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Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer has confirmed he wants to leave the club this summer, as reported by Norwegian journalist Arilas Ould-Saada.

The Lowdown: A man in demand

Ajer has established himself as a Celtic star in recent years, making 176 appearances, and his displays in Scotland appear to have caught the eye across Europe.

AC Milan held a long-standing interest in the 23-year-old which ended recently. Premier League sides Newcastle United and Norwich City are interested, along with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

The Latest: Ajer’s comments emerge

Ould-Saada was one of the first to share the news posting ‘Ajer confirms that he wants to leave’ – a seven-word admission which could leave likely new boss Ange Postecoglou in trouble.

He also shared Ajer’s comments, with the defender saying:

“With one year left of my contract, that would be the best solution for me and my club. Something is going to happen this summer.”

The Verdict: Postecoglou will need more than one new centre-back

Should Ajer get his wish and seal a move away from Celtic Park, Postecoglou, should he make the move to Glasgow, may well have an immediate issue on his hands.

Stephen Welsh would be the club’s only fit senior centre-back on the books, with Christopher Jullien currently out injured.

Welsh, 21, has 22 senior appearances to his name for the Hoops, and even though Nir Bitton can fill in when required, you’d expect more than one new centre-back would be required ahead of the 2021/22 season.

It looks set to be a busy summer in terms of recruitment at Parkhead, and strengthening their defensive ranks could now be high up on the club’s plans following Ajer’s comments.

In other news: Hoops hold talks with possible Postecoglou alternative, find out more here. 

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst could be set for a fresh injury lift after an update on Kemar Roofe’s injury situation…

What’s the latest?

According to The Scotsman, the striker has an ‘outside chance’ of being fit for the second leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final clash.

The report claims that he has been in a hyperbaric chamber this week in a bid to speed up his recovery from a knee problem. He will be out for the first leg and for the Old Firm match on Sunday and Rangers are now targeting next Thursday (5th May) as a possible return date.

Gio will be buzzing

Van Bronckhorst will surely be buzzing with this news as it suggests that Roofe may be available for selection next week if the hyperbaric chamber is able to work its magic and get him back fit for the second leg.

The Dutch head coach is without first-choice striker Alfredo Morelos for the rest of the season due to injury and this means that the ex-Leeds man’s injury is doubly concerning as it leaves the Gers with no recognised centre-forward options. Fashion Sakala can play through the middle but is mainly deployed out wide on the right, which is why getting Roofe back will be a big boost for the club.

His injury was a major blow for Rangers as he was hitting form at the right time in the season. Prior to his knock, he scored four goals and provided two assists in his last six outings for the club in all competitions – including a crucial strike against Braga in the last round in Europe to send the Light Blues through to the last four.

This suggests that he would have had a big impact against RB Leipzig in Germany this week, and against Celtic on Sunday, as he has been in red-hot form in front of goal in recent weeks. Instead, he will be watching on from the sidelines as the Gers fight through these two huge matches without a natural number nine to call upon.

Hopefully, Rangers can head into the second leg at Ibrox without a heavy deficit to overturn and Roofe will be able to come back into the team to make the difference at the top end of the pitch. Van Bronckhorst, given the forward’s recent run of goals, will be buzzing with the prospect of having the former Anderlecht man back.

AND in other news, Wilson masterclass: Rangers must brutally axe 26 y/o dud who’s an “all-round shambles”…

Mark Warburton’s Queens Park Rangers side are interested in signing on-loan striker Charlie Austin on a permeant basis this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Football League World, who revealed that QPR are quietly confident of securing a deal for the West Bromwich Albion centre-forward at the end of the current season.

FLW claim that, while the £52,000-per-week salary of Austin could pose a problem for a side with one of the smaller wage budgets in the Championship, QPR are looking to offer the 31-year-old a deal that incentivises goals scored and promotion from the league in order to convince him of a move to Loftus Road.

Bhatia must move

Having joined QPR on loan back in January, Austin has already proven in his short time back at the club that he is still very much capable of doing a job in the second tier of English football.

Over his 19 league appearances for Warburton’s side this term, the £1.8 million-rated striker has scored six goals, registered one assist and has created two big chances, as well as taking an average of 2.4 shots and making 0.6 key passes per game, culminating in an average SofaScore match rating of 6.93 – ranking him as the club’s best performing forward, as well as their eighth-best player overall.

