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Ange Postecoglou is already eyeing up his former players as Celtic have been linked with a move for Yokohama F. Marinos forward Ado Onaiwu, via Glasgow Live.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou to assess targets in quarantine

Postecoglou was confirmed as Celtic’s new manager on Thursday, 106 days following Neil Lennon’s resignation in February.

The 55-year-old left Yokohama F. Marinos to pen a 12-month rolling contract at Parkhead, and he’ll reportedly assess potential targets during his isolation period in Scotland.

It appears as if he may well already have his eyes on one of his former players if recent reports are to be believed.

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The Latest: Onaiwu links

According to the Daily Record, relayed by Glasgow Live, Postecoglou is ‘on alert’ regarding Onaiwu’s future.

The 25-year-old, who has scored 65 goals in his career to date, is out of contract in January 2022, so now is the time for his club to cash in if he is not going to sign a new deal.

Onaiwu, who is yet to turn out for his country, has impressed at club level and was actually called up to Japan’s senior squad recently.

The Verdict: New manager not wasting time

There’s no denying Postecoglou will need several summer signings, especially in the attacking areas, so a cut-price move for Onaiwu could be a solid starting point.

Odsonne Edouard has told friends he will be quitting Parkhead for Leicester City, Mohamed Elyounoussi has returned to Southampton and Leigh Griffiths’ future is up in the air.

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Should Edouard and Griffiths depart, the Hoops would be left with Albian Ajeti as their only recognised centre-forward.

On that basis, bringing in a player who has scored goals for the new Celtic manager previously could be priceless in his first season in the Hoops hotseat.

In other news: Celtic to miss out on long-term target, find out more here. 

Liverpool must revisit their interest in Ajax midfielder Ryan Gravenberch over the summer as they search for Gini Wijnaldum’s replacement.

What’s the story?

Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport (as reported by SportWitness), claimed Jurgen Klopp’s charges were among the 19-year-old’s list of suitors back in April, and the Reds would be foolish not to follow their admiration up with a concrete offer.

It’s not often a teenage talent attracts such widespread attention after only one full season in the senior set-up, but such is Gravenberch’s talent, Liverpool may have to move quickly to secure his services.

Liverpool must swoop

The youngster made 47 appearances for the Amsterdam giants last season, bagging five goals and providing six assists in all competitions as Erik ten Hag’s men completed the domestic double.

His outstanding displays have earned Gravenberch many plaudits throughout his short career, including former Netherlands international Wim Kieft.

“He is the greatest talent in the Netherlands. Only 18-years-old, but the prototype of a complete player. You see him grow every week,” Kieft said back in November.

“If someone like this makes his debut at the highest level, the big question is whether he can keep up with the faster pace. Gravenberch picks up on that very quickly.

“Also in the Champions League. When you see how, despite his height and physically, he easily turns away in the crowds and accelerates, you don’t see that much.”

The youngster has passed every test thrown at him so far and his 1.2 key passes per league game in 2020/21 – the joint-fifth highest in the Ajax squad, 68.4% pass accuracy and 1.6 dribbles per league game – both the second-highest amongst his teammates – illustrate the pivotal part he played in his side’s success.

While Gravenberch excels with the ball at his feet, he’s also blessed with enviable natural attributes.

Standing at 6 ft 3, the Dutch international would have no issue adapting to the physical demands of the Premier League and he could easily slot into the role left behind by his Dutch compatriot at Liverpool.

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Wijnaldum was often charged with recycling possession, easing the pressure and keeping things simple in the Anfield outfit’s engine room, all things that Gravenberch excels at.

Therefore, the Reds must revisit their interest in the Ajax prodigy and make a swoop before one of Europe’s other big guns show their hand.

Gravenberch has everything it takes to become Wijanldum 2.0, Liverpool must act to make sure he becomes that at Anfield and not elsewhere.

And, in other news…Imagine him and Thiago: Edwards must sanction LFC swoop for “technically gifted” gem 

Leeds United were keen on bringing Emiliano Buendia to the club before he joined Aston Villa, according to former Whites striker Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Buendia joins Villa

The Argentine was arguably the outstanding player in the Championship last season as Norwich City won the title and sealed a return to the Premier League.

On Monday, it was confirmed that Buendia had agreed a £33m move to Villa, with the Canaries always likely to find it tough to keep hold of him.

