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A massive cohort of Celtic fans are in transit towards Valencia for Thursday’s Europa League tie in the Mestalla.

Last week’s 2-0 defeat in the first leg has barely dampened enthusiasm for the trip – in contrast to the equivalent fixture last season in St Petersburg where a heated stadium was needed for the match to go ahead.

Tickets for Thursday’s match are at a premium but that isn’t bothering the fans who are arriving at airports from Barcelona southwards with Alicante seeing a flood of green and white Hoops coming through the Arrivals gate.

Brendan Rodgers will take his squad out on Thursday, host a media conference then continue his preparations to pull off a shock result.

There isn’t likely to be any surprises in the team Rodgers selects but if the visitors open the scoring the locals will know all about it – there will inevitably be some fans in the home sections struggling to keep their emotions intact.

Newcastle’s under-23’s pulled off an incredible victory on Monday night as they beat West Brom 4-3 in a thrilling clash at St James’ Park.

A smattering of supporters attended the match and they got the chance to watch some of the club’s talented young prospects in action live in the flesh. They were able to see an enthralling game and may have come away from it wondering whether or not any of the players on show will make it to the first-team in the future.

One player in particular who caught the eye was Mexican forward Santiago Munoz, as last summer’s signing scored his first goal for the under-23 side in just his second appearance.

He rose highest to brilliantly place the ball into the bottom corner with his head, halving the Baggies’ lead to 2-1 at the time and kickstarting the comeback. The goal showed that he has the aerial quality to leap and score with his head, in a similar fashion to Callum Wilson, as perfectly shown by the latter’s goal against Everton in 2021.

The 19-year-old striker already has experience of senior football. He played 19 games for Santos Laguna in his homeland prior to joining the Magpies, scoring three goals and providing three assists despite his tender age.

He is currently on loan at Newcastle until December and the club have an option to make that deal permanent in January 2023. They should be looking to exercise that clause, as they have may Wilson 2.0 in the making with the Darsley Park teenage talent.

Whilst they were both at Bournemouth, Eddie Howe said about Wilson: “He is an outstanding player with unique attributes for us. He has that ability to run in behind and he’s got the work ethic off the ball and, of course, he knows where the goal is.”

Munoz seemingly shares the £20m Englishman’s work rate, with Lee Ryder noting: “Santiago Muñoz so far. Has battled hard, decent with the ball at his feet and has stood up to a so far physical test from West Brom.”

The journalist’s view on watching the Mexican live suggests that he has the desire to put in a shift for the team, much like Wilson. He was able to find the the net in the process, a trait at which the ex-Cherries predator also excels, with 18 Premier League goals in two seasons for the Tyneside club.

It is now up to Munoz to kick on and show that he can continue to fire in goals at youth level before earning the chance to play in front of a packed-out crowd for the Toon. Howe will then be able to unearth the new ‘outstanding’ predator in the same vein as Wilson further down the line.

The 19-year-old has rarely been seen so far, but this goal against the Baggies will hopefully spur him on to fulfill his potential in England. Munoz may not go on to play for Real Madrid like his near-namesake in a certain film but he may well have a great journey at St James’ Park…

AND in other news, Howe can get St James’ rocking as Newcastle plot bid for “phenomenal” £50m wizard…

Celtic’s Mikey Johnston is being targeted for a loan move by their Premiership rivals Aberdeen, The Daily Record’s Scott Burns revealed on Sunday night.

The lowdown

The Hoops have already allowed three players to leave the club temporarily this month. Midfielders Liam Shaw and Ewan Henderson have joined Motherwell and Hibernian respectively, while goalkeeper Conor Hazard has gone to HJK Helsinki in Finland.

Johnston, who came through the youth ranks at Celtic, is valued at £900,000 by Transfermarkt and still has three-and-a-half years remaining on his contract.

The latest

Burns wrote for The Daily Record that Johnston features on Aberdeen’s shortlist of attacking options. The 22-year-old’s former Celtic team-mate Scott Brown is said to be a ‘huge admirer’ and has provided a ‘glowing reference’ to chiefs at Pittodrie.

However, Ange Postecoglou may block the move to preserve the depth of his squad, with ‘a number’ of players currently absent.

