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Frank Lampard is in the running for the vacant West Bromwich Albion job, according to a reliable source…

What’s the word?

Express and Star journalist Joseph Masi dropped a fresh claim in the Baggies’ search for their next manager on Tuesday. He tweeted:

“I understand Frank Lampard is on Albion’s managerial shortlist with the former Chelsea boss open to a job in the Championship.”

And in an accompanying article, it is suggested that the 42-year-old would be given an interview as the Midlands outfit continue to look for a viable candidate to replace Sam Allardyce following his departure, and their relegation to the Championship.

Lampard has experience of managing in the division before with Derby County, where he made the playoffs, whilst his most recent experience came at his former club, Chelsea, who sacked him after a poor run of form in January earlier this year.

Exciting candidate

It is quite encouraging to see that Albion have already pushed ahead with their bid to find a new manager already, meaning sporting director Luke Dowling and co really should have him in place before the summer transfer window opens.

Lampard is a really positive target, too.

Whilst his time at Pride Park didn’t end in promotion, you only have to look at how far the Rams have sunk now in his absence, going from runner-up in the playoffs to tenth place, and this season, narrowly avoiding relegation on the final day sat in 21st.

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The former Blues midfielder did a very respectable job at Stamford Bridge too, especially in his maiden campaign, where he had to operate without spending a penny in the transfer market.

He turned to youth in a bold move and it paid off.

The likes of Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Reece James are all prominent first-team stars because of Lampard. Had he not trusted them to start regularly, then there’s always a good chance that they would never have made it at Chelsea.

Usually, their up-and-coming prospects spend time out on loan three, four, five or more times and never make the cut.

This is an issue at the Hawthorns too – players such as Nathan Ferguson, Izzy Brown, Morgan Rogers, Louie Barry have all moved on despite being hugely promising starlets.

Lampard would certainly fix this, so surely fans would be buzzing to see their team made up of plenty of homegrown and local lads. After a dire season of disappointment, it could give them something to shout about and be proud of.

The 42-year-old would be a fine appointment in the long run for the Baggies.

AND in other news, Dowling can revive West Brom by hiring 53 y/o “messiah” who Klopp dubbed “exceptional”…

Sheffield United have been linked with Jonson Clarke-Harris recently and he could prove to be the ideal replacement for Ollie McBurnie at Bramall Lane under Slavisa Jokanovic next season.

The Blades have been linked with a summer move for the Peterborough United striker recently following his impressive performances in League One, which helped Darren Ferguson’s side earn promotion to the Championship.

In 45 league appearances for the Posh, the former Bristol Rovers man would contribute an impressive 31 goals and three assists, averaging a superb 7.36 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Considering that is 11 more goals than Sheffield United managed in the Premier League this season, it seems clear that Jokanovic needs to add a natural finisher such as Clarke-Harris to his side ahead of next season if they are to have any chance of securing an immediate return to the top-flight.

Should he make the switch to Bramall Lane, he would likely arrive as a replacement for McBurnie, who has been heavily linked with a move away ahead of the summer transfer window, following a disappointing spell with the Blades.

Since joining from Swansea City in a £20m deal in August 2019, the Scotland international has managed just seven goals and one assist in 65 appearances, so it is no surprise to hear that Sheffield United are reportedly keen to get rid of him ahead of their return to the Championship.

Although he wasn’t much of a goalscorer, the Blades may well miss his ability in the air, as no player would average more aerial duels won per game than McBurnie (six) this season.

However, Clarke-Harris’ 4.9 aerials won per game with Peterborough suggests that he could step up as the 24-year-old’s replacement this summer, whilst also offering much more of a goal threat in Jokanovic’s side.

Therefore, Jokanovic should definitely consider a move for the “outstanding” forward this summer and hope that his arrival is a catalyst in McBurnie leaving Bramall Lane for good.

And, in other news… Jokanovic can amend key SUFC issue with summer swoop for “outstanding” beast

A major update has emerged about Sunderland transfer target Dion Sanderson.

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Premier League side Wolves have decided that they are ready to cash in on Sunderland target Dion Sanderson. The report claims that Wolves are not going to wait for a new manager to be appointed and that they are prepared to sell him as soon as possible for a fee in the region of £2m.

Sunderland are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Sanderson on a permanent basis. The other clubs are not named in the report, but they are said to be from the Championship and League One. Sunderland believe that the relationship they built with Sanderson during his time on loan at the club can help them secure his services ahead of the other parties.

Former Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson hailed Sanderson as an “athletic” player upon his arrival at the Stadium of Light on loan last year. He told Sunderland’s official website: 

“I’m pleased to welcome Dion to the club. He’s a young and athletic player who will add further competition to the squad.”

