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As much as you try to deny and admit that it’s the case, Celtic are a selling club. They may be one of the most historically successful teams in Europe but the Bhoys haven’t had much success keeping hold of their prized assets.

It’s a trend that could come back to bite them again this summer. Odsonne Edouard has attracted the interest of both Arsenal and Leicester.

He could be another name to add to the pile of those who have thrived at Celtic but then sought the exit door. Moussa Dembele and Kieran Tierney are two of the latest names but if we go back further, Victor Wanyama, Virgil Van Dijk and Fraser Forster all come to mind.

One player who has rather gone under the radar throughout his career, however, is Derdyck Boyata.

The centre-back struggled to make the breakthrough at Manchester City, an eventuality that has struck down plenty before him. Though, after a move to Glasgow, he found a home in Paradise.

Celtic treated him well and he became a pillar of four straight SPFL wins. Under Brendan Rodgers, the duo were a force, so much so that the Northern Irishman called him “top-class.”

Boyata played 135 times for the Hoops but left under a cloud of smoke in controversial circumstances.

In 2018, the Belgian was called up by his national team for the World Cup. This was a surprise for the centre-half but it was recognition that changed the course of his career.

He returned from Russia a man in demand and as he entered the final year of his contract with the Bhoys, Boyata wanted a move. Fulham reportedly bid £9m for his services but that was knocked back by Rodgers and co.

Speaking last week, he revealed what happened: “I cannot speak for them, but I really did not think they expected me to go to the World Cup, or for me to play. So I go to the World Cup, and I have one year left. So we ended up having a good World Cup, finished 3rd. Come back to Celtic. I had very good relations with Brendan Rodgers. I got mixed up in a situation I’ve never been in. [I had] all these teams coming from left to right.”

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Boyata continued: “That was the year the transfer window was closing earlier than usual. So what happened is, I speak with the guys, I speak with the doctors, the coach, about the situation. Yes, I requested a transfer. I said ‘I have these teams behind me, I don’t know what’s going to happen for me in the future. I need to know what’s going on now’.”

It was a complex situation. Without knowing the full details initially, it looked as though the defender refused to play for Celtic again. Rodgers left him at home for a crucial Champions League qualifier against AEK Athens despite the player being fit. The Glaswegian’s ultimately lost and Boyata was the one who took the blame.

He was understandably rocked by it, commenting: “Brendan Rodgers had an interview where he said ‘it’s difficult to win games when we have fit players at home, who don’t want to help the team’. From this interview, Chris Sutton was so hurtful. Honestly, he was so hurtful that I wrote down everything he said. He said something like “you need to kick him out of the team!”

Boyata concluded: “From that moment, I was finished. I came back the day after and went to speak to [Rodgers]. “How can you do this to me? How can you put me in the situation? You know everything that was going on, you were aware of everything”. He protected himself, he protected the team, and I was the bad guy.”

The 30-year-old did play for Celtic again. In fact, he played 32 matches for the Hoops in 2018/19.

However, he was clearly in no mood to stay. The Belgium international saw out his contract and departed for Hertha Berlin on a free transfer.

The £9m they could have sourced for the defender a year previous had clearly gone begging, but they could have fetched even more.

After all, John Hartson made a remarkable assessment during the 2018 World Cup: “If John Stones is £50m then Boyata is in same bracket. Celtic should be in his hotel room now with a contract offer.”

Since leaving, the former Man City man has become a Bundesliga and Belgium regular. In the process, his value has risen to the £8.1m mark.

Hertha undoubtedly got the better end of the deal here. Celtic should have cashed in when they had the chance.

AND in other news, “I have spoken with him” – Big U-turn could emerge after exciting Celtic manager claim…

Manchester United were frustrated in their attempts to cut the gap at the top of the Premier League table as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

The Red Devils stuttered throughout the game, struggling to get any real attacking rhythm going.

One of the main culprits of that was Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani, who returned to the starting lineup having missed the last four matches with a muscular injury.

