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Celtic have reportedly made a €4m (£3.4m) bid for left-back Aaron Hickey, and a number of Hoops fans have duly been sharing their thoughts on the transfer news on social media.

According to Il Resto del Carlino, as relayed by Video Celts, the Hoops have offered Bologna €4m (£3.4m) for the defender. Hickey admitted himself recently that he is ‘fully aware’ of the interest in his services, and it seems as if Celtic have now firmed up their interest with a bid.

The 19-year-old, who can play anywhere across the backline, is valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt and still has three years remaining on his Bologna contract.

He made 11 Serie A appearances last season after joining from Hearts last September, but it seems that a quick return to Scotland could well be on the cards.

Celtic fans react

@aboutceltic shared Il Resto del Carlino’s claim regarding Celtic’s offer for Hickey on Twitter. Here is what these Hoops supporters had to say, with many excited at the news.

“Ralston/Oghouhide/Welsh/Hickey. Slowly but surely it’s falling into place”Credit: @Kieran_Sellick”He’s the real deal. And he’ll only get better. Better snapping him up for £3-4million now than being out-priced next year when he’s worth double…”Credit: @TheRyanMcGinlay”Good 2 footed player, can also play RB I would be happy if signed him.”Credit: @_iamthepaul”Get him and Doig in. Few younger lads coming through academy hopefully get a shot too.”Credit: @southdownbhoy11″He’s class, should’ve signed him last year and made him first choice”Credit: @seanmarkus_67″Hopefully he comes back to his rightful home! Shouldn’t have got rid of him to Hearts in the first place”Credit: @KevinTwist67

In other news: ‘Yaaaaassss’, ‘This is outstanding’ – Many Celtic fans erupt at ‘quality’ club post, find out more here.

Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-forward Fabio Silva could be on his way out of Molineux in January.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Tim Spiers, with The Athletic journalist revealing in a recent Q&A that, as long as Jeff Shi can bring in a replacement during the January transfer window, the 19-year-old striker will leave the Premier League club on a temporary basis.

Speaking about the short-term future of the Portugal U21 international, Spiers said: “Heading for a loan in January if they can bring in a replacement.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how much potential Fabio Silva quite clearly possesses, the news that Wolves are looking to loan the centre-forward out this winter, in addition to bringing a new striker into the club, is sure to have left fans buzzing.

Indeed, Wolves broke their transfer record to secure the £35.6m signing of the teenager in the summer of 2020, with Shi appearing to be incredibly excited by his side’s acquisition of the youngster, stating upon his arrival: “Our recruitment team have been watching Fabio since he played for Portugal U16s.

“They feel he has always been the best number nine coming through his age group anywhere in Europe. Fabio is a young player who shows not only incredible technical ability but also his game intelligence for a player of his age is top class.”

However, despite the club’s high hopes for the £22.5m-rated man’s development, Fabio Silva has so far started just 11 Premier League games in his Wolves career – making a further 33 appearances from the bench – scoring four goals and registering three assists along the way.

As such, in order to further the 19-year-old’s development in the professional game, a loan away from Molineux would indeed appear to be an extremely wise move by the club – allowing the youngster to enjoy a great deal more first-team minutes, while simultaneously bringing a new forward into the club who is perhaps more Premier League ready than the Portuguese starlet currently is.

In other news: Forget MGW: Fosun could solve huge Wolves’ problem with £27m-rated “freak of a talent”

Liverpool are close to completing a summer move for exciting Fulham youngster Fabio Carvalho, journalist James Pearce has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Almost joined in January

The Reds had a productive January transfer window by signing Luis Diaz from Porto but they were also strongly linked with a move for Carvalho.

It looked as though a deal would happen at the eleventh hour, but instead, the young midfielder ended up staying put after the necessary paperwork couldn’t be completed in time.

It certainly felt likely that Liverpool would go back in for Carvalho after Jurgen Klopp said they would be ‘crazy’ not to, and now that looks to be the case.

The Latest: Pearce confirms imminent deal

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Pearce confirmed that new transfer chief Julian Ward is on the verge of making the 19-year-old his second signing after Diaz:

“Fabio Carvalho will join #LFC this summer. Deal agreed. Fell through on deadline day due to time constraints on paperwork but move always looked likely to still happen. Exciting youngster who is relishing the chance to work with Jurgen Klopp.”

Ward was largely responsible for the capture of Diaz in the winter window as he looks to pick up where Michael Edwards leaves off, and it looks as though he has already wrapped up another great talent before the next window has even opened.

