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Leeds United are now likely to make a move for an “excellent” attacker if they are promoted from the Championship, with his club setting a £20m asking price, according to a report.

Leeds storming to promotion

Leeds’ dramatic turnaround against Sunderland earlier this month felt like a big moment in the season, with Pascal Struijk bagging a late double to secure a 2-1 victory against a fellow promotion-chasing side at Elland Road.

However, the Whites have since followed it up with an even more impressive win, defeating Sheffield United 3-1 away from home in a real statement victory last time out, moving five clear of the Blades at the top of the Championship table in the process.

Daniel Farke’s side have lost just three league games all season, and they have given themselves a great chance of returning to the top tier next season, but the manager will be aware of the need to strengthen in the summer if his side are to return to the Premier League.

Leeds expected to move for "fantastic" £15m striker; he's "keen" on joining

The Whites have been tipped to make a summer move for a forward who is excited by the prospect of moving to Elland Road.

By
Dominic Lund

Feb 25, 2025

Some loan players have played a key role in Leeds’ promotion push, namely Joe Rothwell and Manor Solomon, and there has been talk of a potential move to sign the latter player on a permanent basis in the summer.

According to a report from GiveMeSport, it is now likely the Championship leaders will enter negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur over a deal for Solomon, should they achieve their aim of promotion to the top flight.

Spurs are willing to sanction the winger’s departure this summer, but he could be a relatively expensive signing for the Whites, as the asking price is now believed to be £20m, which is an increase from the previously reported number between £10m and £15m.

Everton have also been named as potential suitors for the 25-year-old, who is keen on a return to the Premier League, so there may be competition for his signature.

Solomon has been "excellent" in 2025

The Israeli’s loan spell got off to a slow start, often being utilised as a substitute, while also missing a number of matches due to a hamstring injury, but he has been in red-hot form in 2025.

The Spurs loanee has now amassed 14 goal contributions in the Championship, with eight of those coming since the turn of the year, having now established himself as a regular starter.

CBS Sports’ Jake Winderman lauded the left-winger as “excellent” for his performance against Norwich City, and he has also put in some impressive performances in the top flight in the past, scoring four Premier League goals for Fulham in the 2022-23 campaign.

As such, there are signs that Solomon is ready to make the step-up back to the Premier League, so Leeds should definitely pursue a move this summer, although a fee of £20m for a player with very limited top-level experience feels a little high.

Tottenham Hotspur have now made contact over a deal for an attacking midfielder, and there is a growing belief they will now be able to beat one of their Premier League rivals to his signature, according to a report.

Tottenham's summer transfer plans

There is a lot of speculation surrounding the future of Ange Postecoglou, particularly since the 2-0 loss away at Fulham at the weekend, which leaves Tottenham 14th in the Premier League table with just nine games left to play.

As such, Spurs’ summer transfer policy could be heavily dictated by whether they have a new manager in the dugout, but they are continuing to assess potential targets who could improve Postecoglou’s side.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Rayan Ait-Nouri appears to be one of the main targets in defence, with widespread reports suggesting a £30m bid has been submitted for the left-back, while the Lilywhites are also keen on strengthening in more advanced areas.

Ange replacement: Spurs now eyeing "outstanding" 4-3-3 coach who Pep loves

Tottenham have now shortlisted another manager as a potential replacement for Ange Postecoglou.

ByDominic Lund Mar 19, 2025

Lille’s Jonathan David is among the targets at striker, with the 25-year-old set to be available on a free transfer this summer, while Postecoglou’s side also hold an interest in Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman.

According to a report from GiveMeSport, Tottenham have now taken their first steps towards signing an attacking midfielder, having made contact over a move for River Plate’s Franco Mastantuono.

Spurs are now growing in confidence that they could win the race for Mastantuono, given that rival suitors Manchester United have now started to look at alternative targets, and they have now stepped up their interest.

The maestro is protected by a £38m release clause, but there is hope of being able to bring him in for a reduced fee, given that the full amount would be a huge fee to pay for a 17-year-old.

"Pure joy to watch" Mastantuono could be future star

The teenager has already been a part of the River Plate first-team setup for quite some time, scoring a remarkable free-kick goal for the Argentine side when he was just 16 years old.

