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It makes “no sense” for Leeds United to entertain potential offers for star man Raphinha in the January transfer window, according to Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Raphinha stars for Leeds

The Brazilian’s reputation is being enhanced all the time, having shone for the Whites since joining last year, registering nine goals and nine assists since coming to England.

Not only that, but Raphinha has made a flying start to life in a Brazil shirt, setting up two goals on his debut and then bagging a brace against Uruguay.

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The Latest: Hay makes key claim

Unsurprisingly, the winger has been linked with a move elsewhere, with the biggest Premier League clubs circling and a January departure even mooted.

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic before Leeds’ 1-0 defeat at Southampton on Saturday, though, Hay claimed that he can’t see that happening. He wrote:

“Re: Raphinha – I see no sense at all in Leeds entertaining bids in January. It’s not like his value is going to diminish and you’re unsettling your squad at a key point of the season.

“Add to that the fact that the most elite clubs don’t tend to do big deals in January. If they’re doing a Grealish or a Kane for example, those offers tend to come in the summer window because there’s more time to negotiate and value for money tends to be slightly better.”

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The Verdict: Makes no sense

Leeds may have to accept that Raphinha will move on eventually – next summer is arguably looking increasingly likely given his recent form – but a January exit could be hugely damaging.

The Whites are 17th in the Premier League table after their latest setback and they will need the Brazil international for the duration of the campaign. Losing him midway through the season could increase the chances of them getting into a relegation fight, which would be a disastrous scenario after only ending their 16-year top-flight exile in 2020.

In other news, one expert has tipped Leeds to reap a huge financial gain. Read more here.

Celtic could sign Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Hannes Wolf on loan, according to German outlet Kicker, relayed by reporter Sacha Pisani.

The Lowdown: Two midfielders signed

The Hoops have already added to their midfield ranks this year with the signings of Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi.

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The pair were announced on New Year’s Eve alongside forward Daizen Maeda, putting pen to paper on four-and-a-half-year deals at Parkhead.

Links to Wolf emerged at the beginning and end of December, with Bhoys Analytics recently stating that a move for the 22-year-old would ‘really separate’ Michael Nicholson from Peter Lawwell.

The Latest: Loan move possible

Pisani relayed the ‘latest’ reports from Kicker on Twitter on Monday afternoon, suggesting a loan deal is still in the works for Celtic.

“Latest report via Kicker says a loan deal is possible for Wolf as Celtic circle,” the journalist said.

Rapid Wien have also been credited with an interest in Wolf, who has made just two Bundesliga starts all season.

The Verdict: Interesting…

Wolf, valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, is primarily an attacking midfielder whereas Hatate and Ideguchi play in deeper central positions.

David Turnbull could miss two months of action with a hamstring injury, so bringing Wolf in on loan with a possible option to buy, as they have done with Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers, may well be a shrewd move for the second half of the season.

Wolf has struggled in Germany this season, however, he’s proven back in his native country with RB Salzburg that he has an eye for a goal and an assist, so a loan move could be one to keep a close eye on.

In other news: Celtic close to another ‘clinical’ signing after Kenny; Ange is a big fan. 

Celtic’s chances of reaching the final of the Scottish Cup have taken a blow with Ange Postecoglou’s Bhoys being dealt another injury setback.

Giorgos Giakoumakis limped off during their 7-0 win last weekend but they have now been rocked by further issues.

What’s the word?

David Turnbull has only just returned from a lengthy injury layoff but he’s now picked up yet another gutting blow.

Postecoglou confirmed the news this week as quotes from the Daily Record cited his absence.

The boss said: “David Turnbull, he obviously got a pretty hard knock.

“It’s only a couple of days after so we’ll see how it all settles down. I’m hoping it’s not too lengthy an absence.”

Ange will be gutted

Long absence or not, this will come as a major blow to Celtic and it will surely leave Postecoglou rather gutted as a result.

Turnbull was missing with a hamstring problem from before Christmas until the beginning of March and had made three substitute appearances in their last three outings.

However, just as he was beginning to build his fitness and form – registering an assist versus St Johnstone – he is now back on the treatment table.

