The game needs characters; I accept that, but don’t some players just love their own hype? Football is very pantomime-like at times and for every hero, there is certainly a villain and the boo boys always seem to prioritise time to victimise the following pros but perhaps they deserve the occasional ear bashing. Whether a player sulks when he is substituted, is outspoken in defence of their performance or simply is prone to the rash tackle or ten, some players are simply more temperamental than others and are destined for ‘trouble’ when they take the field.

It may certainly be the case that these players are more trouble than they are worth and in the midst of a title tilt or a relegation battle, these infamous antics can weigh a team down internally, whilst everyone else may be laughing or mocking the individuals. I shall give you a sneak peak of someone who will make the top end of this countdown. You know his name already. Mario Balotelli is the quintessential modern day ‘troublemaker’ and embodies all the attributes which have made him arguably a cult hero. Clocking up antics in his career thus far such as showboating in a pre-season friendly, setting fireworks off in his home and most recently gate crashing the press conference of the new Inter Milan manager to simply say ‘hello’, Balotelli’s attention seems to be on a different planet at times. Let us embark on a countdown which embodies the sublime to the ridiculous!

Click on Mido to unveil the top 15

[divider]

[divider]

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[divider]

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]

Celtic had to settle for a 0-0 draw at Easter Road against Hibernian, with Ange Postecoglou’s side failing to stretch their lead at the top of the Premiership to six points. 

The Hoops appeared to lack quality in the final third days on from a Europa Conference League defeat to Bodo/Glimt, with rivals Rangers now having the chance to cut the lead at the top of the table to one point this afternoon.

There were some pretty underwhelming Celtic performances, and The Transfer Tavern have used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the Hoops’ three worst outfield starters were. In total, these players lost the ball a whopping times, were second best in % of their aerial and ground duels and

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-22/” title=”Celtic updates!!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Daizen Maeda – 6.3/10

Maeda finished with an on-the-whistle rating of 6.3/10. The forward played in a central role with Giorgos Giakoumakis missing and didn’t win any of his four duels.

He also gave up possession seven times and failed to complete a dribble or cross or register a single shot.

Liel Abada – 6.4/10

Abada struggled on the right-wing, losing possession on 19 occasions. He lost five of his 11 duels and also completed just one of his six attempted crosses.

The summer signing also missed two big chances and didn’t register a key pass, ending with a 6.4/10 rating.

Tom Rogic – 6.5/10

Rogic once again lined up in a three-man midfield but looked off the pace at Easter Road, with Postecglou replacing the playmaker before the hour mark.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

He lost the ball on 10 occasions, was second-best in five of his nine duels and failed to complete a cross or a long ball. The 29-year-old was also booked and didn’t attempt a shot all afternoon.

In other news: Journalist drops ‘insane’ Celtic transfer claim regarding Ange moving for Real Madrid winger.

Alan Nixon has revealed that Aston Villa have brought in teenage forward Omari Kellyman from Derby County.

The Lowdown: Kellyman links with Villa

Nixon first shared the links regarding Villa’s interest in Kellyman at the beginning of February. He suggested then that Villa were set to land the versatile forward in a deal worth around £500,000.

The 16-year-old is still categorised as a Derby County youth player by Transfermarkt, but according to Nixon, the Northern Irish youngster is now on the books at Bodymoor Heath.

The Latest: Nixon’s tweet

Reliable reporter Nixon was asked on Twitter by a Derby fan if Kellyman has actually left for Villa, with no official announcements from either club.

The journalist confirmed that a move did materialise, replying: “Forgot to answer this … yes, he did.”

The Verdict: Shrewd move?

The Athletic labelled Kellyman as one of Derby’s brightest talents last month, so an out-of-window move to the Midlands appears to be a shrewd one by Johan Lange and co.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Villa have brought in plenty of players for their academy over the last 12 months, including Kerr Smith from Dundee United in January, so hopefully Kellyman can impress in the Midlands over the coming years with a view to breaking into Steven Gerrard’s first-team squad.