[freshpress-quiz id=“355458″]

The Latest: Pundit makes key claim

Leeds are also on the lookout for attacking additions in the summer transfer window and it appears as though they missed out on snapping up the 24-year-old.

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan claimed that the Whites were keen on bringing Buendia to Elland Road, hailing his quality as a player. The 46-year-old said:

“I think we missed a trick there.

“Number 10 is such an important position and there is only really Rodrigo as a decent option in there. You can never have enough good creative players in your side and Buendia is certainly one of those.

“He is a player who plays in between the lines and can change a game in a moment. He is a special player who can see passes that other can’t. That little bit of magic, he has got it.

“He was the standout performer in the Championship last season and I was very impressed with him when he played in the Premier League for Norwich City. He has proved that he can do it against the best.

“Leeds were interested and there was a lot of talk about a potential move but they clearly never pursued that interest. Great players like that cost a lot of money but they are worth every penny.”

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The Verdict: Leeds missed a trick

Buendia is a superb attacking player who brings guaranteed numbers in the final third, scoring 15 goals and registering 16 assists in the Championship last season.

The idea of him linking up with Leeds’ other creative attacking players such as Raphinha and Rodrigo seemed a mouthwatering one, but it wasn’t meant to be.

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The Whites would likely have had to break their transfer record to sign Buendia given the £33m fee agreed with Villa, and they seemingly couldn’t justify parting with such a big sum of money. Let’s just hope he doesn’t make Leeds regret missing out on him.

In other news, one Leeds player has been tipped to excel next season – find out who it is here.

Wolves legend Steve Bull insists that the next Wolves manager has plenty to live up to following the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo.

The 47-year-old departed the Molineux club following the final game of the season, bringing to an end a four-year spell with the Midlands club.

In that time, Santo took Wolves from the Championship into the Premier League and kept them there, establishing the side as a genuine force in the top-flight.

This season, though, Wolves have struggled somewhat and limped to a 13th-placed finish in the Premier League.

Nuno was forced to blood the youngster Fabio Silva up front after the horrific head injury sustained by Raul Jimenez and Bull believes that the season actually ended in a reasonable manner because of the sheer amount of bad luck Wolves suffered through.

As a result, he feels that Nuno’s replacement faces a mighty job as he looks to fill the Portuguese’s shoes.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “Whoever comes in, I just think the club have got to get behind them.

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“We’ve got a bunch of youngsters at the moment learning their trade, and whoever comes in, they’ve got a job and a half to do, because of the transformation this year.

“Nuno had players going out, young players coming in, injuries, and I don’t think we’ve had a bad season overall with what we’ve gone through.”

A number of Manchester City fans are delighted after it was revealed that Ilkay Gundogan will not be missing from the Champions League final on Saturday night.

The Citizens are preparing for the biggest match in the club’s history in Porto. They have been in Portugal for most of the week as Pep Guardiola and his squad put together the final preparations for the match against fellow Premier League outfit Chelsea.

However, they were hit with a scare during training in the build-up. Gundogan, who has enjoyed a fantastic campaign as the team’s leading scorer with 17 goals, had to leave the field with an injury, and there were worries he would be unavailable for the big game (Manchester Evening News).

Fortunately, it has now been revealed by journalist Fred Caldiera that it was a minor issue and that the German will be ready to feature tonight.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the update.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Gundogan news

“Get innnn”

Credit: @KinehanMichael

“Some good news”

Credit: @Gundogan_08

“Yessssss”

Credit: @m7x_9

“Phew”

Credit: @ohzai17

“Lessgooo”

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Credit: @KavinDeBruyne17

“Good news, hopefully he starts”

Credit: @obmeri1

In other news, these Man City fans want one man signed this summer.

A number of Manchester City fans have been reacting to comments from Pep Guardiola on Sergio Aguero after the Argentine played his last Premier League game for the Citizens.

On Sunday, City wrapped up the league campaign in style as they thrashed Everton 5-0. After the match, they received the Premier League trophy at the Etihad Stadium as they were able to celebrate with the fans – it was a special day for the all involved with the club.

The £22.5m-valued striker (Transfermarkt), who scored twice against the Toffees after coming on from the bench, will depart the club at the end of the season. He has scored 260 goals in 389 matches for City (Transfermarkt), becoming their all-time leading scorer, and he will be an incredibly hard player to replace.

