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Juan Mata’s decision to sign a new contract at Manchester United was surprising, says former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer.

The club confirmed at the start of the month that the 33-year-old attacking midfielder has agreed a new one-year deal, keeping him at Old Trafford until June 2022.

Mata found himself on the fringes last season, starting just six Premier League games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

And with Jadon Sancho, another attacker, swapping Borussia Dortmund for the Red Devils, it is hard to imagine Mata’s fortunes improving.

Speaking exclusively to TT about the Spaniard’s new contract, Palmer said:

“It surprised me that one, Juan Mata signing a new contract. Coming to the latter years of his career, surely he’ll be wanting to play football?

“He played very, very little football last season and I never get that. If you know you’re not going to be playing regularly, why would you stay at a football club?”

Mata is not the only United player who could be facing more competition this upcoming season.

The likes of Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly could also be in for a real battle should the club land Real Madrid central defender Raphael Varane, who they are currently chasing, as Solskjaer looks to build a title-winning squad.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Celtic have already been in talks with Tottenham Hotspur over a possible permanent deal for Cameron Carter-Vickers for a few months. 

The lowdown

The £22k-p/w centre-back joined Ange Postecoglou’s side on a season-long loan from Spurs on transfer deadline day last August, and The Daily Record recently reported that Celtic hope to strike a permanent deal this month.

The loan agreement was believed to contain a £6m option to buy with ‘significant’ add-ons, but Spurs have indicated that there could be room for manoeuvre on the fee and the payment structure.

Celtic have spelt £2.2m so far this month on four new arrivals – Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi, Daizen Maeda and Johnny Kenny.

The latest

O’Rourke believes that the dialogue between Celtic and Tottenham over a permanent deal dates back to the early part of the season, with Carter-Vickers quickly making a big impression on Postecoglou at Parkhead.

The journalist told Give Me Sport: “I’m sure both clubs have been talking ever since Carter-Vickers made the move to Celtic Park in the summer. He’s established himself as a key player under Ange Postecoglou.”

The verdict

Carter-Vickers has been a regular at Celtic from the outset. He went straight into the team for the clash with Ross County on 11 September, the Hoops’ first game after he joined, and has only missed one Premiership match since.

The 24-year-old has been in excellent form, too. His average SofaScore rating of 7.45/10 ranks him fourth in the Celtic squad, above their top two goalscorers Kyogo Furuhashi and Jota.

Postecoglou said last month that he ‘wouldn’t have brought him in’ if he didn’t think there was long-term potential, while Parkhead legend Kenny Dalglish has dubbed the American an ‘excellent professional’.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the Hoops have apparently been working away at this move for an extended period, and hopefully the months of communication with Spurs won’t go to waste.

In other news, one pundit has been left very impressed by Celtic’s transfer window so far

Glasgow Rangers are back in action tomorrow with another Old Firm clash on the cards for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Ibrox outfit.

This time, the Glasgow rivals will be battling it out for a place in the Scottish Cup final.

The Gers head into the showdown riding a wave of confidence after securing their place in the semi-finals of the Europa League thanks to a 3-1 midweek win against Braga in front of a rocking Ibrox.

In addition to this, it seems as though the Dutchman’s side have been handed a huge injury boost that will surely be a massive weight off the shoulders of everyone involved with the Light Blues.

What’s the news?

Speaking after the win on Thursday (via The Herald), Gers left-back Borna Barisic revealed that it was cramp that led to him leaving the pitch just before the end of regular time, rather than any serious injury.

Assuming that this cramp is no longer an issue for the player, having him available to feature against Celtic will be great news for Van Bronckhorst.

With 19 league appearances to his name in this campaign, the 29-year-old has managed to deliver three assists for his side.

Also, only James Tavernier (3.2) and Alfredo Morelos (2) have racked up a higher average of key passes per game than the Croatian – who makes 1.9 per 90.

From a defensive point of view, the full-back has also made 27 tackles in the league this season, leaving only Tavernier (41) and Joe Aribo (32) with more.

These metrics highlight how important Barisic is for his side in both an attacking and defensive regard, as well as how much of a nuisance he could be for Celtic to play against tomorrow.

In terms of his overall performances, the left-back is currently listed as the joint-fourth highest rated player at the Ibrox club with a WhoScored rating of 7.24.

With the Hoops having scored more and conceded fewer goals than any other side in the SPFL, having Barisic on the pitch will certainly give Rangers’ chances of beating their rivals a huge boost – a result that would delight everyone involved with the Light Blues.

AND in other news: £10.1m in the bank: Rangers hit the jackpot on “brutally ruthless” £31.5k-p/w machine

Everton will travel to Selhurst Park today in an important game where the Toffees must take their chances for a win that could put them back in the top half of the table.