In other news: Gerrard now hatching plan to bring £65.7m worth of talent to Villa on free transfers

Wolves will find it difficult to keep hold of key midfielder Ruben Neves at the end of the season, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Neves linked with Wolves exit

The 24-year-old has been superb for Wanderers this season, catching the eye with his influential performances in the middle of the park.

Neves has scored three times and registered one assist in 24 Premier League appearances, also shining off the ball by averaging 2.3 tackles per game as he dominates the midfield and dictates the tempo of the match.

The Portuguese star has been linked with a move away from Molineux, however, as he may be eyeing a move to a team in the top four if Wolves do not pull off their remarkable push for Champions League football.

The Latest: Journalist makes worrying claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed Neves could well leave Wolves this summer:

“Wolves won’t want to hear this because they would love to keep Ruben Neves, but I think this summer, it could be a hard battle to keep hold of Neves.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“388797″]

The Verdict: Potential big blow

Neves is a hugely influential player, possessing the ability to boss big matches, so the thought of losing him is a worrying one for Wolves supporters.

The Portugal international is a player with lofty ambitions, however, and with Bruno Lage’s side now looking unlikely to finish in the top-four this season, a bid from a Champions League-playing club could turn his head.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The hope is that Neves remains loyal and stays put for years to come, but it would be hard to begrudge him a move if a European giant came calling.

In other news, Wolves have also suffered another potential transfer blow. Read more here.

Liverpool youngster Paul Glatzel has suffered yet another injury setback, with the striker picking up a hamstring injury on loan at Tranmere Rovers.

The Lowdown: Glatzel impressing at Tranmere

The 21-year-old was sent out on loan across the River Mersey last summer, joining Robers on a season-long deal.

Glatzel has done well so far at Prenton Park, scoring four goals and registering two assists in 10 League Two starts and helping his side to fourth in the table as they chase promotion.

However, the young attacker has already had an injury-plagued career, suffering numerous long spells on the sidelines, and a fresh fitness problem has now struck the forward.

The Latest: Another injury setback for Glatzel

Sadly, Glatzel was injured in Tranmere’s 3-2 win at home to Mansfield Town on Saturday afternoon, coming off with a hamstring issue early in the second half.

Speaking to the media after the game [via This Is Anfield], Rovers manager Micky Mellon admitted that the striker was hugely upset, saying:

“I think he’s done his hamstring again. He’s distraught, the lad. It’s just really sad. But he’s shown character before and he’ll get the support.

“He’s obviously disappointed but he’ll get great support from all of us and we’ll hopefully get him back as quick as possible.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-23/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Cruel luck for Glatzel

Glatzel is such a promising young player, scoring 21 goals in 27 games for Liverpool’s under-18s, so this is another cruel setback in his progress.

To have had so many injury layoffs at such a young age is tough to take and the hope is that this current issue is not as serious as some of those to have come before.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Glatzel will certainly have become mentally strong in dealing with these situations over the years, so that should at least stand him in good stead in the coming weeks as he looks to return before the end of the season.

In other news, one Liverpool player has been linked with a summer exit. Find out who it is here.

Rangers secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Thursday and the Ibrox giants now await the draw to decide who they will be playing in the last eight.

Gio van Bronckhorst’s side lost 2-1 in Serbia in the second leg yesterday evening but won 4-2 on aggregate to ensure their passage through to the next round.

It was a disappointing display on the night as Allan McGregor was forced into making a string of impressive saves to keep Red Star Belgrade at bay, whilst Ryan Kent’s deflected goal was the only moment of note at the other end.

A number of Gers players struggled throughout the game, and one who flopped on the night was young left-back Calvin Bassey.

The former Leicester man was selected ahead of Borna Barisic to play on the left of the back four but was unable to justify his selection as he put in a worrying performance.

Bassey has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.88 in the Europa League, winning 63% of his duels and completing 30 passes per game on average. This shows that he came into the game off the back of some fine form in Europe, which is why his display in the second leg was disappointing as he flopped against the Serbian outfit.

