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Premier League side Chelsea’s stance has been revealed on Nathan Baxter, it could impact Sunderland’s transfer business. 

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, Chelsea have decided that they will be loaning goalkeeper Nathan Baxter out for the 2021/22 campaign. Baxter played for Accrington Stanley on loan in League One in the season just gone.

Nixon has claimed that Championship side Hull and League One Sunderland are both interested in a possible deal for Baxter. This comes after Football Insider reported earlier this month that Sunderland are keen on a loan or permanent swoop for Baxter this summer as they look to build a squad capable of securing promotion out of the third tier.

In the summer of 2020, an insider at Chelsea labelled Baxter as a player with “real talent”. They told The Sun, as relayed by the Derby Telegraph:

“This kid has got real talent, and Derby and Birmingham are both really keen.”

Speakman must act now

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman must act now to seal a deal for Baxter with Chelsea’s stance on his situation clear.

The Blues are ready to loan him out and Sunderland must pounce on the opportunity to snap him up on a temporary deal this summer. Baxter is under contract at Chelsea until 2023 and Sunderland could be in a strong position to negotiate a permanent deal for him in 2022 as he would be heading into the final year of his deal unless the Premier League side pins him down to an extension in the intervening period.

The £3k-per-week shot-stopper has proven that he has the quality to be a reliable option at League One level.

In 16 starts for Accrington Stanley, Baxter kept seven clean sheets and let in 14 goals – less than a goal per game. Baxter has also played in League Two, for Yeovil, and in the Scottish Premiership, for Ross County, in his career so far despite his young age. This shows that he has the pedigree to come in and have a decent chance of succeeding at the Stadium of Light.

There is a gap in Lee Johnson’s squad for a goalkeeper to come in. Remi Matthews is due to leave at the end of the month and that will leave Lee Burge as the only senior stopper at the club.

Baxter could, therefore, come in and challenge Burge for the number one jersey next season. This would be a boost for Johnson as he’ll possess two ‘keepers battling it out and pushing each other on to improve in order to land the starting role week-in-week-out in League One. So, Speakman needs to pounce on this chance to sign Baxter on loan.

AND in other news, Major update emerges on “excellent” Sunderland target that will leave fans buzzing…

Newcastle United all but ensured safety in the Premier League for another season with a 1-0 win at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.

A fine goal from Miguel Almiron in the first half sealed the points at St. James’ Park, but it was not always plain-sailing for Eddie Howe’s team, who gave up the majority of the possession to the visitors, and also faced ten shots at their goal (SofaScore) as the hosts retreated in the second half.

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The Transfer Tavern have used statistical experts SofaScore to now analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for the hosts on the night, perhaps now looking over their shoulders regarding their long-term futures in Howe’s first choice XI…

Jonjo Shelvey

Given a 6.7 overall rating, Shelvey ranked as the North East club’s third-worst player.

The central midfielder lost out on two of his duels, and also failed to record a single shot on goal, dribble, clearance, interception or key pass, making one foul and giving the ball away nine times in total.

Joelinton

Admittedly tied with Chris Wood in terms of rating (6.5), Joelinton ranks in second here having helped keep the clean sheet as a midfielder.

However, the Brazilian lost a total of six individual duels, and was off target with all three of his shots, while he also never managed a tackle, committed two fouls and lost possession on nine separate occasions.

Chris Wood

With a 6.5 rating, Wood ranked as the Tyneside outfit’s worst performer.

The striker was unsuccessful in seven duels, and never managed a shot, successful dribble or key pass, amassing just 34 touches of the ball in total and giving it away with 15 of those.

He also missed a huge chance in the first-half only to be spared by the offside flag.

In other news, find out which ‘outstanding’ target NUFC are now set to ‘miss out’ on here!

Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard has rejected a move to Liverpool, who would have paid him more than three times the amount of his Hoops deal.

That’s according to a report from Anfield Central, who suggested that the French forward turned down a Merseyside move following a phone call with Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

Edouard, who earns £19,000 per week at Celtic Park, would have been on a contract worth £60,000-a-week at Anfield.

The 23-year-old’s Parkhead deal expires in just over 12 months’ time and he wants to leave the Hoops this summer regardless of who comes in as Neil Lennon’s successor.