As such, while the play-offs are out of the question this term, should Warburton wish to give his side the best possible chance of securing a top-six finish next time around, Amit Bhatia must do all he can to land Austin on a permanent deal over the summer as, with a pre-season under his belt, as well as a full league campaign in which to make an impact, the 31-year-old could prove vital to a QPR promotion push.

And with Football League World also reporting that the centre-forward – who Harry Redknapp claimed always “works his socks off” – could be convinced of a move to the MLS, it would be highly advisable for the QPR chairman to begin talks with Austin sooner rather than later or he risks him moving elsewhere.

Many Wolves fans have been left reacting to a transfer update involving Ruben Neves, which emerged this week.

Speaking on his Twitch channel, Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed (via Talking Wolves) that a development will come on his future in the next few days, and added that it could be with regards to a potential move to either Manchester United or Arsenal.

The Portugal international has been such a key player at Molineux, averaging more tackles (2.4), interceptions (1.8), shots (1.9), passes (54.9) and long balls (5.3) a match in the Premier League than both Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho in the 2020/21 term (WhoScored).

Thus, it would be such a shame to see him go, especially to another team in the top flight.

Wolves fans on Neves transfer update

These supporters of the Midlands club gave their reactions as the transfer update on Neves was shared on Twitter, and it is safe to say that they do not want to see him leave:

“Pain”

Credit: @wwfcjoe_

“Whyyyyyyyyyyy?”

Credit: @LukasWard12

“Will not begrudge Neves leaving to a top side, he’s good enough to do it. But if he goes to Arsenal then I will do. He’s better than that.”

Credit: @ahyden95

“Yuk!”

Credit: @ACrowe87

“Son’s crying”

Credit: @Harry_Mansell

“If Wolves have any real AMBITION then you keep Neves. The new so called style will rely on a ‘Neves’ to defend deep and spray passes. Let’s see what we get if he goes….”

Credit: @shewardjon1

In other news, find out what training footage has Wanderers gushing here!

An update has emerged on Aston Villa’s pursuit of Manchester United centre-back Axel Tuanzebe… 

What’s the talk?

According to The Telegraph, Aston Villa are ready to pursue a permanent deal for Manchester United centre-back Axel Tuanzebe. The defender has one year left on his contract at Old Trafford and Villa would like to snap him up this month.

This comes after reports earlier this week that the Red Devils were demanding a £5m loan fee for the England under-21 international, with Villa and Newcastle keen to take him.

Fans will be delighted

Aston Villa fans will be delighted by the club’s decision to pursue Tuanzebe on a permanent basis. The reports of United wanting a £5m loan fee were concerning as that would have been a huge chunk of change for the Villans to throw at a loan signing.

They would essentially be paying £5m to develop another team’s player for a year, when they could have put that money towards a signing of their own, one who they could keep for the long term.

Hopefully, that is what they are now doing with Tuanzebe by looking to get him from United on a multi-year contract, although there is no specific figure mentioned in terms of a transfer fee.

He could be a solid addition to Villa’s squad. He has already shown glimpses of his quality in Manchester, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lavishing praise on the defender and hailing him as a great leader, following his display against PSG in the Champions League last year.

The Norwegian said: “Axel’s a tremendous defender, a great leader. He’s come through the academy and we’ve known for years that he’s going to be a top player for us and he’s got the character and the attitude that a Man United player should have.

Solskjaer added: “Sometimes you’ll get in a foot race with Mbappe and you have to run with him and we know Axel’s qualities, he’s a top defender.”

If Villa can land the £38k-per-week enforcer on a permanent deal, they could aid his long-term development and increase his value. This means that they would be adding a solid player to the squad now, whilst also having the potential for him to improve and potentially be worth selling on for a healthy profit in the future.

Therefore, Villa supporters will be happy that the club are opting against a loan move for Tuanzebe at the quoted figure and that they are now trying for a permanent deal. Hopefully, Johan Lange can get it over the line and Dean Smith will be able to work with the young defender once again.

AND in other news, Villa must seal deal for “outstanding” £75k-p/w beast, he’s better than Luiz…

Nottingham Forest midfielder Harry Arter has been disappointed with his time at the City Ground thus far.

What’s been said?

According to a recent report by The Telegraph, the 31-year-old has been informed he is free to find a new club this summer, as he does not feature in Chris Hughton’s plans going forwards.

