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Newcastle United are now reportedly keeping close tabs on a “generational” star who could be ready to complete a big move to the Premier League in 2026.

Howe heaps praise on "relentless" Newcastle in Fulham victory

Following a routine victory over Benfica in the Champions League, Newcastle were once again made to work for a result in the Premier League.

The Magpies, who had won just twice in eight league games in the build-up, desperately needed to find a way past Fulham on Saturday and did just that courtesy of Bruno Guimaraes’ last-gasp winner.

Having his say on the much-needed win, Eddie Howe told reporters: “It was end-to-end. I thought it was a really attacking performance from both teams; both teams were going for the win. We’re delighted to get it ourselves.

“I thought it was a really good last 20 minutes from us; we were relentless in our pursuit to try and win. Eventually, one of those chances fell for us. Those points are so precious, but you also carry forward the belief that you can win in any situation, even when it doesn’t look like you will.”

That said, celebrations from the weekend can’t last very long. Newcastle’s focus must instantly turn towards facing Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. In search of defending their crown, the Magpies must find a way past an in-form side searching for more silverware, themselves.

Related Newcastle's “outstanding” talent can help Woltemade reach Shearer levels

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Given how important the Carabao Cup was to Newcastle’s season last time out, it will be interesting to see whether Howe chooses to rest players or field his strongest side in the competition. There’s no doubt that, with European football to balance with domestic duties, he must get things right.

Of course, adding another piece of silverware after last season would be no bad thing and it would certainly go a long way towards attracting the next generation of stars.

Newcastle keeping tabs on "generational" Monga

As reported by The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, Newcastle are now keeping tabs on Jeremy Monga as the Leicester City star continues to enjoy an impressive rise.

Still just 16 years old, Monga has already made more first-team appearances than Arsenal’s Max Dowman and Rio Ngumoha and is one of the most sought-after young players in English football.

It would represent a major coup if Newcastle managed to sign Monga ahead of Manchester City and they could even land a bargain deal for what would, in many ways, be their own version of Arsenal’s Dowman.

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Leicester are unable to tie their teenage sensation down to a senior contract until he turns 17 next June, which means he could leave for a compensation fee rather than what would be a hefty transfer fee.

The upcoming summer transfer window is shaping up to be one of the most important for Arsenal in a long time.

With Aaron Ramsey leaving the club for Juventus and strengthening needed in key areas of the pitch, Unai Emery has it all to do this summer when it comes to bringing in the right players. And one player who is likely to be surrounded in speculation this transfer window is Mesut Ozil.

The former German international has yet to win over the affection of Emery and has been in and out of the Arsenal first-team all season. The 30-year-old playmaker’s massive wages also make him ripe for the chop this summer, and according to the Mirror, Ozil and Henrik Mkhitaryan both face being shipped out of the club to increase funds for summer transfers.

On paper, it seems like a smart move. Both players have been underwhelming since their moves to north London and getting them off the wage bill would leave Arsenal with plenty of room to bring in new faces that the club desperately needs.

Selling Ozil sounds like the ideal solution to this problem, but letting Mkhitaryan go as well would be a big mistake for Emery.

The Armenian winger, who yes hasn’t lived up to the level of quality fans expected when he was swapped for Alexis Sanchez in 2018, has still been impressive this season. Six goals and six assists is a decent tally for a player that has not featured heavily this season due to niggling injuries.

Another reason to keep Mkhitaryan for another season is that Arsenal simply lack too much depth out on the wings to risk losing the former Borussia Dortmund star. He and Iwobi are the only true wingers at the club, and although the earlier report from the Mirror says Emery is targeting a left-sided midfielder, it’s fair to say that other positions could become more of a priority for the club, like the defence.

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Arsenal fans would rather see Mkhitaryan leave than Ozil this summer, given how popular the German is, but the reality is that the club will be better financially and on the pitch if Emery keeps the Armenian at the club and moves on Ozill.

Arsenal fans, what should the club do with Mkhitaryan and Ozil this summer?

It’s been a turbulent six months for Ademola Lookman, who didn’t get his summer move and has now been told to never speak to Ivan Juric again after a touchline spat with the Atalanta manager.

