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Ex-Manchester United man Keith Gillespie has expressed his confusion at the Red Devils’ treatment of midfielder Donny van de Beek this season.

Speaking exclusively to Football Fan Cast, Gillespie said that he has been left to “question” the Dutchman’s lack of action at Old Trafford since his arrival from Ajax last summer.

Whilst that is a fair assessment considering that the £31.5m-rated midfielder has started just two matches in the Premier League this season, it could be said that he is simply not deserving of any more opportunities than those he is already receiving.

In all competitions, Van de Beek’s output has been truly woeful having accumulated just one goal and two assists for the Red Devils all season – that solitary strike coming in his debut appearance in a 3-1 Old Trafford reverse at the hands of Crystal Palace.

It is certainly a dramatic downturn for the 19-cap Dutch international, with him having plundered 10 goals and 11 assists in his final season in his home country before arriving at United.

Whilst it could be argued that he is now plying his trade in a much more difficult league, that lack of contribution is concerning from an attacking midfielder, no matter the quality of opposition.

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Van de Beek’s regression hasn’t just occurred in his tangible contributions, however, but he is simply having a lower impact when taking to the pitch.

In his final season with Ajax, he was averaging 1.9 shots per game, 1.8 key passes, and one dribble per game in the league according to WhoScored.

These numbers have also taken a dramatic drop to 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 in the Premier League.

Considering that he has the task of getting beyond the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba for a starting berth in his preferred attacking midfield position, there is simply no justification for Van de Beek being afforded more opportunities considering his poor performances.

So, whilst Gillespie is left to question the Dutchman’s lack of action, the answer as to his exclusion from the starting line-up is relatively clear.

AND in more news, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could potentially have been handed a boost with news over the European Super League sanctions…

Danny Mills has dropped a big claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United as an update emerged involving Mike Ashley.

The Lowdown: Ashley releases statement

The Guardian have recently reported that Ashley released a powerful statement this week after HMRC quietly discontinued a long-running investigation into the tax affairs of the St James’ Park club.

As per the Shields Gazette, Newcastle and its chief executive have also accused the Premier League of what they believe to be anti-competitive behaviour in their decision-making process on the proposed deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

They are looking to take the Premier League to court over the matter and have also taken on an anti-competition case given to them by the Newcastle Consortium Supporters Limited (NCSL), with the EPL given fresh legal papers as Ashley looks to force them to wave through the bid.

The Latest: Mills reacts to Ashley activity

Mills, who is now a pundit after playing for the likes of Leeds United and Manchester City in his career, has since given his thoughts to Football Insider on Ashley’s latest activity, and his view on the potential takeover on Tyneside:

“It’s a case of Mike Ashley being desperate to sell and doing everything he can to get his money.

“But I think he’s right, it does need to be investigated as to why.

“There is the golf super league with Saudi Arabia, we’ve seen all the boxing going on over there as well and other sports.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had a reason why they weren’t allowed to take over.

“There’s no better time with all the issues surrounding the so-called ‘big six’ and those smaller clubs can say ‘Hang on a minute, how can you allow this to happen to these other clubs and let them spend what they want but you’re not letting us compete?’

“It isn’t really fair. It’s almost like it’s a monopoly on who can do what they want and spend what they want.”

The Verdict: Ashley seems desperate

Given that there is already an arbitration hearing to take place between Newcastle and the Premier League, it seems as if Ashley is already starting to feel desperate by taking them to another legal battle to try and claim damages.

What the result of the arbitration case would be remains unclear, but the report that the businessman is trying to at least get some compensation from the failed takeover bid suggests that he may not be confident about getting a positive outcome from the saga.

In other news, find out what big claim another pundit has made on the potential takeover!

With a potential 12-man exodus on the cards at Celtic this summer, it could be all change at Parkhead.

The likes of Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer are regularly linked with the exit door and thus, the new manager will likely have his work cut out in the transfer market.

On the chalkboard

Another player who could depart Parkhead in a few months time is Ryan Christie. The Scot has scored just twice in his last 25 outings and has been regularly tipped to leave by Frank McAvennie.

That comes after substantial interest in the winger throughout the winter. Leeds United were linked with making a move for Christie, while it was also reported that Arsenal were interested in his services.

