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Former Scotland defender Alan Hutton has reacted to Celtic’s signing of Alexandro Bernabei from Lanus, which was confirmed on Thursday morning. 

The lowdown: Bernabei signs for Celtic

After weeks of speculation, the 21-year-old completed a medical earlier this week and has now signed a five-year deal with the Hoops. The Argentine left-back is expected to arrive for a reported fee of £3.75m and will provide competition for Greg Taylor in Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Bernabei becomes the Bhoys’ third summer signing after the club previously confirmed deals for Cameron Carter-Vickers and Benjamin Siegrist, with Jota also a seemingly imminent arrival at Parkhead on a permanent basis in the near future.

The latest: Hutton on Bernabei

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League full-back and regular BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Hutton has suggested that the Argentina under-21 international can challenge for a starting berth at Parkhead.

The 37-year-old said: “I think he’ll have to have that mindset. There’s no point in coming into a team and thinking that you’re just going to be a squad player.

“By all accounts he’s an aggressive player, he likes to bomb forward and get balls into the box. He scored goals and got assists last season, that tells you the kind of player he is. And he’s the kind of player that Ange Postecoglou wants.

“He wants his fullbacks coming inside or overlapping, creating opportunities for strikers. I think Greg Taylor had a solid season last year, he’s very reliable but he’s not that kind of Kieran Tierney type player who’s going to get forward and put those assists on a platter for people and by all accounts this guy is.

“So he’ll be coming in with a view to starting and really trying to impress. So it’ll be a good battle between the two of them.”

The verdict: Healthy competition

Although Taylor certainly stood up to be counted as Postecoglou’s side were crowned Premiership champions last term, finding a player to act as at least an understudy for the seven-cap Scotland international was crucial ahead of a busy 2022/23 campaign which will have the added workload of Champions League football thrown into the mix.

The 24-year-old scored once and provided four assists in 35 appearances across all competitions last season, earning a 6.96 Sofascore rating as he averaged 1.3 key passes, 4.5 successful duels and one interception per league game, as the marauding left-back adapted to the demands of Celtic’s manager.

Meanwhile, Bernabei – who was described as ‘exciting’ by football writer Rithwik Rajendran – has already notched two goals and two assists during the 2022 season in his homeland whilst earning a staggering 7.57 Sofascore rating, winning 7.2 duels and making 1.2 interceptions and 1.2 key passes per game in the Copa Sudamericana.

Both left-back appear to be similar operators in terms of wanting to have an influence in the final third, so the early weeks of the new campaign should make for fascinating viewing to see who Postecoglou opts for as his first-choice in the position.

Manchester United are looking to hijack Arsenal’s bid for versatile Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez.

What’s the word?

That’s according to John Cross, who writes in The Mirror that Arsenal have been working on a move for the Argentina international over the course of the last two months.

The Dutch giants have slapped a £50m price tag on the centre-back – whom Manchester United are also said to be keen on – with Cross claiming that Arsenal are having to “fend off competition” for the 24-year-old.

However, with Mikel Arteta’s side now reported to have made a new offer for the Ajax star, United will have to move quickly if they wish to have any chance of bringing Martinez to Old Trafford this summer.

Could bring back old Bruno

Last season Bruno Fernandes did not perform as well as everyone knows he can, although admittedly nobody did for this underperforming United side.

Still managing a respectable 16 goal contributions in the league last term, this is a far cry from the astounding 29 goal contributions during the 2020/21 season.

Under Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, and protected by the workmanlike pairing of Scott McTominay and Fred behind him, he thrived.

Perhaps if Erik ten Hag can tempt his former colossus from Ajax to Old Trafford, it could allow Fernandes the creative freedom to recapture his previously world-class form.

Indeed, while it is true that Martinez is predominantly a central defender, his underlying stats outline him as a progressive stopper who can also function in central midfield, and his profile suggests he could even replace the outgoing Nemanja Matic.

