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Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic head into Sunday’s Premiership showdown against their Glasgow arch-rivals in an exceptional run of form, with the Bhoys remaining undefeated in their last 25 league outings, winning 21 of those.

As such, confidence within the 56-year-old’s squad will be extremely high, but with Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s outfit also having lost just two Premiership games all season, the Hoops manager will be well aware that his team simply must be at their best if they are to leave Ibrox with all three points this afternoon.

Will Postecoglou make any changes to the team which started the 4-0 win over Ross County last time out? Here’s how we think Celtic could line up against Rangers today, along with the latest team and injury news…

With Postecoglou revealing in his pre-match press conference that both Kyogo Furuhashi and Tom Rogic will be available for selection on Sunday after recovering from their respective injuries, we predict that the Hoops boss will make three changes from the side which started the victory over County.

The back five remains unchanged, with Joe Hart starting between the sticks and Greg Taylor, Carl Starfelt, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Josip Juranovic making up the defensive quartet.

In the middle of the park, despite Rogic’s availability, it is the 22-year-old David Turnbull – who Alan Hutton claimed is playing with his chest “puffed out” this season – given the nod alongside Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate in the Bhoys’ three-man midfield.

In attack, the £52.5k-per-week Kyogo’s recovery from a long-term injury sees him take the place of Giorgos Giakoumakis up top, while Liel Abada also returns to the starting XI on the right, with Daizen Maeda dropping to the bench and Jota switching back to his preferred role on the left.

AND in other news: £3m wasted as Celtic had a shocker on £7.9k-p/w “loner” who rinsed Desmond for 129 weeks

According to a report from Calciomercato, Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte was watching Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku in UEFA Champions League action this week. 

The lowdown: Lukaku’s struggles

Signed from Inter Milan for £97.5million (Sky Sports), Lukaku has struggled to recapture the form shown in Italy since arriving back in the Premier League.

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The 28-year-old ended the 2020/21 Serie A title-winning season as the second top goalscorer under Spurs’ boss Conte with 24 strikes to his name.

However, following just five league goals on a return to Stamford Bridge, a quick exit could already be on the cards and Tottenham could be in the mix…

The latest: Friends reunited?

As per the report from Italian outlet Calciomercato, Conte was in attendance as Chelsea went down 3-1 to Real Madrid on Wednesday night (April 6).

It’s claimed that as the summer transfer window approaches a return to the Nerazzurri is a possibility for the Belgian star, as is ‘finding his former coach’ in Conte at Tottenham.

Whilst the reasons for the Italian’s visit could be unrelated, the report states that the presence of the Lilywhites boss didn’t go ‘unnoticed’ as Lukaku squandered two big chances in a disappointing 26-minute cameo (Sofascore).

The verdict: An unlikely move

Despite the perceived woes of this season, the 101-cap ace has still managed 12 goals and two assists from 36 appearances across all competitions – earning the tag of ‘world class’ from Thomas Tuchel following a match-winner against Zenit St. Petersburg.

Should speculation surrounding the future of Harry Kane ramp up once again, Spurs may enter the market for a high-profile frontman in order to replace their talismanic striker.

Conte would undoubtedly welcome the 6 foot 3 powerhouse to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium squad with open arms were that the case, although signing an elite player from London rivals is difficult to envisage despite the off-field issues at Chelsea.

In other news: Italian newspaper makes Tottenham transfer claim…find out more here.

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Tottenham fans have taken to Twitter to react after Calciomercato exclusively revealed that the club is keen to agree a €25m deal for Sampdoria centre-back Joachim Andersen.

The Dane is currently one of the best performing defenders in Serie A and has attracted the north London club’s interest as a result of his fine showings.

One would assume that the Lilywhites are searching for Toby Alderweireld’s replacement, due to serious doubts over his future beyond this season.

Despite tying the Belgian international down to a new contract recently until 2020, the fresh terms have seen a £25m release clause implemented into the former Ajax man’s deal, which could be seen as somewhat of a compromise after the 29-year-old rejected the offer of a long-term contract and was expected to leave in the summer.

