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Celtic have been left to reflect on what might have been following another frustrating evening in the Champions League on Tuesday night, with the Old Firm outfit having secured their place at the bottom of Group F after being held to a 1-1 draw by Shakhtar Donetsk.

With progression to even the Europa League knockout stages now off the table, it has been proven something of an underwhelming return to life in Europe’s premier competition for Ange Postecoglou’s side, with just two points from their five group games thus far.

The Hoops’ continental journey to date has been a story of missed chances and errant finishing on the whole, with that meeting with Igor Jovicevic’s outfit having been no different as the hosts were once again profligate at Parkhead.

One notable villain on the night was that of striker Kyogo Furuhashi, with the Japanese international continuing his barren run in the competition after notably squandering a guilt-edged chance in the second half, having produced a weak effort straight into the arms of opposition ‘keeper, Anatoliy Trubin.

That has ensured that the former Vissel Kobe man now has just two goals to his name in all competitions since his blistering hat-trick against Dundee United back in August, having been unable to maintain his breathless start to the season in which he netted six goals in his first five league games.

The 27-year-old’s struggles have, however, opened the door for fellow striker Giorgos Giakoumakis to take on a more prominent role in the side of late, with the Greek marksman stealing the headlines having been partnered alongside Kyogo in attack against the Ukrainian outfit.

On what was just his second start in Europe this season, the physical brute more than took his chance having clinically fired home late in the first half, ensuring his record now stands at 20 goals in just 21 starts for the club since his £2.5m arrival last summer.

The 11-cap menace – who scored 17 goals in just 29 games last term – has had to bide his time this season for a regular starting berth, although is beginning to showcase his ruthless finishing prowess.

The £3.6m-rated man – who had scored four goals in his last three Scottish Premiership games heading into last night’s clash – once again “proved his worth” to his manager against Shakhtar – according to Football Scotland’s Mark Hendry – with his match rating of 8.0, as per SofaScore, the highest of any player for either side.

Journalist Josh Bunting has now suggested that the Bhoys “need to start” the £8.2k-per-week powerhouse as the “main man” in attack moving forward, with Giakoumakis arguably the “best finisher” at Postecoglou’s disposal.

The former Yokohama boss may now need to put his faith in the striker and keep him at the forefront of his side in the coming games, with the former VVV-Venlo man beginning to showcase the prolific form he demonstrated in Holland, having scored 26 Eredivisie goals during the 2020/21 campaign.

With a trip to Livingston to come on Sunday, Giakoumakis no doubt deserves to keep his starting berth.

Arsenal have started this season with a bang, losing just two matches in all competitions and occupying top spot in the Premier League table for most of the campaign so far.

However, Mikel Arteta has overseen a draw against Southampton and a defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Europa League in the club’s previous two matches over the last week.

Today’s clash against Nottingham Forest will be a wonderful opportunity to bring back that winning feeling and continue to build momentum ahead of the mid-season hiatus for the World Cup.

There were only a few players who performed to the standards that Arteta has set at Arsenal this season during the defeat to PSV.

Fabio Vieira was one, and the Spaniard should be ready to unleash the 22-year-old against the team who are bottom of the league table.

The £45k-per-week talent received a SofaScore rating of 7.4/10 for his performance against the Eredivisie side, the highest out of the Arsenal starting XI.

Taking his place on the right of a three-man attack, Vieira displayed his abilities and made two key passes, having 56 touches of the ball during the match and succeeding with his only dribble attempt, showcasing his creative ability.

He won 100% of his duels during the encounter, displaying his strength in one-on-one battles, and this is an excellent trait to have.

It was an impressive performance by the youngster despite the team failing to pull their weight overall, and he could certainly command a place in the starting XI for today’s match.

He has started just once in the Premier League this season, scoring against Brentford, while he has averaged 0.5 key passes per game. If he gets a chance in the starting XI today, Vieira could grasp it with both hands.

Former England midfielder Joe Cole has been impressed by the Portuguese gem, praising his “absolute velvet left foot” after starring against Bodo/Glimt earlier this month.

Although it has been two matches without a victory for Arsenal, Arteta shouldn’t be feeling the pressure, but a solid performance against Forest is required to regain some confidence.

The 40-year-old will likely make a host of changes for this match, although keeping Vieira in the starting XI might be a wise decision.

Following a successful transfer window that saw Aston Villa sign players in the calibre of Boubacar Kamara, Diego Carlos, and Philippe Coutinho, much was expected of Steven Gerrard’s side this season.

It hasn’t quite worked out this way, however, with just two Premier League wins from seven matches, European football drifts further away with every bad performance.