He sits in the 99th percentile for progressive passes and the 96th percentile for progressive carries in comparison to centre-backs in Europe’s big five leagues over the course of the last 365 days, while he also averages 1.88 interceptions and 3.13 tackles per 90.

He is a combative player with the impetus to go forward: exactly what the Red Devils have been lacking in recent years.

It is therefore no surprise to Ten Hag has already sung his praises, labelling him an “excellent player” back in 2021.

Having clearly been enamoured with him in the past, it would make perfect sense to bring the Argentina international to Old Trafford and balance what has been an unstable midfield for years now.

If this could in turn benefit the Portuguese midfielder and help catapult him back to his old self, then it truly is a no-brainer, no matter the cost.

AND in other news: “New contact..”: Fabrizio Romano drops huge MUFC transfer update, imagine him & Sancho

Reliable journalist Alasdair Gold has shared the latest update on Christian Eriksen’s potential return to Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

The Lowdown: Eriksen’s Spurs career

The Denmark international departed Hotspur Way in January 2020, joining Serie A giants Inter Milan on a four-and-a-half-year deal.

The attacking midfielder made a stunning 305 appearances for the Lilywhites, in which time he contributed 69 goals and 90 assists, so it is no surprise he’s been dubbed a ‘superstar’ after his return to action this season.

With his contract at Brentford set to expire at the end of the month, Eriksen has received a lot of interest ahead of next season, including plenty from Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici.

The Latest: Gold’s update

Gold has now shared the latest update on Tottenham’s pursuit of Eriksen, amid rumours linking the Dane with a move to Manchester United or with an extended stay at the Bees.

Taking to Twitter, he claimed: “Here’s the latest update on the Christian Eriksen situation for you. Understand Spurs were last in contact with his camp two weeks ago but have not followed that up since. Full details below, including all the interested clubs.”

In the adjacent article, Gold reports that United, Everton, Newcastle, Leicester, West Ham and Brentford have made contact for a deal with the midfielder, as well as Ajax and one unnamed La Liga side.

With his family settled in London, there had been suggestions that the former Inter man was initially keen to remain in the capital, but that is no longer thought to be the case, with so many options on the table for the experienced Premier League midfielder.

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The Verdict: Do it!

Whilst Eriksen hasn’t played too much football in recent times, the Dane ranks in the 99th percentile for assists, expected assists and shot-creating actions when compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year (via FB Ref), showing he is still a dominant creative force.

With Tottenham’s qualification for the Champions League, Conte will be needing more reinforcements to keep his squad in good condition during a hectic playing schedule next season, made even worse by the winter World Cup.

The arrival of someone like Eriksen, with a wealth of experience at the top level, could allow the Italian to rotate a number of options in his attacking ranks, making this a good signing for the Lilywhites and one that injects a big dose of end product into the squad.

In other news: Michael Bridge drops Clement Lenglet transfer claim

Tottenham Hotspur  are interested in Atalanta wing-back Joakim Maehle, according to Danish outlet Tipsbladet (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown

Atalanta signed Maehle from Belgian outfit Genk as recently as January 2021, committing him to a four-and-a-half year contract.

But the 25-year-old was in and out of the side last season, starting only 15 out of a possible 38 league games.

Spurs have already signed a wing-back for their system in Ivan Perisic, but Evening Standard journalist Dan Kilpatrick says they could yet add another.

The latest

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a ‘possible destination’ for Maehle after the Lilywhites ‘expressed an interest’, says the report.

His chances of leaving Bergamo are put at around 30 per cent, but the report does stress that a sale ‘cannot be ruled out’ if Spurs stump up between €20million and €26.7million (£17.2million-£23million).

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The verdict

Maehle may be familiar to English audiences after impressing at last summer’s European Championships.

He scored in a 4-1 win over Russia in the final round of group fixtures to help Denmark reach the knockout phase.

And he was on target again in a 4-o rout of Wales in the Round of 16, before providing an assist in a 2-1 quarterfinal win over the Czech Republic to set up a semifinal meeting with England.

Goal named him in their team of the tournament, dubbing him a ‘phenomenon’ and calling his assist in the last eight ‘outrageous’.

