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Former Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez is just one manager who has been linked with the vacant Celtic managerial post in recent weeks.

Former Premier League striker Marlon Harewood has given the Hoops the green light over a potential deal for the Spaniard.

Benitez, 60, left Chinese Super League outfit Dalian Professional back in January and remains out of work despite, being offered to return to Italian side Napoli.

The Spaniard has led 12 different senior sides throughout his career, averaging a two-year period at each club.

Speaking of the possibility of seeing Benitez in the Parkhead dugout, Harewood, talking to Football FanCast, said:

“It’d be good if they can get him. Wow, that’d be a massive appointment for them. Obviously, it’s hard when you talk about [Scottish] football [to ignore] Celtic. Everyone looks forward to the Celtic-Rangers games.”

However, the former forward did have his concerns if Benitez would make the move to Glasgow.

“It’s hard to get a manager to go up there and be excited, so they obviously have to get a package together for him to go up there.”

Transfer Tavern take

Benitez was reportedly on a $15.83m (£11.4m) salary at Dalian Professional, with some believing his departure from the club was related to a pending decrease in that number.

Former Hoops boss Neil Lennon’s base salary was thought to be around £2.4m, so, financially, a deal for Benitez looks extremely unlikely.

Celtic also announced a pre-tax loss of almost £6m just last month, so they may not have the cash needed to hand Benitez to lead a Parkhead rebuild.

It remains to be seen who will be the next Hoops boss, but from the outside looking in, we don’t think it will be Benitez.

In other news: Could Celtic have another suitor for Edouard?

Numerous fans of Manchester City have been reacting to a post on Twitter which relayed a report regarding the future of Riyad Mahrez.

According to the report by The Telegraph, European clubs have “been alerted” to the potential availability of the Algerian this summer, as the 30-year-old is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal at City with two seasons left to run his current contract.

The report continues by claiming that the £160,000-a-week winger is approaching a time when City players would typically open talks regarding an extension to their contract, but no offer has yet been made by the club.

After City Xtra relayed the report on Twitter, many fans of Manchester City flocked to have their say on the matter, with plenty appearing to be delighted at the prospect of their club selling the £37.8m-rated Algerian at the end of the season during which he has received some strong criticism from a section of supporters.

So, what exactly did these Manchester City fans have to say in reaction to the report regarding Mahrez?

“Sell him and get Grealish. Problem solved.”

@MCFCAJ10

“Sell him.”

@not_aguero

“Would sell this summer, personally, if we can.”

@AndrewWolf88

“He’s good but when a winger’s age is starting to be over 30 it can be a good time to cash in on and get Grealish.”

@0ctaneMain

“Mahrez can go! Thank you for your service!”

@Conversator

“Oh well doesn’t want a new contract he can leave then.”

@emperor_teejhay

“Thanks for everything, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

@TomYates9816

In other news: these Manchester City fans were left ecstatic by Sam Lee’s transfer update – find out more here!

In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, Steve Bull, who made 561 appearances for Wolves, has claimed that if his former club signed Oli McBurnie from Sheffield United, it could be a smart signing and not a waste of money.

The £20,000-per-week striker has been linked with a £15 million move to Molineux this summer despite being part of a poor Sheffield United side and contributing just the one goal this season.

Wolves may not be in a position to sign players immediately, as The Athletic have reported that Fosun International will not be offering as big a transfer budget as usual for Nuno Espirito Santo.

Speaking on why McBurnie would not be a waste of money for Wolves and what he could bring to the side, Bull told The Transfer Tavern:

“I wouldn’t say he would be a waste of money because he’s a decent striker who will score goals, and he might turn out to be a vital player that comes off the bench and scores.

“I think chairman and owners have got money coming out of their ears and they just seem to always find money from somewhere, so if they want to pay it then they’ll find money from somewhere and get him on board.”

The Transfer Window podcast also reported that Fosun International are also willing to listen to reasonable offers for Pedro Neto, Ruben Neves and Adama Traore as they look to sell before they buy this summer.

Since 2016, Fosun International have spent a total of £235 million on bringing permanent signings to Wolves which may have forced them to take a step back this summer.

