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An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to find a replacement for recently-departed manager Ange Postecoglou this summer…

What's the latest on Rik de Mil to Celtic?

According to Football Scotland, the Hoops have added Rik de Mil to their list of targets as they attempt to draw up a shortlist of coaches to take over at Parkhead.

The report claims that the club have been keeping tabs on the Club Brugge assistant manager and are joined by a number of European and Belgian teams in doing so.

It states that the 41-year-old is one of a number of candidates being considered by the Scottish giants with Brendan Rodgers, Enzo Maresca and Graham Potter named as other possible contenders for the job.

Would Rik de Mil be a success at Celtic?

Majority shareholder Dermot Desmond could uncover a dream replacement for Postecoglou by swooping for De Mil as could be a big success in Scotland.

The Club Brugge assistant, who Football Scotland claim is a "serious prospect with a top coaching career ahead of him", was given an opportunity to shine as the first-team manager for the first time earlier this year after Scott Parker was relieved of his duties and made an instant impact.

He won four of his six regular season games in the Pro League after the English head coach won two of his ten matches in the Belgian top-flight, but that was not enough to stop the club from appointing ex-Hoops boss Ronny Deila.

De Mil, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, described his Brugge side as a "team putting forward pressure, trying to pin back its opponent high upfield."

He added: "There's still room for improvement when it comes to transition. Play it out a bit better at some moments, would have resulted in more goals. Those are some working points, absolutely, but I did see a dominant team in possession, finding space more easily."

These comments suggest that the Belgian tactician wants his team to dominate games and press high up the pitch to push the opposition's defence back and prevent them from building attacks of their own, which is akin to the way that Postecoglou set up his Celtic side with his high-pressing attacking style.

De Mil's limited experience as a senior manager means that it would be a gamble for Desmond to appoint him but the same could have been said about the club's last boss as the Australian had never managed in Europe but the 57-year-old ended up winning five trophies in two seasons at Parkhead.

Therefore, this could be a risk worth taking for Celtic as the talented Belgian has shown promise in his short managerial career to date and has a style of play that the supporters could connect with given the similarities to Postecoglou's philosophy of dominating with a high press.

Celtic will round off their season with the Scottish Cup final against Inverness on Saturday and can complete the domestic treble with a victory.

The Hoops have enjoyed an excellent campaign under Ange Postecoglou, as they have already wrapped up the Scottish Premiership and League Cup trophies, and they may now have one eye on 23/24.

Whilst the head coach could improve his squad by dipping into the transfer market to add fresh faces to the group, the Australian boss could delve into the academy to add competition for places.

One young gem who could be ready to make the step up to playing regular football for Celtic is youngster Adam Montgomery following his impressive loan spell with St Johnstone.

He is a 20-year-old defender who can play as a left-back or as a left-midfielder and the dynamo could be the long-term heir to Greg Taylor's position in the side.

How did Adam Montgomery perform this season?

Montgomery had already played 20 first-team games for the Hoops prior to going out on loan this season and racked up one goal and four assists in 33 appearances in all competitions for the Saints.

He showcased his defensive ability alongside his attacking prowess as the battler made 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game and won 53% of his physical duels.

Taylor, meanwhile, made featured in 31 Premiership games for Celtic and won 51% of his contests and made 2.2 tackles and interceptions per outing. The Scotland international also assisted four goals from left-back, which shows that both players are attack-minded defenders who can also put their foot in to win possession back for their sides.

Montgomery's performances in the Scottish top-flight suggest that the youngster, who is five years younger than Taylor, could be the long-term heir to the current Hoops star's position in the team, based on their similar attacking and defensive outputs.

The talented youngster was rewarded for his efforts by being named on the shortlist for the Scottish Football Writers' Young Player of the Year, which was ultimately won by Motherwell's Max Johnston.

St Johnstone boss Steven MacLean hailed the gem as "outstanding" and his former manager Callum Davidson claimed that the ace has a "big future" ahead of him, which shows that the defender impressed both of his coaches during his loan spell.

