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Celtic defender Christopher Jullien isn’t expected to make his return from injury this month, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou’s hopes

The 28-year-old hasn’t featured for the Hoops in 2021 after suffering an injury when blocking a shot against Dundee United last December.

Ange Postecoglou revealed towards the end of September that he was hoping Jullien would be back in training at the beginning of October.

However, that hasn’t come to fruition, and it seems as if Celtic supporters will have to wait longer to see the defender in action.

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The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared a story on Sunday evening where Frank McAvennie was giving his thoughts on the French defender and his return.

Within the report, they shared information from a Celtic source, who claimed that Jullien isn’t expected to return before the end of the month.

The Verdict: Frustration

If Jullien returned to training at the beginning of the month, who knows, he may have featured for the first time under Postecoglou before October came to an end.

Celtic still have five fixtures to play before November comes around, so it is frustrating that the wait to see the centre-back will continue beyond Halloween.

Hopefully the 28-year-old will make his return before the year is out and can establish himself as first choice at the back once again, just like he was before that fateful injury.

In other news: Former Celtic player thinks Ange may land ‘exciting’ ace in cut-price deal who has the same agency as Ronaldo

An update has emerged on Getafe midfielder John Patrick, regarding Leeds’ interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are one of a number of clubs interested in signing the midfielder in January on a pre-contract deal.

The report claims that the 6 foot 4 teenager is out of contract at the end of the season, with Manchester United, Everton, Burnley and Leeds all eyeing up a potential swoop.

Imagine him and Phillips

Leeds chief Victor Orta must move for John and get a deal done for the youngster to bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s squad in the January transfer window. The 18-year-old is a promising young player who could develop under the Argentine’s watchful eye and be a key part of the future at Elland Road alongside Kalvin Phillips in midfield.

He became the youngest player to play for Getafe in their history last season, at the age of 17 years and 42 days, against Sevilla. Patrick is also an international at youth level for Ireland, having snubbed England and Spain to play for his mother’s country of birth.

The midfield enforcer made five more La Liga appearances for Getafe in the 2020/21 campaign after becoming their youngest player, although they all came as a substitute. This suggests that he was catching the eye in training and proved to the manager that he was ready to play at senior level, despite his incredibly young age.

An Irish journalist hailed him an “exciting” player with high technical quality as he lauded the prospect on The Jack McDonald Show on YouTube (24/03/21). He went on to say that Patrick is still finding his way as a young player and can look lost at times, despite possessing considerable ability on the ball.

This suggests that he could be a project for Bielsa to work on in the coming seasons. He could help develop him into becoming a midfield enforcer, given his height and hyped-up technical quality, alongside the already impressive Phillips.

The Leeds-born beast averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.01 in the Premier League last term, making 4.2 tackles and interceptions per game. This shows that Phillips has been able to impose his strength on the opposition in the top-flight, regularly winning the ball back and performing to a high standard.

If Bielsa could develop Patrick to a similar level then it could be a masterstroke by him and Orta to seal a deal in January. Patrick has the physical and technical aspects to his game that mirror Phillips. The experience and know-how may be lacking but that’s something Bielsa could offer him on the training pitch.

Imagine a midfield consisting of Phillips, who loves a tackle, and the colossal figure of Patrick for Leeds in the Premier League. Opposition teams would fear having to battle against them on the pitch and that could give the Whites a significant mental edge in matches.

AND in other news, Leeds must sanction swoop for £8.5m gem with “crazy technique”, he’s Raphinha 2.0…

West Brom are interested in making a late-summer move for Oostende centre-back Jack Hendry, according to a report which emerged on Saturday.

The Lowdown: West Brom make flying start

The Baggies enjoyed a memorable win on Saturday night, beating Peterborough United 1-0 thanks to Semi Ajayi’s last-gasp strike.

The victory means Valerien Ismael’s side are second in the Championship table with four wins and a draw in their opening five matches.

The Latest: Hendry linked with move

West Brom’s squad looks strong currently, but they are reportedly keen on strengthening it further, with The Daily Mail claiming they are interested in signing Hendry.

Oostende are thought to be willing to sell the Scotland international, having only just snapped him up from Celtic, in order to make a quick profit.

