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Celtic are reportedly still interested in Al Ahly attacking midfielder Mohamed Magdy.

That’s according to the player’s agent Abdelrahman Ismail, as reported by the Daily Record, who claimed that ‘Celtic are competing to sign Mohamed Magdy’ – seven words which could make for an interesting summer transfer window.

Magdy was linked with a move to Parkhead in October, with his agent revealing the news back then as well, and it seems as if the Hoops haven’t given up on the 25-year-old, who is under contract with Al Ahly until 2024.

Magdy, who can also play out on the wing, has made 68 appearances for his current employers scoring 12 times and registering 18 assists.

Transfer Tavern take

You’d expect Celtic to be busy this summer in terms of outgoings and incomings, but we’re not so sure that a move for Magdy is required. The Hoops currently have David Turnbull as well as Tom Rogic and Ryan Christie as central attacking midfield options.

We feel as if Celtic need to target wide additions ,with Mohamed Elyounoussi returning to Southampton, as well as a striker should the in-demand Odsonne Edouard leave the club.

It seems as if a move for Magdy could be on the cards, though, so the transfer links may well rumble on over the coming months.

In other news: Sky Sports reporter drops Celtic confirmation that Dominic McKay may love, find out more here. 

Plenty of Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to the news that former striker Dado Prso has bought a Senegalese football club.

Prso is somewhat of a cult hero at Ibrox, with some fans even dubbing him a “legend”. The forward spent three years with the club between 2004 and 2007 and scored plenty of goals as he helped the Gers win one Premiership title and one Scottish League Cup. That would actually prove to be the final stop of his career before he hung up his boots.

Now aged 46, it seems he is ready to get back into football, but perhaps not in the way many will have expected. The former Croatia international has purchased a Senegalese football club called Demba Diop, who are currently competing in the country’s second tier.

The news was shared on Twitter by @CroatianNews, and unsurprisingly it attracted plenty of attention from Rangers supporters. These fans took to social media to share their thoughts on the matter.

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

“There’s my Football Manager 22 save sorted”

Credit: @big_ashy5

“Where can I buy a top?”

Credit: @stephmcd90

“Given he is my fave player of all time, I am now a fan of Demba Diop!! Mon the Diop”

Credit: @JHQLoyal

“@RangersFC get on the phone to Dado and let’s add this team to our club partners”

Credit: @cuibonoconfuto

“The guy is a legend”

Credit: @douglasjamesgr2

“Announce partnership @RangersFC”

Credit: @SpeckyRSC

In other news, Rangers could move for this man as a potential replacement for Filip Helander.

Rangers take on their Old Firm rivals at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup fourth round on Sunday, and Steven Gerrard should consider handing a start to Scott Wright.

The 23-year-old was surprisingly left on the bench for the 2-1 win against Hibernian last time out, despite being one of the star performers in the 4-0 win against Cove Rangers the previous week.

Wright has looked very bright in his cameo appearances for Rangers since joining from Aberdeen in February, most notably in the Europa League win against Royal Antwerp, where a late run earned Gerrard’s side a penalty.

He was handed his first start for the club in the win against League One side Cove Rangers in the last round and impressed with his performance, but he failed to appear in last weekend’s win over Hibs at Ibrox.

Former Rangers boss Alex McLeish has suggested that Gerrard may well have been saving him for the cup tie at Ibrox this weekend, so perhaps we will see him make a rare appearance.

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Wright impressed against the Hoops earlier in the season with Aberdeen as he came off the bench to great effect in their 3-3 draw at Pittodrie. Derek McInnes was full of praise for him after that game, saying: “When he came on, what a reaction. He (Wright) was terrific.

“I gave him a special mention in the dressing room there because I don’t think we could’ve got the result without him. That shows how important he is and he needs to feel that importance.”

The 23-year-old robbed Shane Duffy of the ball for Aberdeen’s late equaliser, and whilst the on-loan Brighton man hasn’t featured since February, Wright will be hoping to cause the Hoops’ defenders similar problems in a Rangers shirt.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

Although Wright is arguably yet to start a game as big as this in his career, the Old Firm derby represents the ideal opportunity for Gerrard to test his January signing and see what he is really made of ahead of next season, when hopefully he will be much more of a first team regular at Ibrox.

In other news… Gerrard could be set for huge Rangers boost with “special talent” who is “made of iron”

Fans of Southampton have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which Saints relayed their statement regarding the now-collapsing proposal of a European Super League.

In a statement posted on the club website, Southampton confirmed that they are in “complete opposition” to any plans for a breakaway league, and that club shares the feeling of its supporters in that the proposals involving the so-called big six sides were “borne from a position of greed” as well as “fear of true competition.”

