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Efe Ambrose has completed a move to Derby County, according to Score Nigeria.

The former Celtic defender left Hibernian last month after spending two years at the club and although Derby County are yet to confirm the deal, Ambrose has told Score Nigeria that he’s signed a contract that expires in the summer.

Ambrose was with Celtic for five years, winning four Scottish Premiership titles, along with the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup.

The centre-back made a total of 169 appearances for Celtic, scoring six goals and laying on 10 assists.

During his spell with Hibernian – whom he initially joined on loan before the move was made permanent – Ambrose played 86 times.

His move to Derby will mark his first foray into English football, having joined Celtic from Israeli club FC Ashdod.

And Celtic fans have been quick to react to the news of their former star finding a new club. Here’s a look at what they’ve been seeing saying Twitter…

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Tottenham Hotspur are scouting a number of Serie A players as they prepare for the summer transfer window, per Tuttomercatoweb.

Spurs have not signed a player in the last two transfer windows but appear ready to dip into the market at the end of the season.

What’s the word?

Spurs last signed a player in January of 2018, when they secured Lucas Moura from PSG.

But the aforementioned Tuttomercatoweb report claims that they are stepping up preparations for the summer by sending scouts to watch a number of players in action in Italy.

Representatives from the north London outfit watched AC Milan beat Atalanta 3-1, with midfielder Franck Kessie and winger Suso both on their radar.

Per Tuttomercatoweb, Spurs also took in Inter Milan’s match against Sampdoria, looking over Ivan Perisic’s performance for the Nerrazurri.

Sampdoria defender Joachim Andersen was also on their shortlist, but according to Tuttomercatoweb the interest in him depends on Toby Alderweireld’s future.

Early preparations

Spurs are clearly readying for a frenzied summer of transfer activity.

Alderweireld has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave if a bid of £25million is tabled this summer, while Christian Eriksen’s future remains up in the air amid reported interest from Real Madrid.

Spurs are in need of reinforcements, particularly if both players depart, and it makes sense that they would be scouting top leagues, particularly for players with the right profile to play under Mauricio Pochettino.

Andersen is just 22 while Kessie and Suso are 22 and 25 respectively, and all three have the ability to grow under the Argentine’s management.

Perisic, of course, is 30, with that deal surely more of a long shot for the north London club.

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Hoffenheim Director of Football Alexander Rosen have confirmed that they have received a bid worth €50million (£42.8m) for reported Newcastle United target Joelinton, per Bild.

The 22-year-old striker has scored 10 goals in all competitions thus far this season.

What’s the word?

Joelinton joined Hoffenheim in 2015 from Brazilian club Sport Recife.

However, he has had to wait for his breakthrough at the club, having spent two years on loan with Rapid Wien.

During his spell in Austria, the attacker scored 21 goals and laid on nine assists in a total of 79 appearances.

And he has hit the goal trail again upon his return to the Bundesliga, leading to reported interest from a number of European clubs.

Per the aforementioned report, Newcastle are willing to pay €60m (£51.4m) to secure his signature but Rosen is keen to retain the club’s prized asset.

He told Bild: “We have developed great strength to be able to say no, which we have proven in the past.”

Asked if Newcastle had been the club to table the bid, he replied: “To be honest, there is not one, there are not five, there are dozens of clubs that are interested in him.”

Far-fetched

Unfortunately, this seems like little more than a pipe dream for Newcastle fans.

The Magpies broke their transfer record in January, signing Miguel Almiron from Atlanta United for a fee of £20m.

That deal was the most expensive for the club since 2005, when they secured Michael Owen from Real Madrid.

To expect the club to now be willing to pay almost triple that for any player, let alone one who has spent just a season in a top European league, feels fanciful.

There appears to be a number of clubs looking to sign Joelinton – he is surely unlikely to end up on Tyneside.

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Leighton Baines started at left-back the last time Everton tasted victory in a Merseyside derby but, despite the fact he remains at the club more than eight years later, Lucas Digne looks the most likely candidate to line up on the left side of the back-four when the sides go head-to-head on Sunday afternoon.

If ever there was a time for the Toffees to end their derby-day hoodoo.

