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Former West Brom winger Kyle Edwards has opened talks over a move to Celtic, which could in turn see the Baggies receive a compensation package after his deal expired [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Baggies gear up for 2021/22 as incomings and outgoings expected

Looking ahead to 2021/22, newly appointed boss Valerien Ismael will be under no illusions about the scale of incomings and outgoings at the Hawthorns this summer.

One man who will not be returning to the West Midlands is 23-year-old Edwards. Despite this, he could now be set to pitch in some funds for his former club in a surprise turn of events.

The Latest: Departee Edwards could net West Brom six-figure compensation fee

Presently speaking, Celtic have entered discussions with a view to bringing the Englishman north of the border under freedom of contract, a Hoops source told Football Insider.

Edwards left the Baggies following a 17 year association with the club at the end of last month, as he was not named on their 2021/22 retained list due to not agreeing an extension with the Sky Bet Championship outfit [Express and Star].

Now looking to the next step in his career, his next move will not be a free transfer due to his lengthy spell in the West Bromwich Albion academy. Owing to lenient cross-border rules, Scottish giants Celtic would have to pay around £300,000 for his services [Football Insider].

The Verdict: Parting ways is the right decision for both player and club

All things considered, the decision for Edwards and West Brom to part ways is probably the right one for both parties.

Though the Dudley-born wide man is a talented asset who is capable of beating a man, he has struggled for game-time in previous seasons. In 2020/21, he made just seven first-team appearances, recording two assists [Transfermarkt].

Across his time with the Baggies, he has made a decent impact though, recording nine goal contributions within 49 outings; four goals and five assists [Transfermarkt], but a switch to pastures new may give Edwards the correct platform to excel as a footballer.

From the Hawthorns point of view, receiving a £300,000 boost to their transfer kitty for a player who was surplus to requirements and out of contract is a handy boost as well – this feels like a win win.

In other news, West Brom have been linked with a free agent striker.

Australia have retained the Ashes, beating England by an innings and 48 runs at the WACA in Perth to go three-nil up in the series

