Liverpool have started the 2023/24 campaign as strongly as supporters could have hoped for, winning four successive matches in the Premier League after starting the term with a draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

It's a major sigh of relief for all affiliated with the Anfield side, after Jurgen Klopp suffered a terrible year as his side failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons, utterly unrecognisable to the intense, high-octane system that has been a hallmark of his prosperous English outfit.

The Reds have completely reshaped their midfield after such sapped energy on show last season, and the early signs are certainly promising, but now Klopp will hope to nurture the outfit's cohesion and unity over the coming weeks and months, eyeing silver-laden success once again.

Alexis Mac Allister

£35m

Dominik Szoboszlai

£60m

Wataru Endo

£16m

Ryan Gravenberch

£34m

To kick off the summer spending, the Merseyside outfit completed the transfer of Brighton & Hove Albion's Alexis Mac Allister, and while he has enjoyed a solid, energetic start to life at Liverpool, it may do him some good to be placed on the bench this week.

How are Liverpool playing?

Liverpool are playing very well, all things considered. The draw against Chelsea to open the seasonal account highlighted the promise of this new-look outfit but underscored the defensive frailties that eradicated the club's optimism last term.

Klopp worked hard to purge the team of the woes of last year, and it would be ludicrous to think that the Reds would hit their zenith so soon after such drastic alteration, but the preliminary signs are promising, and the fact that Liverpool currently on a four-match winning streak is exciting when looking ahead.

All-conquering midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has been immense since joining from RB Leipzig, hailed as "like a young Gerrard" by former England striker Tash Dowie.

Mohamed Salah is ever-imperious and has already posted two goals and four assists from just five matches; while last season's under-fire backline has only conceded four goals in the top-flight so far – bettered only by defending champions and pace-setters Manchester City.

How is Alexis Mac Allister playing?

Mac Allister, who rose to prominence as a centrepiece of a thriving Brighton team last season and won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, played a starring role and was heralded for one “sumptuous” assist in Qatar by Gary Lineker.

However, having been started against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon, the ace endured a torrid time and was substituted early by Klopp, who claimed simply that "he was done".

Now this is no detriment to his ability; Mac Allister had just finished a match with his nation against Bolivia less than four days earlier and was playing at an incredibly high altitude.

Partner that with an arduous journey back to Liverpool halfway across the globe, and it's no wonder he was out of sorts at Molineux.

The 24-year-old has started all five of Liverpool's Premier League outings this season (despite receiving a red card against Bournemouth, which was overturned after a review), and completed 86% of his passes from central midfield, making 2.6 tackles and 5.4 ball recoveries per game, succeeding with 63% of his dribbles and winning 58% of his duels, as per Sofascore.

Partner that with two outings for Argentina during the international break, and it might be wise to drop the £150k-per-week phenom for the time being, especially with the opening match of Liverpool's Europa League campaign now forthcoming.

While Mac Allister is a talented midfielder, there might just be an apt replacement waiting in the wings in the form of Harvey Elliott, who has impressed this term despite having yet to receive a starting berth.

Why should Harvey Elliott start for Liverpool?

Elliott, who joined Liverpool from Fulham as a 16-year-old, played an important role last year and made 46 appearances across all competitions, scoring six goals and receiving praise for his "superb" displays by Liverpool writer Matt Addison.

This year, he has been lauded by pundit Jamie Carragher for his “excellent” impact off the bench against Wolves, and having made cameos across each outing so far, his displays now warrant a maiden seasonal start.

As per Sofascore, the £40k-per-week gem has completed 86% of his passes and won 60% of his duels, and while it's early days, the latter metric alludes to an improvement in physicality and application from last term, where he won just 45% and was criticised for being "outmuscled" by writer Leanne Prescott.

Additionally, the 20-year-old ranks among the top 14% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive passes, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 6% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.

Mac Allister, comparatively, ranks among the top 14% for shot-creating actions, the top 16% for progressive carries and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90 – while Elliott is by no means the refined, all-embracing ace Mac Allister is yet, he definitely boasts qualities to fill in for his South American counterpart.

With a trip to Austria to face LASK awaiting on Thursday night, it seems pretty likely that Elliott will be among the starters, but should he impress at the Raiffeisen Arena, Klopp could start to utilise his talents from the opening whistle in the Premier League with greater regularity.

There is no doubt that Liverpool have secured the signature of a first-class midfielder in Mac Allister, but he has been steady if unspectacular thus far for Klopp's side, and while he is easily one of the club's best midfielders, it might be time to shake things up.

Without question, he will and should start the lion's share of Liverpool's matches this season, but Elliott has impressed off the bench on numerous occasions now and will be anxious to demonstrate his skills more often after breaking through last term.

The one-time Fulham youngster offers something a bit different, and Klopp would now be wise to allow him to take to the stage.

