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Celtic’s Giorgos Giakoumakis has persistently struggled for fitness during his career, The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin has revealed. 

The lowdown

Having led the Eredivisie scoring charts last season, Giakoumakis joined Celtic on the final day of the summer transfer window for a fee of up to £2.5m.

He was brought in as a replacement for Odsonne Edouard, who left to join Crystal Palace, but as we pass mid-October, the Greece international has only played 33 minutes of football for the Hoops.

Giakoumakis has apparently looked ‘rusty to put it mildly’ in Ange Postecoglou’s training sessions and suffered a calf injury in the warm-up for the Premier Sports Cup tie against Raith Rovers last month.

The latest

In a Q&A for The Athletic following the weekend win over Motherwell, Devlin was asked by a Celtic supporter to shed some light on ‘why it has taken so long for [Giakoumakis] to be fit’.

In reply, he said ‘that fitness issue is an ongoing thing’ for the 26-year-old.

‘Speaking to people who have known him before’, Devlin was left with the impression that Giakoumakis’ largely healthy 2020/21 season – he started 30 of VVV Venlo’s 34 Eredivisie games – was ‘an anomaly with his form and fitness’.

The verdict

This is very worrying to hear for Celtic fans. It suggests that the club may struggle to get their replacement for Edouard, who scored 86 goals in 179 appearances at Parkhead, fit and firing.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Giakoumakis’ prolific 2020/21 season did prove to be an ‘anomaly’ in terms of his form, either, as he only netted three goals in 48 outings for his previous club AEK Athens.

Could this prove to be a costly recruitment mistake from Celtic? Let’s hope the Greek striker doesn’t end up being too injury-prone to get a proper chance to prove himself in Glasgow.

In other news, the stats show these were Celtic’s poorest performers at the weekend

West Ham have had to go through their latest Premier League season with only one recognised centre-forward in their squad in the shape of Michail Antonio.

This comes as a result of their deal that saw Sebastien Haller join Ajax back in the 2021 January transfer window for a fee of £20m.

With the upcoming summer transfer window in mind, it seems as though a road has emerged for the Hammers to make a swoop for another striker that will be very familiar to a lot of fans at the east London club.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Sun, Everton are willing to cash in on striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the upcoming summer transfer window, putting West Ham and Arsenal on red alert.

However, a deal is unlikely to come cheap with the England international currently valued at £40.5m according to Transfermarkt.

West Ham can replace Haller with Calvert-Lewin

Since making his senior debut for the Toffees back in December 2016 in a 2-1 league win over the Gunners, the Englishman has gone on to make 184 senior appearances for the Merseyside club across all competitions, scoring 56 goals and providing 17 assists along the way.

With 16 goals to his name in 33 league appearances last season, only Harry Kane (47) managed to have more shots on target than the Everton striker.

Despite only making ten appearances in the league this time around, the 25-year-old has still managed to find the back of the net three times and provide one assist as well as earning himself an overall performance rating of 6.84 from WhoScored, making him Everton’s joint-highest rated player for this campaign.

Labelled as a “fabulous” player by Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness, Calvert-Lewin could not only provide the Hammers with another strike option in their squad after Haller’s exit but also some hefty competition for Antonio as their first-choice centre-forward given his prominence in front of goal.

If Everton are willing to negotiate a deal for their star striker in the summer, then GSB must jump into action and try their hardest at getting the Englishman to swap Goodison Park for the London Stadium.

With the east London club chasing European football once again this season, the prospect of playing in continental competition for a London club could be a very tempting proposition for the striker.

In other news: West Ham must swoop for £75k-p/w monster who Moyes will love, he’s “the new Vidic”

Former Tottenham Hotspur hero Graham Roberts insists that Pep Guardiola was out of line with his comments surrounding Manchester City’s pursuit of Harry Kane.

Kane has been heavily linked with a potential move to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

A new report from The Telegraph claims that Kane actually believes he struck an agreement with chairman Daniel Levy last summer to allow him to leave in this transfer window, should Spurs fail to win a trophy or finish in the top four.

