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Celtic’s hunt for a new manager has been a complete circus with nearly nine weeks passing now since Neil Lennon resigned.

Dermot Desmond has held talks with a few managers but the Bhoys are no closer to announcing the Northern Irishman’s successor.

What’s the word?

One of the main stalling points in a deal to bring Eddie Howe to Paradise has been his backroom staff requests.

One source suggested a few weeks ago that he wanted to bring the “kitchen sink” with him to Glasgow, something Celtic weren’t bowing down to.

He wants a number of his companions from Bournemouth to join him in Glasgow, specifically Richard Hughes, their technical director.

Celtic are trying to hire a director of football but had earmarked that position for Manchester City’s Fergal Harkin.

However, in a fresh update, it’s thought that Hughes isn’t key to their chase of Howe.

That’s according to journalist Alan Nixon who said: “Hughes is NOT central to this. Howe wants his own coaches though. And they’re still in work. That’s a major part of the hold up on his side.”

Good news

For a good few weeks now it looked as though the main hold up was in relation to Celtic’s director of football and a disagreement over Hughes.

This news, however, suggests that Howe has loosened his stance on the idea of his Cherries companion following him through the door.

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This could speed up Celtic’s chase for a new manager and it could finally allow them to appoint Harkin, their number one choice when it comes to leading their recruitment.

You can hardly blame Dermot Desmond for preferring the Man City figure either.

He’s become known as a transfer guru in Manchester and has played a key role in the development of a number of their young first-team players including regular Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Hughes, on the other hand, has a rather poor track record when it comes to spending money.

He may have helped to prepare a squad that got promoted from the Championship to the Premier League, but once they were up, their incomings left a lot to be desired.

Two of the worst examples are Jordon Ibe and Dominic Solanke. The Cherries splashed out £15m on the former, only to see him score five goals in 92 appearances. Hughes then spent £19m on Dominic Solanke, another player who hasn’t lived up to expectations with 19 goals in 88 outings.

Therefore, this feels like good news all round for the Bhoys.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Ajer: Celtic must unleash rarely-seen “weapon” next term, he’s clear of Duffy…

According to recent reports, Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a huge blow to hopes of bringing Jacob Murphy to Ibrox this summer, as sources revealed information concerning the winger’s contract.

The report by Football Insider claims that a Newcastle United source has revealed, contrary to reports his deal is expiring this summer, that Murphy will actually not be available to Rangers on a free transfer.

Indeed, the 26-year-old still has one year remaining on his deal at St. James’ Park.

This will come as a shock, as Steven Gerrard’s side would now have to agree a fee with Newcastle if they wish to land the £25,000-per-week forward this summer, potentially ruling the Ibrox club out of the race to land the former England U21 international on a permanent deal.

It goes without saying that a free transfer would have been far more attainable, so the surprise news that Murphy’s contract is actually 12 months longer than was previously known is certainly a blow.

Transfer Tavern Take

With Murphy currently being valued at £3.15 million by Transfermarkt, a deal for the winger may not be out of financial reach for Rangers, although, with it previously being reported that the 26-year-old would be available for free, the news is likely to come as a blow to Ross Wilson and co.

With Newcastle having paid £10.17 million for Murphy back in 2017, should the Magpies attempt to recoup anywhere near this amount of the winger this summer, it is not a difficult scenario to imagine Rangers turning their attention elsewhere in the transfer market.

In other news: Sources lift lid on ‘strong interest’ in Gerrard; chief executive has link with the Gers boss – find out more here!

West Ham fans are delighted after ExWHUemployee, via West Ham News, shared that Hammers star Angelo Ogbonna is expected to return to full training within the next week – and the Italian was apparently spotted in action on Wednesday afternoon.

Having been out of action since mid-February, suffering an ankle sprain during West Ham’s FA Cup defeat away to Manchester United, news of his return to training comes as a boost for David Moyes.

A mainstay before his knock, Ogbonna was arguably having a wonderful season before injury forced him into rehabilitation.