Ralph Dellor01-Dec-2002Australia have retained the Ashes, beating England by an innings and 48 runs at the WACA in Perth to go three-nil up in the series. There were moments of resistance on the third day when Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart were together, but an early collapse and the brilliance of the Australians meant that there could only be one result.The Australians were at the very top of their game from the outset of the day. England resumed at 33 for one but failed to advance the total as the bowlers offered absolutely no relief. Every ball had to be played and every one treated with respect.Richard Dawson had played sensibly when coming in on the second evening as nightwatchman. He set his stool out to continue in similar vein but was unable to withstand the pressure. Two balls from Jason Gillespie kept a little low, the next was up to invite the drive and Dawson was undone by extra bounce as it flew to Steve Waugh’s right in the gully and the Australian captain held a sharp catch.Two more maidens followed before, off the fifth ball of the fourth over of the morning, England managed to record the first run of the session, but at what cost. Michael Vaughan played the ball into a gap in the covers and took the single. Seeing Brett Lee slightly misfield, Mark Butcher and Vaughan embarked on a second run but Lee recovered quickly and as his return was on its way to Adam Gilchrist, Butcher sent Vaughan back. Perhaps incapacitated by his injured knee, Vaughan took an age to turn and before he could regain his ground Gilchrist had the ball back to the bowler McGrath and Vaughan was run out.Next ball, an unsettled Butcher allowed his head to fall across his stumps and when rapped on the pads there was only one decision that the umpire could give. As Butcher departed lbw he took a disappointed swish at the stumps to book himself a meeting with the match referee.At 34 for four, England’s hopes were foundering. It could and should have been 34 for five, for Hussain edged his first ball from Gillespie to Shane Warne at slip and the usually reliable Warne allowed the ball to go to ground. Had the chance been held it is questionable whether the match would have lasted until lunch, but Hussain and Robert Key began the resistance with some long awaited spirit.After ten overs of the morning’s play, England had scored five runs and lost three wickets. Another ten overs passed, Warne and Lee replaced the admirable McGrath and Gillespie and eventually, off the fifth ball of the 32nd over, Key lifted Warne over the covers for the first boundary of the innings.Hussain added two more fours before lunch which was taken with the England score on 78 for four and still trailing by 193 runs.The England captain was being bruised and battered but was unmoved and stood up defiantly. Key was offering him stout support and it was not until deep into the afternoon session that he fell lbw to McGrath for 23 runs chiselled out of the 106 balls that he faced. For once, however, the fall of one wicket did not herald a collapse.It might have done, because Alec Stewart got off the mark first ball with an elegant on drive off Warne, but when he had six he lofted the same bowler perilously close to Lee at mid-off but the fielder was unable to grasp it as it fell just behind him.Stewart and Hussain began to widen their repertoire of shots as they moved towards the tea interval and, while they were fully tested by whatever attacking options Waugh arrayed against them, they were growing in confidence and stature. Was this going to be another chapter written in the annals of heroic rearguard actions?The answer to that question came in the fourth over after tea. Hussain was dropped by Damien Martyn at slip of Warne, but next ball he played forward and the appeal for caught behind was upheld. Hussain was obviously of the opinion that the sound was not of an edge but his bat hitting the ground, but umpire Rudi Koertzen thought otherwise and the batsman was out for 61.Craig White has been successful with the ball since joining the Ashes party but had hardly enhanced his billing as an all-rounder. However, he was helping Stewart to maintain the momentum when he tried to take one liberty too many with Warne. He advanced down the pitch and went for a lofted sweep to a ball pitching outside leg stump. He missed and despite an effort to swing the bat round and over to regain his ground, Gilchrist had the bails off in the blink of an eye and White was out stumped for 15.The end was not long coming after that. Alex Tudor had happy memories of Perth when he made his Test debut four years ago. He will not have fond recollections of this visit – if he can remember it at all. Lee produced a quick lifter to him from only just short of a length and Tudor was struck a sickening blow to the side of the head as he tried to get out of the way. Tudor’s nickname is `Bambi’ but he spun away like a shot rabbit before collapsing in a heap clutching his head.He needed stitches and was described as feeling groggy, which was better than at first feared. There was genuine concern as the players clustered around the fallen batsman before he retired hurt, carried from the field on a stretcher.Steve Harmison had the unenviable task of replacing Tudor. Lee let him know that he could expect no favours when he dropped one in very short to fly way over the 6’4" Harmison’s head. He then produced a quick full toss that the batsman missed and it shattered the wicket. The injured Chris Silverwood wisely decided against batting and the match was over.It is difficult to see what comfort England can take from a third successive defeat by an innings in a series that has seen play on only 11 of the scheduled 15 days. That is a measure of the efficiency of the Australian side. No other team in the world can match the one led with such sureness by Waugh. All the others can try to emulate them but are always found wanting. They can only look on with wonder and awe at one of the best cricket teams – quite possibly THE best team – cricket has ever produced.

Former Tottenham captain Graham Roberts is unsure whether Oliver Skipp is ready to make the step up to the Premier League.

The 20-year-old flourished during a highly successful loan spell with Norwich City last season – making 45 appearances to help Daniel Farke’s men win the Championship, and make an immediate return to the topflight.

A metatarsal fracture saw Skipp miss Norwich’s final-game against Reading and then forced him to undergo surgery to fix the damage.

However, the midfielder made a swift return to fitness and resumed pre-season training back with Tottenham recently, as he looks to impress manager Nuno Espirito Santo ahead of the new campaign.

Skipp has experience of the Premier League previously, although only a handful of those outings were from the start.

And with such little game-time in England’s top-flight, Roberts has questioned whether the young midfielder is ready to compete on a regular basis in Santo’s first-team despite big things expected of the England U21 man.

He exclusively told Football FanCast:

“Playing in the Championship and the Premier League are totally different. In the Premier League there are some quality midfield players, the Championship is a good league, and he did very well, but I think he could be like Harry Winks.

“It might just go over his head, but we don’t know until you give him a chance.”

Somerset Under 16’s enjoyed a resounding first innings victory over Surrey in the 7 County two day competition at Wells recently

Richard Walsh04-Sep-2002Somerset Under 16’s enjoyed a resounding first innings victory over Surrey in the 7 County two day competition at Wells recently.The visitors won the toss and batting first were dismissed for 164 with Simon Marchant being the pick of the bowlers taking 3 for 36. There were two wickets each for Joe Dorgan and Robert Woodman.When Somerset batted they reached a massive 348 for 6 with Joe Dorag making 113, Robert Woodman an unbeaten 101 and Liam Lewis 52.Somerset take 17 points from thei victory and Surrey 4.

