As reported by The Sun, Celtic are interested in signing Newcastle United defender Chancel Mbemba during this month’s transfer window.

What’s the story?

Brendan Rodgers has already made an addition to his defensive line this month after RB Leipzig star Marvin Compper made the switch to Glasgow, however it seems that the Celtic boss’ work isn’t done in the transfer market.

The Sun report that he is weighing up a move for DR Congo captain Chancel Mbemba, who is finding first team opportunities at St James’ Park difficult to come by this season.

The paper say that the Hoops will be battling former UEFA Champions League opponents Anderlecht for his signature, who sold the defender to the Magpies back in 2015.

What can he offer?

Mbemba may be on the fringes of Rafa Benitez’s side this season, making just eight starts in the English Premier League this season, but he has experience that shows he could be a hit at Celtic Park.

Alongside his 58 appearances for Newcastle in the English top-flight and Championship, he is a former regular at Anderlecht, where he shone in a title winning season and picked up Champions League group stage experience, where he scored two goals against Galatasaray.

Rated at £6.3m by Transfermarkt, the 23-year-old is also captain of his country, demonstrating he has leadership qualities of interest to the Scottish champions.

What’s more, he versatile too, having made a number of appearances for Newcastle at left-back this season.

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It all adds up to a rather attractive package for a club like Celtic, who can provide Mbemba with European football, trophies and regular action, the perfect platform to reach his potential.

After a testing evening against Arsenal in midweek, Antonio Conte is widely expected to make some changes when Chelsea host Newcastle in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup on Sunday – especially with Bournemouth due at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

And with plenty of options to choose from this season, the defence could be the department that sees the most rotation. In fact, captain Gary Cahill seems almost certain to come back into the side after sitting out the 2-1 defeat to the Gunners in the League Cup.

With that in mind, we asked Chelsea fans earlier this week whether they’d like to see 17-year-old Ethan Ampadu, 56-cap Brazil international David Luiz or both brought into the starting XI for Sunday’s 1.30pm kickoff.

And according to our poll, the majority of Chelsea fans – 52% – want to see the prodigious Welshman start ahead of Luiz, who has found himself an increasingly peripheral figure this term.

How would you set up the Blues against Newcastle? Let us know by commenting below…

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Christian Eriksen is having quite the season for Tottenham Hotspur.

The 26-year-old was excellent in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday night – scoring a late equaliser for the Premier League club.

The Denmark international was brilliant in Turin, and he has now established himself as one of the best attacking midfielders in world football.

Eriksen has nine goals and eight assists in 33 appearances in all competitions for Spurs this season, with his recent form key in helping his team overcome Manchester United and Arsenal in the Premier League.

Speaking of Man United, their supporters were dazzled by Eriksen’s latest display against Juventus.

And now the club’s fans have called on head coach Jose Mourinho to make Eriksen a leading transfer target at the end of the 2017-18 campaign.

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Tottenham would surely fight tooth and nail to keep hold of Eriksen, but the Man United supporters are demanding for the attacker to be brought to Old Trafford.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Popular Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu says the players, and not manager Mauricio Pellegrino, are the ones responsible for the club lying in the Premier League’s relegation zone.

The south coast outfit moved out of the bottom three when they beat West Bromwich Albion 3-2 at the Hawthorns earlier in the month, but a 2-0 defeat against Liverpool at St Mary’s on Sunday combined with other results going against them saw them slip back down to 18th.

Saints have only won five of their 27 top flight matches and while they haven’t been good enough going forward, they have also started conceding preventable goals from a defensive point of view too – Wesley Hoedt’s mistake led to Roberto Firmino’s opener for Jurgen Klopp’s men at the weekend.

Pellegrino has come under scrutiny from the St Mary’s faithful who are understandably unhappy with their position in the standings and the performances they have seen from their team, but Romeu, who won the club’s 2016/17 Player of the Year award, says it is down to the players, rather than their boss.

The Spaniard told The Telegraph: “It’s not the manager’s problem. We are the ones playing, and the ones that have to change this.”

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Southampton face West Bromwich Albion in the fifth round of the FA Cup at the Hawthorns on Saturday, before they look to face a season-defining run of five Premier League fixtures against Burnley, Stoke City, Newcastle United, Swansea City and West Ham United that will have a big say on whether they are staying up or going down.

Manchester United’s injury list has been something of a broken record this year, with Phil Jones, Marcus Rojo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic all featuring more than once.

Jones and Rojo are also both questionable with knocks in the run up to Sunday’s game at Old Trafford, and questions have been raised about whether United’s coaching methods are the reason behind these recurring injuries.

Going into a pivotal game with Chelsea on Sunday, and as the race for automatic Champions League group stage qualification hots up, manager Jose Mourinho will be hoping that he will be able to keep these players out of the injury room, according to PremierInjuries…

Marouane Fellaini

When was he injured?: Fellaini was on the Wembley pitch during January 31st’s 2-0 defeat for all of seven minutes before he was subbed off for the same knee injury that had kept him out for a month over the new year.