Rafa Benitez’s side have only won one of their last five games, but their only victory was a convincing one, where they beat Arsenal 2-0 at Goodison Park on Monday evening, with Richarlison looking back to his best and their most recent win should take them into the Crystal Palace game full of confidence.

With that being said, here is how Football FanCast expects to see Everton line up vs Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

With only two changes to the starting side in the victory over Arsenal, just Mason Holgate and Andre Gomes get into the predicted XI for Sunday’s clash with Crystal Palace.

Mason Holgate comes in for Yerry Mina as the defender sustained an injury in the 31st minute of the Arsenal game, with Rafa Benitez ruling him out of the Premier League fixture this week.

The £64k-per-week defender has made seven appearances for the Toffees so far this season, so shouldn’t have a problem integrating back into the backline amidst Mina’s injury.

One player who caught the eye against Arsenal but was not in the original line up was Andre Gomes, who put in a fantastic performance when he was subbed onto the pitch in the 66th minute of the game. That substitution effectively changed the game as the midfielder worked well in the centre to lead to two late goals for Demarai Gray and Richarlison.

The Portuguese should get into the team over Andros Townsend today, although the wide man has found good form with Everton, it could be a good chance to give the 30-year-old a rest ahead of a huge clash against Chelsea midweek.

Gomes assisting Gray to secure the winning goal of the game against Arsenal should comfortably cement his place in the team at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon and we’re sure that the 28-year-old will be hoping to make an impact that will give Benitez a positive dilemma in the way he sets up his team in future.

Richarlison will also be hoping to make an impact as he got back to his scoring ways on Monday evening against Arsenal, with two goals disallowed the Brazilian finally netted a goal that stood in the 80th minute and we’re sure his performance will inject some confidence into the striker going into the game.

In other news: Everton receive yet another injury setback ahead of Palace clash

West Ham United are set to reignite their interest in Sparta Prague gem Adam Hlozek this January…

What’s the word?

That’s according to 90min journalist Toby Cudworth, who delivered a fresh update on the situation to social media this week.

“#WHUFC want to sign Adam Hlozek in January and also a centre-back to cover the injured Ogbonna,” he tweeted.

“Hlozek could be an initial loan with conditions to make an obligatory purchase, similar to Soucek’s 2020 deal. Kretinsky could be key.”

In an accompanying article, it’s claimed that the Irons are preparing a loan-to-buy agreement to sign the 19-year-old forward in the winter transfer window, which will be a similar type of deal used to sign Tomas Soucek in 2020.

The Hammers now have Sparta Prague co-owner Daniel Kretinsky on their board following his investment this month, so that is expected to stand them in good stead when negotiating a deal both clubs will be happy with.

Imagine him and Antonio

The Czech Republic international can play upfront – a position that manager David Moyes really does need to bolster – but he has predominantly been deployed on the flanks until this season.

Hlozek has provided four goals and eight assists in 20 appearances this season, all coming in a central role. It builds on last season’s tally of 15 goals and nine assists, where he averaged a direct contribution every 75.9 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-west-ham-news-transfer-updates-gsb-kretinsky-moyes” title=”Read the latest West Ham news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Michail Antonio has had his fair share of injury woes over the years and at 31, you can’t expect that to improve in the future. Moyes has been left with just one senior option in the centre-forward position for nearly two years now, so a new frontman is certainly a priority in 2022.

The 6 foot 2 dynamo, valued at £15.3m by Transfermarkt, is a hugely encouraging long-term prospect and one that should leave many around the London Stadium buzzing with delight.

Pavel Paska, who is the agent of both Hlozek and Tomas Soucek, believes his client is an “extraordinary talent” who “has everything an attacker needs,” whilst scout Jacek Kulig has described Hlozek as “an incredible talent” and Czech’s best talent since the emergence of Tomas Rosicky.

Just imagine him alongside Antonio or him providing the perfect foil for the 31-year-old talisman as the season goes on.

On this evidence, he’d be a signing that would leave the fanbase absolutely buzzing, especially given the success stories of Soucek and Vladimir Coufal and the recent involvement of Kretinksy, who should help them tenfold in any likely deal.

AND in other news, West Ham receive Declan Rice fitness boost ahead of Wolves clash…

With Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side heading into Wednesday evening’s Scottish Premiership clash on a run of four straight victories in all competitions, the 56-year-old manager would have undoubtedly been hoping for yet another positive result from the Bhoys’ trip to Easter Road in order to continue this rich vein of form.

And, three strikes in the opening 30 minutes of the fixture from Anthony Ralston, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Kyogo Furuhashi ensured that Celtic would indeed take all three points in an extremely dominant display against Hibernian, with the result lifting the Hoops up to second in the Premiership standings – just two points behind the league leaders.

