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Celtic have once again seen a number of players leaving Parkhead during the current transfer window.

With just over three weeks left before deadline day arrives, there are still some players in Ange Postecoglou’s ranks who could also end up waving goodbye to Glasgow.

One man who has been linked with an exit earlier in the window that we feel should be one to follow in the footsteps of the previously mentioned players with a move away from Celtic is Christopher Jullien.

The Bhoys signed him in 2019 from French club Toulouse in a deal worth a reported £7m. Since then, the £20k-per-week centre-half has gone on to make 62 appearances for the Premiership champions across all competitions.

After being linked with a move to Schalke 04, a potential deal between the two clubs collapsed in June, leaving the defender still at Parkhead.

Bearing in mind how he only made one appearance for Celtic last season despite recovering from his knee injury in January, this suggests that he isn’t near the top of the pecking order for Postecoglou.

Also, with the Frenchman not being included in the squad for either of Celtic’s opening two league games of the season against Aberdeen and Ross County, this also shows that playing time could be rather hard to come by for him over the next few months.

Having been slammed by former Premiership striker Tam McManus for delivering a “shocker” of a performance in the past, it’s easy to see why the Hoops boss may not be completely convinced by the 29-year-old.

With the Bhoys now having the likes of Carl Starfelt, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Moritz Jenz and Stephen Welsh in the squad, it can be said that Jullien’s services aren’t needed at the club anymore.

As Celtic’s third-highest earner according to Salary Sport, getting his weekly wages off the club’s books could also open them up financially to bring in a suitable replacement or even focus on strengthening another area of the squad, should the Hoops manage to sell him.

With all that in mind, and the fact that he has spent a lot of time out through injury since his arrival in Glasgow, perhaps a move to a club where he’d be able to play regularly would be beneficial for all parties.

Tottenham Hotspur have suffered an early injury blow after Antonio Conte confirmed that Clement Lenglet is ruled out of Sunday’s Premier League showdown against Chelsea.

The Lowdown: Skipp out

The Lilywhites kicked off their 2022/23 campaign with an emphatic 4-1 home victory over Southampton last weekend, but are now set to make the short journey across the capital to take on Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Midfielder Oliver Skipp looked set to be the only absentee after picking up a foot injury during pre-season, but it now sounds like one of Spurs’ new signings will also be missing against the Blues.

The Latest: Conte’s injury update

Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Conte revealed that Lenglet will not play a part in the fixture vs Chelsea due to muscle tightness.

As quoted by Tottenham’s official website, he said:

“We have a little problem with Clement Lenglet, I don’t think he’s available for the game against Chelsea. For sure, for the next game against Wolves.

“He has a little problem with fatigue, he’s a bit tight in his adductor, in the muscle, nothing serious but as a precaution it’s not good to take risks for one game.

“He’s having training sessions apart and it’s good for him to recover well, have good training sessions before coming back with us.”

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The Verdict: The right decision

There’s no doubting that Conte will have wanted to get all of his new additions involved as soon as possible, but making the decision to leave Lenglet out is the right one.

Spurs already have plenty of options at the back with the likes of Eric Dier, Cristian Romero and Ben Davies, and the chances of the 27-year-old starting the game would have been slim after being named on the bench against the Saints last weekend.

For now, it’s best for Lenglet to sit out of the London derby and take the time he needs to recover and get up to speed ready for the Wolves contest.

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their interest in Amad Diallo in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Journalist Jonathan Shrager has claimed that the Black Cats are one of a number of clubs in talk with the attacker’s agent. 

The Ivory Coast international has been given the green light to leave Old Trafford on loan and he could on his way to Wearside if they can win the race for his signature.

Shrager Tweeted: “As it stands today, Manchester United are looking to loan out Amad Diallo this season. His representative Michaël N’Cho is currently talking with various interested clubs, including Blackpool, Sunderland, Anderlecht, Besiktas and Sampdoria.”

Alex Neil’s own Riyad Mahrez

By securing a deal to sign the 20-year-old on loan this season, Black Cats boss Neil could land his own version of Manchester City winger Mahrez.

The former Leicester man is renowned for his left-footed wizardry out wide for Pep Guardiola’s side – becoming only the seventh player in Premier League history to score over 50 left-footed goals in 2021.

Amad, meanwhile, is similar in style in the sense that he is a skilful right winger who likes to cut inside onto his stronger left foot.

England international Luke Shaw once compared the £29k-per-week talent to the Algerian international, saying:

“He’s a wonderful talent and already a wonderful player so I’m sure fans are looking forward to seeing him on the pitch.