A victory for Manchester City against Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon will put the current champions above Liverpool when Jurgen Klopp’s side kick-off on Sunday. The added incentive of denting the title ambitions of their local-rivals certainly adds an extra dimension to the fixture for the Evertonians.

For Digne, this will be his first taste of derby-day action at Goodison. The reverse fixture at Anfield lacked the bite and intensity which one would expect to see from a clash between two historic rivals, but it only takes a thundering challenge in the opening moments of the game to bring the home crowd into play.

Rugged challenges are not what Digne is renowned for, nor are they something which has been expected of him in the past; his repertoire is built around a relentless endeavour to stomp into opposition territory, where he can utilise his textbook technique, whipping crosses into dangerous areas and picking the defensive lock with quick one-twos.

But the Frenchman needs only to take a brief look into the past to acknowledge that he must broaden his pallet in order to suffocate Mo Salah’s influence. In Liverpool’s last game against Manchester United, Luke Shaw, who signed for £27 million in 2014, bossed the Egyptian and delivered the type of big-game performance which is needed to keep the superstar forward at bay.

If the former Barcelona talent can emulate Shaw then Everton will have a fantastic opportunity to keep a clean sheet and claim the bragging rights which have eluded them for the best part of a decade.

There is another aspect to the fixture, though, which suggests Digne could be of paramount importance. Trent Alexander-Arnold returned to the starting XI against Watford in midweek with a game-changing bang: he provided assists for three of Liverpool’s five goals.

Not only will Digne need to communicate effectively with Everton’s left-winger to ensure the marauding full-back is tracked effectively and consistently throughout, he will also need to test Alexander-Anrold’s resolve in the final-third by overlapping and restricting the right-back’s movement into the final-third.

It would be a gross exaggeration to describe Alexander-Arnold as defensively suspect, but there are certainly holes within his game to be exploited and, considering he is not fully match fit after a spell on the sidelines, Digne could use a potential frailty to his advantage.

Marcel Brands’ decision to bring the left-back from Catalonia to Merseyside has been relatively popular so far. There are, however, plenty of sceptics who struggle to share the opinion of those who laud Digne’s quality.

Starring in a rare Merseyside derby victory would be the perfect way for the full-back to announce himself to the Goodison Park faithful.

Manchester United are set for a £155m double swoop for Benfica duo Ruben Dias and Joao Felix this summer according to Record – explained in greater detail by the Mirror – and the club’s knowledge of the Portuguese league could mean they’re the real deal.

United are believed to have held discussions with agent Jorge Medes about 19-year-old Felix who’s valued at £90m and dubbed his country’s greatest star since Cristiano Ronaldo.

Indeed, they’ve also reportedly sent scouts to watch 21-year-old centre-back Diaz valued at £65m.

Whoever’s manager at Old Trafford next season knows they have to spend big to catch up with Man City and Liverpool and mount a title challenge. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has proved his squad is more than capable of competing with the best teams in the country, but there’s certainly holes in the team that need addressing.

United have had a flurry of successes with ex-Portuguese league talent over the last 20 years, bringing over the likes of Ronaldo, Anderson, Nani, Marcos Rojo and now Diogo Dalot. The club even appointed a full-time Portuguese first-team scout, Joao Ferreira, two years ago. United clearly know what’s what in Portugal, so if they’re interested these two must be impressive.

Ruben Diaz has played 23 times for Benfica this season, who sit top of the league with the second least goals conceded in the division, 21. Joao Felix has played 16 times this campaign, scoring nine and assisting five while playing as a second striker capable of drifting out to the left. His contributions have helped Benfica score 66 goals this season, and that’s 18 more than second-placed Porto.

The youngsters have the maturity of playing regularly in a top division but also the youthfulness to be adapted to the Premier League without the added pressure of being at peak age.

If signed they could both be key to returning United to where their fans expect them to be – the top.

Where do you think United need to strengthen this summer?

After a disappointing goalless draw in the Steel City derby was followed up by a credible point at Derby, Wednesday return to action this midweek looking to close the gap on their rival play-off contenders.

The Owls boast an impressive nine-game undefeated streak in the Championship, and with four of the five teams directly above them in the table playing teams in the top eight, it could be a great chance leapfrog a few of them.

