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In a recent interview, Frank McAvennie questioned the attitude of reported West Ham United transfer target, Odsonne Edouard. 

So far this season, Edouard has highly impressed over his 26 Scottish Premiership appearances for Celtic, bagging 16 goals and providing three assists, as well as averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.31 – ranking him as the club’s joint fourth-best performer in the Scottish top flight.

As a result of his fine performances, West Ham have been linked with a move for the 23-year-old, for whom Celtic are reported to want a figure of around £35 million to part with.

It will be no surprise to see the Irons front of the queue if Celtic decide to cash in – David Moyes only has one recognised striker in the shape of Michail Antonio.

However, speaking recently to Football Insider, the former Celtic and West Ham striker, McAvennie, claimed that while he would like to see Edouard join the Hammers this summer, he was unsure whether the Frenchman has an attitude that would comply with Moyes.

He said: “I would take Edouard at West Ham but the way he downed tools with Lenny was disappointing. The boy’s got talent and West Ham need a striker. But if David Moyes would have that kind of player, I don’t know.

“But, you get the ball up to him and he keeps it. He’s definitely a talent. There are rumours going about here, there and everywhere but until someone comes in and spends the money, we just don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Transfer Tavern Take

Considering the fact that Edouard scored eight goals over Neil Lennon’s last eight league games in charge of Celtic before his dismissal, it could be argued that McAvennie’s claim that the striker “downed tools” for his manager is somewhat unwarranted.

And, with West Ham in desperate need of a striker in the summer transfer window, with Moyes currently only having Antonio as an option in the position, the addition of a centre-forward with the goal-scoring record of Edouard would appear to be just what the Hammers are looking for.

In other news: these West Ham fans slammed this club figure with “no ambition” after footage surfaced – find out more here!

Guillem Balague says Pep Guardiola’s former assistant Domenec Torrent would be a ‘very exciting’ managerial appointment for Celtic. 

The struggling Hoops are poised to bring in a new manager ahead of the 2021/22 season after Neil Lennon resigned last week.

Torrent’s track record

Torrent, who aided Guardiola at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City over an 11-year period, has been linked with the vacant role after Balague’s comments (via Daily Record).

He departed the City coaching staff in 2018 to take charge of New York City FC, part of the City Football Group, before a four-month stint at Flamengo last year.

Balague’s lowdown on Torrent

Spanish football expert Balague was asked on Twitter what he made of Torrent as a new name emerging amidst the candidates to replace Lennon.

“Well, wouldn’t that be interesting!” he wrote. “Torrent would be in my eyes a very exciting move.

“Number two to Pep at Bayern and City, and a great believer in possession-based football and in the need to give spectacle to fans.”

Balague says Torrent has played in an important role in honing the identity of Guardiola’s great teams and could enact a long-term vision in Glasgow.

“He has won leagues in three countries, cups, helped develop Pep’s style,” he continued.

“I would also be excited because it would be a fascinating journey trying to create identity (it’s not all about winning).”

Trasfer Tavern verdict

If Celtic were to make a move for Torrent, they would need to recognise the need for patience.

It will take time for the Spaniard to implement his philosophy, and in that time results may not be entirely satisfactory – it has taken Steven Gerrard multiple seasons to get his Rangers side playing the way they are now.

Celtic must resist the urge to think short-term as they look to prevent the continuation of Rangers’ dominance this term, and Balague is certainly right that the arrival of Torrent would indeed be ‘fascinating’ if it were to happen.

In other news, Noel Whelan drops Mick McCarthy managerial claim.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League striker Dean Windass has described Gareth Bale as the key to Tottenham’s season.

The Wales captain has looked back to his best in recent matches, which came after Bale had initially endured a difficult spell upon his return from Real Madrid back in September.

Bale started just two Premier League games in the first-half of the campaign, but following some great form shown in the Europa League against Wolfsberger last month, sandwiched between an impressive cameo against West Ham, the flying winger is now getting regular minutes under Jose Mourinho.

