Celtic scraped into the last-32 of the Europa League by the skin of their teeth last night after Rosenborg struck late to equalise in Leipzig.

A 2-1 defeat against RB Salzburg did not consign them to elimination in the end but Brendan Rodgers will know he has plenty of work to do if his side are to progress through the knockout stages of the competition.

Celtic were relatively short of ideas in the final-third last night and, despite losing the game, defensive performances particularly caught the eye.

Filip Benkovic was in inspired form once again in central defence, and he is already looking like an incredibly fine piece of business.

The consistency of his form has provoked some supporters to question whether he will return to Leicester in January, but former Celtic striker Scott McDonald seems to think he’ll be at Celtic Park for the remainder of the season.

Speaking on Good Morning Scotland (via BBC), Mcdonald discussed Rodgers’ January plans.

“Brendan has talked about strengthening in January and hopefully he will have two or three more in. Filip Benkovic looks as if he might stay until the end of the season, which is fantastic news.”

But McDonald believes there is one key permutation to Benkovic staying at the club, with Dedryck Boyata’s future once again on the agenda.

“If that happens, there is a possibility if Dedryck Boyata goes in January, that frees up even more money for Celtic to attack that transfer window.”

Boyata was heavily linked with a move away from Celtic in the summer, and with his contract due to expire in May 2019 a January move certainly seems plausible.

If Celtic are given the chance to sell Boyata and avoid the risk of losing him for nothing at the end of the season there’s no question it’s an opportunity they may be forced to take, especially with Benkovic’s tremendous form to consider.

But, as McDonald has alluded to, Benkovic’s return to Leicester would leave Celtic desperately short of quality options in central defence, leaving Rodgers with no choice but to keep Boyata until the end of the season.

Celtic fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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Everton fell to an almost embarrassing defeat at the hands of Tottenham on Sunday, and Marco Silva must bite the bullet and axe Tom Davies once and for all after his horror display.

On the chalkboard

Marco Silva has often faced criticism for the lack of defensive stability in his teams, and it’s not hard to see why after the performance against Spurs.

The 4-2-3-1 formation he deployed left loads of work for Davies and Andre Gomes, and the pair did absolutely nothing to stop the visitors from romping through at the back four at every opportunity.

However, Gomes has shown his class throughout the season, whereas for Davies this was the last straw after a long run of underwhelming displays.

Time to go?

The 20 year-old has often been given the benefit of the doubt by the Goodison faithful, as there is nothing a football fan loves more than to see a local lad rise through the ranks and become a fixture in the first team.

Davies has plateaued and even regressed since that memorable performance in the 4-0 win over Manchester City last January though, and Sunday’s showing is surely what will break the camel’s back.

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There was absolutely no balance to the midfield duo of Gomes and Davies, as the youngster constantly roamed about in no man’s land leaving Gomes to pick up the scraps.

Silva places a lot of trust in young players, but Sunday’s display will be a wake-up call for the boss, a wake-up call that could trigger the end of Davies’ time on Merseyside, and perhaps even open the door for Morgan Schneiderlin, who was far better when he replaced the youngster in the second half.

If Arsenal’s teenage sensation Bukayo Saka starts in the FA Cup third round tie against Blackpool, which he is expected to, then he could well stake a serious claim for a regular place in Unai Emery’s starting XI, especially considering the circumstances at the club.

Why would he be in contention?

The 17-year-old appears to be no flash in the pan, nor a one-hit wonder. He made his first appearance for the Gunners as a substitute in the Europa League game against FC Vorskla, coming on for Aaron Ramsey, before making his first ever start for the club in the same competition just two weeks later against FK Qarabag.

It was in his first start for the Gunners that he had the Emirates crowd on the edge of their seats, and very nearly became the youngest European goalscorer in the club’s history with a number of efforts that had the keeper scrambling.

As a result of his showing, and his cameo performances since that game against Qarabag, that another solid match from Saka would surely make Emery consider the youngster as a valid option for his first-team on a weekly basis.

Things could fall into place for him

Whilst, in isolation, you may argue that a few good performances from a 17-year-old shouldn’t merit him becoming a regular feature in the side, the form of those who play in similar positions to him is a concern for fans of the north London side and should also be a concern for Emery.

Saka can play on either wing, but prefers to cut in from the right flank. Some of the names that currently start ahead of him at the Emirates are Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alex Iwobi and Aaron Ramsey; if he is to compete with these three for a starting place, it could come sooner than he expects.

Mkhitaryan has been extremely poor this season. The Armenian international has scored just four goals in the current campaign, with two of them coming in the same game, whilst he has been the source of annoyance for Arsenal fans who have grown tired of the 29-year-old’s poor end product – the same can be said of Iwobi, who’s final ball is particularly woeful.

The form of the aforementioned duo, coupled with the fact that Ramsey is set to leave at the end of the season, should give Saka hope that a good performance against the Seasiders may plunge him into Emery’s thinking for the second half of the season.

There are no secrets surrounding Marko Arnautovic’s importance at the London Stadium. The Austrian is a sublime player and he’s capable of turning games on their head with a moment of magic, so when he made his first-team return after missing the Hammers last four games with a hamstring injury, the fans expected nothing but a win at Burnley.

