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According to Sky Sports, Arsenal are monitoring Hibernian left-back Josh Doig.

What’s the story?

With Sead Kolasinac having joined Bundesliga side Schalke on loan in the January transfer window, Arsenal are short of options at left-back, with Kieran Tierney the Gunners’ only natural, senior option in that position.

And now, Sky Sports claim that along with Celtic and Chelsea, Mikel Arteta’s side are also tracking Hibs’ 18-year-old defender, Doig, and that they are closely monitoring his progress.

Edu can sign the next Tierney

Hailed by Hibernian boss Jack Ross as being “brilliant” this season, Doig has broken onto the scene for the Scottish Premiership side, making 16 appearances in the league alone.

Goal claim that “scouts have noted Doig’s attacking output as a huge part of his game, with his crossing ability and tireless running two of his key attributes”.

And when you look at the last Scottish left-back that Arsenal bought – Kieran Tierney – you can see why Doig could be another shrewd acquisition from the Gunners’ scouting team.

Tierney has been a revelation since his arrival from Celtic, and has been one of the Gunners’ stand-out, and most consistent, performers this campaign – he’s missed only three games in the Premier League, and has picked up three assists, including a virtuoso display against West Brom when he scored one and made one too.

Then, when you factor in the fact Kolasinac could be set for a more permanent exit in the summer – Arteta allowed the Bosnian to leave the club on loan and join Schalke this month even despite the lack of depth in that position – and it makes that much more sense for the Gunners to wave goodbye to the man signed by Arsene Wenger, and bring in Doig.

Meanwhile, this Arsenal star was outstanding against Southampton…

With just hours left in the January transfer window, rumours and speculation continue to fly. Celtic find themselves linked with a number of potential targets to help with damage limitation in what can only be described as a disappointing season.

According to Sheelagh McLaren, Celtic are trying to squeeze in a last-gasp defensive signing today. They are reportedly looking to snap up a centre-back on loan, which would be a smart bit of business from Peter Lawwell and co.

The Hoops have all but handed over their Premiership title to Glasgow rivals Rangers, who top the table with a mammoth 23 point advantage. Celtic’s lacklustre Europa League spell has also put heavy strain on Neil Lennon’s position, which is being called into question. The Scottish giants have found themselves linked to the likes of Rafael Benitez and Frank Lampard as Lennon’s chances of staying at the club look doubtful.

However, if the Irishman was ever going to buy himself some more time at Celtic, it would be today. The Bhoys are in desperate need of some new defensive options and if Lennon can get a deal over the line before the January window shuts, he could stall his impending sacking.

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Summer loan signing Shane Duffy has been a huge disappointment since moving to Parkhead. Talks have even emerged over his deal being cut short this month. Indeed, should the Brighton man make a shock early exit, Lennon will need recruits.

Christopher Jullien has been victim of ongoing injuries this season, missing out on a total of 29 fixtures due to back and knee problems. The Frenchman also missed three further games due to self-isolation, according to Transfermarkt. This has had a huge impact on Celtic, who have even resorted to fielding youngster Stephen Welsh to fill in during absences.

Should Lennon make a statement by bringing in a new centre-back, he will be showing both the club and the fans that he has intent to right his wrongs from this season. By recruiting personnel Celtic desperately need, the manager could buy himself more time at the club and give himself the best chance of returning to action in 2021/22 and snatching the title back from Rangers with an improved squad.

In other news, Olivier Ntcham loan move could be beginning of the end…

Jordan Pickford was Carlo Ancelotti’s real hero as Everton recorded the first away win over Liverpool in 22-years during Saturday’s 2-0 Merseyside derby triumph at Anfield.

Goals from Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson in either half dealt Jurgen Klopp’s defending Premier League champions their fourth-straight home defeat, having gone almost four years without losing a top-flight fixture on Reds soil before Burnley’s 1-0 win last month.

You had to go back even further for the last time that the Toffees had won on their travels across Stanley Park, with Walter Smith’s Blues running out 1-0 victors in September 1999 for the Goodison Park natives’ last win away to their rivals.

The clock has now been reset on Everton’s unwanted record, and Ancelotti’s men’s rare win was enough for the Toffees to move level with Liverpool in sixth-place while closing the gap to the top-four to just three points after Southampton held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw.

But Everton still have a game in hand over Thomas Tuchel’s Blues and can look to further solidify their challenge for a European qualifying berth thanks to Pickford’s exploits between the posts on Saturday.

In challenging conditions with the wind swirling around Anfield, Pickford frequently provided pivotal saves to keep his side a goal to the good. The England number one proved a particular bane for Jordan Henderson in the first half and Mohamed Salah in the second.