And Zach Lowy labelled the ‘delectable trivela cross’ for Kasper Dolberg ‘the assist of the tournament’.

Based on these showings, he could be an excellent addition.

In other news, The Guardian say Spurs are eyeing this UCL winner.

Leeds United are acting early to ensure that a relegation dogfight isn’t repeated in 2022/23 and it appears they are close to sealing yet another signing at Elland Road…

What’s the word?

The Yorkshire giants have already secured a move for RB Salzburg duo, midfielder Brenden Aaronson (£25m) and right-back Rasmus Kristensen (£10m), and now are honing in on a third arrival.

That’s according to Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Graham Smyth, who delivered a short and snappy five-word update to Twitter, where he said:

“One deal being worked on.”

In an accompanying article, it’s claimed that the Whites are working to complete another signing by the ‘end of next week.’

Busy summer continues

Leeds narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship on the final day of the season, thanks to their 2-1 win over Brentford and some fortune as Burnley were defeated. It would have been a gutting twist in their history, having taken 16 years to get back to the big time in 2020.

Evidently, the wretched campaign left a sour taste on those high up in the hierarchy as they have already sanctioned two big-money deals, despite the transfer window only reopening on Friday.

Aaronson is a hugely promising attacking midfielder that fits Jesse Marsch’s system like a glove, whilst Kristensen is another player that has been coached by the American and will offer more threat down that right flank.

The third signing is unknown at this stage but could quite easily emerge to be Bayern Munich’s bit-part midfielder Marc Roca, who is thought to be attracting £10m interest from the Premier League side in a deal that could be a bargain.

Torino wing-back Ola Aina, NYCFC striker Valentin Castellanos, Liverpool’s Takumi Minamino, and long-time target, Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien have all been linked in recent days, too.

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The fact that Victor Orta and co are already lining up another move is certainly thrilling for the Elland Road faithful, any one of those names would add something to Marsch’s squad, on top of the Salzburg duo.

It’s going to make for an exciting summer and one that could see Leeds’ fortunes change drastically heading into the new season.

AND in other news, David Lynch drops Takumi Minamino transfer update…

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard will be ‘hoping’ to land Rangers defender Calvin Bassey this summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Bassey linked with Villa

Villa have already made four permanent additions this summer. Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen have converted their loan spells into full-time moves, while deals for Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos have been completed.

Bassey has also been linked with a move to Villa Park, with reports towards the end of May even going as far as suggesting that a transfer was close.

Speculation has cooled following the move for Carlos, but O’Rourke thinks that a deal for the Nigerian defender may still be of interest to Gerrard.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments on Bassey

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke said that the Villa manager will be looking to use ‘his past connections’ with Rangers to ‘swing’ a potential deal for Bassey ‘in his favour’.

The journalist stated: “I think for Rangers, they’ll be definitely trying to keep hold of Bassey, but Gerrard will be hoping his past connections with Bassey can maybe swing the deal in his favour, if Rangers do decide to sell.”

The Verdict: Needed?

Described as ‘absolutely sensational’ by Jason Cundy, Bassey can line out as a centre-back and left-back and was a regular at Ibrox this season, making 50 appearances in total.

Villa will now have five senior centre-backs after signing Carlos, but should Newcastle loanee Matt Targett seal a permanent move away from the Midlands, they could be short at left-back.

Meanwhile, Ashley Young is out of contract at the end of June, so Bassey could come in as competition for Lucas Digne while providing yet another centre-back option for Gerrard at Villa Park.

In other news: ‘Incomings…’ – Chief reporter drops what Villa supporters should now ‘expect’ after Olsen move

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring James Tarkowski to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claimed that, with the 29-year-old’s contract at Burnley coming to an end later this month, Victor Orta is keen on the idea of bringing him to LS11 on a free transfer.

However, the report added that Everton, Aston Villa and Leicester City are also keeping a very close eye on the England international’s situation ahead of a potential swoop of their own this summer.

