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Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has tipped the club to make a ‘vitally important’ signing at left-back this summer.

It looks almost certain that Ezgjan Alioski will leave the Whites at the end of the season, with recent reports even claiming he has agreed to join Galatasaray.

That would mean Marcelo Bielsa is short in the left-back area, as the Leeds boss looks to strengthen his squad ahead of next season.

It is imperative that the Argentine doesn’t rest on his laurels and fail to improve in key areas, as the Whites look to become an established Premier League outfit again.

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Whelan believes a new left-back will join

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan said DoF Victor Orta will ‘definitely’ sign an out-and-out left-back this summer, especially assuming Alioski moves on:

“Yes. I didn’t think he was going to be staying anyway.

“Whether they put an offer on the table or not, he was going to be third, fourth choice from next season. We’re definitely going out there to get a natural left-back, there’s no doubt about that.

“We can’t keep putting round pegs in square holes in that position because it’s vitally important. We know how we use the wing-backs to get forward, with Kalvin Phillips giving us that security.

“That’s one side I felt that the club had to go forward with. They need a real quality, left wing-back on board. Someone to compliment defenders that we’ve already brought in. Also, the other players that we’re going to look to bring in.

“I don’t think it’d be a waste of money keeping him but there’s no friends in football. Sentiment goes out the window. He’s surplus to requirements next season because we need a better player in that position.”

Transfer Tavern take

It makes complete sense for Leeds to bring in an experienced, top-quality left-back, filling the void left by Alioski and hopefully even upgrading on the 29-year-old.

In Leif Davis, Bielsa has an exciting young player to call upon, but he isn’t yet ready to be starting games at the top level every week.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly eyeing up a move for an exciting young player this summer. Read about it here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League striker Dean Windass has tipped West Ham to sign Jesse Lingard on a permanent basis this summer.

Having fallen down the pecking order under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United, the England international made the switch to the London Stadium on loan in January to enhance his opportunities.

£75,000-a-week man Lingard hadn’t played a single minute of Premier League football for United this season, but has enjoyed an impressive revival since signing for to the Hammers.

He scored a brace on his debut at Aston Villa before netting the crucial second in the win over London rivals Tottenham last month, which has seen West Ham emerge as genuine top-four contenders.

Lingard’s contract at Old Trafford expires next summer, which could lead to him being available to West Ham at a cut-price.

And Windass believes that it’s a deal that he thinks will happen once the window reopens.

He exclusively told Football FanCast:

“He’s hit the ground running. I think Lingard will sign for West Ham. His days at Manchester United are numbered.”

Windass might be right here. Whilst Lingard is a United Academy graduate, he’s approaching a stage in his career where he must be playing regularly.

And if he isn’t part of Solsjkaer’s plans moving forward, then a permanent move to West Ham would be a positive deal for all parties.

Not to mention that West Ham are on course to finish in Europe, which could therefore improve Lingard’s chances of getting an England recall.

Fans of Crystal Palace have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which relayed Barry Ferguson’s claim regarding Steven Gerrard’s chances of being appointed the Eagles manager this summer.

Cited by the Daily Record, Ferguson rubbished claims that the Rangers manager is on Crystal Palace’s shortlist of potential Roy Hodgson replacements this summer, with the 73-year-old’s contract in south London set to expire at the end of the season.

The former Rangers midfielder claimed that he is “not surprised” that Palace are interested in the 40-year-old, but that there is “no comparison” between the Rangers and Crystal Palace jobs, as the recently crowned Scottish champions are a “much bigger side” than the Eagles, and that Gerrard would not swap his job at Ibrox for one at a mid-table Premier League team.

However, after CPFC Transfers HQ relayed Ferguson’s comments on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many suggesting that the 43-year-old is a hypocrite, as he himself left Rangers on two occasions to join mid-table Premier League teams in Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City.

So, what exactly did these Crystal Palace fans have to say in reaction to Barry Ferguson’s claim regarding Steven Gerrard?

“The same Barry Ferguson who left Rangers twice to join Blackburn and Birmingham.”

@hjclarke

“Don’t know who he is but Palace are a much bigger club than a team that’s only 9 years old.”

@HunterCPFC

“You’re right there’s no comparison, Palace are a great club and whoever he manages now are the 2nd biggest team in their own city.”

@JackWaugh_

“Barry Ferguson, who left Rangers for Blackburn in 2003 and then again for Birmingham in 2009, here with a bad take.”

@SamSmiths_

“Stop lying.”