Burnley, Southampton, Sheffield United and Newcastle United are all mentioned as potential suitors, however, so the Baggies could have a battle on their hands to sign the defender.

The Verdict: Ideal late signing

Hendry could be an ideal man to come in right at the end of the transfer window. He is described as ‘quick, technically good and strong in the air’, and would surely enhance West Brom’s chances of promotion further, having won the Belgian top flight’s player of the season crown last term.

At 6 foot 5, he is a towering presence at the heart of the defence, while seven caps for Scotland proves that he is capable of playing at a high level.

At 26, he is also at a good point in his career and could provide competition for the likes of Ajayi, Kyle Bartley and Dara O’Shea.

In other news, one player has been tipped to make a permanent move to West Brom. Find out who it is here.

Eddie Howe will be looking for his first win in charge of Newcastle United tonight as his side host Norwich at St. James’ Park.

The Magpies remain the only side in the Premier League without a single win to their name, but a win against the Canaries would move them up to 19th and above Dean Smith’s side.

Howe was in the dugout for the first time on Saturday as he watched his team lose 2-0 to Arsenal at The Emirates, thanks to goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

Axe him

One player who should be brutally axed from the starting XI is Brazilian forward Joelinton, who struggled badly against the Gunners at the weekend.

The former Hoffenheim attacker should be taken out of the team and placed on the bench as Newcastle cannot afford to carry any passengers in a vital relegation clash against Norwich.

This game represents a huge opportunity for the Magpies to kickstart their season with a win, against the team 19th in the table, and it could be a tough, physical, battle between two sides scraping to save their lives.

Therefore, Howe needs players in his team who he can rely upon to stand up to the physical side of the game and compete across the pitch off and on the ball. The £80k-per-week dud’s display against Arsenal suggests that he does meet those requirements.

Per SofaScore, he lost a whopping 13 of his 20 duels on the pitch. He also completed just eight passes in 67 minutes, whilst failing with two of his three attempted dribbles. His statistics over the course of the season do not make for much better reading, as he has lost 61% of his ground duels in the Premier League this term and scored one goal in 12 games.

This shows that he has been too weak in the top-flight and is not a player Howe can rely upon in a game where he needs his players to step up to the plate in terms of physical battles.

Therefore, he should be ruthlessly axed from the starting XI and another player should be given a chance to show what they can do, whether that be out wide in a formation change or alongside Callum Wilson in the front two.

AND in other news,  Howe must unleash £10.8m-rated NUFC “dark horse” vs Norwich, it’s his time to shine…

Nottingham Forest are interested in a deal to bring Zian Flemming to The City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Dutch media outlet Voetbal Primeur, who claim that the Fortuna Sittard attacking midfielder is edging closer to an exit from the Eredivisie side, with Dane Murphy thought to be extremely interested in the 22-year-old.

It is then claimed that Forest are yet to match the Dutch club’s asking price with an offer, although the report does not state how much Sittard are demanding in order to part with the youngster.

However, a previous report by Nottinghamshire Live estimated that Flemming’s value is around £1.5m, before claiming that Sjors Ultee’s side are looking “a few million more” than this figure.

Imagine him & Johnson

With only Derby County having scored fewer goals than Forest’s 37 in the Championship last time out, it is clear that this is a problem Dane Murphy must address before the new season kicks off in a little over a week’s time.

And, with Brennan Johnson having already returned from a prolific loan spell at Lincoln City last term, the further addition of Flemming should be a mouthwatering prospect for both Chris Hughton and fans of the club alike.

Indeed, over his 33 Eredivisie appearances last season, the £1.08m-rated man scored 12 goals, registered seven assists and created eight big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots and making 0.8 key passes per fixture.

These returns saw the attacking midfielder earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.04, ranking him as Sittard’s third-best performer in the top flight of Dutch football.

As such, while Lewis Grabban’s six goals and Cyrus Christie’s three assists ranked top of Forest’s Championship goals and assist charts respectively last season, the addition of Flemming’s 19 goal involvements combined with Johnson’s haul of 11 goals and five assists at Lincoln would certainly appear to shake things up at The City Ground, while also bringing with it the real possibility of firing the Reds back towards the top of the second tier table next season.

