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BBC pundit Alan Hutton has backed Celtic to complete the signing of Dundee United goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist this summer.

The Lowdown: Celtic in talks with Siegrist

Joe Hart hasn’t been linked with a move away from Parkhead, nor is he soon out of contract, but given his age, it seems as though the Hoops are planning for the future and want to bring someone in that would be suitable to take his place down the line.

And it was reported by Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph just last week that fellow Scottish Premiership shot-stopper Siegrist is currently in talks to join the Bhoys upon the expiration of his deal at Tannadice Park at the end of the month, with a move looking highly likely to happen.

The Latest: Hutton’s high praise

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton was full of praise for Siegrist having trained and played alongside him at Aston Villa, and thinks that he would be the ideal fit for Celtic. He said:

“I know him well from playing with him at Aston Villa.

“He was only a young boy then and kind of stuck in a rut a little bit, where he wasn’t going to make the first team. The level he was playing at at Villa probably wasn’t good enough for him to progress. He did the right thing.

“He went out, he played, he got experience and I think since he’s come to the Scottish Prem with Dundee United he’s excelled, he’s shown his worth. Obviously, teams are sitting up and taking notice of him. He’s a big boy, he’s got a big frame and he’s a confident guy.

“I think you need those attributes if you’re going to play at a team like Celtic. I think obviously come in as a number two but looking to challenge the likes of Hart moving forward.

“Any player coming in, when you’ve got the experience of Joe Hart, you’d be a sponge around them. You just want to ask them everything. These are the kind of guys that will be able to help you out.

“They won’t be like: ‘You’re my competition, I’m not going to help you.’

“They would show him the ropes, show him exactly what’s needed to play at this high level. He’s been there, seen it and done it. Siegrist is a guy, I think, who would go in and learn off him but ultimately be looking to make the number one spot his own.”

The Verdict: The perfect candidate

Standing at 6 foot 3, the Switzerland international has all the potential to be a great signing for the Hoops between the sticks.

Not only has the 30-year-old got the size, as Hutton alludes to, but he also had a solid record in Dundee last season, keeping a total of 13 clean sheets across all competitions.

If Siegrist does put pen to paper on a deal at Parkhead, he probably will end up playing backup to Hart for the time being, but with four competitions to fight in next season he won’t be short of chances to impress.

In other news… Celtic are now on the brink of completing the permanent signing of one of their standout loan stars.

Luke Edwards has now revealed some Newcastle United transfer news on Sven Botman.

The Lowdown: Deal close?

It has been reported that the St James’ Park club are now ‘pressing to close a deal’ for the 22-year-old and have ‘submitted’ a ‘new proposal’ worth more than €30m (£25.6m).

Talks are ‘ongoing’ between them and Lille, although AC Milan (among a number of other clubs) are also still thought to be ‘in contention’ for his signature.

The Latest: Edwards’ update on Botman

Taking to Twitter, Daily Telegraph journalist Edwards has revealed that despite some reports to the contrary, there is ‘nothing imminent’ at the moment with regards to a move for Botman.

He revealed: “All I’m told at moment is “nothing imminent.” “

The Verdict: Get it done

With interest from Serie A title winners Milan, who can offer Botman Champions League football next season, the Magpies simply need to get this deal done as soon as possible.

Hailed as a potential ‘massive signing’ and ‘one of the best’ young defenders in European football by Pod On The Tyne podcaster Taylor Payne, signing the 22-year-old would be a real coup for Newcastle.

Botman was Lille’s third-best performer in Ligue 1 last term, averaging more clearances and passes per game than any of his team-mates (WhoScored), showing that he is equally as comfortable at playing out from the back as he is at getting stuck into challenges.

There seems little doubt that Eddie Howe would be excited to work with the Dutchman over the next campaign and beyond, if he can lure the player to Tyneside.

In other news, find out who is now ‘on verge’ of leaving St James’ Park

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst is set to get his first summer transfer window in charge of the club underway on Friday as the market opens for business.

The Gers head coach joined midway through the 2021/22 campaign and led the team to the Europa League final and the Scottish Cup trophy.