As you can see in the graphic below, the Nigeria international let himself down in a number of key statistics (via SofaScore) throughout the match.

Along with these worrying statistics, he also gave the ball away every 2.8 touches and failed to create a single chance from left-back, as per SofaScore.

This shows that Bassey was unreliable in possession and was unable to support Kent on the left flank. He rarely made his way forward to make an impact in the final third, with the one time he did find himself in the box ending in him failing with an attempt to dribble between two Red Star players.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Whilst the dud’s performance did not cost Rangers the tie, thanks to the 3-0 win in the first leg, it is not a showing that he will want to replicate this season. The Gers are now heading into the business end of the campaign and Van Bronckhorst cannot afford to have players putting in displays like this too often if he wants to collect silverware this year.

Bassey may have flopped in this game but he has plenty of chances left in the coming weeks to get back to his best and play a crucial role in what could be a famous European adventure…

AND in other news, Forget Kamara: Rangers lightweight who lost 16 duels almost cost GvB qualification…

Wolves have reportedly now held talks over the possibility of signing Rafa Silva in the summer.

The Lowdown: Standout season

There is no doubt that Silva is having a standout season at Benfica, racking up no fewer than 12 goals and a further 17 assists in total over all competitions so far (Transfermarkt).

He recently scored an ‘extraordinary’ solo goal that has since gone viral, demonstrating his elite dribbling ability, and has hardly missed a game in a campaign that has seen Benfica reach the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League.

The Latest: Talks held

As per A Bola (via Sport Witness), the Midlands club have now been making ‘exploratory contacts’ over Silva’s potential signing, motivated by Bruno Lage’s ‘knowledge’ of the player.

The move would cost in the region of €20-30m (£16.6-24.9m), with bonuses related to performance included in any deal.

Francisco Trincao’s future at Molineux is uncertain, and so he may not stay after his loan spell ends, thus paving the way for Silva to come in.

The Verdict: No-brainer

Given his record in terms of goals and assists this season, and Lage’s relationship with him, it is surely a no-brainer for the Wanderers to sign Silva.

Of course, the Portuguese boss managed him at Benfica, where he managed to score 23 times and produce eight assists (Transfermarkt), helping him win the league title in the 2018/19 term.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Called ‘fantastic’ by Lage when they were acquainted, Silva is now in his prime at 28 years of age, and so WWFC must look to jump on his signature straight away.

In other news, find out what big development has now emerged involving this Wolves ace here!

Patrick Vieira has been building a new culture at Crystal Palace since he joined last summer, adding a number of young players into the fold to freshen up the ageing squad he inherited from his predecessor Roy Hodgson, and with the Eagles in with the chance to finish in the top half, the French manager’s youth revolution is clearly doing the job.

Crystal Palace have gone from a squad with an average age of 29.8 which was the oldest in the Premier League last season, to an average age of 28 in just nine months, dropping them four places behind Wolves, West Ham, Watford and Burnley, thanks to the young talent Vieira integrated into the squad this season.

The likes of Marc Guehi, Conor Gallagher and Michael Olise are having such an impact on the team this season and being key players in the system that has earned seven victories and 13 draws this season, it would seem likely to the Palace boss will want to continue to keep youth at the heart of the team moving forward.

With that in mind, the former Arsenal player turned manager must finally axe Luka Milivojevic as he clearly doesn’t fit the vision that Vieira has for the team moving forward as he is one of the older players, which reflects in the amount of game-time the midfielder has earned this season so far.

The 30-year-old who was hailed “valuable” by former manager Roy Hodgson, has only made 12 appearances in the Premier League this season, averaging 54 minutes of play per appearance so far, which speaks volumes from the manager’s perspective, with Milivojevic’s role and responsibility in the side becoming less valuable and relied on by the Frenchman.

