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Frida Maanum also caught the eye with a world-class goal as Jonas Eidevall's side eased to victory, with Man City or Chelsea to come in the final

Arsenal will face Manchester City or Chelsea in the Continental Cup final later this month after cruising past Aston Villa in an emphatic 4-0 semi-final win on Wednesday night. Stina Blackstenius stole the show with a first-half hat-trick but Frida Maanum also put her name up in lights with a gorgeous strike from range to ensure the reigning champions were four goals to the good at the break.

As is so often the case with these first-half blowouts, that's how it stayed. Aston Villa shored things up at the back, Arsenal relaxed a little and the game petered out. Maanum did look to have made it five shortly after half-time when she tapped in Steph Catley's cross from close range, but there were no complaints from the Norwegian when the flag was raised for offside.

The Gunners will have a shot at retaining their Conti Cup crown at the end of the month, then, with the final to be played at Wolves' Molineux Stadium on March 31. As for who their opponents will be? That will be decided tomorrow in what is sure to be a bumper clash between Man City and Chelsea.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Meadow Park…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Manuela Zinsberger (6/10):

Only had a couple of crosses to deal with and she did that without a problem.

Katie McCabe (7/10):

Played the role of an inverted full-back perfectly to allow Mead to cause problems down the right. Only denied a fantastic goal by the crossbar.

Lotte Wubben-Moy (7/10):

Perfect cross as she kept the ball alive to tee up Blackstenius for her hat-trick. Did her defensive work well when called upon.

Leah Williamson (6/10):

A little sloppy in possession despite Arsenal's dominance. Perhaps to be expected so early into her return. Improved as the game went on, though.

Steph Catley (7/10):

Almost like a second left-winger with how much she supported the attack.

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Lia Walti (7/10):

Dictated play well to allow Arsenal to dominate and keep the pressure on.

Kyra Cooney-Cross (6/10):

Pressed well and supported the attack but seemed to almost lack the confidence to demand the ball when she took up good positions.

Frida Maanum (8/10):

Lovely weight of pass to tee up Blackstenius for her first goal and then got on the scoresheet herself with a gorgeous curling strike.

GettyAttack

Beth Mead (7/10):

A really lively game in which she was a constant threat. Got an assist for Maanum's worldie.

Stina Blackstenius (9/10):

First goal was a superb finish and her second was just great awareness and anticipation. Held the ball up well and was a fantastic focal point, deserving her hat-trick.

Alessia Russo (6/10):

Extra attention needed on her in a wide role stretched the Villa defence and created more space for Blackstenius.

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Laia Codina (6/10):

Came on just after the hour and settled into defence just fine. Solid in possession.

Caitlin Foord (7/10):

Had around half an hour to make her mark and she did well to create a few chances despite the game lacking a bit of energy once she'd come on.

Kim Little (N/A):

Only on for the final stages.

Victoria Pelova (N/A):

Like Little, just on to see the game out.

Vivienne Lia (N/A):

Got a few minutes in stoppage time.

Jonas Eidevall (8/10):

Decision to hand rare starts to Blackstenius and Maanum paid dividends. A surprise not to see the youngsters on the bench given some minutes though, especially given the half-time score.

Women cricketers will be included in revenue-sharing for the first time, and will also have retirement and medical benefits

