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With Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side heading into Saturday’s Premiership clash in an excellent run of form, the  Bhoys manager would undoubtedly have been hoping for another positive performance when St Johnstone visited Parkhead.

The 56-year-old would not be disappointed, as goals either side of half-time from Georgios Giakoumakis and Josip Juranovic capped a dominant display by the Hoops, with the 2-0 win moving Postecoglou’s side to within one point of the Premiership leaders.

As is to be expected after such a result, a number of Celtic’s players turned in very impressive performances over the course of the 90 minutes this afternoon, with the two aforementioned goalscorers particularly impressing.

However, it may be Carl Starfelt who is most pleased with his display against the Saints, as the centre-back ran the show from the heart of the Hoops’ defence.

Won 16 duels

Despite enduring something of a shaky start to his Celtic career, the Sweden international has really started to come into his own in recent weeks, with his performance against St Johnstone arguably being his best for the Hoops to date.

Indeed, over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £2.7m-rated defender played a key role in his side keeping a clean sheet, making three tackles, three interceptions and four clearances and winning a monstrous 16 duels.

The 26-year-old also saw a significant amount of the ball, enjoying a whopping 152 touches, the most of any player to feature in the match; completing 127 passes – again, the most of any other player – and picking out a team-mate with two of his three attempted long balls.

These returns saw the player who the Everything Celtic Twitter account described as “solid” receive a SofaScore match rating of 8.0, with no player from either side earning a better score than the £14k-per-week defender.

As such, it would certainly appear that the more experience Starfelt has of playing under Postecoglou, the better the 26-year-old is getting. That would appear to bode very well indeed for everyone involved with Celtic.

In other news: £1.9m out of pocket: Lawwell had a mare on “exemplary” Celtic sensation, he’s thriving

Following Manchester City’s 6-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers in the Carabao Cup which saw a number of youth players make their senior debuts for the club and ultimately earn praise from manager Pep Guardiola, who also praised the entire youth academy at the club for the players they have and how they have developed over the years, it’s safe to say that it’s a good time to be a young player there.

One young player who has risen through the ranks at City is Phil Foden, who worked his way through the youth system before making his senior debut in November 2017 in a Champions League match against Feyenoord.

Since then, the 21-year-old, who has been described as “fearless” by Harry Kane, has gone on to make 130 appearances for City across all competitions, scoring 33 goals and providing 24 assists along the way.

In terms of his market value, in January 2018, not long after making his senior debut for the club, Transfermarkt had it listed as £4.5m, whereas it now stands at a massive £72m, highlighting a massive increase and how much he has grown, developed and progressed in his career at the Etihad Stadium.

Foden also won the PFA Young Player of the Year award for his efforts for City last season, while on the international stage, he has made 11 appearances for England’s senior team, scoring two goals and providing three assists in the process.

With recent reports claiming that he is on the brink of putting pen to paper on a new six-year contract, this says to us just how important he has been for the club since making his debut and how much they want him to continue with them for the foreseeable future.

Looking ahead to the future, we feel that if Foden can continue playing regularly for the Premier League champions, picking up more goals, assists and trophies, he has the capability to achieve great things in the game and become a club legend at City, possibly seeing his market value rise even further.

The Englishman could also be seen as a shining example of a young talent making his way through the youth ranks at an elite club and becoming an integral part of their first team at such a young age.

In other news: Guardiola could unearth next KDB at Man City with “intelligent” 18 y/o, he’s a star in waiting

Leeds United are still keen on Celtic left-back Matthew Anderson, according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Hjelde move

It appears as if the Whites are set to take Leo Hjelde from Parkhead. The 17-year-old is into the final 12 months of his Hoops contract and may well end up leaving the club without making a senior appearance.

Leeds and Celtic have reportedly agreed on a fee for the Norwegian, with the defender already agreeing on personal terms. Reports on Thursday suggested that the youngster was set to undergo a medical with the Yorkshire club, with a move expected to seal a move to Elland Road imminently.

Hjelde may not be the only young defender to swap Celtic for Leeds, though.

The Latest: Anderson interest

Hay ran a Q&A with Leeds fans on Friday ahead of the new season.

One supporter asked him about the club’s academy business, with the journalist admitting that a move for Hjelde is ‘looking good’, before adding that the Whites are still keen on signing fellow 17-year-old Anderson, who was described as ‘the real deal’ by Blantyre Soccer Academy chief Jimmy Whelan.

Hay outlined: “Hjelde from Celtic is looking good. They still like Matthew Anderson up there. I don’t think they’ll do a huge amount more, though. They’ve already signed up Miller, Bate and McGurk.”

The Verdict: Not ideal

Celtic appear to be building for the future with the signings of youngsters Liel Abada, Liam Shaw, Osaze Urhoghide and Joey Dawson this summer, so losing Hjelde and possibly Anderson isn’t exactly ideal.

The Norwegian has been lauded as ‘the next Virgil van Dijk’, whereas his fellow teenage defender ‘could be like Kieran Tierney’.