Consequently, the interest in Andersen comes at a time when Alderweireld will be free to leave if any club meets his fairly achievable release clause, and Spurs fans have taken to Twitter to react to the transfer news…

Leeds United midfielder Jamie Shackleton has recovered from injury and is available for selection against Aston Villa tonight, according to Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Injury issues

The Whites have had a number of injury problems to deal with in recent months, but there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel for the majority of those who had been sidelined.

Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper are in the final stages of their recoveries, whereas Adam Forshaw is fit again after missing the defeat to Newcastle United prior to the international break.

Shackleton, who Marcelo Bielsa labelled an ‘important’ player last year, has missed the last four Premier League fixtures after hobbling off with a heel issue against Manchester City, but he is now in line to make a return at Villa Park.

The Latest: Hay’s tweet

Leeds correspondent Hay took to Twitter on Monday morning following Bielsa’s pre-match press conference.

He posted that Shackleton, along with Forshaw and Charlie Cresswell, have all recovered from their respective issues and therefore could feature against Steven Gerrard’s side tonight.

The Verdict: Good news

Primarily a midfielder, Shackleton has made the majority of his appearances this season at right-back, and following Cody Drameh’s loan exit last month, his return is most welcome for Leeds and Bielsa.

You’d expect that Luke Ayling will keep his place in the side and carry on as captain with Cooper sidelined, but having Shackleton in the squad is good news. He has 76 appearances for the Whites under his belt, making him one of the more experienced players at Elland Road despite being 22 years of age.

Hopefully, the likes of Phillips, Cooper and Patrick Bamford will follow in Shackleton’s footsteps in making a long-awaited return over the coming weeks in what could be a crucial month for Bielsa’s side.

In other news: Major update emerges regarding future of ‘amazing’ Leeds United hero; huge clubs circling

Celtic have seen a significant number of players make moves to the Parkhead club over the years either on loan deals, permanent deals or free transfers.

However, as can happen with a lot of clubs, not every transfer deal ends up being worthwhile for a variety of different reasons.

One deal that took place at Celtic Park that was undoubtedly a poor one for all involved was their 2013 swoop for Derk Boerrigter.

Signed from Ajax during the 2013 summer transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of around £3m, the winger put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the Bhoys, picking up a weekly wage of £12k-per-week.

With just 26 appearances to his name in a Celtic shirt, the Dutchman scored just one goal and provided two assists before retiring in April 2016.

To highlight how disappointing he was when he managed to get on the pitch, with 15 league appearances throughout the 2013/14 season, the winger could only register three shots on target.

Also, with four appearances in the Champions League that season, Boerrigter earned himself a very poor overall performance rating of 5.98/10 from WhoScored, making him one of the lowest-rated players for the club.

After leaving the Parkhead club and calling an end to his playing days, the attacker revealed that he only stayed at Celtic for so long because of his hefty wages.

For a club as big as Celtic, this isn’t what anyone connected with the side will be wanting to hear from anyone who has donned the shirt for any period of time.

Also, having suffered his fair share of injuries during his time with the Hoops, the former Ajax star also had a few choice words to say about the medical staff and their methods of dealing with him.

So much so that he actually blames them for the fact that he ended his career when he did.

This, once again, doesn’t put him in the best light in terms of his attitude or work ethic.

Taking all of this into account, with a grand total of 140 weeks as a Celtic player to his name, it’s safe to say that the Dutchman rinsed the club and Peter Lawwell for £4.7m from his transfer fee and weekly wages.

With that in mind, it’s hard to deny that anyone can look at Boerrigter’s time with the Bhoys as anything other than disastrous.

In other news: Ange can finally axe £10.5k-p/w Celtic disaster with “unbelievable” £5m “terrier”

Everton could be set to bring as many as four players to Goodison Park on transfer deadline day.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by David Maddock, with The Mirror journalist revealing on Twitter that, following Frank Lampard’s appointment as the new Everton manager, Farhad Moshiri could be set to sanction last-minute moves for as many as four of the 43-year-old’s transfer targets on Monday.

In his post, Maddock said: “Some complicated negotiations [are] at [an] advanced stage, [Lampard] will have [the] final decision on at least two, possibly three-four new signings on Monday.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how poor Everton have been this season, with the Toffees sitting a mere four points above the relegation zone at present, it is clear that the current playing squad at Goodison Park is in need of much improvement.