Firdose Moonda18-Jul-2018Women cricketers will be the biggest beneficiaries of the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA), which is due to be signed imminently following a delay of more than two-and-a-half months. The agreement, which regulates the relationship between the game’s governing body and its player union, is set to be the most detailed one of its kind and includes the women’s contracted players in the revenue-sharing model for the first time. The MoU will be signed in the coming days and will remain in place for the next four years.Women cricketers will also enjoy the same benefits as their male counterparts, including retirement and medical cover, as CSA takes steps towards gender pay parity. “We have increased women’s salaries, we’ve increased the number of contracted players in the squad [and] we have given them a permanent assistant coach. They have a manager. We are looking at giving the manager an administrator, so it lessens the workload. They travel in business-class, something they have never done before. They have single rooms; they used to share. There’s a lot that’s changed in the last eight months for these ladies,” Thabang Moroe, CSA’s new permanent CEO, said.The South African Cricketers’ Association’s CEO Tony Irish confirmed the developments, and said the MoU will include “significantly improved benefits,” for women’s cricketers and that the agreement is finally nearing completion. “The process has experienced significant delays but the key negotiations are completed and we are in the final phase of drafting. The key agreements, which are substantial, have been agreed upon,” Irish told ESPNcricinfo.Cricket South Africa and SACA’s MoU expired at the end of April, by which time CSA and SACA had only begun negotiations. They agreed to extend the existing agreement for two months, with a goal to finalise a new MoU at the end of June. Since then, more than two weeks have passed and the deal is yet to be signed. Moroe said it is “99% percent” complete and he expects to sign it in the next few days.Moroe also dispelled the notion that CSA’s relationship with its players had suffered as a result of the comments he made in December last year which suggested the revenue-sharing model could be scrapped.”There was never a divide between us and the players,” Moroe said. “Players that were confused called me to find out what was meant by the quotes that were written in the media. I cleared things out. I had the players’ support. Some players came to the office to visit me. Faf [du Plessis] gave me a call. I went to Mumbai and met him before the opening match of the IPL. He reiterated the support I had. It was a matter of making sure there is clarity and that the relationship between us and the union is as professional as it needed to be.”ESPNcricinfo has learnt that CSA initially intended to sideline SACA but the players stood firm in not allowing that to happen. Still, Moroe said CSA have ensured the players understand the hierarchy of how cricket is run in the country, which puts CSA on top. “We wanted to reaffirm our position as the employer. The players’ first point of call is us. From then on, should we not reach consensus, the players can go to SACA. Should we not reach consensus with SACA, we have a process put in place for dispute resolution,” Moroe said.Insiders have told ESPNcricinfo that this is not necessarily the case and the players’ loss of confidence in CSA after the December statements has yet to be completely resolved.

Former Leeds United sporting director Victor Orta was relieved of his duties shortly before the end of the 2022/23 campaign as his decisions played a part in the club's eventual relegation.

The Whites dropped down to the Championship from the Premier League as the Spanish chief's signings and managerial appointments failed to keep the side in the top-flight.

Orta, who is now with Sevilla in LaLiga, had his fair share of transfer failures, and successes, throughout his time at Elland Road as he splashed the cash, with mixed results.

Brenden Aaronson

£28.4m

Rodrigo

£25.9m

Dan James

£25.1m

Georginio Rutter

£24.2m

Luis Sinisterra

£21.6m

As you can see in the table above, the former Leeds director had the opportunity to spend good money on a number of players but they were not enough to prevent relegation back down to the second tier.

However, Orta also deserves praise for some of his superb pieces of business, such as hiring head coach Marcelo Bielsa and signing Brazil international Raphinha.

One move that the Spanish mastermind made that looks to have struck gold with was the signing of young forward Mateo Joseph, who is already starting to blossom in England.

How much did Leeds pay for Mateo Joseph?

The Whites reportedly spent £900k to sign the teenage dynamo from Espanyol during the January transfer window at the start of 2022.

European giants Barcelona and Manchester City were said to be keen on the talented youngster but TEAMtalk claimed that Orta's 'persistence' paid off as the ex-Leeds chief was eventually able to secure a deal for him ahead of the competition.

He arrived at Elland Road off the back of 14 goals in 21 matches for Espanyol's U19 side during the 2020/21 campaign, which included a hat-trick against Barcelona B.

His three-goal haul against the Catalan giants highlighted his quality as he found the back of the net from the penalty spot, scored an excellent solo goal, and showed good movement to be in the right place for a tap-in. This showcased his ability to score a variety of goals from a centre-forward position.

Joseph's impressive goalscoring record for the Spanish side suggested that there was a promising finisher to be unearthed and Orta was able to snap him up ahead of, arguably, bigger clubs in order to bolster the club's U21 side.

How much was Joseph worth in 2022?

In 2022, FootballTransfers placed the teenage striker's Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at just €300k (£260k) as the forward had not proven himself in England or at U21 level.

He had only excelled for Espanyol's U19 side and this suggests that Orta spent £900k on the attacker in the hope that Joseph would be able to translate his form to older age groups, and beyond, as well as being able to adapt to life in another country.

The former Leeds sporting director may have been left questioning his own decision as the Spanish-born forward struggled throughout the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.

Joseph arrived in Yorkshire during the January transfer window and only scored two goals in 11 appearances in all competitions for the academy.