Fans will be buzzing

Sunderland fans will be buzzing to read this update as it is the clearest indication yet that a permanent move could be possible for Sanderson.

Wolves are ready to sell him and the Black Cats could now profit from this by snapping him up and adding him to their squad on a long-term contract heading into next season. It would not only be a boost to the short-term ambitions of the club, but it could also aid their long-term planning as well.

In the short-term, he could be a key cog in Lee Johnson’s squad next season. The defender averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.88 in 17 League One starts at centre-back in the 2020/21 campaign on loan to Sunderland, which shows that he already knows how to be a reliable performer within Johnson’s set-up. He has also shown off his versatility at the Stadium of Light by playing at right-back and left-back, offering Johnson flexibility in the way that he can use him within his squad next term.

Bringing Sanderson in on a permanent basis could also be an excellent piece of business for the long-term. Sanderson doesn’t turn 22 until December and has plenty of years ahead of him to develop and grow as a player and as a person.

Playing regular first-team football with Sunderland in League One could help him progress and improve as he will be gaining valuable experience week-in-week-out against seasoned League One professionals. This could allow the £2m beast to grow alongside Sunderland and he could become a Championship standard player in time for the club’s potential promotion.

This is a deal that the Black Cats must get done, if they do, their fans would be delighted.

AND in other news, Major update emerges on “absolute beast”, Sunderland fans will be delighted…

Manchester City fans are far from happy after it was suggested that Pep Guardiola could replace Aymeric Laporte with Pau Torres if the former departs the Etihad Stadium this summer.

Laporte made the move to City in January 2018, and initially made a big impact at the club. During the 2018/19 campaign, he played a key role in the Citizens’ Premier League success, making 35 appearances in the league as City won the title (Transfermarkt).

However, he picked up a serious injury towards the start of the following campaign and found himself playing second fiddle to Ruben Dias and John Stones last season.

He has been linked with a return to Spain recently, especially to Barcelona (Sport). Now, according to Sam Lee of The Athletic, City will try to sign Torres if Laporte departs. The 24-year-old Villarreal man has a €65m (£55.9m) release clause in his contract.

The news was relayed on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Pau Torres link below

“He’s not nearly as good I assure you. Don’t make that mistake.”

Credit: @Inhindsighyt

“Yep bring in another Spanish bruddah to not be 1st choice and pay a Ridiculous release clause. The CITEH WAY!”

Credit: @Relly_95

“50 mil on a needed left back NO, 50 mil on a 3rd/4th choice CB, YES???”

Credit: @SilvaSpecial27

“This is getting pathetic now, we’re already full of unhappy players because we have a ridiculous stacked squad full of world-class players. Guardiola might be a fraud”

Credit: @AzMCFC

“No”

Credit: @Obi_BALR

“The Pep Out people might have been right”

Credit: @Isaac47_

In other news, Man City fans rage at news on this international striker.

Leicester City defender Timothy Castagne suffered a serious injury in Belgium’s opening Euro 2020 encounter.

The 25-year-old collided with Russia’s Daler Kuzyaev around the 27-minute mark on Saturday evening, suffering a double fracture in his eye socket, Sky Sports News reported.

Roberto Martinez’s men went on to record a comfortable 3-0 victory in St Petersburg, but Castagne will play no further part in the tournament.

“Really bad news, sad to see Timothy Castagne is going to be out of the tournament,” said Martinez after the game.

“He’s had images taken, he’s got a double fracture, and now we’ll take the necessary treatment.”

Castagne enjoyed an impressive maiden campaign in English football throughout 2020/21 following a £21.5m move from Serie A outfit Atalanta.

He made 34 appearances in all competitions for the Foxes, scoring two goals and providing four assists as the Midlands outfit narrowly missed out on a Champions League qualification spot.

A timeframe hasn’t been placed on Castagne’s recovery time just yet, but news that one of his key first-team players is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines will surely leave Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers gutted.

The current FA Cup holders will be looking to break into the top four next term, and they will need their star performers to be fit in order to achieve that goal.

With fellow full-back James Justin also expected to be out for many months as he continues to recover from a serious knee injury, this is a potentially significant setback in Rodgers’ summer plans.

Leicester were already expected to be in the market for a new defender following the departure of experienced duo Wes Morgan and Christian Fuchs, but they may feel the need for further reinforcements depending on the severity of Castagne’s situation.

Belgium take on Denmark in their next Group B encounter on Thursday 17 June, although they’ll have to do so without their first-choice right-back.

