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A loan move may be ‘the next step’ for Celtic defender Dane Murray, according to The Daily Record’s Mark Pirie. 

The lowdown

Murray came on at half time in the first leg of Celtic’s Champions League qualifier against FC Midtjylland in July after Nir Bitton was sent off, and he kept his place for the second leg.

Celtic were ultimately knocked out after extra time, and Murray hasn’t featured for Ange Postecoglou’s senior side since. His only action has come at reserve level.

Team-mate Stephen Welsh had been impressed with the 18-year-old against the Danes, hailing him as ‘fantastic, both on the ball and defensively’.

Murray could now join fellow Hoops youngsters Luca Connell, Jonathan Afolabi, Kerry McInroy and Ross Doohan out on loan.

The latest

Pirie writes that Murray will be ‘desperate’ for a first-team recall, but his chances look slim, with Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers seemingly the ‘current first-choice defensive pairing’.

‘A loan stint away from Glasgow’s east end’ may be the logical next move, he adds.

The verdict

While Murray wasn’t entirely convincing in the second leg against Midtjylland, it is a little surprising that he’s not even featured in the matchday squad for a league game.

He might be finding it a little dispiriting after a debut which seemed to herald a breakthrough season.

Still, a loan move that will allow to build his experience of top-flight football seems smart, particularly as Christopher Jullien’s return will only push him further down the pecking order.

In other news, Celtic tried to sign this left-back last summer. 

Lots of Everton fans were critical of the performance of Jonjoe Kenny in their 1-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.

With Nathan Patterson unavailable and Seamus Coleman dropped to the bench, Kenny was left to play at right-back, and he seemed to struggle throughout the game up against both Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho.

The 24-year-old lost out on three of his duels and failed to make a single dribble, tackle or cross, while he also lost possession of the ball on 24 different occasions in total, the most out of any of his teammates (SofaScore).

He did not do enough to warrant keeping his starting place ahead of Coleman and Patterson, and Duncan Ferguson now has a selection dilemma to ponder ahead of Everton’s next match.

Everton fans blast Kenny

These Toffees fans on Twitter blasted Kenny’s performance against Aston Villa on Saturday:

“Kenny can’t pass a ball 5 feet”

Credit: @blackhurst92

“Can’t believe Kenny was playing today, offers nothing with the ball. No Gordon as well was baffling. Heading for the Championship after years of squad mismanagement, fully deserved”

Credit: @MarkWood17

“Kenny and Holgate starting. 2 lightweights in midfield. Wingers having to cut back all the time. No cohesion. Absolute shambles of a club.”

Credit: @nsno1878

“Jonjoe Kenny, who’s he conned into making him a pro footballer?”

Credit: @JoelBeckett93

“Jonjoe Kenny is atrocious”

Credit: @paddy55304510

“Jonjoe Kenny is dead set one of the worst players I’ve ever seen.”

Credit: @LDand_13

In other news, find out whose display against Villa was also slammed by many Evertonians

Leicester City have been linked with a move for Barcelona youngster Ilaix Moriba, with the La Liga giants fearing he could leave on a free transfer next summer.

What’s the story?

The highly-rated 18-year-old has entered the final year of his current contract with his boyhood club and has so far been unable to reach an agreement over fresh terms.

As a result, Barca are thought to be open to Moriba’s departure after being forced to train with the reserves, and several Premier League clubs are believed to have been in contact with the player’s representatives, according to 90min.

The report claims that England’s traditional ‘Big Six’ have been offered the teenager’s services, along with Leicester, West Ham United, Everton and Wolves.

Leicester City fans will be buzzing

The £22.5m-rated Moriba burst onto the scene for Barca last season, scoring one goal and providing three assists in 18 appearances for Ronald Koeman’s charges.

As per WhoScored, he recorded an average of 0.9 shots per league game in 2020/21, 0.5 key passes and 1.2 dribbles, highlighting his considerable contribution to Barca’s play.

It was hoped that the 6ft maestro would become a pivotal part of the Catalan club’s new era, but his imminent exit is now looking inevitable.

The news of Moriba’s availability will surely have a large section of Leicester fans buzzing. The Midlands outfit have largely built their recent success off the back of buying promising youngsters for low fees before developing them and selling them on for astronomical profit.

Stars such as N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and Harry Maguire have all come and gone after gracing the King Power Stadium with their considerable talent, allowing the club to reinvest the proceeds of their sales into the playing squad and a new training ground.

And bringing in Moriba would fit perfectly with that management style. The Spain Under-18 international has established himself as one of the most promising central midfielders in the European game and looks destined for a glittering career.

