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This summer will witness a changing of the guard at Parkhead. Celtic will have a new manager, a new CEO and they may also have a director of football on their hands.

We could also see plenty of players leave. Diego Laxalt, Jonjoe Kenny and Moi Elyounoussi will all depart at the conclusion of their loan deals while Scott Brown is also out of contract.

Odsonne Edouard has regularly been linked with a move to the Premier League but there is a rarely-seen player who could walk through the exit door; Jack Hendry.

The 25-year-old has only ever been a bit part of Celtic’s plans and as such, was loaned to Belgian side Oostende this season. His performances have been eye-catching, however, so much so that he’s now also being linked with a move to England.

It’s been reported that Burnley, Brighton and Sheffield United are all chasing his signature. That’s without forgetting about Oostende’s option to buy the centre-half once his loan deal expires.

Though, Celtic would be rather foolish to bin Hendry without handing him a second opportunity at Paradise.

One of the Bhoys’ biggest problems this season has been defensively. They’ve shipped 14 more goals than Rangers in the league and conceded 19 strikes in six Europa League games.

Shane Duffy and their goalkeepers have been particularly error-stricken. Consider that Kristoffer Ajer could also leave this summer and it only adds further worries.

He has been one of a few players actually binding this team together in 2020/21. Hendry, however, could be an immense replacement for the Norwegian.

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Speaking about the defender this term, his manager at Oostende, Alexander Blessin said: “He’s a great talker in defence. He makes the people he’s playing with better. You can see them listening to him. He’s been a tower of experience for us.”

Blessin continued: “Jack’s the most important member of the team this season and he’s one of the best defenders in the league. He can defend, he’s fast and he’s also a useful weapon at attacks because of his height.”

A player with great height, a weapon from offensive situations and a leader of men; Hendry possesses all of the traits that make Ajer such a useful asset for Celtic.

You only need to look at the statistics for a clearer indication of what he can bring. In the Belgium Pro League this season, the centre-back has won an imperious 2.9 aerial duels per game. For comparison, Ajer has won 3.2 aerial battles per match. Evidently, there is little between them.

Like Celtic’s Norwegian colossus, Hendry is also adept at playing out from the back, amassing a pass success rate of 84.5% this term.

With all of this in mind, selling the centre-back during the summer would be madness. He has developed significantly this season and would fit seamlessly into the Bhoys’ backline. He must be unleashed next season.

AND in other news, Celtic could find their Brown heir in £50k-p/w gem, he’d be a “really good signing”…

West Brom boss Sam Allardyce is eyeing a reunion with one of his former players, according to reports…

What’s the word?

French outlet L’Equipe (via GFFN), claim the Baggies have been in contact with Ligue 1 side Bordeaux over the possibility of signing 22-year-old forward Josh Maja before Monday’s transfer deadline.

The former Sunderland youth product has slipped down the pecking order at Les Girondins, and Allardyce knows the player from his time in charge of the Black Cats.

Maja is valued at €7m (£6m) by CIES Football Observatory and is thought to be on around £57k-per-week.

Big Sam’s next Defoe?

Another player that Allardyce had during one of his ‘great escapes’ was Jermain Defoe, coincidentally also at the Stadium of Light. The former Spurs and England marksman was a catalyst in the 2015/16 campaign.

He bagged 13 of his 15 league goals under Big Sam, which included a late winner in a 3-2 win over Chelsea, a goal against eventually relegated Norwich and a last-minute equaliser against Liverpool.

The ‘firefighter’ built his team around the diminutive 5 foot 7 forward, and it paid dividends and given that Maja was mentored by Defoe, the Baggies boss could be looking to repeat that here.

