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TalkSPORT broadcaster Alan Brazil has backed free-agent Jack Wilshere to make Celtic his new club, The Daily Record report.

The Lowdown: Wilshere without a club

Wilshere has been without a club since the summer after leaving Championship side Bournemouth.

The 29-year-old, who has scored 20 goals during his senior career, was recently training with Italian side Como.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admitted earlier this month that the Gunners have been in conversation with their former midfielder in regards to helping him find a new club, and Brazil thinks Celtic Park could be the ideal destination.

The Latest: Brazil’s comments

Brazil was talking on-air during talkSPORT’s morning show, relayed by The Daily Record, to which he backed Wilshere to move to Glasgow.

“By the way, Scottish football’s not slow you know.

“It’s lively up there, as one or two people have found out when they’ve gone up there.

“But I think the Celtic fans would take to him if he found his form, with his dribbling skills and taking the ball and running at defenders.

“I think they’d give him a chance, they really would.”

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The Verdict: A risk?

Celtic have already landed a central midfielder on a free this summer in James McCarthy, however, the Irishman has reportedly been struggling in Ange Postecoglou’s intense training sessions.

On that basis, bringing Wilshere, who can play in three different midfield roles, could be a risk going off his injury history.

The last thing the Hoops would want is to sign the England international, only for him to repeat McCarthy’s struggle and possibly get injured at Lennoxtown.

However, a possible pay as you play move could be a shrewd idea given his versatility and experience at the top level.

In other news: ‘Out again’ – Alison Conroy drops more troubling Celtic injury news alongside Giakoumakis. 

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to the news that Cedric Itten has moved on loan to Bundesliga outfit Greuther Furth.

The Gers’ business in terms of incomings for this window is probably complete. John Lundstram, Fashion Sakala and Juninho Bacuna have all made the move Ibrox over the past few months, and after the 55-time Scottish champions beat Celtic 1-0 in the Old Firm derby last weekend, it appears that they may be hitting their stride.

In terms of outgoings, though, it may be a busy day. Brandon Barker has already been told that he can leave the club, and £3.15m-valued Itten (Transfermarkt) has now completed a temporary switch to Furth (rangers.co.uk). With six goals in 42 appearances for Rangers (Transfermarkt), he has not fared too well so far at Ibrox, but Steven Gerrard will be hoping that the Swiss forward can prove himself in Germany.

The news was shared on Twitter by Rangers’ official Twitter channel and it attracted plenty of news from supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Itten’s loan exit

“Gutted! Didn’t see that coming. Good luck Ced, hopefully see you back soon and raring to go.”

Credit: @Tuddie44

“Gutted at that – Good luck Cedric and hope to see you back next year”

Credit: @Keithcareth

“Delete this”

Credit: @ginge_jpeg

“Disappointed with this but the guy is just not getting enough game time as it stands, hopefully he can go play bang some goals in and come back a better player, good luck Ced”

Credit: @AKA_TonyFleck

“Ehhhh??? Surely bringing someone in then? Only got Morelos & Roofe? Unless classing Sakala at ST”

Credit: @JRD1996_

“What”

Credit: @cjnovo992

In other news, Jordan Campbell has provided an update on this Gers defender.

Leeds United have been dealt a blow regarding the fitness of Adam Forshaw ahead of the Whites’ upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by Leeds Live which said that Marcelo Bielsa revealed following the 3-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday that the midfielder was not available for selection as a result of a muscle strain, something which would appear to cast serious doubt as to whether the 29-year-old will be available for the trip to Newcastle United on Friday.

Forshaw has not featured in a league game for the Whites in almost two years, having previously been sidelined due to a hip injury.

Fans will be gutted

Considering the influential role Forshaw held in the side prior to his long-term injury, the midfielder’s latest setback in his recovery is sure to have left the Elland Road faithful gutted.

Indeed, the £1.8m-rated man impressed over his 30 Championship appearances in Bielsa’s first season at Leeds, averaging 0.9 key passes, 0.7 interceptions and 2.2 tackles and winning 5.4 duels per game.