“It was interesting because Harry (Maguire) said to me the other day that he reminds him of Mahrez when he was at Leicester. Really quick, skilful, agility, can turn really quick, got great skills and I would agree with Harry – he does remind me of Mahrez.”

The gem went on loan to Rangers in Scotland for the second half of last season and chipped in with three goals in four Premiership starts, playing ten matches in total, along with creating seven chances.

This spell came after he caught the eye whilst playing for Manchester United’s U21 side. He scored six goals and provided four assists in five outings, which shows that he has the potential to make a big impact in the final third if he can nail down consistency at senior level.

Therefore, he could end up being Neil’s own Championship version of Mahrez as he has the skills, the left foot, the scope to improve, and has shown that he has a knack for scoring goals. 

Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg has revealed that Newcastle United are ‘in’ for Valencia striker Maxi Gomez.

The Lowdown: Striker wanted

It has been widely reported that the St. James’ Park outfit would like to bring in a new striker before the transfer window shuts.

Callum Wilson has been susceptible to injuries during his time in the North East, while Chris Wood has only managed to find the back of the net twice since signing from Burnley in the January window, meaning that Eddie Howe could really do with another option up top.

The Latest: Gomez interest

Taking to Twitter, Sky Germany’s Plettenberg has revealed that the Tynesiders are one of a number of clubs that are ‘in’ for Gomez, who ‘wants’ to leave Valencia and is thought to be available for around €12m (£10.2m):

“News Maxi #Gomez: The 26 y/o striker wants to leave Valencia. Gladbach bosses should like the player (next to Beljo), talks took place. But: Price tag around €12m at this stage. Still too expensive for Borussia! Also in: Everton, Newcastle and Fenerbahce.”

The Verdict: Sign him up?

£10.2m does not seem like much in today’s market, considering the amount of money that Premier League clubs have spent on attackers so far this season.

With 82 goals at club level and four for Uruguay (Transfermarkt), Gomez is a player with vast experience, and would give the Magpies another dimension in attack.

Described as a ‘bull’ who is ‘fearsomely strong’ and ‘powerful’ but also has ‘technical gifts’ by South American football expert Tim Vickery, the six-foot-one striker actually plays like Wilson and Wood (FBref), and so can be seen as a deadly hybrid of the two.

Nonetheless, at 26 years of age, Gomez is about to enter his prime, and so now is the perfect time to buy him at that kind of price.

West Ham United are set to make a third offer for Hans Vanaken in the coming days.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail (via West Ham Zone), who claim that, despite the Hammers recently agreeing a £51m deal to sign Lucas Paqueta from Lyon, David Moyes is still pushing ahead with his attempts to add the Club Brugge midfielder to his ranks this summer, with a third bid expected to be made for the 30-year-old in the coming days.

In the Daily Mail print edition [27 August, pg. 112], Simon Jones writes: “West Ham are to make a third bid for Club Brugges midfielder Hans Vanaken. The 30-year-old wants to play in the Premier League and is desperate to link up with David Moyes, with the Scot making it clear that he wants the 6ft 5in Belgian.”

“Decisive” duo

Considering just how exciting a prospect Paqueta very much appears to be, the prospect of Moyes adding the further experience and ability of Vanaken to his attacking arsenal at the London Stadium will undoubtedly be an hugely tantalising one for supporters of the club.

Indeed, while the “decisive” Brazil international – in the words of Rudi Garcia – impressed for Lyon last term, scoring 11 goals and registering seven assists over his 44 appearances in all competitions for the Ligue 1 side, Vanaken’s returns for Brugge were arguably even more impressive than the 24-year-old’s.

Over his 39 Jupiler Pro League appearances in 2021/22, the £14.4m-rated talent was in astonishing form, bagging 11 goals, registering nine assists and creating 10 big chances for his team-mates, along with taking 1.8 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 0.6 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £48k-per-week Belgium international – who Onur Kaya dubbed “extraordinary” – average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.31, ranking him as the ninth-best player in the Belgian top flight in 2021/22.

Furthermore, the 30-year-old also caught the eye over his six appearances in the Champions League last term, scoring three goals, creating two big chances and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.23. That is a quite remarkable feat considering that Brugge were up against the likes of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig in their group.

As such, should Moyes manage to convince the Belgian champions into parting with their €20m-valued (£17m) star in the coming days, the 59-year-old could well have formed an incredibly decisive and deadly attacking midfield duo in Paqueta and Vanaken. That’s a prospect which is sure to excite everyone involved with the Hammers.