That remarkable effort caused football talent scout Jacek Kulig to laud the starlet as a “pure joy to watch”, and he has continued his fine form this season, most recently putting in a top display against Ciudad de Bolivar in the Copa Argentina.

The young Argentine scored a goal and completed three dribbles in his side’s 2-0 triumph, causing major problems for the opposition defence and showcasing that he could soon be ready for a move to a top European club.

As such, it is exciting news that Tottenham have made the first move to sign Mastantuono, but it could be difficult to win the race for his signature, with reports from elsewhere revealing the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona are also keen.

Liverpool have been here before. Winter has passed, and the biggest prizes lie tantalisingly ahead.

Having overcome Tottenham Hotspur over two legs, Liverpool have reached the Carabao Cup final, which will be played against Newcastle United next month.

Arne Slot’s side also won the Champions League group phase and bypassed the pesky added knockout round, straight into the last 16.

But it’s the Premier League that Anfield covets most. In its modern version, Liverpool have only lifted the trophy once, in 2020, and the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, two of the greatest players of their generation, are desperate to consolidate their quality with a second triumph.

You feel that were either of these veterans, both out of contract this summer, absent this season, Liverpool would be swimming deeper. Up front especially, Liverpool’s frontline needs to be doing more as a collective, with Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz’s performances raising speculation about their future at the club.

The future of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez

Liverpool have one of the most dangerous strike forces in Europe, but that’s not to say that every player is performing at the top of their game.

Mohamed Salah

35 (33)

27

19

Cody Gakpo

36 (25)

16

5

Luis Diaz

34 (25)

12

3

Diogo Jota

22 (12)

8

2

Darwin Nunez

33 (16)

6

4

Federico Chiesa

10 (3)

1

2

Salah has absurdly clinched 27 goals and 19 assists from 35 matches in all competitions, driving Liverpool to titles and, perhaps, himself to Ballon d’Or gold.

On the left, Cody Gakpo is also riding the crest of a prolific wave, but Diaz and Nunez are beginning to frustrate, with their combined goal involvements in 2024/25 – 25 – a steep distance below Salah’s haul of 46 contributions.

It may be that FSG decides to cash in this summer, especially since Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Nunez was close to joining Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr in January before they signed Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran.

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk revealed that while the Reds are keen to tie their Colombian left winger down to a new contract, there was intrigue from the Saudi Pro League in the summer, and Liverpool would entertain bids worth £67m.

Theoretically, Liverpool could bank more than £120m for their South American forwards this summer, something that could be redirected toward, say, transfer target Alexander Isak.

Both Diaz, 28, and the 25-year-old Nunez are talented players and contribute effectively to Slot’s project, but given that their goalscoring records leave plenty to be desired, it wouldn’t be right to say they’re indispensable.

Especially when former Liverpool sensation Luis Suarez managed to outscore the pair of them in 2024.

Liverpool must rue losing Luis Suarez

When Suarez was 24, he left Ajax and joined Liverpool in a deal worth £23m. It was an exciting transfer, though dwarfed by the signing of Andy Carroll, who arrived concurrently in January 2011.

Registering 123 goal contributions from 132 matches for the Merseysiders, it’s fair to say that Suarez is one of the greatest forwards in Liverpool’s modern history, almost singlehandedly winning the club their first Premier League title in 2013/14.

Who could forget that season? There are similarities between Salah’s unrelenting drive under Slot’s wing and Liverpool’s former all-powerful talisman, who plundered 31 goals and 13 assists from 33 top-flight matches that year but still came up short.

Unfortunately, Anfield was in a very different state back then, with Brendan Rodgers’ outfit lacking the same degree of evenly spread and high-class talent.

He’s been hailed as a “legend” of the game by talent scout Jacek Kulig, having forced his way out of Liverpool after that agonising title miss, signing for Barcelona in a deal worth £75m – a package that fell short of only Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale’s transfers to Real Madrid at the time.

Of course, the experienced marksman will have no regrets, not least because he went on to win the Champions League and five La Liga titles (one with Atletico Madrid) before leaving Europe and journeying across the pond. The greatest testament to Suarez’s skill set is that he wasn’t minnowed next to Lionel Messi, scoring 195 goals and providing 113 assists over 283 appearances.

Suarez now plies his trade in the MLS with Inter Miami, alongside former Barcelona teammates Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, with the US campaigns typically starting in February and running until October.