Having Arnaurtovic back is obviously brilliant for the Irons, but yesterday they probably went a tad overboard when they saw his name in the starting lineup. As soon as the fans saw that their 29-year-old maverick was in the team they all jumped to the same conclusion that it simply had to be a win for the,m, and they were all shell-shocked when the Clarets came out firing and beat them 2-0.

Putting the Burnley game to one side, though, the fans will be delighted long-term that they have their front-man back. His five goals and two assists in 13 games may not be the healthiest return for a striker, but it’s the dynamism he brings to the Hammers’ play and the way he’s able to get his teammates involved that makes him so dangerous, as his game isn’t all about scoring goals.

You can read what the Irons said upon seeing Arnautovic’s return here:

The Irons had full faith in grabbing a win when they saw Arnautovic starting, and after failing to grab three points they’ll be looking the Austrian for a response on Wednesday against Brighton.

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Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel is currently seeking a new club after having his contract with Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda terminated by mutual consent, as reported by the BBC.

What’s the word?

The 31-year-old will now begin his search for a new club. Where that will be though remains a mystery, as he is quoted in the aforementioned report as saying, “as for my next stop, I am not sure yet, maybe I will return to Europe, maybe stay in China.”

Wherever he looks to go, the midfielder will surely find suitors for his signature. The two-time Premier League winner has struggled with injury issues in recent seasons, but if he were to return to the Premier League he could still have an impact.

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With that in mind, Southampton should seek to bring Obi Mikel back to English shores in this January transfer window on a short-term deal.

A new midfield dimension

Obi Mikel could give the Saints the injection of midfield steel and experience that they are lacking. Oriol Romeu and Mario Lemina are currently overburdened with responsibility in the middle of the park at St Mary’s Stadium due to the lack of quality alternative defensive-midfield options Ralph Hasenhuttl has to choose from.

Obi Mikel’s understanding of the English game and technical ability would add a new dimension to the Saints’ midfield contingent, and considering he is available on a free transfer the south coast club can’t afford to pass up such a golden opportunity to secure his signature.

What do you think, Southampton fans, would you like to see the 85-cap Nigeria international at St Mary’s?

Tottenham’s title hopes were dented after a David de Gea masterclass helped Manchester United secure a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils took the lead on the stroke of half-time with Marcus Rashford beating Hugo Lloris following a wonderful pass from Paul Pogba. Tottenham piled on the pressure but the Spaniard was in fine form to deny them. World-class saves to stop Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Toby Alderweireld helped Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s men secure a massive victory.

Dropping points will be disappointing with Mauricio Pochettino who could be faced with a much bigger problem. Kane limped off the field after a bad tackle which went unpunished and there are suggestions that the England captain could be sidelined for a while. With little to no attacking cover, Pochettino must sign a striker as soon as possible.

One man who should be on his shortlist is Ajax wonderkid – Kasper Dolberg. Valued at £15.3m by Transfermarkt, the Danish forward joined the club’s youth team back in 2015 and earned a reputation as one of Europe’s most promising youngsters. After struggling with injuries in recent seasons, Dolberg has been back to his brilliant best in the current campaign.

The 21-year-old has netted seven goals in just eight Eredivisie starts this season as well as registering one assist for his team-mates. An instinctive finisher, Dolberg shares plenty of Kane’s traits, making him the ideal man to provide cover at Wembley. Working with a world-class coach like Pochettino, who has a reputation for bringing the best out of young players, could do wonders for his development.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”367086″ player=”13308″ title=”Tottenham Hotspur”]

Dolberg is improving with every game and help Tottenham cope in the absence of their star forward.

Tottenham fans, thoughts?

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Manchester City are interested in signing left-back Ben Chilwell from Leicester City as they seek an alternative to Benjamin Mendy, per the London Evening Standard.

Mendy has struggled with injury problems throughout his City career and manager Pep Guardiola is aware that he may need to reinforce the full-back position in the summer.

What’s the word?

Mendy joined City in a £52million deal from AS Monaco in 2017, per BBC, but has spent the majority of his career at the club on the sidelines.

The left-back was included in the club’s squad for the Carabao Cup game against Burton Albion on Wednesday and is making his latest comeback after undergoing knee surgery, which has forced him to miss ten Premier League games.

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Mendy suffered cruciate ligament damage last season, too, and made just seven Premier League appearances as a result.

The report states that Guardiola has subsequently decided that he will need to recruit cover for Mendy in the summer, and Chilwell has emerged as a target.

The Leicester City star has become an integral member of the Foxes’ squad and, at the age of 22, has already made 76 appearances for the club.

His performances have been such that he has also earned five England caps; he made his debut in the 1-0 win over Switzerland back in September.

Ready for the step up

This has been coming for Chilwell.

The 22-year-old is one of the finest left-backs in the country and it is no surprise that City have expressed an interest.

Mendy is injury-prone while Fabian Delph is not really a full-back, and fans should be glad to see the Englishman occupy his more natural position as cover for Fernandinho.