He found the back of the net once in seven U21 games and also produced one goal and one assist in four outings for the U18 team in his first five months at the club.

The England U20 international was unable to hit the ground running as his excellent goalscoring form for Espanyol was not replicated during the first half of 2022.

How many goals did Joseph score last season?

Orta's potential fears, however, would have been alleviated by the English ace's exceptional form for the academy throughout the 2022/23 campaign as he plundered 17 goals in all competitions.

The 19-year-old gem, who can operate as a centre-forward or out wide on the left flank, caught the eye with an impressive return of 16 goals and two assists in 21 Premier League 2 outings for the U21s.

Joseph showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis as a number nine for Leeds, with a strike every 1.31 matches on average, and also displayed his creative quality in the EFL Trophy against lower league opposition.

The former Espanyol prodigy averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across three games against Bolton, Tranmere, and Crewe as he created two 'big chances' and produced 1.7 key passes per game, to go along with one goal.

His form at youth level caught the eye of the first-team last term as Joseph went on to play six senior matches throughout the 2022/23 campaign, although the teenage finisher was unable to net his first goal for the club.

How much is Mateo Joseph worth now?

At the time of writing (08/10/2023), FootballTransfers has the exciting marksman's xTV at up to €1.9m (£1.6m) and this means that his value has soared by a whopping 515% from the initial €300k that he was valued at in 2022.

Joseph's fantastic performances for the U21 side, along with his senior debut, last season have led to his xTV rocketing up over the last 12 months and the next step for him is to emerge as a regular option for the first-team.

Manager Daniel Farke recently hailed Joseph as being "really sharp" and claimed that the striker will play an "important" role in the club's future, which suggests that the German head coach has been impressed by what he has seen from the youngster in training.

It is now down to the England U20 international to prove to the ex-Norwich boss that he deserves to play regular football at Championship level alongside the likes of Georginio Rutter and Joel Piroe.

The current front two have scored seven league goals between them this season and Joseph, therefore, has a tough task to break into the side this term.

However, the English dynamo has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and progress over the years to come, at the age of 19, and could be a future star for Farke, rather than someone who will make a big impact over the next few months.

As it stands, Joseph looks set to be an excellent signing by Orta if he can carry on his form and progress into the first-team whilst watching his value soar at the same time.

The "striker curse" has engulfed many Chelsea players over recent years. The likes of Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuain, Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner were all brought in for big money but failed to excel in the blue shirt.

In truth, the Blues still haven't replaced the potent physical presence of Diego Costa, who departed Stamford Bridge after enjoying a largely successful period in West London, winning two Premier League titles and netting an impressive 59 goals in 120 appearances in all competitions.

Mauricio Pochettino desperately needs a dominant focal point up top and with the January transfer window fast approaching, the Argentine could be presented with more funds to purchase one of Europe's most promising forwards.

Were Chelsea interested in signing Dusan Vlahovic?

Across the summer, Chelsea were heavily linked with a move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic to bolster their attacking firepower.

It was rumoured that the Blues considered offering Romelu Lukaku as part of a swap deal for the Serbian hitman in August and while the Belgian striker agreed on personal terms with the Italian giants, they were unable to strike a deal as the English club wanted Juve to drastically lower their asking price, according to Sky Sport Italia.

The report detailed that the Old Lady were demanding a £34m fee for Vlahovic plus Lukaku, however, the Premier League side were unwilling to go beyond a fee of £21.5m with add-ons included.

While a deal didn't materialise in the summer, there are reasons to be optimistic about a transfer being concluded in the future after Juve teammate Samuel Iling-Junior previously drew comparisons for the similarities that Vlahovic shares with Chelsea legend, Didier Drogba.

He said: "Didier had that energy. Obviously he was a finisher. But when you go on the pitch I think energy is the most important thing in a top player.

"Dusan has got the lot. He speaks on the pitch. But it’s more his energy. When he’s going to press, he just naturally takes you with him.”

Is Dusan Vlahovic similar to Didier Drogba?

Didier Drogba arrived at the club at the age of 26 and quickly established himself as a dominant goal-scoring focal point in Jose Mourinho's title-winning machine.

The Ivorian had the ox-like strength, exceptional hold-up play, incredible movement and incisive finishing in his repertoire that saw him net an outstanding 164 goals in 381 appearances for Chelsea.

