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Celtic enjoyed a 2-0 win at Motherwell in the Premiership on Saturday afternoon thanks to goals from Jota and David Turnbull.

However, not every player put in the kind of performance that they would have liked, and The Transfer Tavern have picked out the three worst Hoops players based purely on Sofascore statistics (players must feature for at least 45 minutes in order to be considered).

Joe Hart

Statistically, Hart was Celtic’s third worst player on the pitch.

This seems very harsh considering that he managed to keep a clean sheet in between the sticks. However, as a ‘keeper who likes to come out of his goal at times, emphasised by his one successful dribble and one ground duel won (Sofascore), he may have been disappointed to not play any key passes and only have 43 touches of the ball in total.

Sofascore decided to give him an overall rating of seven out of ten.

Liel Abada

Abada was the Celts’ second worst player with a 6.8 rating on Sofascore.

The Israel international lost out on two of his duels and also failed to record a single dribble, key pass or accurate cross, the latter from seven attempts (Sofascore).

Abada was also guilty of losing possession on 12 separate occasions throughout the match, and recorded just 40 touches of the ball in total, the second fewest out of any Bhoys player to have started the match (Sofascore).

Kyogo Furuhashi

Despite his heroics so far this season, Kyogo was statistically the worst player in Ange Postecoglou’s starting XI at Fir Park, with a 6.6 overall rating.

The 26-year-old lost three duels and failed to record a shot on target, dribble or key pass during his 82 minutes on the pitch (Sofascore).

He also had a mere 16 touches of the ball, nine fewer than substitute Nir Bitton, who only featured for 17 minutes (Sofascore). That highlights how isolated the Japan international was up top at times.

In other news, find out who could be back for Celtic in the ‘next couple of weeks’

Queens Park Rangers have been handed a big injury boost ahead of their Championship fixture on Wednesday night.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by West London Sport, Mark Warburton revealed that he is “very optimistic” that Charlie Austin will be fit enough to play a part in QPR’s trip to Middlesbrough on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old has not featured for the Rs since his withdrawal midway through the second half of the club’s 1-1 draw with Millwall on the opening day of the Championship season, having taken a heavy knock to his knee.

However, it very much appears as if the centre-forward could well be back in action at the Riverside Stadium, with Warburton stating: “Charlie will be training [on Monday] and we’ll see how he goes.

“It was a whack on the knee, some bruising and it had to calm down. We’ll see how he is, but I’m very optimistic.”

Fans will be buzzing

While QPR demonstrated in their 3-0 win over Hull City last weekend that they do not have much of a problem finding the back of the net in the absence of Austin, the striker’s prospective return to first team action this week will nevertheless have the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium faithful buzzing.

Indeed, the £1.8m-rated man was in fantastic form over his 21 Championship appearances while on loan in west London last season, bagging eight goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 2.3 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £52k-per-week forward earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.94, ranking him as Warburton’s eighth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, the return of the former Southampton hitman will undoubtedly provide the QPR manager’s chances of continuing his side’s impressive early-season form with a rather substantial boost, with the Rs boss – along with the club’s fans – undoubtedly hoping that Austin can bag a goal or two upon his potential return to action on Wednesday.

In other news: Warburton drops claim on “outstanding” £4k-p/w beast that will have QPR fans buzzing

Manchester United secured a crucial victory over Arsenal in their Premier League clash at Old Trafford, with Cristiano Ronaldo taking his career goals tally up to 801.

The visitors took the lead in bizarre circumstances in the 13th minute when Emile Smith Rowe fired the ball home with goalkeeper David De Gea laid stricken on the floor injured.

It was Fred who trod on the Spanish shot-stopper’s ankle in the build-up to the visitor’s opening goal, but the midfielder made amends on the stroke of half-time, teeing up Bruno Fernandes for the equaliser.

Ronaldo then expertly finished from Marcus Rashford’s cutback shortly after the interval before the game swung back in Arsenal’s favour.

Martin Odegaard’s near-identical strike levelled things up once again until the five-time Ballon d’Or winner smashed a winning penalty down the middle of the goal after VAR advised referee Martin Atkinson to go to the pitchside monitor.

Despite Ronaldo’s brace, though, it was perhaps his compatriot Fernandes who stole the show in this entertaining midweek encounter, proving to be Michael Carrick’s final Old Trafford hero.

As per SofaScore, the 27-year-old received a match rating of 7.8 out of 10 for his impressive exploits, the second-highest total awarded amongst his teammates to feature on Thursday night.

Throughout the 90 minutes, Fernandes made a whopping four key passes to his grateful teammates, made two tackles, and picked out a colleague with two of his three attempted long balls, highlighting his influence over proceedings.

