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Celtic have deen dealt a triple blow ahead of their upcoming Premiership fixture this afternoon.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Daily Record, Ange Postecoglou revealed that none of James Forrest, Christopher Jullien or Greg Taylor will be available for St Johnstone’s visit to Parkhead, as the stricken trio are yet to recover from their respective injuries.

Speaking about the current state of his Celtic squad, the 56-year-old said: “It’s just Forrest, Jullien and Taylor not available for selection.”

However, in more positive news, Postecoglou revealed that he will once again be able to call upon Josip Juranovic this weekend, while James McCarthy is also set to make a return to the Bhoys squad as both players look to be nearing full fitness.

On Juranovic and McCarthy in particular, the Hoops boss said: “Juranovic has trained, he’s fit and available. McCarthy has trained, he’s fit and available.”

Ange will be gutted

While the news that Juranovic and McCarthy look as if they will play some part on Saturday is undoubtedly good for Celtic, the ongoing absences of Forrest, Jullien and Taylor will nevertheless have left Postecoglou gutted.

Indeed, versatile midfielder Forrest has been a huge source of creativity and goals for the Bhoys in recent years, with the 30-year-old having scored 18 goals and registered 20 assists over 56 appearances in all competitions back in 2018/19, as well as bagging 16 goals and providing 22 assists over 47 games the following season.

Meanwhile, centre-back Jullien has proven to be a magnificent signing for the Hoops following his £7.2m arrival from Toulouse back in 2019, with the 28-year-old helping his side to keep five clean sheets, scoring one goal and averaging a superb SofaScore match rating of 7.43 over his nine Premiership appearances prior to his injury last season.

Finally, while the surprising emergence of 19-year-old left-back Adam Montgomery has somewhat covered for the absence of Taylor on the left-hand side of the Celtic backline, the 23-year-old’s continued unavailability will undoubtedly come as a blow to Postecoglou. The Scotland international is a solid and reliable option in that role, recording more interceptions per game (1.5) than any of his Hoops team-mates.

As such, with the 56-year-old hoping that his side can continue their run of excellent recent form against St Johnstone on Saturday, being unable to call upon any of Forrest, Jullien and Taylor for the visit of the Saints will certainly make this task a bit more difficult for Postecoglou.

In other news: Kyogo 2.0: Celtic nearing exciting deal for 18-goal machine, Postecoglou will love him

Slavisa Jokanovic has revealed it was impossible for Sheffield United to turn down the latest offer for Aaron Ramsdale.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by The Guardian, the Sheffield United manager revealed that, despite it being against his wishes, it was almost impossible for the Blades to turn down Arsenal’s £24m plus £6m add-ons offer for the 23-year-old goalkeeper.

The 53-year-old said: “It’s not really what I want but it’s difficult to stop this kind of situation. It’s a huge deal for the club and we have been relegated from the Premier League, so it’s complicated to say no.”

Indeed, the Serbian manager had previously stated that he would be hurt if the club sanctioned the sale of the Euro 2020 England squad member, as well as suggesting that he would not part with the shot-stopper this summer even for an offer of £100m.

Fans will be fuming

With it having been claimed that United would not be budging on their initial £35m asking price for Ramsdale just a matter of day ago, the fact that the ‘keeper looks to be heading to Arsenal for a guaranteed transfer fee of almost £10m less than this figure, in addition to the sale clearly being against Jokanovic’s wishes, will undoubtedly have fans of the club fuming.

Indeed, the fact that news of the £10.8m-rated man’s sale came shortly after the Blades were battered 4-0 by West Bromwich Albion, a game which the 23-year-old did not feature in, clearly demonstrates just how important the shot-stopper is within the Sheffield United team.

Furthermore, while the deal has not been completed just yet, with there now only being a couple of weeks left of the summer transfer window, Jokanovic faces the unenviable task of sourcing an apt replacement for the goalkeeper alongside attempting to secure his side’s first Championship win of the season – with the Blades currently occupying one of the three relegation spots in the second tier.

As such, it very much appears as if affairs both on and off the pitch at Bramall Lane are in something of a mess at present, with fans of the club surely furious with their side’s performances in the league, as well as what looks to be the United hierarchy going back on their word regarding the transfer of Ramsdale.

In other news: Lost 84% duels: £1.35m-rated SUFC bottler who made 5 passes badly let Jokanovic down

Rangers have had their fair share of transfer success in recent years, ranging from the likes of Ryan Kent and Ianis Hagi to Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe.