It was certainly not the glorious return that he might have envisaged.

The former Paris Saint-Germain man struggled to really threaten the home side’s defence all evening, eventually having just 23 touches of the ball according to WhoScored – just six more than United goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

When he did receive the ball, he was not able to do much with it. The striker, rated at £10.8m, only managed to complete 16 passes, the lowest of the entire starting XI, with just one of those passes being classed as a key pass.

As a matter of fact, his pass accuracy was worse than any other Manchester United player who managed to get on the pitch during the entire match.

Whilst he did manage to have two shots on goal, neither of them were on target or forced Palace stopper Vicente Guaita into any kind of strenuous work.

Cavani was eventually withdrawn in the 75th minute for Daniel James, having endured a fruitless evening in front of goal.

Prior to his injury, has was in a rich vein of goalscoring form in the Premier League having netted crucial strikes against Fulham and Everton, whilst also managing to find the net in the 9-0 demolition of Southampton.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will hope that the Uruguayan turns in better displays as he recovers his match fitness following his time out of the team.

And in other news, take a look at how Manchester United could look to offload Phil Jones…

Former Tottenham Hotspur captain Gary Mabbutt believes that Oliver Skipp will be fighting for his place in Spurs’ first-team next season in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

The central midfielder has gone on loan to Norwich City this season, with the club attempting to win promotion to the Premier League.

Skipp has played in every single Championship game and the club are currently top of the league, having taken 83 points from 38 games.

They are 14 points clear of third-placed Swansea City and are eight clear of second-placed Watford.

Skipp is also currently away with the England U21 team at the European Championships and Mabbutt believes that he can come back and make a real impression at Spurs next season.

He has played 23 times for the senior side in total, making his debut back in the 2018/19 season under Mauricio Pochettino, and played seven times in the Premier League last term.

Mabbutt told FFC: “Going away on loan to Norwich has been a great move for Oliver. When you have the competition, there are times as a club when you have to look at it and say ‘this player is nearly there, he’s not quite there’.

“Going away on a season-long loan to Norwich when you know they’re going to be fighting at the top of the table, and are an excellent team who should get back in the Premier League, that is a fantastic move for him.

“It has been both from the club’s perspective and from his own, so I’m delighted that he’s doing so well. It has shown that he is a player, I would think, that will be back involved in the Spurs first-team for next season.”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who made 298 appearances for Charlton, was surprised to see Nigel Adkins appointed as manager at The Valley with the news coming largely out of the blue on Thursday.

Adkins has been out of the game since 2019 when he decided to not renew his contract at the end of the season with Hull City, with Lee admitting his shock that Thomas Sandgaard didn’t target a foreign manager to replace Lee Bowyer.

Lee admitted that Adkins had slipped his mind as a potential manager, such as the length of time he’s been out of the game or been seriously linked with a job.

Speaking on the appointment of Adkins at The Valley, Lee told FFC exclusively:

“It’s surprised me a little bit. I thought the owner might have gone for a foreign manager since he’s Scandinavian.

“Out of all the names that were mentioned, that I heard, it just seems this is one that’s come out of the blue really.

“Of all the managers that were mentioned, I don’t remember Nigel Adkins being one of them. If I’m being honest, I had forgotten about Nigel Adkins.

“It wasn’t one of the names where you immediately thought yeah, okay that makes sense, and he’s got no association with the club.

“Maybe he had a great reference or he did a great interview, I don’t know. The thing is it’s always that somebody knows somebody at a club but, I hope he does well.”

Lee Bowyer left the club earlier this week to take up the managerial job at Birmingham City after Aitor Karanka left his role at St Andrew’s.

Charlton currently occupy the final play-off spot but have played two extra games than the teams around them. So, Adkins has a task on his hands to get them back into the Championship.