And, in other news…Rudkins masterclass: LCFC must seal £17m “goal machine” this summer, Rodgers needs him 

West Bromwich Albion are set to dump their Sporting Director model, following the departure of Luke Dowling yesterday [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Baggies endure rocky start to 2021/22

The Baggies have endured a bumpy start to 2021/22, as they search for a new manager to mount a Sky Bet Championship title challenge.

This time last week, David Wagner was almost certain to inherit the Hawthorns hotseat after advanced talks with the club [Express and Star].

However, talks eventually collapsed as the German-American elected to take the BSC Young Boys managerial role instead [BBC].

Despite links with Frank Lampard, Michael Appleton and Chris Wilder, there has been no progress on the head-coach front [GIVEMESPORT].

In light of this, West Brom look to have shuffled their deck as pre-season draws ever closer.

The Latest: Sporting Director model scrapped; Dowling will not be replaced

Following weeks of drawn-out talks with multiple candidates, Dowling has left the building and will not be replaced as Sporting Director [Football Insider].

Intriguingly, a club source has revealed that West Brom are looking to pass most player recruitment responsibility on to their prospective new boss.

Inheriting a squad requiring major surgery, they are seeking a “traditional” manager with strong connections within football [Football Insider].

The Verdict: Short-termism?

This approach may go against the grain of modern footballing practices. With more clubs moving into a structure that includes a director of football, some onlookers may treat the news with scepticism and see it as a short-term fix.

On the other hand, West Brom are facing a race against the clock as they look to assemble a promotion worthy outfit. Short-term gain is imperative not only on the pitch but from a financial standpoint.

For 12 months, it may just be worth the risk if they can recruit the correct manager to make a real go of life in the English second-tier, and perhaps revert back to a recruitment chief model once short-term goals are achieved.

In other news, a pundit is unconvinced by a reported West Bromwich Albion managerial target.

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit and BBC regular Noel Whelan has been left wowed by James Tarkowski and says he has ‘no doubt’ the defender would be a success at West Ham United.

The Lowdown: Tarkowski saga returns…

Last year, the Hammers made a series of failed summer bids to try and prise the centre-back away from Turf Moor and down to east London. Indeed, Sky Sports said that GSB even lodged a third £31m offer for the 28-year-old but Burnley refused to budge.

Football Insider have now claimed that the centre-back is ‘very keen’ on a move to the English capital and would fully grasp a move to West Ham with both hands.

The Latest: Whelan reacts…

Reacting to this development, Whelan told Football Insider that Tarkowski would strengthen West Ham no end, calling him ‘aggressive’ and a ‘leader’ at the back.

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“Yeah, absolutely,” the pundit explained when asked if Tarkowski would reinforce David Moyes’ side.

“It’s not the first time they have been interested in him. He’s a very good defender. He’s so experienced and aggressive at the back. One of those leaders every team needs.

“I have no doubt he’ll be a success. Once again Moyes is going British. Most of the players he’s brought in have been British. He’s building a solid foundation at West Ham and he wants Tarkowski to be part of that.

“It’s an ideal signing to make if West Ham want to push on and keep challenging.”

The Verdict: Do it Moyesey…

It is reported that West Ham want to invest in three main areas this summer transfer window. Claret & Hugh believe that the Irons want to seal a permanent deal for Jesse Lingard, sign a new forward and bring in a solid centre-half option.

Tarkowski would certainly be the perfect acquisition for the latter task, and a possible West Ham swoop may be more realistic going by his precarious situation at Burnley and contract length, with just one year remaining on his current deal. With all that in mind, the Irons need to take advantage and get it done.

In other news: ‘Have started negotiations’…Journalist drops exciting West Ham transfer claim, find out more here.

Jacob Murphy’s new contract at Newcastle United will soon be announced, according to Shields Gazette journalist Liam Kennedy.

The lowdown

Murphy enjoyed a strong end to the season as Newcastle picked up 17 points from their final nine matches to comfortably stave off the prior threat of relegation.

Club legend Alan Shearer hailed him as ‘excellent’ in the 2-2 draw against Spurs in April, and Murphy then went onto fire Newcastle level in a comeback victory against Burnley a week later.

The Englishman also notched an assist for Joe Willock’s winner against Sheffield United in the penultimate fixture.

His current contract is due to expire on 30 June, four years on from his arrival from Norwich City.

The latest

Kennedy insists that there are now ‘few players more secure in the squad’ after the 26-year-old’s ‘strong, mature performances’.

Prior to his upturn in form, ‘the exit door was calling’ for a player who had twice been loaned out.

The announcement of his new deal is ‘on the way’, but Kennedy does not specify how long the new contract will last.

The verdict

There’s no question that this is the right move for Newcastle. Murphy came alive when he was needed most and should be a weekly starter if he starts next season as he finished the last.