The Hoops coped well without him, moving six points clear at the top of the Premiership, but this is someone who can change a game and against Rangers, that will be absolutely crucial.

So far this season, the Scot has nine goals and eight assists in all competitions, building upon a debut campaign in 2020/21 where he scored ten times and assisted eight strikes.

Furthermore, no player in the entire Celtic squad has been more creative than him per game, with the attacking midfielder registering 3.6 key passes, 0.9 more than the next best in January signing Matt O’Riley.

Whether or not he would have started this weekend is a different matter entirely but if they can’t call on his services in such a big game, it will be a crushing blow to Postecoglou’s ambitions of reaching a second final this term.

AND in other news, Ange is starting to unearth Celtic’s new Stuart Armstrong in “silky” £405k-rated gem…

Celtic have been dealt a big blow in their bid to bring Callum Styles to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claimed that Barnsley look set to play hardball regarding the sale of the 21-year-old this month, as Poya Asbaghi recently revealed that he is not willing to let any of his first-team regulars leave the club midway through the season.

Speaking about his plans for the January market, the Barnsley boss said: “In the end, we want to make room in the squad and it’s better to let go of players who aren’t playing – not players who are playing. I will not go too deep into specifics on positions but I can say maybe left-back is not our biggest concern.”

The Daily Record went on to suggest that this update will come as a blow to Ange Postecoglou and his Celtic side, as the 56-year-old Bhoys boss is believed to have identified the versatile left-footer as one of his primary targets this month in a bid to solve the troublesome left-back spot in his Hoops side.

Postecoglou will be livid

Considering just how impressive Styles has been for Barnsley this season, in addition to how well suited he seems to Postecoglou’s particular brand of football, the news that the Yorkshire club look set to put up a fight for the 21-year-old this month is sure to have left the Celtic manager livid.

Indeed, over his 22 league outings in the current campaign, the £2.7m-rated man – who has often been deployed in a more advanced position on the left flank this season, as well as in central midfield – has scored one goal, registered one assist and created three big chances for his teammates.

The £3.4k-per-week 21-year-old has also averaged 1.3 interceptions, 2.3 tackles and one key pass and won 4.6 duels per game. These returns have seen the player who Cauley Woodrow dubbed a “massive talent” average a SofaScore match rating of 6.77, ranking him as Barnsley’s eighth-best performer in the Championship.

As such, due to his attacking inclination, positional versatility and extremely high potential, it is clear to see why Postecoglou would be interested in a move for Styles this month.

However, following the latest update concerning the youngster’s future, it would appear as if a move for the Barnsley starlet may be rather tricky to pull off for Celtic this month, something which will undoubtedly come as a big blow to the Hoops manager and his side.

In other news: Postecoglou heading for Celtic disaster with “superb” £1.35m-rated beast as Anthony Joseph confirms bid

A Tottenham Hotspur insider expects a big U-turn with Steven Bergwijn as he thinks that he will now remain at Spurs.

The Lowdown: Looked likely…

It was looking likely that Bergwijn was going to leave Spurs earlier in the window, and there are more recent reports claiming that he could still leave for Ajax even after his heroics against Leicester.

As per The Athletic journalist and reliable transfer expert David Ornstein, the North London club are also now working on a deal to try and sign Juventus winger Dejan Kulusevski, which could push Bergwijn further down the pecking order.

Nonetheless, a Lilywhites insider now thinks that he will stay, despite the speculation.

The Latest: Insider on Bergwijn

Speaking to Football Insider, THFC insider John Wenham, who regularly breaks news about the club on his Lilywhite Rose social media channels, has claimed that he now expects Bergwijn to stay, after initially thinking that he would go:

“These offers from Ajax have been heavily reported and I expected him to go.

“He’s another one, like Matt Doherty, who has finally realised they are already at a big club in Tottenham.

“It’s not just the goals at Leicester, I thought he was very good against Chelsea.

“His running caused two of the Chelsea players to get bookings for bringing him down.

“He looked so sharp, I’m chuffed with him. He’s turned a corner and is now a genuine option for us.

“He actually started as a striker against Chelsea which is really interesting.

“Could he still go? I don’t think there’s any chance of him leaving now.

