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As a club with a rich history of promoting young talent – from the famed Lisbon Lions right up to current skipper, Callum McGregor – Celtic appear to constantly be churning out up-and-coming stars who can go on to thrive either at Parkhead, or beyond.

One such youngster who is currently creating a lot of buzz in Glasgow at present is promising teenager, Rocco Vata, with the highly-rated 17-year-old – who is the son of ex-Hoops defender Rudi Vata – having already forced his way into the first team.

The gifted playmaker – who has been attracting interest from clubs across Europe in recent times – was notably handed his senior debut by manager Ange Postecoglou back in December despite his youth, with that a marker of just how highly-regarded he is by the Old Firm outfit.

A player with an “exciting future ahead”, according to talent scout Jacek Kulig, the playmaking Irishman was also involved in the club’s Sydney Super Cup voyage during the World Cup break, after previously earning a place in the pre-season friendly trip to Austria.

Although there may be fears that the Glasgow-born gem could follow the likes of Ben Doak in securing a move to the Premier League, with both Manchester City and Arsenal reportedly keeping tabs on his progress, the hope will be that he can go on to make further strides under Postecoglou moving forward.

The 5 foot 9 dynamo has certainly showcased his attacking flair in the youth ranks of late, having already scored 11 goals in all competitions so far this season, including nine goals in just 15 Lowland League games for the club’s ‘B’ team.

Such quality has notably seen Vata earn comparisons to current Chelsea and England star, Raheem Sterling from talent scout Jake McGhee due to his ‘dribbling and flair’, with that an indication of the possible diamond that Postecoglou currently has on his hands.

The fact that the youngster has been described as a player who “has a fantastic ability to beat people and create chances”, according to youth coach Darren O’Dea, appears to showcase just why those Sterling comparisons ring true, with the experienced Englishman also possessing such dynamic traits.

That is evidenced by the fact that the 28-year-old – who, like Vata, can feature all across the forward line – ranks in the top 3% in Europe among his fellow forwards for progressive carries as well as in the top 7% for successful take-ons, thus illustrating his innate knack for breezing past opposition defenders.

The 82-cap speedster is no doubt an impressive figure to be likened to, having most notably racked up 131 goals and 95 assists in 339 games during a glittering spell at the Etihad, while also being described as “frightening” by talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino last year.

To be able to emulate what is arguably a “world-class player” – according to ex-Everton boss Frank Lampard – will take some doing as far as Vata is concerned, although it bodes well for the career that he could go on to enjoy to have been compared to such an elite attacking talent.

Crystal Palace are eyeing a move to bring Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi to the Premier League this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Reinforcements needed

The Selhurst Park outfit are the fifth joint-lowest scoring team in the division so far this season, so whilst Patrick Vieira has managed to steady the ship in the capital, the need for attacking reinforcements to take his side to that next level is evident.

Wilfried Zaha and Jordan Ayew will also both be out of contract at the end of the campaign meaning that the boss will have to find suitable replacements should the duo depart, and it sounds like the 28-year-old has been identified as an ideal candidate.

The Latest: Palace scouting Furuhashi

According to Football Insider, Palace are ‘keeping tabs’ on Furuhashi ahead of a potential move later in the summer where they are looking to make ‘multiple forward signings’.

The Eagles are ‘scouting’ several targets, with the Japanese international ‘one of those’ currently on their wishlist.

The Hoops, however, ‘do not want to lose’ their talisman and it’s reported that the interest from SE25 could ‘trigger’ the club into wanting to offer him a contract extension.

The Verdict: No-brainer

Furuhashi has been hailed for his ‘world-class’ goals by journalist Josh Bunting, and should the opportunity to sign him arise upon the conclusion of the 2022/23 term, Palace should grab it with both hands.

The Asics-sponsored star has clocked up 19 goals and two assists in just 23 Scottish Premiership appearances so far this season where he’s currently averaging 2.6 shots per game.

The Ikoma native would also provide Vieira with plenty of versatility considering he can operate on both flanks as well as at centre-forward, making this a no-brainer of a deal to complete.

Journalist Charles Watts has been felt angered by the number of fouls made on Arsenal star Bukayo Saka that were not spotted by the referee this weekend.