The club also claimed that it will do “everything in its power” to prevent the plans from becoming reality, alongside the Premier League, the British government and the governing bodies of European and world football.

However, after Southampton shared their statement on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing furious at the timing of Saints’ tweet, as the statement came a number of hours after it was already rumoured that Chelsea had pulled out of the ESL, and not long before all six Premier League sides had completely withdrawn.

By contrast, the likes of Everton and West Ham had shared their disgust at the ESL idea much earlier on Tuesday, drawing massive praise.

So, what exactly did these Southampton fans have to say in reaction to the club’s statement?

“Shambolic that it took so long.”

@_supersaints

“Being the last club to issue a statement on this is not something to be proud of lads.”

@BristolSaints

“So, in the end, we published this *less than an hour* before the English clubs announced they were leaving anyway.”

@lucyhighnett

“Bit late lads.”

@europasaintsfc

“See we are as gutless off the pitch as we are on it at the moment. Basically wait for it to fall then strong condemnation. Shambles.”

@SFC_BazChez

“Issue a statement after the idea is in the bin already. Well done lads.”

@andrewhal20

In other news: Reports from Germany reveal interest in key Southampton man; claim 15% chance of summer exit – find out more here!

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Tottenham defender Gary Mabbutt has admitted that Gareth Bale should now be starting every week, but praised Jose Mourinho’s management of the Welshman.

Bale has generally endured a difficult time back in North London since making his return from Real Madrid last summer.

However, the flying winger has enjoyed a revival in recent weeks, using Spurs’ Europa League tie against Wolfsberger to get up to speed for Premier League matches.

Bale scored in both legs against the Austrian outfit, and having made a significant impact off the bench against West Ham last Sunday was rewarded with just his third Premier League start of the season against Burnley last time out.

And Bale repaid Mourinho’s faith by producing a scintillating man of the match display against the Clarets, scoring twice and assisting once in Tottenham’s 4-0 victory.

Mabbutt told FFC:

“I think he’s been very well managed. There has been a lot of talk about should he be playing from the start week in week out, but I think the manager has to make decisions based upon what he’s seeing in training.

“And as long as that’s all clear cut, as long as there’s a lot of communications between the player and the manager, as to as to what they’re trying to achieve getting back to his full fitness, full match fitness. And for health fitness. He had an illness at one stage that kept him out.”

Bale has featured in each of Tottenham’s previous four games in all competitions, scoring four times, whilst providing three assists for his teammates.

Mabbutt continued:

“I think the last couple of games, certainly the European game last week, and the game against Burnley. I thought he was fantastic. He’s finishing, his composure, just his whole presence, his whole presence just on the field there, I think puts fear into the opponents, as they know what he can do.

“Should Gareth be in the first team every single week? Well, of course, on top of the performances that he’s got, but the manager’s got a massive squad to play with.”

For long periods of the season, it seemed strange as to why Bale wasn’t playing so regularly.

But Mourinho appears to have got this spot on. He’s allowed the Welshman to use the Europa League and domestic cups to get up to scratch before unleashing him for the most important part of the campaign.

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Yerry Mina is facing an extended spell on the sidelines with the injury sustained in Everton’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester City earlier this month.

The Colombian centre-half was taken off after just 18 minutes having picked up a calf issue, forcing Mina to sit out last weekend’s 2-0 Merseyside derby win away to rivals Liverpool.

Mina had returned to the Toffees’ starting line-up for the visit of Pep Guardiola’s Citizens to Goodison Park after sitting out his side’s previous two Premier League fixtures, marking the 26-year-old’s 22nd start of the season so far across all competitions.

Ancelotti opted to draft a five-man defence at Anfield in Mina’s absence, with Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey partnering Michael Keane while Seamus Coleman and Lucas Digne occupied the full-back spots.

The Italian tactician has confirmed that Everton will again be without Mina at home to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton on Monday night, along with long-term absentee Jean-Philippe Gbamin due to his Achilles injury.

“Gbamin is progressing well. We don’t know exactly when he can come back to train with the team – the same with Yerry Mina, also,” Ancelotti said.

“I think Yerry will be out for at least two more weeks.”

But Everton will be able to call on both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Allan to start on Monday, after the striker and midfielder returned to the Blues’ matchday squad against Liverpool.

“Allan and Dominic are okay. They are training regularly,” the ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid head coach added.  “They are available to play, for sure, from the beginning.”

Calvert-Lewin featured for the final 30 minutes against Liverpool following two games out with a hamstring injury, while Allan took a seat on the bench as he waits for his first action since limping off against Leicester on December 16.

Mina’s absence at home to Southampton on Monday night will present Godfrey with another chance to prove that Everton are not at a disadvantage without the Colombian, following the £20m summer signing from Norwich City’s performance at Liverpool.