The Nigerian reportedly handed in a formal transfer request in the summer, but saw his exit blocked by Atalanta. Taking to social media to reveal the news, Lookman said: “I feel I have no choice but to speak out for what I believe is right and I feel that enough is enough. I can confirm I have now handed in a formal transfer request.”

That move never arrived, however, and the former Everton player was forced to stay put at Atalanta as the summer transfer window came to a close. Since then, Atalanta have struggled to get going in Serie A – falling to as low as 11th.

Lookman, himself, has also struggled to find form and has scored just once in nine appearances across the Champions League and Serie A. Compared to last season’s 20-goal total, it’s fair to say that his standards have dropped.

It’s worth noting, though, that his current form has not been enough to dissuade Tottenham Hotspur. The Lilywhites have reportedly made Lookman their top target in 2026 as they look to sign the 28-year-old who is desperate to leave Atalanta.

This time around, the Italians may have no choice but to let the Nigeria international leave after his public spat with manager Juric. The former Southampton manager took hold of Lookman after he decided to substitute the winger in a 1-0 win over Marseille in the Champions League, before the pair exchanged heated words.

Fans flocked to social media in the aftermath to request a transfer on the winger’s behalf.

Lookman told to never speak to Juric again after touchline spat

Several pundits have had their say on the incident since the full-time whistle was blown in Italy, including former Premier League forward Troy Deeney.

The former Watford star went as far as to suggest that Lookman should never speak to Juric again, saying: “When you physically put your hands on somebody, at that point me and you are not going to have a conversation again. There’s nothing you can say today, tomorrow, next week, that makes me forget you did that to me in front of everyone.”

The one benefactor to the argument may well be Spurs. If those in North London were watching, then they’ll be well aware that things have reached boiling point in Italy – allowing them to take full advantage.

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Ever since being denied a move in the summer, both Lookman and Atalanta have struggled to find top form. It begs the question as to whether they made the right decision to block the exit of an unhappy player.

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has confirmed that he will have the final say on any incoming signings made from here on out for the rest of the January transfer window.

The Northern Irish boss is only in post as an interim until the end of the 2025/26 campaign, but he will be able to have the last say on any players that come through the door this month, although he will also lean on others at the club for their opinions on certain targets.

Whoever was in the dugout at this time of the year, whether it was Brendan Rodgers, Wilfried Nancy, or O’Neill, a centre-forward was always going to be needed to strengthen the squad.

Why Celtic need to sign a new centre-forward

The Hoops need to add a top-quality number nine to their ranks before the end of the window because they do not have any players in double figures for goals so far this season. In fact, no striker in the squad has managed more than six goals in the Scottish Premiership.

Daizen Maeda, who has also played out wide, is the only Celtic striker who has scored more than four goals in the league, per WhoScored, but he has also underperformed his xG of 7.93, with six goals.

Celtic’s biggest xG underperformers

25/26 Premiership

xG

Goals

Johnny Kenny

8.27

4

Hyun-jun Yang

4.05

2

Daizen Maeda

7.93

6

Shin Yamada

1.59

0

Kelechi Iheanacho

3.41

2

Stats via WhoScored

As you can see in the table above, Johnny Kenny is the biggest xG underperformer in the squad in the Scottish Premiership this term, scoring just four goals from 8.27 xG.

The Ireland international, who is one of four strikers in the five biggest xG underperformers for Celtic, has started eight of his 13 appearances in the league, per Sofascore, but he has yet to prove that he can be relied upon.

Kenny has started four of the last five league games as Celtic’s number nine, per Sofascore, and O’Neill can finally ditch him from the side by swooping for a reported transfer target.

The £3m striker Celtic should replace Kenny with

The Hoops need to use the rest of the January transfer window to find the clinical number nine that they are clearly lacking in the current squad, given how badly their forwards have performed in front of goal.

Transfer Focus

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Celtic were linked with an interest in GAIS number nine Ibrahim Diabate, who is valued at £3m, in December, and he could be a brilliant first signing for O’Neill.

As aforementioned, the Scottish giants need to sign a striker who can finish chances at an impressive and efficient rate. Diabate is a player who has the potential to be exactly what they need.