He will now be hoping to improve his squad with a view to winning the Premiership title and going as far as possible in the Champions League next term.

One player Ross Wilson must now bring in to help him is Chelsea central midfielder Billy Gilmour on a season-long loan.

The Gers have been linked with a swoop for their former academy gem and the club must do all they can to snap him up.

Imagine him & John Lundstram

Van Bronckhorst can form a dream midfield pairing by putting Gilmour next to John Lundstram as their respective styles can complement each other well.

In the Premiership, the Gers man won 60% of his individual duels and made 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game as he showcased his combative nature and ability to win the ball back for the team.

Offensively, he did little to progress the play, though, as he averaged 0.4 key passes and 2.8 long passes per game for the Light Blues.

Gilmour, meanwhile, provided 1.0 key passes and 3.4 long passes per game in the Premier League on loan at Norwich, showing that he has the quality on the ball to make things happen from midfield.

Graeme Souness previously heaped praise on the £28k-per-week maestro’s ability in possession, saying: “He doesn’t give the ball away. He’s got that fantastic habit for a midfield player of passing the ball to the same colour shirt. He keeps the ball in tight spaces and kept Scotland ticking over.

“He’s a fabulous little football player and when you factor in that last season he only made five starts in the Premier League for Chelsea, he’s not played a lot of football and he came into what was a hothouse of a game – high tempo, loads of pressing – and he managed to stay there.”

Off the ball, however, is where he has been found wanting at times. He lost 53% of his duels in the top-flight for Norwich and averaged one aerial duel won every two games, showing that he struggled with the physicality of the division.

Pairing him with Lundstram will mean that Rangers have one midfielder capable of being the defensive anchor ahead of the back four and the other being capable of driving the team forward and being a creative force in attack.

Wilson must now work with van Bronckhorst to land a deal for Gilmour so that the Gers have the option of fielding this dynamic duo in the 2021/22 campaign.

AND in other news, Wilson plotting Rangers swoop for “consistent” £5m enforcer, GVB would love him… 

Aston Villa could well be nearing a notable summer setback, following an update on the future of assistant coach Michael Beale.

What’s the word?

As per the Telegraph’s John Percy, the Englishman is close to leaving his post at Villa Park, with Championship side Queens Park Rangers said to be keen on appointing the 41-year-old as their new manager.

Having previously reported that Beale was a potential candidate for the Loftus Road outfit, the respected journalist has now taken to Twitter to reveal that an agreement is now imminent: “QPR are close to appointing Michael Beale as manager. Beale is very keen to become a No 1 and AVFC have known there was always a chance of this happening since appointing Steven Gerrard.”

The west Londoners have been searching for a new permanent appointment following the departure of former Brentford boss Mark Warburton at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, after three seasons at the helm.

Gerrard fuming

After the highs of Villa’s early summer transfer business, this latest news will no doubt bring manager Steven Gerrard crashing back down to earth, with the Liverpool legend set to lose his trusty right-hand man in the coming days or weeks.

Formerly a part of the youth set-up with the Merseysiders, Beale was plucked by Gerrard following the latter man’s appointment as Rangers boss in the summer of 2018, with the duo going on to help guide the Old Firm outfit to a first league title in ten years in 2021.

The highly-rated coach then linked up with the former England captain again in the Midlands following Dean Smith’s sacking in November, with the expectation seemingly having been that he would remain a key part of the coaching set-up moving forward.

As it is, the Villans’ number two is now set for pastures new, leaving behind a notable void that will have to be swiftly filled before the Premier League resumes in early August.

For those on the outside looking in, it may not be too great a setback to lose an assistant coach, although Gerrard is acutely aware of the impact that his colleague has on the training pitch, previously stating of his compatriot that: “It would take me 15 to 20 years to become as good as Michael Beale as an on-pitch coach, delivering sessions on a daily basis, so I let Mick be Mick because he’s the expert.

“What I’ll never do is try to do someone else’s job when they are better than me at doing it. A lot of people won’t have a clue what Michael Beale does on the training pitch, but what he does is really quite special.”