He may be in the twilight phase of his storied career, but the Uruguayan still managed to chalk up some spectacular numbers, scoring 25 goals and adding 12 assists across 37 matches in all competitions.

That haul of 37 goal contributions is a distance more than both Nunez (24) and Diaz (27) registered for Liverpool across the calendar year 2024.

He’s still got it, and though English football’s fitness demands would represent an insurmountable hurdle for the ageing player, it’s pertinent to note that he’s still got it in front of goal, something that both Diaz, who has been deployed as a makeshift number nine this year, and Nunez have struggled to produce consistently.

Sure, you’d probably be right in supposing that the 38-year-old striker is past his Premier League sell-by date, and would not be a useful option in Slot’s high-energy Liverpool team, but Suarez went on to achieve greatness with Barcelona and could have become a true Anfield legend had he stayed.

The failure to effectively replace him only added insult to injury, with Ricky Lambert and Mario Balotelli tasked with replicating his offensive threat. Redmen supporters (and FSG) must count their lucky stars that Klopp was the man who replaced the beleaguered Rodgers at the helm.

However, it’s difficult to imagine a world where Rodgers would have remained instated in the dugout for many years past his dismissal, even had Suarez been retained. Perhaps we would be looking at a world where Klopp’s project would have been fronted by the iconic centre-forward.

Slot has already found Luis Diaz 2.0 in Liverpool's "frightening" 17 y/o

Liverpool believe they have one of Europe’s biggest talents in this forward.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 15, 2025

Veteran spinner answers England SOS to take on Australia after two years out

Matt Roller07-Jun-20231:38

Is Moeen Ali actually an upgrade on Jack Leach?

Moeen Ali has reversed his retirement from Test cricket and been added to England’s Ashes squad after answering an SOS call from the team’s management.Moeen confirmed to ESPNcricinfo on Monday night that he had been asked to consider a potential call-up following an injury to Jack Leach, who went for scans after England’s 10-wicket win over Ireland at Lord’s which revealed a lower-back stress fracture.He held discussions with Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum and Rob Key – England’s captain, coach and managing director respectively – and the ECB announced on Wednesday morning that Moeen has agreed to return to Test cricket. He has been added to England’s squad for the first two Ashes Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s.”We reached out to Mo early this week about returning to Test cricket,” Key said. “Having had a couple of days to reflect, Mo is excited to join the squad and play Test cricket again.”His vast experience, along with his all-round ability, will benefit our Ashes campaign. We wish Mo and the rest of the squad well for the Ashes campaign.”The other main contenders to fill the vacancy created by Leach’s injury were Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks – who both took Test five-wicket hauls in Pakistan in December – and Liam Dawson, who represented a like-for-like replacement as a left-arm spinner.Moeen has not played a first-class match in nearly two years•AFP/Getty ImagesMoeen has not played a first-class match since his retirement from Test cricket, which he announced in September 2021 after England’s series against India. He told ESPNcricinfo at the time that he had struggled to “get in the zone” during that series, saying: “I just felt like I wasn’t in it.”He has won the T20 World Cup with England and two IPL titles with Chennai Super Kings since his retirement, and has represented various franchises around the world in between his international commitments. He has also returned to Warwickshire, his home county, and spent the last week captaining their Vitality Blast side.But since McCullum and Stokes took over a year ago, Moeen has become increasingly open to the idea of returning to Test cricket. He said last summer that he would “love” to play under the new regime: “They are both very aggressive and I think I would suit their cricket a bit more.”He gave serious consideration to a return for England’s December tour to Pakistan after discussions with McCullum, but eventually opted against due to the prospect of spending more time away from his family during a busy winter of white-ball cricket.Related

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England’s squad will report to Birmingham on Tuesday and have three training days before the start of the series at Edgbaston on June 16. The venue is Moeen’s home ground, but he has not played a red-ball game there since the first Test of the 2019 Ashes, when he took 3 for 172 in the match and was then dropped.Moeen will likely bat at No. 8 if selected but is not a certain starter at this stage. Spinners often play a peripheral role at Edgbaston – only three wickets have fallen to spin in three County Championship games at the venue this season – and with Stokes’ fitness to bowl still unclear, England may be tempted to field an all-seam attack supplemented by Joe Root’s offbreaks.He has struggled against Australia in the past, with 20 wickets at an average of 64.65, though those figures include a gruelling 2017-18 tour in which England’s dearth of spin resources saw him play all five Tests despite ripping his spinning finger open on the seam of the ball early in the tour.