However, sometimes things do not work out as planned and some transfers do not go down as well as the manager would hope, with the signing of Mexican midfielder Carlos Pena in 2017 falling into this category.

Ex-Ibrox manager Pedro Caixinha brought him to the club from Guadalajara in 2017 for a reported fee of £2.2m and he endured a nightmare spell in Scotland.

The Mexican did score an impressive five goals in 14 games for the club, but his strike rate was not the problem. His all-around performances were lacking, according to the Portuguese coach, and he had issues off the pitch as well.

Caixinha previously said that Pena was playing at ’60 per cent’ of his capability and highlighted the struggles he was having in receiving the ball in tight areas.

The ex-Gers boss said: “He has much more to give, believe me. I think he’s at 60 per cent of his capabilities, the way I know him. But I think the first step for everyone to progress is knowing that you need to progress.

“It’s when you’re looking to add something and you say ‘Ok, I agree. Let’s work on it’. We are working. It’s a question of time. In terms of fitness, I can tell you, there is nothing he has to improve.

“Football is not all about fitness, football is about decisions. And we are preparing Carlos to make quick decisions when he is restricted in time and space.

“When he has time and space, he performs his football. He just needs to adapt when he doesn’t have time and space – and that’s nothing to do with fitness.”

Steven Gerrard and the club made the decision to terminate his contract in 2019, with alcohol-related discipline problems cited as one of the reasons behind his exit. Andy Halliday once dubbed him a “modern alcoholic” and claimed that he could smell the beer on him in training.

This shows that he had issues on and off the pitch and the Gers were forced to ship him off on a free transfer, which meant that they did not recoup any money back from the initial £2.2m they spent on him.

Therefore, the deal was a nightmare from start to finish for both Rangers and Pena. Hopefully he has since been able to overcome his alcohol problems and become settled off the pitch, because his health is more important than his football career.

AND in other news, 180 duels won: Wilson sealed masterclass with “important” £14k-p/w Rangers colossus…

According to Inter Live, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has been gifted a boost in the race to sign Inter Milan star Ivan Perisic.

The Lowdown: Spurs enter talks…

According to reports over the last week from Germany, Spurs have entered talks to sign the Croatian as his contract winds down at the San Siro.

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His current deal, which set to expire in 2022, presents an opportunity for interested clubs to sign him on a pre-contract ahead of a summer move for free.

Sport 1 claimed that there are currently ‘talks with Tottenham’ over a move to sign Perisic for Conte, with another update now coming courtesy of Inter Live.

The Latest: Perisic prioritises Spurs move…

In a boost for Conte, the outlet claimed (via Sport Witness) that Perisic is very keen on a move to north London, with his future at the San Siro now more uncertain than ever.

It is claimed that a ‘first-rated space’ is reserved for Spurs in particular, where he would re-join Conte after the pair’s time together in Italy. This feasibly puts Tottenham above the ‘row of clubs’ who are eager to sign Perisic, including his former club Wolfsburg.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Amassing plenty of experience on the biggest stages in world football, including World Cup semi-final heroics against England, Perisic would be an astute swoop on a free transfer.

He has been a mainstay for the Nerazzurri this season, scoring three goals and setting up one more over 13 Serie A starts, with former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho a big fan of the player. The 6 foot 1 colossus is also tailor-made for the Premier League, with former Inter head coach Luciano Spaletti claiming that the Croatian’s physique is that of a ‘horse’.

Able to play across the attacking midfield and as a centre-forward (Transfermarkt), the 32-year-old could even come as a makeshift alternative to Harry Kane going by his impressive 132-goal senior career haul.

Lauded as ‘sensational’ by the Italian press for his recent form, it’s clear that he is not only attainable but also a solid option for Conte.

In other news: Tottenham in contact over signing ‘phenomenal’ star as club directors spotted in London, find out more here.

Aston Villa announced on Friday afternoon that Louie Barry has joined Ipswich Town on a season-long loan, and a number of Villa fans were quick to react to the news on social media.

Barry helped Villa to win the FA Youth Cup for the first time since 2002 last season and has scored 22 goals for the club’s youth sides after joining from Barcelona last year.

The 18-year-old actually scored on his first-team debut at Villa Park against Liverpool in the FA Cup and will now be given the chance to gain regular senior football at Portman Road.

Barry was included on Ipswich’s bench just 24 hours after a deal went through, but the forward didn’t get on for The Tractor Boys in their 2-2 draw with Morecambe on the opening weekend of League One.

Villa fans react

Villa shared the news regarding Barry on their official Twitter page on Friday. Here is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with one labelling a temporary move as ‘brilliant’.

