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Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster returned to the South Coast this summer following an impressive loan spell with Celtic, with the intention of challenging for a first-team spot in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

Celtic were heavily linked with a return for the 32-year-old over the summer before Martin Semmens confirmed that he was set to stay with the Saints, where he would challenge Alex McCarthy and Angus Gunn for a spot in the first-team (per Daily Mail).

However, the former England international has failed to make an appearance this season, with Southampton opting to send Angus Gunn out on loan to Stoke City instead, leaving Forster to sit on the bench.

This looks to have been an expensive decision by the Southampton board, as, despite his lack of appearances, Forster is one of the top earners at the South Coast club, as he currently earns £70,000 a week with the Saints, which is joint-second with Ryan Bertrand.

Only Danny Ings earns more than the shot-stopper, suggesting that he is a very expensive option to just have sitting on the bench and perhaps the club should look into bringing in a cheaper second-choice during the January transfer window.

Celtic have recently been linked with a January move for the Englishman, so Southampton could raise some funds by selling the £4.05 million-rated ‘keeper.

After his impressive loan spell there last season, you would expect the 32-year-old to be guaranteed first-team football with the European giants, meaning a deal could benefit both parties.

During his time with the Bhoys, an impressive performance in the Europa League against Copenhagen, in which he saved a penalty, earned him glowing praise from manager Neil Lennon.

He said: “He’s brilliant, but that’s down to the work that he and (goalkeeper coach) Stevie Woods do behind the scenes.

“Credit to Fraser he’s done brilliantly with a magnificent save. I think it would have been really harsh on us if we’d lost the game with the amount of chances we had, especially in the first half.” (per Daily Mail)

Therefore, considering Forster’s considerable wage and his lack of minutes at Southampton so far this season, there doesn’t seem many reasons why the South Coast club should deny him a permanent move to Celtic should they reignite their interest in January.

Benjamin Mendy scored his first Manchester City goal in Saturday’s 5-0 win against Burnley but that may well have overshadowed what was a fairly poor overall display from the overall Monaco man.

The left-back volleyed home Kevin De Bruyne’s cross in the first half to make it 3-0 to the home side, which was his first goal for the Citizens on what was his 60th appearance for the club (per Transfermarkt).

Since joining from Monaco in 2017, the 26-year-old has endured a torrid time with injuries, which have seriously limited his game time for the club.

Although he will no doubt be happy to have returned to Premier League action for the first time since early October with a goal, his overall performance was not that good.

As per SofaScore, Mendy won just two of the seven duels he was involved in against Sean Dyche’s side, whilst also losing the ball on 19 occasions, which was the most of any Manchester City player during the game.

Of the 67 passes he played, only 55 found their mark, resulting in an overall pass accuracy rate of 82%.

His crosses, which are normally one of the stronger parts of his game, were also disappointing against Burnley, with none of his four attempts finding a Manchester City shirt.

Only one of his six attempted long balls was accurate too, suggesting that his passing could have been a lot better on Saturday afternoon.

Back in 2019, Guardiola was full of praise for Mendy after his performance against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, saying:

“He has incredible physicality when he is fit when his mind is in the right position.

“He’s in an extraordinary player.” (per Manchester City)

Considering Mendy has only just come back from injury, however, it would not be a surprise to see Joao Cancelo return to the City starting 11 for their next game, which sees them face Porto away from home in the Champions League on Tuesday.

In reply, Tottenham simply exclaimed ‘let’s go’ as they confirmed the ‘great’ bit of news – with Lilywhites having potential reason to get excited as another academy product is let loose.

Time will tell whether he follows a similar journey to the likes of Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp, but judging by his award of a four-year extension, it’s safe to say Spurs have every faith in him.

In other news: Daniel Levy has gifted Tottenham another unlikely boost, find out more here.

Glasgow Rangers are enjoying an electric start to their Scottish Premiership season and their latest win at home to Hibernian has underlined their credentials as genuine title contenders. Steven Gerrard’s side currently boast an impressive record of 18 wins, two draws and no losses in the league with a healthy 14-point lead over their arch-rivals Celtic at the top of the table.