These returns saw the £23k-per-week midfielder earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as the Whites’ joint eighth-best performer in the second tier of English football – level with Kalvin Phillips.

As such, it is undeniable that the 29-year-old’s return to first team action would be a considerable boost for his club, especially when considering the sheer length of time for which he has been sidelined.

However, whether or not Forshaw is the same player he was two years ago remains very much up in the air, and it is something which will only be discovered when (or even if) the midfielder finally manages to get back on the pitch on a regular basis.

In other news: Orta could be heading for his biggest mistake at Leeds to date, Bielsa would be livid

Tottenham Hotspur have made Dusan Vlahovic their number one target with less than two weeks remaining in the transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold on the ‘Gold and Guest talk Tottenham’ podcast this week, the Fiorentina striker is now the “top” option for the club as they search for someone to bolster Nuno Santo’s frontline.

However, it’s a complicated situation as Atletico Madrid are also “strongly interested,” so Fabio Paratici and co will need to convince the Serbian to join the Premier League side over the La Liga champions.

La Viola are reluctant to let him leave the Serie A club this summer, which is why they are thought to be asking for around €70m (£60m).

Get it done!

Whether Harry Kane remains in north London remains to be seen but his future should not play any influence in a move for Vlahovic as he can either become his strike partner, the perfect alternative or his replacement. It’s a win-win all round.

The 6 foot 3 talisman enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last term, scoring 21 goals in 37 league appearances, and that looks to have continued into this season as he’s already bagged a brace in their opening Coppa Italia clash against Cosenza.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs team and injury news, transfer rumours, gossip and much, much more!”]

Valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, Vlahovic has been described as a “complete number nine,” which should leave Nuno’s mouth watering.

“I know it’s just off the back of one season, but he’s strong, can link play up, can hold the ball up and most importantly, he’s scoring goals,” Serie A expert Conor Clancy told This is Futbol. “He’s one of those players that when he looks confident, you almost expect him to score every time he plays.”

It’s the sort of trusted presence that the Portuguese coach had for so long at Molineux in Raul Jimenez – a leading frontman capable of doing it all. Head, left foot, right foot, pace, power. The lot.

As per The Telegraph, Nuno’s intention is to deploy a two-man attack, but in the absence of Kane on Sunday, he selected Heung-min Son to lead the line on his own.

The Fiorentina striker could be the man to plug that gap, meaning that the South Korean can remain a threat out on the wings. Spurs supremo Paratici must look to sanction this move in the coming days.

Time is running out, with less than two weeks until the transfer window slams shut.

AND in other news, Paratici could discover Spurs’ new Dembele by signing “complete” £16.2m-rated colossus…

New Fulham manager Marco Silva has already made a bright start to the transfer window, and Football FanCast’s EFL spy reckons John Swift would be another shrewd addition for the Cottagers.

The Whites boss recently made two impressive coups in Liverpool attacker Harry Wilson and goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga following his release from Tottenham.

And despite suffering their third relegation in the space of eight seasons, Fulham are yet to lose any of their best players as they go in search of a third promotion in six years.

Swift has established himself as a goalscoring midfielder in recent seasons, netting 28 times in his Championship career.

In 2019-2020, Swift served up six goals and 10 assists for Reading but was unable to replicate that form last season after missing no fewer than 39 matches with an ongoing hamstring problem.

Swift has since recovered from that long-term issue, featuring in all the Royals final five league matches.

With that in mind the EFL insider exclusively told FFC that he could add plenty to the Fulham midfield next term, when asked who they could target after the additions of Wilson and Gazzaniga.

“John Swift at Reading is a high end Championship player. He’s technically very good and has proven his worth year after year.”

Leicester City are the latest club to be linked with Jannik Vestergaard, and his exit could leave Southampton in a precarious position ahead of the new season.

What’s the word?

According to talkSPORT (via Leicester Mercury), Southampton are bracing themselves for a bid from Leicester for the Danish centre-back, who looks likely to leave the Saints this summer as he has less than one year left on his contract.