The 20-year-old still has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and grow and being the back-up to Taylor for another season could provide the seasoned Hoops defender with competition and allow Montgomery to learn from him before eventually taking over the starting berth in the future.

Celtic could turn to Manchester City assistant coach Enzo Maresca as an alternative to Ange Postecoglou if the latter is appointed as Tottenham Hotspur manager amid speculation over his future, journalist Dean Jones has suggested.

What's the latest on the manager situation at Celtic?

As per The Independent, Postecoglou is said to be under 'strong' consideration for the vacant managerial position at Tottenham following the Lilywhites' failure to land Feyenoord's Arne Slot as their new manager.

Sky Sports cite that Postecoglou has commented on speculation linking him with a move to N17, stating: "I think anyone who knows me – and I've been asked about this kind of things plenty of times – knows that what's important for me is the here and now."

Celtic have just sealed back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles under the Australian boss and have the chance to secure a historic eighth treble in their history against Inverness Caledonian Thistle this weekend, something that the 57-year-old has indicated he is fully focused on, saying: "It's not every year you get the opportunity to win a treble and if anyone thinks I'm thinking anything other than that, they don't know me."

Football Insider have claimed that Celtic are 'keeping tabs' on Manchester City assistant manager Enzo Maresca in case Postecoglou does choose to seek a new challenge south of the border.

The 43-year-old Italian was previously linked to the managerial role at Celtic back in 2021 before Postecoglou was eventually appointed later in the year while both men have well-publicised links to the City Football Group.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones reacted to the rumours involving the Man City man and thinks that Maresca may be a rout that Celtic would consider going down if they were faced with the challenge of having to replace Postecoglou.

Jones told FFC: "Maresca is definitely an interesting option for them to look at and I think from a fan point of view, they'll be keen to explore more of that profile of manager."

Will Celtic be able to keep hold of Ange Postecoglou?

Celtic will hope they can keep Postecoglou at Parkhead for as long as possible and will take hope from his words following their 2-1 Viaplay Cup final victory over Rangers earlier this year.

As per KeepUp AU, the former Australia boss stated: “I am still here even though people have been getting me out the door and I think you will be surprised how long I am here. All that I do when I am here is just be consumed by what I do and try to make this football club the best it can be and enjoy every minute of it."

Nevertheless, Hoops fans will be aware that the lure of the Premier League is always there when managers succeed in Scotland, which is a path that Brendan Rodgers chose to go down in 2019 when he swapped the Glasgow giants for Leicester City.

Postecoglou will have a big choice to make if he is earmarked as the man to take Tottenham forward by Daniel Levy; however, it doesn't look like too much will be given away surrounding his future until after the Scottish Cup final this weekend.

West Bromwich Albion have never been shy when it comes to signing players from fellow English clubs over recent years.

One man that the Baggies signed from one of England’s top clubs in the past is Jonny Evans. In 2015, the Midlands club secured a deal for the defender from Manchester United worth a reported fee of £6m plus £2m in add-ons.

After making 96 appearances for the Baggies across all competitions, in which he scored five goals and delivered four assists, the centre-back then joined Leicester City in 2018 for £3.5m.

Throughout his final Premier League season at The Hawthorns, the former United defender won 19 tackles and made 200 pressures, 29 blocks, 65 interceptions and 166 clearances, highlighting his clear defensive attributes and usefulness to the team.

Now that another season has gone by and another summer transfer window is set to open for business, this period could give Steve Bruce the chance to finally replace the Northern Irishman.

One player who has been linked with a move to The Hawthorns this summer and who could be West Brom’s next version of Evans is Darragh Lenihan.

During his previous four campaigns with Blackburn Rovers, the £2.7m-rated defender has totalled 218 interceptions and won 121 tackles. This latest campaign saw the 28-year-old make more interceptions (58) and win more tackles (43) than any other defender at the Lancashire club.

He also racked up the second-highest average of clearances per game (4.1) at Blackburn, further highlighting how capable he is at the back and why he’d be a great addition to West Brom’s ranks in a similar way to how Evans was a few years ago.

