Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho has taken drastic action after missing a sitter in the team's opening Premier League game against Fulham.
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Celtic are fighting it out to secure the Scottish Premiership title for a third season in succession as they currently sit one point clear at the top of the table.
The Hoops travel away from Parkhead to take on their closest rivals in the division, who also have a game in hand over Brendan Rodgers' side, on Sunday, and could either move four points clear or drop down to second.
Having been knocked out of the League Cup and all European competitions during the first half of the season, Celtic only have two more chances – the Premiership and the SFA Cup – to lift silverware before the end of the campaign.
The Scottish giants have not been at their best in the league this term, with five draws and three defeats already, and they reportedly already have one eye on the summer transfer window with a view to improving the quality within the current playing squad.
It was recently reported by Football Insider that the Hoops are interested in a possible deal to sign Blackburn Rovers sensation Sammie Szmodics.
At the end of last month, the outlet claimed that Celtic and Premier League side Brentford are both set to battle it out to land the Republic of Ireland international ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
The report also stated that other teams from the bottom half of the top division of English football could be in the race to land his signature in the upcoming transfer window.
Football Insider then posted an update at the start of April that claimed that Celtic will find it incredibly difficult to get a deal done for the forward, due to the financial advantage the teams in the Premier League have over them in regards to a transfer fee and wages.
The update added that Blackburn will find it hard to keep hold of their star forward, due to the interest in his services, but did not reveal how much it would take to get a move over the line in the summer.
There is, however, no guarantee that the interested teams from the Premier League make a concrete move for him, and this means that there is still a chance that the Hoops could swoop in to get a deal done if an opportunity arises over the coming months.
Rodgers could, if Celtic do snap up the Rovers star, land a dream upgrade on faltering forward Kyogo Furuhashi, who has struggled at times this season.
The Japan international came into the current campaign off the back of a sensational return of 27 goals in 31 Premiership starts under Ange Postecoglou last term.
He earned the PFA Scotland Men's Player of the Year award for his efforts throughout the season, which speaks to how impressive the former Vissel Kobe gem was for the Hoops.
Celtic may have hoped that his prolific scoring would have carried over into Rodgers' second tenure at Parkhead, but that has not been the case.
|
Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Premiership |
23/24 |
22/23 |
|
Appearances |
31 |
36 |
|
Starts |
25 |
31 |
|
Goals |
10 |
27 |
|
Big chances missed |
20 |
16 |
|
Minutes per goal |
206 |
86 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
||
As you can see in the table above, Kyogo's form in front of goal has dropped off a cliff as the Japanese forward has been far more wasteful with the chances that have come his way – with four more 'big chances' missed in five fewer appearances so far.
In fact, the 29-year-old striker has scored ten goals from an Expected Goals (xG) of 14.21. No player within the Hoops squad has underperformed their xG by as much as Kyogo (-4.21), with Daizen Maeda's underperformance of -3.69 the second worst.
This shows that the experienced number nine has received plenty of service in the box this season but has not done enough with the quality chances that have been created for him by the likes of Luis Palma, Matt O'Riley, Alistair Johnston, and others.
Along with his wasteful finishing, the 5 foot 7 forward does not offer much in the way of a physical presence as he has lost 61% of his duels and only won 1.5 per game on average, which means that the attacker does not make up for his attacking struggles with strong hold-up play.
Like the Japan international, Szmodics, who stands at 5 foot 6, is not a traditional – tall and strong – number nine who is going to hold the ball up and bring others into play.
The 28-year-old star is a versatile forward, who has been deployed as a striker and as an attacking midfielder at times this season, who could either lead the line or play behind 6 foot 3 Adam Idah, should he also sign for Celtic on a permanent basis, as Kyogo has this year.
This would make him a dream signing to take the former Premiership Player of the Year's place, as he can be deployed in multiple positions across the frontline.
Blackburn's star attacker has lost 58% of his duels and only won 2.5 per match on average, which shows that he is similar to the current Hoops marksman in that respect, as they both struggle with the physical side of the game.
When it comes to scoring goals and finishing chances, however, there is one clear winner between the two throughout the 2023/24 campaign so far, which shows why Celtic could land an upgrade on their current marksman.
|
23/24 league season |
Sammie Szmodics |
Kyogo Furuhashi |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
38 |
31 |
|
Goals |
23 |
10 |
|
Big chances missed |
14 |
20 |
|
Minutes per goal |
146 |
206 |
|
Assists |
4 |
4 |
As you can see in the table above, Szmodics has been on fire in front of goal as a scorer in the English Championship for Rovers this season, with 13 more goals and six fewer big chances missed in comparison to Kyogo.