The Ibrox boss could be about to get his hands on his first piece of major silverware as a manager if Rangers can maintain their current run of form but that doesn’t mean that they should rest on their laurels if the chance arises in January to make further additions to the squad.

Reports in recent times – first from The Sun, then followed by a report from The Daily Record – revealed Rangers are keeping a close eye on Norwich City midfielder Kenny McLean ahead of the winter transfer window. McLean, 28, has already played for Aberdeen and St Mirren and a return to the Scottish Premiership could be on the cards if the price is right.

It’s been claimed that Rangers chief Ross Wilson may offer a deal paid over a period of time or a loan with the option to buy in the summer. But the Ibrox bosses must do everything in their power to prise him away from Carrow Road.

After recovering from a knee injury, McLean returned to action at the start of the month, picking up his first assist of the season in the 2-0 victory over Championship rivals Cardiff City.

The 28-year-old, who has scored five goals and supplied nine assists for the Canaries across all competitions, contributed to 43 goals in total during his time at Aberdeen, via Transfermarkt. His decent return, coupled with his ability to play in any position in the midfield, could make him a valuable asset for Gerrard.

His manager Daniel Farke has been effusive in his praise for the “irreplaceable” midfielder in the past, saying: “Kenny is a player who is really flexible.

“He can play nearly each and every position in midfield – as a number ten, a number eight, a number six or as a winger who comes inside.

“He gives us various options, and is full of technical ability. He had a high passing quality and is able to score and assist.”

This is exactly the sort of player who would work well in co-operation with fellow workhorses Scott Arfield and Glen Kamara in the Gers engine room and to be able to sign someone of his obvious quality would absolutely be a shrewd bit of business.

AND in other news, Rangers chief Ross Wilson must prioritise a move for Sheffield United midfielder John Lundstram…

According to OkDiario, Real Madrid are interesting in signing Son Heung-Min from Tottenham Hotspur, sitting just behind Kylian Mbappe on their list of targets.

Real want Son

Valued at £81m by Transfermarkt, Son has been in fantastic form for Spurs so far this campaign, managing 16 goals and eight assists in all competitions.

As such, this has attracted the interest of 13-time European champions Real. The South Korea international’s goalscoring improvement has led the Spanish side to believe that he could be a successor to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Blow for Spurs

Son may have taken his game to another level this campaign – Jose Mourinho called him “world-class” earlier this season – but he has been a star for the Lilywhites ever since he made the move from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015. So far, he has managed 101 goals in all competitions for the club, and he is a menace for many an opposition defence.

Daniel Levy will be desperate to keep him in north London for as long as possible, but it will be impossible for him to ignore the advances of Real if they make a concrete move. Son, too, would like need to consider the offer to leave his current club – after all, the chances of success in Madrid are higher than they are at Tottenham. With Madrid also eyeing other targets such as Erling Haaland and Mbappe, Levy will be hoping they add another “Galactico” from elsewhere.

In other news, Tottenham have been tipped to make a move for this Premier League rival.

Journalist, and transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano has denied claims Paris Saint-Germain are in talks to buy Moise Kean from Everton after his terrific spell on loan in the French capital.

What’s the word?

While speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano claimed that PSG would love to keep Kean at Les Parc des Princes beyond his season-long loan, but said that they are yet to hold any negotiations with Everton.

Kean has scored 11 goals for the Ligue 1 giants in 18 appearances across all competitions, including three in his last three top-flight outings. He opened the scoring against Stade Brest on Saturday night, to take his number of goals in the current campaign to the same total as his haul from the previous two seasons combined.

There had been talk of a potential £31m fee being discussed, with Everton loath to selling the Italy international for anything less than the £27.5m paid to Juventus when Kean was signed under Marco Silva in the summer of 2019.

However, Romano denies the speculation surrounding Kean’s future, and suggests any potential deal for the £53,000-per-week forward is likely to be on hold until the end of the season.

“What I’m told about Kean is that there is no negotiation between Paris Saint-Germain and Everton and yes, for sure Paris Saint-Germain would love to keep the player but Everton have always been so clear, they want him back at the club,” Romano told Give Me Sport.