It would be a timely departure when you consider his significant downfall in recent months.

Last term, Christie was one of the stars of the Celtic side. He scored 20 goals and supplied 16 assists in the process. However, in 2020/21, he has been nothing short of abysmal.

The Scotland international has netted five times and has regularly struggled to beat the goalkeeper. The nadir of his season was undoubtedly when Celtic lost 1-0 to Ross County.

Christie was selected up front on that occasion but spurned four chances and even blasted the ball over the bar from a matter of yards out. It was a moment that perfectly summed up his timid season.

The solution

With Moi Elyounoussi set to head back to Southampton at the conclusion of his loan spell, the Hoops will likely have to search for internal solutions.

One such option could be James Forrest. The attacker has only played once since September after a very lengthy injury lay-off. Though, there is a controversial figure in their midst who could just be given a second chance to prove himself; that’s especially if Christie does leave.

That happens to divisive winger Marian Shved. The Ukrainian has only played for the Bhoys on three occasions and has had a rather difficult few years in Scotland.

Shved admitted over the winter that he has an ounce of regret about his move to Celtic and you can understand why based on the limited opportunities he’s received.

The 23-year-old’s loan spell at Mechelen in Belgium was hardly going to plan either. He was turning up late for training and showing a diabolical attitude. For many players, there would be no way back from that.

Mechelen boss Wouter Vrancken initially said: “Let’s be honest here, Marian Shved is an outstanding talent who would not normally choose to play for a club like Mechelen. We are very lucky to have him.”

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That was before he unleashed a rather remarkable assault on Shved: “The players and staff have done everything they can to include Shved in the squad, but he puts himself above the group.”

“Well, it stops now,” he added. “If he wants to be a loner, he can. Go play billiards for the rest of his life or something.”

Fortunately, Shved has since turned his season around. The Ukraine international has worked to get back in the side and has provided promising results in recent months.

He assisted Mechelen’s goal in an impressive 1-1 draw with Anderlecht last weekend, taking his tally of goal involvements for the season to seven in 16 games.

Before Vrancken’s brutal assessment of Shved, he had not scored all season. It would appear that the penny has finally dropped with the hot-headed winger.

If he applies the same attitude on his return to Celtic, there’s no reason why he can’t work himself back into their long-term plans. With the club in disarray and players potentially leaving, there will be openings for him to exploit.

AND in other news, Soro should be fuming if Celtic sign £50k-p/w brute this summer, he’s a “class player”…

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has lauded an “outrageous” moment from Raphinha in his side’s 2-0 defeat to West Ham, saying it sums him up as a player.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were beaten at the London Stadium on Monday evening, leaving them in 11th place in the table with 11 matches remaining.

It has been a strong first season back in the top flight for Leeds, but four defeats in their last five league outings suggests they may just be running out of steam a little.

Whelan hails Raphinha

Raphinha has arguably been Leeds’ standout player so far this season, chipping in with five goals and assists apiece, wreaking havoc from out wide with his pace and trickery.

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan lauded the 24-year-old, highlighting one acrobatic attempt against the Hammers as proof of his unique brilliance as a player, as well as praising his mentality:

“Raphinha was very quiet in the first 20 or 30 minutes of the game. Second half, when you need to show a bit of fight, we know he’s got that. It’s one of the thing things that I love so much about him. He gets upset by defeats. You can see that they hurt him.

“He was trying everything. The overhead kick that took a deflection, I don’t think any other player would have tried that in the Leeds United side.

“It goes to show the confidence and the belief in his own abilities that he has to try something as outrageous as that. It nearly came off.

“He’s one of these players that rise to the occasion and stands up to the fight. When you’re 2-0 down, his head doesn’t go down to the ground, his body language isn’t bad.

“He’s one of these players that wants to really fight and get something out of the game. We need these players at Leeds.

“But he gets that opportunity and he knows himself that he should have scored. Anywhere to the right or the left, it’s a goal. We’ve seen him bend them in two or three times this season.”

Transfer Tavern take

There is no doubt that Bielsa will be desperate to keep hold of Raphinha beyond this season, with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United rumoured to be interested in signing him.

