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Tottenham Hotspur ‘like’ Norwich City’s Max Aarons but are waiting for a ‘reasonable bid’ for Serge Aurier, according to football.london’s Alasdair Gold.

The lowdown

Aarons started 45 of Norwich’s 46 Championship matches in 2020/21 as they secured immediate promotion back to the Premier League. The England under-21 international scored two goals over the season, creating 1.4 chances and averaging 1.4 successful dribbles per game (via WhoScored).

It was reported by The Times in April that Norwich, who have recently lost another star of their promotion campaign in Emiliano Buendia, would demand £30m for the right-back.

Aurier wants to leave Spurs and it was suggested by journalist Rudy Galetti last week that he was close to rejoining Paris Saint-Germain, who are managed by former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino.

The latest

Gold says that the situation with Aurier is ‘quite simple’ – Spurs won’t stand in his way if their demands are met. That price tag is thought to be lower than the €20m (£17.1m) quoted in the PSG links from Galetti.

If Aurier does leave, Tottenham will make a move for a replacement, and Aarons is a possible option, particularly as the club ‘need some homegrown signings’ according to Gold.

The verdict

Aarons would be an exciting addition if Spurs can bring him in, potentially slotting straight into the first team ahead of Matt Doherty, who struggled for regular game-time and form in his first season in North London.

The Norwich starlet part of a hugely exciting generation of English right-backs which also includes Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James.

He may not be an assist machine at the outset – he only delivered 0.8 crosses per game at Norwich last season – but there is plenty of time for his game to develop, and his homegrown status serves only to add further weight to him being an ideal candidate to fill the void that Aurier could leave.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on Spurs’ manager hunt. 

As soon as Eddie Howe proudly walks through the doors of Parkhead, Celtic could reduce him to frustration and anguish.

That’s just the way things have gone for the Bhoys this year and not even a new manager will have things his own way immediately. That’s because Howe will be faced with the prospect of arguably Celtic’s best player departing before he’s even had a chance to watch him.

Odsonne Edouard has attracted the interest of top clubs in England and it feels inevitable that he has played his final game for the Hoops.

The incoming manager will have plenty to address when he arrives at Paradise but finding a new striker will surely be at the top of his agenda. Many a forward will be linked but Howe could go a long way to becoming an instant hit by signing Genk striker Paul Onuachu.

Speaking on A Celtic State of Mind earlier this season, pundit Colin Watt suggested that the 27-year-old is a player who the recruitment team should be considering.

He said: “One that I think people should go and take a look at [is] Paul Onuachu.

“He’s a Nigerian striker that plays for Genk; he was formerly of FC Midtjylland, and he’s scored almost 100 goals in five seasons, 6ft 7in tall. Roughly, the going price for him is about £7-10m.”

That kind of record in front of goal is enough to make you drool. If Edouard does indeed move on, this suggest that there’d be fewer better players to replace him.

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Onuachu finished as the top scorer in the Belgian top flight this term, racking up 35 goals in just 41 outings across all competitions. A predator in the box, his tally for Genk is a hugely impressive 45 goals from 69 appearances.

Very few attacking players offer what the Nigerian does, either. Not only can he beat the goalkeeper with unrelenting confidence, he’s also an absolute bully for defenders.

Standing at 6 foot 7, he can shrug players off in devastating fashion, winning four aerial duels per match this term.

Speaking about the 26-year-old’s qualities, his former FC Midtjylland teammate Alexander Scholz said: “Years ago, when he was with us, he was already the best striker in our championship. It’s impossible to beat him because he’s so tall. He is a worker, he has always worked a lot. He had to wait for his chance but I’m happy for him.”

What’s scary is that Onuachu also has plenty of pace, using his long levers to gallop beyond the defensive line and find the net. Edouard has proven to be a physical presence up front for Celtic in the last few years but the Genk striker would literally take that to new heights.