After the match, Sky Sports spoke to Guardiola about Aguero, and he was unable to hold back the tears when describing the 32-year-old, about whom he said: “We love him so much. He is a special person for us…We cannot replace him.”

The manager’s emotional comments have attracted plenty of attention from the City supporters, and they took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Guardiola’s comments on Aguero

“This broke me. And this is why I love Pep & #MCFC”

Credit: @BobbieJack77

“Guardiola got me all emotional with this one”

Credit: @Demmiedgod

“And people say he hates him, have some shame!”

Credit: @poli_thundermc

“Can’t stop the tears! I’m so happy for Aguero but really sad for us fans”

Credit: @omidvheravi

“you can’t do without tears – these are emotions and this is wonderful”

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Credit: @CgON0NIPt523qIA

“in tears”

Credit: @93Noorr

In other news, some Man City fans slammed this man’s performance against Everton.

After suffering playoff heartbreak with Sunderland, Steven Gerrard should axe Rangers flop Jordan Jones from his squad at Ibrox this summer.

The former Kilmarnock man was sent on loan to the League One side in January and has been a regular in Lee Johnson’s side throughout the second half of the campaign.

The winger was one of several players to attend a house party in November, breaking the restrictions at the time, so it was no surprise to see him shipped out.

Since signing from Kilmarnock in 2019, he has gone on to make just 19 appearances for the Gers, contributing one goal and two assists, which suggests that his move has not worked out.

Unfortunately for Rangers, 26-year-old’s contract at Ibrox is set to expire in 2023, which suggests that they may well look to cash in on him in the next two years, rather than losing him for nothing at the end of his current deal.

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After his latest setback with Sunderland, which saw them fall to a 3-2 aggregate defeat against Lincoln City in the League One playoffs, Gerrard’s best course of action this summer would be to get rid of Jones for good.

The winger produced a disappointing defeat in the 2-0 defeat against Lincoln in the first leg, earning a 6.61/10 rating for his performance from WhoScored, whilst he was left on the bench for the 2-1 win in the second leg despite the North East side needing a goal, which certainly doesn’t bode well for his future.

Although he managed three goals and four assists in 20 appearances for the League One side, averaging a fairly solid 6.88 rating from WhoScored for his performances, it seems unlikely that he will ever be able to establish himself as a regular in Gerrard’s side at Ibrox.

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[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

The “exciting talent” has unfortunately failed to impress during his time at Ibrox and given that Gerrard will be looking to add Champions League quality to his squad ahead of next season, it seems likely that Jones’ time with the Scottish Premiership champions might well be up and letting him go would be the correct call.

And, in other news… Wilson should return for “outstanding” beast after director’s huge claim

At long last, Celtic supporters can crawl into hibernation and hide for the next few months.

Their long gruelling campaign has come to a close with little fight from the Hoops, drawing their final game 0-0 in a match that typified their woeful season.

This has been a shambolic term from start to finish for the Bhoys as they failed to lift silverware for the first time in a decade.

You can blame Peter Lawwell for the appointment of Neil Lennon or you can blame Nick Hammond for his shoddy transfer policy.

Whatever way you look at it, negativity has found a way to engulf Paradise. Celtic’s home hasn’t lived up to its name this season, housing languid football and toxic protests.

That said, there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Eddie Howe looks set to arrive as the next Celtic boss and with him, he’ll bring a number of new coaches with fresh and vibrant ideas.

After all, the backroom staff he hopes to bring in has been part of a Bournemouth team who have earned a place in the Championship play-offs.

Howe had great success at Bournemouth, a stint that embodied a Football Manager simulation in the real world. He took the Cherries from League Two to the Premier League and then managed to sustain their top-flight status for five years.

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Playing an aesthetically pleasing brand of football, the south coast side liked to play with the ball on the deck and with lots of possession.

By doing so, the 43-year-old manager developed Nathan Ake into one of the eye-catching central defenders in England.

Previously of Chelsea, the Dutchman found a home for himself under Howe, developing astutely before Manchester City paid £40m for him last summer.

Ake was a key cog in the machine at the Vitality Stadium, playing out from the back and starting attacks with his incisive passing. During his final season with Bournemouth, he completed over 87% of his passes, a number that’s only improved since joining the Premier League Champions.

At Man City this term, the defender has completed 93.1% of his passes; a particularly impressive number.