That did not happen, as the club finished seventh and lost the final of the League Cup, ironically to City.

Guardiola has subsequently claimed that “if Tottenham don’t want to negotiate, it is finished”, seemingly attempting to ramp up the pressure on Spurs over a deal.

Reportage last week claimed that City have made a bid worth £120m to sign Kane, but that Levy does not want to negotiate the England captain’s potential exit.

Roberts, though, thinks that Guardiola was wrong to say what he said, and has urged City to make a proper bid if they actually want to sign the forward.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: “I thought Guardiola was a bit out of order the other day, coming out and saying ‘well, if Tottenham want to do a deal, they need to move’, well hold on, we don’t want to sell him.

“If you want to buy him, offer what he’s worth, £150m or £160m. If you come up with that then Tottenham will come back to you and say yes or no.

“He can’t come out and say, yeah, ‘Harry Kane’s one of the best strikers in the world’, and then expect us to sell him for 100 million quid. That isn’t going to happen.”

Manchester United have suffered a big injury blow ahead of their opening Champions League group stage fixture after Edinson Cavani was ruled out of action.

The Red Devils will be looking to get their Group F campaign underway with a victory when they travel to Switzerland to take on Young Boys this evening, but they’ll have to do so without their experienced South American striker.

What’s the word?

Cavani is yet to start for United this season after returning late to Manchester following his summer exploits for Uruguay in the Copa America.

The 34-year-old then suffered a strain in the Red Devils’ behind-closed-doors friendly with Stoke City two weeks ago.

Since then, the former Paris Saint-Germain ace has been pictured doing ball work on the training pitch but he was not in the matchday squad for the win over Newcastle United on Saturday and has not travelled to Bern.

“Edi is hopefully back with us soon,” Solskjaer said in his recent press conference. “He had a slight strain during the international week after the in-house game that we played. He’s working hard to get back.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be gutted

Although United have fared well in Cavani’s absence so far this season, picking up 10 points from a possible 12 in the Premier League, his enforced absence could be a big blow for the 20-time English champions.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s shock arrival on transfer deadline day provided Solskjaer with an abundance of options in the final third, but at 36, the Portugal international won’t be able to play two games a week all season.

Coupled with the fact that Young Boys play on an artificial surface and Anthony Martial has made a slow start to 2021/22, bringing Cavani into the starting lineup would surely have been something Solskjaer may have been contemplating had he been fit. Instead, the manager could be left feeling gutted by the Uruguayan’s untimely absence, not least with the veteran proving a very potent option whenever he is called upon.

In other news… MUFC suffer potential blow in pursuit of “excellent” 22y/o machine, Ole will be gutted 

Manchester United appear to have turned a corner in terms of their recruitment since the arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and one purchase stands out amongst them all.

For years, it appeared as though the Red Devils hierarchy were playing a game of Football Manager when it came to their dealings in the transfer market.

Whenever a big name became available, such as Angel di Maria, Radamel Falcao, or Bastien Schweinsteiger, United snapped them up without any consideration as to whether they would fit in the current manager’s plans.

However, after many seasons spent meandering post-Sir Alex Ferguson, the arrival of Bruno Fernandes back in January 2020 marked a new era for the English giants.

After joining the Old Trafford outfit via a £46.5m move from Sporting Lisbon, Fernandes couldn’t hide his love for the club and promised to inspire Solskjaer’s charges to silverware.

“For me to now play for Manchester United feels incredible,” said the Portugal international. “My love of Manchester United really started when I used to watch Cristiano Ronaldo play and ever since then I have been a big fan of this great club.

“I have worked hard to get to this moment, and I can promise the fans that I will give everything for the badge to help bring us more success and trophies.”

And Fernandes certainly delivered on his pledge to give everything. The now 27-year-old produced an astonishing return of eight goals and seven assists in his first 14 Premier League games for United, impressing a whole host of onlookers, including Roy Keane.

