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Reports have emerged over the past 24 hours that Celtic are ready to intensify talks to sign Alfie Devine from Tottenham Hotspur. Martin O'Neill is believed to be a fan of the midfielder.

So much so that O'Neill was spotted in attendance watching Preston North End's game last season. Since then, speculation about a move for Devine have not gone away.

Until very recently, Preston North End were in the driver's seat though as they had an option to buy included in the deal. And it had looked like they were intent on trigerring it.

But for one reason or another, it did not end up happening. Now, the option to buy has expired. So, Devine's future is up in the air. Celtic are in the mix to sign him. But what do Tottenham Hotspur want to do?

According to a report from Football Insider, Celtic have been told Tottenham Hotspur will accept offers between £4-6 million for Devine this summer.

That seems like a transfer fee that Celtic are very capable of meeting. And with O'Neill believed to be a fan of Devine, they should do their best to make the deal happen.

To be very honest, that feels like a reasonable figure as well. Devine is a Tottenham Hotspur player.

On top of that, he also proved himself in the Championship last season. Across all competitions, he scored eight goals and provided a further eight assists for Preston North End.

So, it is easy to understand the valuation. And it is not like Celtic have not spent that kind of money on players in the past. The club need to show that they are ready to back O'Neill, even on a one-year deal. Signing Devine would be a statement of intent in that regard.

Midfield is the one area which could be most severely affected for Celtic in this summer transfer window.

Arne Engels has been tipped to make a Scottish record exit. Celtic already turned down an offer in the region of £25 million in the summer. Clubs are still interested this summer.

Benjamin Nygren is also expected to draw interest. And when asked about a potential move, he did not rule it out.

Reo Hatate barely featured towards the end of last season and is expected to depart this summer. It is the same for Paulo Bernardo.

So, Celtic's midfield department could be significantly weakened in the summer. Signing someone like Devine could go a long way in filling any voids which may end up appearing as a result of potential departures. Now, it remains to be seen whether the Hoops are up for it or not.

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Manchester United have found some form since the arrival of Michael Carrick as the interim manager of the club. Finally, there is some positivity around the club after years, and if things continue in this manner, they might hand the job to the Englishman on a permanent basis.

Of course, it might be a bit too early to think that far into the future. There have been plenty of false dawns at Old Trafford over the years. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

The objective for Manchester United right now has to be building on their newfound momentum and continuing to produce results. Wins over Man City and Arsenal are impressive, but it is just as important to get the better of teams in the lower half of the table, something that they have struggled to do at times.

Tottenham Hotspur are a team that has looked completely out of sorts lately, and Thomas Frank's position at the club has to be up in the air.

Ange Postecoglou was sacked in the summer despite winning them the Europa League, the club's first trophy since 2008. In the Premier League, they had finished 17th. Frank is not doing much better than him though, with Spurs currently sitting in 14th.

One thing Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur side always seemed to do was give Manchester United a tough time. Frank will be hoping to carry on that tradition when the two teems meet at the weekend.

For Manchester United, there seems to be a worrying update as two of their players have seemingly missed training heading into the weekend.

According to Steven Railston in an update earlier today, it looked like like Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt were absent from training.

Mount missed the Fulham game after picking up a knock and De Ligt is still recovering from a back injury. The Dutchman last played against Crystal Palace on November 30.

Mount's time at Manchester United has been filled with injury problems. We have never really seen the form that he showed at his best at Chelsea, playing an integral part in their Champions League win in 2021, even providing the winning assist against Man City in the final.

He looked like a midfielder who could produce 20-plus goal contributions a season on a consistent basis while also giving a lot on the defensive side of things. But unfortunately, with the amount of injuries he has dealt with over the last three or four years, he will never reach his true potential.

As for De Ligt, he is another who looks unlikely to meet the expectations that were set for him early in his career.

He had been a standout for Ajax in their historic run to the Champions League semi-finals under none other than Erik ten Hag. Since then, he has had failed spells at Juventus and Bayern Munich. And his time at Manchester United seems to be headed in that same direction. This is his third injury since joining the club in 2024.

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