According to The Evening Times, Premier League clubs Newcastle and Leicester have shown an interest in Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers. 

These are another two outfits added to a list that is growing of clubs interested in the Northern Irishman’s services. Championship team Aston Villa were also another team that were linked with the former Liverpool boss before signing Dean Smith.

The thing that should worry Celtic fans is that there is the sense that one of these clubs will land Rodgers eventually. It may not necessarily be Newcastle or Leicester, but as the interest grows, the inevitability of Rodgers leaving does too.

One club will be able to offer the former Liverpool boss enough to entice him away from Celtic Park. Although he would face the same problem with The Magpies that he does with Celtic- a board that are reluctant to spend-, Leicester may be a destination that would appeal to the manager.

The question remains as to how much there is left for Rodgers to achieve at Celtic Park. The club have won the domestic treble in consecutive seasons, but failed to make the Champions League this term. With a board that are unwilling to back Rodgers to progress in Europe, he may want to challenge himself elsewhere.

Rodgers only stated recently that he would want to return to the Premier League. His tenure at Liverpool ended fairly unspectacularly after coming so close to winning the league in the 2013/14 season. He will surely want another crack in the division to repair his damaged reputation south of the border, and with the growing interest in him from such clubs, it almost feels like a matter of time before he takes one.

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Hoffenheim and Lyon battled it out in a thrilling 3-3 draw in a Champions League group stage clash in Germany on Tuesday night. Both sides held the lead at one point or another and the result was only settled by home side substitute Joelinton in stoppage time. Ultimately, at the end of a pulsating affair, a draw was probably a fair result.

Amongst a litany of stand out performances, Bertrand Traore was one of the individuals who shone for the Ligue 1 side. The 23-year-old winger was a constant menace to the Hoffenheim back line and his goal and assist were, of course, vital in securing a point for the visitors.

On top of finding the back of the net, the winger’s only other shot on goal came off the woodwork.  The 48-cap Burkina Faso international also provided two key passes, including his assist. 

His end product contribution against the Bundesliga club ought to come as no surprise considering the blistering form Traore has begun the new campaign in. In thirteen outings so far this season, in all competitions, the attacker has already registered five goals and two assists. Last season, he racked up eighteen goals and seven assists in 43 appearances. 

As well as end product, Traore’s distribution and wing play is also impressive. Against Hoffenheim, the forward recorded a pass accuracy rating of 91%, which consisted of 42 passes and one accurate long ball. When the occasion arose, he was also able to beat his man and completed one successful dribble on Tuesday night. 

With a Transfermarkt valuation of just £16.2 million, Traore could represent a bargain acquisition for an elite level club looking to bolster their wide options with an exciting, pacy young winger. One club who fit that mould and ought to make a move for Traore before his value skyrockets out of their reach is Arsenal. The Gunners would be wise to offer Traore a second chance to prove his quality in the Premier League.

The Lyon No. 10’s only previous spell in England, with Chelsea, did not go according to plan. Aside from a brief spell in the Blues’ first team in the 2015/16 season – which saw him bag four goals in sixteen appearances – Traore’s time with the West London club largely consisted of a string of loan moves. Despite impressing during temporary stints with both Vitesse and Ajax, Traore never regained his place in the first team at Stamford Bridge.

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In the summer of 2017, Lyon paid an initial fee of around £9 million to prise Traore away from Chelsea on a permanent basis. However, certain clauses included in the transaction could mean that the Blues receive first refusal upon buying the attacker back. 

However, that ought not to dissuade Arsenal from pursuing the explosive wide man. Traore is clearly an exceptional talent and the dearth of out and out wingers in Unai Emery’s squad makes the Emirates Stadium an ideal destination for the Lyon man. 

Chelsea have already seen both Mohamed Salah and Kevin de Bruyne depart the club only to develop into world class superstars for other Premier League outfits. Traore could become the next name on that list and the Gunners should do all that they can at this stage to ensure that they’re the ones who will enjoy the bright future ahead of the forward.