If Howe is seeking a replacement for the Frenchman, he should look no further than Onuachu; he’d surely be a success in Glasgow.

AND in other news, McKay can discover Celtic’s ideal Elyounoussi heir by signing “very fast” 42-cap demon…

With Diego Llorente appearing to have found his fitness and feet in the Premier League, Marcelo Bielsa may want to bring in another defender to play alongside him or as part of a rotation pattern and Omar Colley could fit that role according to Forza Italian Football editor in chief Conor Clancy.

Colley has been tipped for a move to Elland Road after standing out for Sampdoria recently and with Liam Cooper in the side as well it would allow the defenders to have a rest period from Bielsa’s demanding style of play.

Since moving to Sampdoria in 2018 he has constantly stood out and this season he achieved a 6.90 WhoScored rating in a Sampdoria side that finished ninth and his willingness to take risks by bringing the ball into midfield is very impressive.

If Leeds did move for Colley he could be an extremely entertaining player to watch for both sides as he can be unbelievable on his day but also capable of mistakes, something Clancy explained exclusively to Football FanCast:

“Colley is someone that if I’m at a game and he’s got the ball, I’m thinking right, something could happen here and not for the team he’s playing for because you just expect him to make a mistake.

“In a Bielsa side where chaos is introduced that little bit more I think it could be beautiful, but also disastrous, and often in the same game. I wouldn’t say he’s better than Llorente but he could possibly play alongside him or even just be a back-up.”

Colley is still just 28-years old so he is just about to enter the peak years of his career and if Bielsa can encourage him to keep taking risks to get the ball forward quickly, he could unearth a real gem.

Playing in such an energetic and high energy team could suit Colley’s style of play compared to Serie A where the tempo is often a lot slower and balanced.

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been giving their thoughts on a reported boost in the club’s pursuit of Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham.

Villa are thought to be monitoring the 23-year-old ahead of the summer window, and according to The Athletic, cited by Birmingham Live, the striker is now ‘very likely’ to ‘push to leave’ Stamford Bridge this summer.

Abraham has hardly featured under new manager Thomas Tuchel, with his asking price thought to be around £40m. Dean Smith knows all about the striker, who helped Villa to earn promotion to the Premier League in 2018/19, scoring 26 goals in 40 appearances at the club during a loan spell.

Villa are also reportedly looking to sign two wide forwards in what could be another big spending spree ahead of the 2021/22 season.

Villa fans react

@AVFC_News shared the news regarding Abraham on Twitter on Saturday morning, asking fans if they would like to see the forward back at Villa Park next season.

Here is what some supporters had to say, with many buzzing at the possibility of Abraham returning to the Midlands.

“100%, him and Grealish were a scary great partnership and with McGinn on form. Wow!”Credit: @StephenGrandis2″Yep, make it happen”Credit: @Capt_Cook_”100%, feel like Watkins deserves main striker after season he has had but Tammy is a no brainer for me”Credit: @WelchCarl”In a heartbeat. He certainly won’t be at Chelsea next season.”Credit: @yellowmarlin”If he wants to come back sign him up. He was a handy player for other stuff like defending and not just scoring goals. Good team player.”Credit: @ninja_peroni”Absolutely bring him home”Credit: @JudyDaly57

In other news: Villa source shares shock Bodymoor Heath news; 41 y/o’s five-word admission key, find out more here.

Celtic have reportedly made a big-money bid for Hatayspor striker Aaron Boupendza.

The Lowdown: Hoops on the hunt for an Edouard replacement

It looks set to be a busy summer in terms of incomings and outgoings at Celtic Park.

One man who looks destined to leave the club is striker Odsonne Edouard. The French forward is thought to be edging closer to a move to Leicester City, where he would link up with former Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers.

Should a deal go through, you’d expect Celtic to make an attacking acquisition of their own to replace the 23-year-old, and it seems as if they’re already working on it.