Henderson had appeared on course to pull Liverpool level in the 20th minute with a beautiful outside-foot volley, only for Pickford to fly down to his right-hand side and fingertip his compatriot’s effort round the post.

Pickford had already punched away a dangerous cross from Sadio Mane in the opening stages to deny Curtis Jones, as the midfielder waited at the back post with an open goal in front of him. He would again deny Mane after the break and confidently collected another delivery when Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross floated into the £100,000-per-week shot-stopper’s box.

Salah again forced a vital save from the £23.5m-rated ace in the 69th-minute, with Pickford decisively smothering the Egypt winger’s attempt on goal after a nice piece of interplay between Roberto Firmino and Xherdan Shaqiri.

Pickford’s performance was a showcase of the best the 26-year-old can be and the perfect retort to his critics after the slating received for his challenge on Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk in the reverse fixture in October.

The 30-cap ‘keeper, who made six saves in total – above the Premier League-high average of 4.13 a game recorded by West Bromwich Albion’s Sam Johnstone – further took 47 touches on Saturday, only Mason Holgate (48) and Lucas Digne (51) registered more for Everton, per WhoScored.

Pickford also registered his best SofaScore match rating across all competitions for club and country since January 2019 when he achieved an 8.7 out of ten against AFC Bournemouth, with the former Sunderland ace earning an 8.3 despite averaging a 6.6 over his last three Premier League appearances.

His display ensured Pickford emerged as Ancelotti’s real hero at Anfield, despite Michael Keane providing two fantastic moments to keep the Reds without a goal by blocking Firmino in the first half and pulling off a crucial last-man tackle on Mane in the second period.

AND in other news, Everton face a £35m asking price to land Carlo Ancelotti’s 21-year-old target…

Within the last few days, it feels like every coach in the football realm has been linked with the vacant Celtic hot seat.

That, of course, is thanks to Neil Lennon. The Northern Irishman finally tore up his contract at Parkhead on Wednesday and left Glasgow behind. It has been a long time coming when you consider their diabolical campaign.

They are on the verge of surrendering their grasp of the SPFL, a title they’ve held for the last nine years. It will mark the end of an era, one which has brought more joy than failure.

Though, with so much success comes even harsher scrutiny when things go wrong; you only need ask Lennon what that’s like for an individual.

The Hoops’ hierarchy now have a massive job on their hands to find the right man. Could that be David Wagner? Quite possibly. It’s been revealed by Football Insider sources that the German is very keen on the idea of becoming Celtic’s new manager.

He has been out of a job since being sacked by Schalke in September last year and it looks as though the head coach’s role at Parkhead is attracting him. You can hardly blame him, either.

The culture surrounding Celtic would undeniably fit what Wagner looks for when considering a manager’s role. Speaking to the Bundesliga’s official website, the 49-year-old once said:

“Huddersfield is a very traditional club with regional roots – very close-knit, that’s where I found myself. I sense that emotion and openness that the people in Yorkshire have here. I think I fit more in a region or club that has that emotional bond and closeness.”

In many senses, Celtic epitomises that. They are a club rich in football history and you’ll struggle to find a set of supporters more demanding than the Green Brigade.

There is a strong togetherness at the Hoops and Wagner would fit right in based on that. Though, he could bring a more desirable style of play to Celtic than Lennon ever could.

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That’s because the German’s philosophy and methods are born out of the Ralf Rangnick school of hounding the opposition. He is another to be loosely linked with the hot seat in Glasgow and has led a football revolution, one that brought the idea of the Gegenpress into modern culture.

The Rangnick conveyer belt has harnessed the careers of such managers including Thomas Tuchel, Ralph Hasenhuttl and Jurgen Klopp – Wagner’s best friend.

The pair became incredibly close at Borussia Dortmund and since then, the Celtic linked coach has been keen to play in a similar way. Like Rangnick, he wants his team to press and win the ball back within a couple of seconds of losing it. He also plays attacking football, a style of play that will no doubt be eye-catching for the Celtic hierarchy.

Wagner detailed this when speaking to Bundesliga.com about his early days in coaching: “There are three main takeaways: the analytical approach of Ralf Rangnick, the human and emotional approach of Klopp and the style of football they both wanted to play – that’s what shaped me as a coach. It’s difficult with role models. Klopp’s success is exemplary, but very few achieve it.”

He used all of that to his advantage to do the unthinkable with Huddersfield Town. He got them promoted from the Championship to the Premier League and managed to guide them to a successive season in the English top-flight. It was a remarkable story, one Don Goodman noted was a “phenomenal thing” during Sky Sports’ match coverage of the Terriers a few years ago.

Wagner is still a relatively young coach but with plenty to prove, would be an exciting option for Celtic to consider.