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson has touted an exit for West Ham United ace Fabian Balbuena after a Hammers source claimed he is ‘more likely than not’ to leave when his contract expires at the end of June.

Balbuena, who briefly forced his way into David Moyes’ starting eleven alongside Angelo Ogbonna at the back end of last year, has since had to watch from the sidelines as summer signing Craig Dawson takes his mantle.

Both Dawson and Issa Diop appear to be the favoured natural centre-back choices as Ogbonna continues his recovery from injury, and with no new contract offer on the table for Balbuena, Robinson is expecting his exit.

West Ham exit touted by Robinson

A West Ham source, speaking to the same outlet, also claims that he is more likely than not to exit upon his contract expiry – prompting Robinson to drop his take on the Paraguayan.

“I think he will leave this summer, he is too far gone into his contract now,” explained Robinson.

“If it hasn’t been sorted by now it does not look very likely.

“His exit would give David Moyes another space in the squad and more wages to be able to manipulate a squad and a side that he wants.

“It takes managers time to get the squad that they want. There is always a demand on instant success but that is not always possible. If you give manager’s time it pays dividends.”

Transfer Tavern take

Lauded as ‘brilliant’ by journalist Sam Delaney for his run of form in the side late last year (U Irons podcast), it is unclear whether we will see that again from Balbeuna this season or in future as his contract runs down.

In other news: West Ham lead this race for this defender, find out more here.

Everton could jeopardise Jarrad Branthwaite’s future at the club with a move to sign Real Sociedad defender Modibo Sagnan during the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to France Football, via Sport Witness, Toffees chiefs have requested information on Sagnan’s future at the Anoeta Stadium ahead of a potential future move.

The 21-year-old centre-back has caught the attention of Everton, who are said to admire his potential after breaking through into Imanol Alguacil’s first-team plans this season.

Sagnan joined Sociedad in 2019 from academy side RC Lens but failed to make his presence felt before leaving for Spanish second-tier outfit CD Mirandes on loan in the following January window, having made just one appearance.

Alguacil has been more forthcoming with chances this term, with Sagnan featuring 13 times across all competitions, including being given six starting roles in 10 La Liga games to help the Txuri-urdinak challenge for European qualification.

His chance came following an injury for teammate Aritz Elustondo in the warm-up of their Europa League Group Stage tie with SSC Napoli in October, after which Alguacil vocalised his support of Sagnan.

“We believe he has potential, I am happy with the level that he gave,” the Sociedad boss said, via quotes by El Desmarque who note Sagnan offered a solid presentation of his talents and cause to believe he can become an important aspect of the San Sebastian outfit’s backline in years to come.

Sagnan is under contract at the Anoeta Stadium through to the summer of 2024, but may be offered a move to the Premier League with recent reports by Onze Mondial also crediting Everton with interest in the £2.5m-rated prospect.

Signing Sagnan at Branthwaite’s cost

Everton moving to sign Sagnan to provide further cover in Carlo Ancelotti’s defensive ranks could come at the cost of Branthwaite, who last week joined Blackburn Rovers on loan until the end of the season.

Branthwaite had struggled to secure any minutes in the Toffees’ first-team this term as a result of an ankle injury, which restricted the 18-year-old to a mere 24 minutes in the Carabao Cup and accepting a seat on the bench in four Premier League fixtures.

Ancelotti was bowled over by Branthwaite last season when the youngster was given a surprise summoning just months on from joining from Carlisle United, with the Italian claiming he was “really happy” with how the teen had fared.

The 6 ft 5 colossus has continued to impress now that he’s at Ewood Park after turning in a brilliant debut over the weekend, that left Rovers boss Tony Mowbray pleased with his decision amid an injury crisis in defence.

“Jarrad was very good. I think he keeps things simple and just does his job, which is remarkable considering he’s 18,” he said, via quotes by the Lancashire Telegraph. “Generally, he did exceptionally well. His distribution was good, he competed very well, and he looked steady.”