The Irish sensation, who has scored 29 goals in all competitions for his club this season, has found the back of the net 23 times from xG of 17.9 in the second tier.
This means that the 28-year-old star, who journalist Josh Bunting claimed is "dangerous" at finding space in the box, has outperformed his xG by 5.1, whilst no Celtic player has outperformed their xG by more than 1.74 so far this season in the Premiership.
These statistics suggest that Szmodics, whilst being a huge upgrade on Kyogo, would also come in as the most lethal and efficient finisher in Rodgers' squad.
Therefore, the Northern Irish boss must push to secure a deal for his services, if a Premier League team does not snap him up first, in the summer to improve his attacking options.
Manchester United target Matthijs De Ligt has reportedly had his car seized by police for an alleged hit-and-run incident.
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Arsenal and Manchester United have both joined the race for an exciting French young talent, it has been reported, as both sides look to the future.
Arsenal are enjoying a fantastic season and currently sit atop the Premier League table as they look to go one better than last season's second-place finish.
Even more impressively, Mikel Arteta and co. have built their side largely on young talent, ensuring that their presence at the top of English football is only set to continue for years to come.
The likes of Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli are all likely to have their best years still ahead of them should they manage to avoid serious injuries, while Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira are among those who could still make the step up.
|
Youngest average PL starting XI 2023/24 |
|
|---|---|
|
Club |
Age (years) |
|
Chelsea |
23.1 |
|
Burnley |
23.2 |
|
Brighton |
23.8 |
|
Arsenal |
24.3 |
|
Nottingham Forest |
24.5 |
It is not just their first team that is making waves though, and the Gunners have begun to place an increased importance on their academy talents, both in recruiting from other sides and developing their own prospects.
Charlie Patino, Mika Biereth and Brooke Norton-Cuffy are all enjoying loan spells away from the club to varying degrees of success. Meanwhile, the Gunners have made tying down young talent their priority, and announced a professional contract for Ethan Nwaneri on Thursday after making him the youngest-ever Premier League player last season.
In securing his signature, they fought off competition from Chelsea and Manchester City, and their focus on youth is only set to continue into the summer.
With that in mind, it comes as no surprise to hear that Arsenal are one of several clubs chasing talented youngster Joachim Kayi Sanda.
Sanda currently captains the France U18 side and was part of the U17 side that lost the World Cup final on penalties to Germany last December.
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His performances have attracted the attention of several massive clubs, with Manchester United, Newcastle, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain all alongside Arsenal in showing interest in the talented teen, according to transfer journalist Graeme Bailey.
Sanda was among four players at French side Valenciennes dubbed a "fantastic talent" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and is expected to have a big future ahead of him.
However, those European giants may all be foiled by Championship outfit Southampton, whose owners also own Valenciennes. There is hope from the Saints that the promise of regular first-team football could see the youngster opt for the south coast outfit over big-name sides, though the latest report claims that 'their hopes could rest on whether promotion back to the Premier League can be achieved.'
Under contract with his current side until 2026, Sanda is expected to leave this summer nonetheless, with the club's youngest-ever player looking to take the next step in his career.
Arsenal have intensified their pursuit of Real Sociedad's Mikel Merino, with sporting director Edu Gaspar flying to Spain for negotiations.
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Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is expected to receive an injury boost as news emerges on their "unbelievable" attacking star.
Spurs are currently locked in a fierce battle with Unai Emery's Aston Villa for the last coveted Champions League qualification place.
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Postecoglou's men also hold all the cards after a sensational 4-0 win in Villa's backyard last weekend, with goals from James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Son Heung-min and Timo Werner rounding off one of Tottenham's most impressive displays of the season.
Spurs are now just two points behind Villa, who still occupy fourth, but the north Londoners could soon usurp them as they hold a game in hand over Emery.
|
Tottenham's next league fixtures |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Fulham (away) |
March 16th |
|
Luton Town (home) |
March 30th |
|
West Ham (away) |
April 2nd |
|
Nottingham Forest (home) |
April 8th |
|
Newcastle United (away) |
April 13th |
Sealing a place in next season's Champions League group stage pot will go a long way in determining the success of Postecoglou's debut campaign in the Spurs dugout, though the Australian has still proved very popular with his exciting, high-press brand of football.
"It was a big game with plenty of significance," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's win over Villa. "For us to perform like that was a big credit to everyone.
"Get excited? Why not. The supporters, if they don't get excited by a performance and result like that, in what was a significant game…you've got to enjoy that. It means we're one game closer, with just 11 games to go. Everyone was billing this as a do-or-die for us. I assume we're not dead yet."
