We can safely predict that no-one, absolutely none of ya, saw this coming.
As the final hours wound down in one of the most boring, and fiscally responsible, January transfer windows, Jesse Lingard swooped in with a late classic.
Lingard has been on the hunt for a new club having not played since his 2022/23 season with Nottingham Forest. the former Manchester United and England midfielder changed football agent and then was linked to clubs in the MLS and the Saudi Pro League.
Few would have guessed at the late curve-ball, though as it was reported by Sky that Lingard was close to sealing a deal with FC Seoul in South Korea.
BREAKING 🚨: Jesse Lingard is close to completing a shock move to South Korean side FC Seoul 🇰🇷 pic.twitter.com/KKdWIr2znH
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 1, 2024
Liverpool have rejected a £15m (€17.5 million) bid from Nottingham Forest for goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, on the final day of the January transfer window.
Forest are 16th in the Premier League table but only two points clear of the relegation zone. They have conceded 40 goals in 22 league games and USA international Matt Turner has not convinced in the No.1 role.
Kelleher would definitely have been in with a shout to start the final few months of the season for his new club, but Liverpool are keen to keep him around until the summer, at least. Forest have been one of the more active Premier League sides in a strangely quiet transfer window but The Daily Mail report no deal is forthcoming.
As a consolation for Kelleher, aside from the obvious one of being in demand, Liverpool are set to use him in more Europa League games, and the League Cup final against Chelsea. On that game, Jürgen Klopp commented, “Caoimhin is a top, top goalie and when Ali is fit, then he doesn’t have a lot of games, I want to give him desperately the opportunity to play. This competition I told Alisson before the season, two years ago actually… that’s how it works (it’s Kelleher’s competition).”
With Kelleher staying at Anfield, Forest ended up paying Strasbourg £5m to loan goalkeeper Matz Sels for the rest of the season, with a view to a long-term signing.
Up in Scotland, Adam Idah is set to seal a switch to Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic. The Ireland forward was in Glasgow today to tie up a loan switch. Idah has seven goals for Norwich, this season, and scored three goals for Ireland in 2023.
Former Norwich City and Celtic star, Chris Sutton hardly rolled out the red carpet for Adam Idah, however, writing:
“Celtic is going to be a very difficult and different experience for him, if that gets finalised. You have to robust mentally to cope with life in Glasgow. My fear is that Idah will struggle to displace Celtic’s other strikers and isn’t any better than Oh Hyeon-gyu.
“He is a development player and I’m not sure that is what Celtic need either right now. I really hope he knows what he is getting himself into… I’ve done so many columns on Idah over the years. He has so much going for him; he’s strong, quick and has a great physical profile, but it always feels like he could give more. He doesn’t throw his weight around enough.”
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