With that in mind, it wouldn’t be a great surprise if Howe wanted his defenders to play out from the back at Celtic.

This would be perfect for Kristoffer Ajer, someone who registered a pass success rate of 97% against Hibernian last weekend. It would also be ideal for the Norwegian’s protégé; Leo Hjelde.

Dubbed the next Virgil van Dijk by Ross County boss John Hughes, the 17-year-old has caught the eye while on loan at Dingwall during the second half of the season.

He is a special talent, a player that Howe simply has to turn to if he’s handed the reins at Paradise.

Hjelde is a centre-back by trade and plays in a very similar way to Ajer, pressing relentlessly and marauding forward.

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Speaking earlier this season, the teenager commented: “Kristoffer is a very good player and he had the same career path like me too.”

He added: “I like to be on the ball and try to create things too but my main priority always has to be defending. I keep in contact with him still. He has been very good to me and he still gets in touch and gives me advice.”

With this in mind, Howe would be foolish not to unleash him at Parkhead next season.

His style of football and the way he developed a promising centre half like Ake suggests he could turn Hjelde into something special too.

In the words of Hughes, he’s got a “massive future.” Celtic need to nurture him and ensure he lives up to the Van Dijk billing.

AND in other news, Celtic can axe Griffiths by landing “terrific” 18-goal gem, he once embarrassed Bitton…

Tottenham Hotspur are among the teams keeping tabs on prolific goalscorer Cyle Larin ahead of the summer transfer window.

That’s according to 90min, who claim the Besiktas forward is attracting interest from across Europe as he will soon enter the final 12 months of his current contract.

It appears that the Lilywhites are on the lookout for another striking addition ahead of next season, with doubts over Harry Kane’s future and the on-loan Carlos Vinicius set to return to Benfica.

Larin could be a bargain replacement for the Brazilian, and his versatile ability to play through the middle and out wide, makes him even more appealing heading into what will be a difficult window to negotiate.

The 33-time Canada international has bagged a whopping 23 goals this season, helping steer the Turkish Super Lig outfit to another title, and that has taken his total tally to 84 goals in 191 career appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

His performances in the MLS for Orlando City caught the keen eye of Brazil legend Kaka.

“I think Cyle can go far,” Kaka said at an MLS media day, via Goal.com. “Cyle is a very good player and the third season for us will be great, but I think Cyle can play in a big team in Europe as well.”

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And it’s not the first time that someone has waxed lyrical about the 26-year-old’s sensational attacking ability.

Back in March, Canadian national team coach John Herdman lauded Larin after a hat-trick against Bermuda, he told reporters (via Sporx): “Cyle Larin is a predator. He has this ability, that’s why we recruited him.”

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If Spurs want to keep hold of Vinicius, who has enjoyed respectable returns playing a bit-part role behind Kane with ten goals, they will have to fork out an eye-watering £40m which is an extortionate amount for a backup.

But at least with Larin, you’ve got the option to play him out wide, so he should see more game time on the pitch than the Benfica man. The 6 foot 2 beast is also only valued at £8.1m, so you’d imagine that Levy could drive up a bargain with the player in the final year of his contract.

AND in other news, Spurs can solve major issue with 6 ft 3 “complete player”, he won’t cost Levy a penny…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Paul Stewart, who made over 160 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur, has backed Oliver Skipp to have a big season when he returns from his loan spell at Norwich City.

Skipp has started all but one league game for the Canaries this season having racked up an impressive 6.90 WhoScored rating as he has been an important player in the club’s title-winning campaign.

The 20-year old could look to impress whoever comes in as manager at Spurs this summer with his parent club experiencing an indifferent and unsuccessful campaign this season.

Speaking on if he expects Skipp to play for Spurs next season and how this loan spell has really helped his development, Stewart told FFC:

“I think he comes back to us next season and it’s been a good move for him. Spurs sent him to an ideal club in Norwich because of their style of play and I think what it’s done for Skipp is provided him with game time and allowed him to develop.

“I’ve been watching him so I genuinely think he will be a revelation when he does come back.”

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Skipp made his debut for Tottenham in 2018 but this loan spell with Norwich is his first time being away from Spurs in his career having been with the under 23s and on the bench for the first team often.

Spurs are likely to appoint a new manager before deciding on anyone’s future at the club to give the new boss a chance to decide who he wants to keep. That would be good news for someone like Skipp, who barely featured under Jose Mourinho.