Godfrey earned rave reviews for his exploits at Anfield, where the £77,000-per-week ace was given only his seventh Premier League outing of the season at centre-half, following eight games at left-back and twice being fielded as the right-sided full-back.

“He’s really stepped up to the plate. We all knew he was a good player when Everton signed him and had high hopes, but he’s exceeded those expectations by the level of his performance, both in central defence and also in full-backs as well,” ex-Everton defender David Weir told Football Pass on Monday.

“He seems to get Everton. You can tell the fans, although they are not at the games, you can tell they like him. They like his work ethic. They like his hunger to play. He’s got a real intensity about the way he defends.”

Godfrey and Holgate both offered one successful tackle against Jurgen Klopp’s defending Premier League champions, but only the former Canaries talent boasted a 100% record at Anfield, per WhoScored.

Holgate also offered fewer clearances (2) than Godfrey (8) and Keane (13) – who was dribbled past in his only attempted tackle – while proving more wasteful on the ball with a 57% pass success rate from 28 attempts to his teammates’ respective 71% from 24 and 76% from 25 records.

Godfrey’s match rating of 7.1 out of 10 against Liverpool was also above his average 6.65 for the season when fielded at centre-back, the lowest among Ancelotti’s options with Holgate scoring a 7.01, Keane a 6.94 and Mina a 6.89.

Ancelotti will now hope to see Godfrey match his performance for the visit of Southampton to Goodison Park, where Everton have lost their last three Premier League fixtures and are winless in 2021.

AND in other news, Everton face European competition to sign a £35m target this summer…

David Moyes should adhere to Frank McAvennie’s advice after he backed Said Benrahma as the surprise answer to West Ham United’s Declan Rice woes.

The Hammers confirmed earlier this week that Rice sustained a lateral knee ligament injury while representing England during the March international break.

He now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines, which reports have suggested could be as long as four to six weeks providing surgery is not required.

Rice having to have his knee operated on could see the 22-year-old be ruled out for the rest of the season, which would jeopardise his place in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad for this summer’s European Championships.

Moyes opted to recall Mark Noble against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night for only the Irons captain’s fifth Premier League start of the term, but McAvennie fears his former side having to rely on the 33-year-old long-term.

“To play Noble for six weeks could set us back, no disrespect to him, but he’s just not got the energy or the legs that the younger guys have,” McAvennie exclusively told FootballFanCast.

“David has got to find energy in the middle. If Rice is caught out and [Tomas] Soucek is up beside him, the two of them have got energy to get back, but Noble can’t.

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“But if [Ben] Johnson or whoever he wants to put in – Benrahma, and may have to play him a bit deeper, but he’s still got the energy to get up and down. [Jesse] Lingard, I don’t think he’ll bring him that far back.

“It’s a strange one and it’s going to be a headache for David Moyes.”

Monday’s 3-2 win over Wolves was the first Premier League game that Rice has sat out since May 2019, with the £60,000-per-week star opening West Ham’s previous 68 consecutive fixtures.

Noble fared reasonably well in the holding midfield role beside Soucek by keeping things simple, with his leadership the key factor behind his performance having offered a calm head whilst Nuno Espirito Santo’s side threatened a three-goal comeback.

But the Molineux outfit have struggled for consistent form all season and now sit 14th in table, while Sunday’s clash with top-four rivals Leicester City will be expected to cause West Ham a much tougher test in the fight for Champions League qualification.

Moyes could look to weather the inevitable storm by adhering to McAvennie’s advice, and unleashing Benrahma in the engine room beside Soucek and Noble despite the Algerian never playing deeper than an attacking midfield role throughout his career.

The Hammers boss has previously praised Benrahma – who fell to the bench at Molineux and has not started back-to-back Premier League games since February 6 – for his defensive work rate, as his contributions had caught Moyes by surprise.

“I’ve had a bit of a laugh with him [Benrahma] because I’m saying to him: ‘I didn’t realise I’d signed a really hard-working midfield player who runs and closes down, and does all the defensive duties,’” Moyes said, via quotes by The Guardian, in February.

“I said: ‘I thought we got someone for assists and goal making.’ They’re the bits which I think he’s probably needed to improve. The other part has been excellent. I want team players here – I don’t want individuals – but Said’s been great for the team.”

Moyes can now look to unleash Benrahma’s defensive capabilities to their full potential by fielding the 25-year-old in a deeper role at home to Leicester on Sunday, and see if he can be the answer to West Ham’s Rice headache.