But Everton adding Sagnan to the ranks beside Michael Keane, Mason Holgate, Yerry Mina and Ben Godfrey would make competition for minutes an even tougher ordeal next season, and make Branthwaite’s time with Rovers increasingly important to ensure he returns with a role to occupy.

AND in other news, Everton must end the 14-year club association of a player completely frozen out by Carlo Ancelotti…

After grabbing all three points in a controversial Premier League encounter with Southampton, Aston Villa will be looking to make it two wins on the bounce when they host West Ham United this Wednesday.

Dean Smith’s side are still hoping to nab a European place come the end of this campaign, but the Hammers have aspirations of their own after a surprise season. David Moyes’ side were beaten by Liverpool last time out, but they had racked up an incredible six wins in all competitions prior to that result.

Smith is not expected to make major changes for the clash with the Irons, but we expect a couple of tweaks, and below is a look at how Villa might line up.

In goal, Emiliano Martinez will be hoping for yet another clean sheet after sealing his tenth of the season with a superb performance against Southampton, as the Argentina international continues to cement himself as one of the top flight’s finest shot-stoppers.

Matt Targett has been superb recently and should not lose his place, so we don’t forsee any changes in the back four. The Villa boss confirmed an injury issue for Kourtney Hause in the build-up to this match, so keeping Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa fit over these coming weeks will now be essential.

In midfield, Morgan Sanson is pushing for his full debut after joining from Ligue 1 giants Marseille, and although he hasn’t exactly set the world alight so far, Smith seemed to hint that the Frenchman is in his plans to get his first start against Moyes’ men tonight.

The 26-year-old’s availability gives Smith somewhat of a selection headache, but if he does start, Douglas Luiz looks to be the likely partner given the defensive balance he can bring, meaning popular Scotland star John McGinn would be the one to miss out.

Further forward, £40,000-a-week winger Anwar El Ghazi is surely due a chance to break back into the side after losing his place to Bertrand Traore – the Burkina Faso forward hasn’t exactly made the spot his own despite some flashes of good form.

All in all, after the win against Southampton Smith is unlikely to completely overhaul his XI, but we think these couple of tweaks could make all the difference to give Moyes a headache of his own.

Predicted XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Luiz, Sanson; El Ghazi, Barkley, Grealish; Watkins.

Loads of Everton fans have been lauding an update from the Goodison Park faithful as Tom Cannon has signed a professional contract with the club.

As per the official website of the Merseyside club, the 18-year-old has signed a two-year deal that will keep him at the Toffees until the end of June 2023.

Cannon has impressed both at U18 and U23’s level for the Blues, scoring no fewer than 23 goals and making a further eight assists in 41 games in total over all competitions across the last three consecutive terms (Transfermarkt).

Carlo Ancelotti will certainly be keeping an eye at youth level for any talent that he can promote to the senior team, and the striker is one that will eventually be looking to break into the squad with more good performances for the rest of this season.

Everton fan reaction to Cannon update

These EFC supporters lauded the update on Twitter, with one fan even going as far to claim that Cannon is a ‘proper talent’:

“Congratulations Tom, well deserved for you and all the family…hard working starts now!!”

Credit: @PeterCronin00

“Got a bit of a swagger about him.”

Credit: @bernieo63

“This lad is a proper talent. Congrats mate!”

Credit: @NTylerVI

“Welcome Tom. Only the best is good enough.”

Credit: @gill_mcmahon

“Well done Tom, hopefully see you soon.”

Credit: @1878Johnny

“Best of luck Tom – what a great achievement”

Credit: @greenie1878

In other news, find out what early news before Burnley has left fans fuming here!

Some Southampton fans were left fuming at the display of Danny Ings in his side’s 0-0 draw against West Ham United in the Premier League.

So often the talisman for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team, the England international did not have the best of games at St. Mary’s Stadium, as he recorded a very measly 6.1 overall rating on Sofascore, the lowest out of any player to have set foot on the pitch.

The 28-year-old failed to win any of his eight duels in the entire game, and also never managed to record a single shot on goal or a single successful dribble (Sofascore).

He also had fewer touches than his own goalkeeper in Alex McCarthy in the match, and also failed to register a single key pass, all while losing possession of the ball no fewer than 13 times (Sofascore).