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Transfer Tavern take

To us, this latest update may spell trouble for new Celtic CEO Dominic McKay. If Edouard were keen on a move to Liverpool, they may have been willing to fork out a substantial fee for the striker, whose contract is running down.

However, with a move to Anfield no longer on the cards, that is one less club now in the running for the Frenchman. That may prove to be bad news for the Hoops, as it could tempt other interested suitors into offering a lower fee, or worse still, happy to wait until January 2022 when they could discuss a possible free transfer.

Celtic also owe Paris Saint-Germain 40% of any deal involving Edouard, so to us, it’s crucial that the Hoops receive as much as possible in seeling him, or they could make a loss on the striker for whom they paid a club-record £9.27m fee back in 2018.

In other news: Hoops keen on £50,000-a-week midfielder, find out more here.

Glasgow Rangers were far from happy with a tweet from journalist Ewan Murray, who slammed the lack of Scottish players in their squad for their Premiership opener on Saturday.

The Gers kicked off their campaign with a 3-0 win over Livingston at Ibrox in front of 23,000 supporters (The Herald). Ianis Hagi opened the scoring in the first half before Scott Wright and Kemar Roofe completed the scoring to put the Gers top of the table – they already lead their fierce city rivals Celtic by three points after they were defeated 2-1 by Hearts (BBC).

The Gers included two outfield Scotland players in the squad – as well as two goalkeepers. Others, such a Ryan Jack, would have been included if he were ready to feature. However, Murray was clearly very unhappy with this, and took to Twitter to criticise the squad selection.

The tweet attracted plenty of attention from the Gers supporters, and they took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the tweet from Murray below

“Disappointing tweet. Usually quite funny, sometimes educated. This comes across as bitter!”

Credit: @danmac10

“Haha love how triggered you get about all things Rangers!”

Credit: @Renegade_uk100

“utter nonsense, you have looked long and hard to find a negative here , clubs had to fight for the colt team to get involved , these things take time , look at the amount we have out on loan getting experience”

Credit: @Kennybarnes49

“Journalists unable to hide their contempt of Rangers before a ball has even been kicked, guess the football is well and truly back now.”

Credit: @Blucifer_

“Feels like a cheap dig at a club you perhaps don’t like very much. Youth development takes time, and IMO Rangers are putting steps in place to make sure we have good Scottish players coming through.”

Credit: @CottonRunt09

“Just for the sake of it, ignore the 2 Scottish international goalkeepers in the squad because it makes your point more valid ! Stirring it early this year Ewan, hope yous get relegated again after a comfortable victory tonight.”

Credit: @StubyMacKenzie

In other news, this man was surprisingly omitted from Rangers’ Champions League squad.

Former All Leeds TV presenter and JustJoe Football Show frontman Joe Wainman does not want Wolves winger Adama Traore anywhere near Elland Road.

Traore has been continuously linked with a move to Leeds this summer, with journalist Duncan Castles reporting that the Whites recently made a £30m bid for the 25-year-old.

While Traore struggled last season, not producing much in the final third, he was very impressive back in the 2019/20 campaign.

That term, Traore scored four goals and conjured up nine assists in the Premier League as Wolves went on to finish in seventh.

Going off that season, it is not hard to see why Marcelo Bielsa would want Traore at Leeds. For Wainman, though, English football’s top flight does not see enough of that Traore, who he has compared to former Leeds player Hadi Sacko.

“We used to have a player called Hadi Sacko. He was so fast, could dribble with the ball and then his final pass or his effort at goal was so poor,” Wainman told FFC. “For me, Adama Traore’s just a bigger Hadi Sacko.

“Honestly, there is a lot of fans that would like Adama Traore but, no, not for me.”

According to Castles, speaking on The Transfer Window podcast, Traore is not actually interested in joining Leeds and is holding out for a Champions League club, so it is currently looking like the Spain international will not end up at Elland Road.

Tottenham Hotspur are still yet to appoint a new manager after parting ways with Jose Mourinho in April but Paul Stewart, who was signed by Spurs as a striker but later reverted to a holding midfielder, has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Spurs should look to someone other than Antonio Conte.

Conte has recently just won the Serie A title with Inter Milan, the club’s first league title in 11 years and during his two years in England, he managed to guide Chelsea to a Premier League crown title as well as an FA Cup victory despite the club finishing 10th the season before he took over.