“If there are any late-window bids I expect they will be turned down.”

The Verdict: Keep

Even if Kulusevski or another winger is brought in before the deadline, Tottenham should still be looking to keep Bergwijn.

He recently showed his credentials with two very late goals in the 3-2 win away at the King Power Stadium, and with more opportunities, can still be an asset under Antonio Conte.

He averages 1.3 shots per game in the Premier League, the joint-fourth most out of any Spurs player, which shows that he is not afraid to have a pop and is one of the few goal threats in the squad not named Harry Kane or Son Heung-min.

Nonetheless, at 24 years of age, the Netherlands international still has room for improvement, and it is simply too early in his Lilywhites career to bin him off now.

In other news, find out whose N17 exit is now in doubt here!

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Mohamed Diame is closing in on a new contract at Newcastle United, according to Chronicle Live.

The midfielder has started 22 games this season and, per the aforementioned report, is subsequently close to triggering a clause in his contract that would see him extend his stay at St James’ Park.

As it stands, his current contract expires at the end of the season.

Diame signed a new contract at the Magpies in 2016.

Chronicle Liver report, however, that he would like to have a longer deal at the club, with his hope being that he can stay at the club until 2021.

Diame joined Newcastle three years ago and has since made 96 appearances for the club, scoring eight goals.

And fans are split on whether the retired Senegal international should be allowed to stay at the club beyond the expiration of his deal. Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below.

Antonio Conte will be in the dugout to take charge of his first game as Tottenham Hotspur boss after being appointed on a one-and-a-half-year deal on Tuesday afternoon.

The Italian’s work permit has come through just in time to lead out his new side later this evening when they welcome Dutch outfit Vitesse to north London in the Europa Conference League.

He will need to spark an instant reaction with Spurs sat third in Group G, having been defeated 1-0 in the Netherlands two weeks ago.

Conte has barely had time to properly implement his own ideas and philosophy, so it will be interesting to see what sort of formation and lineup he opts for.

With that in mind, here’s the XI we’re predicting tonight…

The 52-year-old will want to kickstart his reign with a bang, so we could see much of his first-team squad feature – there could be just three changes from the side that were thrashed 3-0 by Manchester United on Sunday.

That will also include a change in system as Conte’s famed 3-5-2 gets a run out for the very first time.

Spurs club captain and no.1 Hugo Lloris is set to remain between the sticks despite Pierluigi Gollini often being the choice in the competition, whilst we could see a three-man defence of Eric Dier, Cristian Romero and Davinson Sanchez.

On either flank in a new and exciting advanced wing-back role, we’re expecting Sergio Reguilon to come back into the side over Ben Davies, with Emerson Royal continuing on the right.

There are plenty of decisions to be made in the engine room but it’s 21-year-old academy gem Oliver Skipp who is likely to be an unfortunate casualty as Conte may prefer Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg occupying a deeper role on his own, allowing Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso freedom further forward.

They will need to get up and down and be industrious in the middle in order to support the two-pronged frontline of Heung-min Son and Harry Kane, who should thrive off each other in the final third.

This change in formation means the £18m-rated Lucas Moura is ruthlessly axed as the Italian is unlikely to utilise wingers in their natural form.

AND in other news, Paratici could transform Conte’s Spurs by signing “special” £63m-rated “absolute gem”…

Mark Douglas has revealed what Eddie Howe has now told him about an injury to Newcastle United ace Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Lowdown: Injury scare

Saint-Maximin did come off for Callum Wilson in the 79th minute of their 3-1 loss away at Liverpool in the Premier League in midweek because of an injury scare.

Of course, there is no denying the fact that he is such an important player to the team, as underlined by being their second-top scorer in the top flight with three goals, and has averaged the joint-most shots (two) and the most dribbles (4.1) per game, with WhoScored rating him as their best player (7.14) overall.

Nonetheless, with a game at home to the reigning champions Manchester City to come on Sunday afternoon, it will be interesting to see if he is deemed fit enough to play.

The Latest: What Howe has said…

Speaking to journalist Douglas for the inews newspaper, Howe has now revealed that he is ‘not sure’ whether the injury Saint-Maximin suffered is related to the ‘nasty’ tackle on him against the Reds or whether it is more muscular.