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Speaking about the veteran’s influence, Maja told Touchline Fracas (via Sunderland Echo):

“Jermain Defoe was probably one of my biggest admirers because I think he just liked the fact that I was good at finishing.“He liked me a lot and was able to give me advice on different tips, different ways of finishing, disguising keepers, disguising defenders, short back lift, different techniques and it was a good time because Sunderland were doing well, I was learning and I was getting experience and I was enjoying my time.”The 22-year-old would leave Sunderland for Bordeaux in a £1.5m deal in 2019 where he has had mixed success. Last term, he bagged eight times in all competitions despite only playing a total of 894 minutes, whilst he’s only added a further two goals this campaign, via Transfermarkt.It was Allardyce who first spotted his potential as a young teenager in the north-east, so perhaps he can be the man to get even more lucrative returns out of him. He wrote in the club programme: “The talent is there with Josh and the question is, can the player develop his talent so that he is knocking on the door of the first-team?”Whilst local journo Phil Smith dubbed Maja a “unique talent” and claimed that he was “gutted” to see him leave, a little over two years to the day.If the Albion hierarchy can strike a deal for the 5 foot 11 dynamo, it could see Big Sam unearth his next Defoe, and both the club and the manager will be hoping that he too can be their survival saviour – just like the 38-year-old in 2016.

AND in other news, Exclusive: West Brom urged to sign Premier League outcast…

Alex Iwobi was Carlo Ancelotti’s real midweek hero having played an influential role in Everton’s 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday night.

Ancelotti was forced to be resourceful with his options at Molineux having decided that Richarlison and Cenk Tosun were only fit enough for seats on the bench, despite top-scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin being sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin’s absences were felt hard by the Blues, who have built a resilient defensive line this season, but proved their grit by securing the result through goals from Iwobi and Michael Keane.

Everton started brightly in the Black Country when Iwobi fired home his first goal in 38 Premier League appearances after a wonderful piece of build-up play involving the Nigeria international, James Rodriguez and Lucas Digne in the sixth minute.

Wolves struck back swiftly with Ruben Neves finding the back of Jordan Pickford’s goal with a sublime sidefoot finish, and looked the stronger side until Keane rose highest in the area to meet Andre Gomes’ teasing cross with just under a quarter of an hour left to play.

Iwobi clearly took confidence from his rare strike in the West Midlands, with the £50,000-per-week dynamo behind much of Everton’s creativity by linking up well with the likes of Rodriguez and Abdoulaye Doucoure, and coming close to beating Rui Patricio again.

The Arsenal product’s willingness to run further helped Everton in a fast-paced environment at Molineux, even if a toothless frontline meant Wolves were able to stay in the tie and caused Ancelotti’s men issues as they moved back inside the top-four of the table.

Iwobi continually put himself in positions to threaten Wolves and his link up with Rodriguez saw the 24-year-old prove to be Everton’s most important player at Molineux, despite Keane taking the credit for sealing the Blues’ 10th win of the league season.

His crossing could have been better, with Iwobi failing to find a teammate with any of his three recorded attempts, yet kept his head held high to take 60 touches, complete 36 of 41 passes, attempt three shots and be successful with three of his five dribbles, per SofaScore.

Iwobi’s drive on the ball saw the 44-cap forward attempted a game-high tally with 27% of Everton’s total 18 dribbles, with an improved showing to his season-average of 1.9 successful efforts per league appearance.

Taking three of the Blues’ total five shots was also a clear improvement, having averaged just 0.3 efforts a game so far this season.

The £23m-rated winger further won an impressive seven of his 10 ground duels and helped defensively with four successful tackles and one clearance, while never being dribbled past, to offer Mason Holgate support on the right-hand channel in a heroic showing against Wolves.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti must cash-in on a £6.5m-rated outcast unfit for Everton…

Celtic’s record this season has been nothing short of shambolic for a club of their stature.

That’s why the January transfer window has now come round at an ideal time.

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports, the Hoops are in talks to re-sign defender Filip Benkovic this month.

It’s understood that the 23-year-old is not a part of Leicester’s short-term plans and as a result, Celtic are keen on signing the Croatian on an initial loan deal with an option to buy in the summer.

The Foxes are open to receiving offers for the centre-back who is currently managed by former Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers.

Benkovic spent the first half of this season on loan at Cardiff but was recalled this week after making only one appearance in Wales.

The youngster is rated at just £4.5m via Transfermarkt, and is on a salary of £32k-per-week. Clearly, a deal would not be cheap.

Their next Van Dijk

Despite a few spells on the sidelines with injury when he was last at Parkhead, Benkovic was nothing short of colossal.

He was an imperious defender who undoubtedly improved the way they played. The Croat was capable of playing out from the back and used his mammoth height to overpower the opposition.

If anything summed up his displays, it was a set of quotes from Rodgers this year: “He needs to get working again and show the level he can play at.