And 90min journalist Craig Vickers was equally as impressed, writing: “A couple of gorgeous lofted balls in behind the Arsenal defence, taking his goal well,” after awarding him a seven out of 10.

With winnable fixtures against the likes of Crystal Palace, Young Boys and Norwich City up next, new manager Ralf Rangnick will be hoping Fernandes can maintain this sort of form in the weeks ahead.

And, in other news…Rangnick must end MUFC’s striker search by signing “special” £45m “incredible talent”

A key Rangers transfer claim has been made ahead of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s first window in charge of the Glasgow giants…

What’s the talk?

Retired Scotland international Frank McAvennie has claimed that he would ‘certainly expect’ the Gers to bolster their defence in the January transfer window.

The 62-year-old has pointed to their struggles against Martin Boyle, who scored a hat-trick in Hibernian’s 3-1 win over Rangers last weekend, as evidence as to why they need to dip into the market.

He told Football Insider: “I should think there will be deals.

“Martin Boyle is a very good player but if one player is running rings around your entire defence, you have a problem. The same quality hasn’t been there this season and sometimes the best way to amend that is with fresh blood.

“Maybe things have gone stale but look at the number of times they have conceded first this season.

“It’s a shocking drop off from last season. I don’t know if Van Bronckhorst will have taken the job if he wasn’t going to be backed. Let’s see what happens in January but I would certainly expect some movement to fix that defence out.”

Fans will be buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with this claim from McAvennie as the team’s defence has faltered at times this season, so bringing in defensive reinforcements in January could delight those who want to see the backline improved.

So far this season, the Gers have only kept three clean sheets in their 13 Premiership matches. In the 2020/21 campaign, Steven Gerrard’s side managed 26 shutouts in 38 games on their way to the title, but the 41-year-old was unable to carry the impressive defensive record into the current season prior to his departure for Aston Villa earlier this month, with Van Bronckhorst tasked with improving that statistic.

The Dutchman also has to deal with Leon Balogun and Connor Goldson both being out of contract at the end of the season, although the former has an option to extend by a further 12 months. This means that Goldson could be on his way out the door next summer, so signing a replacement for him in January could be an ideal situation for the club and would surely please the fans.

Rangers could bring in a centre-back during the January transfer window to slowly take over from Goldson throughout the second half of the campaign. The former Brighton man could then leave next summer, with his replacement already in the door and accustomed to Van Bronckhorst’s tactics and his teammates.

AND in other news, Forget Morelos: “Special” Rangers beast with 91.6% duels won stole the show vs Sparta…

Tottenham Hotspur could make a move for Lautaro Martinez in this summer’s transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, Spurs have an interest in the Inter Milan striker if Harry Kane were to depart North London before this month’s deadline.

The Lilywhites will have stiff competition from their arch-rivals Arsenal, who are exploring the opportunity to sign Martinez, with the Serie A outfit looking to sort out their financial problems.

Inter need to sell players this summer and the 23-year-old is someone who could garner plenty of funds, although it remains to be seen how much would tempt them into a sale.

Transfermarkt currently value him at a whopping £72m, whilst his wages are thought to be around €2.5m-per-year – around €52k-per-week (£45k-per-week).

Life after Kane?

If Spurs are trying to plan for life without the England talisman, then Martinez is a pretty outstanding contingency plan and one man who they should absolutely push to sign.

Kane’s future is in doubt right now, with fresh reports from the Telegraph suggesting that the 28-year-old will insist on joining Jack Grealish in a move to Manchester City.

The long-serving youth product has made no secret of his desire to add silverware to his glistening goalscoring record, and with Spurs’ barren run without a trophy stretching back to 2008, it’s no wonder he wants to leave now.

New sporting director Fabio Paratici will know first-hand the credentials of Martinez, who has excelled for Juventus’ rivals in recent seasons.

On Inter’s way to their first league title in 11 years, the 28-cap Argentina international provided 19 goals and 11 assists, averaging a direct contribution every 108 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

This is similar to the sort of importance that Kane carries in North London, having provided 54.4% of all their league goals scored last term, whilst he averages a goal or assist every 98 minutes throughout his whole Spurs career.

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is a big fan of his fellow countryman as he once described him as “an impressive forward” to Mundo Deportivo, before adding: “He’s spectacular. He has impressive qualities. You could tell he was going to be a great player, and he is showing that. He’s very strong, really good one on one, scores a lot of goals, and in the area he fights with anyone, holds it up, he can turn, scrap to win it all on his own. He has a lot of quality. He’s very complete.”

That final word is one you’d very much associate with Kane, as the Englishman offers so much more than just goals. He can drop back and find any player with his impressive range of passing, so the pair are in a similar mould.