Cristiano Ronaldo posted about his pride after his son made his Portugal debut on Monday.

Article continues below

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Ronaldo posts touching tribute to sonCristiano Jr played for Portugal U15sAlso plays for Al-Nassr academyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Cristiano Jr featured for Portugal Under-15s against Japan on Monday, appearing as a substitute in their 4-1 victory. His dad, the nation's record goalscorer, posted that he was "very proud" on Instagram.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Cristiano Jr is also following in Ronaldo's footsteps at Al Nassr, where he plays for the academy. He could make more Portugal appearances soon, too, with this the first of four matches at the Vlatko Markovic international tournament in Croatia.

WHAT RONALDO SAID

Ronaldo said: "Congratulations on your Portugal debut, son. Very proud of you!"

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR CRISTIANO JR?

Portugal Under-15s play Greece on Wednesday before taking on England on Friday and playing one more match against an unconfirmed opponent on Sunday.

Delhi Capitals’ assistant coach believes that Warner’s fearless mindset will get bring him back to his best

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-20232:50

Tait: Warner seemed ‘pretty frustrated’

Shane Watson, Delhi Capitals’ assistant coach, has said he will be “blown away” if David Warner, the franchise’s under-fire captain, doesn’t “set the IPL alight” in the rest of the season after struggling for rhythm in the first four games.Warner is the second-highest run-scorer in IPL 2023 and has hit three half-centuries in four games, but has scored at a sluggish strike rate of 114.83 and is yet to hit a single six this season.Warner punched his bat in frustration upon reaching a 43-ball half-century during Delhi’s loss to Mumbai Indians on Monday night, their fourth defeat out of four this season. But Watson stressed that he had shown a “more fearless mindset” during that innings, and said that he was “so close” to recapturing his best form.Related

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“The other night, Dave [Warner] definitely had a [much] more fearless mindset with the way he was batting,” Watson said on the podcast. “He was taking the game on… yes, he missed a few balls that in the past he would have hit for four or six, he’s mis-hit a couple of balls, but that’s all part of Dave just working through the technical side of his game.”That’s also part of my role as well, as a coach. Because I know Dave so well from batting with him and playing with him, there’s one or two little things that I know he’ll get right over the next couple of days and I’ll be blown away if he doesn’t – yes, he’s been scoring runs, but from a scoring perspective – if he doesn’t set the IPL alight from now on, knowing that he’s so close.”He’s batting very nicely. He’s just mis-hitting some balls that he’d normally hit for four or six. Once you do that, once you start really finding the middle of your bat, then your scoring rate just goes through the roof.”Warner became the fastest man to reach 6,000 runs in his IPL career during Delhi’s defeat to Rajasthan Royals, and Watson said that his stellar record in the competition underlined his ability. “His strike rate across his career in the IPL is nearly 140,” he said. “He’s been a great player in the IPL for a long period of time.”He added that Warner had been “working through” a “challenging inner battle” in the first three games of the season, grappling with whether or not to take risks as wickets fell at the other end. “It goes against a lot of the things that you’re taught as a kid growing up,” Watson said. “You lose a wicket, you’ve got to establish a partnership – even in T20 cricket – for five or six balls.”But then, if you do that and you keep losing wickets after five or six balls, before you know it, you’re three overs down and you’ve just been rotating ones to try and build a partnership. Dave was just working through that himself in the first few games.”Delhi play their next game away against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday afternoon, and will have Mitchell Marsh available again after he missed their last two games due to his wedding back home in Australia.”It’s never perfect when you lose your first four games,” Watson said, “but that is the beauty of having someone with the skill of Ricky Ponting as a coach, and just his understanding of people. That’s the beauty of being a coach, to be able to help the guys where they need it.”These are the times when you really see the true colours of people and coaches, when things aren’t going well. It’s a true sign of character: how you can work through the little things that are not going how we want them to, to turn them around and be more consistent.”