“Thankfully for myself, I’ve seen the level. When he was with me at Celtic he played against RB Leipzig and he was sensational,” he commented.

A productive defensive performance has been all too rare at Celtic this term, especially on the continental stage where they conceded 19 goals in only six outings. Though, not only would Neil Lennon find a huge upgrade in Benkovic, but he could also fill the void left behind by a certain Virgil van Dijk.

The Liverpool star is widely renowned as one of the best in the game and the Celtic target possesses similar qualities.

For example, Benkovic completed over 90% of his passes when he was last at Parkhead. Van Dijk, on the other hand, has amassed the same number in the Premier League this season.

They are also both seriously impressive in the air. The Dutchman has won 4.5 aerial duels per game throughout his career, while the Glaswegian’s potential new arrival has won 3.7 on average.

However, it’s the ball-playing aspect that gives us the biggest Van Dijk vibes. He’s a mighty figure in the backline and knowing Celtic like he does, would be their ideal addition this month.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Soro: Hammond can revive Celtic with swoop for £8.5k-p/w tank…

West Ham United visit Chelsea tonight looking to record back-to-back victories at Stamford Bridge for the first time since February 1996.

The Blues have only lost once in their last 14 Premier League home meetings with the Hammers but they tasted defeat in this exact fixture last season as the Irons did the double over Frank Lampard’s side.

West Ham have not beaten Chelsea in three-straight top-flight games since March 1974, and any hopes of David Moyes resetting the clock may be hindered with the Scottish coach confirming that both Michail Antonio and Fabian Balbuena are doubts for the clash.

Not everyone shone in claret and blue as the London Stadium natives settled for a point against Crystal Palace during the week, either. So, with changes on the cards, here’s a line-up Moyes could name on Monday night…

Lukasz Fabianski conceded a goal for the 16th time in the Premier League this season when he was beaten by Christian Benteke on Wednesday night, yet he will be expected to remain between the sticks for the London Derby with Chelsea, having opened West Ham’s last 28 games.

The Poland international would have been disappointed by Issa Diop’s efforts to thwart Benteke on a poor night for the Frenchman, which may see Moyes opt to hand Craig Dawson his Irons debut at Stamford Bridge in place of the 23-year-old should Balbuena not be passed fit after missing the Eagles draw with a groin injury.

Dawson joined on a season-long loan from Watford in the summer but is yet to play a single minute under Moyes and he has been often criticised by supporters as an underwhelming addition and one who some had forgotten even plays for their club.

Aaron Cresswell will expect to start in defence alongside Angelo Ogbonna and Vladimir Coufal with Arthur Masuaku sidelined after knee surgery, with Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice again locking down the engine room.

Midfielder Pablo Fornals offered a dire display in the midweek clash with Crystal Palace and was hauled off at the break for Manuel Lanzini, who lit up the stage in the second-half and as such, he will anticipate starting over the Spaniard at Stamford Bridge.

Lanzini earning his first start of the league season will allow for Benrahma to open the action at left-wing after moving from the centre against Roy Hodgson’s Eagles, where he can offer width with Jarrod Bowen in support of Sebastien Haller.

Moyes will likely not risk Antonio after sharing doubts about the striker overcoming the hamstring injury which has prevented his involvement in recent weeks.

“Michail Antonio’s back on the grass so we’re pleased to see him back. Whether it is too quick for him, we’ll need to assess,” the former Manchester United boss said.

AND in other news, David Sullivan can land David Moyes his next Declan Rice in a £5.5m teen brute West Ham are tracking.

For the first time in over 16 years, Leeds United and Manchester United will go toe to toe in the Premier League.

It feels like an eternity since they last met, but here we are, presented with arguably the fixture of the weekend.

On the chalkboard

One thing is for certain when Leeds play United this weekend, it will be an exhilarating game of lung-busting football.

Bielsa’s teams always take the game to the opposition and that has been no different against the top sides this season.

They scored three goals at Anfield and very nearly beat Arsenal, drawing 0-0 at Elland Road. Leeds also held Manchester City to a draw at home but they would love nothing more than to get one over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side on Sunday.

So who will be the key to victory? The likes of Patrick Bamford and Jack Harrison will have a big say but the end result could come down to who the teams can bring off the bench.