Despite strengthening the core of his squad, Gerrard may have some regrets about the transfer window. The need for another striker was a priority and with Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins scoring just three goals between them so far, it might be a decision that will haunt him.

One thing is for certain, not making a more concrete effort to bring in midfielder Yves Bissouma from Brighton and Hove Albion might prove to be one of the biggest things they rue this summer.

Bissouma is better than Douglas Luiz

Villa had been linked with the midfielder since the start of the year and even made a bid of £25m for the player in January, which was rejected by Brighton.

Despite signing Kamara in the summer, Gerrard still wanted to add Bissouma to his squad, with 90min claiming that talks were ongoing.

A few weeks later, the Mali international signed for Tottenham Hotspur in a £25m deal, and not acting quicker to sign the player will still irk Gerrard, especially as he is an upgrade on Luiz, someone who will be out of contract next year.

Last season, Bissouma completed 89.7% of his passes compared to 83.3% for Luiz, while also succeeding with over 70% of his attempted dribbles which was much better than the Brazilian (42.9%), showing that the Spurs player is more comfortable in possession with the ball and his passing ability can be relied upon to start attacks.

Defensively, the 26-year-old proved why the likes of Villa and Spurs were looking to sign him, winning more tackles (50 to 43), completing a higher percentage of pressures (35.9% to 29.8%) and making nearly double the number of clearances (51 to 29) than Luiz throughout the campaign.

At £25m, Gerrard may well have landed himself a bargain, especially with the player being described as a “Rolls Royce” by former presenter Leon Mann. His qualities and attributes may have helped tighten up a Villa side who have conceded 11 goals in all competitions this season.

It will be a case of what might have been for the 42-year-old, especially if Bissouma showcases his talents in the Champions League with Spurs.

Medical expert Ben Dinnery has revealed Antonio Conte’s unique stance on Tottenham Hotspur’s injuries.

The Lowdown: Conte’s comments

On Wednesday, Spurs winger Lucas Moura missed his team’s Champions League clash against Marseille due to an inflamed tendon. Ahead of the match, Conte spoke of the Brazilian’s absence, drawing similarities to his own playing career.

As quoted by football.london, the Italian claimed: “About Lucas, he has this inflammation in his tendon. I hope to recover him very soon, because for sure when I was a player, I had a lot of pain in my tendon. You know very well tendon inflammation doesn’t finish in only one week, two weeks”.

The Latest: Dinnery’s claim

Dinnery believes that Conte’s own injury experiences will make him much more understanding of his players’ issues, compared with other Premier League managers.

Speaking with Football Insider, the medical expert claimed: “It certainly helps in understanding the mindset and pressure placed on players to return quickly.

“Those mental feelings around being withdrawn from the squad and not involved with team-building exercises, it helps to understand those.

“Things have moved on a lot since Conte’s playing days. We are also talking about different countries and leagues. With that comes different pressures. But it certainly helps to have an understanding.

“A lot of it comes down to the player and how they deal with the situation. With this, we were only talking about a short-term absence from the side. He won’t be too concerned.”

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The Verdict: Relief for Moura

Tottenham are hard at work preparing for Tuesday night’s Champions League clash against Sporting Lisbon, which will see Lilywhites centre-back Eric Dier take on his boyhood club.

The Portuguese outfit will be coming into the game on a high, having beaten Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 in a dominant victory last Wednesday.

As previously mentioned by Conte, Moura will understandably be unavailable for the fixture due to his inflamed tendon, although he is back on the training pitch fighting to get fit.

To Moura, he has his manager’s sympathies – much to his relief.

Everton remain winless in the Premier League at present and it’s not just problems on the pitch plaguing their season so far with speculation surrounding Anthony Gordon’s future, but Farhad Moshiri could have the perfect solution lined up.

What’s the latest?

According to The Guardian’s sport writer Ed Aarons, Everton are “showing interest” in Newcastle United winger Miguel Almiron.

Aarons tweeted:

“Everton are showing an interest in Miguel Almiron. The Paraguay forward will only be allowed to leave Newcastle on a permanent deal.”

Gordon replacement

If it wasn’t enough of a troubling start for Frank Lampard, it has now been reported that Gordon wants to make the move to Chelsea who have been in a back and forth with Everton to secure the player’s signature for weeks.

The boyhood Evertonian has broken through the youth academy to become a key player in the first team over the last few seasons, however, with the club’s financial troubles mounting a £60m bid for Gordon could be hard to pass up.

As a result, the signing of Almiron could not only be the perfect solution to replace the young winger’s position in the team but would also come at the right price with the Paraguayan dynamo valued at £15m by his current club.

Gordon is the seventh most comparable player to the Magpies forward over the last 12 months according to FBref, and it comes as no surprise as the pair possess some similar attributes when looking closer at their output over last season.