In other news: Murphy could seal Forest transfer masterclass with swoop for £2.25m-rated “top player”

Aston Villa appear to have made an exciting transfer breakthrough in their bid to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Leon Bailey.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that Dean Smith’s side are eyeing up a swoop for the Jamaican winger this summer as they look to bring in some new faces ahead of the start of the Premier League campaign next month.

Football Insider have now claimed that Villa have agreed personal terms with Bailey, with the 23-year-old set for a significant pay rise if a deal goes through.

The report added that “Villa may need to break their transfer record for that to happen”.

Fans will be buzzing

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, the Express and Star’s Luke Hatfield said: “Villa will be very confident in themselves with any bid that they go in with. I don’t think there’s any bid that they put down where they think, ‘We’re not going to get this player.’

“I imagine they’re very confident with the bid which they’re going to try and put in. I don’t know whether they’ve put in a bid already, there’s some reports saying they have, some reports saying they’re considering one.

“But he’s clearly a player they like and they’ll be confident in trying to bring him to Villa Park.”

The £31.5m-rated Bailey enjoyed an outstanding 2020/21 campaign in the Bundesliga, bagging an impressive 15 goals and providing another 11 assists to boot. That was one goal more than Ollie Watkins, the centre-forward who was Villa’s top Premier League scorer last term, indicating just how much of a threat the Leverkusen gem could add to Smith’s armoury.

News that Villa have reached an agreement with Bailey’s camp over contract terms ahead of a possible move is another big step towards securing the Jamaican ahead of the new Premier League season.

Villa fans must be absolutely buzzing with this latest development over one of their club’s exciting transfer targets.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has confirmed some exciting Aston Villa transfer news…

Leicester City are preparing a bid to bring Philippe Coutinho to the King Power Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), who claim that Brendan Rodgers’ side are keeping a close eye on the situation of the Barcelona forward, with the 48-year-old thought to be keen on a reunion with the Brazil international.

It is then reported that the Foxes, along with Arsenal and Everton, have moved to recruit the 29-year-old on either a permanent or temporary basis, with the Spanish giants believed to be more than willing to sanction Coutinho’s departure this summer.

 Fans should be buzzing

While it is undeniable that Coutinho has not enjoyed the best football of his career in recent seasons, with the attacking midfielder having not featured for Barca since December due to a knee injury, considering how impressive the Brazilian was under the leadership of Rodgers at Liverpool, fans of Leicester should be buzzing at the possibility of landing the £27m-rated man this summer.

Indeed, over his 112 appearances under the Northern Irishman – the greatest number of games Coutinho has ever featured for a manager – the 29-year-old scored 17 goals and provided 23 assists for his teammates.

Arguably his best season under the 48-year-old came in 2013/14, when the £383k-per-week man scored five goals and registered seven assists over his 33 Premier League appearances, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots and making two key passes per game.

These returns saw the man Roberto Firmino dubbed a “magician” earn a seasonal WhoScored match rating of 7.44, ranking him as the Reds’ fifth-best performer in the league that season, playing a huge role in the club’s dramatic title race with Manchester City.

As such, while his wages are astronomically high, if Leicester can negotiate a deal to lower his salary either with Barcelona or the player himself, as well as being confident that Coutinho could go on to replicate his previous form under Rodgers, it would be an extremely difficult argument to make that he would not be a fantastic signing for the Champions League hopefuls.

And, with Mundo Deportivo suggesting that the Foxes are in the process of lining up a move for the 29-year-old this summer, seeing the Brazilian in action at the King Power on a regular basis next season may not be that distant of a possibility.

In other news: Imagine him & Barnes: LCFC could complete their attack with “great talent” for £34m

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Mark Crossley believes his old side should be turning to Chelsea or another Premier League outfit for a striker.

Forest’s forwards have not been firing in this early stage of the season, with Lyle Taylor the only No.9 in the Reds’ squad to have scored in the Championship so far, with his sole goal coming in the opening weekend of the new campaign.

Chris Hughton’s team as a whole have not been good enough in front of goal and in the league overall. They currently sit bottom of the table with just one point, while only Sheffield United have found the back of the net on fewer occasions (via WhoScored).