The Latest: Offer turned down

According to Turkish newspaper Milliyet, cited by Glasgow Live, Celtic have had an offer turned down.

The outlet reports that a £6.5m bid has been rejected by the Super Lig side, with the Hoops still the frontrunners to land the 24-year-old who netted 22 league goals this season.

Negotiations look set to continue over a deal for Boupendza, who could end up becoming one of the club’s most expensive signings of all time.

The Verdict: McKay isn’t hanging around

It seems as if new Celtic CEO Dominic McKay isn’t hanging around when it comes to player recruitment, despite the Hoops not having a director of football or first-team manager in place.

You’d like to think that the club would run possible targets past a new boss, with reports suggesting Eddie Howe is the man who will be in the Parkhead dugout for the 2021/22 season.

Who knows, Howe may well be in the loop, and despite a rejected offer, it seems as if Celtic still haven’t given up hope on signing the Gabon international this summer.

In other news: Hoops U-turn emerges on Celtic loanee, find out more here. 

Former Tottenham Hotspur legend Graham Roberts insists Manchester City will not be signing Harry Kane on the cheap this summer, telling Football FanCast it will take far more than £100m to land his signature.

The Athletic have reported previously that the England captain is set to push to leave Spurs if they fail to qualify for the Champions League this season.

They are currently six points behind fourth-placed West Ham United with seven games of the season remaining, though they are in the Carabao Cup final, where they will play Manchester City.

It remains to be seen if bids will be tabled for Kane this summer but reports have claimed City are interested in taking him to the Etihad Stadium.

BBC Sport reported that Kane is on a shortlist that also includes Borussia Dortmund’s strike sensation Erling Haaland, with the Daily Mail reporting he could cost around £100m.

Sergio Aguero, of course, is leaving the club this summer.

But Roberts insists that City will have to pay an astronomical fee to sign Kane this summer after a sensational season in north London.

He has scored 29 goals and provided 16 assists in all competitions this term.

Roberts told FFC: “I’m sure that if the club want to sell him, they’ll sell him.

“But it’ll be for what the club want. It won’t be for what Man City want to pay.

“£100 million? You wouldn’t even get his right foot for that!”

Frank McAvennie has dropped a big behind-the-scenes claim on the manager hunt at Celtic after a transfer update emerged.

As per transfer market expert Nicolo Schira, the Hoops had a bid rejected for Mario Vuskovic earlier this week, and McAvennie has put two and two together as it would be strange for the Parkhead club to be bidding for new transfer targets without a permanent manager to approve of them.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Hoops striker said the development is a ‘strange’ situation:

“It might be that there’s a manager behind the scenes who’s telling them who to go for.

“I can’t see Celtic going and buying a player without a manager in place. The situation is strange, why would you buy new players if a new manager might come in and say ‘I don’t want him’?

“There’s a chance that they might not be bothered about what the new guy thinks, or someone is telling them to get him. 

“It would be such a waste of money if a new manager came in and didn’t want him. It wouldn’t be a good start to their Celtic career. 

“I’ve not heard anything but if that report is true, it means Celtic are talking to a new manager.”

Do Celtic already have their new manager?

While there have not been any confirmed reports in the media of a new manager for the Bhoys as of yet, it is no doubt an interesting connection that McAvennie has made with the transfer bid for Vuskovic.

Surely they would not be trying to bring in new players if they did not already have a new boss lined up already, as those players would have to fit their style and system.

Celtic have a lot of work to do in the summer to try and wrestle the Scottish Premiership title away from the hands of their bitter rivals Rangers, and so the next managerial appointment is key.

Nonetheless, that next appointment may already be lined up behind the scenes if the Vuskovic rumours are true.

In other news, find out what former European Super League team are monitoring this Hoops ace here!

Three names have supposedly been leading the race to become the new manager of Celtic and take the Bhoys forward.

The first manager Dermot Desmond viewed as Neil Lennon’s successor was Roy Keane. That, however, has become less likely as the weeks go by.