The visitors, who made five changes heading into the Test, were bowled out for 157 on the first evening

Ashish Pant02-Jan-2025

It had taken Zimbabwe 197 overs and over two days to take ten Afghanistan wickets in the opening Test. A few days later, at the same venue, Zimbabwe required just 44.3 overs and less than two sessions to bowl Afghanistan out for 157, and take early control of the second Test in Bulawayo.Newman Nyamhuri and Sikandar Raza picked three wickets apiece while Blessing Muzarabani got two as none of the Afghanistan batters managed to build on starts. In reply, the Zimbabwe openers Ben Curran and Joylord Gumbie had a tricky three overs to face which they eventually survived.The conditions were very different at the start of the opening day, with persistent rain greeting the two teams, and the toss delayed by close to four hours.When the conditions improved, Craig Ervine had no hesitation in bowling first on what his opposite number Hashmatullah Shahidi described as a “spicy pitch”. Zimbabwe made two changes to their playing XI from the first Test, bringing in Richard Ngarava and Raza, while Afghanistan made five changes to their side. That included them handing Test debuts to Fareed Ahmad, Riaz Hassan and Ismat Alam.The Bulawayo pitch had a green tinge to it, but Muzarabani and Ngarava failed to extract much movement largely due to them being on the shorter side. The Afghanistan openers Abdul Malik and Riaz largely looked unhurried, and managed just 25 runs in the first ten overs.Blessing Muzarabani got two wickets•Zimbabwe Cricket

But a moment of brilliance in the field gave the hosts the opening. Riaz pushed a full delivery from Ngarava to the right of point, and set off for a single, only to be sent back by Malik quite late. Riaz, who was almost halfway down the pitch, scurried back, but Bennett sprinted to his right, picked up the ball with one hand, and in one swift motion smashed the stumps at the striker’s end to catch the batter short.In the next over, Nyamhuri got a short-of-a-length ball to rear up sharply, thus catching Malik’s gloves through to the wicketkeeper.Shahidi and Rahmat Shah, who had stitched a record stand in the opening Test, then looked to arrest the slide. Shahidi began with a fierce cut off Muzarabani over backward point while Rahmat also got off the mark with a four, albeit a streaky one past the wicketkeeper’s left.Rahmat then struck two more fours off Muzarabani, but got a reprieve when he got a thick outside edge off Ngarava to Dion Myers, who spilled a relatively comfortable catch at gully. Thus, Shahidi and Rahmat moved to lunch unbeaten.But it did not take Zimbabwe long to strike after the break, with 18-year-old Nyamhuri once again getting into the act by squaring Shahidi up, and trapping him bang in front of the stumps for 13. Afsar Zazai, another centurion from the first Test, then came in and immediately found his bearings.But it was Raza’s introduction into the attack which brought about Afghanistan’s downfall. He varied his pace brilliantly, bowled wicket-to-wicket lines, and had both Rahmat and Zazai second-guessing. Nyamhuri also stuck to a plan, and induced multiple outside edges before Raza orchestrated a collapse.Ben Curran and Joylord Gumbie survived a tricky 20-minute burst before stumps•Zimbabwe Cricket

Rahmat, unable to get Raza away, tried to unsettle him by trying a cheeky lap sweep. But Raza fired the ball in on middle, and Rahmat missed it to see his leg stump pegged back. Ngarava then got rid of Zazai with a snorter before Raza cleaned debutant Alam up with a yorker as Afghanistan slipped from 81 for 3 to 84 for 6 in the space of ten balls.Rashid Khan unfurled a number of strokes as soon as he walked in by spanking Raza for three back-to-back cover drives. Shahidullah also got his first boundary away via a wristy flick. Muzarabani, who was wayward all day, finally got the ball to land on a channel outside off and induced a thin edge off Shahidullah’s blade through to the wicketkeeper. Rashid then failed to keep a short and wide delivery off Muzarabani down, with deep point taking an easy catch.When Raza cleaned Yamin Ahmadzai up for his third wicket, the end was nigh for the visitors. But Zia-ur-Rehman and Fareed added a run-a-ball 27 for the final wicket, with debutant Fareed smashing a four and a six in his 19-ball 17 to take Afghanistan past 150.The Zimbabwe openers survived a tricky 20-minute burst from Afghanistan, and will want to wipe off the deficit early on day two. Rain and a wet outfield allowed only 47.3 overs to be bowled on the opening day, but the Test has already moved on at a rapid pace.

Arsenal are ready to spend big this summer and could now gain the upper hand on Chelsea in pursuit of a talented star plying his trade at the Club World Cup, according to a report.