With a summer transfer window coming up in a few months there is no doubt that Vieira will be focusing on his next moves and putting a plan in place to continue to thrive and succeed in his Palace journey.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

When you consider that Milivojevic is on £80k-per-week it could be the perfect opportunity for Steve Parish to offload the midfielder to boost transfer funds and put the club in a position to offer an attractive wage package to a younger player that the club may want to sign this summer.

In other news: CPFC had a shocker on “frightening” ace who’s “a threat to any defence”

Barcelona are still eyeing up a potential move for Mohamed Salah this summer, with a fresh report from Spain describing Liverpool as still a ‘selling club’.

The Lowdown: Salah yet to sign new deal

While the Reds are about to encounter a massive few months on the pitch, Salah’s future continues to be a major talking point off it.

The 29-year-old has been linked with a move to Barca in recent weeks, with a new Liverpool deal yet to be signed amid issues surrounding wage demands.

It is a saga that could rumble on as reports have claimed the winger wants as much as £500,00 per-week, and a new update has now emerged.

The Latest: New Barca claim emerges

According to AS [via Sport Witness], Barca will go ‘all in’ to sign Salah if they are unable to entice Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland to the club.

Liverpool are dismissively called a ‘selling club’ by the Spanish press (Sport via SW), with the sale of Philippe Coutinho cited as an example.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-26/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Tough to predict

Frankly, it is impossible to predict what Salah’s decision will be, with a new Reds contract more than possible but perhaps only if he and agent Ramy Abbas Issa agree to reduce their demands.

It’s reportedly likely that the Egyptian will eventually accept less money, but if not it doesn’t look as though he will be treated as a special case, in terms of paying him over the club’s usual limits.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

It would be a devastating blow to lose arguably the world’s best player, but similarly, life would go on without him and enormous funds would be received if cashing in this summer, which could go towards new signings, as was the case with Coutinho.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has dropped a key Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

Leeds United fans have been handed an update on their pursuit of Rangers star Ryan Kent ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window…

What’s the story?

Last year, Leeds had a number of offered rejected by the Ibrox outfit, but it appears their interest in the winger has not ended, with journalist Pete O’Rourke claiming that he has some big admirers behind-the-scenes at Thorp Arch.

He said: “I think Marcelo Bielsa was a big fan of him, as is Victor Orta, so that one does seem to have some credence to it.”

Imagine him and Raphinha

After enjoying a superb season last year – he scored 13 goals and set up another 15 – Kent has continued his good form into the new campaign, managing an impressive 16 assists in just 36 games across all competitions.

The £20k-a-week earning ace was hailed by team-mate Conor Goldson as “magnificent”, while the defender also added: “He has got a lot of ability. (He is) 24-years-old, two-footed. It is not nice when he runs at you, I can tell you that personally from training. He has got everything.”

The praise does not stop there however, with Neil Dewsnip, his former coach at England U17 level, saying: “He seems to relish the atmosphere, so I think he’s in the bracket of players who think ‘the bigger, the better’. Ryan is very exciting so, when he’s good he’s devastatingly good.

“But that’s a trait of a lot of wide players. The challenge is to be consistent and I’m sure that’s what Steven and his staff will be working to achieve.”

The interest in Kent is certainly understandable especially when you consider the uncertainty surrounding the future of Raphinha.

The big talking point this summer will of course be whether the Brazilian stays put at Elland Road, and while Premier League survival would certainly help the Whites’ chances of keeping hold of him, news of Barcelona’s interest is sure to have the club sweating.

Letting Raphinha go in the transfer window would be a massive blow for Leeds given his performances for them – even this season he has managed nine goals in 28 Premier League games, and done his level-best to preserve the Whites’ top-flight status.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

But while the Brazilian’s exit would hurt, bringing in Kent would provide that same level of excitement and end product that Raphinha has brought to the table.

The man with 34 senior goals to his name could be the arrival that offsets any potential Raphinha departure this summer.

AND in other news – Leeds must finally offload £15k-p/w outcast who last played at Elland Road in 2018