And in the early stages of Vlahovic's career, it appears that the 23-year-old possesses the unerring attributes that can see him follow a similar path to stardom taken by the former and that is a tantalising prospect for supporters to envisage.

Standing at 6 foot 3, Vlahovic is a traditional frontman, notoriously clinical in front of goal, can hold off defenders and make the piercing movement in behind that the opposition struggles to live with.

Described by teammate Filip Kostic as the "best striker in Europe", the 23-cap Serbian international has netted a commendable 65 goals in 147 appearances in Serie A.

While he would undeniably bring a consistent goal-scoring touch to Stamford Bridge, he's been labelled by former Juventus player Alessio Tacchinardi as "extraordinary" and could be the first step to improving their focal point.

Although it would be a monumental challenge to replicate the legendary legacy that Drogba crafted as a blue-blooded god, the Serbian machine, who is valued at £69m (€80m) as per CIES Football Observatory, has all the tools in his armoury to fix Chelsea's fortunes in front of goal.

As such, with Nicolas Jackson – who has just two league goals to his name this season – failing to fire, a renewed approach for Vlahovic could be needed in January.

The Kerala pacer drove through flood waters to get to the Duleep Trophy, even as the worst rains in nearly a century hit his state

Deivarayan Muthu26-Aug-2018Kerala quick Basil Thampi enjoyed a two-week stint at the National Cricket Academy in Brisbane in July, as part of an exchange programme between Cricket Australia and the MRF Pace Foundation based in Chennai. He and Tamil Nadu seamer K Vignesh had the opportunity to work with Ryan Harris, Greg Chappell, and a battery of Under-19 Australian fast bowlers.Upon his return to India, he planned to visit the MRF Pace Foundation in the second week of August and tune up further for the Duleep Trophy, the curtain-raiser to a bumper domestic season. He was keen to get his season started, but it had begun to rain heavily. He cancelled his trip to Chennai, thinking he would go straight to Dindigal in Tamil Nadu for the Duleep Trophy. But the rain continued, triggering the worst floods in Kerala in nearly a century.Having been asked to report to Dindigul on August 21, to join the India Blue squad two days before the start of their four-day match against India Red, Thampi was supposed to fly out of Kochi but then the airport shut because of flooding. His fall-back option was a train to Madurai on 20th, but that was cancelled too at the last moment. Despite the crisis in Kerala escalating, Thampi had mailed the BCCI, saying that he would somehow make it to the Duleep Trophy.”I explained to the BCCI my situation, but I was desperate not to miss the start of the domestic season,” Thampi told ESPNcricinfo. “How can I miss the start of the season?”AFPHe and his brother decided to wade through the flood waters and make a dash for Madurai, which is about 70 km away from Dindigul, by car. Since his place at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam was on a higher plain, his family and their property – including the car – was safe.As Thampi and his brother travelled towards the Tamil Nadu border via Kumily, a “frightening” landslide sent them through detours but they made it. Thampi’s brother dropped him in Dindigul on the 22nd night, stayed the night with him, and returned to Perumbavoor the next day, after the situation had improved back home.”The landslide was a frightening experience and we could not cross the Kumily check post,” Thampi said. “But I was determined to reach Dindigul and once we reached the Tamil Nadu border, it was easier to go to the team hotel [in Madurai]. Since I arrived late in Madurai, I could not play this game.” His next chance to play would be on August 29, at the same venue, when India Blue take on India Green.Thampi remains conscious of the trauma in his state caused by the floods. Before heading to the Duleep Trophy, Thampi and his friends had provided relief supplies to those affected in his town. His friends Milan and Basil and several others are still dispatching clothing and food.”The support from people everywhere has been phenomenal and things are getting better now,” Thampi said. ” Some areas have been splashed with mud and dirt, so in addition to basic needs, my friends are reaching out and providing cleaning agents like bleaching power. My support is always with them. This flooding has been tough, but Kerala will definitely bounce back.”

Manchester United are being sued by members of their own staff for around £100,000 following a significant administrative error, a report says.

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Man Utd sued by own members of staffCould cost club around £100,000Private information sent to employeesWHAT HAPPENED?

An email was sent out to 167 staff that revealed their wage slips and those of everyone else in the pool. That gave out the name, address, National Insurance number, earnings, pensions benefits and tax contributions of everyone else, reports.