The two forwards came close in their shots per 90 minutes (1.68 v 1.73), goal creating actions per 90 (0.26 v 0.20) and pressure success rate (25.2% v 25.8%), however Almiron did outperform Gordon considerably with his pass completion rate (80.4% v 66.7%).

More recently, the 27-year-old dynamo stole the show at St James’ Park last weekend against Premier League champions Manchester City where he scored the 28th minute equaliser that set up Newcastle for a shock 3-3 draw against their opponents.

His positive impact on the team led to piles of praise from manager Eddie Howe, who hailed Almiron “magnificent” in his post-match press conference on Sunday evening (via Chronicle Live):

“I think the three games he’s had he’s been magnificent for us. On and off the ball I think he’s been very, very solid.”

With that being said, the signing of Almiron could be a golden opportunity for Everton to let go of Gordon and deploy a player who is clearly capable of being influential, something Lampard will be desperate for in his pursuit to deliver Everton’s first win of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele is ‘pushing for a definitive sale’ and is even willing to take strong action, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Out of favour…

The Frenchman is one of a few Spurs players currently out-of-favour at N17 alongside the likes of Harry Winks, Sergio Reguilon and Giovani Lo Celso as manager Antonio Conte revamps his Premier League squad.

Ndombele is not in the coach’s plans this season and it is believed that Serie A giants Napoli have expressed serious interest in securing his services.

The future of Tottenham’s club record signing could not look any further away from north London at this stage with Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport sharing news on the player’s personal stance.

The Latest: Ndombele ‘pushing’ to leave permanently…

They claim, via Sport Witness, that Ndombele is ‘pushing for a definitive sale’ rather than a loan deal with an option or obligation to buy.

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Indeed, it is believed the 25-year-old is also willing to take strong action to push through a move – specifically by taking a pay cut and reducing his salary to make it happen.

Napoli are listed as a suitor specifically as their midfield star Fabian Ruiz finalises a move to Paris-Saint Germain.

The Verdict: Cut losses…

Bar some bright flashes of form under ex-Spurs boss Jose Mourinho, Ndombele has been unable to display his real ability on a regular basis with concerns surrounding his attitude and application.

He certainly has talent – West Ham star Declan Rice has backed the former Lyon star as a ‘top player’ and ‘street footballer on the pitch’ despite his uncertain future and lack of game time under Conte – but patience must be wearing thin at Hotspur Way.

Whether his exit be permanent or on a temporary deal, Ndombele leaving really does seem best for all parties at this point.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has delivered his verdict on the future of out-of-favour Tottenham Hotspur defender Joe Rodon. 

The lowdown: High hopes

After beating strong competition from multiple suitors, Tottenham signed Rodon from Swansea for an initial £11million in August 2020 (Sky Sports).

However, things haven’t exactly gone to plan for the 24-year-old in north London and the Wales international has made only 24 appearances for the Lilywhites so far, completing 90 minutes on just 13 occasions.

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Now, amidst links with a loan switch to French Ligue 1 side Rennes, one well-informed onlooker has provided an update on Rodon’s situation…

The latest: ‘Doesn’t seem to fit’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones – who works as a journalist for Eurosport – claimed that there is no immediate future for the 27-cap Welshman at N17, suggesting that a London rival could also be interested in acquiring his services.

He said: “He’s exactly the sort of player that Fulham need to sign. They have looked at Issa Diop, Eric Bailly, but have struggled with fees, but Rodon seems to be a bit of a different situation to those two because he doesn’t seem to fit into Tottenham’s plans.

“Fulham definitely like him, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

The verdict: Loan needed

Where exactly Rodon goes in this window remains up in the air for now, but one thing that is for sure is that the 6 foot 3 centre-back needs to be playing regular football once again.

Having arrived at Spurs with 54 senior outings already under his belt, Rodon’s development has somewhat stagnated since arriving in the Premier League. He has been called ‘colossal’ by the Welsh media for his international performances and will expect to be playing enough to cement a starting place at the World Cup.

Following the loan signing of Clement Lenglet, there appears to be no place in Conte’s starting XI for the £7.2million valued ace – who was described as a ‘solid player’ by the Italian coach last season – in the immediate future and as such, a temporary move appears to be the most logical solution for all parties.

Liverpool have reportedly received a double boost in their pursuit of Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio, according to Sport (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Summer business

The Reds have acted swiftly so far this summer under the newly appointed sporting director Julian Ward, completing deals for Benfica hitman Darin Nunez, Fulham starlet Fabio Carvalho and Aberdeen youngster Calvin Ramsay.