Manchester United are now ready to make a bid for an "energetic" defender, who is also being targeted by Arsenal and Liverpool, according to a report.

What's the latest Man United transfer news?

Man United are looking at strengthening in a number of key areas this winter, with a report revealing they are now leading the race for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, but there will be competition for his signature, as Newcastle United are also keen.

Erik ten Hag bolstered his attack with the addition of Rasmus Hojlund in the summer, but there are now indications he may want to add another striker to his ranks, with it emerging the manager has now green-lighted a move for Brighton's Evan Ferguson.

The United boss is short on options at full-back, with Luke Shaw currently sidelined, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka has now joined the long list of absentees, having suffered a hamstring injury which is set to rule him out for the next two months.

Although Wan-Bissaka is set to return prior to the January transfer window, it has now been revealed the Red Devils have their eye on a new right-back, with The Mirror reporting they are now ready to submit their opening bid for Brentford's Aaron Hickey.

In the wake of his impressive performances for the Bees, the 21-year-old has now attracted the interest of a number of top Premier League clubs, with Arsenal and Liverpool also being named as potential suitors, while Bayern Munich headline the interest from abroad.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank is adamant the club will not sell Hickey, but interest from rival English clubs continues to grow with every passing week, as a result of the progress he has made since being lured from Serie A side Bologna.

At international level, the Scot is viewed as an integral part of the side by manager Steve Clarke, especially considering he is a versatile option for Scotland, given that he is capable of playing on both sides of the backline.

If the youngster's club side are to let him leave this January, they are likely to hold out for a fee of around £50m, so he will certainly not come cheap.

How good is Aaron Hickey?

Frank has lauded his full-back for his versatility and ability to use both feet, saying:

“With Aaron there is a lot of talk about whether he is a right back or a left-back, but I am in that privileged position that he can play on both sides and will most likely go on the left,”

“He is both-footed and has huge ability, we don’t have that many full-backs so he is very important."

The Scotland international made 26 Premier League appearances for the Bees last season, establishing himself in the first team after joining from Bologna, and he's made five top-flight outings in the ongoing campaign.

As such, it may not take the starlet too long to adapt if he completes a move to Old Trafford, given that he already has Premier League experience.

Lauded as "energetic" by journalist Josh Bunting, Hickey clearly has a lot of potential, but there are question marks over whether a £50m outlay is justified, considering he is yet to establish himself as a top player.

A win for RCB against Kolkata Knight Riders will leave both teams with three wins each, but a KKR win will create a clear gulf between the top and bottom half

The Preview by Nikhil Kalro28-Apr-20184:36

Agarkar: Southee inclusion a no-brainer for RCB

Form guide (most recent matches first)

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Lost to Chennai Super Kings by five wickets, beat Delhi Daredevils by six wickets, lost to Mumbai Indians by 46 runs.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Lost to Delhi Daredevils by 55 runs, lost to Kings XI Punjab by nine wickets, beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets

Big pictureRoyal Challengers Bangalore retained Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, two of the best batsmen in T20s, ahead of the IPL auction. With batsmen to play around them, it was always going to be a case of RCB’s bowling unit needing additional resources. Out of six games, RCB have conceded more than 200 three times and lost all those games.An interesting second half of the season could be at stake in this game. If Royal Challengers beat Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday, both teams will have three wins in seven games. If Knight Riders win, a clear gulf between the top and bottom half will start to form.Knight Riders endured their worst day of the season on Friday, losing by 55 runs to Delhi Daredevils after conceding the season’s biggest total. There were also several fielding lapses; match-winner Shreyas Iyer was dropped twice. Despite that, KKR’s depth in batting and bowling should provide a stern test for Royal Challengers, given the short dimensions of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.Umesh Yadav is thrilled after dismissing Sunil Narine•BCCIIn the newsRoyal Challengers will likely look at ringing in a few changes on the bowling front after failing to defend a 200-plus total against Chennai Super Kings. Left-arm pacer Kulwant Khejroliya, who hasn’t played since their third match, against Rajasthan Royals, had an extended spell at practice.The likely XIsRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Manan Vohra, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Mandeep Singh, 6 Colin de Grandhomme, 7 Pawan Negi, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Chris Lynn, 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Dinesh Karthik (capt, wk), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Shubman Gill, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Shivam MaviPrevious meetingKnight Riders ran down 177 comfortably in the opening game for both these sides at Eden Gardens. That chase included a 17-ball fifty from Sunil Narine.ESPNcricinfo LtdStrategy puntLynn and Narine are an efficient batting pair because of their varied preferences. Lynn relishes pace: he strikes at 178.8 per 100 balls, and hits a boundary every 3.4 balls in the IPL since 2015. Against spin, he has a strike rate of 127.3, with a boundary every seven balls. Narine, on the other hand, prefers spin: he has a strike-rate of 196.6 against these bowlers, with a boundary every three balls.Royal Challengers could use a spinner against Lynn and a fast bowler to Narine, with tight fields to prevent singles. That could force both batsmen to attempt tougher shots against a type of bowling they’re not comfortable with.Stats that matter Royal Challengers are the worst bowling team at the death this season, conceding 13.29 runs an over in that period. They are also the second-most efficient batting team in that period, scoring 11.49 runs an over. In IPLs since 2015, de Villiers hasn’t had a strike-rate under 150 against any form of bowling. His worst strike-rate is against left-arm spin: 154.8. Andre Russell may have a slight weakness against right-arm legspinners. Since 2015 in the IPL, he has scored just 66 runs off 52 balls, and has been dismissed three times.Fantasy pickAfter their struggles against Super Kings, it’s a good time to bank on some untested death bowlers for Royal Challengers, such as Tim Southee, who joined the team late, after missing the first few games due to an illness. In T20s since 2015, Southee has taken 52 wickets, 18 of which have come in the death overs.