Celtic’s loss may well turn out to be Leeds’ gain, and only time will tell how much of a blow losing the two youngsters will be for the Hoops.

In other news: Move off: Celtic no longer looking to sign title winner who was keen to move to Parkhead. 

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

Juventus attacker Federico Chiesa would cost Premier League clubs upwards of £100million this summer, according to Forza Italian Football editor Conor Clancy.

Chiesa shone as Italy broke England hearts by winning the Euro 2020 final at Wembley earlier this month.

The former Fiorentina man, who joined Juventus last October for a potential fee of £54million, scored two goals in seven appearances at the international tournament and his performances caught the eye of numerous clubs.

German media outlet Bild, via The Mirror, reported Chelsea have already seen an offer worth £85million pushed back by the Italian giants.

Meanwhile, Italian newspaper Repubblica – via MailOnline – revealed Juventus have rejected an £86million bid from Liverpool as they look to reclaim the Premier League title next season.

The 23-year-old scored 15 goals and contributed 11 assists in 46 Juventus appearances last season and Serie A expert Clancy insists the Turin-based club will do everything they can to ensure Chiesa does not depart.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “It would take all of the money. Juve are playing hardball with Chiesa because he is their star now.

“Forget about Cristiano Ronaldo. Chiesa is the guy that’s going to take them forward to the next generation.

“It’s going to take a lot of money, probably £100m, to make Juve part ways with him and I’m not sure that’s going to happen this summer.”

Barcelona are being linked with a move for Joao Cancelo and with Manchester City reportedly contemplating a swap deal, sporting director Txiki Begiristain could be heading for a disaster.

What’s the word?

According to Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), Pep Guardiola met with Barcelona president Joan Laporta and spoke to him about as many as seven Manchester City players who the Catalan club could potentially sign this summer.

Whilst the La Liga giants are unlikely to be able to afford many of City’s players due to their worrying financial situation, a swap deal for Cancelo could well be on the cards, with the Portuguese defender reportedly open to moving to the Nou Camp this summer.

Bernardo Silva is another who has been touted as part of a potential double swap deal that could see Ousmane Dembele and Sergi Roberto move to the Etihad in exchange for the two Portugal internationals.

Would this be a good swap?

Whilst Silva endured a difficult season which saw him net just twice in the top-flight, Cancelo was one of the standout performers in the Premier League and Champions League for Guardiola’s side and the Citizens should not entertain selling him.

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The 27-year-old contributed two goals and three assists in 28 Premier League appearances and averaged an excellent 7.31 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which ranked him as the joint second-best performer for City in the top-flight.

Cancelo featured regularly as both a right-back and a left-back and his versatility will be extremely appreciated by Guardiola, so it would be a crazy decision to let him go after his best season in a City shirt, especially when you consider that fellow right-back Kyle Walker will turn 32 next season.

In comparison, 29-year-old right-back Sergi Roberto made just 15 appearances for Barcelona in the Spanish top-flight last season, averaging a far less impressive 6.73 rating from WhoScored, so it would almost certainly be a downgrade if he were to arrive in a swap deal for Cancelo.

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Therefore, Begiristain should not even consider any swap deal with Barcelona to ensure that the “unbelievable” Cancelo remains at the Etihad this summer.

City fans would rightly be fuming if City allowed Cancelo to leave, given how well he played last season and that anger would only further intensify if the underperforming Roberto came in as his replacement.

And, in other news… Txiki signs Kane in £250m spending spree, no Laporte: How Man City could look next season

Liverpool and both Manchester clubs are reportedly interested in making a move for Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland next summer.

The Lowdown: Haaland emerges as world star

Few footballers in the world are currently more highly-rated than the Norwegian predator, with the 21-year-old producing outrageous numbers for Dortmund.

The £117m-rated striker has scored 63 goals in just 64 appearances for the Bundesliga giants, also netting eight times in 13 caps for Norway. Indeed, only Kylian Mbappe is valued at a higher amount by Transfermarkt, an indication of Haaland’s standing in the global game.

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The Latest: Liverpool tipped to make move

The 21-year-old has remained at Dortmund for the time being, but according to Diario Madridsta, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City could all be willing to rival Real Madrid for his signature.

Haaland’s current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2024, so a huge fee would likely be required to snap him up next summer, especially with his exceptional goal tallies.

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The Verdict: Highly unlikely

In truth, it is extremely difficult to see Liverpool signing Haaland, given his probable wage demands (he is already on £141,000 per week) and the amount he would cost.

The Reds simply don’t have the same financial clout as the two Manchester clubs, both of whom spent big this summer, and unless someone like Mohamed Salah was to move on and free up funds and a place in Jurgen Klopp’s team, it is hard to see this move happening.

This summer has shown Liverpool’s limitations in the transfer market, buying in only one player for £36m, and how their rivals can pay huge wages, and it is difficult to see the situation changing any time soon.

In other news, some Liverpool fans are unhappy about a transfer rumour that has emerged. Read more here.