Labelled a “very solid Championship defender” by journalist Callum Altimas, Lenihan also ended his latest and potentially last season at Ewood Park as Blackburn’s highest-rated player according to WhoScored in terms of his overall performances throughout the campaign.

Available on a free transfer once his current contract expires at the end of the month, bringing the Irishman to The Hawthorns is definitely something that the Baggies should be all over as they look to get closer to promotion next year.

In other news: Bruce can finally axe “lazy” £26k-p/w West Brom flop by signing “unplayable” dynamo

Newcastle United’s move for Moussa Diaby may be about to advance, The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope says. 

The lowdown

Hope reports that Bayer Leverkusen winger Diaby ‘has been on Newcastle’s radar since January’.

Manager Eddie Howe is intent on adding a winger to his ranks during the summer transfer window.

Diaby, formerly of Paris Saint-Germain, is under contract with the Werkself until June 2025 and is valued at a whopping £49.5million by Transfermarkt.

For reference, Newcastle’s transfer record currently stands at £39.6million – the fee they paid Hoffenheim for Joelinton in 2019.

The latest

After striker Patrick Schick committed to Leverkusen by signing a new contract and Adam Hlozek joined from Sparta Prague on Thursday, Hope told NUFC fans that they ‘might see movement on Diaby’ soon.

He added that Brennan Johnson, recently promoted with Nottingham Forest, has ‘also [been] watched’.

Newcastle scouts were in attendance at Wembley as Johnson’s Forest beat Huddersfield Town in the Championship playoff final last weekend 1-0 to claim a place in the Premier League.

The verdict

Newcastle fans should be excited if a move for Diaby is indeed in the offing.

According to FBRef, Diaby is similar in profile to the likes of Mohamed Salah, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden.

He possesses a ‘supernatural, divine gift’ (in the words of the president of his first club) and journalist Ronan Murphy says he’s ‘the player they thought they might be getting from Joelinton’.

His return of 17 goals and 14 assists in all competitions last season was simply outstanding, with the Frenchman averaging a direct contribution every 115 minutes.

Only Robert Lewandowki (38), Christopher Nkunku (33), Erling Haaland (29), Schick (27) and Thomas Muller (26) were involved in more Bundesliga goals in 2021/22.

In other news, read this big goalkeeper claim from a European newspaper. 

Southampton are set to secure the signing of goalkeeper Mateusz Lis, according to Polish outlet Sport. 

The lowdown: Career so far

Despite coming through the academy at Lech Poznan, Lis failed to make a single outing for the club before heading to Wisla Krakow on a permanent switch in 2018.

The 25-year-old shot-stopper made 70 appearances for the Ekstraklasa outfit and was signed by Turkish Super Lig side Altay Sk for £630,000 (Transfermarkt).

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However, following just one full season in Turkey, the former Poland youth international looks to be on the move once more having come to the end of his deal…

The latest: Deal close

As per Sport, Southampton are believed to be ‘interested’ in the free agent and are set to sign Lis on a five-year contract as Ralph Hasenhuttl performs much-needed surgery on the goalkeeping department at St Mary’s.

It’s claimed that the six-cap youth international – who has been billed as a player with ‘long term potential’ by journalist Alex Crook – will spend the 2022/23 campaign out on loan upon completion of his move to the South Coast.

The same report also details the ongoing Saints interest in Fiorentina star Bartlomiej Dragowski, who is also on the radar of Hasenhuttl as the Austrian prepares for the departure of Fraser Forster and Willy Caballero.

The verdict: Smart signing

Securing the capture of Lis would be a welcome addition to the Southampton squad, although it appears there will be a season-long wait to see the new man in action.

Last season, the Polish goalkeeper made 3.7 saves per game, kept seven clean sheets and only made one error leading to a goal whilst earning an impressive 7.01 average Sofascore rating from 35 Turkish top-flight outings.

When using the Fbref comparison tool, Lis stacks up positively against Forster, boasting a 74.1 save percentage compared to the Englishman’s 66.3 per cent from the 2021/22 campaign, whilst also saving 2/9 penalties faced compared to 0/2 during the season, highlighting an almost instant upgrade on the current first-choice.