One position that undoubtedly looks as if it could do with improving on is that of centre-back, as although Lampard can call upon the likes of Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey, Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate and Jarrad Branthwaite in the heart of his defence, there is no real standout star amongst this quintet – something that will be required if the former Chelsea boss is to improve a Toffees backline that has already shipped 35 goals this season.

Another position in which Lampard is lacking any real strength in depth is attacking midfield, something which has led to the club being linked with late moves for Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek, Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli and Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Should the three or four players who Maddock suggests could be on their way to Goodison be in either of these two positions, they will undoubtedly be signings that will have Everton fans buzzing – as, not only would strengthening in the aforementioned areas help to steer the Toffees clear of the drop, they could well be enough to fire the club back to the top half of the Premier League table come May.

In other news – Forget Iwobi: Lamps may save Everton’s season by signing “intelligent” £18m-rated ace

Leeds United right-back Cody Drameh is attracting increasing interest ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Wales Online, who claim that AFC Bournemouth have made an enquiry regarding the signing of the Whites right-back ahead of the upcoming transfer market.

The report goes on to state that the Premier League side will likely assess the position of the 20-year-old in pre-season before determining whether or not they believe his future lies at Elland Road.

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Finally, it is also claimed that, should regular first-team football not be realistic at Leeds next season, the England U21 international would be more than happy to spend next season on loan with Cardiff City once again.

Drameh can save Leeds millions

Considering just how impressive Drameh has been during his loan spell in South Wales, it is undeniable that permanently losing the services of the young defender this summer would be something of a disaster for Jesse Marsch and his side.

Indeed, over his 18 Championship appearances since linking up with the Bluebirds in January, the £900k-rated full-back has been a revelation on the right of Steve Morison’s backline, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.7 key passes and 1.3 dribbles per game.

The £4.4k-per-week defender has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, helping his side keep five clean sheets, in addition to making an average of one interception, four tackles – the most of any player in the league – 1.9 clearances and winning 7.6 duels – at a success rate of 56% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who Morison claimed is “like a Duracell Bunny” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.97, ranking him as Cardiff’s fourth-best player in the English second tier.

As such, considering his tender age, it is clear to see the sheer amount of potential Drameh possesses, something which leads us to believe that Marsch must not only retain the 20-year-old this summer but also give him a shot in the first team.

Indeed, with Luke Ayling turning 31 later this year, as well as the £3.6m-rated defender having something of a season to forget in 2021/22, Leeds have been linked with moves for a number of right-backs in the summer transfer window in a bid to strengthen the position ahead of 2022/23.

However, following Drameh’s sensational campaign with Cardiff, the player who Glen Williams dubbed “such an exciting prospect” would appear more than worth a chance in the first-team – while also being a talent who could well save Andrea Radrizzani and Leeds millions of pounds in transfer fees.

AND in other news: Leeds handed big injury boost as Thorp Arch image emerges, Marsch will be buzzing

Celtic have had plenty of consistent goalscorers in their ranks over the past few years, such as Leigh Griffiths, Kris Commons and Odsonne Edouard among others.

However, it seems as though the Parkhead club could have had another figure in their ranks who may have gone on to become a significant scorer for them but didn’t end up making the move to Celtic Park.

According to an article from Planet Football, back in the 2001 summer transfer window when the Hoops signed winger Momo Sylla from St Johnstone, the Guinean was asked by his former Le Mans team-mate Didier Drogba about a potential move to Celtic the following summer.

Unfortunately for Celtic, Sylla apparently told the striker that he wouldn’t have any chance of making it into the team and should forget about trying to join them.

With a total of 686 club appearances under his belt, the Ivory Coast international ended his career in 2018 with 300 goals to his name and four Premier League titles, four FA Cups and one Champions League title under his belt among other trophies and individual awards.

Labelled a “remarkable” player by his former Blues boss Jose Mourinho – who knows a good footballer when he sees one having managed the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Frank Lampard and Karim Benzema among many others – Drogba could have been a revelation for Celtic had Sylla not put him off a potential move to Glasgow early in the Ivorian’s lengthy and very successful career.