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The information was sent out in a single file that was received by members who work in the catering and hospitality, museum and stadium tour areas as well as programme sellers. The incident happened in March 2018 as United were trying out a new system with a “lack of managerial staff overseeing the procedure". The employees have since lodged a complaint with the High Court on data protection grounds.

WHAT MAN UTD SAID

A spokesman for the club said: "We take the data privacy of our employees very seriously and regret this isolated incident, which occurred in 2018. Measures were put in place to prevent it happening again and we informed the Information Commissioner’s Office, which took no further action."

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The legal battle will be a headache for the high ups at Old Trafford amid another underwhelming season on the field. The Red Devils are currently sixth in the Premier League table and eight points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.

Jonathan Trott has a new task awaiting him when he retires from first-class cricket at the end of the season

David Hopps24-Jul-2018Jonathan Trott, the former England batsman, has been added to the ECB’s new scouting network. Trott, who is playing out his final county season with Warwickshire, has replaced Steve Rhodes, who last month took up the role of coach of Bangladesh.In May, six former England internationals were named as scouts: James Taylor, Marcus Trescothick, Chris Read, Glen Chapple, Richard Dawson and Rhodes.Since then, as well as Rhodes joining Bangladesh, Taylor, whose career ended prematurely because of a heart condition, has been promoted to a role of national selector where he will form a three-strong selection panel for all three England formats along with national selector Ed Smith and England coach Trevor Bayliss.Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, has advocated the involvement of multiple scouts, with a variety of different disciplines, suggesting that Smith’s task was “to have a talent ID system that is world-leading”.Trott now joins Trescothick as a top-order batsman on the panel and has the reputation of being a strong-minded and independent thinker on the game.Trott, 37, brought stability to England’s batting during his 52 Tests, and also played 68 ODIs, before he retired from international cricket three years ago. He followed that by announcing his first-class retirement in May but remains a regular presence in a Warwickshire side seeking to return to Division One of the Specsavers Championship at the first attempt.

Liverpool have been linked with a stunning move for world-renowned superstar Victor Osimhen, and Fabrizio Romano has provided an update regarding their pursuit of him.

Liverpool transfer news: Victor Osimhen

The Reds have one of the most exciting groups of attacking players in their history currently, with Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo all fantastic options for Jurgen Klopp.

Despite this, an eye-catching Liverpool transfer rumour has emerged in recent days, with Napoli striker Osimhen linked with a move to Anfield. Reports have even suggested that a deal is in place with the player's agents, with the Nigerian wanting to move away from the reigning Serie A champions.

The 24-year-old is arguably one of the leading attacking players in world football at the moment, so him being seen as a potential Liverpool target is clearly exciting for supporters.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Osimhen, but a key update has now emerged over his possible move to the Reds in the approaching months.

What has Fabrizio Romano said about Osimhen?

Speaking on YouTube, Romano provided a key update on the Osimhen to Liverpool situation, admitting that a move is still a long way from coming to fruition:

"Some media is reporting that Victor Osimhen already agreed contract terms with Liverpool. Guys from what I’m told, Victor Osimhen hasn’t agreed anything with any club – not even with Napoli.

"There’s no agreement on the contract extension. Napoli made a really important proposal to Osimhen, in terms of contract, very important salary, the biggest in Napoli history is on the table for Osimhen. But he has not decided and he has not agreed anything with any club.

"So Osimhen will take his time. Reports of an agreement with Liverpool are not true. For sure, Liverpool and many other clubs are keeping an eye on the situation of many strikers. But at the moment for Osimhen, nothing is agreed and nothing is decided."

It is a shame to hear that Liverpool's chances of signing Osimhen aren't as strong as certain rumours have claimed, but it does still look as though his future at Napoli is up in the air.

In truth, the Reds aren't in a position where they desperately need to make attacking signings, with the aforementioned options at Klopp's disposal so strong, but if the opportunity arises to snap up the Nigeria international, it is a transfer that they should continue pursuing.

Napoli

111

65

Lille

38

18

Nigeria

27

20

Osimhen's statistics last season for Napoli were devastating, with 26 goals scored en route to Napoli winning their first Serie A title since back in 1990, and he has also been lauded as a "phenomenal" footballer by Walter Mazzarri.