The Brazilian brings so much quality to this Leeds side and losing him would undoubtedly hamper their chances of building on this promising season and kicking on further in 2021/22 and beyond.

In other news: Phil Hay highlights major defensive issue at Leeds.

Yeferson Soteldo, who was previously linked with a move to Everton back in March 2020, has recently made a transfer admission to FIFA’s official website.

Speaking to the website, the Santos ace said when being asked about his future: “Today I can say that I’m ready to take it to the next level, although I feel good here at Santos. We’ll see after the Copa America. I’ve always liked the English league.”

Everton should reignite their interest in Soteldo

The Goodison Park faithful should certainly try and reignite their previous interest in Soteldo, given his previous exploits.

The 23-year-old has scored no fewer than 30 goals and made a further 36 assists in 169 games in total over all competitions across the last seven years of his club career so far (Transfermarkt), showcasing the talent that he has starting at such a young age.

Soteldo is also a full senior international with Venezuela, in where he has been capped 17 times and scored one goal (Transfermarkt), and also has the ability to play in a wide range of different positions across the front line.

His versatility is certainly something that Carlo Ancelotti would admire, especially if the Merseyside club were to get a large number of injuries in their forward areas.

With a lot of potential still left to be fulfilled, Soteldo is definitely a player that the Toffees should at least be keeping an eye on when the upcoming summer transfer window eventually opens.

In other news, find out which Blues man’s subtle Ancelotti dig has been slammed by fans here!

Leeds are making a major mistake over their transfer stance on Liverpool starlet Yasser Larouci.

What’s the story?

According to The Athletic, Larouci has been on the club’s radar in the past, and that while they had looked at him a few transfer windows ago, they deemed him too expensive, and are now focused on trying to recruit a more experienced option at left-back.

Radrizzani needs to spend

While Leeds are hardly a club like Manchester City that can just throw money at players, the 20-year-old Larouci is something they should not be turning their backs on.

The young left-back has barely had an opportunity on Merseyside, playing just twice for the senior side, but is clearly someone with bags of potential.

Liverpool’s former U18s boss Barry Lewtas, said: “He is lightning-quick and a real good personality. Because he is so quick it helps in his one-v-one defending, he is aggressive and is good when he runs into the big spaces and he arrives well in terms of forward runs.”

And, The Athletic’s James Pearce added: “Larouci has made big strides forward. He’s an interesting one in itself because he’s a player who came in as an attacker, as a real pacey, strong winger with an eye for goal.

“The staff felt that actually he would be better suited to the left-back role, especially in the Klopp mould where so much of it is providing that attacking outlet. They felt they could work with him and work on his defensive game and he’s another one that’s come on a lot.”

At just 20, Larouci has still got the world at his feet in terms of developing into a Premier League star, and being a young player means that he will always have resale value.

Even if things don’t work out as Leeds may hope, there’s always the fallback of still being able to draw in good money for him – unlike spending a big sum of money on a more experienced, older option like they are reportedly planning on doing.

Clearly, Larouci is highly-rated by those who know Liverpool well, and that kind of potential is something the Whites should be all over. Andrea Radrizzani should be getting out the chequebook and bringing the Reds back to the negotiating table to try and strike a deal.

It would be a foolish mistake if they didn’t.

Meanwhile, Leeds should unleash this midfield talent next season…

Liverpool are on the verge of signing Preston defender Ben Davies on deadline day but it doesn’t look as though they are done there.

What’s the word?

Paul Joyce revealed late last night that Liverpool were in fact targeting two central defenders on transfer deadline day.

A move for Marseille defender Duje Ćaleta-Car now looks off the table but one move that could still happen is for someone plying their trade in the Premier League.

The Telegraph’s Chris Bascombe claimed in the last few hours that irons were in the fire and that Michael Edwards was spinning a few plates.

As a result of that, he noted it “could bring Shkodran Mustafi from Arsenal.”

The Reds have already been linked with a move for the £90-per-week centre-back in the window already in what would be a rather surprising move.

Edwards mistake

Liverpool may want two centre-backs on deadline day but it would be nothing short of a big error from Edwards to bring Mustafi to Merseyside.