The solution

Pablo Hernandez has been a shadow of his former self this season and the £19k-a-week magician has started just twice for Bielsa.

The multiple Leeds Player of the Year simply has to be unleashed on United, though, whether it be as a starter or as a replacement.

All of the talk has been about Rodrigo this season and deservedly so – he is the club’s record signing. That being said, the elder statesman in Hernandez still has an enormous role to play in the Leeds side.

He was absolutely phenomenal in an eight-minute cameo against Newcastle in midweek. The Spaniard was at the top of his game and proved what he can do in such a short space of time.

Hernandez managed only 13 touches of the football but in doing so, assisted two goals for his teammates.

This was the Hernandez of old running riot, and to quote Phil Hay, he was playing like the “demon” we all know he can be.

Of course, the 35-year-old’s best days are behind him but against a United defence who are far from sturdy, he could be key to unlocking the door.

Even if Hernandez is brought on as a substitute, he has all the ingredients to trouble Leeds’ fierce rivals.

AND in other news, a £240m report may allow Leeds to sign a “powerful shooter” who “lacks absolutely nothing”…

Everton are through to the Carabao Cup Quarter-Finals after thrashing West Ham United on Wednesday night, but the performance of one player in particular meant Carlo Ancelotti was right to hail them as the best in their position.

The Toffees stormed out of the blocks as Dominic Calvert-Lewin broke the deadlock in the 11th-minute after an excellent chipped pass from Michael Keane, and dealt further misery to David Moyes’ men with two goals in six minutes late in the second-half to rubbish any hopes of a comeback.

It is by far the best start to a season Calvert-Lewin has ever had with Everton, with the striker now boasting eight goals across all competitions – a tally only bettered by his 15 scored through the entire 2019/20 season.

Calvert-Lewin’s development as the Toffees’ leading striker has taken leaps and bounds since the arrival of Ancelotti last year, but his performance against West Ham highlighted how the 23-year-old is becoming the Italian’s perfect number nine.

Speaking after the Hammers affair, Ancelotti could not speak any higher of Calvert-Lewin as the Toffees boss lauded his forward as the best striker in England following a performance befitting of a player who has since earned a maiden international call-up.

“He is doing a fantastic job in the moment, he is really on fire and scoring a lot of goals,” said Ancelotti, via quotes by the Daily Mail. “He’s in a very good moment. Whether he’s the best [striker in England] I don’t know, but I don’t care. For me, for us, he is.”

What made Calvert-Lewin deserve such praise was a performance that perfectly emphasised his evolution from the out-and-out target man favoured by Marco Silva to a goalscoring machine thriving under Ancelotti.

Often during Silva’s tenure, Calvert-Lewin would squander a myriad of chances before scoring as he took up central positions to flick play on to Richarlison or bring Gylfi Sigurdsson into the action. Now, his driving runs through the middle are returning the results with style and grace that would previously have gone to waste.

Calvert-Lewin’s first goal against West Ham is a prime example of the player he is becoming, having lingered over the shoulder of Declan Rice as the England international focused on Keane preparing to pass. From there, he burst away whilst watching the flight of the ball to control the weighted pass perfectly with one touch before opening his body and calmly poking home.

The 23-year-old later displayed his ever-increasing poacher’s instincts to secure his second of the night when Alex Iwobi’s shot ricocheted off the post and back into the danger zone, beating Darren Randolph to react and securing Everton’s place in the next round.

Gone are the days under Silva where Calvert-Lewin appeared shy in front of the goal and here lies the striker ‘perfect’ for Ancelotti.

AND in other news, a long-time Everton star has emerged as a transfer option for a Premier League competitor.

Leeds United seemed to be onto a winner with their youth recruitment policy a few years ago.

The Whites made a string of impressive signings for their U23s from some of the world’s biggest clubs, with the likes of Guille Amor, Rafa Mujica, Oriol Rey and Ousama Siddiki joining from either Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Unfortunately, things haven’t quite worked out for any of the aforementioned players, with only Mujica still on the books, but United do still have another ex-Barcelona youngster in their ranks, and it looks as though he could be headed in the same direction as the likes of Amor, Rey and Siddiki.