Having produced a man-of-the-match display performance against Burnley last Sunday, the 31-year-old was rewarded with another start against Fulham in midweek, although he wasn’t able to continue his purple patch in Spurs’ 1-0 win.

That did continue in the 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace at the weekend where he netted a brace, and Windass is excited by Tottenham’s front-three, and Bale in particular.

He told Football FanCast:

“Zidane has said to Mourinho ‘you can take him on loan, but I want him to play. If he’s going to come to the football club, then he’s got to play’. You don’t become a bad player overnight, but you need minutes and you need to play, but he’s got some starts and he’s had a few goals and assists.

“He needs to play games, and I think if he does, there’s no better three than Son, Bale and Kane. You don’t earn £650,00o per-week if you’re a bad player, and he’s the key now for Tottenham. Forget about Kane and Son, they’re a given. You’re going to get goals and performances from them.”

It’s been a long time coming, but Bale is finally getting back to his best, and if Mourinho can keep him, Heung Min Son and Harry Kane all fit, then it might not turn out to be such a bad season after all for Spurs.

Speaking to talkSPORT, transfer insider Alex Crook has revealed that there is a ‘big chance’ Tottenham could cancel the contract of Lilywhites star Danny Rose and let him leave as a free agent this month – coming as Daniel Levy and co failed to find a suitable buyer for him in the summer. 

Rose, who was a mainstay for Spurs under Mauricio Pochettino and star of the first team for many seasons, has been deemed surplus-to-requirements by manager Jose Mourinho despite his status as a proven Lilywhites ace and 29-cap England international.

While much of the media frenzy in north London recently has surrounded Dele Alli’s future, it seems it’s his compatriot who could truly be on his way out.

Danny Rose could leave in January

The 30-year-old, recently described as still ‘one of the very best’ left-backs by pundit Darren Bent despite not playing, could well be on the move as Spurs risk losing him in January for nothing.

Tottenham had debatably been hoping that clubs would come in with suitable offers for the defender, but due to a lack of bids, insider Crook has explained that there is a ‘big chance’ Spurs could just cut him loose.

“I was told there’s a big chance he could cancel his contract at Tottenham,” explained the talkSPORT insider.

“He’s not part of Mourinho’s plans.”

Transfer Tavern take

Crook also explains that West Bromwich Albion would be keen on a move for the left-back as Sam Allardyce looks to strengthen his new side, but whether or not this comes to fruition remains to be seen.

Even though Spurs could just terminate his deal and let him leave for nothing, it could be better to wait with patience as club offers may still come in.

In other news: Paul Robinson has been wowed by this ‘great news for Jose’, find out more here.

Earlier this week, Tottenham Hotspur were linked with a potential swoop for Borussia Monchengladbach and emerging Germany star Florian Neuhaus.

According to Sport1, the north London outfit are one of several elite teams keeping tabs on the 23-year-old sensation as he continues to make waves in the Bundesliga.

From the summer, he’s set to be available for just €40m (£36m), as per the report, while CIES Football Observatory currently value him around €10m (£8.8m) more at €50m (£45m).

Indeed, the 6-foot midfielder has enjoyed quite the breakthrough in the past 18 months, but what would he bring to Spurs?

Unlike much of Jose Mourinho’s engine room options, Neuhaus is a pure box-to-box enforcer who is capable of consistently having a major influence at either end of the pitch.

This is something that just simply isn’t among the current Spurs squad and hasn’t been for quite some time. Therefore, a swoop for him this year would give the perennial underachievers something brand new.

According to The Sunday Times’ Duncan Castles, the Portuguese manager is chasing a box-to-box midfielder, so perhaps links to Neuhaus shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, though they will need to beat the likes of Bayern, Dortmund and Real Madrid to his signature.

Tanguy Ndombele is finally starting to show why Daniel Levy splashed a club-record £55m to secure him last year, he’s already contributed to four goals in 14 appearances at the half-way stage of the season, matching his returns from last season while he’s seen progression in dribbling, shooting and tackling numbers, per WhoScored.