If the 28-year-old does leave N17 in this window, then Spurs should absolutely launch a swoop for the Inter Milan sensation. He’d be a dream replacement, whatever the costs.

AND in other news, Nuno dealt huge Spurs blow as worrying transfer report emerges, fans will be furious…

Aston Villa are in line to bring Ashley Young back to the club, 10 years on after leaving for Manchester United, according to the Daily Mail.

And, as to be expected, several Villa fans were quick to give their immediate thoughts to the news online.

The Daily Mail claim that Young will be allowed to leave Inter Milan this summer, with the Serie A giants looking to balance their financial books.

Young helped Inter Milan win Serie A last season, making 34 appearances in all competitions.

The 35-year-old played at left-back, right-back and as a left midfielder during the 2020/21 campaign, with Young also attracting interest from Watford and Burnley.

His experience of the British game appears to be a reason why Villa are looking to bring him back to the Midlands, with Yong making 369 appearances in the Premier League.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared the Daily Mail’s claim regarding Young on Twitter on Tuesday evening.

These Villa supporters were quick to share their delight, with one describing a possible deal as ‘class’.

“Wait, what?”Credit: @LukeKing_”My word, if this happens”Credit: @reidjones25″Great signing as a back up to Targett”Credit: @GW_94″would actually be class as a back up left back why is everyone mad”Credit: @avfcben___”I beg”Credit: @LewBlud”Get him. Make it happen. On my desk by the morning. I want it. Yep. Do it. Make it so. Please.”Credit: @StevieGreenXI

In other news: Many AVFC fans react to what Man City are plotting, find out more here. 

Ciaran Dickson appears to have completed a move to Celtic after turning out for the Hoops’ B team against Morton on Saturday, as per The Scottish Sun.

The Lowdown: Dickson was pictured with a Celtic shirt recently

Dickson, who was described as ‘terrific’ by Steven Gerrard last season, was a surprise release at Ibrox in the summer.

The 19-year-old only signed a new deal with Rangers back in January but was let go at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

The midfielder was pictured holding up a Celtic shirt last week, leading to rumours of a cross-Glasgow switch materialising.

The Latest: Debut goal for Dickson

Dickson actually turned out for Celtic against Morton in the SPFL Trust Trophy on Saturday, as reported by The Scottish Sun.

Wearing the number 10 jersey, he scored on his debut after 30 minutes to halve a 2-0 deficit for his team.

Celtic went on to lose 3-1, but it seems as if Dominic McKay may have sealed an under-the-radar addition to the club’s youth ranks in Dickson, with a tweet from the club’s B team account labelling the 19-year-old as a new signing.

The Verdict: Shrewd move?

Dickson is a player who clearly caught the eye of Gerrard last season and was of interest to Premier League side Burnley, so a cut-price move to Celtic Park seems to be a smart piece of business from McKay.

The Hoops appears to be building for the future with the signings of youngsters Liel Abada, Liam Shaw, Liam Scales, Osaze Urhoghide and Joey Dawson, and it looks as if Dickson can now be added to that list judging by his B team appearances over the weekend.

In other news: McKay eyes record-breaking ace for Celtic and Ange; could be available for cut-price fee.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has indicated on Twitter that Tottenham Hotspur are set to sign Barcelona defender Emerson Royal, with a deal set to be confirmed later today.

The Lowdown: Emerson profiled; a smash hit in La Liga

Providing an offensive threat down the right-hand side, the 22-year-old has proven to be a smash hit since moving to La Liga in 2019. Last season was a particular success for Royal, registering six goal contributions in 38 appearances with two goals and four assists [Transfermarkt].

Part of a three way-deal, the 6 foot 1 ace initially signed for Barcelona in 2019 whilst also joining Andalusian outfit Real Betis on loan, where he has spent the past two seasons before eventually linking up with Ronald Koeman’s men this summer [BBC].

He now looks set for north London following Romano’s latest update.

The Latest: Romano signifies that deal should be completed today

Communicating to his large Twitter audience, well-respected Romano issued a huge update regarding his next career steps, stating:

“Emerson Royal from Barcelona to Tottenham, done deal and here-we-go confirmed. €30m add ons included from Spurs, paperworks completed during the night”.

The Italian also indicated that an official announcement of Royal’s €30m (£25.75m) move to N17 should be announced later today on a deal running to 2026, with Betis receiving a €5m (£4.2m) cut of the transfer.

The Verdict: Royal would significantly improves Spurs’ full-back options

Possessing quality in abundance, the signing of the Brazil international will significantly advance the Lilywhites’ options in the full-back positions.

