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Celtic legend Scott Brown is expected to leave the Hoops this summer, according to reports.

The Daily Record claim that the 35-year-old, who was offered a one-year extension at Parkhead, has decided to move to Pittodrie alongside his former Hibernian teammate Stephen Glass.

Glass was confirmed as Aberdeen’s new manager on Tuesday afternoon.

Brown’s agreement following Rangers draw

The report claims that Brown verbally agreed to join The Dons after talks with chairman Dave Cormack following Celtic’s 1-1 draw with Rangers on Sunday.

Brown, who has made over 600 appearances for the Hoops, played 88 minutes of the Glasgow Derby at Celtic Park.

A summer move is expected to be confirmed by Wednesday evening, with the Daily Record giving a 48-hour window when the story was released on Monday night.

Transfer Tavern take

The no-nonsense midfielder has been in and out of the side this season under former manager Neil Lennon, starting just 20 Scottish Premiership fixtures.

Brown has been an ever-present figure in green and white since joining in 2007, though, so his exit, to us, is a huge development at Celtic Park.

He’ll need replacing in the summer window, as his exit will leave the Hoops with Callum McGregor, Ismaila Soro and Nir Bitton as the club’s only senior defensive midfield options.

Brown’s exit could also have a major impact on the dressing room, and you’d expect vice-captain McGregor to take the armband on a full-time basis next season.

In other news: Celtic tipped to re-visit interest in 2020 target this summer, find out more here. 

With the latest international break currently in full flow, there is still an obvious exclusion from the latest England squad.

That man is Leeds United frontman Patrick Bamford.

The former Crystal Palace loanee has enjoyed a tremendous season in front of goal in the Premier League, scoring 14 goals and providing seven assists for Marcelo Bielsa’s men – form which has seen Clinton Morrison label the striker as “unplayable”.

Whilst Leeds will be thrilled with Bamford’s lethal goalscoring touch throughout the 2020/21 season, Palace will be tinged with slight disappointment having seen the striker flop miserably in a period at Selhurst Park, especially considering that two of his goals this term have come against Roy Hodgson’s men.

Joining on loan from Chelsea in 2015, the then-21-year-old was fresh off the back of a stunning season in the Championship, having plundered 17 goals with Middlesbrough and also scooping the division’s Player of the Year award.

He displayed no such form for the Eagles, though, with Bamford’s only contribution in a Palace shirt being a solitary assist in a 4-1 League Cup thumping of Charlton Athletic.

In all, the striker made just nine poor performances for Palace in a miserable five months at Selhurst Park before he was recalled by parent club Chelsea, then subsequently joining fellow Premier League outfit Norwich City on another temporary deal. He also made another seven appearances in Norfolk, once again failing to get on the scoresheet.

To Bamford’s credit, he was only afforded four starts in all competitions across those two loan spells, so his talent might not have been fully justified by his performances.

Now, with the Leeds striker firmly in the conversation for England recognition due to a spectacular season, Palace might well be frustrated that they did not spot that potential whilst he was donning an Eagles shirt.

AND in more news, read about which Championship starlet is apparently interesting Steve Parish…

According to an update by ExWHUemployee, via West Ham News, the agent of former Irons loan star Joao Mario has already been in touch with the club regarding a move as manager David Moyes is possibly handed an opportunity to go for him again this summer.

The Portuguese midfielder enjoyed a brief stint in east London on loan from Inter Milan, starting 12 Premier League matches whilst notching two goals and an assist in that time (WhoScored).

He is currently out on a temporary spell again, this time at Sporting Lisbon, with there being a high likelihood he leaves the San Siro permanently this summer given his contract expires in 2022. 

ExWHUemployee, sharing an update on his situation, claims the player’s agent has already been in touch with West Ham over a possible return.

Therefore, Moyes could move for the 28-year-old again as Irons fans rejoice at this news. Flocking to social media, plenty of supporters have begged the club to make a reunion happen.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

West Ham fans beg for Joao Mario return

“Buzzing about this to be fair!”

Credit:@97Baltic

“Happy days! Welcome back”

Credit: @jdunne2101

“No brainer give him a pen”

Credit: @billstarpromos

“What a perfect signing this would be for us”

Credit: @SamKrueger_

“Baller, would have him back in a heartbeat. Was really starting to get into his groove before he left.”

Credit: @Skoobaskunk

“please I would love him back”

Credit: @Ollyhx1

“Bring him home”

Credit: @Sammy_dodgerx

“OMG PLEASEEEEEE”

Credit: @DeccersTekkers

In other news: West Ham face a possible Rice worry, find out more here.