The former Aston Villa star has fallen down the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium, and would be better off seeking a new challenge

Jack Grealish is nothing if not determined, which he proved again during Manchester City's trip to Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday. Pep Guardiola handed the 28-year-old his first start in five weeks at Parken Stadium, and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands, helping the reigning European champions storm out of the gates and lay siege to the Copenhagen goal.

Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring with a cool finish before Bernardo Silva nearly forced an own goal as City pummelled the hosts in the opening 20 minutes. But then, disaster struck. Grealish was floored by a challenge from Diogo Goncalves, and it was immediately clear from the anxious look on his face that damage had been done.

After punching the turf violently in frustration, the England international valiantly played on, despite Guardiola's apparent protests from the touchline. Grealish lasted almost two minutes before the pain became unbearable and he accepted a premature end to his night, with Jeremy Doku brought on to fill his spot on the left flank.

City went on to secure a comfortable 3-1 first-leg victory that puts them in full command ahead of the last-16 tie, but Guardiola confirmed Grealish had suffered a "muscular" injury when speaking to reporters in his post-match press conference. “It’s a pity that Jack got injured but it is what it is. He was gutted," the City boss added.

Devastated would have been a more appropriate word; Grealish knew how much was riding on this game. And now, instead of being right back at the forefront of Guardiola's thinking heading into the business end of the season, Grealish may now have to seriously evaluate the direction is career is heading in.

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  Awkward fit

  Grealish's previous start for City had come in early in January, in a 5-0 FA Cup third-round victory over Huddersfield. He only saw 17 minutes of action across City's next five games in all competitions, with Guardiola opting to use Phil Foden and Doku in his preferred position.

  After playing such a vital role in City's treble success last season, and leading their wild celebrations, Grealish has been cast aside. Leaving a £100 million ($126m) asset to depreciate on the bench week in, week out, isn't a good look, but Guardiola has insisted the playmaker's destiny is in his own hands.

  “This season was not like last season,” the Spaniard said when quizzed on why Grealish's role has been reduced. “But he’s getting better. He’s doing the steps to get to his best level and now is competing with players at a high level. This is the only reason why. He has to demand himself to get back where he was, especially last season and all the time at Aston Villa. I’m looking forward to giving him minutes. It’s not a big, big problem, completely the opposite. We need him.”

  The real problem for Grealish, though, is the fact he can't be the same player he was at Villa in Guardiola's City set-up. Grealish has had to rein in his creative urges to fit in as a cog in the well-oiled City machine; he is not encouraged to run at defenders and doesn't have an overlapping full-back to combine with.

  Keeping the ball circulating is Grealish's main job for City, and although it's one he still thrives at, the rest of his considerable talents are going to waste.

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  Out of his control

  Bad luck has certainly played a part in Grealish's apparent dip in performance this season. He also suffered what he described as the "worst injury I've ever had" when a clash with Sheffield United's Ollie McBurnie left him with a dead leg at the end of August.

  That issue forced him to miss six games for club and country, and Grealish was also laid low with illness before City's huge home fixture against Liverpool on November 25. It was impossible for him to build up any rhythm in the first half of the campaign, and he also had to deal with a horrifying personal ordeal over the festive period.

  Grealish got a rare 90 minutes under his belt as City strolled to a 3-1 win at Everton on December 27, only to learn afterwards that his house had been burgled. Thieves broke into his Cheshire mansion while he was playing at Goodison Park, and a number of his family members were in the house, including his fiancee Sasha Atwood, as they made off with watches and jewellery worth £1m – as per .

  The "traumatic experience" left Grealish and his family "devastated", and the City star also admitted "the best year of my life in football now doesn’t feel like something I can celebrate". Grealish showed incredible mental strength by lining up in City's home fixture against Sheffield United three days later, but understandably wasn't his usual self, and came off early in the second half.

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  Doku's instant impact

  Grealish's early-season fitness woes coincided with Doku's arrival at the Etihad from Rennes, and the Belgian wasted no time justifying City's £55m ($69m) investment in him. Doku is perhaps the fastest player in Europe over five metres, and has an imposing physical frame that allows him to push past defenders with ease.