@Sumo08112

“Says the man who couldn’t hack it and bombed in the PL at a lower mid-table club.”

@SwindenBrian

“He is correct. We are far too big for Stevie G.”

@Paul43757482

“What a hypocrite.”

@Ukhilal1957

In other news: One Palace star has been linked with a move elsewhere in the Premier League, find out more here!

It was always going to be a tough task, but West Brom were absolutely embarrassed by Manchester City at the Hawthorns on Tuesday night.

Aside from a few glancing attempts early doors, the Premier League’s front-runners romped to a 5-0 victory as Sam Allardyce’s backline was once again ruthlessly exposed by an all-out attacking masterclass.

Ilkay Gundogan bagged a brace, whilst the remaining three goals were scored by Joao Cancelo, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling – perhaps the one shining light was the fact that Kevin De Bruyne was absent through injury otherwise it may have been a cricket score.

The Baggies’ midfielder was bypassed with ease, as it often is without a holding midfielder, and it saw Romaine Sawyers graded a lowly 5.5 by SofaScore but it is a little unfair on him.

It’s not his fault that he may not be good enough for this level of football. The 29-year-old doesn’t get that time and space he’s used to like in the Championship, nor does he have the capabilities to be a defensive influence.

Instead, fingers should be pointed at the Premier League’s leakiest defence – Albion have conceded 12 more goals than any other top-flight team and no team in Europe has let in more goals at home.

Big Sam really needed his defence up to the job but they all badly let him down, none more so than Darnell Furlong, who endured an abysmal night up against Sterling and Mahrez.

He had been out of the starting XI since the Arsenal whitewash, and it’s now easy to see why as he betrayed Allardyce’s faith in him.

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The 25-year-old was their third-worst rated outfield player by SofaScore after he won only two of 12 duels (16%) both on the ground and in the air, which only further proves how he struggled to combat either of City’s wing threats.

Furlong also lost possession 14 times, meaning he was practically gifting the ball back to the visitors – as if they weren’t already heavily dominating the game (78% total possession), per SofaScore.

Given the former QPR star only made 35 touches, he lost the ball once every 2.5 times he it which was also once every six minutes.

By comparison, even the Baggies’ goalkeeper managed more touches throughout the 90 minutes.

BirminghamLive’s Joseph Chapman was equally scathing over Furlong’s display in his post-match ratings column as he graded as his joint-worst defender. He wrote:

“He was caught out at the back and gave Foden acres. Albeit with the misfortune of an officiating mistake, he played Silva onside as City began to run riot. Run ragged as Sterling and Mahrez, whose movement was second to none, caused havoc on either wing.”

It’s no wonder the Englishman had been out of the lineup in Albion’s two previous outings and Allardyce may well want to think again before he can trust the £21.5k-per-week lightweight again.

Until the likes of Sawyers and Jake Livermore are given added support in midfield, the blame has to lie in defence.

AND in other news, Big Sam can finally offload West Brom flop by securing “unique” gem likened to Iniesta…

According to a report by the Daily Mail, prospective new Derby County owner Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed al Nehayan looked into the purchase of West Ham United and Bournemouth last year – with Derbyshire Live sharing this claim whilst stating it casts ‘further doubt’, prompting Rams to have their say on the development. 

The Bin Zayed Group’s proposed takeover of Derby seems to be in increasing doubt, and this update by Sportsmail claims that there has been a worrying lack of communication from the United Arab Emirates.

The EFL ratified Derby’s purchase in November, but this fresh report that the Rams’ potential future owners failed to complete bids for further clubs could heighten further takeover concerns.

Flocking to this Mail claim, with Derbyshire Live sharing that it could cast further doubt, these Derby fans had interesting responses – with one fan even stating ‘we can only hope it’s true’ due to the Bin Zayed Group’s perceived unreliability.

Another supporter says it’s ‘silly’ just how many clubs they have enquired for whilst failing to complete any actual takeover, find all of their verdicts down below.

Derby fans react to takeover claim

“They shouldn’t be allowed to muck another club around. Next time they mess a club about they should be refused. It’s silly to think how many clubs they have done this to.”

Credit: @MattySim3

“Must be costing a fortune in legal bills, Newcastle reports say 500k it cost the club. So the potential new owners must be racking up the same sort of bill. This for the second time. Obviously his investors have pulled the money again.”

Credit: @WelshRams

“Apart from the obvious in that Mel wants out . Why would we want any part of this crew they sound and look so sketchy. And this is where Mel doesn’t sound or look like he’s living up to his statement of selling the club into good hands.”