“Wow. Get excited! And send him back safe after you have won the league :)”Credit: @rodvik”A season playing senior football is exactly the right thing for the lad. Hopefully he will fill out a bit similar to when Jack went to Notts County. Good luck Louie”Credit: @SiORegan”Brilliant for you, Good luck mate!”Credit: @lewastbury”Gonna light it up, I think. Very good loan move for him.”Credit: @MarkJirobe”Love this – step one of mission ‘new starboy’”Credit: @nallyboy90″It’s official! Good luck Louie, a really exciting move – this is now the top one to watch for me. Let’s add him to the list”Credit: @AVFCLOAN

In other news: Many Villa fans fume as details on Ings move emerge. 

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Graham Roberts insists that Harry Winks needs to learn from Ossie Ardiles if he is to improve as a midfielder.

The former England international struggled immensely throughout the 2020/21 season under the management of Jose Mourinho.

Winks made a total of 15 Premier League appearances during the campaign but made just nine starts in that time.

The 25-year-old did manage to work his way back into the team under Ryan Mason after the sacking of Jose Mourinho.

He has been linked with a move away from the club, with Manchester United credited with an interest, but Roberts believes that he needs to change the way he plays, insisting that Ardiles is the example to follow.

Ardiles played for Spurs between 1978 and 1988, winning the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup; in 236 appearances, he scored 16 goals, but was a consistent source of forward momentum, as he looked to drive at defenders and make things happen.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “If he started improving his game and started moving forward with the ball, Harry Winks gets the ball and goes, bang, touch, centre-half, give me it back, centre-half, give me it back, he doesn’t do anything with the ball.

“As a midfield player, he should have a look at how Ossie Ardiles used to play. When Ossie got the ball, he used to run at people, and that person he’s running at has to make a decision, does he tackle Ossie or does he let Ossie run past him and just mark the player he’s marking?

“Harry Winks should start looking more forward when he gets the ball and running forward.”

Joe Hart is already making his presence felt at Celtic and is one of the most vocal players at Parkhead, according to Kieran Devlin.

The Lowdown: Hart’s start at Celtic Park

Hart was one of 12 first-team additions at Celtic Park this summer, arriving from Tottenham in a seven-figure deal.

He has quickly become a regular under Ange Postecoglou, making eight appearances and keeping four clean sheets.

He did make a mistake against AZ Alkmaar in a Europa League qualifier, but overall he appears to have settled in nicely in Scotland, while he was recently hailed as “exceptional” by current Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson.

The Latest: Hart vocal

Devlin, who is Celtic’s correspondent for The Athletic, shared a story on Tuesday looking at Hart.

Within his report, he claimed that the 34-year-old has been one of the most vocal players in the team along with club captain Callum McGregor, including in the pre-match huddles.

McGregor was going to hand Hart the captain’s armband when subbed against St Mirren last month, but upon Postecoglou’s request, he gave it to Ryan Christie.

The Verdict: Good signs

With Scott Brown leaving in the summer, along with Kris Ajer, Odsonne Edouard, Ryan Christie and Leigh Griffiths, who were all at the club for a long period of time, leadership is required going forward in a new-look Hoops side.

It’s good to see that Hart is already stepping up to the plate alongside McGregor in that capacity, especially with a number of the Hoops’ new additions relatively young.

In other news: Celtic source: Hoops chiefs are scouting record-breaking ace; could be available for cut-price fee

Karamoko Dembele has long been the darling of the Celtic academy.

Blessed with pace, agility, trickery and an eye for goal, it’s obvious to see why the Hoops have been so excited about his talent for years now.

Dembele was playing for Celtic’s U20 side at the age of just 13 and then broke into the senior team as a 16-year-old back in 2019. He came off the bench against Hearts and immediately caught the eye with his close touch control.

Months later he was being named alongside Barcelona superstar Ansu Fati in L’Equipe’s crop of European football’s finest wonders. They put together six of the best young players revolutionising the game at the time.

Dembele is still only 18 years of age but two years down the line from his debut and he’s still not started a match for Celtic.

Injury issues have plagued him and he even refused a loan spell last season. However, with under a year left on his contract at Parkhead, it feels like now or never in terms of a breakthrough.

That being said, they have another fine young winger coming through the ranks that could well usurp Dembele if you believe the hype.

That happens to be Ben Doak who starred for Scotland U17s a few days ago. Just 15, it will be a while before we see him on the senior stage but he is making all the right noises in academy football.

He scored a fine looping header against Wales a few days ago, a goal that came just moments after a jaw-dropping piece of play down the right.