Steve Bruce’s side, whose last league defeat was away at Hull on 12 January, will be hoping to turn their run of draws into wins if their aim of promotion is to be realised.

While not losing in nine is impressive, a failure to convert performances into wins, having drawn five of their last seven, will be a concern to Bruce.

But a game against a lowly, struggling Bolton side, paired with tricky fixtures for their rivals, means that the reward on offer should have the Wednesday players champing at the bit as they run out at the Macron Stadium.

With Bruce publicly stating that the team need to start winning games, the last thing he needed was a potential injury to one of the main components of the side to get their goals.

Steven Fletcher suffered a knee and ankle injury during the draw at Derby, and had to be withdrawn early. But with Fernando Forestieri and Lucas Joao already out, it may be a makeshift forward line that is asked to do a job on Wednesday night.

The influence Bruce has had on the players is there for all to see, but if they do not start turning one point into three soon, it may all be for nothing.

But the team should be full of confidence from their unbeaten run, and if they do start winning games they will surely have a big say in the Championship play-off race, which is the tightest it has been for a number of seasons.

Owls fans, let us know who you would have leading the line at Bolton? Can the unbeaten run continue, with some wins accompanying the draws? Let us know in the comments below…

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It is no secret that Marcelo Bielsa is a manager that is stubborn and largely set in his own ways, but the weekend defeat against Sheffield United was probably the clearest sign yet that he has a pecking order of players – especially when it comes to substitutions.

On the chalkboard

Had it not been for a series of injuries and suspensions, the Argentine boss may well have stuck with the same core of 18-20 first-teamers given what he has done at his previous clubs.

Unfortunately since he arrived at Elland Road he hasn’t had that luxury and has had to delve deeper into his squad to use the likes of Leif Davis, Aapo Halme and Jordan Stevens on occasions.

However, while it may be the case that players like Stuart Dallas, Adam Forshaw and Barry Douglas are guaranteed a spot in the 18-man squad if they are available, the same can’t always be said for youngsters like Jack Clarke, Izzy Brown and Jamie Shackleton.

Clear pecking order

It seems that way.

Are Leeds set for another spectacular fall from grace? Ingood Nick believes so in the video below…

Even when Leeds are in need of a goal and a fresh threat in the final third – as they were against the Blades on Saturday – the proof is that Douglas or Dallas seem more likely to enter proceedings first than either Clarke and Shackleton, with the latter ending the game as an unused substitute at the weekend.

The presence of the summer addition from Wolves on the field saw Alioski push forward into a left-wing role – with the Scot replacing Harrison is a change that we have seen time and time again from Bielsa in recent weeks – and you have to wonder whether the manager should change his ways.

Likewise, Dallas came on at the same time as Clarke and replaced Ayling, even though Shackleton filled in excellently for the 27-year-old when he was injured earlier in the season and would arguably provide more of an attacking threat.

All in all, Bielsa needs to ditch his preferred pecking order and give more minutes to talented individuals like Brown and Shackleton rather than keep relying on experienced pros that aren’t delivering.

It seems crazy to think that there was once a point in time were football fans genuinely thought David Bentley was going to be the next England superstar.

The former Blackburn star was dubbed ‘the next David Beckham’ by then England manager Steve McClaren, and on his Premier League debut, the winger scored a hat-trick against Manchester United in a season that saw Mark Hughes’ qualify for Europe in a season where the then 22-year-old scored seven goals and recorded 13 assists.

Another impressive season for the Lancashire side saw Bentley being touted as a future England star, and with his good looks, impressive set-pieces and a decent haircut, you could buy into the fact that the nation had it’s new Becks. But things were only about to go downhill.

In the summer of 2008, Bentley made a £15 million move to Tottenham Hotspur. Despite the fact he had come through at Arsenal and even scored for the first-team in a FA Cup game, there was still excitement around this 23-year-old who could be the next big thing for club and country.

A slow start in north London was instantly redeemed in the derby against Arsenal where Bentley scored a 40-yard screamer in a famous 4-4 draw with Spurs’ rivals, however, that would be the winger’s only league goal that season as his form and reputation dropped quickly.