At times since, the Irons haven’t looked as stable in defence – evidenced by Wolves clawing two goals back during the away win on Monday, not to mention the infamous Arsenal fightback which saw them scrape a 3-3 draw at the London Stadium recently.

ExWHUemployee, however, said it wasn’t long before Ogbonna’s return to full training with plenty of supporters overjoyed at that update.

Since then, the club insider has been proven right with the 32-year-old seen on the live virtual training session. Whether or not that means he is fully recovered is not yet clear.

Nonetheless, you can find all of the most excited fan verdicts down below.

West Ham fans love Ogbonna update

“Massive boost for the run in.”

Credit: @smithy2786

“Great news. Oggy has been superb this season and Dawson plays well alongside him”

Credit: @sheard_mark

“Get in”

Credit: @JasonHo94454369

“Thank God. Can’t deal with the stress Issa Diop is giving me any longer”

Credit: @CAldridge94

“OG FATHER”

Credit: @conwhufc03

“Needed”

Credit: @eugene_gaughan

“that is fantastic news!!”

Credit: @BrantonSpencer

“Very good news”

Credit: @DaveMun1

In other news: West Ham are warming up to sign this 6 foot 4 powerhouse, find out more here.

There have certainly not been too many players to return to Crystal Palace over the years following an initial release.

However, one man who did just that is winger Bakary Sako. However, Steve Parish will be delighted that he is once again off of the wage bill following his exit at the conclusion of the 2018/19 campaign.

The Malian wideman originally joined the Eagles at the beginning of the 2015/16 season, fresh off the back of a brilliant campaign with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Joining on a free transfer, he could not capture his best form in front of goal, scoring just eight goals at Selhurst Park across three seasons before his original contract came to an end in 2018.

It was certainly a relief to have the winger off of the Selhurst Park wage bill considering that he was hoovering up approximately £55k per week throughout his contract. For comparison, that is the same amount that club captain Luka Milivojevic is currently earning at the club and considerably more than fellow wideman Eberechi Eze is currently being paid.

Linking up with West Bromwich Albion in the Championship after his time at Palace came to an end, Sako would intriguingly return to the club just over three months later for a second spell – a period in which he would play just four games before getting released once more.

Now 32, Sako was last seen playing for Cypriot outfit Pafos FC, where he made just six appearances and scored a solitary goal, following a failed move to Denizlispor.

He is now a free agent and whilst he is one of few players to have signed for the Eagles twice throughout his career, a third spell at Selhurst Park seems highly unlikely.

Parish will be delighted that he is no longer forking out for his considerable wages. He made the right call when letting him go dfor the secon time.

AND in more news, read about which Palace beast needs to be offered a new deal at Selhurst Park…

David Moyes may have West Ham United’s next defensive titan already in Ajibola Alese, as Fabian Balbuena reportedly prepares to leave the Premier League club in the summer.

Balbuena is nearing the end of the three-year contract awarded upon the Paraguayan’s £6.5m arrival in 2018, and appears to be focusing on a future away from east London.

The centre-back’s agent, Renato Bittar, confirmed as much to Versus Radio earlier this week, having stated that talks are already underway with potential suitors.

Balbuena has been linked with clubs from around the world with his £40,000-per-week deal due to expire in June, with Flamengo, Internacional, a Saudi Arabian outfit plus a team from Major League Soccer previously said to be weighing up offers.

Flamengo have held a long-standing interest in Balbuena’s potential availability as a free agent, but Bittar adds that his client is currently considering a longer stay in Europe despite speculation of desires to return to Brazil after his two years at Corinthians.

“We are talking with several teams but nothing in particular,” Bittar said. “There are several options for Fabian.

“For now, he will not continue at West Ham, but [he] will continue in Europe.”

Balbuena has played 59 times in three seasons at the London Stadium but has only stepped foot onto the field for 90 minutes since December 27, having fallen out of Moyes’ Premier League plans and only been called on to feature against Doncaster Rovers in the FA Cup.