What’s the latest on Bukayo Saka and AFC? In their latest Premier League outings, the Gunners came back from behind twice to beat Aston Villa 4-2 away from home in dramatic fashion.Indeed, two late efforts saw Mikel Arteta’s side pick up all three points in the game and Saka played his part, netting the first of Arsenal’s four goals.However, the winger was on the end of some rough treatment being fouled three times (more than any Villa player) though he also got booked too.While speaking on YouTube after the game, Watts couldn’t believe that the referee only called three fouls in the game, despite Saka getting “destroyed” by the opposition with their poor tackling.He explained (2:48): “Bukayo Saka got absolutely destroyed at Villa Park by the Villa players on Saturday.”The maddest thing was that I looked at the end of the game to see how many times he’d been fouled. And I honestly thought it was going to be eight or nine times. It was three, he got three freekicks given for all the treatment he received against Aston Villa.”He even got booked because he reacted to one of the challenges now this is something we are seeing every single week. And Bukayo Saka was hurt on the weekend. I mean, I was convinced he was going have to come off at one point, he could barely put any weight on his ankle.”It’s no surprise with the treatment he’s getting. And it happens every single week. And it has to be a big, big concern.”What do the fouls on Saka mean for Arsenal?At the moment, Saka’s durability has been one of his biggest assets. After all, he has managed to start every Premier League game so far this season.Seeing as he has netted nine goals and provided eight assists in this time, it’s safe to say he’s been pivotal to the title charge too. However, if he keeps getting kicked about, he may soon pick up an injury.This isn’t a recent issue too. Last season, according to fBref (via Arseblog) Saka was fouled 59 times. The next closest was Gabriel Magalhaes with 38, then Alexandre Lacazette with 29 – so you can see how opposition teams target the winger to try and stop him.This term, Saka has been fouled 40 times and has made 26 of his own, getting booked five times (via fBref). Seeing as he is an attacking player, you’d think the margin between how many fouls he’s suffered and how many he has made would be much greater.What’s more, in comparison, other exciting wingers like Kylian Mbappe and Marcus Rashford have been fouled 21 and 16 times respectively.Clearly, the Arsenal ace is getting kicked around the pitch and this will certainly be a major concern for Arteta if these poor challenges keep on going unpunished.

Wolves centre-back Conor Coady is set to complete a permanent move from Molineux to Everton this summer.

The Lowdown: Coady out on loan

The 29-year-old has been a stalwart for Wanderers down the years, making a total of 317 appearances and helping them get back into the Premier League.

Last summer, Coady traded Wolves for Everton, however, joining on loan and becoming a key man for them this season, starting 21 league matches.

The Englishman is out of contract at Molineux at the end of the 2024/25 campaign but it looks as though he could be moving on well before that date.

The Latest: Deal close

According to Football Insider, Everton will trigger the £4.5million buy option in his loan deal at Goodison Park, joining the club permanently this summer.

Sean Dyche is believed to be a ‘big admirer’ of the Wolves man and fully intends to retain his services moving forward, while the player himself is also happy back in his childhood city.

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The Verdict: Right time to sell

In truth, this comes as no great surprise, with Coady’s departure last summer a clear indication that he didn’t see his long-term future at Molineux.

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While the idea of the centre-back returning to Wolves isn’t necessarily bad, he does turn 30 this Saturday and he is costing Everton £55,000 a week.

Wolves cannot afford to match that amount if he was to want a new deal, especially for a player of his age, so Julen Lopetegui would be wiser to look at younger defensive options this summer.

Coady will certainly be remembered as a great servant for the Old Gold, being hailed as one of the ‘best guys’ in football by Bruno Lage, but now is a natural time to part ways.

During his time at West Ham United, Felipe Anderson could polarise opinion. However, now that the 29-year-old is arguably outperforming his former team-mate Jarrod Bowen, David Moyes may well be regretting the Brazilian’s departure.

Should West Ham have sold Felipe Anderson?

The Hammers signed the tricky winger from Lazio in 2018 in a then club-record deal worth £36m but like many other attacking additions at the London Stadium, he perhaps failed to live up to expectations in the English capital.