Imagine him & Kristensen

Considering just how impressive Tarkowski has been for Burnley since joining them in February 2016, and with Leeds conceding 79 goals in the Premier League this season – the second-worst record in the top flight, with only bottom club Norwich City shipping more – it is not difficult to understand why Orta would be interested in a deal for the 29-year-old this summer.

Indeed, over his four full Premier League campaigns prior to 2021/22, the £19.8m-rated defender averaged extraordinary seasonal SofaScore match ratings of 7.13 in 2017/18, 7.04 in 2018/19, 7.14 in 2019/20 and 7.09 in 2020/21 – a remarkable feat considering that the Clarets finished seventh, 15th, 10th and 17th in these respective seasons.

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Furthermore, despite Burnley’s relegation from the top flight in 2021/22, the £70k-per-week talent still impressed over his 35 Premier League appearances. He helped his side to keep seven clean sheets, scoring one goal and providing two assists, along with making 1.4 interceptions, 1.8 tackles, 5.2 clearances and winning 6.9 duels (at a success rate of 68%) per game.

These returns saw the player who Andy Jones dubbed “unbelievable” average a SofaScore match rating of 7.15, ranking him not only as the Clarets’ best performer in the league but also as the seventh-best defender in the entire top flight.

As such, it is clear to see that Tarkowski would greatly improve Jesse Marsch’s options at the back, particularly following the Whites’ all-but-confirmed signing of Red Bull Salzburg right-back Rasmus Kristensen.

Indeed, with the 29-year-old having typically operated on the right of Burnley’s centre-back pairing, the prospect of the twice-capped England international lining up alongside the Kristensen in the Whites’ backline will certainly be an incredibly exciting one for both Marsch and the Elland Road faithful. Therefore, we believe that Orta must do all he can to try and seal Tarkowski’s signing this summer.

AND in other news: Orta could unearth the new £103m-rated talent as Leeds now plot bid for “dream” target

Newcastle United’s summer business is set to get underway as the transfer window opens next week and Dan Ashworth is able to get to work.

The former Brighton chief has arrived at St James’ Park as sporting director and will now be working with Eddie Howe to bring in new signings to bolster the squad ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

One player for whom the club have recently been linked with a swoop is Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly. Dean Jones of GIVEMESPORT has revealed that the centre-back is one of the Magpies’ main targets this summer, having worked with Howe at the Vitality Stadium previously.

Imagine him & Dan Burn

The Newcastle head coach can seal a terrifying Magpies centre-back pairing by signing the Cherries defender to pair up with Burn at St James’ Park.

Kelly, who joined Bournemouth for £13m three years ago, enjoyed an excellent season in the Championship as they won promotion to the Premier League, and he has earned plenty of plaudits during his time on the south coast.

Former Cherries boss Jonathan Woodgate previously took the time to salute the defender’s pace, saying: “At the minute he just looks like a bit of a Rolls-Royce doesn’t he? He looked very, very good (against Bristol City).

“I was impressed to be honest with you, especially when (Antoine) Semenyo tried to run him down the line and Semenyo gave him two yards and Lloydy overtook him. It’s eye-catching when things like that happen, especially as a fellow defender. When you see things like that, it’s like ‘you’ve got a bit’.”

In the 2021/22 campaign, Kelly averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.04 in the second tier across 41 appearances for Bournemouth. The 23-year-old won 64% of his duels and made 4.3 clearances per game as his team kept a whopping 20 clean sheets with him involved.

Meanwhile, Burn averaged a score of 6.98 in the Premier League playing for Brighton and Newcastle in the 2021/22 season. He won 60% of his duels and made five clearances per game, whilst also making 2.8 tackles and interceptions per match.

The towering Newcastle defender does not have the pace to make speedy recoveries and chase balls in behind but he can defend one-on-one and be an aggressive defender, as shown by his statistics. This means that pairing him with a player in Kelly who has the speed to cover him would be a dream deal for the Magpies.