The 29-year-old leaving the Irons in the summer could leave Moyes’ centre-back options at Angelo Ogbonna, who turns 33 in May, Craig Dawson, should he be kept after a season-long loan from Watford, Issa Diop and the highly-rated 21-year-old Frederik Alves.

Moyes is claimed to be keen on signing another senior option to supplement his centre-back group next season, but may already have his sought-after depth in the West Ham academy.

Alese penned a new contract at the London Stadium on Tuesday, one that keeps the 20-year-old tied down in claret and blue through to the summer of 2023, with the option to extend the terms by a further year.

The academy starlet has been with the Irons since the age of seven and is currently away on loan with League Two side Cambridge United, where the England U20 international is gaining valuable first-team experience as the U’s strive to secure the fourth-tier title.

He has so far only featured twice under Mark Bonner since his arrival at the Abbey Stadium on Deadline Day of the winter transfer window but has impressed West Ham coach Kevin Nolan, who closely worked with Alese before the loan transfer was finalised.

“It’s fantastic that Aji has become the latest young player to commit his future to the club,” Nolan said on Alese’s new contract. “He is one of a talented group we hope will go on to break through and establish himself in the first-team in the future.

“We did a lot of work with Aji on the training field last year when he came back from his loan spell at Accrington. He’s a great lad, with a very good attitude towards his development, and he took a lot on board, in terms of what we expect from him and the targets he needs to set himself.”

An impressive run in the Cambridge side as they fight for promotion into League One could be enough for Moyes to begin bedding Alese into the West Ham first-team upon his return, with the Hammers set to be boasting a somewhat different defensive unit next season.

AND in other news, West Ham face a £51.5m asking price to sign a dynamic star who grew up learning from Frank Lampard…

Red Bull Salzburg boss Jesse Marsch won’t be the next Celtic manager, according to reliable reporter Christian Falk.

The American recently admitted it was an “honour” to be linked with the Celtic job, describing the role as “interesting”.

That led to several Celtic fans urging the Hoops to seal a deal for the 47-year-old, with Parkhead chiefs admirers of Marsch, but those fans will now be disappointed after the latest update.

Marsch makes Celtic contact

However, Falk simply ended a tweet on Thursday morning claiming he has ‘confirmation’ that ‘Jesse Marsch won‘t join Celtic FC’.

Falk’s earlier post claimed that Marsch told the Celtic board that the interest is an honour, but he will not be available in the summer for the vacant job.

Transfer Tavern take

Even though Marsch is now out of the running to succeed Neil Lennon, we feel that the club can take heart in the fact that a boss with an impressive record was full of praise for the club and the available position.

The Hoops, we feel, should now be full of optimism over the coming months in their pursuit of a new manager.

The successful director of football candidate will also have a role to play in that search, and if the club get both appointments spot on, fans could well see an immediate response in the 2021/22 season following this season’s disappointing campaign.

In other news: In-demand Scot ready to quit Celtic as unlikely transfer destination emerges, find out more here. 

Former Scotland international Alan Hutton believes that Celtic’s head of recruitment Gary Penrice deserves to lose his job.

Penrice out?

The Bhoys spent a total of £14.13m (Transfermarkt) in the summer, opting to bring in the likes of Albian Ajeti, Vasilis Barkas and Shane Duffy on loan to bolster their hopes of winning an unprecedented 10-in-a-row.

However, that has not gone to plan with manager Neil Lennon resigning and reports suggested in January that transfer guru Nick Hammond could be dismissed in the summer in what could be a summer overhaul at Parkhead.

On top of this, Penrice has also been linked with a move out of the club after what has been a disastrous 2020/21 campaign for the green half of Glasgow.

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton believes that Penrice is not up to the task anymore and expects him to be replaced this summer.

“They need to act, it’s as simple as that,” he said. “It’s not been good enough. It’s like any work you do, if you’re making mistake after mistake, you’re going to lose your job.

“You saw it happen at Aston Villa with Suso (Jesus Garcia Pitarch). He brought in so many players and it didn’t work out. He moved on and look at them now.

“I think if you go through the Celtic squad and what they brought in, yes they had some players that worked out but more often than not, it didn’t. They spent big money.