Potential injury return date: 31/03/2018

Will he be missed?: Ander Herrera was carted off with a muscle injury last night, and with Michael Carrick mulling retirement at the end of the season, Marouane Fellaini will need to be a key part of Mourinho’s plans going forward.

What the manager said: “We are going to lose him for a few weeks. Two, three four or five, I cannot say at the moment.” (February 2nd)

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic

When was he injured?: After a 28 goal season last year, Ibrahimovic has only played seven times this season after suffering a serious cruciate ligament injury against Anderlect on April 20th.

Potential injury return date: 25/02/2018

Will he be missed?: The fact that Anthony Martial, a midfielder, is the second highest scoring United player just goes to show how much United have been lacking this season in the goal scoring department from their forwards.

Lukaku has scored 12 goals, but he has also taken more shots to get there than anyone else other than Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, and Sergio Aguero – who have each scored over 20 goals this campaign.

Rashford is still young and Mourinho will need his experienced centre-forward  as United try to keep a hold of second spot.

What the manager said: “The date for him to be back training with the team is around the end of January.”(January 12th)

Marcos Rojo

When was he injured?: Rojo has picked up a knock in training in the past week.

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Potential injury return date: None given.

Will he be missed?: Rojo has been in and out of the starting XI this season with Antonio Valencia United’s favoured right-back, but in the midst of an injury crisis Mourinho needs all the help he can get.

What the manager said: “[Marcos] Rojo, [Phil] Jones, [Marouane] Fellaini, Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], I don’t think they have any chance (to play against Sevilla).” (February 2oth)

According to reports, Everton have joined AC Milan and Valencia in the race to sign Porto defender Ivan Marcano.

What’s the story?

Marcano has moved around a lot in his career, having spent time in Spain, Greece, Russia and now Portugal. Calciomercato claims that AC Milan have identified the 30 year-old defender as a summer target, but face competition from Everton and Valencia.

According to the report, Marcano will have his pick of the clubs when his contract runs out in June, allowing him to choose his next destination based on wages and guarantees of playing time.

The central defender, who can also play as a left back, has been at Porto since 2014 and has been instrumental in their fantastic form this season.

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Should Everton pursue him?

Everton could do a lot worse than look to Marcano to solve their defensive woes. The 30-year-old Spaniard is valued at £7.2million on Transfermarkt, so getting him for free when his contract runs out would be a steal.

He has Champions League experience and title winning experience, having won the Greek Superleague in both 2012 and 2014 with Olympiacos. His age should not be a factor as it would be a free transfer, so even if he only served the Toffees for two or three years the move would be worth it.

Marcano has started 21 games for Porto in the league this year, and has grabbed three goals and an assist. He is superb in the air, rarely loses concentration, and has a knack for finding a forward pass to get his team on the attack quickly.

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Whether or not Sam Allardyce will be Everton manager next season is still up in the air, but whoever is in charge at Goodison would be foolish not to pursue Marcano on a free transfer.

Everton fans, would you like to see a swoop for Marcano? Let us know your thoughts…

As reported by The Mirror, Liverpool are closing in on a £40m move for Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland this summer.

What’s the story?

A big priority for many Liverpool supporters this summer is signing a top quality goalkeeper to complement their improving defence and it seems that’s also a priority for Jurgen Klopp and the club.

The Mirror report that Liverpool are ready to offer a massive £40m for Stoke City’s Jack Butland, a fee which would be a world record for a goalkeeper if it comes off.

The paper say the shot-stopper is keen on a move to Anfield, rather than making a switch to Arsenal.

Is he the answer to Liverpool’s goalkeeping problems?

A new number one?

Jurgen Klopp has struggled to find a reliable goalkeeper during his time at Anfield and this season has been no different with both Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius struggling to make the number one spot their own.

Despite Stoke’s problems this season, Jack Butland is seen as one of the division’s finest between the sticks and on his day has won points for the Potters, examples being their 1-0 win over Arsenal in August when he put in a man-of-the-match calibre performance or against Southampton just last week when he helped keep another clean sheet.

His best season so far came in 2015/16 when he kept an impressive 10 clean sheets for Stoke, conceding just 37 goals in 31 appearances.

The England international’s side may be shipping goals an at extraordinary rate and struggling to stay up this season but few have been his fault and he has the ability to come in and provide stability behind the Reds’ defensive line.

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He should be definitely considered as a solution to Klopp’s goalkeeping woes this summer.

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Everton are reportedly lining up a summer swoop for Catania defender Luka Bogdan.

What’s the story?

According to reports in Italy, Everton are hoping to secure a summer deal for Bogdan, a towering defender who has enjoyed an excellent season in Serie C for Catania.

Everton fans might have their doubts about signing a player from Italy’s third tier, but Bogdan is highly regarded and has been a huge part of lifting Catania to second place, conceding just 24 goals in 28 games along the way.

It is no secret Sam Allardyce is lining up potential summer deals for defenders, and Bogdan is not the first name linked and he won’t be the last. Still, a cut-price deal for the up and coming star could be on the cards for the Toffees this summer.

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Should Everton chase a deal?