Opposition forwards would be terrified by the prospect of either having to challenge Burn in a physical contest or beat Kelly in a foot race, and that is why Newcastle must snap the Bournemouth man up this summer.

AND in other news, PIF plotting NUFC bid for “tremendous” £30m “champion of the world”, he’s Ben Arfa 2.0…

Sunderland’s forgotten man Will Grigg is set to finally depart the club, after finding himself on back-to-back loan spells.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from the Sunderland Echo, who claim that the 30-year-old will be subject of talks between Rotherham United boss Paul Warne and the Northern Irishman’s representatives.

As per the report, Grigg is out of contract at the Stadium of Light this summer and is not expected to be offered a new deal by the Black Cats, with the forward not having donned a Sunderland shirt since last year, in what was a solitary appearance before being chucked back out on loan, this time to Rotherham United.

Millers boss Warne has been impressed with Grigg and has stated his intent to sign the striker, saying this (as per Sheffield Star via Sunderland Echo): “I’m going to have a conversation with his agent.

“I would like to keep Griggy but it’s down to the player. He’ll consider the geography of it, the finances of it, what other offers he gets.“It might be something we sort out in a couple of weeks, it might be something we revisit in July.”Time’s upGrigg, who has scored two goals in League One.He’s played a part that is almost unquantifiable for Warne’s side, though the manager has indeed noted his impact, despite a lack of direct attacking returns:“A striker’s job isn’t just to score. Look at Smudge, he’s been brilliant for us over the years but it’s only this season that he’s scored 20-plus goals.“Griggy was the glue in our team. When he was injured his boots weren’t easy ones to fill.”Whilst that may be the case for Rotherham, Sunderland possess more direct forwards like Ross Stewart, who has just hit 28 goals for the Black Cats in League One this season and with Grigg dubbed as a “Sunderland flop” as per Roker Report, it looks as though his time at the Stadium of Light is finally up.The £6k-per-week earner has been nothing but a disaster since being brought to the club by Stewart Donald back in 2019 for a fee of £4m. It felt like a panic buy at the time and it has not proven to be good business at all with the forward finding the net just 29 times during his stint.It feels like it’s time to finally cut ties with the striker for good.In other news: Sunderland could unearth their next McGeady by signing “brilliant” 33-goal gem 

Rangers may have failed to regain their SPFL title this season, but Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Gers still made it to the Europa League final and the Scottish Cup final.

In their 38 league games, the Ibrox club found the net 80 times in total, 26 more than their upcoming Cup final opponents in third place.

One figure that has played a big part in Rangers’ season is midfielder Joe Aribo, who has played in 56 games across all competitions.

In those appearances, the 25-year-old has scored nine goals and provided ten assists along the way.

While Van Bronckhorst’s side still have one more chance to get their hands on some silverware this weekend to end their season on a positive note, the club will then have the upcoming summer transfer window to make any changes to their squad that they see fit.

In terms of potential incomings, one player that has been linked with a move to Ibrox that could come in and form a scary duo in midfield with Aribo is Billy Gilmour.

Since leaving Rangers’ U17 squad back in 2017 to make his move to Chelsea, the midfielder has gone on to make 66 appearances for their U18 and U23 sides, scoring 16 goals and providing 13 assists in the process.

At senior level, the Scotsman has played in 22 games for Chelsea’s first team and 28 times for Norwich City during his loan spell there this season.

The former Rangers youth star found himself on the receiving end of some hefty praise from Roy Keane who described him as looking like a “world-class” player.

To highlight the 20-year-old’s strengths on the pitch, no other midfielder in Norwich’s squad attempted as many passes in the league this season as Gilmour did.

With that in mind, the Scotland international could give Aribo the chance to get into more goalscoring or goal-creating situations and ramp his numbers up in that regard.

This would surely give the Gers a better chance of being successful domestically and in Europe next season.

If the west London club are willing to let their midfield ace leave Stamford Bridge on another loan deal this summer, Rangers should definitely be in the mix to secure his signature.

In other news: Fewer touches than McGregor: Rangers dud who won just 33% duels let GvB down yesterday