“It doesn’t surprise me they’re having a full shakeup, revamping everything.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

There is no doubt that Celtic need a revamp – and fast. But supporters will probably need to accept that the rebuild could take a few seasons to get right.

While there are huge expectations for the Hoops to reclaim the Scottish Premiership crown at the first time of asking, it may take a couple of campaigns to put the respective measures in place to eradicate the deadwood in the side.

Ajeti, Barkas and Duffy have been heavily criticised for their abject performances this season – and rightly so. Time will tell whether Penrice is moved on or if Dominic McKay will trust him to move the club forward.

In other news, Celtic-linked manager reacts to Parkhead rumours; Mourinho dubbed him as ‘incredible.’

Carlo Ancelotti has dropped a pre-FA Cup hint that could see Everton deliver Tottenham Hotspur a rare challenge when the two sides meet on Wednesday.

The Toffees beat Spurs when the clubs last faced one another in the Premier League with the Merseyside outfit running out 1-0 victors in North London last September, ending a 15-game winless run in the fixture.

Everton had not beaten Tottenham in any competition since December 2012 before this season’s win, and are now preparing to face the Lilywhites in the FA Cup for the first time since 1995 when the Blues won 4-1 to seal a place in the Final.

Tonight’s match will see Everton and Tottenham contest for a place in the Quarter-Final of this year’s edition, with Ancelotti also looking to maintain his unbeaten record in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

To do so, the Italian has hinted he may stick with the new formation he deployed at Old Trafford on Saturday, when Everton came from behind twice to hold Manchester United to a draw.

“Maybe it was difficult to adjust again to Goodison being empty but we could do better at this – and I am really pleased with how my players adapt to many things,” Ancelotti wrote in his programme notes ahead of tonight’s FA Cup tie with Tottenham.

“They can move to different positions and, like at Manchester United on Saturday, go into a new system. We had a diamond in midfield to give us one more body in an area where United are really strong.

“The plan worked, in my opinion, and even at half-time when we were 2-0 down, I was happy with the tactical aspect. But our passing in the first half was too safe. It can happen against a team that is strong on the counter-attacks and United are one of the best in the world at this.”

Ancelotti fielded Everton in a 4-3-1-2 system for the first time since his appointment in December 2019, with Richarlison joining Dominic Calvert-Lewin in attack but tasked with playing wider to afford James Rodriguez space to operate in a free role in front of Andre Gomes, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Tom Davies.

The Toffees boss noting that he felt the diamond system was working at Manchester United even when trailing would suggest he is considering utilising the formation against Tottenham in the FA Cup, which could help nullify the threat of Tanguy Ndombele like he sought to with Bruno Fernandes.

Only Harry Kane (20) and Son Heung-Min (17) have scored more often for Spurs than Ndombele (6) across all competitions this season, while Jose Mourinho has also seen the 24-year-old Frenchman provide three assists yet lauds him for his “magnificent” general play.

Everton lining up in a 4-3-1-2 on Wednesday night will also present Tottenham with a challenge they are not accustomed to facing, having yet played against a side using the formation in any of their 37 competitive matches played this season.

The closest Mourinho’s men have come is in their fixtures against sides using a 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-2-1, which coincidently returned two defeats in their last three games with Brighton and Chelsea both running out 1-0 victors over the last two weeks.

If Ancelotti is to see Tottenham’s run of results stretch to three defeats in four and record a rare Everton win over the north London side, sticking with the 4-3-1-2 used at Manchester United may be the way to go.

AND in other news, Everton have been tipped to sign a £2m-rated veteran this summer after a 2020 deal collapsed…

Everton must look to offload Fabian Delph at the end of the season after Carlo Ancelotti admitted he is “frustrated” by the midfielder’s injuries.

What’s the word?

Via quotes by the Liverpool Echo, the Blues boss has vented his frustration at Delph’s string of issues that have kept the England international sidelined since the start of December.