Tottenham fans will be concerned to see rumours persisting that Mauricio Pochettino could be set to leave the club.

The Argentine was linked with a move to Real Madrid earlier in the summer following Zinedine Zidane’s departure. Instead, they hired former Spain manager, Julen Lopetegui. After a dreadful start to his reign at the Bernabeu, the Spaniard was given the boot by Florentino Perez after just 14 matches; an embarrassing 5-1 defeat to Barcelona proved to be the nail in his coffin.

Naturally, speculation is rife that Madrid will now attempt to lure Pochettino to Spain once again. His work at Tottenham has been extremely impressive, despite winning no trophies, and the former Southampton boss is held in very high regard by the Madrid hierarchy. Reports suggest the Champions League winners would be willing to make him one of the highest paid managers in the world by doubling his salary to lure him from North London.

Should Pochettino decide to leave the club, Spurs must make a move for Bournemouth manager – Eddie Howe. The Englishman masterminded the club’s promotion from the Championship, playing some excellent football in the process. Howe has managed to establish the Cherries as a regular Premier League side, and his hard-work looks to be paying off following their superb start to the season.

Giving Howe players such as Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli could help take his attractive brand of football to the next level and see Tottenham emerge as a genuine title challenger. With financial backing from the board and a new stadium on the way, Howe couldn’t ask for a better setup to get started in. The only problem remains that Howe has no experience at a top club and no experience in Europe.

Spurs will be hoping Pochettino does decide to stay. If not, Howe is the man to replace him.

Tottenham fans, thoughts?

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According to The Sun, Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe is keeping tabs on Manchester City’s Lukas Nmecha, who is currently on loan at Championship side Preston North End.

What’s the word?

Despite failing to find the back of the net in his nine starts whilst out on loan, the Cherries’ boss is attracted to the 19-year-old as he feels that he has potential to thrive in his system should he arrive at the Vitality Stadium.

Nmecha, an England Under-21 international, has recorded just a single assist whilst at Deepdale. However, there is the feeling that the forward has star potential and could develop into a great player in red and black just as David Brooks, who coincidentally wasn’t pulling up any trees either whilst at Sheffield United before Howe swooped in, has done.

Just like when Joshua King was surprisingly signed from Blackburn back in 2015, it appears as if the Cherries are targeting players who display the necessary attributes to fit into the system on the South Coast, as opposed to lazily scouting players who dominate the goalscoring charts.

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Where would Nmecha fit in?

The 6ft striker is a similar type of player to the forward options that Howe currently has at his disposal in Callum Wilson and the aforementioned King. Nmecha is a tall, physically imposing young forward who also possesses pace in abundance, where his runs into the channel stretch defences.

At first glance, he seems tailor-made for Bournemouth. The City academy graduate, whilst possessing the aforementioned attributes, looks to have a clever footballing brain where his close control and vision help bring others into play.

Presently, with Wilson sitting pretty amongst the top scorers in the Premier League and King waiting in the wings with an impressive four goals already in the league as well, it may be difficult for Nmecha to get near the starting XI right now.

However, it is encouraging to see the Cherries boss looking to sign players with the ceiling to improve, and he could easily prove to be their new Wilson if he arrives on the south coast.

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According to Sky Sports, Samir Nasri is set to a sign a short-term contract with West Ham United as he approaches the end of his 18-month ban for receiving an intravenous treatment in 2016.

What’s the word?

Nasri last played competitive football in November, turning out for Turkish club Antalyaspor. Since then, however, he has been banned from playing or training with any professional outfit.

Now, the 31-year-old looks set to sign with the Hammers, meaning he shall reunite with manager Manuel Pellegrini, whom he played under at Manchester City.

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The attacking midfielder is undoubtedly a talented player and could perhaps still impress in the Premier League. Signing him is certainly a risk, though, especially as he’d be joining a dressing room at the London Stadium already full of big characters.

