far in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt), which also earned him a recall into the Three Lions squad by Gareth Southgate for their 20222 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Former Irons striker and pundit Ian Wright described (Premier League Productions via HITC) him as both ‘devastating’ and a ‘danger’ after he helped them win 2-0 against Leeds United in the top flight in March, and it is clear that the 28-year-old still has a lot left to offer in a Claret and Blue shirt.

In other news, find out who WHUFC fans want to sign as a potential ‘Noble replacement’ here!