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The Verdict: Great signing for Reds

This is a mouthwatering piece of business by Liverpool, with Carvalho a huge talent, playing a starring role for Fulham this season as they cruise back into the Premier League. He has registered seven goals and assists apiece in the league.

It is imperative that Klopp builds for both the present and the future, and the youngster is someone who could be a future superstar at Anfield, along with the likes of Ibrahima Konate, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, once the current crop of key men age and move on.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has called Carvalho a ‘perfect’ signing by Liverpool and looks as though Ward is set to have a similar impact to Edwards at the club.

In other news, a fresh Liverpool transfer claim has emerged. Read more here.

As per TuttoJuve24, some more news from Italy has come to light on yet another Serie A star Antonio Conte could now bring to Tottenham Hotspur in Alessio Romagnoli.

The Lowdown: Italian job…

Tottenham managing director Fabio Paratici has finally landed his number one managerial target for Spurs nearly five months after talks for Conte broke down in the summer.

As confirmed by the club, ex-Chelsea boss, former Premier League winning-manager and four-time Scudetto champion Conte has taken over at Spurs – following on from the dismal eras of Portuguese duo Nuno Espirito Santo and Jose Mourinho.

The 52-year-old comes to north London with much promise and is tipped to instil a winning mentality and transform Tottenham into a high-intensity pressing team (football.london).

He also comes with links to some of Serie A’s biggest stars as Spurs continue to be mentioned alongside the likes of Franck Kessie and Dusan Vlahovic with new names like Federico Chiesa also popping up in the Italian press.

Centre-backs like Stefan de Vrij and Matthijs de Ligt are also being watched by Conte but TuttoJuve24 has now shared that AC Milan captain Romagnoli could feasibly join Spurs.

The Latest: Romagnoli could be tempted by Tottenham…

As per their information, Tottenham’s new boss is ‘ready to take’ two Juventus transfer targets ‘immediately’ in Vlahovic and Romagnoli.

The latter man, who was considering Turin as a possible destination, could now have his plans ‘changed’ by Spurs with this report hinting he could be tempted to join the club.

It is stated that Spurs will be spare ‘no expense’ in backing Conte and represent a ‘danger’ to Juve’s transfer plans.

The Verdict: Get it done?

The 26-year-old, valued at a meagre £18 million by Transfermarkt, could leave for free in the summer of 2022 due to his contract expiring and this report states that is when Spurs are most likely to swoop.

Given both Romagnoli and his agent, Mino Raiola, have currently stalled discussions over a new deal due to Milan wanting to cut his salary in half, this could put Paratici and Tottenham in a strong negotiating position to even make an attempt in Janaury.

It may be a wise move going by Romagnoli’s quality and our belief he would certainly add some steel and composure next to Cristian Romero.

Averaging a cool 88.9% pass accuracy out from the back over his league appearances this season, a higher number than any Spurs defender according to WhoScored, he has also been labelled a ‘great champion’ by England defender Fikayo Tomori (Corriere dello Sport via milannews.it).

The £106,000-per-week ace doesn’t exactly command a hefty pay packet either, perhaps indicating he is more than affordable from Tottenham’s perspective given his contract situation.

According to the Daily Mail, Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite is a transfer target for Manchester United. 

The lowdown: Star in the making

Flourishing as part of the set-up at Finch Farm since 2020, the 19-year-old has burst onto the scene in the last 12 months having made the switch from League Two side Carlisle United.

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Since arriving on Merseyside the teenager has represented England at Under-20 level and has made 11 first-team appearances for the Toffees.

However, the Blues could now face a battle to keep one of their most precocious talents.

The latest: Man United interested

As per the report from the Daily Mail, Manchester United are ‘keen’ on the talented centre-back and could look to make a move should Erik ten Hag be appointed as expected at Old Trafford.

It’s claimed that the Premier League giants are ‘monitoring’ the one-cap youth starlet who is under a fresh contract at Goodison Park until 2025 (Transfermarkt).

The report also states that Everton would be ‘reluctant’ to lose the powerful 6ft 5in ace who was described as being a ‘really skilful’ defender by former Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti.

The verdict: No deal

This is yet another case of the club needing to pull out all the stops in order to keep its brightest prospects.

Albeit Branthwaite is yet to earn a regular place in Frank Lampard’s side, the English teenager has certainly shown glimpses of an ability that has clearly caught the eye elsewhere in the Premier League.

So far this season, Branthwaite has made just six senior appearances, but was a star performer with the goal, two tackles and one interception (SofaScore), as a young Everton side held on for an unlikely 1-1 draw against Chelsea back in December.

In other news, Everton linked with Bundesliga midfielder. Find out more here!