The Ivorian marksman, who was described as a “super physical” striker by analyst Jan Schultz, scored 20 goals in 32 appearances for GAIS in all competitions in 2025, per Sofascore.

No current Celtic striker is on course to score 20 goals in the current campaign, barring a big turnaround in form in the next few months, which suggests that Diabate could provide a level of goalscoring that O’Neill does not have in his squad at the moment.

2025 Allsvenskan

Diabate

Rank vs STs

xG

13.80

Top 1%

Shots on target

28

Top 7%

Goals

19

Top 1%

Assists

5

Top 5%

Duels won

98

Top 21

Aerial duels won

71

Top 9%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old centre-forward scored 19 league goals from an xG of just 13.80, which means that he outperformed his xG by 5.20.

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Meanwhile, Kenny has underperformed by 4.27 xG in the Premiership for the Hoops this season. An underperformance like that would see him score between eight and nine goals from the xG that Diabate racked up in 2025.

These statistics suggest that Diabate has the finishing quality to arrive at Parkhead as a huge upgrade on Kenny, as both an out-and-out finisher and as a goalscorer, because of both the efficiency and volume of his goalscoring in 2025 for GAIS.

Therefore, O’Neill should push the club to make the Ivorian star his first signing of the January transfer window, after Nancy brought in Julian Araujo on loan from Bournemouth, so that he can finally drop Kenny from the XI.

Related Talks held: Yang upgrade now wants to sign for Celtic after Nancy sacking

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Newcastle United made some key changes to their attack in the summer and it was hardly a surprise given the sequence of events that played out.

They had money to spend, with Alexander Isak’s departure putting plenty of cash into the transfer kitty. Two new strikers, Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, have made a positive start to life up North.

The same cannot necessarily be said for Anthony Elanga. He joined from Nottingham Forest, but has only managed two assists so far this season. He was brought in as direct competition for Jacob Murphy, and the English winger has also struggled more this term than last. He’s only scored and assisted five times.

Newcastle targeting new winger

Newcastle’s work on strengthening in attack is clearly not complete yet. Eddie Howe’s side are also linked with a new number nine this winter, and could make a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers star Jorgen Strand Larsen, who they were chasing in the summer.

However, they are also lining up new signings elsewhere in attack. Over on the flanks, the Magpies are showing interest in another Old Gold star.

According to a recent report from the Mail, the North Eastern side are ‘thought to be among’ the clubs interested in signing talented teenage star Mateus Mane.

The 18-year-old has been a shining light in a dire season at Molineux, and it has unsurprisingly attracted the interest of Premier League sides, including Newcastle.

A price is not clear at this stage, but Rob Edwards’ side ‘consider Mane off limits’ for now.

Why Mane would be a good signing for Newcastle

Despite picking up some points in recent games, including their first win of the season against West Ham United at the start of 2026, it has very much been a season to forget for Wolves. However, Mane has been a bright spark in recent weeks.

He’s now played ten times in the Premier League this season, operating as a number 10 or even up front, though he has played lots of his youth career as a right-winger. In that time, the Portugal-born star has managed two goals and one assist.

His three goal involvements for Wolves have come at a good rate, averaging one every 149 minutes. His most recent strike came in midweek against Everton, where he took the ball in his stride with a brilliant first touch, drove forward and slotted home.

It is easy to see why his former manager, Vitor Pereira, called him a “special” talent. In his last two games, both of which he has scored in, the teenager has created one chance, attempted four dribbles and won a combined ten duels. He has talent across different facets of the game.

Mane key stats vs. West Ham & Everton

Stat

vs. West Ham

vs. Everton

Touches

33

45

Duels won

5

5

Dribbles

3

1

Key passes

0

1

Expected goals

0.04xG

0.35xG

Stats from Sofascore

If the Magpies were to get this deal over the line, it could certainly spell bad news for Elanga and Murphy. Of course, the two existing right-wingers offer different things, with the Swede being one of the Premier League’s quickest players, and the Magpies number 23 a brilliant crosser of the ball.