Whether Leicester act on his attainability only time will tell, but manager Brendan Rodgers would surely be delighted at the opportunity to work with such a talented young player. The Leicester boss must act now.

And, in other news…Bye-bye Maddison: Leicester must get “phenomenal” £27m-rated gem with “magical powers” 

Tottenham Hotspur are set to compete with Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain for the prospective free transfer of AC Milan’s Franck Kessie in January, according to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Tuttomercatoweb), and the trio of suitors may have been given some encouragement following recent developments. 

The Lowdown: Contract problems 

Since his permanent move to AC Milan in 2019 following a two-year loan spell, Kessie has been linked with a move to top clubs across Europe. 

The 24-year-old, who has made 44 appearances for the Ivory Coast national team, hasn’t appeared for the Serie A side since his brace earned all three points at the end of May against Atalanta.  He is yet to feature for Stefano Pioli’s side this season after helping his nation to the quarter-finals of the Olympic Games in Tokyo during the summer. 

With his contract running out next summer, the interest in Kessie is set to increase during the upcoming 12 months. 

The Latest: Contract roadblock

According to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Tuttomercatoweb), Kessie has rejected a contract extension from Milan worth €6.5m (£5.57m) a year. 

The Italian newspaper reported that the midfielder wants €8m (£6.86m) a year plus €2m (£1.7m) in bonuses, and Spurs are said to be keen on the midfielder, who scored 13 goals in 37 league appearances for the Rossoneri last season. 

Milan will be fearful of losing one of their key players for nothing like they did with Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG) and Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter). 

Kessie claimed in July that he wanted to stay at Milan ‘forever’ but has now rejected a new deal with the club.

The Verdict: Perfect Box-to-Box 

Kessie’s quality has been clear to see since he arrived at the San Siro. Last season he carried an 89% pass completion per match whilst making 2.07 blocks per game. 

Spurs currently have a couple of gifted centre-midfielders in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp, but with doubts having circulated over Tanguy Ndombele’s future, the arrival of Kessie would be an added bonus to Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad. 

Former Milan striker Antonio Cassano even lauded the midfielder as “intelligent” and “devastating” earlier in the year during one of the best seasons of his career, and we will have to see whether the Lilywhites can beat the pulling power of PSG or Liverpool next summer. 

In other news: Many Spurs fans have been raving about one of their summer signings – find out more here.

Eberechi Eze has been pictured behind the camera at Crystal Palace’s training ground.

Eze has yet to play for Palace this season, having suffered an Achilles tendon injury at the back end of the 2020/21 campaign.

Injury expert Ben Dinnery told Football Insider this week that Eze will now be ‘in and around those training pitches and moving to the next phase’ of his rehabilitation.

He ‘should be able to go out on the grass and undertake some light jogging’, he adds.

The 23-year-old is predicted to be back in action at some point next month.

Just how big will Eze’s return be?

Based on his performances in his first season at Selhurst Park, it will be a significant boost for Patrick Vieira.

Eze led the Palace squad for assists (six), key passes (1.3 per 90) and dribbles (1.9 per 90) last season (via WhoScored).

Palace fans will be keen to see how he links up with new signings like Conor Gallagher and Odsonne Edouard.

Here’s how supporters reacted as the official club Twitter account posted ‘Ebs content to bless the timeline’.

Palace fans enjoy Eze tweet

“On god he’s the happiest looking guy, makes me smile, he’s funny too, the FIFA card vid is gas”

Credit: @eaglism

“Never been so buzzing for a player to come back from injury”

Credit: @palacejoe_

“He’s always so happy”

Credit: @kimberley_e_

“Gods be praised”

Credit: @EvilSashPioneer

“Gotta be the happiest man on earth he is literally always smiling”

Credit: @C_sharp29

“The most anticipated comeback of all time, honestly can’t wait for it!”

Credit: @J_CPFC

In other news, Eagles scouts have been spotted at this fixture. 

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is closing in on signing Legia Warsaw’s Josip Juranovic, according to The Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Juranovic’s 2021/22 season

Juranovic has already made eight appearances this season, six of which have come as a starter.

In all six games, the Croatia international has started, he has played as a right midfielder.

The 25-year-old, on £317,200-a-year with Legia Warsaw, is thought to be keen on a move to Parkhead, and it seems as if a Scotland switch is edging closer.

The Latest: Daily Record report

The Daily Record shared a Celtic-related story on Wednesday evening regarding Juranovic and Thomas Henry.