And, in a recent interview with The Football Show podcast (via Football League World), Arter discussed his spell at Forest, revealing that he has been left frustrated by the Forest manager’s treatment of him.

The midfielder said: “There’s a lot of stuff which is hard for me to understand and really work out what’s gone wrong. The change of manager, for me, hasn’t worked out. You see players move to clubs or a manager signs a particular player, then a new manager comes in and that player just isn’t for them.

“Unfortunately for me, that’s been the case here at Nottingham Forest. It’s very frustrating, very disappointing, but that’s how football can go sometimes. The game I did start under Chris, I was playing as a second striker or as a number 10 almost. That’s not my position. It was totally frustrating, that’s the best word for it.”

Hughton will be livid

Having only arrived at Forest from Bournemouth in what was a £4.95m deal last summer, just how little the £40k-per-week midfielder – whom Eddie Howe claimed has “tremendous desire” – has featured for the club is indeed slightly confusing.

Over his 13 Championship appearances for the Garibaldi, all of which came in the first half of the season, the central midfielder made an average of 0.4 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and 0.7 key passes per game, as well as making an average of 22.1 accurate passes in each fixture, with these metrics culminating in an average SofaScore match rating of 6.79 – ranking him as the club’s joint 15th-best player in the second tier.

And, while these displays have clearly not been the best performances of Arter’s career as a footballer, when considering how much Premier League experience the 31-year-old has behind him, Hughton’s apparent reluctance to play the midfielder does seem rather odd, particularly as Forest were struggling in the Championship themselves.

Having said that, while his frustrations are understandable, the fact that Arter has spoken out so openly about Hughton’s treatment of him is likely to have left the 62-year-old livid, and has surely put the final nail in the coffin on the £2.7m-rated man’s Forest career.

As such, we expect that Arter will indeed be moving on to pastures new this summer, something that will hopefully kickstart the midfielder’s career, while also freeing up a considerable amount of wage budget for Hughton to play with this summer.

In other news: Forest’s £7.3k-p/w dynamo drops concerning update that’ll surely leave fans gutted – opinion

Felipe Anderson could be set to depart West Ham United for just £9m as Lazio enter discussions to re-acquire the 28-year-old, according to the Daily Mail.

Enduring a mixed spell in east London to date after signing for £36m back in 2018, the Brazilian has registered 25 goal contributions in 73 games for the Hammers, with 12 goals and 13 assists [Transfermarkt].

After falling out of favour under David Moyes, he was farmed out on loan to Porto at the beginning of the 2020/21 campaign [talkSPORT].

Continuing this theme, it now looks as though he may be set for a London Stadium exit in order to reignite his career fortunes.

New Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri is said to be an admirer of the 28-year-old and is now looking odds-on to land the winger for a knockdown fee as his contract is due to expire in just 12-months’ time [Daily Mail].

As you can imagine, loads of West Ham supporters took to Twitter to vent their frustration at this transfer update.

Hammers fans react:

Here is what some West Ham supporters had to say following the Daily Mail’s report about Anderson:

“This makes zero sense to me. I really think we should keep him”

Credit: @AmbitiousAnang”This club is awful”Credit: @alanrzepa”imagine if we sell him and keep Yarmo, Felipe would flourish in the Europa League”Credit: @WHU_Law”I’m gonna cry”Credit: @_Jwoodzy”What a shame if he goes, such a talent”Credit: @PW57WHU”I also want to keep Felipe but if Moyes is gonna waste him and just not play him, it’s a waste of our money.”Credit: @JBonFootballIn other news, these West Ham fans react to a transfer update on a La Liga ace.

Frank McAvennie believes that Tottenham could be in trouble if Callum Wilson is available for Newcastle ahead of the meeting between the two sides next weekend.

The Lowdown: Wilson could be fit

The 29-year-old started the season in top form for the Magpies, scoring twice in the first three Premier League games (Transfermarkt).

However, since the 2-2 draw at Southampton in late August, he has not played a minute in any competition due to a hamstring injury, but it is being reported that the striker could be available to face Spurs once domestic football returns following the end of the current international break.

The Latest: McAvennie fires Spurs warning

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League striker McAvennie has urged Spurs to be vigilant if Wilson is available for Newcastle. He said:

“If he’s back, that’s massive, that’s the game Wilson wants to play in.