  He gives City a new dimension going forward, an X-factor that Grealish just can't match. The difference between the two players was most evident when Guardiola's side picked up a 2-1 home win over Brighton back in October.

  Doku set up Julian Alvarez to break the deadlock for City after just seven minutes, leaving his marker for dead with a clever piece of dribbling before lifting his head to play a perfect pass. He continued to torment the Brighton backline thereafter, and had two good chances to score himself, with those in the home crowd perched on the edge of their seats every time he got on the ball.

  Guardiola eventually brought Grealish on for Doku in the 75th minute, in a bid to regain control at a time when Brighton were starting to look the more dangerous side. While Doku had been trying to fly past his man at every opportunity, Grealish merely carried the ball at a more measured pace down the line, before cutting back inside and laying it off to a team-mate.

  Doku is an explosive, unpredictable weapon for City, whereas Grealish is just one of many cool heads in the squad who tries to keep things ticking over with his technical quality to please Guardiola. There is no question which man elicits more excitement from fans, or who strikes more fear into the opposition when their name is read out over the PA system.

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  Euros place in jeopardy?

  Grealish didn't make his full senior debut for England until the age of 24, having initially struggled to break into Gareth Southgate's squad while still on the books at Villa. Since earning his first cap in a 2020 Nations League clash with Denmark, though, Grealish has added another 34 to his collection, with 10 of those appearances coming at major tournaments.

  The Three Lions don't have another player quite like Grealish, who is capable of creating chances out of nothing with his exceptional passing range and taking the pressure off at key junctures by drawing fouls. However, he has not been able to hold down a place in Southgate's preferred XI.

  Grealish started just one game at Euro 2020 and all five of his outings at the Qatar World Cup came from the bench. Southgate acknowledges the qualities he can bring to the team, but doesn't appear to trust him in the most important matches.

  Still, while he was playing a starring role for the best club side in Europe, it was impossible for Southgate to completely leave Grealish out. But he won't be guaranteed a place among the England supporting cast again at this summer's Euros if he's not playing regularly for City.

Phil Parkinson celebrated reaching 150 games as Wrexham boss in style, but Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney missed out on the “best” atmosphere.

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• Red Dragons boss reaches 150 games at the helm
• Collected another win on landmark occasion
• Hollywood co-chairmen watching on from afar

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons’ Hollywood co-owners are regulars at SToK Racecourse, but they have not crossed the Atlantic for some time as they remain otherwise engaged in the United States. The latest game that they were left watching on from afar saw Wrexham claim a narrow 1-0 win over old adversaries Notts County – the side that they pipped to the National League title last season.

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  WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  Said contest saw Parkinson reach a notable milestone in North Wales, with the experienced coach saying of picking up three points on a landmark occasion: “It was my 150th game and the aim was to win. Not for myself, but it is nice to reach that milestone and celebrate with three points because it was hard earned. But I am very pleased with how the lads performed. There is a strong mentality in the dressing room. We have got players like James McClean and Steven Fletcher who are strong characters and I think that really showed. You need nous out on the football pitch and game management and I thought we showed that in abundance.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Fletcher netted the only goal of the game against County, as Parkinson collected his 94th win as Wrexham boss, and the Racecourse was rocking once more. Parkinson added, with 12,500 supporters in attendance: “It was a true Wrexham performance with a fantastic atmosphere. I enjoyed every single minute on that touchline and I thought the atmosphere was probably the best one we have had this season. You could sense how up for the game the supporters were and they roared the lads to victory.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Wrexham have returned to the automatic promotion places in League Two, with only three points separating them from the summit while boasting a game in hand, and there is every chance that Reynolds and McElhenney will have more cause for celebration in the third series of a popular documentary series that is set to return to screens in mid-April.

Bolton have confirmed some major news about “talented” centre-back George Johnston, amid interest from two of their League One rivals.

What’s the talk?