They claimed that Postecoglou is closing in on signing Juranovic in a deal worth £3m.

Postecoglou has reportedly turned his attention to Juranovic after struggling in attempts to sign Aurelio Buta and George Baldock.

The Verdict: Shrewd move

Juranovic has started this season as a right-midfielder, but you’d expect he’ll rival Anthony Ralston to be first-choice right-back, should a move to Celtic get over the line as expected by The Daily Record.

Postecoglou only has Ralston and Lee O’Connor as right-back options at this moment in time, so a £3m deal for Juranovic appears to be a smart move at first glance as he has made over 100 appearances in that area.

It’s good to see that Juranovic will be capable of playing further forward if required, as he has shown in recent weeks, and it appears as if he’ll become Celtic’s eighth summer signing.

In other news: ‘Celtic have started official talks’ for versatile £10,000-p/w ace; he’s ‘incredibly fast’. 

Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has claimed that Tottenham may be planning a ‘system reboot’, following claims that Antonio Conte is receptive to offers for Tanguy Ndombele (Football Insider). 

The Lowdown: Receptive to offers for Ndombele

Since the Italian’s arrival in N17, Ndombele has played just five minutes of Premier League football. After arriving at Tottenham in the summer of 2019 for a club record fee of £54m, the Frenchman has struggled to establish himself as a key component of this Spurs side, with just six goals and four assists in 61 top-flight appearances.

Despite being under contract to the club until 2025, it is reported that Conte has made it clear to the club’s powerbrokers that they should be receptive to offers for Ndombele. This comes amid reports that Juventus are interested in singing the Frenchman in the January transfer window.

The Latest: Pundit claims system reboot is needed

Speaking to Football Insider in the wake of these reports, former Premier League manager McLeish claimed that Tottenham are right to trim the squad of inconsistent players like Ndombele.

He said: “You have to regroup as a squad at some point. For a pretty long time, there have been players who haven’t quite made the grade at Spurs, who haven’t been able to sustain themselves at the top level.

“The consistency is key. How many times have we said ‘he was great last week’ and then we don’t speak about him for 10 weeks as he isn’t playing.

“So I think there has to be a bit of a system reboot. That will mean some players have to leave and you say goodbye.“

The Verdict: Reboot necessary for top four push

Despite Ndombele being called  ‘magnificent’ by former Tottenham manager José Mourinho, it is clear that Conte does not hold a similar opinion of the midfielder; and with the 24-year-old having a current market value of £40.5m, this could be the right time to offload him. This comes as Spurs are reportedly planning ‘the biggest window in the club’s history’, with suggestions that as many as 10 transfers could be completed between incomings and outgoings.

With a bid for Champions League qualification in mind, Conte will surely not mess about when it comes to dropping players from the squad. The Italian has already called on Ndombele to ‘work much more than the others’, so if he doesn’t see results, we could see the player leave the club in January, as McLeish has seemingly hinted.

In other news: Tottenham lead transfer race for £59.5m-valued beast who’s earned Haaland comparisons

Rangers enjoyed a productive January transfer window as Ross Wilson completed a number of deals to reshape Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad.

Nathan Patterson left for a club-record fee and the sporting director made the most of that sale by snapping up fresh talent.

Aaron Ramsey, Amad Diallo, James Sands and Mateusz Zukowski all came in, with John Souttar also agreeing a pre-contract deal with the Glasgow giants to join on a free transfer at the end of the season.

The Welsh loanee from Juventus, Ramsey, has scored two goals in his last two Premiership outings as he is starting to show why he was brought to the club. However, Sands, Diallo and Zukowski are all yet to make their breakthrough in the first-team.

They may not be at their sparkling best right now but that does not mean that they are all poor signings by Wilson and the club.

In fact, the Gers have played a blinder with the addition of Zukowski at right-back as he is a player who has the scope to develop into a quality player for the club.

Upon the right-back’s arrival, Wilson claimed that he has “high potential” and his soaring market value over the last 12 months reflects that. Transfermarkt valued him at a measly £180k in May 2021 and his form for Legia Gdansk led to him being valued at £2.25m at the time of his switch to Scotland, which means that his value has risen by 1150% in less than a year.

In the Ekstraklasa this season, he averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.84 across 18 appearances. He managed two goals and one assist from full-back, whilst making an outstanding 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game – winning 5.4 duels per match, with these performances causing his stock to rise.

Meanwhile, Tavernier has made 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game in the Premiership. This suggests that, if he can carry his form over to Scotland, he may be more active defensively than the skipper, although it is unlikely that he will match the Englishman’s six goals and 11 assists.