In total, the former Brazil international made 73 appearances in West Ham colours, in which he contributed just 12 goals and 13 assists, the vast majority of which came in his debut Premier League campaign.

He struggled to replicate those numbers in his second season with the club, managing just one goal and four assists in 25 Premier League appearances before a loan move to Porto during the 2020/21 campaign.

Moyes felt that it was necessary to cash in on the winger as he targeted new signings in 2021 and Anderson was sold back to Lazio for just £4m, who were probably laughing all the way to the bank after making a £32m profit in what essentially constituted a three-year loan spell away from Italy.

Is Anderson better than Bowen?

Anderson has quickly rediscovered his goalscoring form with Maurizio Sarri’s side, notching 15 goals and 14 assists across the last two seasons, including six goals and three assists in Serie A so far this term.

This has helped him to earn a strong 7.05 rating from WhoScored for his performances in Italy’s top flight and ranks him a long way ahead of Bowen, who has struggled for form this season after a superb 2021/22 campaign.

The former Hull City man has just four goals and one assist in 23 Premier League appearances this season, with WhoScored awarding him a disappointing 6.70 rating for his performances in the top flight.

He has also averaged far fewer dribbles (0.7 vs 1.2), passes (20.2 vs 33.5) and tackles (1.3 vs two) per game than Anderson, which suggests that the Brazilian could still have offered plenty in Moyes’ side.

While the 29-year-old could have been criticised as being a flair player who didn’t work hard enough, the praise that he received from former Barcelona winger and Lazio team-mate Pedro in 2021 suggests that he was perhaps harshly judged and actually works just as hard off the ball as he does when in possession

Pedro said of the former Irons ace: “It is not easy today to interpret that role. Felipe Anderson played a perfect game, fighting, running, recovering balls, and doing all that had to be done.”

His goal return in his debut season in the Premier League suggests that Anderson was unfairly treated by Moyes; and considering his form compared with that of West Ham’s attackers this season, which sees the Hammers ranked as one of the lowest-scoring teams in the English top flight, perhaps the Irons manager is regretting his decision to sell the Brazilian so cheaply in 2021.

Alex Crook believes that Manchester United could finally hand Erik ten Hag the midfielder he craves in Frenkie de Jong.

The Lowdown: Man United will look to improve

United were very interested and keen to sign De Jong last summer as Ten Hag tried to bolster his midfield options but instead, they decided to recruit Casemiro and many may believe they actually got a better deal with the Brazilian given his performances.

However, Man United are still being linked with De Jong despite his persistence against joining the Red Devils last summer as Ten Hag looks to build upon what has been a very solid season of progress and rebuild.

The Red Devils will have been buoyed recently by the news that Barcelona are set to be hit with a transfer ban this summer, which could indeed force them into a sort of fire sale, including De Jong.

The Latest: De Jong could move to Old Trafford

Crook has admitted on TalkSPORT that despite their failed attempts to land De Jong last summer, Ten Hag may finally be reunited with the former Ajax player this upcoming transfer window.

He said: (0:30) “Of course, De Jong got a bit of a taste of the feel-good factor that’s certainly reverberating around Old Trafford when Barcelona were dumped out of the Europa League at United last week.

“I think this is one that could happen and I think Manchester United fans should be excited, Casemiro alongside De Jong in midfield that is top quality.”

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The Verdict: Ten Hag could assemble monster midfield

It will be mouthwatering for Man United fans to imagine a midfield duo of Casemiro and De Jong, players who’ve played at the very top level of the game and the latter has been hailed as the ‘best player on the ball’ after his El Classico display on Thursday night.

De Jong may well have got a taste for moving to Old Trafford after experiencing the atmosphere last week during Barcelona’s Europa League defeat, however, given that the Catalonian giants are thriving in the league, it will be a tough choice for him to make.

If Ten Hag was to be handed De Jong this summer as well as a proven goalscorer then there would be no reason why the Red Devils couldn’t become serious title contenders next season based on their form as of late.

BBC pundit Alan Hutton has claimed that Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou could be tempted by a summer exit if a big offer arrives for the Australian.