AND in other news, 47 y/o eyed as surprise Neil Lennon successor, he could make £3m Celtic maestro a star …

Many Everton fans have been left to laud the news that Carlo Ancelotti would like to stay with the Goodison Park faithful for ‘as long as possible’.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of their match at home to Southampton in the Premier League on Monday night, the Italian boss said: “I would like to be there when the new stadium is opened. I think the contract will continue. I would like to stay as long as possible.”

The Merseyside club have recently announced that the planning applications for the new ground at Bramley-Moore Dock in addition to a community-led legacy project were unanimously approved by Liverpool City Council.

The fact that Ancelotti has said that he would like to still be in charge of the Toffees when the new stadium is opened has certainly delighted several Blues supporters, added to the fact that he sees himself at the club in the long-term.

The 61-year-old has pushed EFC into challenging for UEFA Champions League qualification in the 2020/21 term, and will surely be aiming to take them to even greater heights if possible.

Everton fan reaction to Ancelotti news

These Everton fans lauded the news on Twitter, with one Toffee even going as far as to call it ‘amazing’:

“My God, can this week get any better?”

Credit: @BlueBren

“That’s amazing to here that”

Credit: @hmmmm123456543

“The week that keeps on giving!”

Credit: @DragonWales9

“I really can’t like this enough”

Credit: @adamskip77

“Music to my ears”

Credit: @dwfilm_

“Could be the best thing to happen to this club for decades”

Credit: @adam_1878_

In other news, find out which Blues loanee’s latest display ahs been slammed by fans here!

Former West Ham United player Rob Lee has told Football FanCast that David Moyes has done an “unbelievable” job at West Ham United this season and deserves to be in the conversation to win Manager of the Season.

The Hammers are within touching distance of the Champions League qualification places and are in with a genuine shout of qualifying for European competition this season.

Moyes, of course, is in his second spell at the club, having kept them up in the 2017/18 campaign.

Lee, who played for the Hammers in the 2003/04 season, thinks Moyes should be lauded for the job he is doing in east London.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “David Moyes, I thought he did a good job the season he kept them up. I think his remit then would have been to keep them up, which he did, and they got rid of him.

“They’ve realised their error and got him back and he’s done an unbelievable job there. They’re good to watch, they’re exciting to watch now, they score goals, they seem to have sorted it out at the back and they’ve got half a chance of certainly getting into Europe.”

Nevertheless, Lee believes that the more likely recipient of the award is Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

The Catalan boss has enjoyed a phenomenal season with City, who have won 21 games in a row.

They are currently 14 points clear at the top of the table, but Lee admits that they should be expected to win the competition, given that Guardiola is working with the biggest budget in the league.

He added: “I don’t know how they do this Manager of the Season thing but they’ll probably give it to Pep because he’s won 21 games on the trot.

“He’s a great manager, sometimes you’ve got to look at how Pep would have done if he’d have gone in at West Ham, I think he said himself he’s always had the most money to spend. He’s very honest about it. To get the best team you need the most money, that is true.”

Michael Chopra has dropped quite a big claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

The former striker at the St. James’ Park faithful was a member of the Bellagraph Nova Group (BNG) who submitted an offer back in 2020 in order to try and buy the North East club after the initial breakdown of the deal between Mike Ashley and the KSA consortium.

However, the bid was reported to be much lower than the original asking price of the chief executive of Sports Direct, and so it collapsed.

Chopra, who was involved in an advisory capacity with the group, has since told FourFourTwo (via The Chronicle) that their £280m offer was ‘genuine’ but got no reply from Ashley’s lawyer, labelling it as ‘strange’.

He also dropped a very enticing claim on the proposed takeover of the Tyneside club by the KSA group, adding: ‘There’s more about the Saudi bid which hasn’t come out yet’.

Does Chopra know something about the NUFC takeover?

Given that Chopra claims that he was ‘aware of’ the Saudis pulling out of their original deal with Ashley weeks before it was made in the public domain, there may well be something that he knows about the prospective bid by the KSA group that is lurking beneath the surface.

Nonetheless, the original deal is far from being able to be revived yet, as the Gulf country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) have not yet brought themselves back to the table, and the pending arbitration case between the Magpies and the Premier League needs to be completed in order to settle their legal disputes first.

In other news, find out what PIF claim a finance guru has dropped on the potential takeover here!

In a recent interview, former Premier League forward, Gabriel Agbonlahor, took aim at the Leeds United manager, Marcelo Bielsa, for his part in Patrick Bamford’s injury.

Having started all 28 of Leeds’ Premier League fixtures so far this season, playing 94% of all the possible minutes, Bamford was withdrawn due to injury after just 35 minutes in the club’s recent 0-0 draw with Chelsea, after initially attempting to play on through the pain.