Doak showcased his electrifying pace and dazzling dribbling by taking the Welsh defence to the cleaners before playing in a cross.

With that exciting run, it gave out immediate Dembele vibes.

After the game, the teenager was given considerable praise by those around him. Manager Brian McLaughlin commented: “Ben Doak did well tonight and he’s a great player. He’s a good threat and great character around training as well. His attitude towards training is infectious and there’s no doubt that he loved his debut for the 17s tonight.

“It felt like every time he had the ball he could create us a chance.”

Meanwhile, Bhoys Analtyics added: “Ben Doak is a name Celtic fans should get familiar with. Real chance of producing a generational talent.”

A direct forward player, he has all of the tools to cause danger at senior level too. If he adds a more physical aspect to his game and continues scoring goals, there is every reason to believe that he’ll be on Postecoglou’s radar.

The thought of Doak and Dembele forming part of the first-team set-up in years to come is a mouth-watering one.

AND in other news, Ange may find Celtic’s new Ntcham in rarely-seen 18 y/o who does things “effortlessly”…

Writing on Twitter, Sport Italia TV journalist Gianluigi Longari has backed reports of a major transfer development at West Ham United. 

The Lowdown; West Ham and Kral…

The Hammers, according to recent reports, could add to their Czech Republic contingent this summer with the addition of midfield powerhouse Alex Kral.

Indeed, he could join both Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek as additions from the nation and reports suggest talks are furthering for the player.

Football Insider recently reported that GSB are willing to pay over £20m to secure his services and discussions are at an advanced stage.

ExWHUemployee, meanwhile, also believes that the club want to get a deal done for him before the European Championships this summer (West Ham Way Podcast).

The Latest: Journalist backs reports of Kral to West Ham…

Now, writing on Twitter, journalist Longari has backed these reports of Kral potentially moving to east London this summer.

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Dropping a four-word message on social media, the reporter states that the 23-year-old is in fact ‘leaving for West Ham’.

He also believes Kral’s current club, Spartak Moscow, are already on the hunt for a replacement and have earmarked Vasco da Gama midfielder Bruno Gomes as his replacement.

The Verdict: Time to get excited?

Numerous reports appear to be backing Kral to West Ham and we believe that, if the Irons can get a deal done, he may be the perfect midfield alternative to Soucek and Declan Rice.

West Ham will need strength in depth for the 2021/2022 season given they are set to compete in the Europa League group stages and the young Czech maestro is accomplished as a midfield anchor.

Over 2020/2021, Kral even managed the same amount of interceptions per 90 (1.8) as Rice and it certainly wouldn’t do any harm bringing in a capable alternative.

Irons supporters will surely be hoping this transfer comes to fruition, offering more depth in midfield and perhaps even a like for like replacement if the worst-case scenario happens and Rice leaves the club.

In other news: West Ham in talks to finalise agreement for 24 y/o after extensive discussions, find out more here.

A negative reaction to Celtic missing out on winning a treble this season would be ‘absolutely ridiculous’, according to former Hoops striker Frank McAvennie, after he witnessed their Scottish Cup semi-final loss to Rangers last weekend.

The Lowdown: Celtic miss out on treble

Ange Postecoglou’s side had the opportunity to seal a domestic treble this season, prior to last weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final clash with Rangers.

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Celtic were beaten 2-1 at Parkhead, however, meaning they can now only add the Scottish Premiership title to their Scottish League Cup crown that is already sealed.

The Latest: McAvennie positive

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie said winning the league would be an incredible success, bemoaning any negativity surrounding missing out on a treble:

“It was a disappointing loss last weekend. I thought we would win, I think a lot of people did. But it wasn’t to be.

“Look at it this way. This season I was happy for us to just compete. I had no thoughts about us winning anything. The fact we are gutted about missing out on a treble is absolutely ridiculous.

“Next season we should be even better and I want to see us do better in Europe but what a job he has done. It will be just remarkable if we do win this title.”

The Verdict: Title matters most

McAvennie is spot on in his opinion, with a treble something that seemed highly unlikely at the start of the season, and not something to gauge the team’s success by.

If Celtic can wrestle back the league title from Rangers it would be a superb effort by Postecoglou and his players, ensuring last season was nothing more than a blip during a strange time in the world.

A double would still be deemed a hugely successful campaign, suggesting the Hoops are only going from strength to strength going into next season, when Champions League football will hopefully return to Parkhead.

In other news, Celtic are reportedly in advanced talks to sign one player. Find out who it is here.