Kun Temenuzhkov was a key man in Leeds’ U23 side winning the PDL National Title back in 2019, and although it’s easy to forget, he has first-team experience for Leeds, appearing once in the FA Cup.

The 20-year-old was sent out on loan to Real Union this season, and things despite getting an opportunity to play senior football, things don’t seem to be going his way in terms of carving out a path at Elland Road.

He hasn’t played a single minute for his new side, and to make matters worse, back in Yorkshire, there are two new U23 stars making a name for themselves.

Sam Greenwood and Joe Gelhart have formed something of a formidable partnership for Mark Jackson’s side, netting six goals in four games between them, and if their good form continues, it’s hard to see where there is room for Temenuzhkov as the first-team picture is even more competitive than it was when he left after the £27m signing of Rodrigo.

Temenuzhkov was once tipped to be one of the next big stars in football, making the Guardian’s list of the 60 best young talents in the world in 2017, being compared to Luis Suarez in the process, but despite that high praise three years ago, the Bulgarian hasn’t kicked on and it’s hard to envisage him ever getting a chance at Elland Road.

Scottish champions Celtic were dealt a firm reminder that a tenth title in a row may not be as easy as first thought as they were dealt a sucker-punch n the form of a 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock on Sunday afternoon.

The statistics show that the Hoops were indeed dominant, notching 70% of the possession and a whopping 17 shots, but only two of those were on target and the performance on the eye was rather in favour of the home side.

Killie striker Nicke Kabamba ran riot with three shots, two successful dribbles and 15 duels won, via SofaScore, but the same can’t be said for much of Neil Lennon’s frontline.

Particularly out wide with Mohamed Elyounoussi dropping a stinker of a display – no wonder he didn’t last much past the hour mark.

Per SofaScore, the returning Saints man failed to record a single shot or accurate cross, managed just 14 passes and committed three fouls. It earned him the lowest rating of any player that started the match across both teams. Shocking.

The 26-year-old was restricted to just 621 minutes in the Scottish Premiership last term, yet those at the club felt inclined to keep him on at Parkhead for another year.

Whilst that’s not the issue nor is it a bad call, it should tell Nick Hammond and co one thing – another winger is needed.

A lot of the speculation in the press at the minute is surrounding the striker position. Alban Ajeti, Steven Fletcher, Lyle Taylor; you might as well forget them for the time being with further strength needed out wide.

Odsonne Eduoard appears to be sticking around for number ten, so get him the right service and he may well stay longer.

If Elyounassi’s latest performance is anything to go by, then Hammond should absolutely consider averting their transfer intentions elsewhere for the time being.

It simply wasn’t good enough.

AND in other news, Celtic could land an ideal Ajer successor…

Manchester United have been handed a major boost in the race to sign Jadon Sancho this summer as Borussia Dortmund are already planning for his departure. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made it clear that Sancho is the signing he needs to rebuild the Red Devils midfield.

In the same week Man United entered ‘advanced’ talks with Dortmund, The Telegraph revealed the Germans are stepping up contingency plans in preparation for his exit in the summer.

The Bundesliga challengers have now turned their attentions elsewhere as they try to sign a new right winger before the start of next season.

United have not met Dortmund’s asking price of £100m so there is still some work to be done.

However, Michael Zorc, the German club’s sporting director, is putting plans in place for Sancho to depart as he expects negotiations to continue throughout the summer.

Man United have been trying to sign Sancho for three years now, but it seems they are now one step closer to bringing him back to England.

Sancho, 20, is the club’s top scorer this season, as he has scored 20 goals in all competitions so far.

The England international famously left Manchester City to join Dortmund in 2017 after refusing to sign a new deal at the Etihad.

According to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, the Yellow and Blacks have earmarked Werder Bremen’s Milot Rashica as the player they feel can replace Sancho in the summer.

Admittedly, there is still a long way to go, but the fact Dortmund are already lining up a replacement should give Ed Woodward the boost he needs to get a deal done.

Whether or not United will improve their £80m valuation remains to be seen, as Woodward has warned the club’s summer spending may be limited in these uncertain times.

Failing to sign Sancho in the summer would be a huge blow for Solskjaer, as he has made it his mission to bring him to Old Trafford at all costs.

United fans, do you think Woodward will sign Sancho this summer? Let us know down below!