“He is going to be up against a pretty poor Tottenham defence and he is a striker who will punish you if you slip up.

“Me, as a striker, I would play against that defence all day long and twice on Sunday.

“It doesn’t matter, if you come up against a striker who knows how to pull you about and create space, you’re in trouble.

“If Newcastle are on it, which they should be, any ball over the top will have Eric Dier scrambling.

“Wilson will fancy that I’m sure. He loves scoring and he has a great chance to get a couple in my opinion.”

The Verdict: Difficult task

Spurs have not been in the best form this season, losing three of their first seven Premier League matches (Sky Sports). However, they are doing considerably better than the Magpies, who are without a win in any competition this term. The Tynesiders may have been taken over by a Saudi Arabian consortium in recent days, but they will not be able to spend any of the money now at their disposal until January (BBC).

Newcastle’s leading scorer last season with 12 goals, £19.8m-valued Wilson (Transfermarkt) is the best striker at Steve Bruce’s disposal right now, and having the England international available would provide his team with a massive boost. Spurs have conceded 10 goals in the Premier League already, so Nuno Espirito Santo and his team could indeed be in for a challenging Sunday afternoon if the 29-year-old is fit to feature for the visit of the north Londoners to St James’ Park.

In other news, Jose Mourinho’s stance on this Tottenham midfielder has been praised.

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League striker Kevin Campbell turned Sky Sports pundit has erupted over a Spurs dressing room leak involving ‘senior players’.

The Lowdown: N17 source shares news…

As reported by a Spurs source, speaking to Football Insider, it appears manager Nuno Espirito Santo is facing an uphill battle in the dressing room.

Indeed, as per the outlet’s information, Tottenham’s boss has ‘few allies’ at Hotspur Way and senior players are now ‘unhappy’ with Nuno’s style of management and training methods.

As such, there is now ‘the real prospect’ of a dressing room mutiny.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-updates/” title=”Spurs updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Campbell reacts…

Speaking to FI, erupting in response to the claim, Campbell insists Nuno must take action.

“Nuno can turn it around but he needs to act now,” he explained.

“He needs to find out which players have a problem. Once you work out who they are, you either sit down with them and clear the air or you get rid of them.

“If you have people against you in the dressing room, you are not going to move forward properly.

“It was always going to happen. It all comes down to the chairman at the end of the day. That is who the buck stops with. He has made some questionable, hard-faced decisions.

“At the end of the day though, these guys are footballers. They have got to do their job. The players are too powerful now. It is crazy.”

The Verdict: Big issue for Nuno…

If the Portuguese is indeed going to save his job over the coming weeks, it is clear that unrest behind the scenes needs to be dealt with swiftly.

Signed on just a two-year deal after Tottenham’s long and drawn out managerial search earlier this year, chairman Daniel Levy’s long term faith in the former Wolves boss is questionable at best.

If results and performances continue on an underwhelming trajectory, we fear the curtain may drop rather quickly on Nuno’s reign.

In other news: Spurs already have offer pencilled in to sign ‘world class’ player who Hoddle called outstanding, find out more here.

Three English clubs are interested in Harris O’Connor after he left Glasgow Rangers as a free agent this summer.

The Lowdown: Gers let O’Connor leave

The defender, who failed to make a single first team appearance for the Gers (Transfermarkt), left the Ibrox outfit as a free agent this summer.

However, that does not appear to have reduced the level of interest in his services.

The Latest: 3 clubs want O’Connor

According to The Daily Record, Stoke, Watford and Sunderland are all interested in the teenage centre-back.

The Potters are even said to have taken on the 19-year-old as a trialist after he was with Airdrie on a similar basis.

The Verdict: Chance to prove Gers wrong

As a centre-back, O’Connor was always going to find it difficult to break into Steven Gerrard’s first team. The 41-year-old already has Nikola Katic, Connor Goldson, Filip Helander, Leon Balogun and George Edmundson at his disposal in that position, so there had ben plenty of options above O’Connor in the pecking order.

However, O’Connor now has the chance to prove Gerrard and everyone else at Rangers wrong by showing that he has the ability to reach the very top by thriving elsewhere. If he were to go to Stoke and impress in the English Championship, he would go some way to proving a point to the Ibrox club.

In other news, many Rangers fans slammed this man’s performance against Tranmere in a pre-season friendly.