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to revisit their interest in Nahitan Nandez this January…

What’s the word?

That’s according to CalcioNapoli24 (via Sport Witness), who claim Spurs are in the mix to sign the Cagliari midfielder but they are facing competition from Serie A rivals Napoli and Inter Milan.

It’s thought that the north Londoners are ready to complete a move for Nandez in the winter transfer window, though it remains to be seen how much he would command.

Transfermarkt currently value him the 44-time Uruguay international at £19.8m.

Imagine him and Hojbjerg

Nandez is a player that Spurs boss Nuno Santo would surely love to sign, he could well be the ideal partner to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg at the base of the engine room.

The diminutive 5 foot 7 dynamo can be a livewire in midfield, having the same sort of skill set as N’Golo Kante at Chelsea.

The 25-year-old enforcer has continued his fine form from last season and has proven his credentials in taking control of matches.

For example, he has averaged 2.6 aerial duels won, 1.6 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per league game this term, showing his defensive capabilities but he has also shown an ability to bring the ball forward to contribute in the opposition’s half, having also averaged two dribbles and one key pass each outing, as per WhoScored.

It’s no wonder he has been called a “machine” by Serie A expert Conor Clancy, who told This is Futbol:

“I like him a lot. I think he’s only about five foot seven, but you wouldn’t know it if you just watched clips of him, he is a little bit of a machine. He’s so powerful but at the same time, has really, really good ball control.”

Hojbjerg is regarded as one of the more defensively sound options in the middle, so adding a player like Nandez could be really complimentary.

In some ways, there may be further comparisons to the influence of Joao Moutinho in Nuno’s Wolves system – a similar sort of short but quality presence in midfield.

Nuno would surely love a move for the Uruguay beast this winter, so Lilywhites sporting director Fabio Paratici must look to seal a swoop for him in the upcoming window.

AND in other news, Signed for £22m, now worth 248% more: Daniel Levy struck gold with Spurs’ “revelation”…

Southampton take on Everton in their opening Premier League fixture on Saturday and Ralph Hasenhuttl can amend the Saints’ woeful record at Goodison Park by unleashing new signing Tino Livramento.

Southampton’s last win at Everton came 24 years ago in 1997, whilst the Saints haven’t won an opening day fixture in the Premier League since 2013, so the omens are not looking good as Hasenhuttl’s side prepare for their trip to Merseyside.

The Austrian will be without two of his key players from last season, with Danny Ings having completed a move to Aston Villa, whilst Jannik Vestergaard is on the verge of signing for Leicester City, so it could be a tough season for the Saints.

Romain Perraud, Dynel Simeu, Armando Broja (on loan), Adam Armstrong and Livramento have all joined the Saints this summer, and the latter could be the difference-maker against Rafa Benitez’s side this weekend.

Should Livramento start vs Everton?

Much of the Toffees’ threat could come down the left-hand side, with Lucas Digne’s crossing ability likely to cause a lot of problems again this season, especially with the aerial prowess that both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison possess.

Therefore, stopping him could be the key to Southampton picking up three points against Everton, so locking down the right-hand side might well be something that Hasenhuttl is considering.

Whilst Livramento is naturally a full-back, he has played further forward during his time with Chelsea and was named the academy player of the season earlier this year after contributing a number of goals and assists from wing-back for the Blues.

The youngster certainly impressed on his first appearance in a Saints shirt in a recent friendly against Athletic Bilbao, with Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach singing his praises after the game, saying: “What a way to introduce yourself to the Saints fans! With his first touch of the ball, he pressed to win it and with his second, he played a delicious ball over the top for Walcott to score. He looked so comfortable on the ball and had a real awareness of the role he was playing. Brilliant.”

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Therefore, if Hasenhuttl were to select him playing ahead of Kyle Walker-Peters on the right wing for Southampton in his 4-2-2-2 setup, it could make the Saints a lot more defensively secure. It would also allow Livramento more freedom to get forward and attack, which could be the difference as the south coast club seek to begin their Premier League campaign with a long-overdue three points at Goodison Park.

In other news… Tom Leach drops huge Southampton transfer update, fans will be worried

With West Brom only managing to win one of their five Championship games throughout November, drawing three and losing one, it’s safe to say that it hasn’t been the best month for the Midlands club and their promotion hopes.

Despite their disappointing run of form, one player has stood out to be one of West Brom and Valerien Ismael’s shining lights throughout the month that the fans should be full of praise for – Conor Townsend.

With Townsend having played in the left-back, centre-back and left-midfield positions throughout November, the 28-year-old has shown how much of a capable defender he is whilst proving himself to be a useful creative player he is going forward.