Arsenal ready to make statement signings

The Gunners hope to establish themselves as a frontrunner in the race for the Premier League title and Mikel Arteta is set to be backed this window as high-profile targets are identified at the Emirates Stadium.

In an honest assessment of his former side’s hunt for a striker, Arsenal icon Theo Walcott has pointed out that the club need to pursue someone in Liam Delap’s mould as they search for a new source of goals.

Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres are Arsenal’s two main striking targets, and the latter has given his priority to Arteta’s side following an excellent campaign at Sporting.

That development comes in spite of interest from Manchester United, which will undoubtedly provoke optimism among a support desperate to see the final piece of the jigsaw added over the coming months.

Arsenal approach £170k-per-week forward with Berta ready to pay £53m

The Gunners are making “real moves” for him.

3 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 14, 2025

However, it has to be taken into account that signing a forward isn’t the only requirement to exceed their rivals’ points tally next season; you also need an effective foil to maximise attacking output across the board.

With that in mind, Arsenal now have a winger on their radar that they could steal from under the nose of rivals Chelsea, according to reports.

Arsenal prepare bid to sign Borussia Dortmund star Jamie Gittens

According to reports in Spain, Arsenal are preparing a bid to sign Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, and he is viewed internally as someone who would fit their philosophy to develop talent over the long-term.

Berta and company are ready to put forward an offer that could amount to roughly £42.5 million, while Chelsea have also been heavily linked with Gittens and came close to signing him before the Club World Cup registration window closed. There have even been claims the Blues still want him and could make a new bid in days.

Jamie Gittens in 2024/25 – Bundesliga (FBRef)

Shot-creating actions

73

Goals-creating actions

10

Progressive carries per 90

5.53

Touches in opposition penalty area per 90

5.53

Successful take-ons per 90

3.57

Labelled “fantastic” by Nuri Sahin, the England Under-21 international registered 12 goals and five assists as Borussia Dortmund left it late to secure Champions League qualification.

Bukayo Saka’s injury issues throughout the campaign demonstrated that additional depth is needed for the Gunners to juggle domestic and European endeavours. Taking that into consideration, what better way for Arsenal to secure another talented outlet out wide than to beat Chelsea to Gittens’ signature.

Celtic are active on the market and Brendan Rodgers is reportedly closing in on a bargain deal to strengthen his backline, according to a report.

Celtic begin to motor in summer transfer window

The official opening of the window for Celtic will take place next week, but they are already moving down the line with several deals as scaling up becomes the mantra at Parkhead.

Recent interest in Brondby forward Mathias Kvistgaarden and Telstar’s Youssef El Kachati has cooled. However, supporters would have been delighted to see Kieran Tierney officially announced, following months of waiting for his signature to be confirmed.

Looking forward to working with a player who delivered so much during his first spell in charge, Brendan Rodgers believes his ‘elite’ qualities will bring an element of stardust as Celtic chase more success domestically and on the continent.

The Irishman stated: “We are so pleased to bring such an elite player back to the club and I look forward to working with him again and the rest of the squad, as we face the many challenges ahead at home and in Europe.”

Not to be deterred there, Celtic have identified Michel-Ange Balikwisha as a top summer target, amid holding a concrete interest in his services over the past year.

The latest names on Celtic’s summer transfer wishlist

Ross Doohan

Aberdeen – deal near completion

Harley Mills

Peterborough United

Lennon Miller

Motherwell

Demir Tiknaz

Rio Ave (on loan from Besiktas – buy option)

Callum Osmand

Fulham – deal near completion

As mentioned above, a compensation package for Fulham striker Callum Osmand is on the verge of going through to solidify Rodgers’ striking options, representing smart business as the Hoops aim to find value for money in the market.

Now, a young defender is also set to join the Parkhead ranks in a similar agreement, even if he won’t be thrust into the first team straight away.

Celtic set to sign prospect Isaac English

According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are on the verge of signing defender Isaac English from Greenock Morton and are set to agree a bargain fee of £50,000 with the Scottish Championship side ahead of his proposed move.

Scouts were alerted to his potential off the back of his displays in the second-tier outfit’s Club Academy Scotland Performance League title win at Under-18 level.

Sinclair 2.0: £4.6m star who "wins games on his own" is Celtic's top target

Celtic are eyeing up a deal for a winger who could be their next Scott Sinclair.