A lot Manchester City fans were pleased to see some of their international stars rested on Saturday evening.

Portugal were victorious over Qatar in Hungary with a 3-1 win thanks to goals from Andre Silva, Otavio and Bruno Fernandes.

On Wednesday, City trio Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva all started for their country as Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the 89th and 96th minute to beat Republic of Ireland 2-1 and send Portugal level on points with Serbia in their World Cup qualifying group.

As Saturday’s fixture against the 2022 World Cup hosts was only a friendly, Fernando Santos opted to rest the three City players ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Azerbaijan, as tweeted by @cityreport in the build-up to the match.

Dias was brought on midway through the second half, whereas Silva and Cancelo both sat out out the full match, with the right-back rested after playing every minute of Manchester City’s opening three league games of the season.

Pep Guardiola’s side travel to Leicester City next weekend following the international break, and having all their key players fresh available for a busy September, which includes trips to Chelsea and PSG, will be most desirable.

City fans glad to see Portugal trio benched

These City fans on Twitter were glad to see the club’s Portuguese trio benched for the Qatar friendly on Saturday:

“So Portugal is gonna lose this friendly, I’m glad they’re benched, they should rest up for Man City’s next fixture next Saturday”

Credit: @MarohOdiku

“Awesome, good for our club”

Credit: @salliem019

“Sweet”

Credit: @Fredijeh4

“Best place for them, safe and sound on the bench”

Credit: @lang_kev

“Sending them back to Manchester”

Credit: @jgedeon1717

“Dias is finally getting some rest”

Credit: @clinicaljack

In other news, lots of Man City fans are excited about an academy player update. Find out more here.

Les Reed told Football FanCast that Daniel Levy would not be scared to appoint Scott Parker as the next Tottenham manager.

The Spurs chairman is reportedly a fan of the Fulham boss, and has been watching his progress at Craven Cottage over recent months.

Parker might have two relegations on his CV but has produced some impressive work in west London despite his failure to guide the Cottagers to Premier League safety this season.

At one stage, his Fulham side looked good to avoid the drop, but two points from their previous 10 matches saw them made an immediate return to the Championship.

Those two points came at Old Trafford and the Emirates, whilst Fulham’s last league victory came at Anfield, proof that Parker can rub it with the best.

High-profile names like Mauricio Pochettino and Antonio Conte appear ahead of Parker in the pecking order to replace Jose Mourinho, but Reed exclusively told Football FanCast that Fulham’s struggle this season won’t put off Levy:

“I could see Daniel putting faith in Scott Parker.

“Daniel is brave, so I could see him not worrying about Fulham, but looking at how did Fulham play? They got off to a bad start, what changes did he make? He changed the entire back four. I think he would look at that and say ‘he’s not afraid of making decisions’.

“All of those things will be really positive because he was a popular player, popular coach and did really well, which is why Daniel was comfortable with Ryan Mason holding the reins.”

The Athletic’s David Ornstein, a reliable source, has revealed that Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus is a target for Arsenal ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window. 

The lowdown: Doubts emerge?

Signed for £27million from Palmeiras in 2016 (Sky Sports), the Brazilian has scored 93 times in 230 outings for the Citizens.

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Despite the impressive return the Brazilian has struggled to hold down a regular place in Pep Guardiola’s first team and as such has only started on 22 occasions in 35 outings across all competitions this season.

Jesus put on a Man of the Match display at Eastlands on Saturday afternoon with a remarkable four-goals and one assist in a 5-1 demolition of Watford – but his long term future at the Etihad is in question…

The latest: Ornstein makes transfer claim

Taking to Twitter on Friday, journalist Ornstein of The Athletic stated: “Arsenal exploring possibility of signing Gabriel Jesus from Man City. Clubs yet to speak but talks between Edu + reps for months. 25yo open to idea, #AFC current favourites. Calvert-Lewin among options @TheAthleticUK #MCFC #EFC 1st reported @jorgenicola.”

Out of contract in 2023 (Transfermarkt), Arsenal are billed as the ‘current favourites’ to sign the man hailed as an ‘unsung hero’ by Guardiola back in March 2021 following a brace against Wolves.

The verdict: No deal

This shouldn’t even be under consideration for City as Jesus’ astonishing form, when given the opportunity by Guardiola, has backed just how useful he can be for the Sky Blues – as evident by his ridiculous performance yesterday.

So far this term the versatile forward has scored 11 times and provided 12 assists, importantly proving to possess the Midas touch when it comes to big game showdowns with Liverpool.

Even with the potential arrival of Haaland, Jesus has proven to be a top-level operator for the Sky Blues and should be kept on in rotation with or as an understudy for the Norwegian. Albeit Arsenal would be an attractive proposition for the player and a palatable one for Guardiola given the links to Mikel Arteta, selling to a Premier League rival must be out of the question.

In other news: Pep falls out with ‘world class’ Man City star behind-the-scenes, he could now leave…find out more here.