He did try to speak to the Frenchman about it, but did not get any clarification.

Howe now has his ‘fingers crossed’ for someone who he described is a ‘big player’ for the St. James’ Park faithful.

The Verdict: Big blow

It is a big, big blow if the North East club are without Saint-Maximin for any prolonged period of time.

He has already shown this season how key he is to the side, and with them currently fighting a relegation battle, they simply need their best players on the pitch.

That is no different for their clash against City tomorrow, and if the winger is confirmed to be out, then it is even more of an uphill task for them to take any points.

In other news, find out who looks certain to miss the City clash here!

Liverpool have been dealt a last-minute blow with Roberto Firmino a doubt for the title-deciding crunch clash against Manchester City.

What’s the news?

The Brazilian forward was not seen at Liverpool’s training ground on Friday ahead of today’s game which will be a worry for them, but Jurgen Klopp is still hoping he will have a fully fit squad available to him.

In his press conference the same day, the German manager said: “it looks like everyone’s available again”, with the other doubt being Fabinho who suffered a cut following a clash of heads in their Champions League game against Benfica midweek.

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Firmino vital to Liverpool

Bobby Firmino as he’s called has been a vital part to Liverpool’s success under Klopp, and although players such as Diogo Jota and Luis Díaz have shown they can fulfil that role, he would be a huge miss ahead of their biggest game of the season.

He has been involved in eight goals in 17 Premier League appearances for the Reds this term and has more combined goals and assists per 90 minutes compared to Jota at 0.82 to 0.73.

It’s not just a push for the title that the club need to maintain, but they are also still in the FA Cup and Champions League. A fit Firmino will be vital to any success Liverpool have this season.

Opponents City also boast an incredibly strong squad going into the fixture with Ruben Dias the only big miss for them.

With Firmino they could perhaps exploit this defensive weakness and he could link up with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané for a ruthless front three.

Another advantage to having Firmino over the other options available is the big game experience that he has. The forward has appeared in two Champions League finals for the Reds and played a key part in their last title-winning campaign.

His experience is extremely valuable and he has been described as “elite” by former Premier League striker Ian Wright.

Just a point separates the two sides and whoever claims victory will be in pole position to lift the famous trophy in May. It promises to be a game to remember, and the potential absence of Firmino could leave City with a huge advantage.

IN other news: Liverpool now plot bid for £101m machine, he could be better than Thiago – opinion…

Celtic have not been shy when it comes to signing players from their fellow Scottish clubs, either on loan or on permanent deals.

One player that the Hoops signed from a fellow Premiership side in recent memory who has turned out to be a great bit of business is David Turnbull.

In August 2020, Celtic struck a deal with Motherwell for the signing of the midfielder, 14 months after a previous deal for him between the two clubs collapsed.

Since arriving at Parkead, the 22-year-old – who is currently picking up £14k-per-week according to Salary Sport – has already racked up 70 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions, scoring 18 goals and providing 15 assists in the process, highlighting how important he is to Ange Postecoglou’s side.

With five goals and four assists to his name in 19 league appearances this season, the midfielder has also shown in his overall performances how important he is for the team. WhoScored list him as the highest-rated player in Postecoglou’s current squad with a rating of 7.66/10, which also makes him the second-highest rated player in the entire Scottish top flight.

In January 2021, just a few months after becoming a Celtic player, Transfermarkt had Turnbull’s market value listed as £1.62m. It now stands at £5.85m, making him the second-most valuable player at the club and also showing a massive increase of 261% based on what he’s delivered for the Hoops on the pitch in terms of his goal contributions and overall performances.

Labelled a “phenomenal” player by Alan Hutton, Turnbull has certainly shown why the club were right to reignite their interest in him and finally secure a deal with Motherwell for the midfield maestro.

If the 22-year-old can keep delivering solid displays and add further goal contributions to his record for the campaign – especially in their next league game against Rangers once the current international break concludes – then he will definitely be seen as a big reason as to why the Hoops could be getting their hands on the league trophy by the end of the season.

In other news: Celtic now handed huge boost ahead of Old Firm clash, Postecoglou surely buzzing