All key facets to a box-to-box maestro. The Frenchman certainly seems to be filling that role for the time being, but that’s going to starve his attacking returns in the long run – after all, he delivered three goals and seven assists in his final season at Lyon.

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Moussa Sissoko is far from filling that role, averaging a paltry 0.1 key passes and 0.7 dribbles per game, and Giovani Lo Celso’s recent absence through injury will make it hard for him to emerge back into the starting XI.

Neuhaus eclipses all of these options.

Across the Bundesliga and Champions League this term, the three-time international has averaged 1.8 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, showing his imperious presence and off-the-ball tendencies as well as also managing an average of 1.5 shots, 0.9 dribbles and 0.8 key passes per game, meaning he’s bustling up the pitch to contribute in the final third.

He also covered 7.4 miles of pitch per Bundesliga game in 2019/20. Industrious would be one word to describe it.

By comparison via Sky Sports, Sissoko managed a total of 196.36 kilometres, which is an average of 4.3 miles covered per game with Ndombele recording a total of 108.3 kilometres at an average of 3.2 miles per match, though he was restricted to only 12 starts.

Similarly, Neuhaus’ head coach Marco Rose lauded him an “exceptional talent” who has “the potential to become an even better player” earlier this season, echoing thoughts of Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, who dubbed him the “complete midfielder.”

The German monster claims he has taken inspiration from and idolises former Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil, when asked about childhood idols, he said, via Bundesliga.com: “My uncle was a Bremen fan, I had a Bremen poster on my wall of Mesut Özil. I love watching Özil and Toni Kroos play.”

If Spurs want that different threat from midfield, then Levy should absolutely sanction a move for Neuhaus, whether that be now or in the summer. As evident above, he’s a completely new dimension and one that would certainly bolster Mourinho’s midfield armoury.

AND in other news, Spurs should sign “extraordinary” out-of-contract STAR over Gareth Bale this summer…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Carlton Palmer has delivered his verdict on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s future at Manchester United amid links to Mauricio Pochettino.

It’s safe to say that the Red Devils have endured a difficult start to the season after they were dumped out of the Champions League by RB Leipzig.

However, United have begun to turn their poor run of form around, as they shared the spoils with bitter rivals Manchester City before edging past Premier League strugglers Sheffield United at Bramall Lane last time out.

But Solskjaer has come under immense scrutiny in recent weeks, and Ed Woodward has failed to dampen the speculation, although recent reports emerged in the media that the board will continue to back the under-fire boss.

Yet this has done very little to halt the rumours and questions over his future at Old Trafford, with Pochettino waiting in the wings.

When asked if he thought United would target the former Tottenahm Hotspur manager, Palmer told Football FanCast’s Tom Ward:

“Well, the way they’re talking is that Solskjaer is safe until the summer. Don’t get me wrong, even with Ole being there, they’ll still be there or thereabouts finishing in the top four, because they’ve got talented individuals.

“But that’s not good enough for Manchester United. They should be challenging for the league and they’re going to be a long way off from that.

“Finishing in the top four doesn’t mean anything now. I mean, if you finish behind Liverpool, you’re going to be 20 points behind in second or third place.”

United play host to newly-promoted Leeds United at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon as they look to resume their Pennines derby rivalry before they face Everton and Leicester City in quick succession in what could be a defining moment for Solskjaer’s managerial career.

He will be well aware that his side cannot afford to slip up, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Ed Woodward must sanction Manchester United swoop for Bayern Munich defender David Alaba…

According to DigiSport, RB Leipzig are interested in Glasgow Rangers versatile forward Ianis Hagi.

What’s the word?

The Romania international has been in impressive form since the start of this season, having bagged four goals and 10 assists in just 26 appearances across all competitions.

It’s no surprise, then, that other sides have started to take notice, and Romanian publication DigiSport claim RB Leipzig are keen to bring Hagi to the Red Bull Arena.