Dubbed a “genius” by former Gers striker Jermain Defoe, Beale has also been credited as the “brains” behind the operation in Gerrard’s coaching staff, according to Northern Ireland international Kyle Lafferty.

That glowing praise highlights just what a loss the Bromley-born gem will be to his current employers, with the Villa boss, in particular, set to be impacted the most by a man who has been integral to the early success of his managerial career.

Gerrard may be getting the backing at boardroom level in terms of transfers, yet he will be enraged by potentially losing such a dressing room and training ground asset.

IN other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior

Tottenham Hotspur may turn their attention to RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol as they look to strengthen the centre of their defence, according to The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick. 

The lowdown

Antonio Conte wants to ‘bolster his back three’ this summer after successfully leading Spurs back into the Champions League.

It was only last summer that Leipzig paid £16.9million to sign Gvardiol from Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb.

The 20-year-old made 46 appearances in his first season at the club, starting 28 of their 34 Bundesliga matches and nine of their European games.

The £27million-rated Gvardiol, who’s also capable of operating as a left-back, is under contract at the Red Bull Arena until June 2026.

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The latest

Kilpatrick writes that Spurs would like to sign Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni in a deal worth more than £50million, but they’ve encountered a significant issue.

The defender is reluctant to leave the San Siro and it will be a ‘challenge’ to convince him to move to North London.

And that ‘hesitance’ could see Spurs move onto an alternative target in the form of Gvardiol.

The verdict

Gvardiol, dubbed ‘very special’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is a very well-equipped modern centre-back. Consult his FBRef scouting report and you will see a player in the top ten percentiles for pass volume, progressive passes, progressive carries, dribbles and interceptions.

Given the breadth of his skill-set, it’s no surprise that he’s established so quickly both at club level and at an international level (he already has ten Croatia caps under his belt).

Last year, Gvardiol was nominated for the Golden Boy award, given to the best young player in Europe’s top five leagues. He simply looks destined to become one of the best in his position in the world.

In other news, this journalist is adamant over a Spurs transfer agreement.

Everton managed to secure survival in the Premier League following an intense relegation battle this season and now Frank Lampard is set for a huge overhaul at Goodison Park this summer as a new transfer update emerges.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist and Everton reporter for 90min Chris Smith, Lampard is lining up seven players that will be offered out to other clubs.

Smith tweeted:

“Allan, Michael Keane, Andre Gomes, Tom Davies, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Andros Townsend and Salomon Rondon are all players Everton are willing to entertain offers for this summer, I’m told per source.”

Supporters will be delighted

There is no doubt that big changes are needed at Everton to ensure that they are not in the position they found themselves in over the last few months next season, so supporters will be delighted that the club is working to weed out any players that could be ineffective.

The Toffees have struggled both defensively and offensively this season conceding 66 goals and scoring 23 less, with the fifth most goals conceded in the Premier League, something they will need to address if they don’t want to be in another relegation fight next season.

Some of the players named in the tweet by Smith have already been linked with moves to other clubs, Allan has already been touted with a move to Lazio so he could be one of the first players to leave the club this summer.

Obviously, they will need to maintain some level of squad depth so it is unlikely that all of the aforementioned players will be shown the door during the transfer window, but selling even half of the players would recoup funds that the manager could invest in new talent that can flourish at Goodison Park in the future.

With that being said, there is a lot of work to do at Everton in identifying the players that they sign to make an instant impact and improvement to the squad as well as making sure they can get the best deals for outgoing members of the squad too, to ensure they can go into the new season in a good position to have a much better campaign.

Either way, supporters will surely be pleased to see plenty of the current crop who have been rather average this season head for the exit door this summer.

AND in other news: Moshiri plotting Everton bid for “rapid” £30m “game winner”, he’s Demarai Gray 2.0

Rangers head into the Scottish Cup final today off the back of a soul-wrenching Europa League final defeat on penalties.

The cup final at Hampden Park this afternoon will be the Ibrox club’s 65th match of an incredible season which has featured many highs and lows, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst desperate to end the season with a trophy.