What’s the latest on Postecoglu at Celtic?

Postecoglou has found great success at Celtic, winning the league in his first season, as well as two league cups, whilst he also looks set to retain the Scottish Premiership.

He has been linked with Premier League jobs in the past as interest grows in the 57-year-old, and it has now been mooted that he could be tempted by a move.

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton praised the job he has done at Celtic, whilst also hinting that a move is not impossible.

“You can never say never in football,” he stated.

“You just do not know what is round the corner.

“One thing I would say is that what he has done is remarkable and no wonder there is other teams looking at him.

“The turnaround, the recruitment, the players that he has brought in have been excellent. He is performing at a high level and he comes across as a really genuine guy.

Where could Postecoglou move to?

Given the support he has at Celtic, it would likely take a big offer to convince Postecoglou to leave Glasgow for the Premier League, and it remains to be seen what roles are available at the end of the season.

Antonio Conte’s future at Tottenham Hotspur looks uncertain, but the club may look to hire someone with previous experience in the Premier League should the Italian depart, with their last four permanent appointments being managers who had previously coached another English side.

Further down the table, Patrick Vieira has come in for criticism amidst poor form at Crystal Palace, and should they choose to fire the Frenchman, a move to South London could be a possibility if Postecoglou is keen on the move.

If fellow former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers departs Leicester City, Postecoglou could follow the same route, with the Foxes previously mooted as a possible destination.

If an appealing offer does not arrive for Postecoglou, then he will stay at the club, given his current level of success and popularity amongst the fanbase.

Liverpool have not been at the races this season, falling from their pedestal at the forefront of domestic and continental football and now struggling to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Indeed, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds languish in fifth in the Premier League, six points adrift from fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, and fell in the early stages of both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.

And with Anfield receiving a 5-2 drubbing at the hand of Real Madrid in this term’s Champions League round-of-16 first leg, the Merseyside outfit’s German manager has his work cut out to reinstate the cohesion and intensity that has waned over the duration of the campaign.

Every department of the field has been affected, and while offensive seasonal signings Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo, landed for £85m and £35m respectively, have tantalised promise of success, the attacking line has not been what it once was, especially given the £35m departure of prolific stalwart Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich.

And with recent news that Klopp favourite Roberto Firmino will depart from Anfield at the end of his contract, further concerns have consequently risen.

Firmino has made 355 appearances for the Reds, scoring 108 goals and supplying 79 assists, integral in the club’s ascension and subsequent clinching of a wealth of major honours including the Premier League and Champions League, also scoring ten goals and providing five assists from just 16 starts this season.

Thus, attention will turn to who can replace him with Lewis Koumas potentially one prodigy set to benefit.

Who is Lewis Koumas?

With such burning requirement for reinforcements at Liverpool, spending a lucrative fee on a replacement for the 31-year-old Firmino might not be the most prudent move, given the offensive ranks at the club boast the likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota as well as the aforementioned Nunez and Gakpo.

That’s why academy prospect Koumas – son of former Premier League player Jason Koumas – deserves a shot at ascending to the first-team fold, having impressed for the club’s academy.

“He’s a good footballer. He’s very good at running without the ball, he is very good at running forwards. His movement and timing is excellent – and he likes to finish,” Liverpool coach Marc Bridge-Wilkinson once described of the prodigy to The Athletic.

The 17-year-old possesses an innate striking instinct, having scored seven goals and provided three assists from just six matches in the U18 Premier League this season,  also scoring twice from as many games in the UEFA Youth League.

Also speaking to The Athletic, Koumas’ former youth coach Danny Hart stated: “He played like a 16-year-old when he was 10. It was just bizarre, the quality he had. From that first trial alone he was just unreal. He was like the driver and the engine. You could play him wherever you needed to.

“He was such an athlete, which helped, and he was so switched on tactically. You could give him the ball and he knew what to do with it. All of the players looked up to him.”

Praised by Andy Kelly for one performance where he “worked his socks off”, Koumas certainly boasts the cutting edge and work-rate to replace Firmino and eventually earn a place in Klopp’s system over the coming years, giving the copious ranks up front for the senior side, investing in youth and providing the exciting talent with the platform to make a mark could unearth the next club’s next star.