Johnston has officially signed for Bolton from Eredivisie side Feyenoord this week. Johnston has put pen to paper on a three-year deal with Bolton, two years on from leaving Liverpool to move to the Netherlands with Feyenoord.

In April, Football Insider reported that League One clubs Ipswich and Portsmouth were eyeing up a swoop for the centre-back but Bolton have now beaten both sides to the punch and secured a deal for the 22-year-old ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Bolton manager Ian Evatt has lauded the “talented” defender and has said that he is delighted to bring him to the club. He told Bolton’s official website:

“George is a player with a fantastic pedigree who came through the ranks at Liverpool before moving to Feyenoord two years ago.

“That he was willing to move away and play abroad in a different league at such a young age says a lot about his character.

“He came back for the second half of last season and had a very successful loan spell at Wigan Athletic.

“He’s a very talented player for the future and we are delighted to have signed him.”

Fans will be buzzing

Bolton fans will be buzzing with this news as the club have secured an excellent addition to their squad following their successful promotion out of League Two. As Evatt has explained, Johnston is a “talented” player and has a very bright future ahead of him at the age of 22. Instead of signing an experienced professional in the latter stages of his career, Bolton have added a young, hungry, prospect to their team to add a fresh face to the squad.

Evatt has the chance to develop Johnston further, which opens up the door to a future sale if all goes well. For example, Evatt could help Johnston progress as a player over the next 12-18 months, or longer, into a Premier League standard defender and that could allow the club to sell him in a multi-million-pound deal. That could then fund several additions to the squad and help the club as a whole progress to the next level.

The £3.5k-per-week beast is also a player for the here and now. Johnston enjoyed an excellent second half of the 2020/21 season on loan to Wigan in League One. He averaged a brilliant WhoScored rating of 6.96 in 16 starts at centre-back, proving that he has the quality to be a top-class defender at League One level and that could improve Bolton’s defensive options. Johnston could be the natural successor to Alex Baptiste, who turns 36 next season and was a regular during the League Two campaign.

All in all, this looks like an excellent signing for Wanderers, one that should delight the club’s loyal fanbase.

AND in other news, Portsmouth are eyeing a deal for “dangerous” £18k-p/w dynamo…

Writing on Twitter, Italian reporter Gianluigi Longari has claimed Tottenham Hotspur have now been ‘proposed’ former AS Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk boss Paulo Fonseca.

The Lowdown: Spurs still on the manager hunt…

It has been over six weeks since chairman Daniel Levy opted to sack previous Spurs manager Jose Mourinho and the Lilywhites are still no closer to appointing a successor.

Indeed, many candidates have come and gone since then, with the likes of Julian Nagelsmann and Brendan Rodgers previously touted as among the favourites.

Now, it appears Mauricio Pochettino, Erik Ten Hag and Antonio Conte come as the best options for Spurs overall but new names could apparently still come into the fray late on (football.london).

The Latest: Fonseca now ‘proposed’ to Spurs

Writing on Twitter, Italian reporter and Sport Italia TV journalist Longari has made a big claim involving Tottenham and a new candidate in Fonseca.

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Indeed, he believes that the ex-Roma manager has been ‘proposed by intermediaries’ with Spurs now assessing his credibility for the manager’s job.

“Among the alternatives for the Tottenham bench, in addition to the much more expensive Antonio Conte, Paulo [Fonseca] is also there,” Longari explained.

“Which would result in more sustainable spending.

“The coach was proposed by intermediaries last week and his candidacy is being evaluated.”

The Verdict: Underrated candidate…

As Levy and chief technical performance director Steve Hitchen continue to head the hunt for a new manager, Fonseca is a name they should be considering at the very least, even despite his tough end at the Stadio Olimpico.

In the past, he has been described as blending both Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp’s tactics in a ‘a symphony of Beethoven and Metallica’ (via Liverpool Echo).

Roma chief executive officer Tiago Pinto also lauded Fonseca as an ‘international class tactician’ before he opted to replace the 48-year-old with Mourinho.