“He’s lifted everybody at the club. It’s as if he’s been there 20 years. He’s got pure quality,” claimed the Sy Sports pundit and former United legend.

“The big plus for Ole over the last year or so is that the recruitment seems to be getting better. He looks like he’s going to be a big player for United for the next few years.”

Fernandes has continued in the same vein ever since, taking his tallies up to 44 goals and 28 assists in just 90 outings for the Red Devils, an outrageous output that has seen his market value skyrocket to £81m.

There’s no doubt that United struck gold over the £180,000-per-week beast, but now he must deliver on his promise to secure a major trophy, ending the club’s longest drought in over 30 years.

And, in other news…Report reveals worrying Man United update that should leave Ole feeling concerned 

Newcastle United journalist Liam Kennedy believes that the club are happy with Joelinton after his adaptation to life in England.

The striker has struggled at times during his time with the Magpies and has not exactly been a prolific presence up front.

The Brazilian made 31 appearances in the Premier League last season and scored just four goals, while providing two assists.

It remains to be seen how many minutes the 24-year-old will have this term, after Callum Wilson was signed from Bournemouth last summer.

But Kennedy believes that the club are confident he has the ability to provide proper back-up to Wilson this season, after showing signs of improvement in the back-end of the season.

He said: “Joelinton is a player who is starting to get used to the physical aspect of the English game. And I think from March onwards last year, we actually started to see a player where you’d say ‘he can add value to the team’, so I think they’re okay with having him as a stand-in.”

Joelinton has scored a total of 10 goals in 80 games for the club, and has never hit double figures in a single campaign, while also laying on seven assists.

Steve Bruce’s side begin their season against West Ham United this weekend.

Aston Villa have reportedly joined some Premier League and European behemoths in the race to sign Denis Zakaria.

The Daily Mail listed the defensive midfielder as a player of interest to Steven Gerrard’s side on Saturday evening, and it has since had a number of Villa supporters talking on social media.

Zakaria, who plies his trade with Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach, is out of contract at the end of June. The 25-year-old is valued at £24.3m and has made 144 appearances for his current employers, attracting interest from the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

However, it now seems as if Villa are also keen on the Switzerland international as they look to bolster their defensive midfield ranks following Marvelous Nakamba’s injury. The Daily Mail named 10 players who are of interest to Villa, one of which was Zakaria.

Villa fans react

The AVFC Faithful shared the links on Twitter regarding the 6 foot 2 beast, whose 90.1% passing accuracy rate is better than any player to have started a league match for Villa this term. Here is what these fans had to say in reply, with many keen to see a move materialise.

“FINALLY, WHAT WE’VE BEEN MISSING”

Credit: @OP4C

“Please be true man”

Credit: @BallyLDM

“OHHH ITS MUSIC TO MY EARS”

Credit: @charliepowellm1

“WAIT WHATTTTTT”

Credit: @LordMillman29

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @K6Lion1874

“Exactly what we need”

Credit: @AJJ8Villa

In other news: Villa’s rivals now set sights on signing 6 ft 2 beast who has ‘put on a lot of weight’. 

Liverpool are interested in signing dominant Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer in the summer transfer window, according to reliable journalist Neil Jones.

The Lowdown: Bremer shining at Torino

The Brazilian has become a key player for the Serie A side, starting 28 games in the league this season and proving to be a colossal presence, even being described as an ‘animal’ by teammate Mergim Vojvoda.

Indeed, Bremer has averaged a monstrous 4.1 aerial duel wins per game – Joel Matip (3.9) leads the way for Liverpool in the Premier League this season – as well as 3.4 interceptions per match.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Bremer in the past and now a fresh update has emerged.

The Latest: Reds eyeing up move

According to Goal‘s Jones on Twitter, the Reds are ‘tracking’ the 25-year-old ahead of a potential summer move. Inter Milan are the front-runners to sign him currently, however, with numerous clubs showing an interest.

His current Torino deal expires in the summer of 2024.