Considering all of that, Crossley has called for his former club to bring in a new centre-forward and believes Chelsea could be a good place to start looking.

“Look to the Premier League for a loan spell,” the ex-Forest star said to TT. “Chelsea loan a lot of players out. Whether it’s a loan or permanent, it’s always better to get a permanent in, but if it’s a loan from a Premier League club, I think there’s a handful.”

Without a doubt, this goalscoring issue is something Hughton needs to address or else it is going to be a long season for Forest.

Daniel Pinder, the editor-in-chief of Get German Football News, has told Football FanCast that he has been impressed with on-loan Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi.

The Nigerian striker joined the Reds six years ago but is yet to make his first-team debut for Liverpool and has spent the previous seven seasons out on loan.

The most recent of those loan spells was in Germany with Union Berlin, where he scored five goals and laid on three assists in just 21 Bundesliga appearances.

A muscle problem saw Awoniyi restricted to just two substitute outings in the final three months of Union Berlin’s season, but the 23-year-old has emerged as a target for West Brom, who’ve recently got rid of both Charlie Austin and Hal Robson-Kanu and are looking to bolster their strike department.

Awoniyi has gained valuable experienece in Belgium and Holland over recent seasons but is yet to make a competitive appearance in English football, but is expected to be allowed to leave Liverpool, even with more than two years running on his Anfield contract.

Pinder told Football FanCast:

“He was on loan at Mainz last season, went back to Liverpool and how he is Union Berlin. He’s a player that has really impressed me.

“Five goals and three assists, and that run of five goals came across seven games, but then he picked up an injury and hasn’t been the same since.

“But he’s a player that puts himself around the box – he’s tall, strong, wins those aerial battles and holds onto the ball well and brings in his teammates.”

Former Sunderland player Kevin Phillips has backed star midfielder Luke O’Nien to sign a new contract with the club and fans should be delighted by this news.

What’s the talk?

Football Insider have claimed that Preston North End, Middlesbrough, Millwall and Luton Town are all tracking O’Nien’s situation closely and are prepared to pounce if he becomes available. He is out of contract at the end of the month and Sunderland have offered the midfielder a new deal to stay at the club.

Former Sunderland striker Phillips believes that “loyal” O’Nien will commit his future to the club this month and reject the chance to move to the Championship. The retired forward has claimed that O’Nien loves Sunderland and will stay if he is offered a reasonable contract. He told Football Insider:

“I think he will stay, to be honest, I think he loves Sunderland.

“He seems like a real loyal guy. As I know well, they’re very hard to find and if someone is coming in with a better offer and the chance of playing in the Championship then it’s hard to turn down, but it’s clear that he does like the club.”

“If they want to keep O’Nien they’re going to have to offer him a decent contract, but not to the point where they’re being held to ransom, so it’s getting that balancing act right.

“But I think if you offer him a good, decent contract, then he would stay.”

Fans should be delighted

Sunderland fans should be delighted by this news for multiple reasons. For starters, it is great to hear that Phillips truly believes O’Nien loves Sunderland. As the former striker has explained, loyalty can be found few and far between in the modern game and it is heartwarming to read that O’Nien could show his love for the club by signing a contract extension this summer instead of leaving on a free transfer to move to a higher division.

Fans should love to see passion on and off the pitch. Who wants to see players solely motivated by money and greed? Players like O’Nien, who thrive on the emotion and love of the game, are lovely to watch and, hopefully, he will be able to showcase his passion in front of the supporters next season if he stays at Sunderland and fans are back inside the grounds.

O’Nien’s footballing ability is another reason the fans should be happy to read this news. Charlie Wyke and Aiden McGeady, who both contributed directly to 20 goals or more, were the only players in the Sunderland squad to average a higher WhoScored rating than O’Nien in League One.

The £4k-per-week ace thrived in multiple positions on the pitch, playing at right-back, in midfield and at centre-back throughout the campaign, averaging an impressive score of 6.95. This shows his importance to the Sunderland side and why keeping him at the club could be a huge boost and a positive for the fans to enjoy.

And in other news; Sunderland fans will be fuming at this update from the Black Cats…