He’s such a valuable asset, particularly because of his versatility. Murphy can play anywhere on the right flank, fitting into numerous different systems.

Losing him for free on the back of the campaign he’s just had would have been criminal, particularly with the future of Matt Ritchie also up in the air.

In other news, Steve Howey claims Newcastle could cash in on this injury-prone star. 

When Ange Postecoglou signed on the dotted line as Celtic manager, there was a sentence the Australian muttered that will have had the Parkhead faithful dancing for joy.

He revealed pride in using academy players, suggesting they brought an extra sense of purpose to the football club.

That has been an area neglected by Neil Lennon and co in recent years but with players like Karamoko Dembele and Luca Connell coming through the ranks, it’s hard to ignore the young stars of tomorrow.

Celtic may need to move towards transitioning younger players into the first team, but they can’t ignore experience.

After all, following Scott Brown’s departure this summer, there is a void of experience, leadership and composure that’s been left behind.

Ismaila Soro looks like the Scot’s heir in waiting. The Ivorian has already proven to be a combative force in the middle of the park and if he can discover more consistency under the new boss, Premiership attackers will be fearing the worst.

He won more tackles (1.9 per game) than any other Hoops player to start more than one match last term, while his dominant European displays provided hope for the future.

As the Bhoys impressively beat Lille in the Europa League, the midfield general won a mind-boggling ten tackles.

If Soro gets more opportunities to start next season it will be interesting to see who plays in a pivot next to him. Liam Shaw has signed from Sheffield Wednesday but Callum McGregor had an impressive European Championships, scoring against Croatia.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-transfer-news-posetcoglou-ryan-delap-wyke” title= “Read the latest Celtic transfer news!”]

However, with Celtic requiring another experienced head in that area of the pitch, Postecoglou should turn to Aaron Mooy.

The Glasgow side had been considering an offer for James McCarthy who is now a free agent but the new manager’s head has been turned by the idea of linking up with Aaron Mooy again.

During Postecoglou’s reign as Australia manager, the pair worked alongside each other, a period of time where Mooy won 28 of his 42 caps for his country.

Coincidentally, the former Huddersfield and Brighton stalwart speaks highly of the coach. Speaking in an interview back in 2016, the midfielder said: “He’s a very good coach.

“The style that he wants to play is the way I like playing as well. I’m happy to be playing under him. He’s intimidating. But the way he wants to play football, I want to play like that as well.”

At the age of 30, Mooy is at an age where he still has plenty left in the tank, unlike Brown. The fact he’s playing in China may well suggest otherwise but it wasn’t long ago that he contributed 13 goals and 13 assists over four Premier League seasons.

As well as having the ability to dictate the tempo of a game, he is a ruthless tackler similarly to Soro. In his first top-flight campaign with Huddersfield, he won 2.8 tackles per game – more than the Ivorian last term.

Brown has always been a player who doesn’t shy away from the challenge but his form deteriorated in 2020/21. Replacing him with Mooy and lining the Aussie up alongside Soro could be a devastating combination for the new head coach.

AND in other news, Celtic open talks to sign £8.5m gem of the “highest quality”, Ange will love him…

Ange Postecoglou wants Celtic to put their move for Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy on hold, according to Give Me Sport.

The Lowdown: Celtic’s long-standing interest

The Hoops have been keeping tabs on the central midfielder for some time after first being credited with an interest way back in November ahead of a possible pre-contract agreement.

However, as we know, a New Year deal never materialised, although reports in May suggested that Celtic were set to sign McCarthy this summer.

Postecoglou was announced as Neil Lennon’s successor earlier this month, but it seems as if he isn’t so keen on a deal for the Republic of Ireland international who Roy Hodgson labelled ‘class’ last year.

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The Latest: McCarthy latest

Give Me Sport shared a transfer story on Tuesday, claiming Postecoglou wants the Hoops to move for Australian midfielder Aaron Mooy ahead of McCarthy.

A deal for McCarthy was at an advanced stage, but Postecoglou wants to prioritise a move for Mooy over the Palace man.

The report adds that a deal for McCarthy remains tentatively in place.

The Verdict: Mooy or McCarthy?

Should Postecoglou prefer Mooy over McCarthy, then Celtic should listen to their new manager’s demands and pursue a deal for the former Brighton midfielder.

Both players have experience in the Premier League and are 30 years of age, but if Postecoglou wants Mooy, then the Hoops should certainly explore a deal after talk over a Hoops approach for the player emerged recently.

One stumbling block could be Mooy’s salary, as he is on £3m-a-year in China, but Celtic can at least give it a go and could then seal a deal for McCarthy if a move for Mooy isn’t financially possible.

In other news: Hoops considering move for Manchester City man, find out more here.