Granted, Liverpool have great central attacking options in Nunez, Jota and Gakpo, but Osimhen is still likely superior to all three, and could make Klopp's men an even greater force. Because of the choices available at Anfield, though, it would be a surprise if the Napoli ace ended up there any time in the near future.

United States international Matt Turner has revealed when he will “sort out” his club future after being dropped again by Nottingham Forest.

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Moved to the City Ground in 2023Errors have proved costlyFocused on international duty for nowWHAT HAPPENED?

The 29-year-old goalkeeper has lost his place in the Reds' team on a couple of occasions this season, following his transfer from Arsenal in the summer of 2023. Belgian shot-stopper Matz Sels is currently first-choice at the City Ground.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT TURNER SAID

Turner is putting a lack of domestic football to one side as he seeks to help the USMNT to CONCACAF Nations League glory while also earning a place in Copa America plans. He has told the of his situation in England: “Obviously in a perfect world, in Gregg's [Berhalter] mind, I'm playing week-in, week-out, I'm in good form all the time, and then I'm playing well for the national team all the time. Unfortunately that's not the reality right now. But I've grown a lot as a goalkeeper in this last year – and also as a person… maybe I don't have the greatest playing experience resume, but as like a life experience resume, I think I top almost any professional footballer in the world. Gregg understands the situation… we'll sort out the club situation on the other side. I've had some good conversations with [Forest boss] Nuno [Espirito Santo] and they like what they see from me.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Turner is not one to sit around feeling sorry for himself, with the experienced keeper adding on the mindset that saw him leave Emirates Stadium and may yet lead to a severing of ties with Forest: “I'm not in the business of wasting time. If it doesn't work out for me here, then I can always move backwards. But when the opportunity presented itself… I had to jump at it.”

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Turner signed a four-year contract with Forest, which is supposed to take him through to 2027. However, the former New England Revolution star has shown before that he is prepared to take the odd calculated gamble when it comes to his career and finding opportunities that will help him to develop, meaning another move may be on the horizon.

When it comes to transfer business, there's not many better than Brighton & Hove Albion. The Seagulls continuously welcome players before converting them into the next best thing in the Premier League. Even after losing the likes of Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister in the summer window, Roberto De Zerbi's side look on course for another action-packed campaign.

Now operating at a higher level than ever, Brighton have been able to welcome players such as Barcelona youngster Ansu Fati and could yet use their new-found stature to add a similarly impressive target when the January and summer transfer windows swing open.

Brighton transfer news

So far, the Seagulls' summer transfer window looks to have been another impressive showing of their transfer expertise. Joao Pedro has particularly got off to a strong start after completing his switch from Championship side Watford during the window. The forward has already found the back of the net on six occasions and assisted one other goal in 13 appearances.

De Zerbi will be hoping that any future arrivals will replicate his new striker by getting off to blistering starts. And that could include one particular target, if the Seagulls complete their move. According to Football Insider, Brighton have set their sights on a move for Matt O'Riley. The Premier League side have reportedly scouted the Celtic midfielder and have been hugely impressed by what they've seen. They're not alone in their interest, though, with a number of English sides keeping an eye on O'Riley.

Any deal may prove to be a difficult one to negotiate, too, given that the 22-year-old's contract doesn't come to an end until 2027 and Celtic reportedly see him as their prized asset. When the January transfer window opens, it will be interesting to see whether Brighton keep watching on from afar or, indeed, make their move for O'Riley.

Matt O'Riley's stats

O'Riley's stats have once again reflected just how talented he is. The Celtic man has scored six goals and assisted a further four to have a hand in an impressive 10 goals in 14 games in all competitions. It's no surprise then that the 22-year-old has been at the centre of praise during his time in the Scottish Premiership, including from Danish pundit Peter Kjaer, who said via The Daily Record: “I’ve seen O’Riley play, he’s a top player. I know the national coach also thinks he’s great. He spoke about him before the 2022 World Cup so he’s been following him.

"He’s doing very well at Celtic and he’s still a young guy who is improving all the time. He has a lot of qualities that I know Denmark will want to use in the future. Playing in the Champions League will also undoubtedly help him, in terms of a call-up.”

After seemingly attracting the interest of Brighton, O'Riley looks set to have an important decision to make in the near future. He could yet decide to stay put at Celtic, where he has already had great success. The Scottish giants will certainly want to keep hold of their star man, that's for sure.