The Athletic claimed recently that the 28-year-old is looking for a new challenge away from Southampton and shows no indication that he will commit to a new contract at St Mary’s, so it seems as if Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side will have to cash in this summer, or else risk losing him for nothing at the end of the season.

It is no surprise that Leicester have entered as potential candidates for his signature, as they lost centre-back Wesley Fofana to a broken leg in a recent pre-season friendly, whilst fellow defender Jonny Evans is also expected to miss the start of the new season, so Brendan Rodgers will surely be looking for reinforcements.

A big loss for Hasenhuttl?

Whilst some Southampton fans might have come to accept that Vestergaard will be leaving this summer, it will still be a blow to lose the former Borussia Monchengladbach man.

Last season saw him contribute three goals in 30 Premier League appearances, whilst his 6.89 average rating from WhoScored was enough to rank him as the third-best performer in Hasenhuttl’s squad.

Tim Sherwood sang his praises early last term, saying: “During the early part of the season, he was their best player. He was outstanding.”

He was also excellent for Kasper Hjulmand’s Denmark side at the European Championship as they reached the semi-finals, so it is no surprise that he is being linked with a move elsewhere.

Considering that Southampton conceded the second-most goals in the Premier League last season, and have so far only added inexperienced full-back options Romain Perrraud and Tino Livramento to their existing defensive ranks, it does not bode well for the upcoming season that they could be set to lose arguably their top centre-back.

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Therefore, Southampton fans will rightly be worried that Vestergaard will leave and their defence will be even more vulnerable than last season, which could easily leave the Saints in a relegation battle given that they finished 15th in 2020/21.

In other news… Southampton could sign their ideal Vestergaard heir in £7.2m-rated “monster”

ExWHUemployee has provoked mass excitement amongst West Ham United supporters after claiming that the club are ‘very hopeful’ Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma will be a Hammers player in the near future.

The Lowdown: Hammers have red hot start

Starting off 2021/22 in the same fashion that they ended last term, West Ham United boss David Moyes will be desperate to add quality to his already impressive roster in order to once again challenge for European football this season.

Having made inroads in terms of recruitment, the Scot has acquired two new faces in the form of Craig Dawson and Alphonse Areola [Transfermarkt].

Now, the Hammers look to be close to sealing a major coup following recent claims on social media.

The Latest: West Ham ‘very hopeful’ on Zouma deal

Speaking to his large audience on Twitter, the well-connected ExWHUemployee responded to a fan question asking about the latest on the Zouma state of play, stating:

“Club very hopeful that deal will be completed soon”

The two clubs are said to have agreed a fee of around £25 million for his services, with personal terms believed to be in the final stage of negotiations [Daily Star].

The Frenchman is expected to sign a five-year-deal at the London Stadium upon completion of the deal.

The Verdict: Zouma signing would be a major coup

With West Ham set to find out their Europa League group stage fate this week, bringing Zouma to the club would be a positive statement of intent that would significantly add to Moyes’ side going forward.

In 2020/21, the 6 foot 3 ace enjoyed an impressive year, registering five goals in 36 appearances encapsulating all competitions [Transfermarkt].

Showing his dominant presence within the Blues rear-guard, Zouma successfully won 3.6 aerial duels per fixture on average in the Premier League, taking considerably pressure off his contemporaries in the process [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘brilliant’ by his former boss Frank Lampard, West Ham United should look to close out a deal for Zouma’s signature as soon as possible [Absolute Chelsea].

If ExWHUemployee’s account of events is anything to go by, this could be sooner rather than later.

 In other news, West Ham United fans are loving a reported transfer update. Find out more here.

Dean Windass thinks that Pep Guardiola will be aiming slightly higher than Danny Ings this summer.

Following Sergio Aguero’s high-profile departure at the end of last season, the Manchester City boss is searching for someone to score the goals in the Argentine’s absence.

Guardiola currently just has one senior striker in Gabriel Jesus at his disposal, but the Brazilian has never quite been his first-choice.

With that in mind, City have made Harry Kane their number one target, although Alasdair Gold believes that Tottenham still have no intention of selling the 27-year-old, with Nuno Espirito Santo reiterating that point after his arrival earlier this month.