Some changes may need to be made to the starting XI ahead of the trip to Hampden, and one move that Van Bronckhorst should make  is to start Kemar Roofe.

GvB must unleash Roofe

The Jamaican’s second season at Rangers has been markedly different from his debut campaign, where he contributed plentifully as the Gers strolled to the Premiership title. A few niggles and knocks have disrupted any momentum gained during Van Bronckhorst’s tenure, but whenever the 29-year-old does play, he often makes an impact.

Roofe has scored 16 goals this term and netted a hat-trick in his last league appearance against St Mirren, but he offers a different threat to Fashion Sakala.

The Rangers squad will be drained from their efforts in Seville on Wednesday night, and this is where the Jamaican comes in.

Having only just returned from another injury layoff, the ex-Leeds forward should be fresh and ready to start against Hearts today as the Gers looks to claim the Scottish Cup for the first time in 13 years.

Former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard dubbed Roofe the “Duracell bunny” due to his impressive work rate, and this is the sort of player Rangers need against the Jam Tarts, especially after the two-hour exertions against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday night.

Noel Whelan hailed the £26k-p/w ace as  “invaluable” earlier in the season, and looking at his scoring record, there is no doubt that the 29-year-old could be a game-changer if the match turns scrappy today.

Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo are crying out for someone to profit from their excellent creativity, and what grander stage to benefit from that than a domestic cup final at Hampden Park?

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst eyeing Rangers swoop for “phenomenal” £1m destroyer, supporters would love him…

Liverpool are set to reappoint former physio Chris Rohrbeck as Jurgen Klopp bolsters his backroom team, according to reliable journalist David Ornstein.

The Lowdown: Reds excelling on all fronts

The Reds are enjoying a stunning season, already clinching both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, and with Premier League and Champions League success still possible.

Klopp has built an incredible squad over the years – arguably the best in Liverpool’s history – but he also has a formidable backroom team at his disposal.

Rohrbeck was once part of the group, prior to leaving in 2020,  but it now looks as though his return to Anfield is imminent.

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The Latest: Rohrbeck to be reappointed by Liverpool

Taking to Twitter on Monday, The Athletic’s Ornstein claimed that the German could come back before the end of the campaign, as Klopp works to bring him in again.

He reported:

“EXCL: Liverpool set to bolster staff for quadruple push as Klopp lines up return of Chris Rohrbeck. German physio very popular among squad + worked closely with Salah / Van Dijk before 2020 exit. Move accelerated after Fabinho injury.”

The Verdict: Seamless addition

This is a shrewd appointment by Liverpool, with Rohrbeck somebody who Klopp already knows very well, allowing him to fit back in seamlessly with the group, who Ornstein’s tweet suggests is hugely respected within the Anfield playing ranks.

He could have an immediate job on his hands, with players tired after a long and stressful season and the likes of first-team stalwarts Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Mohamed Salah on the treatment table.

Returning at this point in the campaign could also be perfect timing for Rohrbeck, allowing him to potentially be part of a truly iconic season at Anfield.

In other news, one journalist has dropped a big Liverpool injury claim. Read more here.

The future of Leeds United appears increasingly uncertain as we enter the closing stages of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, with the Whites’ 2-1 loss at Arsenal on Sunday, coupled with Everton’s 2-1 victory over Leicester City, seeing Jesse Marsch’s side slip into the relegation zone with just three games left to play.

Indeed, these two results could very easily prove to be a sliding door moment in Leeds’ campaign, something that could render Luke Ayling’s red card for a cynical and unnecessary two-footed challenge on Gabriel Martinelli in the first half of the fixture as the moment that sealed the Whites’ fate.

This is an opinion Jamie Carragher clearly holds, with the former Liverpool centre-back telling Sky Sports (via talkSPORT): “What an idiot. The lack of professionalism from his teammates and what this could mean going forward.

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“It’s not just going down to 10 men, it’s a disgusting tackle going in with two feet and reminds me of a tackle that Vinnie Jones did a long time ago. What he thinks is going to happen on the back of that, I don’t know. It was an obvious red card.

“To put your team down to 10 men, miss the last three games of the season, that might be the last game that Luke Ayling ever plays in the Premier League.”