His defensive solidity will suit the functionality of Nuno Espirito Santo’s system as Tottenham look to continue their domestic run of three consecutive clean sheets, illustrated by the fact that Royal won 2.7 tackles on average per La Liga game last season [WhoScored] – only one Spurs player had a better average for that metric in the 2020/21 Premier League [WhoScored].

All things considered, the Sao Paulo native appears to have the necessary attributes to succeed at the elite level for Tottenham, provided that the deal becomes final.

In other news, a Spurs legend is impressed with one summer signing. Find out more here.

Many Everton fans have been left to slam Bill Kenwright’s ideal choice to succeed Carlo Ancelotti as the next manager ay Goodison Park.

As per Football Insider, the chairman of the Merseyside club is championing David Moyes to be the next boss after Ancelotti departed for Real Madrid.

Kenwright wanted Moyes to replace Marco Silva when he left in 2019, and retains great admiration for the West Ham United coach.

He still remains a good relationship with Moyes, although any pursuit of the Scotsman is thought to be a long shot given that he is in advanced discussions over a new contract at the London Stadium.

Although Moyes has come off of the back of a great season with the Hammers, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League, and was generally very successful with the Toffees before, guiding them to an impressive fourth-placed finish in the 2004/05 campaign, several Blues feel as if they do not want to go back to an old manager and instead focus on a new one to take them forward.

He was also largely unsuccessful at Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland by virtue of league positions (Transfermarkt), showing that he does not guarantee success, and at 58 years of age, perhaps the Toffees should be targeting a younger boss with fresh ideas.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-updates-3/” title=”Everton updates! (3)” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Everton fans on Kenwright wanting Moyes

These Everton fans slammed the news of Kenwright wanting Moyes as it was shared on Twitter:

“Aaaaaarrgh!”

Credit: @1878stevo

“Our owners are actually awful when it comes to football haha”

Credit: @efcdoyley

“Can someone just lock Kenwright in a cupboard until we’ve appointed someone, please.”

Credit: @KenPeden

“Wish Moshiri would get rid of Kenwright”

Credit: @JohnnoUK

“No no no”

Credit: @15_martyng

“Step down Bill”

Credit: @mpelle22

In other news, find out what manager update has left Toffees fuming here!

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in Nicolo Zaniolo with sporting director Fabio Paratici eyeing up a swoop this summer…

What’s the word?

Calciomercato.it have once again linked Spurs with interest in the AS Roma midfielder but they face competition from Serie A rivals Juventus and AC Milan, as well as from Atletico Madrid and Sevilla.

It’s believed that the Rome outfit are looking for a fee in the region of €60m (£50m) to €70m (£58m) but they are said to be more likely to receive between €40m (£33m) to €50m (£41.5m).

It also remains to be seen whether manager Jose Mourinho would accept a sale or push for the board to try and renew the 22-year-old’s contract.

Bye-bye Ndombele

Lilywhites manager Antonio Conte recently hinted of his intentions to sign a new no.10-like player during the off-season to help the likes of Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski, so it’s no surprise to see the north Londoners mooted with a move for Zaniolo.

You’d have to then wonder what the future holds for Tanguy Ndombele – Spurs’ disappointing £55m club-record signing – as he is currently on loan to former club Lyon.

During his time at Hotspur Way, the Frenchman has been lambasted as being “very lazy” and as having a “bad attitude” by pundit Alan Hutton, as well as “disgraceful” by Sky Sports man Jamie Carragher last season.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-levy-conte-paratici-thfc” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

Meanwhile, despite persistent injury troubles, the Italy international remains one of the hottest prospects in his age bracket with Transfermarkt valuing him at £29.7m, which was higher than Kulusevski, 21, at the time of his departure from Juventus this winter.

The versatile attacking midfielder, who can also play on the wing, has featured in 36 matches this term, where he has delivered seven goals and eight assists, including a recent hat-trick in their Europa Conference League quarter-final win over Bodo/Glimt.

In terms of attacking output, Zaniolo is only tracking 0.1 shots per game behind top goalscorer Tammy Abraham at the Stadio Olimpico, whilst he leads the squad for dribbles (2.2 successive attempts per outing), as per WhoScored.

His ability and form in the Italian capital once caught the eye of legendary Roma striker Francesco Totti, who lauded the young maestro as “explosive” before also suggesting that he “plays like a veteran,” via the BBC.

Some have even likened him to Premier League greats Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, suggesting that he’s a more box-to-box beast that can contribute in the opposition’s penalty box, too.

As such, any Zaniolo arrival could finally force Ndombele out of the exit door at long last – at least, Conte would then have a valid reason to cash in on Spurs’ club-record disaster.

Paratici and co must look to sign the Italian this off-season.

AND in other news, Spurs “keeping tabs” on PL star that would excite the Lilywhites faithful…