Surrey Lions’ battle for promotion suffered a major setback as they were swept aside by the Middlesex Crusaders at Croydon, with Owais Shah once again proving to be the star of the show

Farid Bakri06-Aug-2002Surrey Lions’ battle for promotion suffered a major setback as they were swept aside by the Middlesex Crusaders at Croydon, with Owais Shah once again proving to be the star of the show. The 23-year-old played a beautiful innings to record his fourth limited-overs hundred, including four sixes.This followed 74 from opener Andrew Strauss. Aaron Laraman (7) and Sven Koenig (9) didn’t last long but Strauss more than compensated for their early departures.Shah entered with the score at 60 for two and made an immediate impact, sharing a valuable 90-run partnership with the destructive Strauss. When Shah was eventually dismissed for his 93-ball 110, courtesy off an Alastair Brown catch off the bowling of Ed Giddins (three for 59), Middlesex were in command at 248 for five. Jamie Dalrymple (1) and Paul Weekes (20) followed shortly afterwards. Simon Cook (10) was caught by Tim Murtagh off the last delivery.Replying to the visitors 274, Surrey’s batsmen made hard work of the chase, with Ian Ward (4) falling in the first over. But Ali Brown hit every bowler to all corners of the park. His 63-ball 94 was pure class, and his clean hitting brought 15 fours and four sixes. Mark Ramprakash (10), Rikki Clarke (10) and Nadeem Shahid (6) all partnered the flamboyant Brown but never really settled.Brown was finally caught by Sven Koenig just before he could celebrate what would have been his 17th one-day hundred. Weekes (three for 32) and Dalrymple (two for 29) turned the game around as the rest of the Surrey line-up each scored below 20 on a batsman’s paradise. Phillip Sampson (16) struck Dalrymple twice for six to score at a run a ball, but the day belonged to Shah as Middlesex won by 65 runs.In the other Division Two clash, Lancashire Lightning beat Hampshire Hawks at Old Trafford by four wickets to condemn the visitors to their sixth straight loss. Chasing 188 for victory the home side were shaken when David Byas (4) was caught by Will Kendall off Dimitri Mascarenhas (one for 38) early in their reply. It proved only to be a blip as Stuart Law scored a half-century and Mark Chilton 66 in a partnership of 116 for the second wicket.Then came Hampshire’s spirited fightback. Law was run out on 64 and Neil Fairbrother suffered another wretched one-day outing when Kendall caught him off Shaun Udal (one for 26). Graham Lloyd scored only ten as he fell lbw to Chris Tremlett (one for 21) as the situation got more tense by the over. Chilton was caught by Zimbabwean Neil Johnson for 66, and with the score on 155 for five with seven overs to go, the balance of the match had swung back in Hampshire’s favour.Glenn Chapple (20) was bowled by the left-arm medium pace of James Tomlinson (two for 37) but Warren Hegg (12*) used his experience to calm the situation. With seven required off the last over the Lancashire wicket-keeper and Gary Yates (7*) saw their side home with two ball to go in what turned out to be a thrilling encounter.Earlier Hampshire produced another below-par batting display, making 188 for eight off their 45 overs. Jason Laney top scored with 71, and Will Kendall made 33. James Anderson (three for 42) was the main wicket-taker as three batsmen were run out to some excellent fielding. Hampshire lie second from bottom after their latest loss.

Tottenham Hotspur’s managerial search has been back and forth ever since they parted ways with Jose Mourinho, and someone who has been an ever-present in the conversation is Graham Potter, but Dean Windass is not so sure he’s the right man.

It appeared that Spurs were staring down a black hole of who to turn to next but a fresh report from talkSPORT’s Ian Abrahams has confirmed that it is now a two-horse race between Potter and Nuno Espirito Santo, with the latter being easier to appoint as he is no longer at Wolves.

A report from last month suggested that transfer supremo, Steve Hitchen, was going to recommend Potter as his number one candidate for the job to Daniel Levy and since then, Spurs have attempted to bring in Mauricio Pochettino, Antonio Conte and Paulo Fonseca.

Spurs have not had a permanent English manager in the dugout since Harry Redknapp was appointed back in 2008, so it would be a bold move by Levy who knows Tottenham have to win some silverware soon but Potter could be a risky appointment, something Windass spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern about:

“I’m not so sure about the Graham Potter’s of this world but they would certainly go for the former Wolves manager, Nuno.

“Tottenham just need a little bit of stability again because it’s a tough job at a big club so the one thing about that job is that the manager has got to be reassured that they are going to stay.”