In other news… a talkSPORT reporter has made this huge Saints transfer claim involving one of their summer targets

A shock Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has now come to light involving Bayern Munich striker and big name Robert Lewandowski.

The Lowdown: Conte sets sights on summer…

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte, finishing the 2021/2022 Premier League season in style, guided his side to fourth-place and qualification for next season’s Champions League in a huge boost for the north Londoners.

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A resounding 5-0 win away to Norwich City sealed the Lilywhites’ spot in Europe’s most prestigious competition, coming courtesy of goals from Dejan Kulusevski (2), Son Heung-min (2) and Harry Kane.

All eyes will now be on how chairman Daniel Levy backs Conte in the summer market ahead of the Italian’s first full season in charge as the former Inter Milan boss eyes ‘at least’ six major incomings, according to reports.

The signing of a forward is reportedly among the Tottenham manager’s priorities for the next transfer window with a surprise claim now emerging involving Bundesliga superstar Lewandowski.

The Latest: Tottenham eye shock Lewandowski move…

According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, transfer chief Fabio Paratici has joined the mix for Bayern’s household name with Spurs now eyeing a move alongside their rivals Arsenal.

It is claimed that they wish to partner Lewandowski with Kane and are ‘interested in the idea’ of offering the Poland international a route out of Bayern.

The Verdict: Ambitious?

The 33-year-old is quite simply one of the best strikers in world football, as evident by his ridiculous haul of 35 goals and three assists across 34 German top flight starts over 2021/2022 (WhoScored).

His 13 goals and three assists in Europe further back just how relentless Lewandowski can be in the forward positions, with Football Analyst Statman Dave, as seen on Sky Sports, calling him ‘unplayable’.

Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has called the attacker a ‘huge player’ in the past also, but given he is widely believed to be eyeing a move to Barcelona, it appears Paratici could face an uphill battle to bring him to N17.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano: Spurs make contact to sign ‘monster’ player as his agents plan imminent club meeting, find out more here.

While it is undeniable that both Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta pulled off an astonishing feat in getting Leeds United back into the Premier League after a 16-year absence, since the Whites’ promotion back in 2020, the club have had something of a hit and miss record in the transfer market.

Indeed, spending just shy of £100m in the summer before their return to the top flight, Orta very much hit the jackpot with a few of his deals, with the likes of Raphinha, Illan Meslier and Joe Gelhardt undoubtedly being fantastic acquisitions by the Spanish sporting director.

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However, the same cannot be said for some of the big-money signings completed in the same window, with the likes of Rodrigo, Helder Costa, Robin Koch and Diego Llorente all already having varying levels of question marks hanging over their respective futures at Elland Road.

It was a similar case last summer, with both Kristoffer Klaesson and Jack Harrison – despite the former Manchester City winger enduring something of a below-par campaign this time out – looking to be solid longer-term investments, while the likes of Junior Firpo and Dan James have both struggled following their big-money moves to LS11.

However, it is undoubtedly the latter of the aforementioned players who has been the biggest transfer disappointment, with the £30m signing from Manchester United very much failing to live up to his incredibly hefty price tag.

Indeed, over his 34 Premier League appearances in the current campaign, James has struggled to find any real level of form for the Whites, scoring four goals, registering four assists and missing eight big chances, as well as completing an average of just 9.9 passes, ceding possession of the ball 9.4 times and winning a mere 2.9 duels – at a success rate of 39% – per game.

These returns have seen the £16.2m-rated man who Darren Bent dubbed “headless” average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.64, ranking the 24-year-old as Jesse Marsch’s ninth-worst player in the top flight of English football.

As such, considering the fact that the £52k-per-week forward is now worth roughly 46% less than the £30m fee Orta paid for his services last summer, in addition to the fact that the Wales international has endured an incredibly torrid season at Elland Road, it is clear for all to see that the Spaniard had a nightmare when bringing James to the club.