A risk not worth taking

In Marko Arnautovic, the Irons already have one combustible figure in their squad, and the introduction of a player such as Nasri could disturb the squad harmony in east London. What’s more, the presence of the 41-cap former France international could prevent others in the squad from getting the game time they deserve.

Exciting youngster Grady Diangana and the hard-working Robert Snodgrass could both see their minutes on the pitch cruelly curtailed by the arrival of Nasri, which would be harsh given the progress of the latter, and how the former has gone from being a youth star to an effective first-team starter.

West Ham would be better off sticking with what they already have at their disposal rather than rolling the dice on the two-time Premier League winner. Especially as the Frenchman could wind up doing more harm than good to the Hammers’ cause.

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According to The Mirror, Juventus’ Alex Sandro has revealed his desire to play in the Premier League and thus, surely, put Chelsea and Manchester United on high alert as both have been linked with the defender in previous windows. If Spurs have any sense, they will throw their hat in the ring when the bidding war begins.

What’s the word?

Speaking before Brazil’s friendly with Cameroon in Milton Keynes on Tuesday, the South American left-back said:

“I think one day, who knows what will happen? I have a desire to play in the Premier League.”

Those words will have been music to both the Red Devils’ and Blues’ ears – Jose Mourinho is likely looking for a long-term replacement for the ageing Ashley Young to compete with Luke Shaw, while Maurizio Sarri must surely be in the market for competition for Marcos Alonso, who is currently the only left-back available.

Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino can choose between Danny Rose and Ben Davies on the left side of the defence, but with the former perennially injured and the latter not at his best this season, the Lilywhites are in need of reinforcements if they wish to consolidate top four status.

One of the world’s best

Former Porto man Sandro has established himself as one of the world’s best left-backs in recent years after completing a £23.4m move to the Old Lady in 2015.

The number 12 is the epitome of the modern full-back – equally adept at attacking and defending with outstanding technical ability as well as a mean tackle.

Capable of playing in a four or five-at-the-back, the Brazilian’s versatility is a great asset, as are his 1.8 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game and two assists so far this season (WhoScored).

Transfermarkt values the 5ft 11in left-footer at £40.5m but, as a key first team player at Juve, it would take any club a fair bit more than that to prize him away.

Having won the Serie A title every year since his arrival in Turin, the 27-year-old knows what it takes to win and – forgive me Spurs fans – most of the Tottenham squad currently lack this.

If Daniel Levy were to sanction this ambitious move it would be a huge statement of intent and potentially take the club to the next level.

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[ad_pod ]Loads of Everton fans have been reacting to some comments from Yannick Bolasie, after the wing wizard said he rushed back too soon from injury.Bolasie is undoubtedly one of the most disappointing Everton signings in the last few years, as the 29-year-old clearly has bags of ability.Mostly known for his outrageous skills and one-on-one dribbling, the ex-Crystal Palace star joined the Toffees in the summer of 2016 for around £25m.He has scored just two Premier League goals since making the switch though, and missed over 12 months after injuring his knee during his first season with the club.The 6ft 1in winger was dreadful after returning from the injury last winter, and has now spoken out about his troubles.Watch Playmaker FC’s Thogden react to England’s dramatic second-half comeback against Croatia in the video below…“Looking back I came back too early. I rushed back because I wanted to play a lot more minutes,†he said.“I played more minutes at Everton when I came back than I have at Villa so far.“But now I’ve done it the right way and I’m starting to see the rewards. I’m confident in my body now and able to deal with the training sessions.â€The fact that he rushed back into the side while still struggling with injuries perhaps says more about Sam Allardyce than it does about the player himself, and plenty of fans are having their say on the comments.Either way it’s a troubling sign of how backwards the club was last season, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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Alfredo Morelos has been in excellent form for Rangers this season, and Leeds United should move for the centre-forward if they are promoted to the Premier League.

What’s the word, then?

Morelos joined Rangers from Finnish club HJK in the summer of 2017, and the forward has proved to be an absolute revelation at Ibrox.

Indeed, the Colombia international has managed 34 goals in 69 appearances for the Gers in all competitions, including 16 strikes in 26 matches this season.