“So, if Paris Saint-Germain wants to sign him, they will have to make an important bid and convince Everton.

“Let’s see if, next summer, they will do this kind of business but at the moment, it’s not so easy. And, for sure, Everton will fight for Moise Kean [and say] ‘you will make an important bid or the player will be back’ and he’s doing an amazing job for Paris Saint-Germain but at the moment, negotiations are quiet.”

An exciting update?

Romano denying claims that PSG have made efforts to sign Kean on a permanent deal should excite Everton and Ancelotti, as the Italian could be set to welcome a striker back to Goodison Park who is bubbling with the confidence that his maiden year on Merseyside stripped him of.

Kean was rarely able to show why Everton fought for his signature in 2019 during his first season in England, with the 20-year-old netting just twice in 33 games across all competitions and struggling to start fixtures with only four opening roles under Ancelotti.

Yet, life in Paris has been much kinder to the 8-cap international, who would be able to use what he’s learned from his time training and playing beside the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as he would hope to rival Dominic Calvert-Lewin for game time if he does come back in the Premier League next term.

Former PSG boss Thomas Tuchel could not sing Kean’s praises much more prior to his sacking, too.

“[Kean] has a big heart, he puts on intensity. He is not afraid, he is courageous. He does what is necessary,” Tuchel said, via quotes by BeIN Sports. “I wouldn’t want to be a defender against him right now, it’s really hard to play against him.”

And even if Kean ultimately opts to hand in a transfer request, Everton will be able to tout his services to a wider group on the open market to drive up their asking price this summer than selling to PSG now, given how well he’s performed in France.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands must sign “quick” Everton target who “makes football look easy”.

Former Scottish Premiership player Michael Stewart has criticised Celtic after their 0-0 draw against Livingston yesterday.

Stewart slams Celtic

The Bhoys were forced to select from a threadbare squad for the second game running with 13 other players, along with manager Neil Lennon, still having to self-isolate following their return from Dubai, where they were deemed close contacts after Christopher Jullien’s positive COVID test.

Coach Gavin Strachan was left frustrated after the final whistle after admitting that his team allowed Livingston to “impose their style on us” (via BBC Sport).

Speaking after the game, Stewart was not impressed with what he saw and he believes that the Parkhead club are at rock bottom.

He said, on Twitter: “Celtic’s season is whimpering to an end. No energy, no desire, no urgency and psychologically they now look as low as ever.

“Livingston were aggressive in their play at Parkhead and are understandably disappointed with only taking a point.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

The weeks ahead are likely to get tougher and tougher for the likes of Lennon and chief executive Peter Lawwell, whose apology did not go down well with the Celtic Park faithful.

Before Rangers made the trip to Motherwell this lunchtime, Celtic were 20 points behind their arch-rivals and it looks highly unlikely that they will secure a 10th title-in-a-row.

With reports of mass changes set to take place in the summer, a fresh start next season is, probably, what Celtic need.

In other news, Chris Sutton highlights further Celtic concern amid ‘absolute disaster.’

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former West Ham man Rob Lee outlined his concerns about the club’s reported pursuit of Hwang Hee-chan.

The Hammers have been in the market for a new striker ever since Sebastien Haller left for Ajax but with just days remaining in the window, they are yet to find a replacement.

One player linked with the club in recent days is RB Leipzig forward Hwang Hee-chan. Reputable Irons insider EXWHUEmployee revealed this week that he was someone on the club’s radar as they aim to end January with a bang.

Of course, David Moyes already has West Ham into the top four of the Premier League at the time of writing, so signing a striker could merely be the icing on the cake of what’s been a good month for the Hammers.

However, Lee labelled concerns about the possible move. He was quizzed about West Ham’s pursuit of Hwang this week and he didn’t appear to be a fan of the possible move. He told FFC:

“The problem for me is, if you’re going to be the main goal scorer for the team, I’d always go for someone who’s proven in the Premier League. I don’t care how well they’ve done in other leagues, how well are they going to do in the Premier League?”