The striker did not escape criticism from some SFC supporters on Twitter after his quite dismal performance.

Southampton fan reaction to Ings display

These Southampton fans slammed his performance, with one even claiming that he was ‘invisible’ in the clash:

“Quite literally, the worst game Ings has had in a #saintsfc shirt. Why play him when he’s not fit?”

Credit: @Jimwhite72

“#SaintsFC lethargic tonight. Ings and more off the pace. Would have liked to have seen Armstrong on 10 minutes earlier. Still, another point and another clean sheet in a difficult period of congested games. Onwards.”

Credit: @JamesConverge

“What a tired, dreary #SaintsFC performance that was. Starting to become a habit at the moment. West Ham came for a point and defended well but just like Fulham and Man City we just played it about with no belief we could score. Ings looks a shadow at the moment.”

Credit: @jonokli

“Another poor performance. The left hand side is pretty much redundant. We an equivalent to KWP ASAP, Bertrand finished IMO. Ings well short too and never looked like scoring again. Only positive is a clean sheet #SaintsFC”

Credit: @jamesalexwhite7

“Ings has been fairly invisible, not fully fit #saintsfc”

Credit: @sfcpaul100

“What’s happened to our goals and Danny Ings. Getting worrying #SaintsFC”

Credit: @SputhamptonFC

In other news, find out why Saints are raving about one particular stat here!

The 2020/21 Premier League campaign is already shaping up to be a season not quite like any other.

With empty stadiums and the traditionally dominant sides struggling to hit the ground running after shortened summer layoffs, there has been a ridiculous amount of goals in the top-flight this term – 221 scored across seven matchdays.

So amid these incredibly unusual circumstances, which players are flourishing the most?

With that in mind, we bring you GIVEMESPORT’s Fans’ Player of the Month award, this first edition of the season looking back at the first two months of Premier League action.

Browse through our six nominees and then cast your vote below…

The Goalkeepers

Nominee: Karl Darlow

Due to the high-scoring nature of this season, it’s not an ideal time to be a goalkeeper in the Premier League. Only four goalkeepers have kept more than two clean sheets so far, while just ten have recorded more than one and a mere three have done so in 50 percent of their games or more.

Nonetheless, when we look at the saves rankings one name does stand out – Newcastle United’s Karl Darlow. Despite not being first-choice at St. James’ Park, that honour belonging to the injured Martin Dubravka, the 30-year-old is a whopping six saves ahead of any other Premier League goalie this term with 34 in total.

He’s also one of just three goalkeepers to have saved a penalty this season and ranks second for percentage of saves from shots faced, only beaten by Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy.

In fact, the summer signing can count himself a little unfortunate not to make this list; he’s saved all four of the attempts at his goal so far this season, keeping three clean sheets in as many games, but missed out through the sheer fact his Premier League career thus far is limited to 270 minutes of action.

The Defenders

Nominee: Ben Chilwell

While any member of Wolves’ backline deserves an honourable mention for being part of pretty much the only Premier League defence consistently keeping clean sheets right now, tactical evolutions in recent years have obliged us to judge defenders as much on what they can contribute in possession as the protection they provide without the ball.

In that respect, Andrew Robertson is one of the usual suspects with three goal involvements already, while Kurt Zouma has made the net ripple three times with booming headers from corners and Aaron Cresswell’s deadliness from set pieces has resulted in three assists for the Hammers.

Youngster Tariq Lamptey’s been earning rave reviews too for his dynamic displays down Brighton’s right-hand side but our only defensive nominee this time around is Ben Chilwell: as well as producing a virtuoso display on his Premier League debut for Chelsea with a goal and assist against Crystal Palace, he’s been present for all three of the Blues’ clean sheets this term, having conceded six goals in their three games without him.

The England international’s influence is already being felt at Stamford Bridge, looking well worth Frank Lampard’s sizeable summer investment.

The Midfielders

Nominees: Jack Grealish, Mohamed Salah

They say No.10s are going out of fashion – just look at Mesut Ozil’s plummet into obscurity at Arsenal – but Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish is nothing if not an epicentre of creativity, flair and netting prowess for the rest of Dean Smith’s side to revolve around.