Big Picture

Mumbai Indians are in an interesting position: they have only one win from five matches but they also have a positive net run rate that’s better than at least three other teams. That means they are primed to do what they do best: beat teams late in the competition and edge them out.

Form guide (most recent matches first)

Mumbai Indians: lost to Rajasthan Royals by three wickets, beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 46 runs, lost to Delhi Daredevils by seven wickets
Sunrisers Hyderabad: lost to Chennai Super Kings by four runs, lost to Kings XI Punjab by 15 runs, beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 15 runs

Mumbai, however, would be justified in believing that their position isn’t an accurate reflection of their performance. In each of their four defeats, they have taken the game to the last over, and their only win, against Royal Challengers Bangalore, was by a huge margin. The less-heralded players – Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Mayank Markande – have been Mumbai’s engine room so far. It’s their gun players – Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard, and Hardik Pandya – who have not clicked as often as they would have liked.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Sunrisers Hyderabad cooled off after three successive wins, and now with Bhuvneshwar Kumar ruled out of the next match, and fitness concerns looming over both Shikhar Dhawan and Yusuf Pathan, recuperating from two successive losses won’t be easy. They are the best bowling side of the tournament, and their top order has been belligerent. But familiar woes in the middle order plague them. Manish Pandey, Yusuf and Deepak Hooda have shown no more than patches of form. An over-reliance on the top order is hurting their ability to finish strongly, as characterised by a run rate of 9.17 in the last five overs, which is sixth among the eight teams.

In the news

Bhuvneshwar Kumar did not travel with Sunrisers to Mumbai; ESPNcricinfo understands he has been rested and will be available for their next game. Sandeep Sharma will be a like-for-like replacement. Shikhar Dhawan, who had hurt his left elbow against Kings XI Punjab last week, stated on Twitter with a strapped elbow that it was not a fracture. He went to Wankhede on Monday evening for a hit in the nets and a fitness test, and a final call on him will be taken on Tuesday.Yusuf struggled with cramps while batting on Sunday night and Williamson “wasn’t 100% sure” but hoped Yusuf would be fine by Tuesday evening.

The likely XIs

Mumbai Indians: 1 Suryakumar Yadav, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Ishan Kishan (wk), 4 Rohit Sharma (capt), 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Mitchell McClenaghan, 9 Mayank Markande, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mustafizur RahmanSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Shikhar Dhawan/Ricky Bhui, 2 Kane Williamson (capt), 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Shakib Al Hasan/Alex Hales, 6 Yusuf Pathan/Bipul Sharma/Sachin Baby, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Billy Stanlake, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Siddarth Kaul

Strategy punt

In order to strengthen their batting, Sunrisers have an option of leaving out Billy Stanlake to bring in Alex Hales, especially if Dhawan does not recover in time. Hales could open in that case; with an average of 33.31 and a scoring rate of 8.60 in the Powerplays in T20s, Hales would be perfect for the job.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Stats that matter

• Sunrisers have bossed Mumbai in recent times, winning four of their last five encounters. Four of those five fixtures have also been won by the team batting second.
• Sunrisers, however, have never prevailed at the Wankhede, where they have lost on each of the three occasions they have played.
• Yusuf Pathan is one run away from completing 3000 career IPL runs.
• In T20s since 2015, Krunal Pandya has struck at 197.1 against legspin, and has lost his wicket only once in 10 innings. He has scord 138 runs off 70 balls during this period. Watch out, Rashid Khan.
• Mumbai have lost 16 wickets in the slog overs this IPL – the joint-highest alongside Rajasthan Royals. And their run rate of 8.88 in this phase is only better than Kings XI Punjab’s.
• Rashid has used the googly to varying success. While he goes at 5.60 per over against right-handers with this delivery and has picked up two wickets, against left-handers, the economy rate shoots up to 16.9.