As Carragher suggests, the 30-year-old’s subsequent three-match suspension could well mean the Arsenal loss is the last time the right-back features in a Premier League fixture for Leeds, however, with Phil Hay recently suggesting that Victor Orta could look to replace the defender this summer, Sunday could also have been the £35k-per-week Ayling’s last outing for the club altogether.

If this does prove to be the case, before Orta spends millions of pounds on a potential replacement in the summer transfer window, it would seem an extremely wise move for Jesse Marsch to take a closer look at 20-year-old Cody Drameh, as the youngster could well be a perfect successor to the 30-year-old full-back.

Indeed, the £900k-rated talent highly impressed over his 22 Championship appearances on loan at Cardiff City this season, helping his side keep six clean sheets, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.0 interceptions, 3.8 tackles, 2.0 clearances and winning 6.9 duels – at a success rate of 57% – per game.

These returns saw the £4.4k-per-week starlet who Glen Williams dubbed “such an exciting prospect” average a SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as the Bluebirds’ fourth-best performer in the English second tier.

As such, should Orta and Marsch indeed believe it is best to move Ayling onto pastures new this summer, they could save Andrea Radrizzani millions of pounds in transfer fees by finally handing Drameh a much-deserved shot in the first team.

AND in other news: Orta can land £60m talent’s dream replacement with Leeds bid for £46k-p/w “phenomenon”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is reportedly contemplating a move to poach Raheem Sterling from former club Manchester City this summer.

What’s the word?

As per the Telegraph, the Gunners are ‘ready to explore’ a deal for the 27-year-old at the end of the season, with the Englishman potentially set to be available to depart the Etihad as he enters the final year of his existing deal.

The report suggests that Arteta – who previously worked under Pep Guardiola at City – wants to make the 74-cap international the ‘focal point’ of his attack, with forward additions seemingly required with Alexandre Lacazette nearing the end of his current deal and with former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang having departed for Barcelona in January.

Sterling – who had been linked with an exit last summer – could well be joined in north London by current teammate Gabriel Jesus, following recent reports that the Brazilian is another player on the radar of the Emirates outfit.

Better than Saka

The addition of the £76.5m-rated man in the upcoming window would prove a major coup for the top-four hopefuls, with the pacy wide man having emerged as one of the top-flight’s leading figures in recent years.

After dazzling as a teenager at Liverpool, Sterling made the controversial £49m switch to Manchester in 2015 in pursuit of silverware, with that move more than paying off as he has since claimed three league titles, five League Cup’s and an FA Cup – with an additional Premier League crown potentially on the way this season.

Under the tutelage of Guardiola, the £300k-per-week gem has developed into a prolific presence in front of goal, having scored 130 times and provided 93 assists in 337 games for the club in all competitions.

Dubbed a “fighter” by Gareth Southgate, the diminutive speedster has also shaken off early criticism at international level to become one of Southgate’s trusted lieutenants, the Jamaica-born ace starring in the Three Lions’ surge to the Euro 2020 final last year, netting three times en route to the showpiece.

It has proven a difficult campaign at club level since then, as he has drifted in and out of the starting XI, although he has still managed to provide 12 goals and four assists in just 22 league starts.

Despite starting 11 more top-flight games than his compatriot, current Arsenal man Bukayo Saka has still scored fewer goals (11 in total) than the more senior man, while he only averages a goal every 248 minutes this season, compared to a goal every 167 minutes for Sterling.

The latter – who Guardiola insisted “always creates something” – also averages 1.8 successful dribbles per game, compared to 1.1 for Saka, while he also ranks in the top 4% for progressive passes received among players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, with his international colleague only in the top 31% for the same metric.

Equally, the City star offers perhaps greater consistency at the elite level, having been a regular fixture in the top-flight since making his Reds debut as a 17-year-old a decade ago, with it some feat to have maintained his quality for so long.

Saka has dazzled in recent times, although he still has a way to go to reach the heights of the potential target.

IN other news, Forget Saliba: Arsenal must finally unleash their “exciting” rarely-seen Hale End gem