The Italian has been linked with a sensational return to England with Chelsea’s rivals, Spurs, as Daniel Levy continues to whittle down his shortlist of candidates until he finds what he believes to be the perfect manager – reports suggest Levy has been in talks with Conte for the last month.

Despite his links to Chelsea, that would not prove to be a barrier if he did come to Spurs but they should be looking for someone else, that’s according to Stewart, who spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern:

“Something wasn’t quite right between him and the players at Chelsea despite winning trophies, but for me, I’d probably look elsewhere and try to rebuild the club.

“They’ve got to bring a manager in that they trust will be able to build over a few years, because Spurs need to look at a different way in which they employ managers because it has to be about bringing players through for the long term.”

Spurs lost the chance to have their Europa League destiny in their own hands following their surprise 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa earlier this week, which saw Sergio Reguilon score a stunning own goal.

Ryan Mason’s side did guarantee a spot in the European Conference League following their 4-2 win against Leicester City on Sunday.

Celtic are stuck in a hefty transition phase right now as their new manager Ange Postecoglou tries to repair the rubble of an arduous 2020/21 campaign.

Errors were rife in the Hoops defence while injuries and a lack of quality in the final third plagued what they’d hoped would be a season of ten in a row.

What’s the word?

This summer will witness a mass exodus at Celtic. No longer are Mo Elyounoussi, Diego Laxalt or Jonjoe Kenny at the club while Scott Brown has finally left for Aberdeen.

Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard are also potentially set for the exit door but it’s an area where the Bhoys are well stacked that arguably needs improving the most.

That happens to be in goal where Conor Hazard, Vasilis Barkas and Scott Bain all made individual errors last term.

With that in mind, Charlie Nicholas has recommended Leicester City goalkeeper Danny Ward as a potential signing.

Writing in the Express this week (29/06/21), he said: “Celtic need a new number one because Vasilis Barkas is not the answer. I think they could solve this position with a good loan.

“I would suggest Danny Ward. He’s not getting regular football at Leicester City and has shown internationally he’s a reliable and solid keeper.”

A big upgrade

Coming into the summer, the idea that Ward would have been a good signing for Celtic would have been written off fairly quickly.

The Welshman hasn’t played a league game since May 2017, reduced to playing second fiddle to Kasper Schmeichel at the King Power Stadium.

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However, his form at the European Championships was nothing short of exceptional.

Wales managed to reach the last 16 of Euro 2020 but were beaten 4-0 by a dominant Denmark side.

Ward wasn’t at fault for any of those strikes, though, as he caught the eye with some fantastic performances during the group stage.

Speaking about his displays, former Leicester man Andy King commented: “He’s been one of Wales’ outstanding players in this tournament.”

King continued: “He’s been commanding, he’s come for crosses and his distribution has been excellent.”

What Celtic lacked last season between the sticks was a commanding and vocal presence. Barkas was arguably treated harshly after starting just twice following the New Year period but his exile from the side came after errors in European action.

Bain was hardly a pillar of solidity either. Like his Greek teammate, the Scot made a plethora of errors in Europe and was also questionable in the Old Firm derby a few months ago.

Alfredo Morelos skinned Scott Brown all too easily before firing a rampaging shot towards goal that went straight through the hapless ‘keeper.

Ward, however, is proven and reliable. Following the group stages of Euro 2020, only two other goalkeepers had made more than his 4.3 saves per 90 minutes.

The 28-year-old also ended the first stage of the tournament having prevented more xG (3.77) than any other stopper. The next best goalkeeper was Finland’s Lukas Hradecky on 2.27.

Judging by his performances this summer, Ward would be a superb addition to Celtic’s ranks. Ange Postecoglou must test the waters of former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers in the coming weeks and months.

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

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has provided injury updates on Ryan Jack and Ryan Kent ahead of Sunday’s clash with St Mirren.

What’s the latest?

The 41-year-old has revealed that Jack has returned to first team training after recovering from his long-term injury, whilst Kent is expected to be back within the next week.

Gerrard told Rangers’ official Twitter channel: “It’s a big day for Ryan Jack as he is back with the team in training for the first time in months. Ryan Kent, we are hoping to have available in and around the Aberdeen game or just slightly after.”

Gers fans will be buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with this news as it suggests that two key players are set to return from notable injuries. Kent’s last appearance came against Lyon in the Europa League on 16 September, whilst Jack has not played a single minute of football since February.