Throughout the entire of the Premier League, Grealish ranks second for assists and tenth for goals, as well as fourth for dribbles per game and third for key passes per game. He also lays claim to arguably the most exceptional individual performance in the Premier League so far this season, inspiring Villa’s incredible 7-2 romping of Liverpool with two goals and three assists.

Winger-forwards, on the other hand, are very much in vogue and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah remains one of world football’s archetypes. He finished fifth in the Premier League’s scoring rankings last season but appears determined to reclaim the Golden Boot this time out, having thus far netted seven times in as many games. If he can maintain that potency Liverpool will have a great chance of successfully defending the title.

Other midfielders have stood out in the first seven matchdays of the Premier League, albeit not quite enough to earn nominations. Saints skipper and free kick wizard James Ward-Prowse has netted three times while willingly partaking in the midfield dirty work, while Everton’s James Rodriguez is surely the front-runner for signing of the season; in five of his six top flight outings, he’s recorded at least two key passes, dribbles and shots, and that consistent influence has resulted in three goals and three assists.

Should either of those keep it up, they’ll be in with a huge chance of making next month’s nominations.

The Strikers

Nominees: Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Far from the days when the constant influx of foreign players was deemed to have significantly impeded the chances of English footballers making it in the Premier League, nine of the 14 players to have scored at least 4 goals this term were in fact born in this country and thankfully for England fans, all but two of those (Jamie Vardy – retired, Wilfried Zaha – declared for Ivory Coast) are available to Gareth Southgate.

Chief amongst those is joint-top scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has averaged more than a goal per game with eight from seven outings and is already in sight of eclipsing his Premier League total from last season (13). Whether the 23-year-old’s scoring exploits have staying power remains to be seen, but those tough training sessions with Everton’s iconic-striker-come-assistant-manager Duncan Ferguson are clearly paying off, earning him a nomination for our first awards of the season.

Meanwhile, just when it seemed we all knew everything there is to know about Harry Kane, the England skipper has added another string to his bow, suddenly proving to be as effective a provider as he is a goalscorer.

As well as holding his own in the Premier League scoring charts with six goals, he’s also notched up a division-best eight assists – seven of which have gone straight to Spurs team-mate Heung-min Son, who was unlucky to miss out on a nomination himself as the Premier League’s fellow top scorer alongside Calvert-Lewin.

Vardy, Ollie Watkins and Patrick Bamford all deserve a shoutout for bagging hat-tricks already this season, while Callum Wilson’s electric start to life at Newcastle has somehow slipped under the radar with seven goal involvements in as many games.

But Kane and Calvert-Lewin have been a level above the rest of the class, completing a very competitive opening list of monthly nominees for 2020/21.

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Glasgow Rangers’ move for Norwich City midfielder Kenny McLean could be back on after Daniel Farke revealed he could be back from his injury as early as Christmas.

McLean could be available

The £2.88m-valued Scotland international (Transfermarkt) twisted his knee and suffered a meniscus tear in a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough earlier this month. This is the kind of injury that can sometimes keep players out for four to five months, seemingly leaving a deal with Rangers dead in the water.

However, Canaries manager Farke has delivered some surprising news, saying that McLean could be back an awful lot sooner. He explained:

“For the long term, some good news.

“Kenny McLean could have been out for four or five months but that’s not the case.

“He could be back around Christmas.”

Good news for a transfer?

McLean is a Rangers fan from childhood, which may be one of the reasons why he has been linked with a move to Ibrox. He has made 57 appearances for Norwich, including 37 in the Premier League last season, and he has picked up 17 caps for his country.

Had McLean been out injured for as long as was originally suggested, there would have been no point in Steven Gerrard and co making a move for the 28-year-old. However, now that he could be fit as early as this month, McLean could still be acquired in January to give the 54-time Scottish champions that extra boost as they look to get their hands on a first piece of major silverware since 2011.

In other news, this shock Champions League result could have a big impact on Glasgow Rangers.