If City fail to break Daniel Levy’s resistance, they’re going to have to look elsewhere and find an alternative.

A player who’s already been mentioned is Southampton striker Danny Ings, who’s recently entered the final 12 months of his deal and has expressed his desire to play in the Champions League.

However, despite having 55 Premier League goals to his name, 34 of which have come for Saints in the last two seasons, Windass doesn’t see it happening.

He exclusively told Football FanCast:

“He’s written his own script, he’s told them he doesn’t want to stay. They’re not going to let him go on a free. It didn’t work out at Liverpool, and that has gone against him.

“But I think Manchester City will go for better players. The way that Man City play, the boy will score goals, but I can’t see him going to Man City.”

Crystal Palace are interested in a deal to bring Noni Madueke to Selhurst Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claimed that the Eagles, as well as Leeds United and Borussia Dortmund, are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the PSV Eindhoven winger ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

It is reported that, despite previously demanding a fee of around £25m to part with the 19-year-old this summer, the Eredivisie side have now lowered their asking price to £20m, potentially opening the door for a Crystal Palace swoop.

Vieira must move

Considering just how impressive Madueke was for PSV last season, it is unsurprising to learn of Palace’s interest in a move for the England under-21 international this summer.

Indeed, over his 24 Eredivisie appearances for Roger Schmidt’s side last term, only seven of which came as starts, the £14.4m-rated man scored seven goals, registered four assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 1.3 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

These returns saw the man who Aidy Boothroyd compared to Phil Foden earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.05, ranking him as PSV’s 11th-best performer in the top flight of Dutch football, helping his side secure a runners-up finish in the league.

With impending new Eagles manager Patrick Vieira currently not having an out-and-out option at right wing in his Palace squad, the position would appear to be one in which the Frenchman must look to strengthen in the summer transfer window once his employment at the club is finalised.

As such, Madueke would appear to be a fantastic option for the Eagles, with the 19-year-old not only seeming to have the potential to develop into a real star in the future but also being a player who appears more than capable of having an impact within the Palace first team immediately, judging by his form in the 2020/21 Eredivisie. Therefore, Vieria must do everything he can to convince the winger of a move to Selhurst Park this summer.

In other news: Vieira could land Palace perfect McCarthy replacement in “massive” £13.5m-rated dynamo

Former Scotland defender Alan Hutton believes John Lundstram could be a superb signing for Rangers, also hailing Steven Gerrard’s influence.

The Lowdown: Lundstram join Gers

The Scottish Premiership champions are looking to build on last season’s success and ensure they secure back-to-back league titles in 2021/22.

The Gers have completed the signing of Lundstram from Sheffield United, with the midfielder heading to Ibrox on a three-year deal.

The 27-year-old was a key man for the Blades in the Premier League, making 120 appearances for the club overall and excelling in the middle of the park in the 2019/20 season in particular.

The Latest: Hutton hails signing

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton was delighted with the signing, saying it is testament to Gerrard that the Gers have signed such a good player:

“I think it’s massive. Just look at his experience in the last couple of seasons.

“We know last season didn’t go to plan for him or the team in general but he’s still got that experience of playing in the Premier League. Not only that but the Championship as well.

“He’s what, 27? He is coming into his prime years if you want. I think to get someone from the Premier League to come up to Scotland is massive anyway, No matter how you look at it.

“To get someone in their prime I think is special. It just shows you the kind of manager Steven Gerrard is that he can attract these guys up north.

“I think it is a real coup for Rangers.”

The Verdict: Brilliant addition by Gerrard

Lundstram really does have the potential to be a huge signing at Ibrox, with his quality undeniable, having proved it in arguably the toughest league in the world.

He bagged five goals and assists apiece in the Premier League, also averaging an impressive 1.4 tackles and 1.3 clearances per game in 2019/20.

The Gerrard factor must surely have played a part in his decision, with the manager one of the most highly thought of players of his generation.

Lundstram could learn so much from working alongside such an iconic midfielder, making the Gers an even more formidable proposition.

In other news, a pundit is worried about one Rangers player leaving this summer. Find out who it is here.