The report reveals Julian Nagelsmann is desperate to find the perfect replacement for the injured Dominik Szoboszlai and the Bundesliga giants have the 22-year-old firmly in their sights.

Stand your ground, Wilson

Whilst Alfredo Morelos has been heavily linked with the Ibrox exit in recent months, the potential loss of Hagi would be even more devastating for Steven Gerrard.

Rangers chief Ross Wilson splashed the cash to sign Hagi in the summer – a reported £3m in instalments spread across three seasons – and it’s fair to say that he has exceeded expectations so far – he’s bagged two goals in his past four appearances in the Scottish Premiership alone.

Last season, he scored one goal in seven Premiership appearances for the Gers, and netted a memorable brace in a 3-2 victory over Braga in the Europa League in February last year.

And now, he’s established himself as an integral part of Gerrard’s Gers, and is a key reason why they find themselves 19 points clear of Celtic at the top of the table, having contributed to 14 goals in all competitions this season. He certainly didn’t just join the club to make up the numbers, that’s for sure.

Gerrard paid tribute to Hagi after they defeated Neil Lennon’s side in the second Old Firm derby of the season, telling Rangers TV, as quoted by The Sun: “It was on our mind in terms of myself and the coaching staff to make a change because we weren’t happy with the front three in the first 45 minutes.

“It was a stroke of luck really – not in terms of the injury as Kemar has a niggle in his quad which we will have to assess and hope he is back fit.

“But it actually played into my hands to get Ianis onto the pitch and I thought he was outstanding in the second half.

“Ianis takes on information really well and I thought he was really brave to receive the ball in the wide areas.

“Ianis basically produced in the second 45 we were looking for from our 10s in the whole game. So credit to him, but it is a bit of a blow losing Kemar.”

This kind of impact is exactly the sort of reason why Wilson simply can’t afford to lose the £4m-rated ace. He’s simply too important for their future prospects.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor deserves new contract for Old Firm heroics alone…

Jurgen Klopp’s defensive woes took another turn for the worse recently when it was revealed that Joe Gomez had picked up an injury during international training with England but he may have a ready-made replacement for the former Charlton Athletic man in Jordan Henderson.

It was revealed on Wednesday that Gomez will need to have scans on a potential knee injury that he picked up in training, ahead of England’s fixture against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday (per BBC Sport).

The Reds are already missing first-team regulars Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fabinho, with the injury-prone Joel Matip currently Liverpool’s only fit senior centre-back other than the inexperienced Sepp Van de Berg and Nathaniel Phillips.

Whilst we have seen the likes of Rhys Williams and Nathaniel Phillips fill in there in recent weeks, it would be a surprise if Klopp trusted one or both of them to become regular starters in his side, while they cope with the loss of Gomez and Van Dijk.

Therefore, we feel that the German manager should consider playing Jordan Henderson as a centre-back for upcoming fixtures, at least until the January transfer window when they will surely be looking to bring in defensive reinforcements.

Whilst the Englishman has made just one appearance as a centre-back in his career thus far, WhoScored lists his strengths as passing and tackling, suggesting that he could fill in as a ball-playing centre-back in Klopp’s side.

You can also be sure with Henderson that he will put 100% effort into every game, no matter which position Klopp asks him to play.

Although the former Sunderland man is perhaps a little short to be a centre-back, standing at 5 foot 10, if he is partnered with Matip in defence, the Cameroonian’s 6 foot 4 frame should help compensate for this.

We already know that Klopp is a huge fan of the 30-year-old, with the German manager full of praise for his captain following Liverpool’s win against Wolves last season, as he said:

“His goal was incredible and that is just another side of his outstanding shape at the moment. He played an unbelievable game again.

“He was really shouting at everyone, keeping them on their toes, but it’s not about the shouting it’s about what you say.

“He only asks for things he expects from himself as well. We couldn’t be in the situation we are without these kinds of characters.” (per FourFourTwo)

Therefore, we feel that Klopp can trust Henderson as a centre-back in his side, as he is clearly a leader in this Liverpool team, and he can feature there either until Fabinho or Gomez return or until the January transfer window when they can bring in a more natural defender for the first-team.