The verdict

How important a player is Johnston for Celtic? He has made 18 appearances this season, including four in the Europa League and 12 in the Premiership, but only four of those have been from the start, so you’d think that the Hoops could afford to let him go and play more regularly elsewhere.

However, injuries to Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada, in addition to Daizen Maeda’s international call-up, will rightly have them thinking twice before loaning out the 22-year-old to another Premiership club.

Johnston is a threat, with 21 goals and assists under his belt as a senior player, and he has been called a ‘sensational’ talent with ‘bags of potential’ by Celtic skipper Callum McGregor. Therefore, Postecoglou is rightly reluctant to loan him out to Aberdeen.

In other news, there’s a big update on a Celtic attacking target.

An update has emerged on Ivorian gem Ibrahim Sangare, regarding Newcastle United’s interest in his services…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are keen on a deal to sign the PSV midfielder as Eddie Howe looks to strengthen his Magpies squad in the coming weeks.

The report, however, does not state how far along a move is or how much the Eredivisie club want in return for his services.

Midfield beast

Howe can find the midfield beast his side has been lacking this season by securing a deal to sign Sangare from the Dutch giants in January.

He has been sublime for PSV this term and is producing performances that suggest he could be a huge asset for the Magpies in the Premier League. Sangare has averaged a brilliant WhoScored rating of 7.59 in the Eredivisie – making a whopping 5.6 tackles and interceptions whilst also producing 2.8 key passes and dribbles per game.

Meanwhile, Sean Longstaff’s 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game leads the way for Newcastle in the Premier League, with the academy graduate averaging 0.8 key passes and dribbles per match. This suggests that the Ivory Coast international would come in as a sizeable upgrade in the middle of the park as he is efficient from box to box and can dominate teams with his physical strength.

PSV head coach Roger Schmidt showered the midfield monster in praise earlier this season, saying:

“Ibrahim Sangaré is important in any system. It has nothing to do with a system. He has everything a central midfielder needs. He could already win balls, but now he makes better decisions and uses his ability to dribble. He had to hold the ball a little longer for that. Sometimes he is just unstoppable.

“He really grows into a very crucial player for us. He is better on the ball, makes fewer mistakes and plays forward more often. Last season he could be characterized as a player with quite a few lateral and backward passes during the game and that is a lot easier. Passing forward is more difficult, but you have to show that at the top level. He does that now.”

It is worth saying that it is impossible to guarantee that he will be able to translate his form over to the Premier League, but there is risk attached with every signing and Newcastle can only go off the sample size he has provided in the Netherlands.

His statistics and these quotes from Schmidt suggest that he could be a monster for Howe and the ex-Bournemouth boss must ensure that a deal gets done this month.

AND in other news, Howe can land NUFC’s new Andy Carroll in swoop for £72k-p/w beast who’s “Sheareresque”…

Tottenham insider John Wenham believes defender Joe Rodon could seal a north London exit in the final days on the January window, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Rodon under Conte

Rodon is one of five senior centre-backs on the books in north London but has hardly featured under Antonio Conte.

The 24-year-old has made just one appearance under the Italian, coming against Morecambe in the FA Cup earlier this month. He’s been a regular in Conte’s Premier League matchday squads but hasn’t managed to make a cameo off the bench.

Leeds were name-checked with an interest in Rodon ahead of the January window, with reports suggesting that Spurs were likely to give the green light to a temporary exit. However, Alasdair Gold recently admitted that Spurs are yet to receive any official offers for the Wales international.

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The Latest: Wenham’s comments

Wenham was talking to Football Insider regarding Rodon and a possible exit this month.

Here’s what he had to say, labelling it a ‘surprise’ that no offers have come in but backing Rodon to seal an exit ‘in the last days of the window’.

“It is a surprise there have been no offers.

“He might not have played much this season but he did really well at the Euros, clubs must know how good he is.

“A lot of clubs should be looking for a centre-back with plenty of Premier League experience, is capable of playing in a two or three at the back and a full international.

“It does surprise me that it has been reported there have been no offers. I think this is one of those things that might ramp up in the last days of the window.

“Maybe it’s one where clubs will look to sign him after they have been snubbed by their preferred targets.

“I still expect him to leave.”

The Verdict: Will Conte need him?