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Yet their numbers are lacking this term. Whilst Mane is making such a difference in a small amount of time, Elanga is averaging a goal involvement every 679 minutes and Murphy every 338 minutes.

Bringing in the Wolves teenager, who can operate on the right flank, or, if Howe so pleases, as a number 10, offers great flexibility and an extra option to the squad. However, the fearlessness with which he picks the ball up and drives at a defender is not really on show for the Magpies on the right wing this term.

A fee is not yet clear, but Mane seems like a smart investment for the present and future of Newcastle. He would offer something different to Elanga and Murphy, and could even displace them in the team.

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Manchester United are in the process of looking for a new manager, and Fabrizio Romano has delivered an update on who the next man may be to take over at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim leaves Manchester United

Ruben Amorim definitely sparked debate among supporters about his complex formation and ability to deliver results. However, he has left Manchester United in a better place than he found them, if the Premier League table is anything to go by.

The Red Devils are firmly in contention for European football and have only lost one of their last six matches, albeit there is a feeling that draws may come back to cost them once their hefty fixture schedule begins to get tougher.

Speaking to BBC Sport after Amorim’s departure, Phil Jones made it clear that Manchester United stalemates with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United were the ‘final nail in the coffin’ concerning his tenure at the club.

He said: “It has been very difficult at times to watch – and the Wolves draw, for me, was the final nail in the coffin. At Old Trafford you expect speed, intensity and aggression. United should be sustaining the attacks, having crosses and shots – but there just wasn’t any of that.

“I thought they were OK against Leeds, but there has clearly been a breakdown in communication. That is what you can’t come back from.”

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Oliver Glasner and Julian Nagelsmann are early contenders to take over at Manchester United. With Darren Fletcher in interim charge, there is a suspicion that any notion of a permanent appointment may be pushed back until the summer.

Either way, new details have emerged regarding who could be most likely to take over from Amorim to see out the rest of the campaign at the English giants.

Romano: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in frame for Man Utd return

Delivering an update on Manchester United’s managerial situation on social media platform X, Romano has confirmed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has signalled his intention to take over as caretaker while the club begin their internal process to appoint Amorim’s successor.

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The Norwegian boss, who favours a 4-2-3-1 formation, has made it clear that he would ‘love’ to return to Old Trafford after a record of 92 victories, 35 draws and 41 defeats in 168 matches during his first spell in charge between 2018 and 2021.

After leaving Manchester United, Solskjaer took a four-year hiatus from management before a brief spell in charge of Turkish Super Lig giants Besiktas, claiming 15 wins in 29 encounters before being sacked in August 2025.

Now ready for his next adventure, the 52-year-old, making an emotional homecoming to Old Trafford to help steady the ship, could provide some unity after Amorim’s acrimonious exit.

Liverpool have turned a corner, now five matches unbeaten in all competitions and with two wins on the trot after dispatching Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.

Arne Slot’s team have climbed up to sixth place in the Premier League, still a distance behind table-toppers Arsenal, who sit ten points ahead of the champions, whose brace of own goals against Wolves later in the day retightened their grip on top spot. .

Some would say that that is an unassailable lead over the Merseysiders, but Liverpool do have a squad capable of competing and beating Mikel Arteta’s side – again – with the trip to the Emirates in less than a month one to watch, for sure.

Of course, after such abject results and performances, Slot’s side have so much work still to do, and if Saturday’s win told us anything, it’s that they would be worse off if they were to lose Mohamed Salah after the African Cup of Nations.

Salah's return to Liverpool action

To say it’s been a turbulent week for Salah at Liverpool would be an understatement. Last weekend, the Egyptian’s inflammatory outburst at Elland Road cast his future at the club into doubt.

The 33-year-old had been dropped to the bench for three successive matches, and after being kept on the sidelines as Liverpool capitulated against Leeds United, he paused at the mixer and unleashed an incredible series of comments concerning a broken relationship with the head coach.

He was dropped from the squad that beat Inter Milan entirely, and he started from the bench once again at Anfield, coming into the fray before half an hour against the Seagulls and whipping in the corner that Hugo Ekitike headed home for his second brace in a row.