Bogdan is only 21, but has enjoyed a fantastic season for Catania, starting 24 games in their quest for promotion. He stands at 6’4”, so could bring a towering presence to the Everton back line.

The young defender is a real threat in the air, and has grabbed a goal this season from the back. He has represented Croatia at U15, U16 and U19 level, but is still waiting for his first senior call-up.

Of course, any move for Bogdan would be a long-term plan. Valued at just £270,000 on Transfermarkt, the 21 year-old could be a bargain deal just waiting to explode in the right environment.

That said, the best option for Everton would surely be to loan the defender back to Catania if they get promoted, as the immediate jump from Serie C to the Premier League could just be too much.

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With Ashley Williams and Phil Jagielka reaching the end of their Everton careers, there is certainly a need for a long-term defensive force at Goodison. Still, any move for Bogdan must be accompanied by a more immediate star to partner the likes of Michael Keane and Mason Holgate in the near future.

Everton fans, do you think a move for Bogdan could be a shrewd investment? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Everton defender and sometimes stand-in captain Ashley Williams, who is earning around £75,000-a-week according to The Mirror, has been speaking to BBC Sport about a disappointing season for him and the club while on international duty with Wales, and Toffees fans have been quick to react to his comments.

The Merseyside outfit spent the majority of the first-half of the campaign towards the relegation zone despite a big summer of spending, with Sam Allardyce’s arrival in November proving to be a catalyst for a change of form that has seen them gradually climb the table.

It hasn’t been a great campaign personally for Williams though, who has often been criticised by the Goodison Park faithful for his displays, and he was also sent off in the 2-1 defeat against Burnley at Turf Moor earlier this month.

Speaking to BBC Sport, the 33-year-old said: “It’s not been great obviously, it’s been well documented.

“It’s not the first time it has happened in my career where you have a bit of season you don’t enjoy so much and things don’t go well.

“It’s just football, it happens and you just get on with it. We are towards the end of the season now.”

Everton supporters have taken to social media to give their thoughts on the quotes, and while one sarcastically said the words were “spoken like a true leader”, another said “get rid, he’s been terrible since day one”.

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Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Leeds United will look to end a horrendous run of form and start to build for next season when they host Bolton Wanderers at Elland Road on Good Friday.

The Whites were looking to pick up just their second win in 14 Championship matches when they hosted Sheffield Wednesday in a Yorkshire derby last time out, but despite substitute Jay-Roy Grot levelling in the 86th minute after Atdhe Nuhiu had given the Owls the lead 15 minutes previously, they failed to hold on for a point as the Owls striker scored again in stoppage time.

It was a defeat that all but ended their hopes of ending the season in the play-off positions as they now lie 12 points adrift of the top six with just eight matches remaining, and they would likely need to win every one of those to even give themselves a slight chance of being involved in the promotion race.

Paul Heckingbottom, who is already coming under scrutiny from the fans despite only succeeding Thomas Christiansen last month, and his men will be hoping to pick up just their second triumph since Boxing Day as they look to build for next term, but it certainly won’t be an easy task against a Trotters team that beat high-flying Aston Villa 1-0 last time out and are fighting for survival.

The 40-year-old made two changes to the XI that had drawn 2-2 with Reading previously for the visit of the Owls, and he will be considering making more for the visit of Phil Parkinson’s side given they were beaten once again on their own patch.

Here is how Leeds must line up against Bolton, ahead of Bailey Peacock-Farrell in goal…

Centre-back partnership Pontus Jansson and Matthew Pennington were each at fault for one of Nuhiu’s goals last time out, and they need to improve on their respective performances against the Owls if Leeds are to get a positive result against a rejuvenated Bolton.

With captain Liam Cooper a doubt they are likely to line up at the heart of the defence again, while Gaetano Berardi should start at right-back with Tom Pearce keeping his place at left-back after recovering from an understandably nervy start against Sheffield Wednesday to put in a largely accomplished display.

Despite another disappointing display in the 2-2 draw against Reading, midfielder Eunan O’Kane kept his place in the centre of the park alongside Adam Forshaw against Sheffield Wednesday, but another poor performance against the Owls must mean he drops to the substitutes’ bench against Bolton – something the fans are desperate to see happen.

Ronaldo Vieira and Kalvin Phillips will both be pushing to replace him and to partner Forshaw, but Heckingbottom should start the latter for this one – especially as he scored a brace when Leeds beat the Trotters 3-2 at the Macron Stadium on the opening day of the Championship season.

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Ezgjan Alioski is probably Leeds’ most in-form attacking player right now and he and Pablo Hernandez are certain starters right now – especially as Samu Saiz is set to miss out again because of a thigh injury.

Stuart Dallas started on the left against Sheffield Wednesday but considering he didn’t impress, his place could be under threat with Hadi Sacko an unused substitute last time out.

However, the Northern Ireland international should get the nod for this one, and Heckingbottom should bring in Pierre-Michel Lasogga for Caleb Ekuban too considering the latter has struggled to make an impact in two successive starts, and with the former proving to be a handful when he came on for the last 20 minutes against the Owls.

Do you agreee, Leeds fans? Let us know below.