Credit: @MarkSpendlove

“We can only hope it’s true. Let’s move on from these TimeWasters.”

Credit: @ramsfan0285

“Clearly timewasters, but don’t understand what Bin Zayed Group get from this”

Credit: @Ash05898320

“There’s never been any doubt about this – it’s not, and never was, happening”

Credit: @kensdavies

In other news: Derby fans raged at this news, find out more here.

Celtic could clinch a stunning bargain by landing Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Adam Reach.

What’s the story?

With Neil Lennon’s side virtually out of the race for the Scottish Premiership title, attentions naturally will turn towards how the Hoops could strengthen ahead of next season.

And according to The Lancashire Telegraph, one player who the Bhoys could make a move for is Reach.

The report claims that with his contract expiring come the end of the season, both Celtic and rivals Rangers could make a move for the 27-year-old. It’s added Lennon’s side “may once again take advantage of expiring contracts and cross-border transfer rules to bag bargain signings without having to pay a huge compensation fee.”

Bargain for Lawwell

With Reach’s contract running down, Peter Lawwell could clinch an absolute bargain for Celtic by snapping up the 27-year-old.

The versatile midfielder has virtually played in every single position this season for the Owls, barring centre-back and right-back. The 6 foot 1 ace may not be the kind of game-changing signing that Celtic fans might be hoping for, but Reach could bring the steady reliable hand that they’ve been missing.

Described as a “class player” by his teammate, Josh Windass, there’s no questioning Reach’s ability. His former boss at Hillsborough, Garry Monk, said: “On his day, Reach can be one of the most influential players in the Championship. He showed that on occasions last season. He can turn a game on its head in the blink of an eye. He has that quality.”

The key to this signing is the low cost of it, with Lawwell not even having to pay an actual transfer fee to get Reach on board. It’s deal that’s incredibly low risk but with the potential for a decent reward, and something Celtic would be foolish to pass up.

A rebuild isn’t often centred around the arrival of a marquee signing or a superstar player. Instead, that someone who can come in, hit the ground running and breathe new life is what’s needed, and Reach’s ability on the ball and his shed-load of Championship experience fits that bill to a tee. Nick Hammond could pull off a real transfer heist by getting this deal over the line.

Former Celtic icon Frank McAvennie has claimed that there could be more to emerge from the club’s controversial trip to Dubai.

Dubai to re-emerge?

The Bhoys have entangled themselves into being the talk of Glasgow – but for all the wrong reasons. After their 1-0 defeat to Rangers earlier in the month, Neil Lennon’s side shipped themselves off to Dubai despite the country being in full lockdown.

This led to criticism from Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, to which Celtic initially defended their actions before chief executive Peter Lawwell apologised for the club’s actions.

Despite this, Lennon appeared to undermine the hierarchy by attacking the media and insisting that his squad had done nothing wrong.

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie believes that this won’t be the end of the story and explained what he’s been told about Celtic’s next potential move.

“From what I hear, there is a lot more to come out about Dubai, something is not right,” he said. “I get Neil when he said that they did nothing wrong, but morally it was totally wrong.

“Social media is a huge part of the world now. For nobody at Celtic to be on social media, not even the PR guy who I know, it is wrong. The PR guy is not on social media, so how does he get the mood of the club? It is just wrong.

“There is the official account but that will be young boys doing that. All this kicked off about Dubai and the official account tweeted out ‘Happy Birthday’ to some non-entity from years ago.

“They have not grasped the mood of the club. Whether you like social media or not, it is the future.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

While McAvennie may have a point here, the club’s media is controlled by the board, just like Peter Lawwell’s apology video was – when something more genuine could have been generated from an external broadcaster conducting the interview.

That said, none of this is going to make Hoops supporters feel any better about the bizarre predicament their club find themselves in, and they can only hope McAvennie’s claim does not ring true.

In other news, Neil Lennon’s fate at Celtic could be decided as managerial review timescale revealed.

Wolverhampton Wanderers shocked many during the summer transfer window by not just selling Diogo Jota, but also splashing out a club-record £35m on Fabio Silva from Porto.

The 18-year-old was Nuno Santo’s first signing of the window and quite the leap of faith given he had only played 21 times for the Portuguese giants, scoring three times, per Transfermarkt.

He has since come off the bench four times in the Premier League and has started their one Carabao Cup match, which ended in defeat to Stoke City.