Potter has won himself a lot of plaudits during his time at Brighton after managing to turn the Seagulls into a great side to watch with their attack-minded style of play and it is assumed that if they had a goalscorer upfront, they would be nowhere near the relegation zone as they had an XG of 51.6 but only managed to score 40 goals.

Levy knows that he can’t appoint another manager like Mourinho, someone who is pragmatic and doesn’t want to play on the front foot because Tottenham fans want to get back to how they were under Pochettino, which was exciting and fun to watch.

West Bromwich Albion have run into a last minute delay in their prospective appointment of Barnsley manager Valerien Ismael over the structure of his compensation payment [Football Insider].

With pre-season fast approaching at the Hawthorns, the Baggies seem all but set to put an end to relentless managerial speculation by appointing the 45-year-old.

Needing fresh impetus in order to mount a sustainable promotion bid, who better to turn to than the man who overachieved at Barnsley by unbelievably guiding them to the Sky Bet Championship play-offs against all odds [Barnsley Chronicle].

However there may be a slight snag in negotiation proceedings. Rumoured to cost a fee of around £2 million to break from his contract, Barnsley would like the money up front in order to allow Ismael to leave Oakwell [Football Insider].

Conversely, West Brom are said to be keen on paying in instalments, creating a wrangle that may require some further discussions between the clubs [Football Insider]

As you can imagine, loads of Baggies diehards took to Twitter to vent their frustration at these latest developments.

Baggies fans react:

Replying to popular West Brom fan outlet WBA Report, here is how some fans summarized their feelings regarding this Ismael development:

“Wagner part 2”

Credit: @MattMannion4″We want it in used tenners, no consecutive numbers, dropped off under the toilet door in the Taco Bell Barnsley.”Credit: @neilmeynell”Of course there is it’s Albion”Credit: @FoulkesJustin”Scraping round for air miles”Credit: @BaggiesTotal”What a shock”Credit @JonnyDrury7″Makes me laugh when people say “Just pay the money” Same as when we chase a player. We value at £5M… selling club want £8M… Baggies fans shout “Pay the money…. ” We are never going to be like that. Unlike many football clubs, we don’t just throw money at it. Get used to it.”Credit: @KeirFrench”Cash flow that bad at Albion?”Credit: @MarkAbel_28In other news, WBA fans react to a significant off-field development.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore must ruthlessly axe centre-back Tom Lees amid interest from Championship side Bristol City.

What’s the talk?

According to the Bristol Post, Lees is one of the players for whom Nigel Pearson is weighing up a swoop as he attempts to improve his defence heading into the 2021/22 campaign. The report claims that Pearson is looking to bring in two new centre-back options and Lees is a player he would like to sign, along with Oxford defender Rob Atkinson.

Lees is out of contract at the end of the month and is reportedly on £22,000 per week at Hillsborough. This means that he is on course to become a free agent at the start of July, which would allow Bristol City to bring him in without paying a transfer fee to Sheffield Wednesday for his services.

Relief for Chansiri

Moore deciding to axe Lees this summer would come as a massive relief for Dejphon Chansiri. The 30-year-old is one of the club’s top earners and his exit could take a sizeable chunk away from the wage bill Chansiri will need to pay in League One next season following the club’s relegation to the third tier.

Sheffield Wednesday have felt the impact of the global pandemic financially and are reportedly struggling to pay the wages of their players at the moment. The club are looking into the possibility of placing some of their playing staff on furlough over the summer to cut costs and cover payments.

This means that letting Lees go could be a necessity this month. If Chansiri is not able to pay the players their wages for the month just gone, there is no way of being able to justify keeping the defender at Hillsborough for another season or longer, unless he was willing to take a gigantic pay cut to play for the club in League One.

That appears to be an unlikely outcome because of the interest from Bristol City in his services. Pearson is offering him the chance to move back to the Championship, potentially without a pay cut, and that could be an attractive prospect for the former Leeds player.

It is worth pointing out that this is not an indictment on Lees’ performances for the club in the season just gone. He averaged the highest WhoScored rating in the Championship for Sheffield Wednesday, earning a score of 6.88 for his performances across 38 starts, just ahead of Barry Bannan. He averaged five aerial battles won and 5.4 clearances made per game, showing that he was a beast for Wednesday at the back despite their failure to stay up.

However, time is up for Lees at Hillsborough, and Moore must allow him to go because of their wage bill situation.