This has created an intense air of doubt over Salah’s future at the club, with suitors from the Saudi Pro League circling.

But Liverpool simply cannot let their talisman leave. Even though he’s been so far out of sorts, Salah has still maintained a degree of prolificness in the final third, only trumped by Ekitike.

Liverpool’s Frontline in 2025/26

Player

Apps

Goals (assists)

Hugo Ekitike

23

10 (1)

Mohamed Salah

20

5 (4)

Cody Gakpo

21

5 (4)

Federico Chiesa

16

2 (3)

Alexander Isak

15

2 (1)

Florian Wirtz

21

0 (5)

Rio Ngumoha

8

1 (0)

Data via Transfermarkt

That’s a marker of Liverpool’s woes, the lack of balance and fluency across Slot’s frontline, but it also shows how important it is that the legendary winger is not cast aside at the campaign’s midpoint.

However, whether that is the same for another attacker is another question.

Liverpool's fringe forward must be pushing to leave

barring Ekitike, Liverpool’s new forwards have struggled to gel together this season. Salah too. However, who can argue against Federico Chiesa’s impact and tenacity when brought off the bench throughout the campaign?

The 27-year-old forward has yet to start in the Premier League or the Champions League this season, but he scored the winner in his side’s season opener against Bournemouth and scoring and assisting again in defeats against Crystal Palace and Manchester United. In the Carabao Cup, he claimed two assists against Southampton in a Man of the Match display.

But the £150k-per-week star must be reaching the end of his tether, having been used sparingly right since joining the Anfield side from Juventus for a cut-price £12.5m deal in August 2024.

Like Salah, the Italy international may be looking for the exit door, and it would be hard to blame him if it were so. Though Salah’s own case – and confirmed absence over the next month due to AFCON – suggests Chiesa will earn further chances to showcase his skills, Jeremie Frimpong is soon to return from injury, Liverpool may well be active in the transfer market.

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One side of the argument would draw attention to Salah’s potential departure in January, or maybe at the end of the season. Regardless, the £400k-per-week superstar is playing through his penultimate year on Merseyside at the latest.

However, FSG have a vested interest in Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, and his arrival would only knock Chiesa further down the pecking order.

On one side of the fence, Chiesa’s mentality and attitude have been impeccable despite his limited match action this season, but Chiesa surely can’t brook many more oversights from Slot. He needs to play, and with the January transfer window right around the corner, the Italian might just look for an exit.

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Newcastle United have now reportedly set their sights on welcoming an impressive Bundesliga talent back to the Premier League in 2026.

Newcastle receive shock Wissa hope before Burnley

In their 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night, Newcastle certainly could’ve done with the added firepower of Yoane Wissa. They welcomed the news that he’d been left out of the DR Congo squad for the African Cup of Nations, but were yet to welcome their summer signing back from the sidelines.

That, however, could be about to change. The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope dropped an unexpected update on Wissa’s fitness on Wednesday afternoon, claiming that the forward is now “pushing” to make a shock return to the bench against Burnley.

With fixtures coming thick and fast, to say Wissa’s return against Burnley would be a major boost for Eddie Howe would be an understatement. The Newcastle boss is yet to see his summer signing in action.

The returning forward may not be the only player to hand Howe a much-needed boost in the coming months, either. The January transfer window is now less than a month away and reports are claiming that Newcastle are preparing their move to sign Igor Thiago in a Wissa repeat.

The Brentford forward, who replaced Wissa in West London, has only been outscored by Erling Haaland in the Premier League so far this season and may have done enough to earn a big move.

It looks like those at St James’ Park are ready to add that quality in depth all across the pitch too, with Bilal El Khannouss also emerging as a 2026 target.

Newcastle determined to sign El Khannouss

As reported by TeamTalk, Newcastle are now determined to sign El Khannouss in 2026 and could attempt to secure his signature once his loan spell at VfB Stuttgart comes to an end next summer.

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During his time away from Leicester City, the midfielder has thrived – scoring five goals and creating another six in all competitions. But his heart remains set on a return to the Premier League that Newcastle could offer him next year.

Dubbed one of the “most intelligent creators” by Como scout Ben Mattinson back in April, it’s clear that El Khannouss wants to end some unfinished business in the Premier League.