There is going to be a changing of the guard at Celtic this summer. A fresh manager will arrive, alongside their new CEO in Dominic McKay and also potentially a director of football.

With those manoeuvres in place, it appears as though the Hoops are taking their recruitment in a different direction.

They are seemingly targeting young players on pre-contract deals from England. They missed out on Ben Pearson who they were trying to lure to Scotland, but they now have other targets in mind.

Wigan Athletic’s Kyle Joseph and Rochdale’s Kwadwo Baah have both been linked with a switch to Glasgow. Though, they’ve already had success in luring another English talent to Parkhead; Liam Shaw.

The 19-year-old has agreed to join the Bhoys on a free transfer in the summer from Sheffield Wednesday.

Capable of playing in defence or as a holding player, his arrival could mean a host of things for the club. First and foremost, it will prove the club is still a hotbed for the best young talent around; something Celtic have needed to prove for a while.

Secondly, it could finally bring down the curtain on Scott Brown’s stay at Paradise.

The Celtic captain is out of contract in the summer and has been touted with taking on a coaching role in Glasgow or at Aberdeen. It would be a timely way for his stay at Celtic to come to an end.

After all, this could be their first season without silverware in a considerable period of time. Brown’s performances have been dwindling and not even a goal and an assist against Killie can convince us he’s sufficiently turned a corner.

The 35-year-old has put in some laboured displays this term and nothing typifies that more than the red card he received after just five minutes on the field against Livingston. Moving to replace him as swiftly as they have done here, therefore, is nothing short of magic from Nick Hammond.

If Brown had any hope of continuing his playing days at Celtic, then signing Shaw has surely dealt a mighty blow to those aspirations. The Hoops haven’t always got their recruitment spot on, but landing a player as talented as the Wednesday midfielder for absolutely nothing is risk-free.

Celtic need to drive themselves in a new direction after this torrid season. The perfect way to do that would be by waving farewell to their divisive captain and bringing in a young and hungry midfielder. Shaw is exactly that.

AND in other news, Soro should be fuming if Celtic sign £50k-p/w brute this summer, he’s a “class player”…

Many Crystal Palace fans are reacting to a tweet which shows that striker Connor Wickham looks to be back in training following a recent injury.

Twitter account @cpfc_xtra posted pictures which showed the Englishman back on the training pitch, and this has been a rare site recently.

It hasn’t gone exactly to plan at Selhurst Park but the forward showed promise before his move to the club as he had featured in the past for the England under-21 side, for whom he scored six goals in 17 appearances.

Wickham’s biggest issue is his injuries. He has eleven goals for the South London side but he has missed at least 96 games in total due to injury, with a cruciate ligament rupture causing him to miss 470 days of football at one point (Transfermarkt).

When he has been fit, the 27-year-old has made 50 appearances for Palace in all competitions, which is not a lot bearing in mind he has been at the club for five years. His scoring tally is not great either as he has only managed 11 goals for the Eagles.

Here is how Palace fans reacted to the photos:

“I give him one week back in training then he’ll be injured for the 1,000th time since he’s been at the club”

Credit: @Phil_Sampson46

“Would genuinely love for him to get a new contract, reckon he’s still got a lot to give”

Credit: @danpaulwastaken

“He’ll probably pull a muscle signing his contract extension! Even if he is on his way back, it won’t last. I really feel for him with his injury record but he surely can’t be allowed to stay beyond this season. Best wishes to him for the future.”

Credit: @danielskipsey

“Zero excitement about this, be injured again soon, probably twist his ankle in the snow”

Credit: @Parker_316

“He will not get in the side”

Credit: @NaikAmul

“Groundhog Day…”

Credit: @Inked_Eagle

In other Palace news, have a read of a bizarre statistic about the club which fans aren’t happy with here!

According to The Sun, Manchester United are in talks to offer Eric Bailly a new three-year contract at the club.

What’s the Word?

The Ivory Coast international is reportedly in talks to sign a new deal with 16 months left to run on his current contract, but there is still continuing speculation surrounding his potential exit out of Old Trafford.

The Metro has subsequently claimed that the offer is merely a rouse to sell Bailly on for a higher fee, and one would hope this isn’t the case given the defender’s series of gutsy displays in recent weeks.

Bailly has been blighted by injuries during his time at United and has had an extended period out of the team this season with a knock and a troublesome muscle injury, but remains a hugely popular figure in the United dressing room.

The 26-year-old was mobbed by his teammates after producing a superb block in the dying moments of the Red Devils’ 2-1 tense win over Aston Villa in January to keep out a Keinan Davis effort that prompted jubilant scenes at full-time.