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The fact of the matter is that the German is far too error-prone and for a defence that has relied on Virgil van Dijk – one of the best in the world – it would be like swapping The Ritz-Carlton for a Premier Inn on the side of a motorway!

According to the Premier League’s official statistics, Mustafi has made three individual errors leading to a goal but if you reflect upon his actual performances, they are far worse than that number indicates.

In fact, Football.London noted in April 2019 that the German had made as many as six errors that cost Arsenal during that particular campaign. He is a clumsy centre-back, one who has never been able to eradicate a moment of madness from his game, hence why he’s not in Arsenal’s plans.

The Germany international is about as error-prone as they come and judging by that, Liverpool are probably better off maintaining Jordan Henderson and Nat Phillips at the back than picking him. After all, they shipped just once against in-form West Ham on Sunday evening.

AND in other news, Deadline day Liverpool move for centre-back in jeopardy, Edwards should find a Plan B

David Moyes has left West Ham United in a position where he must unleash academy striker Mipo Odubeko after Oladapo Afolayan joined Bolton Wanderers on loan.

Afolayan sealed a Deadline Day switch to Ian Evatt’s League Two strugglers and will see out the rest of the 2020/21 season at the University of Bolton Stadium.

It will be Afolayan’s third spell away from east London following previous moves to Oldham Athletic and Mansfield Town, and it comes after he scored on his senior West Ham debut during the Irons’ 4-0 FA Cup fourth-round win over Doncaster Rovers in January.

Bolton boss Evatt has lauded the arrival of Afolayan in a last-ditch move, noting: “He’s quick, strong and technical, and a very exciting talent that can play all along the front three.”

Afolayan’s exit further deprives Moyes of attacking options at the London Stadium following Sebastien Haller’s £20m move to AFC Ajax last month, with West Ham failing to secure the services of a replacement for the Ivory Coast international.

Alleged winter targets Joshua King – seen as Moyes’ top target – and Josh Maja both sealed Premier League transfers on Deadline Day, with the AFC Bournemouth ace joining Everton and the FC Girondins de Bordeaux forward moving to Fulham.

West Ham’s lack of activity means Michail Antonio remains the Hammers’ only recognised senior centre-forward, and Moyes in a position where he is now considering utilising winger Andriy Yarmolenko and Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard as false nines.

Yet the Irons boss does not have to consider turning to alternative solutions, as Odubeko is ready and waiting for his chance to impress in the senior fold following his first-team debut.

Odubeko’s progress was stinted following a serious hamstring injury last term and the national lockdown, meaning the striker was forced to sit out for much of the previous six months. However, Moyes awarded the 18-year-old his senior debut in the FA Cup at Stockport County and must now trust in his potential.

It was alleged during the winter transfer window that Moyes could opt to take a closer look at Odubeko after his outing in the cup, as the Hammers chief wanted to see whether or not the prolific youth forward was ready to make the step up.

Odubeko boasts an impressive record in the junior tiers, having scored 35 times for Manchester United’s academy before sealing a move to the London Stadium in October 2019. He has since fired home nine in seven U18 games in claret and blue, plus five in three with the U23s.

Yet, while Afolayan was awarded 20 minutes against Doncaster in which he scored, Odubeko entered the action in stoppage-time at Stockport and has not been seen on the pitch since.

Moyes has kept the forward in and around the senior squad, and claimed he has “big hopes” for him, but – after losing Haller and Afolayan – it is time for the West Ham boss to put his money where his mouth is and unleash Odubeko.

The east London side certainly looked desperate for a different sort of threat from their attack against Liverpool last time out, when Antonio cut a frustrated figure and sent his only telling chance of the game wide of the post.

Obviously, Antonio is going to be Moyes’ number one striker going forwards but in terms of his Plan B options, Odubeko should be at the top of the manager’s list.

AND in other news, West Ham eye future swoop for prolific £30m striker with “absolutely superb” movement…

Celtic are without a permanent manager after Neil Lennon decided to leave them behind on Wednesday morning.

It’s a decision that leaves Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell with some decision making to do, both in the way of finding a new manager and reshaping the squad.

On the chalkboard

One of the biggest tasks either Dominic McKay or a new manager will have is keeping hold of Odsonne Edouard.