Leeds United have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their Premier League meeting with Everton this evening.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Jesse Marsch, who revealed in his pre-match press conference (via Leeds Live) that, after missing the Whites’ last three fixtures as a result of an abductor injury picked up in the first half of the 2-2 draw with Southampton earlier this month, Patrick Bamford is finally looking likely to be available for selection for the visit of the Toffees tonight.

Speaking about the current condition of the centre-forward, the 48-year-old manager said: “Patrick Bamford will be really close for that match. So we should have options.”

Huge boost for Marsch

Considering just how many injury setbacks the England international endured over the course of Leeds’ uninspiring 2021/22 Premier League campaign – in which the 28-year-old featured just ten times across all competitions, scoring two goals – the potential of a fit and firing Bamford once again being available for selection is sure to have left Marsch buzzing.

Indeed, the £14.4m-rated forward proved just how dangerous he can be when fully fit over his 38 Premier League appearances back in 2020/21, scoring a quite remarkable 17 goals, registering an impressive seven assists and creating a further five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots – 1.3 of which hit the target – and making 0.8 key passes per game.

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These returns saw the £35k-per-week talent average an eye-catching SofaScore match rating of 7.01, ranking him as the Whites’ joint seventh-best performer in the league that season, while his 17 goals also saw him finish joint fourth – alongside Son Heung-min – in the Premier League scoring charts.

As such, while it will undoubtedly take Bamford a little while to refind this level of form after suffering yet another injury setback, the striker’s potential inclusion for the visit of Everton will nevertheless come as a huge boost to Leeds’ chances of taking all three points from the clash – as the 28-year-old has more than proven that he is one of the most deadly forwards in the division.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Everton will sit down and have talks with Anthony Gordon over a potential new deal.

The Lowdown: Chelsea bids rejected

As per The Guardian, the Goodison Park outfit rejected two bids from Chelsea worth £40m and £45m respectively for Gordon last month, as they managed to keep hold of the winger beyond the summer transfer window.

It was reported that Gordon wanted to move to Stamford Bridge, but he will now have to wait until at least January before he can get his potential move.

The Latest: New contract?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke has claimed that the Merseyside club will now ‘sit down and have discussions’ over Gordon’s future, adding that they may even offer him a long-term contract.

He told the outlet: “It’ll be interesting to see what happens now with Anthony Gordon. It looks like all the speculation hasn’t affected his performances on the field either, which is key for him and for Everton.

“I’m sure that they’ll sit down and have discussions to see where they go now and maybe offer him a long-term contract to try and ward off any potential interest in the next couple of transfer windows.”

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The Verdict: Major news for Everton

It will certainly be major news if Gordon were to now sign a new deal after all of the speculation surrounding him.

He currently ranks as their fourth-best outfield performer in the Premier League and has picked up two goals, while also ranking highly among his team-mates in terms of average tackles, shots, key passes, dribbles and through balls per game (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, the Englishman remains a key player for Frank Lampard and the Toffees, and tying him down to a new deal after Chelsea’s interest would show a real sign of intent.

Crystal Palace made four signings over the summer and despite the transfer window being closed the club seem to already be looking to the next window to strengthen their team further with a familiar face a potential top target in January.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Tom Barclay, Crystal Palace would be “interested” in reuniting with Chelsea midfielder and former Palace loanee Conor Gallagher in the new year.

Barclay told GIVEMESPORT:

“I wouldn’t be surprised that come January, we’re not even talking about this as a possible transfer because he’s become a big part of Graham Potter’s plans.

“But obviously, if that doesn’t prove to be the case and he is out of the picture, then a player of that quality, particularly being an England international, if he became available, then you’d be pretty certain that Palace would be interested.”

Vieira needs him badly

Patrick Vieira will be feeling relatively nonchalant about Crystal Palace’s start in the Premier League with the team picking up six points from their first six league outings, currently 16th in the table, but it is clear that there are some problems that need the manager’s attention.

In terms of possession over the season so far, the team are only having 42.8% of the ball which is almost 10% less than the average last season (51.2%) and are struggling to kill games off with three draws so far. Thus, the loss of Gallagher could be partly to blame for their stale start.

The 22-year-old spent last season on loan at Selhurst Park, lighting up the team with his complete midfield performances providing both creativity and defensive strength in the centre of the pitch. The young talent came out on top of the player ratings for Palace last season with a 7.08 rating according to SofaScore.

Gallagher who is reportedly valued at £50m was dubbed a “N’Golo Kante with goals” by talkSPORT’s Tony Cascarino, and it’s not hard to see why when you consider his versatile talents in midfield for Palace last season.