And, in a recent interview with Football Insider, the former Aston Villa striker, Agbonlahor, took aim at Bielsa for failing to give the Leeds forward a rest at any point over the course of this season, suggesting that the 65-year-old is 100 per cent to blame for the 27-year-old’s injury.

He said: “[Bielsa is] 100 per cent [to blame]. You can’t play every game of the season, very rarely. Maybe when you’re young, [but] he’s getting older, Bamford.

“You need to have a little rest. Training is so demanding for them, it’s inevitable he’s going to pick up injuries. I’m sure he’ll be having a little rest now to recover from his injury before he comes back into the side.”

Transfer Tavern Take

While Bielsa has both Rodrigo and Joe Gelhardt as centre-forward options in his first-team squad aside from Bamford, Rodrigo has often been playing in an attacking midfield role this season, while 18-year-old Gelhardt is yet to make his senior debut for the Whites.

As such, perhaps Leeds’ failure to bring in experienced backup for Bamford last summer does lay at the feet of the Argentine, however, considering the remarkable form the 27-year-old has been in this season, scoring 13 goals over his 28 league appearances, it is questionable whether he would be dropped by Bielsa even if there was the option of a direct replacement.

In other news: Leeds are ‘thinking seriously’ about making this key addition – find out more here!

As the end of the season approaches, the inevitable rumours surrounding Paul Pogba’s future at Manchester United could resurface.

The Frenchman has long been linked with a second departure from Old Trafford, and with his contract set to expire next summer, it looks more likely than ever that the Red Devils may have to cash in on the former Juventus man this year.

According to The Telegraph, “discussions” have taken place over his future but a concrete extension has not been offered by the club.

Ed Woodward must make it his priority to secure Pogba to a new deal at Old Trafford.

The Frenchman has been questioned for his consistency with the Red Devils but his talent has never been in doubt. In 193 appearances for the club, he has scored 37 goals and notched 36 assists.

Despite the criticism he has received, these statistics are very similar to the eye-catching numbers he accumulated in his time in Italy.

His season has been disrupted through injury but the midfielder keeps sending stark reminders over his pivotal role in the Red Devils setup, having scored winning goals against Burnley and Fulham in the Premier League.

He also came off the bench against AC Milan on Thursday, with his goal being enough to guide the team through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League.

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Even manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been left enamoured, stating that Pogba can “do everything”. Such quotes would imply that he is the type of player United would fear to lose, especially on a free transfer.

Should the Old Trafford hierarchy not see a place in the squad for Pogba, and indeed if the Frenchman wishes to leave, they simply cannot let him run down his contract.

Rated at £54m by Transfermarkt, United would surely wish to recoup the majority of the reported £89m they spent to bring him back to Old Trafford.

That would simply not be possible should his contract expire, seeing United miss out on a huge fee for the 28-year-old.

Whether the Red Devils would prefer Pogba to stay at the club or not remains to be seen. The rumours surrounding his next employers also remain elementary but Woodward simply cannot let his contract continue to run down either way.

AND in more news, take a closer look at Pogba’s inspirational performance at the San Siro on Thursday night…

After being held to a 1-1 draw against Newcastle last time out in the Premier League, Aston Villa will be hoping to return to winning ways when they take on Tottenham on Sunday night.

Dean Smith’s side thought they had snatched all three points at St James’ Park last week thanks to an own goal from Ciaran Clark, but a late Jamaal Lascelles header ensured that the Magpies earned a draw.

Meanwhile, Spurs come into the game off the back of a disappointing exit in the Europa League in midweek, falling 3-0 to Dinamo Zagreb in the second leg of their last 16 clash.

Smith could make some key changes to his starting line-up, with some late injury news sure to have a bearing on how he goes about things. With that in mind, here is a look at how Villa might line up when Spurs make the trip to Villa Park.

In goal, Emi Martinez will be keen on adding to his impressive record of 14 clean sheets in the Premier League this season, which would take him above Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy and into second – only Manchester City’s Ederson would be above him in the pecking order with 16 to his name.

The backline could see one key change with the return of Matty Cash. The full-back was named on the bench against Newcastle after making his recovery from injury and is surely pushing for a recall in place of the £25,000-a-week earning Ahmed Elmohamady.

Further forward, the big debate and decision for Smith is whether he throws Jack Grealish straight back into the starting line-up.

Reports indicate that Villa are set to make a late call on the England international, but with the kind of difficult run they have endured – just three points from a possible 15 – his introduction could be the kind of lift that they need.

The other change could see Anwar El Ghazi come in for Trezeguet out wide, with Bertrand Traore confirmed as being available for the game against Spurs.

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