What Spurs will desperately want to avoid, though, is injuries and absences for key players. Indeed, since the beginning of 2023/2024, Micky van de Ven, James Maddison, Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic, Cristian Romero, Richarlison, Brennan Johnson, Giovani Lo Celso, Ashley Phillips, Ryan Sessegnon and Rodrigo Bentancur have all spent a month or more on the sidelines (Dan Kilpatrick).
Long-term injuries to van de Ven and Maddison mid-way through the season were particularly detrimental, with Postecoglou also forced to play a makeshift centre-back pairing of Emerson Royal and Ben Davies around the winter time when Romero was out as well.
The signing of Radu Dragusin has reinforced Spurs' backline, but supporters are anxiously awaiting the results of van de Ven's hamstring assessment after he was forced off against Villa. Luckily, though, there's been a positive update on star striker Richarlison.
Indeed, according to reliable journalist Matt Law of The Telegraph, Richarlison is expected to return for Spurs after the international break.
The Brazilian has bagged nine goals in his last 10 league appearances for Spurs, with Dejan Kulusevski calling Richarlison "unbelievable". His comeback from a knee injury will be an undoubted boost for the club in their race for a top four finish, especially with some tough games ahead.
Serie A side Fiorentina are determined to sign former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea this summer.
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Mexico boss Jaime Lozano dismissed from his post following an abysmal Copa America showing.
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Everton have already been linked with a number of players this summer as Frank Lampard sets out to improve the squad following a disappointing Premier League season, and now a reliable source has revealed a new potential transfer target.
According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, the Toffees have joined the race to sign Montpellier winger Stephy Mavididi.
The Italian journalist tweeted: “Stephy Mavididi could leave Montpellier this summer. Many clubs have approached his agents including West Ham, Brighton, Southampton, Everton and OM. Deal still at early stages but there are good chances for Mavididi to make his move in the coming weeks.”
Everton are in desperate need of improvement after they narrowly avoided their first-ever Premier League relegation with a win in the penultimate game of the season, so supporters will be excited that the club is working to identify players who can add depth and quality to the squad.
Mavididi has been a consistent attacking threat for Montpellier in Ligue 1 this season, scoring eight goals, delivering three assists and creating four big chances for his team over his 30 league appearances.
For comparison, only Richarlison hit more than five league goals for Everton in 2021/22, so Mavididi could give Lampard’s side much greater potency judging by his goal return in the French top flight.
The former Arsenal loanee has received high praise from his idol Thierry Henry in recent months, with the Gunners legend saying of the 24-year-old on commentary for Amazon (via The Score): “What I’ve always liked about Stephy Mavididi is that he’s a hard-working player who closes (opponents) down.
“He’s always in the right place. What was missing was finishing — whether to give the ball or to score — but now he’s brought that to his game.”
With that in mind, the £20m-valued ace could be a great prospective addition to the squad at Goodison Park. As above, he is renowned as a hard-working forward who is capable of delivering plenty of goalscoring opportunities from centre-forward or out wide.
However, Farhad Moshiri will need to act fast if he does want to secure Mavididi’s signature this summer, as the 24-year-old has a number of clubs interested in making a move for him. If the Everton chief can pull it off, it has the makings of a real coup for the Toffees.
AND in other news – No-brainer: Moshiri must seal bargain Everton swoop for “very strong” £73k-p/w leader
Manchester United have reportedly made contact with Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili ahead of a potential move.
Mamardashvili stands at 6 foot 4 and only made a permanent move to Valencia back in January. He signed from Georgian side Dinamo Tbilisi in a deal worth just £765,000.
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Since then, the 21-year-old has gone on to make 21 appearances for the Spanish side, keeping nine clean sheets and conceding 22 times.
The Georgia international only penned a deal through to 2024 with Valencia and reportedly has a release clause set at €20m (£17m).
Sports Witness relayed an update from Spanish outlet AS regarding Mamardashvili on Wednesday.
They claimed that Valencia are already working on extending the goalkeeper’s contract which would raise his release clause from €20m (£17m) to €30m (£25.5m).
The report name-checks United with an interest in Mamardashvili, who has now ‘received a call’ from the Red Devils, presumably chief executive Richard Arnold, over a possible move.
It looks as if Dean Henderson could be on his way out of Old Trafford, with a move to Newcastle thought to be close.
Therefore, should the 25-year-old leave this summer, Erik ten Hag could be left with just Tom Heaton as back up to David de Gea.
On that basis, activating Mamardashvili’s £17m release clause could be an extremely smart move to provide competition to De Gea and in the long run.
The Spaniard will turn 32 in November, so United may soon have to think about his long-term replacement, and that could be Mamardashvili, providing he is willing to play second choice to begin with under Ten Hag.
In other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals Man Utd & Ten Hag eyeing another Dutch gem along with De Jong and Timber.