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The Verdict: Goodbye, Joe Gomez?

It looks as though Liverpool’s interest is genuine, given Jones’ reliability, which surely suggests that one current centre-back could be moving on this summer.

With Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate all undisputed key men, that points towards Joe Gomez potentially enjoying a new challenge.

Reports have suggested that the 24-year-old could leave due to being desperate to make England’s World Cup squad, and it is hard to see that happening if he stays put, sadly.

Gomez is an excellent player but his current situation is unlikely to change unless injuries to others occur, meaning a summer exit makes the most sense.

In other news, an Italian source has made a Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

Many Everton fans have been left fuming as some transfer news has emerged on Ivan Perisic.

According to a report from earlier in the week by L’Interista, which has since been shared by EFC DAILY on their Twitter page, the Goodison Park faithful have ‘probed the ground’ about a potential move for the Inter Milan winger, along with AC Milan and AS Roma.

Perisic is one of the most decorated players of his generation, winning the UEFA Champions League as well as several of the biggest league titles in European football with some top clubs (Transfermarkt).

However, he is 32 years of age now, certainly past his best and hardly the type of signing to take the Blues into a new era under Rafael Benitez.

Given that both Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray moved to Merseyside in the summer transfer window as well, wingers should not be a priority for the manager either when it comes to strengthening his squad in January, with right-back perhaps a much more pressing need, as well as the middle of the park.

Everton fans on Perisic transfer news

These Toffees fumed as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far as to claim that Perisic is a ‘finished player’:

“He’s about 56”

Credit: @mxrganhulme7

“He must be nearly 40….planning for the future our Brands!”

Credit: @johntsheedy1

“We’re not and it would be a hard pass for me.”

Credit: @joshwilbert1

“What are yous gonna do for that spare 15 mins a year when he retires? Link him to a coaches job here?”

Credit: @Pau85122588

“Finished player”

Credit: @amir_nazir1

“No thanks, he’s old”

Credit: @toblueforyou123

In other news, find out what other transfer news left Evertonians erupting here!

Liverpool have the chance to reach their second cup final of the season today as they take on Manchester City in the semi-final of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium.

Their previous outing saw the Reds draw 3-3 against Benfica at Anfield in the Champions League on Wednesday, securing their place in the next stage of the competition.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]

Speaking after their midweek draw, Jurgen Klopp said that Reds winger Diogo Jota picked up a knock against the Portuguese club but that “everybody should be fine” to play in today’s showdown.

With that in mind, here’s how we think Liverpool will line up this afternoon.

In goal, despite conceding three goals in midweek and two in the 2-2 Premier League draw against Pep Guardiola’s side last weekend, it seems likely that Alisson Becker will keep his place in the team.

For the back four, we think Trent Alexander-Arnold will come back in for Joe Gomez at right-back next to Joel Matip.

Having been described as looking “nervous” on the pitch at times this season, we predict that Ibrahima Konate will make way for Virgil van Dijk on this occasion.

At left-back, we think that Klopp will make a big call and keep Kostas Tsimikas in the team ahead of Andy Robertson given how the Greek international provided two assists in midweek.

Moving onto the midfield, having rested Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara in midweek, we can see those two coming back in for James Milner and Jordan Henderson, with Naby Keita keeping his place this time around.

Finally for the front three, it seems likely that Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane will make a return to the starting XI this afternoon to try and attack City’s defence.

Then, with Jota picking up that issue against Benfica, Klopp may not want to risk him this time and instead keep Luis Diaz, who the Reds boss described as being “crazy,” in the team.

Moving forward, with the Merseyside club having already won a trophy at Wembley this season when they secured the Carabao Cup back in February, the Reds will undoubtedly jump at the chance to make it to another final.

Therefore, whichever players Klopp decides to put out will all be hoping to secure a win against the reigning Premier League champions by any means necessary.

In other news: In talks: Liverpool eye move for “ice cold” £31.5m-rated gem, he’s Klopp’s next “star”