In his five previous league games this month, Townsend has made eight tackles, eight clearances and four interceptions whilst making 12 key passes along the way (as per WhoScored).

Six of those key passes came in West Brom’s 0-0 draw against Blackpool where Townsend managed to earn himself a very impressive overall match rating of 8.2/10 according to SofaScore, making him the highest-rated player on the day.

Since joining West Brom from Scunthorpe United in the 2018 summer transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of around £750k, Townsend, who is currently valued at £2.25m according to Transfermarkt, has made 95 appearances for the Baggies across all competitions, scoring one goal and providing seven assists along the way.

Two of Townsend’s seven assists have come this season, the first coming on the opening day of the campaign in West Brom’s  2-2 against Bournemouth followed by the other one being provided in their 1-1 draw against Millwall in September.

Labelled as an “industrious” player by Baggies podcaster Chris Lepkowski, Townsend has played more minutes in the league (1795) than any other West Brom player so far this season, showing just how important he is to Ismael with his November performances merely the icing on the cake so far.

Moving forward, if Townsend can keep playing regularly for West Brom from now until the end of the season, he will surely give his side a great chance of securing promotion, especially if he can add some goals and assists to his tally and the players around him can equal the same sort of performances he’s been putting in recently.

In other news: Johnstone tipped to stay at West Brom until summer

The future of Rangers centre-back Connor Goldson remains up in the air, with his deal set to expire at the end of the season.

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has suggested that the club are happy for him to leave as they have not resolved his contract situation, telling Football Insider: “I find it strange that Rangers haven’t sorted this.

“The fact that they have let it run down this far is a concern. They must know he can agree a pre-contract in January. Maybe Rangers are happy for him to move on, otherwise it makes no sense why they haven’t offered him a deal.”

Gio must axe Goldson

New manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst could win Rangers fans over instantly by brutally axing Goldson in the January transfer window. If the 28-year-old does not want to be at Ibrox in the long-term, he should be shipped out of the club as quickly as possible, which is why the Dutchman should look to sell him in the winter to make some money before he leaves on a free transfer.

The £27k-per-week defender came out after the 3-1 defeat to Hibernian on Sunday and admitted that the team has lost ‘a bit of hunger’.

He said: “We need something to change. We need a spark. I don’t want to say this, but we’ve lost a bit of hunger. We are champions and some think they don’t need to work as hard. That’s crept in all season.”

Former Scotland international Kris Commons labelled his comments as embarrassing and accused him of a defeatist attitude.

Football Scotland quote him as saying: “Connor Goldson’s comments after the game yesterday were an absolute embarrassment. He’s supposed to be one of the leaders in this Rangers squad.

“He claimed the match was as good as over at half-time, with Rangers trailing 3-1. Two goals down at half-time and he’s waving the white flags to surrender? Seriously?”

It is difficult to argue with his assessment of Goldson’s quotes. The centre-back is one of the senior players in the squad and he is coming out with worrying comments like those, whilst his contract is running down and nothing is being done to resolve the issues around his future.

Supporters will surely want players who are 100% committed to playing for Rangers and giving their very best out on the pitch. Goldson’s contractual situation and his recent comments both appear to suggest that he does not fit into either of those descriptions, and that is why Van Bronckhorst could appease plenty of the fanbase by cashing in on the 28-year-old in January.

AND in other news, “I’m told”: Journo drops inside claim on Gio which will leave Rangers fans fuming…

The Transfer Tavern’s EFL spy has suggested that Birmingham consider signing Cardiff centre-back Curtis Nelson.

Despite ending the last campaign with two heavy defeats, Blues boss Lee Bowyer has already made a huge impact during his short spell at St Andrew’s.

And having led Birmingham to Championship safety, Bowyer will now be hoping to strengthen in the transfer window in hope of improving on their 18th-place finish.

The Blues manager has already been a busy man this summer, adding nine players to his squad, but the majority of those have been in attacking areas following their serious struggles in front of goal in 2020-2021.

Birmingham scored just 37 times, although they suffered equally as much in a defensive sense, shipping 61 goals in the Championship.

With that in mind, the EFL insider exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Nelson, who’s been a regular for the Bluebirds since moving from Oxford, could be a good addition for Bowyer’s squad:

“With Birmingham changing a lot of things behind the scenes you could see them surprise a few this season with Bowyer.

“Good centre-backs at Championship level cost very good money but with Birmingham being a big attraction, you can see you Premier League players looking to get game time there.

“However, Curtis Nelson from Cardiff is an experienced one, and could fit well.”