ByDan Emery Jun 10, 2025

Admittedly, not much is known about English in the public domain. The 17-year-old hasn’t made a senior appearance at Cappielow Park, though he has trained within Dougie Imrie’s senior set-up and looks to be one for the future.

After losing youngsters such as Daniel Cummings, Rocco Vata and Daniel Kelly in recent times, news that Celtic have a prodigious star ready to walk through the Lennoxtown entrance will be a welcome boost in their mission to stockpile emerging talent.

The Rajasthan Royals’ director of cricket on the making of Jos Buttler’s purple patch this IPL season and the reason he’s found success where other batters haven’t

Interview by Andrew Fidel Fernando05-May-2022A little over halfway in the IPL, Jos Buttler is by a distance the most prolific batter in the competition, having made 588 runs at a strike rate of 151. Rajasthan Royals’ director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara talks about the season his team’s star batter is having.Jos Buttler is no stranger to success at the IPL, but this season he’s been far and away the best of the batters so far. Why do you think that is?
He’s been given a very clear role as an opener, without having to think about batting No. 4 or 3, or his role being questioned in terms of how the team might benefit from his position being changed.The franchise has also recognised that he’s been the best T20 opener in the world for the past few years. We’ve done our data and analytics for seven months. We had a separate analytics team that looked at player valuation quite differently and went into granular detail, and that helped us in terms of retention and in terms of auction strategy, and giving players clarity in their roles, and that’s helped Jos.Related

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• Buttler: 'You're always looking for one over that you can really target'