Bentley was largely used as a sub in his second season with Spurs, and an incident involving covering manager Harry Redknapp with water on live TV sent the winger further down the pecking order at the club.

The once touted future of England would only go on take make two more Premier League appearances for Spurs, and from mid-January 2011 onward Bentley was on-loan away from north London, playing for the likes of Birmingham, West Ham, and FC Rostov.

At 28, Bentley returned to Blackburn, on loan of course, and a year after he was released from Tottenham in 2013 Bentley announced his retirement from football altogether at just 29, stating he had fallen out of love with the game and that modern football had become too ‘robotic’.

So what has happened to Bentley now? If you guessed he moved to Marbella to open up a restaurant, you would be absolutely right. As well as co-owning Costa del Sol in Spain, the former Blackburn star co-owns a restaurant in London with Manchester City and Liverpool players Raheem Sterling and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Bentley’s tale is a sad one. One that shows how the modern hype machine of young players can potentially ruin future aspirations of becoming one of the best players in the country, and also a reminder that if Steve McClaren dubs you ‘the next …’ he’s probably wrong.

Spurs fans, would Bentley have been an England star if he never moved to north London?

Arsenal will be focused on securing a top four spot in the current campaign having settled for Europa League football in recent times. But, it won’t be easy as they’ll face competition from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Many Arsenal fans will agree that the one position that has let them down this season has been at the heart of the defence. But, it looks as if Unai Emery has realised that as the Gunners appear to be eyeing a central defender.

What’s the news?

Arsenal are one of a number of clubs set to scout Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar next week when Slovakia take on Wales in Cardiff, according to TEAMtalk.

The likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea will also scout the defender.

And, Inter are believed to be ready to cash in at around £30 million, despite him being valued at £54 million (by Transfermarkt).

The Verdict:

Arsenal haven’t been able to find a settled partnership at the heart of the defence in the current campaign as injuries continue to take their toll on Unai Emery’s side.

The Gunners could make a huge statement by signing the central defender as a number of other big clubs are also set to look at him, and he’s one of the hottest defensive topics in world football at this moment in time.

So, it appears as if the Gunners are eyeing the defender ahead of a potential summer swoop. Of course, a £30 million deal for the Slovakian would be an absolute bargain when you consider that Transfermarkt value him at £54 million.

Arsenal fans, surely signing Skriniar would be huge for your club?

West Ham are braced for a massive summer ahead, and one area of the pitch that will be under construction is the attack.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side are in need of striker this off-season, and plenty of names have been thrown about already. Serie A strikers Andrea Belotti and Duvan Zapata are two names that have been churned out by the Italian media, as well as Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez who the Star report West Ham will potentially be able to acquire for just half of his £43 million release clause.

The Uruguayan striker has been a name long-touted with a move to the Premier League, with Liverpool and Chelsea reportedly interested in the 22-year-old striker according to the Sun, however the Hammers have been the side closest to signing the promising forward with Sky Sports reporting that the east London team were close to agreeing a deal with Celta in January, but the move never materialised.

Gomez, who is valued at £31.5 million (by Transfermarkt), has all the qualities to be a striker that can go all the way. Being Uruguayan has naturally seen the forward be compared to former Liverpool star Luis Suarez, but despite these flattering comparisons and decent track record in La Liga, West Ham should be looking elsewhere for a starting striker next season.

At 22, Gomez is still a player who is learning his trade in football. Although he’s shown the ability to play top-flight football, scoring 27 goals in 65 games in La Liga, West Ham are in need of a striker that has been consistent for some time and is the finished product.

Gomez has the potential to one day be the striker West Ham need, though. The Hammers have always enjoyed their best football with a physical striker up top who is intelligent enough to beat defenders with brains as well as strength, but Pellegrini needs the player who can do that now, not someone who could potentially be that in two or three years time.

David Gold and David Sullivan might be able to acquire the Uruguayan striker for £21 million should Celta be relegated this season, but it would be in the best interest of the club to look elsewhere for that striker who can plug the hole that has needed attention in east London for some time.

West Ham fans, what striker should the club bring in this summer?