The Gers veteran turns 31 later this year and could be heading into the final throes of his Ibrox career, with Zukowski lined up to take over from him at right-back in the future.

Whilst the Ibrox faithful may not be seeing the full benefits of this move yet, everything indicates that it is only a matter of time before he shows what he is capable of for the club as they have picked up a gem who is on the up and has room to grow. Wilson played a blinder by picking the 20-year-old up as his value continues to soar and, hopefully, he will be able to fulfill his potential in the coming years.

AND in other news, Gvb now plotting Rangers swoop for “exceptional” monster, he’d be a bargain “diamond”…

Crystal Palace will be aiming to extend their six-game unbeaten run when they take on Burnley in the Premier League over the weekend.

The enticing encounter at Turf Moor is set to pit two teams with contrasting styles against each other following the arrival of Patrick Vieira in south London, with the 45-year-old preferring a possession-orientated approach.

As per FBref.com, the Eagles have averaged 51.2% of the ball in their opening 11 top-flight fixtures of the season, compared to Burnley’s 38.7% – the second-lowest total in the division.

Vieira’s charges have also attempted the sixth-highest number of short passes (2020) in the Premier League and the 12th-highest number of long balls (999), clearly illustrating how the Frenchman wants his side to play.

The Clarets, on the other hand, have tried to pull off the fourth-lowest number of short passes (1416) and the third-highest total of long balls (1168).

Therefore, it would perhaps be wise if Vieira didn’t attempt to play Sean Dyche’s men at their own game, instead focussing on the slick interplay that helped them carve open Manchester City and Wolves in recent weeks.

As a result, in-form striker Christian Benteke – who Alan Shearer said was “scared to miss” last season – must be axed from the starting lineup after featuring from the off last time out, changing the game in Palace’s favour.

No side in the top-flight has won a higher percentage of their aerial duels than Burnley (55.2%) this season, and floating crosses into the opposition box for the big Belgian will suit Ben Mee and James Tarkowski down to the ground.

The centre-back pairing have won an average of 3.8 and four aerial duels per league game respectively in 2021/22, as per WhoScored, and although Benteke has bettered those tally’s (4.5), he’s unlikely to receive much support from his teammates.

While the £120k-per-week bully has been dominating defenders with his head, his colleagues haven’t enjoyed anywhere near as much success, with the second-best headers, Marc Guehi and Cheikhou Kouyate, winning just 1.7 duels.

Consequently, Palace’s best opportunity to claim the three points on Saturday would be to avoid pitting Benteke up against the Burnley battering rams and instead opting for the more mobile, elusive and intelligent options at their disposal.

The likes of Odsonne Edouard and Michael Olise have already shown themselves to be genuine threats at this level following their summer arrivals, and attacking prowess could prove pivotal as Vieira aims to secure a third consecutive victory for the first time during his Palace tenure.

And, in other news…“I wouldn’t rule out”: Journo makes bold Palace claim over 21 y/o, fans surely buzzing

Adam Jones has claimed that Everton must now make Burnley ‘regret’ their 2-0 loss at Norwich City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Great results for Everton

After the Merseyside club beat Manchester United 1-0 at Goodison Park in the Saturday lunchtime kick-off, other results at the bottom of the table also went their way over the weekend.

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Watford lost 3-0 at home to Leeds United on Saturday afternoon, while Burnley then went and lost to Norwich. It means that Frank Lampard’s team are now four points clear of the relegation zone with just eight matches left to play.

The Latest: Jones reacts to Premier League results

Taking to Twitter, Liverpool Echo journalist Jones has now given his reaction to the results, claiming that the Clarets dropping off after beating Everton 3-2 in midweek was a ‘real let off’ for Frank Lampard’s side.

He chimed: “Well that is quite the weekend of results for Everton. In some ways, it’s a real let off.

“Burnley really dropped the ball after what seemed like a defining victory in midweek. Everton need to make them absolutely regret that over their next few games, whatever it takes.”

The Verdict: Not over yet

The race to secure Premier League safety is certainly not over yet, but of course the weekend’s results provide a huge step in the right direction for the Toffees.

Some of their next few fixtures look particularly daunting, with a trip to Liverpool in the Merseyside derby followed by a home match against Chelsea to come.

There could be plenty of twists and turns along the way, but Lampard will be hoping that Everton’s win against the Red Devils can install some much-needed confidence in his team, ready for the rollercoaster ahead.

In other news, one Everton ace has been branded ‘disappointing’