The other two coaches in the pipeline are Eddie Howe and Lucien Favre.

What’s the word?

Howe is currently the favourite for the job, but if Celtic aren’t able to convince him to move to Glasgow, then Favre is thought to be the hierarchy’s second choice.

It was revealed a few weeks ago that the former Borussia Dortmund boss was interested in the job but it’s only this week that Celtic have actually registered their own appeal. However, they have now been dealt a huge blow in their bid to bring Favre to Scotland.

According to France Football [via Get Football News France], Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal are very much interested in hiring the 63-year-old.

It is thought that they would be able to offer him wages of €6m to €8m (£5.1m to £6.9m) per year.

Gutting news

Setback after setback – that’s what Celtic are currently having to deal with in their pursuit for a new manager. This news, however, could mean the Hoops have to go back to the drawing board.

After all, the chances of Howe arriving in Glasgow are looking slimmer as the days go by. The 43-year-old has been in advanced talks but several stumbling blocks have emerged.

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Firstly, Howe doesn’t want to return to management until the summer, while there are issues at play with Celtic’s bid to find a new director of football.

A deal to bring Fergal Harkin to Paradise was reportedly 90% done but Howe wants Richard Hughes, his former companion at Bournemouth, to join him instead. The trouble is that Hughes isn’t particularly keen on the move to Scotland.

With Favre the alternative should a move for Howe fall through, Al-Hilal’s sudden interest may well provoke panic in the Hoops boardroom.

Desmond needs to act quickly and decisively in their hunt for Lennon’s successor. At the moment, he is being left with gut-wrenching blows every day.

AND in other news, Sold for £2m, now worth £25.2m: Celtic will rue terrible call on “superb” £50k-p/w gem…

Steven Gerrard looks to have been handed a significant boost at Rangers after Filip Helander recently quashed any rumours of a move away from Ibrox this summer.

The Sweden international has been linked with a move to both Aston Villa and Leicester City recently and there may have been concerns among the Rangers faithful that he could have his head turned by a potential move to the Premier League.

However, the 27-year-old centre-back told Fotbollskanalen recently that it’s “just speculation”, adding: “I feel good here and I have two years left on my contract here. That’s really the only thing I think about. I want to continue to perform well with Rangers and then hope to be able to join the European Championships this summer. This is where my focus lies.”

Celtic may reignite their interest in Liverpool centre-back Ben Davies this summer.

That’s the views of pundit Paul Robinson, with the former goalkeeper believing that a possible deal will come down to the identity of Neil Lennon’s successor as Hoops manager.

Celtic’s Ben Davies saga

Celtic were first linked with Davies back in August 2020, but they waited until the New Year before lodging a bid to tie up a pre-contract for the 25-year-old.

It looked as if they got their wish regarding Davies, with Sky Sports claiming that a summer deal had been agreed. However, just 24 hours later, the centre-back penned terms with Liverpool.

Davies is yet to feature for his new club, though, and talking exclusively to Football Insider, Robinson tipped the Hoops to go back in for the former Preston man, saying:.

“It seemed like a strange addition at the time. To get to the last day of the window… I think they were shopping in places they did not want to shop.”

“If you look at Liverpool’s squad, when all of the centre-halves are fit or even Henderson and Fabinho are fit, he will not play or even get in the squad.”

“Celtic may re-visit it in the summer but it will be very dependent on who comes in there.”

Transfer Tavern take

Liverpool have seven natural centre-back options in their squad, so when the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez return from injury, we feel as if Davies won’t get a look-in at all.

Based on that, we agree with Robinson in believing the Hoops could go back in for the £2.7m-rated ace. He’ll surely want to be playing regularly, and you’d imagine he’ll know all about the Hoops after almost penning terms at Parkhead.

In other news: 47-year-old makes contact with Celtic board to give his thoughts on vacant manager’s role, find out more here.