The Frenchman has been sensational for Celtic in recent years and won their Player of the Season award last term after bagging 28 goals. He is their talisman in attack again this term and unsurprisingly, he’s attracted the eyes of the Premier League.

It feels inevitable that in much the same way the likes of Victor Wanyama and Virgil Van Dijk left Celtic behind, Edouard will do the same in a few months’ time.

Considering just how important he is to the Bhoys, it would be devastating if he was to leave. That’s especially when you consider the difficulties Celtic have had this season. Without him, it’s safe to say they’d be even further behind Rangers.

How can they keep him?

One way of keeping him would be to get their next managerial appointment absolutely spot on. A whole plethora of names have been mentioned in the same breath as Celtic from Frank Lampard and John Terry to Eddie Howe.

Though, one name has been Ralf Rangnick. Hoops supporters want it to happen but as revealed by commentator Derek Rae, he would have to be enthralled by the project on offer to move to Glasgow.

If it did happen, it has the potential to be game-changing for Edouard. One reason is because of the style of football he likes to play and the second is due to his approach to European football.

Described as “very demanding” by former RB Salzburg CEO Jochen Sauer, Rangnick is one of the pioneers behind the Gegenpress but importantly for Edouard, he likes his teams to play intense attacking football.

ESPN detailed how this pressing style of football, combined by attacking with positional fluidity went away from the rigid nature of previous German football.

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For further context, his teams have scored 1.7 goals per game during his managerial career and he’s got the most from players of a similar age to Edouard. You only need to look at Timo Werner’s record under the 62-year-old.

He bagged 19 in 37 during the 2018/19 campaign, registering ten assists too. Coincidentally, Yussuf Poulsen also registered 19 strikes, something that demonstrates how attacking the style of football was that Rangnick played with.

With that in mind, he could be the coach to extract even more from Edouard. Couple that together with the way he led a revolution at Leipzig and the French striker would surely be appealed by working under such a manager.

Keeping him in Scotland still feels unlikely but appointing Rangnick would show ambition that’s previously been lacking at Parkhead.

AND in other news, Christie could be in trouble if Celtic hire 57 y/o coach “reminiscent to Craig Brown”…

Yan Valery has been something of a forgotten man at Southampton since Kyle Walker-Peters arrived on loan with the South Coast club last January.

The former Spurs man quickly established himself as the first-choice right-back in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side and his signing was made permanent during the summer.

The 23-year-old has subsequently played every single minute of the Premier League this season, having become a key player for the Austrian manager in defence.

However, Walker-Peters has now been ruled out of Southampton’s match with Arsenal on Tuesday night, meaning that Valery will likely step in as his replacement against the Gunners.

The 21-year-old only made his first appearance of the season in the 1-0 win against Liverpool earlier this month, having been with the Southampton B team for much of the campaign.

He did make his first start in the FA Cup win against Shrewsbury Town but was relegated to the bench for the game against Arsenal on Saturday, showing that Walker-Peters is very much first-choice at the moment.

Valery had established himself as something of a regular in this Southampton side during the 2018/19 season, as he made 23 top-flight appearances, contributing two goals and one assist.

However, the signing of Walker-Peters, combined with the Frenchman suffering from glandular fever, has meant that game time has been hard to come by in the past two seasons.

Back in 2019, after an impressive goal against Manchester United, Hasenhuttl was full of praise for the young defender, saying:

“That’s something you demand from a young player. He gets the trust from us and then I want to see a brave player who is believing in himself and Yan made a fantastic development until now.

“Defensively he is better now and also offensively that’s exactly the way we want to go. I’m very happy for him that he scored for the first time, it was a fantastic goal and to shoot like this at Old Trafford shows how confident he is.”

The Austrian will be desperate for the Frenchman to produce a similar display when the Saints face Arsenal on Tuesday night, therefore, and hopefully, he can start showing some of his potential again with the South Coast club.

It is a rare chance for Valery to play and it is an opportunity he must make the most of if he wants to compete with Walker-Peters for the right-back spot in Hasenhuttl’s side.

And, in other news… “What a player” – Exclusive: Pundit “surprised” Hasenhuttl fave is still with Southampton