Glasgow Rangers should consider themselves fortunate after Scott Arfield spared their blushes against Standard Liege in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Steven Gerrard’s side conceded twice before the break before Arfield completed the comeback with a sensational strike in the second half to seal a thrilling 3-2 win at Ibrox.

It’s no secret Gerrard has wanted a box-to-box, all-action central midfielder for some time, with Rangers signing Bongani Zungu from French Ligue 2 side Amiens on an initial loan deal with the option to buy on transfer deadline day.

Such is the strength in depth, it’s fair to say that the Ibrox boss is spoilt for choice in midfield. Gerrard has plenty of options to choose from with Arfield, Joe Aribo, Steven Davis, Glen Kamara, Ryan Jack and Zungu all vying for three central midfield roles.

The Liverpool legend himself was famous for his box-to-box style of play who was an attacking threat as well, having scored 186 goals and supplied 136 assists in 710 appearances for the Reds, before hanging up his boots in 2017.

Whilst it would be a bit of a stretch too far to suggest that Arfield is on the same level, they do share certain similarities in terms of their playing style.

Just like Gerrard, WhoScored lists one of Arfield’s main strengths as his defensive contribution, whilst he is also an indirect threat at set-pieces as well.

You can’t pick many holes in Gerrard’s side, but if there is one area they need to improve, it’s the fact that they have mostly struggled to score goals from the midfield, although the 32-year-old is the joint second-highest scorer so far this season along with Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe as they have all scored seven goals apiece.

Former Scotland striker James McFadden has heaped praise on the 32-year-old for his “sensational” form and if these numbers are anything to go by, it’s easy to see why.

Valued at £1.8m via Transfermarkt, in 15 games in the Scottish Premiership this season, the former Canada international has bagged four goals and five assists so far, whilst he is averaging 1.6 shots and 1 key pass per game, via WhoScored.

With his contract set to run out in 2022, Ross Wilson must start to think about tying him down to a new deal. If the Gers are to secure their first major piece of silverware since the 2010-11 season, we suspect the Canadian may have a part to play.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard must bench Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos for the foreseeable future…

According to Football Insider, two Championship clubs have made contact with Newcastle in an attempt to sign Christian Atsu.

What’s the word?

With the deadline for deals between Premier League and EFL clubs on October 16, several players’ future up and down the country are still very much in question.

And Football Insider claim that Magpies forgotten man Atsu is one player who could still be heading for the exit door by the end of next week, with Nottingham Forest and Watford named as potential suitors.

The report adds that both Championship clubs are keen on the Ghana international as they believe he can help them fire them back into the Premier League for next season.

Perfect chance for Newcastle

After making the move to St James’ Park in the 2016/2017 season, Atsu certainly showed flashes of promise in a Newcastle shirt.

Despite his lack of game-time, former Magpies boss Rafa Benitez was never shy in praising him, once saying: “I want to give credit to Atsu, though. Atsu was on the bench, but he came on and was quite good, and gave an impact to the team. It’s one of the things I have said before: we have one or two players who, sometimes, they are not even in the squad, and they are training really well.

“Bournemouth was an opportunity for Atsu, and for Muto, to give us something, because you can see them in training, where they are very professional and they are working very hard.”

But despite the high praise, things have never really worked out for the 60-cap Ghanaian. His game-time at St James’ Park has gradually reduced, particularly after Steve Bruce’s arrival as manager – last season saw him make just 24 appearances across all competitions.

And even when he has taken to the pitch, his end product can be left found wanting, with no goals in the 2019/2020 campaign, and just three combined in the two seasons before that.

Earning around £30k-a-week, Atsu is just wasting valuable money at this point for the Magpies, and it’s surely the perfect time for Newcastle to cut their losses.

And in other news, Newcastle’s summer signing may spell bad news for this one player who left Steve Bruce dazzled.