The Ibrox faithful will be delighted to see Kent return as he has shown his quality at Premiership level in recent years. Last season, he scored 10 goals and provided nine assists in 37 appearances as he averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.23. The fans will be looking forward to seeing him back in action as he can clearly make a difference in the final third for Gerrard’s side.

Former Gers marksman Kris Boyd once lauded the ex-Liverpool winger’s ability with the ball at his feet, hailing him as a player who gets fans off their seats. 

He said: “There’s Ryan Kent who is phenomenal – he gets you off your seat. His numbers have increased season after season. Even if the team are not at the level we saw at the start of the campaign, he is still a threat. He is so comfortable with the ball – it is like has superglue in his boots!”

Meanwhile, Jack was also impressive in the league last season. He averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.14 in 19 appearances prior to his calf injury, creating one chance per game and winning 56% of his duels as he completed 90% of his attempted passes.

This shows why Gers fans must be happy to see him back in the fold after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. He has proven that he can be a quality central midfield option in the Premiership and his return gives Gerrard another option to utilise as Rangers go in search of back-to-back league titles.

AND in other news, Gerrard could unearth McGregor 2.0 in Rangers gem who has shown “excellent progress”…

Ross Barkley has the ability to be a superb signing for Leeds United if they complete a move for him, according to former Scotland defender Alan Hutton.

The Lowdown: Barkley linked with Leeds move

The 27-year-old has been linked with a move to Elland Road, as he continues to struggle for regular playing time back at Chelsea following his loan move to Aston Villa last season.

Barkley has appeared for just 27 minutes in the Premier League so far in 2021/22, so it could be that a switch elsewhere makes sense in January or next summer.

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The Latest: Hutton talks up Barkley move

Hutton thinks that Leeds could be an ideal destination for the Chelsea midfielder, telling Football Insider: “He’s a fantastic player.

“I actually felt sorry for him at Aston Villa because he started really well and the injury he got really hampered him and he struggled after that. If you can get the best out of Ross Barkley, I think any team would want him.

“We’ve seen flashes of him coming on for Chelsea – he’s looked good, passing nice and sharp and he’s looked fit.

“If Bielsa can get him through that door, he comes in and does well for Leeds. The way they play with the high press, get him high up the field and let him make things happen – it would be a brilliant addition to the team.”

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The Verdict: A gamble worth taking?

Barkley isn’t getting into Chelsea’s team for a reason, so it is understandable to feel some trepidation about a possible move to Elland Road.

In terms of natural talent, he could be a star at Leeds, but too often his game lacks substance – he has only scored one league goal for Chelsea since the summer of 2019 – failing to produce consistently strong performances.

A manager of Marcelo Bielsa’s class could possibly get the best out of Barkley, though, and a January transfer or loan could help give the Whites an extra spark in midfield. Indeed, the Leeds boss has already got a tune out of one Stamford Bridge cast-off in Patrick Bamford, so he might yet be able to repeat the trick if Barkley rocks up in Yorkshire.

In other news, one Leeds player has provided a key injury update. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace and Everton are weighing up moves for Aston Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, according to The Daily Mail.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa supporters have been sharing their thoughts at the exit links on social media.

The Daily Mail claim that Nakamba features high on Rafael Benitez and Patrick Vieira’s midfield target lists, with both clubs ready to test Vila’s resolve with offers for the 27-year-old.

Nakamba, who arrived at Villa Park in 2019 at a cost of £10.8m, has made 50 appearances in the Midlands.

Fellow holding midfielder Douglas Luiz is away with Brazil at the Olympics, possibly until August 7, and Villa are reluctant to lose Nakamba during the current window.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared the rumours regarding Nakamba on Friday evening.

This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with one describing a possible exit as ‘tragic’, possibly due to Villa losing just three times in 13 Premier League fixtures last season when the midfielder featured.

“WHAT”Credit: @catrinedwards18″There’s no way we let him go.”Credit: @tom_avfc1″Tragic if it happens. This one will come back to bite us if it happens. He is a better dm than Luiz”Credit: @shadow_villa”Don’t you dare”Credit: @Aitken26avfc”I am not ready for this….”Credit: @Zeus_AVFC”Noooooooooooo”Credit: @brazilianwizard

In other news: Bid is in: Aston Villa source shares Friday development regarding move for Leon Bailey.