AND in other news, West Ham land major boost in race to sign “complete” £11m-rated target for free…

Mason Greenwood is willing to reject a move to Barcelona if he is given the chance to make a Manchester United comeback under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Greenwood on loan at Getafe
• Ratcliffe says United will take decision in the summer
• Greenwood has interest from major European clubs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ratcliffe has spoken of the desire to "understand the facts, not the hype", as a potential softening of the ground towards a potential return for Greenwood. The striker was not expected to play for United again after he was arrested in January 2022 on charges of attempted rape and several other offences. Now, reports that Greenwood would be unwilling to move to Barcelona if United were interested, as he feels he owes a "debt" to the Old Trafford club.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Reports claim that both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are interested in signing Greenwood. As a result, United have placed a new price tag on the striker of €40 million (£34m/$43m). United may face fierce criticism if they do pocket a major fee for the striker, given his previous behaviour.

• Getty Images
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Since joining Getafe, Greenwood has made 24 appearances, scoring seven goals and registering five assists. In his time at United, he scored 35 goals in 129 appearances.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD?

  The striker could next be in action for the Spanish club against Barcelona this weekend, in a fixture that could potentially be billed as an audition for his future employers. They will then face Las Palmas at home next weekend.

In recent comments, John Hartson claimed that there should be no guard of honour given to Glasgow Rangers in this weekend’s Old Firm fixture.

Following Steven Gerrard’s side’s clinching of their first Scottish Premiership title in 10 years earlier this month, much debate has ensued as to whether Celtic will greet Rangers with a guard of honour prior to kick-off in the upcoming Old Firm clash.

However, in recent comments made on the radio (via Ibrox News), former Celtic striker Hartson called for perspective on the guard on honour debate, claiming that Rangers have never done such a thing for the Hoops, as well as taking a swipe at the “embarrassing” actions of the Gers side in recent seasons.

He said: “Let’s have some perspective, in the last ten years Celtic have done the quadruple-treble [and there was] no word of a guard of honour. It’s never been mentioned, so why do it now? I know Rangers have come back from the dead, come back from absolutely nowhere… it’s a brilliant achievement.

“A couple of years ago when Neil Lennon took his team to Ibrox and Celtic had already won the league, Rangers beat us and celebrated like they’d won the European Cup. I thought to myself ‘that is embarrassing, what are you celebrating?’ I hope Celtic take this on board and don’t do the same thing if they win.”

Transfer Tavern Take

While there is not a great deal of humility in Hartson’s comments, perhaps his perspective will be understood by Rangers fans, as they would no doubt share a similar opinion if the shoe were on the other foot – something that was in evidence back in 2019, when Gerrard’s side did not give Celtic a guard of honour at Ibrox.

However, the fact that Rangers head to Parkhead 20 points clear of their rivals, as well as with an unbeaten record in the league, is something that is likely to cause Hartson’s former side a great deal of embarrassment, with or without giving Gers a guard of honour.

In other news: many Rangers fans have slammed this Union Bears statement – find out more here!

After tasting defeat to Manchester United last time out in the Premier League, Aston Villa boss Dean Smith may look to freshen things up for tonight’s clash Everton.

Despite taking the lead thanks to a stunning strike from Bertrand Traore, Villa were once again on the wrong end of a penalty decision against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, with Douglas Luiz being penalised for a foul inside the box.

That led to a United fight-back in the second-half, with strikes from Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood and Edinson Cavani enough to see United home.

And it’s Luiz who Smith must consider dropping from the starting line-up when the Toffees come to town at Villa Park, with his mindless moment on Sunday, and his actual poor form in recent weeks, surely warranting him from being taken out of the firing line.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for The Birmingham Mail, Ashley Preece gave the £50k-a-week earning ace a four, and said: “The Brazilian did well to sprint back to put Fernandes off which typified his work off the ball. Douglas’s passing was off a tad and he should have done better to feed El Ghazi in during an attack.

“The birthday boy, 23, was brave and wasn’t afraid to press United high, often leaving McGinn to mark Fernandes in case of a counter-attack. Douglas was stupid and foolish to allow United a way back into it as he bundled Paul Pogba over inside the box – as he did at Old Trafford as well. Struggling for form of late, is Douglas. Replaced by Jacob Ramsey with a little over half-hour to go.”

That sentiment was echoed by The Athletic’s Gregg Evans, who branded it a “really stupid” foul from Luiz when he conceded the penalty.

And when you look at his form, the Brazilian just hasn’t been at the races for Villa, much like the side as a whole in truth.

As per Whoscored, the midfielder has only registered a match rating of above seven in one out of his last ten Premier League games, and that’s a damning indictment for someone who has been a regular starter for Smith all season.

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With the likes of Jacob Ramsey waiting in the wings to be given more starts before the season is over, now seems like the perfect time for Smith to make the ruthless call and axe one of his favourites.

He’s just been shocking for far too long now.

Meanwhile, Villa are interested in this recently relegated Premier League star…