Indeed, taking this into account, he could still have something to offer Spurs despite his dismissal from the Serie A giants.

Guardiola is also a big fan of the boss himself, having once been blown away by Fonseca’s Shakhtar side with a ‘wow’ and describing them as ‘one of the best teams in terms of playing football’.

Therefore, we believe Spurs supporters shouldn’t dismiss him entirely.

In other news: Spurs now want to sign this ‘nearly unplayable’ star, find out more here.

Many West Ham United fans are eager to sign Alex Kral this summer after it was revealed that they have reignited their interest in the midfielder.

The Hammers ended their season in style on Sunday as they defeated Southampton 3-0 at the London Stadium. The result means they will be playing in the Europa League next term, a fantastic achievement from the Irons considering that they finished above the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham in the Premier League table and came a lowly 16th in the previous campaign.

As such, David Moyes and co will need to get their squad ready for a European campaign, and that is likely to involve new players being brought in. According to the print edition of The Sunday Mirror (May 23rd, page 74) [via Hammers News], West Ham remain interested in signing Kral from Spartak Moscow this summer, and he would reportedly cost around £14m.

The Czech Republic international is a tenacious defensive midfielder, with match averages of 1.5 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 1.6 successful aerial duels this season. The interceptions average exceeds that of international team-mate and Irons midfielder Tomas Soucek with 1.6 for the campaign.

The news was shared on Twitter by @WestHam_Central and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the rumour, with one fan describing Kral as a “superb” midfielder.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Kral news below

“Fantastic ball carrier. Great ability. Versatile. Get him in.”

Credit: @alanrzepa

“£14m would be an absolute bargain! Make it happen! Young, physical unit, excellent technical ability & skill, great passing range & should settle quickly!”

Credit: @WhufcSloth

“Would be a great signing.”

Credit: @WHUsamzini

“Would love him”

Credit: @CristianoCruzJ

“Kral would be superb.. get him in the team”

Credit: @Dave83238635

“Would love it. Fits the mold we were promised of young and hungry players with upside”

Credit: @JesseLarch

In other news, many West Ham fans are delighted by this transfer news.

Tottenham Hotspur bolstered their European claims with an emphatic victory in North London on Sunday afternoon and that was thanks to the phenomenal display from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Ryan Mason’s side moved into sixth place on goal difference and know that two more victories in their final two matches of the Premier League season will secure a place in the Europa League next season.

Spurs talisman Harry Kane moved into the sole lead for the Golden Boot with his 22nd league goal of the campaign, taking his total to 32 in all competitions, and will quite rightly take a lot of the plaudits for his goalscoring performance.

But the great Dane in the heart of midfield was arguably Mason’s best player on the day.

It was Hojbjerg who provided a high-quality assist for the England international to open the scoring, feeding in a delightful ball over the top for Kane to run in, casually push off Gary Neville’s comical Man of the Match Conor Coady to bag right on half-time.

He then found the net himself just after the hour mark, following up a parried effort to double their advantage and clinch all three points.

But there was so much more than a goal and assist to his game as he was once again one of Spurs’ most influential players in the engine room.

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Hojbjerg often dictates play with his cool, calm composure on the ball and that was seen in him managing a squad-high 102 touches, 17 more than anyone else, and 81 passes at a success rate of 94%, via SofaScore.

In addition to his rare creative outing, in which he provided two key passes and three shots, he also did his usual industrious defensive work and it’s that sort of ability that often goes unnoticed, especially when Kane is firing them home.

No other Spurs star managed more tackles (three) or interceptions (two) than Hojbjerg, whilst he also chipped in with one clearance and one block, as per SofaScore.

Alasdair Gold at football.london appeared to agree, calling him “Spurs’ best player on the day” and he also suggested he “did the dirty work” in midfield, too.

The £45m-rated beast stole the show at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Spurs handed gutting injury blow, key man likely out for the season…