But he has struggled to nail down a consistent starting berth in the side since his return to action, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer often preferring Victor Lindelof to play alongside Harry Maguire in the Premier League, accelerating the rumours that the Ivorian is on his way out.

Sign Him and Keep Him

If the speculation that United are offering Bailly a new deal only to offload for a higher price is true, then that would represent pretty shabby treatment of a player who has given his all every time he has donned the famous red shirt.

Ed Woodward should be doing everything possible to keep the £80,000-a-week colossus, who Solskjaer described as being “absolutely top” following a series of impressive performances at the turn of the year.

Gary Neville added to the debate in his analysis of United’s recent disappointing 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion, and he believes having the physicality of someone like Bailly is crucial to complement the qualities of £80-million-man Maguire to shore up their defensive frailties.

Strengthening United’s defence should be a priority for Solskjaer, but the solution to this problem could be right under his nose.

And in other news, Man United: Kylian Mbappe has interest in Old Trafford move

In an exclusive with Football FanCast, Kevin Phillips, who made 513 career appearances, believes Sunderland star Luke O’Nien is similar to James Milner and will be a dream for Lee Johnson to have in his squad.

O’Nien has featured predominantly at centre back since Bailey Wright’s injury, and Phillips believes having a player that can fill in at a number of different positions is a manager’s dream.

The 26-year old has played centre back, right back, right wing-back, right midfield and centre midfield for Sunderland this season, highlighting his versatility which has been a big advantage for the Black Cats when they’ve suffered injuries in key areas.

Speaking on what O’Nien is like as a player and person, Phillips also told FFC exclusively about how the natural wing-back has adapted his game this season:

“He’s one of those players, a bit like James Milner that can just play anywhere.

“Yeah, he’s a good honest lad and pro from what I hear, and he’s a lovely kid who takes on board whatever the manager is saying.

“With the players that Sunderland have missed through injury, like the influential Bailey Wright, of course, he’s had to step up and do a job, and he’s done it while adapting very well at the same time.

“I think he’s a huge player for them. He’s every manager’s dream to have one of those players that you can just rely on to play anywhere.”

O’Nien was out of the squad in December and January which saw Sunderland win just two out of seven games in the league, such as the 26-year olds influence on the team.

Playing alongside Dion Sanderson, who has also impressed this season, will have helped O’Nien adapt to his new surroundings at centre back.

Glagsow Rangers have been handed a major boost over their pursuit of Aberdeen winger Scott Wright in the January transfer window, reports say.

What’s the word?

According to The Glasgow Times, Rangers have edged closer to sealing a pre-contract deal for Aberdeen’s Wright which would see the 23-year-old move to Ibrox in the summer.

It’s claimed Gerrard has confirmed that he is close to securing the former Scotland U21 international, with the only downside being that they may have to wait until the end of the season for him to move to Glasgow as a free agent.

Reports in recent times revealed Rangers are looking to strike a deal for Wright as they look to take advantage of the Bosman ruling in a move for the Pittodrie star, with Reds boss Derek McInnes resigned to the loss of the left winger.

Perfect Brandon Barker replacement

If Rangers are to bring in a new era of Scottish football, they will need to strengthen their squad to stand any chance of ending Celtic’s recent dominance once and for all.

The Light Blues top the goal-scoring charts having found the back of the net 60 times in 24 outings. No other team has scored more goals this season than Gerrard’s Gers.

But if there’s one criticism that can be directed at his team at the halfway stage of the campaign, it’s the lack of goals out wide barring the ever-reliable Ryan Kent.

Kent continues to be linked with a move to Leeds United whilst Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones have been deemed surplus to requirements. Despite his best efforts, even Kai Kennedy has been unable to earn a recall, which leaves Barker and Jones as the only natural backup for Kent available to Gerrard right now.

Wright would almost instantly be a significant upgrade to his wide options as he has proven that he is able to score goals and provide assists consistently at a decent level at Pittodrie.

Just this season, the winger has bagged two goals and two assists in 14 Premiership appearances. That’s just one goal shy of both Barker and Jones combined, as per Transfermarkt.

This also means that Wright has created more chances than Gerrard’s first-choice striker Alfredo Morelos, as per WhoScored.

The fact that Rangers are already looking for a winger will be a huge boost for Gerrard and the Gers but leaves Barker and Jones in a perilous position as their future at the club is no longer assured.

Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish could not hide his admiration for Wright in a recent interview with Ibrox News, adding: “And Scott Wright is a great capture and within the club’s coffers, I would have thought.

“But it’s also a sign that they will give young players an opportunity, and that’s great for Rangers fans who, when the government relaxes the rules, will flock back and see these players developing and becoming great players for the club.

“There are a lot of demands on you when you’re playing for Rangers and the players will know that.