In terms of his technique, he’s done a lot of work in identifying what his best hitting position is, and how he changes from the first two to three overs in the powerplay to that power-hitting position the moment he feels he’s got rhythm. That’s been really good.He tends to start somewhat slow…
Jos has realised that his strike rate right throughout the innings gets better and better, so he knows not to get fazed when the ball is swinging or seaming – to fight through those periods and give himself the best chance of success. If he’s batting in the 14th or 15th over, he’s well on the way to scoring a hundred. Last season the Sunrisers game was an example. He was about 35 runs off 35 balls and ended up scoring a hundred off 56 deliveries I think. He’s great at understanding what the game is telling him to do and the pitch is telling him to do. And giving himself the best chance of taking his innings deep and scoring the runs for the side. He’s got amazing skills, amazing hands and bat speed, so that does the rest of the job.Against Sunrisers Hyderabad last season, Buttler began with a run-a-ball 35 before accelerating to 50 off 39, then 100 off 56, and finishing with 124 off 64 balls•BCCI/IPLThen he explodes in the next ten balls to the point where balls ten to 20 are one of his most productive periods. Is this a game plan he has?
For him it depends on feel. If you take the first Mumbai game – Bumrah bowled a really good over, Daniel Sams not such a good over, and then Basil Thampi comes on and suddenly, I think he felt that was an over where he could really take him down. I think he took 26 or something in that over. When he gets that feeling, how he arranges his feet in terms of his ready position is really important for him to have that maximum output.He starts off in the normal fashion but changes into his power-hitting position when the moment comes along. When there’s another tough period, he changes back. He’s brilliant at reading the game. He knows how to switch back and forth. That’s been a hallmark of why he’s been so successful this season.No type of bowler seems to have had an advantage over him this season. What’s given him that unique edge?
He’s good against spin and pace, which is not always the case with even the great players. He also has a very good shot repertoire that he’s comfortable with. He paddles, sweeps, reverse sweeps. And he’s got great hand speed and a lot of power. He’s a very, very strong guy. You can see that even off a back-foot punch, how he clears the line. So when you have those shots and that strength in your armoury and those quick hands – it gives you a huge amount of confidence.When I was playing, I had to calculate a six, and reverse sweeps were not something I did naturally. I had certain ways of scoring. But Jos is exceptional because of his range of scoring. He’s all around the wicket. He paddles pace, he hits down the ground, and he hits over extra cover. There’s no real weakness, when he gets going [for you] to tie him down. The only thing that can affect him a little bit is sticky or slow wickets. But then when he fights through those periods, those attributes that he has really help him.He looks at his T20 innings as a long innings. He’s not a guy who’s just satisfied batting in the powerplay. He’ll take it to the 12th, 14th, 15th over, which really helps the side do well. That overall game arrangement that he has makes it tough for bowlers to tie him down.”He is exceptional because of his range of scoring – he paddles pace, he hits down the ground, and he hits over extra cover”•BCCI/IPLAs good as he has been against pace, he’s prospering even more against the spinners – he has faced 103 balls of spin in the tournament, been out just once, and scored at 9.9 runs an over against them, with almost a quarter of the balls he’s faced being boundaries. Could you break down his technique against spin?
It’s risk and reward, and he understands that very well. He will use his feet against certain spinners. He understands which spinners he’s struggling against, so he’s more than happy to take a couple of singles and give the strike over to the other guy. He hits off the back foot really well now over cover, and straight down the ground really well. In the first KKR game, he back-foot-punched Varun Chakravarthy into the sightscreen. The moment they go full, he hits down the ground off the front foot. There’s very little margin in terms of spin unless there’s a lot of purchase on the pitch. As a bowler, when your margins decrease, there’s a lot of pressure to be almost perfect, which, again, can lead to a lot of mistakes, and that again is an advantage to Jos.Spinners – except for a Rashid Khan or a [Sunil] Narine to an extent – have been able to bowl good balls at him, but they’ve not been able to tie him down or get him out. Sometimes we get carried away with the boundaries only, but the way he’s rotated the strike, minimised risk, and really taken down bowlers when he knows he can – that’s the kind of back-and-forth in his batting that’s really helped him against spin.He very famously once had “f**k it” written on the top of his bat handle. As a director of cricket, for you is he the kind of player that you just leave alone to prepare their own way?
Jos is someone who thinks about his technique and his batting quite a lot – much more than I expected he would. He’s always ready to learn. He talks about his batting with a lot of knowledge and authority. He has a very set way of training and keeping his body position. He works very hard at training.My job is really to show him what the results are and why that is happening. And to convince him to keep doing the same thing – not any less or any more. Just to build that tempo into his innings and understand that each day it’ll be different. That tempo could come at different times. It could be the second ten balls, or it could be from balls 30 to 40. Just to fight through the tough parts and give himself the best chance to be impactful for the side. There’s been times when he’s struggled through with a very average strike rate, and ended up with a 150 or 160 strike rate. Sometimes it’s over 200. My job is to get him comfortable in that and give him ownership.The medium is the message: is Buttler’s “f*** it” philosophy the secret to his purple patch?•Getty ImagesAre you finding that because he’s having such an incandescent season, the oppositions’ tendency to prioritise the match-ups against him, or use different bowlers while he’s at the crease, is having knock-on effects for the rest of your batters?
With the new balls they’ll always try to get him out with set ways, which he knows about. There’s yorkers, there’s change of pace, or two fielders on the leg side to stop him from using his paddle against pace. He knows what’s coming at him and he gets prepared for that. When you’re hitting a six, you don’t really care where the field is. You’re just trying to clear the field anyway. He’s got that really clear mindset.With a lot of the sides, if he’s going well, they will have to try and bring their best bowlers back on to try and get him out or to try and get someone else out. And that gives the rest of the batters a little bit of an easier time, facing bowlers that they might manoeuvre or find to their liking or take down. It’s had a positive effect on the side. The others have been able to bat in situations and positions that suit them because Jos has been so effective.Which of his innings have been the most important this season, for you?
That RCB game, he struggled through and managed to accelerate at one particular point. For me that reinforces his actual strength and shows him very clearly that if he fights through periods that are tough, he accelerates so quickly, he gets us to positions from where we should win. Those kinds of innings show him his real ability rather than scoring a hundred at a canter. He organises his game and his mindset in a way that benefits the side when the pressure is on. Innings like that are really crucial.He also hit a fantastic century against KKR, against a very good attack featuring Pat Cummins, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, and Umesh Yadav. Could you break that knock down for us?
We all know his ability against pace – he plays so straight and his commitment to his boundary-hitting. I think the significance was that back-foot punch for six against Chakravarthy. That really put the KKR bowlers under threat, because Chakravarthy, whom we’d spoken so much about, was nullified. And then all the batters started taking runs off him, and Jos was leading that. That particular shot gave not just Jos but everyone else confidence as well.It’s not easy to get to 100 in T20 cricket. You can get to 50 or 60 and feel like you’ve done your job. But Jos is not like that. He’ll push through.