AND in other news, SWFC must complete deal for “powerful” ace after huge update

Writing on Twitter, journalist Ekrem Konur has relayed an enticing West Ham transfer development involving Fenerbahçe defender and Hungary international Atilla Szalai.

The Lowdown: Hammers chasing new centre-half…

As reported by Claret & Hugh, West Ham have listed the signing of a new centre-back as one of three priorities for manager David Moyes this summer.

This transfer goal comes alongside trying to secure a permanent deal for 2020/2021 loan sensation Jesse Lingard as well as the possible acquisition of a new striker to support Michail Antonio.

West Ham have recently been linked to the likes of Nottingham Forest defender Joe Worrall and Slavia Prague gem David Zima.

The Latest: Journalist relays enticing West Ham transfer development…

Writing on Twitter, journalist Konur has now relayed what he has heard in an enticing West Ham transfer development.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-2/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Indeed, the Irons are apparently set to track promising young Turkish Super Lig defender Szalai throughout Euro 2020 – with the 23-year-old set to face some pretty big names in the group stage.

Hungary take on Portugal, Germany and world champions France in Group F with the Irons, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Sevilla all set to monitor Szalai’s performances ahead of a possible move.

“According to some sources, Sevilla, West Ham United, Aston Villa and Newcastle United will follow Attila Szalai closely throughout the tournament.” explained Konur on social media.

The Verdict: Promising, but is he worth the price tag?

An imposing figure, the centre-back stands at a colossal 6 foot 3 and has already earned 13 caps at international level.

However, some reports suggest that West Ham will have to invest a significant amount to sign him from Fenerbache this summer – with Turkish news outlet A Spor claiming they could demand as much as €25 million (£21.4m).

While a promising young defender, that price tag may arguably be too much to pay in this climate – especially if West Ham want to secure Lingard on a permanent deal and snap up a capable centre forward.

In other news: ‘Buzzing isn’t the right word’…Many West Ham fans rave as news emerges, find out more here.

Valerien Ismael is among the contenders for the vacant West Brom manager’s job, according to reports…

What’s the word?

That’s the latest claim from the Daily Mirror, who suggested that the Barnsley boss is high on the Baggies’ shortlist to replace Sam Allardyce at The Hawthorns this summer.

It’s also thought that the Midlands outfit would need to pay around £1.5m in compensation to land the 45-year-old coach after an impressive season in charge of the Tykes.

Former West Brom manager Roy Hodgson and Chris Wilder have also been mooted with the Albion job.

Baggies stars beware

After an abject and pathetic season on the pitch (just five league wins), culminating in relegation to the Championship after just one season back in the big time, a stern presence in the dugout could be exactly what West Brom need to spark the club back into life.

Former LASK Linz and Wolfsburg manager Ismael has completely transformed Barnsley from relegation favourites into play-off contenders in the second tier, before losing to Swansea City.

In his 44 games in charge of the club, he has registered a respectable 56.8% win rate, which is better than the other two candidates in their recent posts. Hodgson leaves Palace having won just 33% of matches, whilst Wilder only won 46.7% of games in charge of Sheffield United despite achieving promotion twice in three years.

Ismael has also been linked with the vacancy at Selhurst Park and, when speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Aston Villa star Lee Hendrie waxed lyrical about the Barnsley boss.

“He wants that aggressive style. He’s got a very good, young squad at Barnsley and done absolutely brilliant this season with what he’s had at Barnsley. I’ve got to say that, for sure,” the 44-year-old claimed. “I say he likes that aggressive style, but he likes that energy and he plays football in the right way.”

These are all encouraging signs towards why West Brom sporting and technical director Luke Dowling would be wise to appoint someone like Ismael, who was hardly heard of before his stint in the Championship this season.

Some of West Brom’s squad have been around the club for several years, whilst an average age of 26.5 ranked them amongst the oldest in the top flight during 2020/21, as per Transfermarkt.

Albion have a fine academy setup, which means that Ismael would tick another box as his Barnsley side were by far the youngest in the Championship, with an average of just 23.5, as per Transfermarkt.

That would suit Dowling and his academy setup at The Hawthorns, so if he wants to get a reaction ahead of the new season, then the 45-year-old Frenchman must be considered as a serious candidate alongside the likes of Wilder and Hodgson.

AND in other news, Dowling may be on verge of landmark West Brom appointment amid surprise manager twist…