A number of peripheral squad members such as Takumi Minamino, Divock Origi and Ben Woodburn have all left Anfield as well as superstar winger Sadio Mane as Jurgen Klopp’s squad begins to take shape during pre-season ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Despite reports claiming that the business was completed for the window, speculation continues to link players with the Merseyside club and one well-decorated Spaniard in particularly has been heavily indexed with a switch to the FA Cup winners…

The latest: ‘Liverpool like Asensio’

As per Sport, transcribed by SW, ‘Liverpool like Asensio’ and the 29-cap Spain star ‘looks favourably’ on joining Klopp’s ranks.

It’s claimed that the Spaniard is now willing to lower his salary demands to €6-7million (£5-6million) net per year whilst Real Madrid will reduce the asking price from €50million (£42million) to €30million (£25million) due to being in the final 12 months of a deal at the Bernabeu.

The report also states that Klopp has personally ‘requested’ the signing of the 26-year-old who was hailed for a ‘brilliant’ La Liga hat-trick against former club RCD Mallorca last September.

The verdict: Smart move

Although the Anfield ranks still boast an embarrassment of riches in the attacking department, there is no natural senior understudy for Mohamed Salah on the right-wing – a role Asensio primarily occupied last season whilst scoring 12 times and providing two assists in 42 appearances across all competitions.

Overall, the Spaniard with an abundance of talent that once saw him tipped for Ballon d’Or glory earned a sensational 7.07 Sofascore rating, hitting the target with 1.1 shots and making 1.0 key pass on average per game in the Spanish top flight.

Possessing wide-ranging versatility to play numerous positions and all of the attributes in his locker to succeed in the Premier League, at the suggested new price, signing Asensio would be a superb coup for Ward in what has already been a stellar start to life as the successor to Michael Edwards.

Crystal Palace have faltered in contract talks in an effort to tie down their midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Football.London, who state that the midfielder looks set to leave Selhurst Park after no further progress was made in contract talks.

The Eagles had been trying to tie him down, but the parties had not been able to reach an agreement.

Palace had managed to agree to new contracts with four other players, however with Kouyate it now seems untenable.

Vieira will be gutted

The Senegalese midfielder earned a hero’s welcome upon his return from the African Cup of Nations, where he helped his side win the competition.

The 82-cap ace featured an impressive 27 times this season in the league for Patrick Vieira, and given his absence as he went away with his national team, it could be assumed this number would ordinarily be much higher.

It therefore makes his solid 6.85 average SofaScore rating all the more impressive, as he was clearly working relentlessly last season.

Having a player like him, who is comfortable with any role he is handed, is imperative for a team like Palace who relies on stability.

During the last campaign, Vieira labelled him “massively important” for his side, and also praised his role in Senegal’s cup win: “I knew how determined he was to win the competition… We will be really happy and proud for him.”

His defensive work both deputising at the back or in midfield is nothing short of exceptional, and his experience is priceless for the Eagles. He ranks in the 99th percentile for blocks and the 93rd percentile for clearances per 90 when compared to other midfielders.

It is therefore no surprise why the club wanted to ensure that the 32-year-old stayed at Selhurst Park for a little while longer.

As a result, supporters and Vieira alike will both be disappointed to see this stalwart leave on a free following his four years at the club.

AND, in other news: Reliable journo: CPFC set to complete 3rd transfer after Doucoure, Vieira will love it.

Wolves are in negotiations to sign Switzerland striker Haris Seferovic in the summer transfer window, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: New striker needed

Wanderers struggled for goals in the Premier League last season, averaging exactly one per game, finding the net 38 times in 38 matches.

It is, therefore, imperative that Bruno Lage brings in more attacking firepower this summer, in order to strengthen what is arguably Wolves’ weakest area currently.

Seferovic has been linked with a move to Molineux in the recent past and he appears to be a primary target currently.

The Latest: Talks with Seferovic

According to Correio da Manha [via Sport Witness], Wolves and Fenerbahce are the two clubs who have made contact with the Benfica striker over a move.

While a deal is still a distance away – Benfica want €10million (£8.5m) for the player, but the two clubs want to pay half of that – it is clear that Wanderers see him as a potential summer addition.

He is not in manager Roger Schmidt’s plans, so will likely leave the club.

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The Verdict: Ideal summer signing

Seferovic could be an ideal player to come in and provide more of a goal threat this summer, with the 30-year-old possessing vast experience at a high level.

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He has scored 25 goals in 86 caps for Switzerland, including three at European Championships and one at the World Cup, as well as 74 in 188 games for Benfica.

With Raul Jimenez seemingly not the player he was before his serious head injury in 2020, Seferovic could be the man to lead the line and ensure that Wolves are more potent next season.

In other news, one player has reportedly edged closer to a move to Wolves. Find out who it is here.