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The 21-year-old went out with a whimper at Leicester City last season, but could come roaring back to England’s top tier courtesy of Newcastle next year.

Newcastle serious January bid for £13.5m "playmaker" likened to Tonali

Celtic were saved by their captain yet again on Saturday night when they were heading for a drab 0-0 draw away at St Mirren before Callum McGregor stepped up with seconds remaining.

The Hoops skipper picked the ball up from range in the 95th minute and unleashed a screamer of a shot that nestled in the top corner to secure all three points for the visitors.

Up until that point, Martin O’Neill’s side had struggled to show much in the way of quality against St Mirren, despite holding 73% of the possession, per Sofascore, which is why the game was tied with seconds remaining.

The hosts even created a ‘big chance’ from one of their 13 shots on goal, but, thankfully, they were unable to convert any of the opportunities that they created on the night.

Celtic, meanwhile, did not create a single ‘big chance’ from their 16 efforts against St Mirren, per Sofascore, which is why they needed a long-range strike from their captain to win the match.

Whilst McGregor’s sensational strike from distance bailed the club out in general, the skipper also bailed out several of his underperforming teammates on the night.

Celtic's worst performers against St Mirren

It would be remiss of us to speak about the worst performers on the night without starting with the player who was withdrawn from the match after 45 minutes, Johnny Kenny.

The Ireland international, who scored four goals in four matches for Celtic before Saturday’s game, won just one duel and lost possession six times from 17 touches in the first half, per Sofascore, as he failed to provide a focal point up front.

Kenny’s withdrawal meant that Daizen Maeda moved into the centre-forward role, after starting out wide. However, he ended the 90 minutes with two out of seven duels won, no key passes, and no shots on target, per Sofascore, which illustrates his ineffectiveness in the final third.

Celtic’s starting wingers vs St Mirren

Stats

Sebastian Tounekti

Daizen Maeda

Minutes

67

90

Shots on target

0

0

Key passes

1

0

Big chances created

0

0

Dribbles completed

2/6

1/2

Duels won

3/11

2/7

Possession lost

14x

12x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Sebastian Tounekti and Maeda both struggled out wide, and the latter up front in the second 45, throughout the game against St Mirren.

These statistics show that all three of the forwards who started on Saturday night failed to do enough to suggest that O’Neill should keep them in place for the club’s trip to play Feyenoord in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

Tounekti, Maeda, and Kenny were not the only underperforming Celtic players who failed to provide enough quality on the pitch against the Saints, though, as one Hoops flop is now looking like the new Luis Palma.

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Supporters will likely remember Palma, who is currently on loan at Lech Poznan, as a player who made a fast start to life in Glasgow before falling off and eventually being deemed surplus to requirements.

The Honduras international produced seven goals and nine assists, with 14 ‘big chances’ created, in 28 Scottish Premiership games during the 2023/24 campaign for the club, per Sofascore.

Unfortunately, though, the winger followed that up with a return of zero goals and zero assists in eight league matches the following season before being sent out on loan to Olympiacos for the second half of the campaign.

Whilst his fall-off this term may not be quite as drastic as Palma’s was, Celtic central midfielder Reo Hatate appears to be heading in the same direction.

Why Reo Hatate should be dropped by Celtic

The Japan international was a sensation in the middle of the park for the Scottish giants in the 2024/25 campaign with a return of nine goals and 14 ‘big chances’ created in 37 outings in the Premiership, per Sofascore.

Hatate provided regular quality at the top end of the pitch with his ability to make a difference as both a scorer and a creator of goals, as evidenced by his statistics, and that made him a vital player for Brendan Rodgers.

This season, however, the 28-year-old star has failed to deliver consistent quality in midfield for Celtic, with the clash against St Mirren being his latest underwhelming performance, which is why he should be ruthlessly dropped by O’Neill.

The Japanese midfielder, who was described as “sloppy” by ex-Hoops boss Neil Lennon during the game against Sturm Graz in the Europa League, ended the night with no shots on target, no ‘big chances’ created, and a duel success rate of 20% (1/5), per Sofascore.