Chilwell would offer both genuine competition to Mendy and also boost the homegrown quota without compromising the quality of the first-team, which should ensure Delph’s days as an emergency No.3 are over.

He is a fantastic crosser of the ball and is an astute, reliable defender who has already been recognised internationally.

Of course, City have spent big on full-backs in the past, with Mendy one such example, and any deal for Chilwell would surely come at a premium.

Leicester would surely loathe to again lose one of their best players to the Etihad Stadium, but Chilwell following in Riyad Mahrez’s footsteps makes an awful lot of sense.

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Fernando Llorente wants to earn a new Tottenham Hotspur contract, per Talksport.

The striker has been deputising for Harry Kane in recent games and hopes to stay at the club for the foreseeable future.

What’s the word?

Llorente has been thrown in at the deep end by Mauricio Pochettino after Kane sustained an ankle injury, per BBC.

The Spanish striker has played 90 minutes in the club’s last two Premier League matches and scored a late winner as Spurs beat Watford in midweek.

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Llorente was on target when Spurs lost to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, too, and looks set to continue in his striking role against Newcastle United on Saturday.

The 33-year-old has six months left on his current deal but is keen to stay in north London and, per the aforementioned report, is hoping to prove his worth to manager Pochettino in the coming months.

If he is unable to earn a new deal, TalkSport claim that clubs in Turkey and China have registered their interest in signing the forward this summer.

A worthy back-up

Llorente simply never gives up

He missed two gilt-edged opportunities in the midweek win over Watford but kept going and eventually headed home the winner in the dying minutes.

That kind of attitude will endear him to Pochettino, with whom he shared an embrace after sealing the three points.

Spurs have gone two transfer windows without adding a new player and they could do worse than keeping Llorente around.

Of course, the club will hope Kane is able to remain fit but, in terms of cup competitions, Llorente is a perfectly serviceable deputy, particularly with chairman Daniel Levy unlikely to want to spend big when he doesn’t have to.

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Swansea’s Tom Carroll secured a loan move to Aston Villa late on deadline day and the midfielder becomes Dean Smith’s fifth signing this month – the Swans, meanwhile, have made zero signings and let four players leave, of which Carroll is the latest.

Highest-paid player Wilfried Bony completed a loan move to Qatari outfit Al Arabi and will play there until the season ends – and his contract at the Liberty Stadium runs out – while Jefferson Montero also sealed a temporary switch to West Brom.

Swansea fans will have surely been sweating as the clock ticked closer to the 11pm deadline, with league leaders Leeds stopping at nothing to sign winger Daniel James and Aston Villa keen to get captain Leroy Fer on loan. However, neither left the club and Villa plumped for Carroll instead in the end.

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The former Spurs man has made 13 appearances for Graham Potter’s side this season but hasn’t featured since October, so it is unlikely that he will be missed too much in Wales.

Having kept two of their most important players in Fer and James against all odds, Swansea fans may be willing to forgive the lack of signings – they certainly aren’t too aggrieved by the departure of Carroll, though, as they reacted on Twitter…

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Everton failed to improve on a poor run of results as they slumped to a 3-1 loss at the hands of Wolves and, while nobody kitted in blue covered themselves in glory, there was one man in particular who is surely disappointed by what he offered to the game, especially considering the influence he usually has on proceedings.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s are tough to beat – they are organised in defence, dangerous on the break and their consistency has seen them rise to seventh in the standings – however, considering their expenditure in recent years, the Toffees should really be giving them a game and, had their star man been at the races, they may have.

Richarlison followed Marco Silva to Everton from Watford in the summer as the Portuguese brought his 2017 signing to Goodison Park and the forward got off to a flying start, netting twice against none other than Wolves on the opening day as the Toffees held the newly-promoted side to a 2-2 draw.

The absence of a goalscoring striker has often seen the Brazilian deployed up front – he is naturally a winger – and he usually puts in a decent shift, as five goals from 12 appearances at centre-stage will tell you. The 21-year-old was surely hoping he would be able to have the kind of impact he had at Molineux as Everton hosted the return fixture on Saturday, but it wasn’t to be.

Richardson’s silky, South-American close control was absent as he uncharacteristically struggled to get a foot on the ball and drive at the defence – the number 30 took 6 unsuccessful touches, as Wolves hunted him down effectively and bullied him out of the game.

Blessed with pace, the forward can usually be relied upon to get in behind the opposition and cause problems with his trickery, but he completed zero dribbles and thus gave the Wolves back four little to worry about all game.

Being deployed as a central striker, the Everton ace showed his instinct as a wide man to drift out to the wing and whip in a cross – he did this twice, but neither were accurate – and, while his new role offers him more opportunities to have a pop at goal, he took zero shots and so failed to trouble Rui Patricio.

Offering little to his team on the front foot, the attacker did still work his socks off as he chased down every ball and made four tackles – the most in his side.

The pressure is rising on Silva to start delivering results more consistently – the Merseyside outfit sit ninth in the table but have lost five of their last eight in all competitions.

There is no doubt that the winger is far more effective on, well, the wing, and Director of Football Marcel Brands’ failure to bring in a competent striker to relieve him of his centre-forward duties is really starting to cost both Richarlison and Silva.

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