If Rodon doesn’t seal a Spurs exit before the end of the month, it may not be the end of the world for Conte. That’s because the Spurs boss could be down to the bare bones at the back with Cristian Romero and Eric Dier injured and Japhet Tanganga linked with a move to AC Milan.

Should the latter of the three depart and no defensive reinforcements arrive, Rodon would be one of two fit centre-backs available, meaning the Italian may be forced to use him over the coming weeks.

Things could change between now and the end of the month of course, so the Welshman’s future could be one to keep an eye on.

In other news: Spurs make 11th-hour attempt to dramatically scupper rivals’ move for £40.5m-rated ‘beast’. 

A number of West Ham supporters have criticised Pablo Fornals’ performance in the clash against Southampton on Boxing Day.

The Hammers were back in Premier League action as they sought a return to winning ways after their Carabao Cup defeat to Tottenham in midweek.

With teams around them finding form in the top-four battle, it is vital that David Moyes’ men continue to find consistency to avoid falling away in the chase for a Champions League finish.

However, Fornal struggled badly this afternoon against the Saints, so much so that he was substituted at half-time by Moyes with the Irons trailing 0-1.

As per SofaScore, the Spaniard completed only 14 of his 24 passes and won just one duel, while he failed to record any shots or make any defensive contributions other than being dribbled past twice. Giving away possession 12 times summed up a hapless performance from the 25-year-old.

West Ham fans critical of Fornals

These West Ham fans took to Twitter to criticise Fornals’ performance against Southampton today.

“Get Fornals OFF THE PITCH”

Credit: @dylzwheelzz

“Benrahma and Fornals have just completely fallen off a cliff. Both unable to do anything. Can’t pass, can’t create, can’t score, too slow, too predictable. It’s unbearable to watch. Sigh, we HAVE to get January right”

Credit: @JakeRileyHunte

“Actually convinced Fornals is a random Spanish bloke and isn’t actually a footballer”

Credit: @HarveyWhu

“Fornals isn’t good enough, let’s be honest…”

Credit: @joeblowers19

“What’s happened to Fornals? All of a sudden he can’t make a single pass and players going by him for fun?”

Credit: @lee_sifford

“Fornals and Coufal have been shocking”

Credit: @VintageLanzini

In other news, West Ham have reportedly turned down approaches for one player. Find out who it is here.

Newcastle United were handed yet another defeat in the Premier League with a disheartening 2-0 loss against Arsenal at The Emirates Stadium thanks to goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

Despite conceding two goals and not managing to give the travelling Toon supporters a goal of their own to celebrate, one player managed to stand head and shoulders above the rest of his teammates on the day and put in a solid display for the Tyneside club – Jonjo Shelvey.

Before being replaced by Isaac Hayden after 89 minutes, Shelvey had a total of 56 touches of the ball, more than any other Newcastle player on the day and managed to complete 40 of the 42 passes he attempted including four accurate long balls.

The midfielder also managed to prove himself to be a bit of a nuisance for Arsenal’s defensive players by having four shots at goal with three on target as well as managing to the woodwork.

Shelvey additionally played his part defensively as well by making three interceptions, three clearances and blocking one shot in the process.

This latest performance for the Toon earned the 29-year-old an overall match rating of 7.5/10, making him the highest-rated player on the day according to SofaScore, higher than Fabian Schar who was the only Newcastle defender that managed to not pick up a yellow card.

With this in mind, it’s safe to say Shelvey was Howe’s only shining light on this occasion in terms of individual performance.

Also, given how the newly appointed Newcastle manager previously said that he thinks Shelvey will be an “important” player for the Toon going forward, his performance today certainly backed that up.

Considering how Shelvey also managed to put in a solid display during Newcastle’s 3-3 draw against Brentford last weekend, it seems as though Howe’s arrival at St. James’ Park has revitalised the midfield man, which will be a big positive for everyone at the club.

Moving forward, with Newcastle’s next game putting them up against Norwich City in midweek, who are also fighting for their survival in the Premier League, if Shelvey can make it three impressive performances out of three and the players in front of him can get some goals while the defenders behind him can keep a clean sheet, this could give the team a great chance of picking up their win of the campaign.

In other news, PIF can land Howe’s dream NUFC deal with “world class” £126m gem, he’s the next Suarez…

Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt was forced off for the under-23s on Monday evening with a fresh injury concern.