Whether the Parkhead hierarchy had any knowledge at the time over Drogba’s interest in a potential move to the club is unclear, but it’s safe to say that had they known of it, then they should have moved heaven and earth to get the striker in a Hoops shirt.

Looking back, there could now be some Celtic fans displeased with what Sylla had to say to the young Drogba about his chances of breaking into the first team at the time, with the club potentially now having nightmares over the situation.

In other news: Ange must brutally axe “horrendous” £20k-p/w Celtic liability, he’s “been a disaster”

Tottenham Hotspur have failed in a late bid to sign Ousmane Dembele from FC Barcelona, reports TMW journalist Giacomo Iacobellis. 

The lowdown

Spurs have already completed two Deadline Day deals, shelling out £17.1million for Juventus’ Rodrigo Bentancur and loaning in his team-mate Dejan Kulusevski.

Dembele’s Barcelona contract expires at the end of the season, and his camp have rejected ‘several’ renewal offers (via The Athletic).

The club’s director of football Mateu Alemany has consequently declared that the player is ‘not committed to Barca’s future sporting project’ and insisted that ‘he must leave immediately’.

But if the £27m-rated (Transfermarkt) winger is to move, it seems The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will not be his destination.

The latest

Spurs, Iacobellis tweeted on Monday evening, launched an unsuccessful ‘offensive’ for the player in the closing stages of the deadline day action.

‘Tottenham offensive for Dembele. After the interest from PSG/Man United/Chelsea, Spurs have also tried and negotiated with FC Barcelona until a few minutes ago,’ the TuttoMercatoWeb reporter revealed on his personal account.

“However, an agreement has NOT been found and the operation is currently down.”

The verdict

You could question the extent to which the transfer would have made sense. After all, Spurs have already managed to land a right winger in the form of Kulusevski.

And on top of that, Dembele’s injury record makes for alarming reading for any future suitors.

His ability can’t really be called into question, though, with Lionel Messi dubbing him a ‘phenomenon’ when he arrived in Catalonia off the back of an incredible spell with Borussia Dortmund, where he bagged 10 goals and 22 assists in 50 games as a teenager.

If Antonio Conte really is determined to bring him to North London though, Spurs could perhaps aim for a pre-contract agreement ahead of next season.

In other news, a source has shared a development on Alvaro Morata.

West Bromwich Albion are one of several Championship clubs interested in securing the services of Newcastle United youngster Elliot Anderson on a loan deal next season.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to the latest reports from TEAMtalk, who claim that the 19-year-old’s performances on loan at Bristol Rovers have attracted interest from several Championship sides.

West Brom are among the quintet of second-tier clubs keen on the youngster, although, it will not be easy for the Baggies to tie this deal up – with the likes of Middlesborough, Coventry City, Reading and Stoke City all interested in signing the starlet.

Earlier reports also claim that Nottingham Forest, Queens Park Rangers and Preston North End are keeping tabs on the midfielder – making things even tougher from Albion’s perspective.

Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton understandably would like to keep Anderson if he can aid the club in securing promotion to League One, though it is understood that Eddie Howe wants the England U19 international to be playing Championship football next season.

Bruce’s goal-scoring solution

The £180k-rated talent has been a key player in the Pirates’ pursuit of promotion, with the 19-year-old establishing himself as a Rovers regular – finding himself in the starting XI 94% of the time.

Anderson, who has had manager Joey Barton waxing lyrical over his performances, has also notched up an impressive total of nine goal contributions in 18 appearances in League Two this season.

The attacking midfielder has since been described as a “superb” player who “gets you off your seat” by the Bristol Rovers boss:

“I think our fans have taken to him because he gets you off your seat. You would be really pleased for him to have the ball for ninety minutes because he’s got such quality.”

Steve Bruce would be right to move for Anderson who looks to be a supreme talent with his ability to score and create goals – something which could well solve the Baggies’ own scoring problems next season.

AND in other news: £10.7m wasted: WBA had howler over “absolute nightmare” who rinsed Peace for 147 weeks