However, there could be another young striker about to breakthrough into Nuno’s senior side in the shape of Theo Corbeanu, who could depart the club on loan in January to garner some valuable minutes at a top level.

The U23 sensation has impressed under James Collins, even playing next to Silva during their 2-1 win over Doncaster in the EFL Trophy last month.

Mirroring Nuno’s 3-5-2 system, Corbeanu played directly alongside the £35m arrival as the Portuguese wonderkid bagged himself a brace against the League One minnows.

In the Premier League 2, the 18-year-old Romanian U17 international has only scored twice this season but the management team believe they are onto something special with him.

Collins waxed lyrical about his style and said: “He’s athletic, tall, can head it, can defend, can dribble past people and score, he can shoot, he can pass, he’s both footed, he’s got a bit of everything.”

The U23 head coach went onto add: “Theo can be anything he wants to be. He’s an outstanding prospect.”

Corbeanu recently signed a professional deal that ties him to Molineux until at least 2023 and given Wolves’ currently heavy-reliance on Raul Jimenez for goals (he’s scored four of their nine goals in the PL this season), he could be an off-the-cuff option to throw on in games instead of Silva.

The Mexican talisman is certainly in need of a new partner now that Jota is no more, so it may be wise to keep an eye on the developments of Corbeanu going into next season.

They could well unearth a generational talent from right under their nose.

AND in other news, Exclusive: £36m-rated sensation tipped for Wolves exit…

Commenting on West Ham United’s potential January transfer window plans, coming after an inside update from in the know figure ExWHUemployee, many Hammers have pleaded with GSB to land Bournemouth talisman Joshua King.

King, who was linked with a high profile summer move back to the Premier League after the Cherries were relegated, has been described as the ‘perfect signing’ by pundit Darren Bent – with supporters keen on the idea of landing him after ExWHUemployee shared the club’s interest.

The 28-year-old is apparently seen as a priority target by David Moyes who has stressed the importance of his signing in January – coming as Michail Antonio’s injury issues mount while Sebastien Haller continues to divide supporters. 

Taking this into account, many Irons want the club to sign King as West Ham search for a striking option who can cover all bases in terms of being proven in the top flight whilst potentially coming for a cheap price.

Find all of their verdicts on the Norway international down below.

Hammers plead for King swoop

In other news: West Ham fans weren’t impressed with this ‘donkey’ against Leeds, find out more here.

Glasgow Rangers continue their quest for Europa League glory with a trip to face Standard Liege in the Netherlands tonight. Steven Gerrard’s side recorded some impressive results last time around, before they were stopped by a Bayer Leverkusen side inspired by Kai Havertz in the knockout stage of the competition.

The 54-time Scottish champions have a strong track record in the European tournament and will be hoping their recent win over arch-rivals Celtic will give them the edge in this clash at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne.

Standard Liege are one of the most successful teams in Belgium, as they have won the Belgian league ten times so far, most recently in the 2008/09 season. Managed by former Nottingham Forest manager Philippe Montanier, they should be a tough test for the Gers.

Here at Football FanCast, we have given our verdict on how we think Gerrard will set his side up, including three changes from their last league outing.

As is often the case, Allan McGregor will resume his rightful place between the sticks, which means Jon McLaughlin will most likely remain on the bench. The veteran goalkeeper should start behind an unchanged back four from the first Old Firm derby of the season including Borna Barisic, Filip Helander, Connor Goldson and James Tavernier.

Moving further afield, Glen Kamara and Steven Davis will probably keep their places after impressing in the midfield against Celtic, but Scott Arfield may drop to the bench to make room for loan signing Bongani Zungu. Gerrard could give Zungu his long-awaited debut for the Gers in the Europa League.

This means that Ianis Hagi should slot into place alongside the 29-cap South African international on the right wing. As we previously discussed, the timing couldn’t be any better for the 21-year-old to make his mark in the same month that his father insisted that his son has a similar playing style to Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane.

Now then, if we take your attention to the top of the pitch, here’s where things start to get a little more interesting. Cedric Itten missed the Europa League qualifier against Galatasaray due to a knee injury, but he seems to have shaken off any lingering concerns after coming off the bench at Celtic Park.

And the 3-cap Swiss international could be in contention to start at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne as shot-shy Alfredo Morelos failed to register a single one all game, let alone one on target against Celtic at the weekend, as per SofaScore.

Gerrard may decide to ring several changes as he juggles the domestic and European competitions.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers have every right to be worried about Leeds target Ryan Kent…