The Lowdown: Gelhardt’s season so far

He has featured in four of the five Premier League games under Jesse Marsch, scoring a crucial winner against Norwich City last month.

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The 19-year-old has slowly been establishing himself as a valuable figure in the American’s squad from the bench and played 31 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Southampton on Saturday.

He was given a start for the under-23s in a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on Monday evening, but it didn’t go to plan.

The Latest: ‘Bad news’ for Gelhardt

The Yorkshire Evening Post shared the news of Gelhardt’s injury on Twitter, describing it as ‘bad news from Elland Road’.

They added that the forward had an issue with his left leg and had to receive treatment, with the Whites’ initial hope being that it is a dead leg.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Gelhardt started for the under-23s looking to build up his fitness, with a reported fake positive virus test impacting the striker during the international break.

Fans may well be wondering why he was even playing on Monday, considering that both Patrick Bamford and Tyler Roberts are long-term absentees.

Hopefully the issue is a minor one and the 19-year-old can be available for selection for the huge trip to Watford this weekend following the club’s assessment this morning.

In other news – 9.1/10 rating: Leeds target produces incredible display after Orta name-dropped him

Celtic are not giving up on their pursuit of Shabab Al-Ahli forward Mehdi Ghayedi and want a move finalised before the winter break ends, Varzesh Seh report.

The Lowdown: Attacking additions

The Hoops have already bolstered their attacking ranks with the acquisition of Daizen Maeda, while young starlet Johnny Kenny has joined as a more long-term prospect.

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Ange Postecoglou also wants to make Jota’s loan move a permanent one, with the Hoops now eyeing another wide forward.

Ghayedi, labelled as an ‘extraordinary killer’ finisher by @ADSportsTV, can play anywhere across the front three and has scored 41 goals during his career so far.

The Latest: Another approach

Reports earlier this month suggested that Celtic have had a bid turned down for Ghayedi.

Now, Varzesh Seh claim that Postecoglou is desperate for the 23-year-old to join the club during the winter break, with the Hoops making another approach.

The winter break comes to an end for Celtic in just over 72 hours on Monday when they take on Hibernian at Parkhead, so this one could move pretty quickly if the manager wants it done by then.

The Verdict: Interesting…

Postecoglou was planning to raid untapped markets this month, and it seems as if the Hoops are looking in the UAE with Ghayedi.

The Iran international only joined Shabab Al-Ahli in the summer and is under contract until 2026, so it could take a tempting offer for the Dubai club to sell.

Transfermarkt have a probability of a move to Celtic Park at 76%, so even though Postecoglou recently slammed transfer lies in the media, a move for Ghayedi could be one to monitor before the end of the month.

In other news: Journalist drops big transfer claim as Celtic eye £12.5m-rated midfielder; Ange ‘a big admirer’. 

Celtic could sign Hannes Wolf on loan from Borussia Monchengladbach, according to German publication Bild. 

The lowdown

Gladbach paid £8.55m to sign the 22-year-old from RB Leipzig last summer off the back of a season-long loan. Having started 14 times in the Bundesliga under Marco Rose last season, though, he has only been selected for two league starts by new boss Adi Hutter so far in the current campaign (via WhoScored).

Wolf, who earns €20k (£17,100) per week, is primarily an attacking midfielder but can also operate on either flank and even has some experience playing as a centre-forward (via Transfermarkt).

The latest

Wolf could leave Borussia Park on loan just six months after joining, according to Bild.

Along with Celtic, Austrian Bundesliga outfit Rapid Vienna are apparently ‘dealing with the flexible offensive all-rounder’.

The verdict

As he’s played so little this season, it’s probably best to look at 2020/21 for an indication of Wolf’s qualities, when he was directly involved in five goals (scored two, set up three) in his 32 league outings.

Data from FBRef shows that his defensive contribution is immense – he ranks in the 97th percentile for pressures per 90 minutes and the 95th for tackles.

When you consider his industry, and the reality that the Bundesliga (the fourth-best league in Europe as per UEFA’s coefficient) is a step up from the Scottish Premiership (ninth) in quality, he seems to have the potential to be a fan favourite at Celtic Park.

In other news, there has been an update on the timeline for the Reo Hatate deal