“The right players will thrive on that pressure and Scott Wright looks like a very tidy player indeed.”

It appears, therefore, that Wright, who is currently valued at a mere £540k via Transfermarkt, could be quite a coup if Wilson and co. can secure a deal before the transfer market closes in ten days time.

AND in other news, Rangers have ‘no interest’ in Preston North End defender Ben Davies…

Manchester United were frustrated by Manchester City in what was a rather dull affair behind closed doors at Old Trafford on Saturday night.Despite their best efforts, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side looked short of answers as the two clubs shared the spoils in a tightly contested Manchester derby.Riyad Mahrez forced a fine save from David de Gea whilst Harry Maguire blocked shots from Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne to deny City the breakthrough.The Red Devils came close to breaking the deadlock after Kyle Walker was adjudged to have fouled Marcus Rashford inside the box, but VAR overturned the decision as it was revealed the United striker had strayed offside in the build-up.Solskjaer has rightfully heaped praise on Rashford in recent weeks but the England international striker had a night to forget at the Theatre of Dreams as United were left to rue their missed opportunities.As per SofaScore, the 23-year-old was given the lowest grade out of any other United player on the pitch, including his teammate Paul Pogba, as he received a miserable 6.5 rating – he took just 23 touches of the ball, took one shot off target, won just one out of his seven duels overall and failed to register a single shot on target in the entire game.The Manchester Evening News gave him a similar grade of 5/10, claiming he ‘spurned a reasonable opening from Pogba’s pass,’ whilst The Daily Express were equally scathing in their assessment as they went even further, as they insisted that he was ‘lucky to last the full match.’And it seems like one United fan, in particular, was also left unimpressed by Rashford’s poor performance.

Valued at £72m via Transfermarkt, in eleven appearances in the Premier League this season, the versatile forward has scored three goals and supplied four assists, whilst he is averaging 2.3 shots, 1.8 dribbles and 1.6 key passes per game, via WhoScored, which is a pretty impressive return.

However, it’s fair to say that Rashford was utterly peripheral for most of the first-half and was lucky to stay on the pitch for so long, as Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Mason Greenwood managed more touches of the ball themselves.

Rashford’s tenth start in the top flight so far this season could be his last for some time after that dismal showing – with tough trips to Everton and Leicester City on the cards in the coming weeks, Solskjaer could opt for Edinson Cavani to lead the line instead.

AND in other news, Manchester United must keep Paul Pogba at all costs…

Manchester United need a new centre-back according to Gary Neville and with the club failing to sign a new defender during the summer, executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward can make amends in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to this week’s edition of German publication SportBILD, via Sport Witness, the Red Devils are interested in signing David Alaba from Bayern Munich, who is set to leave the Allianz Arena as a free agent at the end of the season.

It’s claimed the defender has shown no interest in signing a new contract with the Bundesliga champions and seems destined for the exit.

Premier League rivals Chelsea and Champions League clubs Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are all competing to secure the services of the versatile Austria international.

Alaba has been in imperious form for Hans Dieter-Flick’s side, having made five appearances in the Champions League, averaging 1.4 tackles, 2.6 clearances and 1.2 interceptions per game, via WhoScored.

Strength in depth

You can’t pick many holes in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, but if there’s one glaring weakness, it’s in the heart of his defence, as Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have struggled for consistency so far this season.

With United narrowly edging past Sheffield United, it’s becoming almost obvious that the defensive pairing don’t meet the standards at Old Trafford, with the Evening Standard insisting Maguire looked “solid if unremarkable”, while Alex Telles hasn’t looked particularly convincing at left-back, either.

Woodward would be wise to sanction a move for Alaba as not only would he provide an alternative to the two centre-backs, but he’d also be able to add cover and competition in the midfield.

His former manager and current Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola once described him as an “unbelievable talent” during his three-year stint in charge of the German giants, saying:

“He can play anywhere. He’s quick, good in the build-up and always 100 per cent focused. Without doubt he can be one of the best centre-backs in the world. He’s a huge gift for Bayern.”

High praise indeed from someone who is widely regarded as one of the best managers in the game (sorry United fans).

Valued at £58m via Transfermarkt, the 28-year-old has made over 400 appearances for Bayern, scoring 32 goals and supplying 49 assists in all competitions, while he has won the Champions League twice, the Bundesliga nine times and six German League Cups. Not bad, not bad at all.

This kind of versatile defender with more presence, pace and athleticism would be most welcome at Old Trafford and to be able to sign a player of his calibre for a cut-price deal would be a shrewd bit of business.

AND in other news, Ed Woodward must look to cash in on Manchester United outcast Jesse Lingard in January…