Lee continued: “There’s pressure when you move to a new country and if he’s your main goal scorer and he’s not scoring goals, then you’re in trouble. So that’s why I would always go with somebody who’s proven and then if you’ve got a proven goalscorer up front – Danny Ings is a proven goalscorer you know, his contract’s up at Southampton – you know he can score, and then if you buy someone from abroad for a lot of money, the pressure’s not really on him to score loads of goals to start with, he can settle in.”

“We’ve seen it at Chelsea with Timo Werner – unbelievable goalscorer on the continent but can’t hit a barn door at the minute,” the pundit concluded. 

Indeed, it’s easy to see this one not working out for West Ham if they do push for a move. Hwang has scored 45 goals for Leipzig but only one of them was scored this term. With the player out of form, a move has the potential to be disastrous for the Hammers.

Fortunately, they may have had a lucky escape. Despite West Ham’s reported interest, Julian Nagelsmann admitted on Thursday afternoon that he wasn’t keen on letting the South Korean go unless they found replacements.

Nagelsmann shared that the 25-year-old had handed in a transfer request at the Bundesliga club but that he wanted to see more of him in training before making any decisions.

AND in other news, WHU could replicate Antonio move by swooping for “explosive” 17-goal ace…

Fulham may well be reportedly close to signing Josh Maja on loan from Bordeaux but he might not be the only striker arriving at Craven Cottage before the transfer window shuts, as the Cottagers are reportedly eyeing a move for Bournemouth’s Josh King.

According to the Evening Standard Fulham are lining up a swoop for the former Manchester United striker, who has been attempting to force a move away from Bournemouth for some time.

The 29-year-old has been poor since Bournemouth’s relegation to the Championship, with no goals or assists in the second tier this season, but has shown his quality in the Premier League in the past.

The striker has managed 48 goals and 15 assists in 161 appearances in the Premier League, whilst he has 53 goals for current club Bournemouth, so he could add a real goalscoring threat in Scott Parker’s side should he join.

The Craven Cottage outfit are low on strikers in their squad, with just Aleksandr Mitrovic a natural in that position, and unfortunately, the Serbian has not been able to continue his form from the Championship in the Premier League so far this season.

Parker’s side have been guilty of too many draws this season in games that they perhaps could’ve won had they put away their chances, with the recent draw against West Brom a prime example, which suggests that they do need more attacking options in their squad.

Unfortunately for Fulham, they are not the only side looking at signing the Cherries striker, with Everton having also been touted with an interest in the Norwegian on deadline day, and both sides have now reportedly agreed terms with the forward.

Therefore, signing a Premier League-proven striker such as King could well be the difference between relegation and staying up for Fulham this season, so Tony Khan should do everything he can to see of Premier League competition and bring the striker to Craven Cottage in a last-gasp deal before the deadline.

And, in other news… Khan could boost Parker’s squad with deadline day swoop for 22 y/o beast

Liverpool take on RB Leipzig in Budapest on Tuesday night, as they look to get their season back on track by progressing in the Champions League.

The first of the two legs has been moved to Hungary as a result of Germany’s travel restrictions.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have now suffered three defeats in a row against Brighton, Manchester City and Leicester respectively, losses which have all but ended their hopes of retaining the Premier League title.

Therefore, the German manager will undoubtedly be targeting success in the Champions League, but the Reds will have to be at their best if they want to get a positive result against Julian Nagelsmann’s side in the first leg.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Klopp to line his side up on Tuesday, with just two changes from the side that started against Leicester…

Alisson should keep his place in goal, despite making another error in the defeat against Leicester City, when his botched clearance gifted Jamie Vardy an open goal.

The defence also stays the same, as the key to ending this poor run of form could be having some consistency at the back, and Ozan Kabak and Jordan Henderson should be allowed to continue their partnership in the absence of Fabinho.

There are two changes in midfield, as Thiago replaces James Milner after he limped off against Leicester with a hamstring issue, whilst Xherdan Shaqiri comes in the for the “exceptional” Curtis Jones, in the hope that the Swiss international can provide some goal threat from midfield.

Unsurprisingly, the front three stays the same, and Klopp will be hoping that they can help Liverpool pick up a positive result in the first leg.

And, in other news… Klopp will be fuming with Liverpool star who lost possession 45x vs Leicester; he was awful