Glasgow Rangers’ transfer business has been well documented throughout the previous 25 years, with plenty of money being spent in order to vastly improve the squad and progress in Europe, especially under former chairman Sir David Murray.

The club won nine league titles in a row between 1988 and 1997 and in the first few years after the millennium, Murray wanted the Ibrox side to take the next step and become a European force. Of course, millions would need to be spent to achieve this goal, and they were, just ultimately on the wrong players.

When manager Dick Advocaat splash out £6.5m on Everton defender Michael Ball back in 2001, it looked as though the Light Blues had signed a player of considerable quality. It didn’t quite work out well for the left-back unfortunately during his spell at the club.

How much did Michael Ball cost Rangers?

At the time, the deal to bring Ball to Ibrox was the second highest in the club’s history and much hype was generated upon his arrival.

He missed 18 months of football early on in his Rangers career due to knee problems suffered at Everton and this heavily impacted the trajectory of his career.

The Englishman played just nine matches during his first season at the club and missed the whole of the 2002/2003 treble winning campaign.

40 matches in 2003/2004 was his best season at the Glasgow side, although in his last few years, he had to come to a strange agreement with Murray. If Ball played one more match, Rangers would have to pay another £500k to Everton and with the Gers short on money, Ball agreed to pay per appearance.

He said: "I remember it was a match at Ibrox when the gaffer Alex McLeish said the chairman wanted to see me – that's when he put the idea to me.

"Alex asked how it went, and I was still a little bit shocked about what had just happened.

"I had agreed to pay £4000 every time I played so they could pay Everton.

"I wasn't sure if I had got it right. We had a bit of a chuckle about it and later that day I came on as a sub with a few minutes left. I remember thinking 'that's just cost me four grand'!"

All in all, he made 67 appearances for the club across five and half seasons, which works out at around £97k per game in relation to his initial transfer fee – excluding wages – and this simply wasn’t money that Rangers could afford to waste.

If he managed to keep himself fit, there is no doubt he could have enjoyed a wonderful career in Scotland, however it proved to be a massive transfer shocker by Murray.

Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is reportedly wanted by three different Premier League clubs ahead of a likely summer exit from Anfield.

The Lowdown: Ox on the move?

The 29-year-old joined the Reds back in the summer of 2017, making the move from Arsenal and looking to be a key part of the Jurgen Klopp revolution.

Unfortunately, Oxlade-Chamberlain suffered a cruciate ligament injury late in his first season at the club, robbing him of a chance of playing in the 2018 Champions League final.

Since then, injuries have continued to affect the Englishman and he has increasingly been a peripheral figure under Klopp, almost becoming something of a forgotten man.

This season, Oxlade-Chamberlain has only started four league games and only 17 minutes of action has come his way in the Champions League.

His current Liverpool contract expires at the end of this season, and with an extension highly unlikely to be signed, he will move on to pastures new.

The Latest: Three clubs keen on signing

According to Football Insider, Southampton, Brighton and Leicester City are all keen on acquiring Oxlade-Chamberlain’s signature during the summer transfer window.

It is noted that Saints are keen on bringing the midfielder back to the club where he initially made a name for himself, although relegation could scupper their chances of a move coming to fruition.

Meanwhile, Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi sees Oxlade-Chamberlain as a strong addition to bolster his midfield options, and Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers is also an admirer.

The Verdict: Reds career has petered out

It makes complete sense for the 35-cap England international to leave Liverpool this summer, with his constant fitness issues making a new deal a needlessly risky idea.

He turns 30 this summer, too, and is simply not the force he was prior to the serious knee injury five years ago, in terms of his dynamism and match-winning potential.

Klopp has hailed Oxlade-Chamberlain as a ‘spectacular’ player in the past but he will surely know his race is run, with younger, less injury-prone signings required in the summer.

He should be remembered for playing an important role during a legendary period at Liverpool, though, having won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup, among other trophies, scoring 18 goals and registering 15 assists along the way.

He can still do a good job for a lower-ranked Premier League team, and should they stay in the top flight, a return to Southampton would be the most nostalgic move for him.