However, while all three of Celtic’s goalscorers turned in fantastic performances on Wednesday, with Ralston, Carter-Vickers and Kyogo receiving SofaScore match ratings of 7.9, 7.9 and 7.1 respectively, it was undoubtedly central midfielder David Turnbull’s display that stole the show for the Bhoys.

Creative influence

Having formed what looks to be an extremely solid and dependable trio alongside Tom Rogic and Callum McGregor in the middle of the park in recent fixtures, Turnbull’s performance against Hibs was undoubtedly one of the 22-year-old’s most impressive of the current campaign.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £4.5m-rated man set up two of his side’s three goals, created two big chances and completed a whopping five key passes – statistics which demonstrate just how much of a creative influence the midfielder was for Postecoglou’s side.

Furthermore, the former Motherwell man also completed four of his seven attempted crosses, one dribble and took a total of seven shots at the opposition goal.

The midfielder also impressed in the more gritty side of the match, making three interceptions, one tackle, one clearance and winning six of his eight duels, as well as drawing three fouls for his side.

These returns saw the player who Alan Hutton dubbed a “phenomenal” talent receive a SofaScore match rating of 9.1, the highest rating earned by any player to feature in the clash.

As such, with things really starting to have clicked for the Bhoys in recent weeks, Turnbull’s top-drawer performance on Wednesday night is yet another positive for Postecoglou, who will now surely be starting to believe his side are capable of reclaiming their Scottish Premiership crown come the end of the season.

Forget Ralston, it was Turnbull who stole the show at Easter Road.

In other news: Ange confirms Nicholson negotiations with “huge” talent, Celtic fans will be buzzing

According to Italian media outlet Sportmediaset, Tottenham are set to offer an 18-month contract to Antonio Conte worth €15m (£12.7m) per season.

The Lowdown: Spurs need new manager

Spurs parted with manager Nuno Espirito Santo on Monday after just four months in charge after the Lilywhites had lost five of their last seven Premier League games (Sky Sports).

As such, the hunt is on for a new manager, and it seems that the Italian is a front-runner for the role.

The Latest: Conte contract revealed

According to Sportmediaset, it appears that an 18-month contract has been offered by Spurs to Conte, who has been out of work since leaving Inter Milan at the end of last season.

The deal is said to be worth €15m (£12.7m) per season which, for a season-and-a-half, would be worth about €22.5m (£19m).

The Verdict: Worth it?

There is no doubting Conte’s pedigree. The 52-year-old is a five-time league title winner, having won Serie A with both Inter Milan and Juventus and the Premier League with Chelsea. He also led Italy to a Euro 2016 quarter-finals – quite frankly, he is a winner.

However, he does not always have the best relationship with those above him. He left Inter in the summer as the club sold top players such as Achraf Hakimi and Romelu Lukaku, while he fell out with the hierarchy at Chelsea as well (via The London Evening Standard).

Daniel Levy is known as a tough negotiator – Conte may get results on the pitch, but it might come to the detriment of the club spirit. At what could come out at more than £287,000 per game – there are 28 top-flight matches left this season and 38 next term – that could be an expensive risk.

In other news, Tottenham want to sign this up-and-coming centre-half

Newcastle United are weighing up whether to challenge Burnley in the race for Lyon’s Maxwel Cornet, according to 90Min. 

The lowdown

Burnley’s interest in Cornet has progressed to the bidding stage, with a £15million offer now on the table.

Lyon, as the report notes, have already recruited a replacement in the form of Italian international and former Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri.

Cornet spent the majority of last season in the left-back role but he can also play in more advanced positions down that flank.

The £10.8million-rated Ivorian made 39 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals and providing six assists (via Transfermarkt).

Cornet has already made an impression on an English audience, having scored three times across two meetings with Manchester City in the Champions League. After he netted both goals in a 2-2 draw in November 2018, Guardiola admitted to being ‘very impressed’.

The latest

Burnley could face ‘late competition’ with Newcastle, West Ham United and Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin all named as rival suitors.

The player notably resisted Burnley’s advances initially but the Clarets are clearly determined to land him, submitting a club-record bid and offering to make him their highest-paid player.

The verdict

If Steve Bruce is stick with his 5-3-2 formation, Cornet could prove to be well-suited to the left-wingback role, though Matt Ritchie already provides an attacking threat from that position.

Moving for Cornet would also be a blow to 2020 signing Jamal Lewis, and you sense there’s a player there who can be truly unlocked with the right coaching.

For those reasons, there would be legitimate questions asked of Newcastle if they entered the fray, given how desperate they are for signings in other positions.

In other news, this player was left seething against Villa.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told that it would be ‘massive’ to tie down skipper Hugo Lloris to a new contract. 