Delph sustained a hamstring injury during the first-half of his side’s 1-1 draw with Burnley and missed Sunday’s meeting with Fulham due to fitness concerns, which had kept him from taking a place in the squad that beat Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup.

The £80,000-per-week midfielder had returned to Ancelotti’s matchday plans earlier this month when listed among the substitutes against Leeds United and Manchester United, and would have featured in some capacity against Spurs if included.

Ancelotti now hopes Delph will be fit to play a role in Wednesday’s Premier League clash with title-chasing Manchester City, as the former Sky Blues midfielder can help to ease the burden on those who have played frequently this season.

“He’s not injured again, but he has a little problem and is not fit 100%,” Ancelotti said. “The fact he had a problem in the past we want to be sure to put him in.

“He was on the bench the game before and during training he had a contraction of his muscle, not a big problem but he’s not available for the [Fulham] game. Maybe Wednesday he will be.

“Of course, we are frustrated because I think he’s an important player with a lot of experience. He could help us with the fact, in this moment, as in the game against Tottenham, I only had two midfielders.”

Time to get rid

Delph has now missed 19 of Everton’s 29 Premier League and cup games through injury, illness or fitness issues this season after sitting out the Fulham affair, while missing 21 of the Toffees’ 38 top-flight fixtures last term.

The 31-year-old has also only started four of his seven appearances across all competitions during the 2020/21 campaign, as the £10m ex-Man City midfielder brought his total outings to 27 since being signed to a three-year deal under Marco Silva in 2019.

Delph is bleeding Everton’s majority owner Farhad Moshiri dry on his £80k-p/w deal, that has seen the Blues pay out almost £11m in wages over his 135 weeks at Goodison Park so far.

Everton are seeing absolutely no value in his signing with Delph costing the club, including the fee paid to Man City, £770,500 a game. He is also yet to score or assist a single goal.

Ancelotti must now see that Delph does not play into the third and final year of his current deal, and should urge the Blues’ Director of Football Marcel Brands to spend the coming months shopping the 20-cap international on the transfer market.

Time simply has to be up for the perennially crocked dud.

AND in other news, Everton are monitoring an “exciting” teen prospect Carlo Ancelotti could sign for free…

Whilst Tottenham Hotspur struggled to take their chances in the 4-1 win against Wycombe Wanderers on Monday night until late on, the performance of Gareth Bale arguably shows why he needs to be starting more often in the Premier League.

The Welsh international played the full 90 minutes at Adams Park and looked dangerous throughout, as he regularly showed a good turn of pace to get past the opposition defenders.

The on-loan Real Madrid man scored the equalising goal with a deft finish in first-half stoppage time, which means he is now the only Spurs player to have scored in every competition so far this season.

The 31-year-old has struggled with fitness and injury issues since re-joining the North London club during the summer transfer window but will be glad to have got his first full 90 minutes back in a Spurs shirt under his belt on Monday, even if it was against Championship opposition.

If Bale can get back to full fitness, then Mourinho should consider making him his starting right-winger in future matches, as he showed against Wycombe that when he is on form, he can offer more of a goalscoring threat than Steven Bergwijn.

Despite playing significantly fewer matches than the Dutch winger this season, Bale has four goals in all competitions, compared to the former PSV man, who has failed to find the back of the net once this season.

The 23-year-old has struggled to put away big chances, most notably in the 2-1 defeat against Liverpool earlier in the season, when he missed a few golden opportunities.

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Although Bergwijn does a lot of the dirty work in Mourinho’s side with his excellent pressing and tracking back, the Portuguese manager must surely be considering handing the £18 million-rated Bale more game time in the Premier League to try and add to his side’s attacking threat, considering he has managed just four appearances in the top-flight since returning, three of which have come from the bench.

If Bale can replicate the performance he produced against Wycombe, where he completed 5/5 dribbles and earned an 8/10 rating from SofaScore, in the Premier League, then it is surely only a matter of time before he establishes himself as the first-choice right-winger with the Lilywhites.

And, in other news… Levy handed ideal opportunity to axe £42m liability dubbed “a mistake waiting to happen”