The Chelsea star scored eight goals, delivered three assists and created five big chances, while making 1.1 key passes. He took 51.6 touches, from which he won two tackles and 5.9 duels per game, as well as successfully completing the majority of his dribbles (57%). All of that proved he was a dominant and effective presence for the Eagles.

The Palace boss is a huge admirer of Gallagher and spoke during the summer about the chance of him making a return to the club in the future:

“I am really pleased with the year we spent together. He’s been really good to us. If there’s a possibility to bring him back, we will definitely talk about it.”

With that being said, if the opportunity does present itself for Crystal Palace to reunite with Gallagher permanently they must grab the chance with both hands as the young midfielder could be the difference in quality needed in the central role that could inspire better performances from the team. Vieira certainly needs to bring him back to Selhurst.

Everton have had plenty of staff overhauls in recent years, with six different manager’s taking the helm permanently in the last five years.

Each departure often meant a brand-new set of backroom staff, and when Rafa Benitez was replaced with Frank Lampard, the same was true yet again.

However, under the Spaniard, the Toffees fell victim to plenty of injuries, with the most notorious one being Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s struggle.

In November of his short reign, Benitez conducted a complete overhaul of the medical staff. In that process, he sacked long-time director of medical services Danny Donachie, who admittedly had struggled to keep the England international fit and manage his return.

However, one man who surprisingly survived this review was the head of injury prevention at the club, Carl Howarth.

The man who joined under Roberto Martinez’s tenure in 2015, he has overseen some terrible injuries to many of his first-team stars.

At this current moment in time, the Toffees are sat with six players who would be in and around the starting team injured, with Abdoulaye Doucoure having just returned from injury too.

It begs the question as to what role he actually fulfils for the Toffees when all they seem to suffer is bad injuries.

Last season The Athletic reported that Everton saw 34 separate lay-offs and a combined total of 1,255 days missed by players.

As aforementioned, the most notable absentee is Calvert-Lewin due to his importance to the team. Since his 16-goal haul in the 2020/21 season, his fitness has prevented him from a valid chance at repeating it.

Although it seems harsh to pin down the failings of an entire medical staff on one member, his title does him no favours as to tying him to the crime of a lack of injury prevention.

On the flip side, Howarth has dealt with some freak injuries, such as breakages of the bone, but he has also overseen plenty of seemingly preventable muscle injuries too.

By the end of his time at Goodison Park, Martinez had become a “poor” manager – as described by BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty – for a club he held so dearly.

This underpins yet another terrible decision made just before he was eventually sacked. This season alone stands to prove how much of a total disaster the appointment has been.

Crystal Palace were deemed to have gotten something of a coup when they brought in former Germany international Max Meyer on a free transfer in 2018.

The attacking midfielder made the move to Selhurst Park after making nearly 200 appearances for Schalke, having broken into the Germany national team as a teenager thanks to his impressive performances with Die Königsblauen.

Meyer hit 22 goals and 23 assists during his time at Schalke and was reportedly tracked by Liverpool and Arsenal, so there seemed little to suggest that he wouldn’t be a hit with the Eagles.

Indeed, journalist Ronan Murphy held that viewpoint upon his arrival in the capital, saying: “Meyer will be an excellent player for Palace, and has all the talent to be the best signing of the season in the Premier League. His passing, vision, and playmaking is superb.”

However, that couldn’t have been further from the truth, with the midfield enduring an incredibly tough stint in England.

He would make just 56 appearances during his time at Selhurst Park, contributing two goals and three assists, before he was released from his contract with no profit made whatsoever.

From there, he would have brief spells with FC Koln, Fenerbahce and FC Midtjylland, before moving to his current club FC Luzern in the summer.

It has been a promising start to life in Switzerland for the former wonderkid, with two goals in his first five appearances but it is still a far cry from the career many expected him to have when he first burst onto the scene with Schalke.

Meyer’s agent Roger Wittman went as far as to call his client “world-class” on German TV, as he looked for a new club, but his prediction for his career sadly did not come to fruition.

He said: “I am talking about the world-class midfielder Max Meyer who can play for any team in the European elite and is almost certainly going to be called up to the World Cup squad.”

Meyer would average shocking 6.49 and 6.29 ratings for his performances in the Premier League for Palace, making him the second-worst player in the squad to start a single game during his debut campaign, a sorry fact that he then replicated the following campaign.

It quickly became clear that the midfielder wasn’t going to cut it in the top flight and was no longer the player he had been in his early career at Schalke.

Considering Palace reportedly paid him £170k-per-week during his time at Selhurst Park, his signing was something of a disaster and Meyer looks set to be remembered as a player who never lived up to his immense potential.