At the weekend, Rangers boss Steven Gerrard insisted that he would ‘fight tooth and nail to keep’ Morelos at the club for as long as possible.

Gerrard conceded that ‘every player has his price’, however, and the attention will gather pace if Morelos continues to find the back of the net.

Leeds are one of the clubs that should be looking at the South American, and the Whites must make a move at the end of the season if they earn promotion to the Premier League.

Why should Leeds move for Morelos?

Rangers are in a strong position when it comes to Morelos’ future due to the fact that the 22-year-old only signed a new contract in September.

Money talks, however, and there is every reason to believe that Leeds will invest heavily if they are promoted from the Championship.

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The Whites currently sit third in the Championship after 18 matches, and are in with a strong chance of securing a return to the top flight.

Marcelo Bielsa’s team will need to upgrade their attack if that turns out to be the case, and Morelos would be the perfect arrival due to his age and pedigree.

Rangers supporters might not like it, but the club will find it very difficult not to cash in if sizeable bids start to arrive.

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Everton are set to pursue a recognised striker in January, and the Toffees should start their shopping in Serie A with a move for Torino front man Andrea Belotti.

What’s the word?

Richarlison has been a superb signing for Everton, but the Toffees definitely need to sign a proper number nine to take the pressure off the young Brazilian.

According to Times reporter Paul Joyce, Marco Silva is planning to do exactly that, and will target a proven striker this January.

Belotti could be the perfect signing, as the beastly Italian is tailor-made for the pace and physicality of the Premier League.

Is he good enough?

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Belotti’s goalscoring stats aren’t exactly mind-blowing, but the 24 year-old has very little creativity around him at Torino.

He has scored 60 times and added 21 assists in 124 games for the Turin-based club, an incredible record given the lack of competitiveness outside of Italy’s top two or three teams.

The young striker has five goals in 20 Italy caps, and his ability to dominate defenders in the air will remind fans at Goodison of Cenk Tosun. Basically, think Tosun but with far better end product.

Belotti is also a lot more mobile and involved in link-up play than Tosun, using his 5 ft 11 in frame to good effect when holding the ball up and bringing others into the play.

The Torino starlet is a beast in the air, an absolutely lethal finisher and has an immense work rate that Silva will love, so should the Toffees gamble on him in January?

Transfermarkt values him at £31.5m, but what do you think Everton fans? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

Rangers moved top of the Scottish Premiership table following a memorable 2-1 win against Hearts at the weekend.

Steven Gerrard’s side found themselves a goal down after just 20 minutes when Gareth McAuley inadvertently beat Allan McGregor in his own net. However, the Gers quickly made the scoreline level through Connor Goldson. Just minutes later, star forward Alfredo Morelos found the back of the net to put Rangers in front. Despite a Scott Arfield red card, Gerrard’s side were able to hang on for a memorable victory which puts them top of the Scottish Premiership for the time being.

Morelos was once again the hero as he netted his 17th goal of the season already to secure all three points. Despite strengthening heavily during the summer window, Rangers’ director of football Mark Allen has hinted a new forward will be targeted in January to help ease the goalscoring burden on Morelos’ shoulders.

Indeed, it might even scare the Colombian into more consistency…

One man who should be on their shortlist is Leyton Orient forward – Macauley Bonne. Valued at just £90k by Transfermarkt, the forward has been in electric form since joining the club from Colchester United in the summer of 2017. The 23-year-old was named their player of the season in his debut campaign after ending the season with an incredible 25 goals in all competitions.

Bonne’s incredible form has continued into the new season; the youngster has already found the back of the net 17 times in 23 league games so far. Despite his impressive form, Bonne’s contract at the club expires at the end of the season and Orient could be forced into cashing in on their prized asset during the January transfer window. The former Zimbabwe international would give Gerrard another quality option in attack as Rangers look to keep the pressure on Celtic in the title race.

Available on the cheap, this move should be a no-brainer.

Rangers fans, thoughts?