AND in other news: Marsch must place trust in “unbelievable” Leeds sensation, he thrives “under pressure”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will reportedly not be ‘fulfilled’ at the club until he has made them Champions League winners, according to Sky Sports pundit Alex McLeish.

The Lowdown: New deal almost complete

The 51-year-old is said to have reached an agreement with the club’s hierarchy over a new contract which would keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2025 at the very least, but fans of the Sky Blues will have no doubt felt concerned by what the Spaniard had to say following their recent European exit.

After crashing out of the Champions League following a 6-5 aggregate defeat against Real Madrid last week, Guardiola admitted that he might not be the right man to help City get their hands on the trophy for the first time in their history, and the former Scotland manager has suggested that time is ticking in the club’s hunt for European glory.

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The Latest: Pep wants Champions League crown

Speaking to Football Insider about Guardiola’s ongoing pursuit of a Champions League triumph with City to add to the two he won at Barcelona, McLeish said:

“Guardiola’s been a phenomenon all over the world. But the one thing that will be eating away at him is this Champions League trophy. It’s escaped him over these last six or seven years.

“The loss against Real Madrid will have been devastating for the mentality at the club, but there’s no way the boardroom at City will be saying: ‘Pep’s got to go’.

“They’re rightly rewarding him with a new contract. I believe he won’t be fulfilled at the club unless he goes on and wins that first Champions League.

“How long can they keep this incredible team they have together?”

The Verdict: Best man for the job

Guardiola came to City back in 2016 and has since gone on to enjoy plenty of success with the club, having guided them to multiple Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup triumphs in that time.

They are currently in a title race with Liverpool, and if they continue to win all of their remaining matches between now and the end of the season, they will be crowned top-flight champions once again by the end of May.

The ex-Barcelona boss, who was once hailed as “inspiring” by Reds manager Jurgen Klopp, might be experiencing some self-doubt regarding what more he could achieve at the club in the future.

However, he has already transformed City into one of the best teams in the world during his six-year spell in charge and definitely has the potential to keep accomplishing great things with them in years to come, having already become the most successful manager in the club’s history.

In other news… Man City are said to have registered interest in this surprising new transfer target

Liverpool will not be panicking despite the fact that Roberto Firmino appears to have suffered a setback ahead of the clash with Tottenham, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Big concerns

The Brazilian has been ruled out of action ever since he sustained a foot injury during the Reds’ 3-2 FA Cup semi-final victory over Manchester City last month, but Jurgen Klopp had previously claimed that the 30-year-old was ready to come back into contention for the Merseyside derby against Everton in April.

However, the German boss has since revealed that Firmino will be out for longer than he initially thought, and Dinnery, who runs the popular Premier Injuries site, has suggested that it would be wise to not rush the forward back as he continues his recovery.

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The Latest: Reaction to treatment

When asked about why he thinks the 55-cap international has suffered a bigger reaction than normal, Dinnery told Football Insider’s Adam Williams: “Sometimes things can take longer than expected.

“He might have been expected to respond in a certain way and it hasn’t worked out like that.

“It is a science but not an exact science. Individuals respond to treatment in different ways.

“If you suffer a setback or reaction, you need to make sure you return pain-free.

“They aren’t just thinking about the next game. They have got the rest of the league campaign and possibly a Champions League final.

“It is better to take that additional recovery time than rush him back. They are well-stocked in those positions now anyway.”

The Verdict: UCL final return?

Firmino has been a key player for Liverpool ever since joining the club in a £25m move from Hoffenheim in 2015, going on to make an outstanding 171 goal contributions in just 323 outings during that time.

Whilst the £34.2m-rated talisman has been a huge miss in recent weeks, the Reds have got plenty of cover in that department in the form of Diogo Jota, with Sadio Mane also thriving in a centre-forward role of late.

Hailed as being an “unsung hero” by BBC pundit Noel Whelan, the club will be hoping that Firmino will be available for selection again in time for the Champions League final on May 28th, where the Anfield outfit will be looking to get their hands on another piece of silverware in the hunt to achieve that unprecedented quadruple.

In other news… the Reds are set to battle it out against some European giants to secure the signing of a new target this summer.