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This shows that his performance was lacking in both quality and physicality, as he lost 80% of his physical tussles without providing any moments of genuine quality on the ball, and that has not been a rare occurrence for him this season.

Reo Hatate – Premiership

24/25

25/26

Appearances

37

10

Goals

9

1

Minutes per goal

241

708

Conversion rate

14%

10%

Big chances created

14

2

Assists

4

1

Dribble success rate

70%

57%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Hatate’s performances have dropped off since the end of last season, as he is scoring and creating goals far less frequently for the Premiership champions.

The Japan international’s last league goal for the club came against Aberdeen on the 10th August, and he has only produced two goals – including one penalty – and one assist in 18 appearances in all competitions this term, per Transfermarkt.

His concerning drop-off in form this season suggests that he may be on the road to becoming the next Palma, as a once supreme talent who now looks too inconsistent to be reliable to the Celtic manager.

Therefore, O’Neill should ruthlessly drop the central midfielder from the starting line-up to face Feyenoord away from home, as the Hoops may need quality and physicality to beat their Dutch opponents, and Hatate did not show either against St Mirren.

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A Brazil international says his friends and family members are now urging him to join Arsenal, describing the Gunners as the ‘perfect’ club.

Arsenal prepare for Chelsea after statement Bayern Munich win

Arsenal’s commanding 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night has set the stage perfectly for Sunday’s blockbuster Premier League clash with second-placed Chelsea this weekend.

Mikel Arteta’s side maintained their perfect Champions League record with a dominant second-half performance that overwhelmed the previously unbeaten German champions.

Jurrien Timber’s header from Bukayo Saka’s corner opened the scoring before teenage sensation Lennart Karl equalized with a composed volley to end Arsenal’s clean sheet streak in the competition.

However, the second period belonged entirely to the hosts. Substitute Noni Madueke, after returning from two months out with a knee injury, broke the deadlock with his first Arsenal goal before Gabriel Martinelli capitalized on Manuel Neuer’s catastrophic error to seal all three points.

The result sends Arsenal three points clear at the top of the Champions League table and represents their first victory over Bayern in a decade, ending a winless run against the Bavarians dating all the way back to October 2015.

Martin Odegaard’s late comeback appearance off the bench provided even more encouragement ahead of the weekend’s crucial encounter at Stamford Bridge.

The captain’s return offers Arteta additional midfield creativity just when Arsenal need it most, facing a Chelsea side riding high after their own impressive European victory over Barcelona.

Sunday’s clash represents a genuine title race test. Arsenal arrive in excellent form, having thrashed Tottenham 4-1 in the North London derby before dispatching Bayern, and they’re currently on a phenomenal 16-game unbeaten streak.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Chelsea, meanwhile, sit just six points behind the league leaders following their Champions League demolition job.

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Away from the pitch, sporting director Andrea Berta continues to weigh up how best to strengthen Arteta’s squad for the long-term.Reports suggest that Arsenal have already held ‘initial’ talks over Elche sensation Rodrigo Mendoza, amid his comparisons to Pedri, but someone else has now opened the door for a potential N5 move.

Luiz Henrique makes Arsenal transfer admission

That man is Zenit St. Petersburg winger Luiz Henrique.

The Brazilian, who boasts 11 caps for his country, joined the Russian Premier League side back in January following a brief stint in his homeland at Botafogo.

Before that, he was at Real Betis in La Liga after coming through the ranks at Fluminense, and he’s been discussing his next career moves in an interview with Globo Esporte.

Speaking to the outlet, as translated by Arsenal News, Henrique claims that his close circle have told him to join Arsenal, expressing how he is a “huge fan” of that idea.

The 23-year-old, who’s bagged one goal and three assists in 14 league appearances this season, is in Carlo Ancelotti’s thinking for the 2026 World Cup.

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He was included in the Brazil squad for recent friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia, making appearances off the bench, and Henrique’s versatility to play almost anywhere in attack would appeal to Arteta.

However, as yet, there’s been no links to the forward from an Arsenal perspective, at least not this year.

That being said, Henrique has clearly invited the north Londoners to make a move, so the door is wide open.