Former Leeds United forward Noel Whelan was discussing the goalkeeper’s future with Football Insider.

The lowdown

Lloris’ Tottenham contract is due to expire at the end of the current season, but the publication have reported that talks are now underway over an extension.

The 34-year-old wants to pen a new multi-year agreement, and Spurs are keen to keep him. The Frenchman’s present deal sees him take home £100,000 per week, making him one of the six highest earners at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

His contract may be the club’s immediate priority, with every other senior star committed until at least 2023 aside from initial loan signings Cristian Romero and Pierluigi Gollini.

The latest

Whelan confessed himself surprised at the news from a Spurs source that talks were underway, having been under the impression that Spurs were looking for a replacement. However, he feels that it’s the right move, given that Lloris is still ‘one of the best goalkeepers in the world’ in his view.

The BBC pundit told Football Insider: “I think it’d be a huge plus, it really would be. For the past year and a half, we’ve been thinking that he’s going to go on a free, is he going to go to another club? Are they looking for successors to take his place?

“Wherever you mention Hugo Lloris’ name, he stands out as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. To tie him down would be a massive signing. Good goalkeepers like that are very hard to come by, they really are.”

Whelan also feels that agreeing a new deal with Lloris would send a message to the club’s other star players. He said: “The fact that he loves the club, has been there such a long time. It would just be a sign to the other players that they’ll do anything to keep the best players at the club.

“There’s no doubt about it. He’s a leader, he’s been the captain for Tottenham Hotspur as well. That to me is crucial.

“If they can manage to do that, that would show massive progress and an indication that they mean business.”

The verdict

Whelan may have seen a report from The Telegraph last month suggesting that Spurs were lining up an heir to Lloris in the form of Everton’s Jordan Pickford.

Could that be considered a downgrade? The Frenchman is comfortably out-performing his English peer in the shot-stopping metrics this season, having ‘prevented’ 0.8 expected goals while Pickford has conceded three more than he ‘should’ have (via FBRef).

What’s more, the Toffees netminder has an averaged one error leading to an opposition goal every 12.6 games in his Premier League career, compared to every 16.5 games for Lloris.

Perhaps Spurs have recognised that, as long as Lloris continues to deliver, it’s wise to stick by him. It’s little wonder that Whelan has talked him up so enthusiastically.

In other news, Kevin Campbell was thrilled by this transfer claim involving Conte

Crystal Palace have been linked with a move for West Ham United centre-back Issa Diop as new manager Patrick Vieira looks to continue his overhaul of the first-team squad.

What’s the story?

According to French outlet FootMercato, the Eagles are one of three Premier League clubs keen on acquiring the 24-year-old’s services this summer, with Wolves and Southampton also credited with an interest.

The Hammers are thought to be closing in on the signature of Fiorentina centre-back Nikola Milenkovic, so David Moyes could be prepared to let Diop depart the London Stadium over the coming weeks.

With Palace now reportedly pulling out of the race to sign Ozan Kabak, everything could be lined up for the former France under-21 international to make the short switch from east to south London.

Heir to Gary Cahill

Following his move from boyhood club Toulouse in a £22m deal three years ago, Diop settled into life on English shores well, quickly establishing himself in the Irons’ starting XI. The £16.2m-rated gem made 33 Premier League appearances in his debut season, and his domineering displays earned several admirers, including former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.

“Their centre-backs had a fantastic match,” said the then-Red Devils boss following the Hammers’ 3-1 victory over United back in 2018. “Congratulations to the scout who found Diop, a monster who dictated everything.”

However, the 24-year-old has struggled to live up to his early promise over the last couple of campaigns. Craig Dawson and Angelo Ogbonna established a formidable partnership in the heart of West Ham’s defence last term, limiting Diop to just 15 top-flight starts.

As a result, the Frenchman has been linked with an imminent exit from the London Stadium, and Palace could be an ideal destination. With Mamadou Sakho, Scott Dann and Gary Cahill all being released on free transfers this summer, Vieira has already been forced to add several reinforcements to his backline.

The arrivals of Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi have strengthened the Eagles’ options in central defence, but their attempts to re-sign Cahill ultimately proved unsuccessful.

Indeed, like the Irons defender, the 35-year-old is renowned for his aerial prowess, having won 3.5 headers per game in each of the last two Premier League seasons. The Frenchman won 2.5 aerial duels per match in the 2019/20 campaign, also illustrating his ability in the air.

Therefore, Diop could prove to be the perfect heir to the former Chelsea ace. A fresh challenge and new surroundings may be the ideal combinations for the player to rediscover his best form, adding another valuable asset to Palace’s new era.

In other news… Ed Aarons drops big Crystal Palace transfer update, Vieira will be gutted