Fantasy picks

Krunal Pandya has an excellent record at Wankhede. Among current Mumbai players to have bowled 10 overs or more at the venue, Krunal easily has the best economy rate: 6.30. That’s to go with a wicket every 15.9 deliveries, and 207 runs with the bat at a strike rate of 146.8.Shakib, along with Bhuvneshwar, is Sunrisers’ most successful bowler at Wankhede, with six wickets. He also has an economy rate of 6.6 and could also fetch runs in the middle order.

Quotes

“That’s T20 cricket and from our perspective it’s really important not to be to reactive, certainly focus on our plans, go back to those and we know that when we’re achivening those plans and building towards those, that gives ourseleves the best chance to win games.”
.”I think we’ve been in this situation before and I think Mumbai Indians is known to bounce back. So, we won’t lose hope. We’re going to bounce back and we’ll play our best cricket in the matches to come.”

Sunderland's fanbase have had more to cheer about over the last two seasons after getting promoted back to the Championship after four years in League One.

Following the departure of previous manager Alex Neil only a few games into the 2022/23 season, it looked like the Black Cats could make a quick return to League One, however, the arrival of vastly experienced manager Tony Mowbray changed that.

The former Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers manager guided Sunderland to an incredible sixth place last season, meaning they qualified for the playoffs, although they were knocked out in the playoffs by Luton Town.

This turn in form has helped the former Premier League side bring in some of the Championship’s top talent, such as Jobe Bellingham, who is the younger brother of England star and Real Madrid sensation Jude Bellingham.

However, it’s not always been plain sailing for the side who play at the Stadium of Light, while in the top division, they harboured some of the most disappointing signings in the Premier League, such as Jack Rodwell from Manchester City, although one of the worst of these signings came in 2013 when they brought in Danny Graham.

How much did Danny Graham cost?

Sunderland had a reasonable 2011/12 campaign, finishing 13th in the league with 45 points, and to try and thwart the possible threat of relegation in 2013 Sunderland spent £33m on transfers during the season.

Graham was one of the players recruited during the January window, costing the Black Cats £5m from Swansea.

After signing for the north east outfit, the then-27-year-old announced that he wouldn’t have wanted to move anywhere else.

He said:"As soon as I heard about the interest from Sunderland I didn't even have to consider any of the other options that were on the table.

"I was born and brought up in the north-east so I know first-hand the intense passion that people have for their football in this part of the world – it's special and there's nowhere else like it."

Sunderland's 2012/13 window, via Transfermarkt
Name	Age	Fee
Steven Fletcher	25	£13m
Adam Johnson	25	£11m
Danny Graham	27	£5m
Alfred N'Diaye	22	£4m
Carlos Cuellar	30	Free
Louis Saha	34	Free
Kander Mangane	29	Loan
Danny Rose	22	Loan

What happened to Danny Graham?

The Englishman suffered a horrific time while at Sunderland, during his first spell with the club, he would make only 42 appearances and play 2.1k minutes over three seasons, scoring only one goal and providing four assists.

Speaking to the Sunderland Echo in 2015 before his first goal, Graham was adamant that when he scored his first the goals would come flooding in.

He said: "It would be massive (to get that first goal). Obviously, as a striker you want to be scoring goals and doing well for your football club, but that's not been the case so far for me.

"I know that, I'm not going to hide. It's up to me to work hard and make sure I get in the positions and not shy away from an opportunity when it comes my way.

"Once one goes in, I'm sure a lot more will follow, but the most important thing is the team. We need to pick up points and make sure we're not going to struggle come the end of the season."

It would take until 2015 (more than two years after he signed) and over 20 games for Graham to score his first goal for Sunderland, in a 2-0 win over Everton.

Furthermore, in 2015 Graham was on £30k-per-week, which works out to £1.5m per year and if you combine that with the £5m fee, it means the Black Cats hierarchy paid a shocking £6.5m per goal he scored and paid £155k per appearance.

During his time with Sunderland Graham publicly came under fire from his managers – speaking in May 2013 to the Independent then manager Paolo Di Canio questioned if the striker could actually play football.

He commented: "When I arrived Danny, simply, was not fit

He was not fit enough to play in the Premier League, in my opinion. I do not want to point just the finger at him because that was a general thing.

"He had a long face as he walked around the field during the first few training sessions and I thought, 'Can he play football?’.”

Furthermore, in 2014 Gus Poyet revealed he had no choice but to loan out Graham.

He revealed: "It was a difficult situation for Danny to go into the team. You need something to happen – a cup game where you play and show something different, an injury, a sending-off, to have a chance.

"We didn't have enough time for Danny to have that opportunity”

Frustratingly for Sunderland fans, the 38-year-old went on to perform well for his next club Blackburn, where he played 191 times, scoring 57 goals and providing 24 assists.

Is Danny Graham Sunderland’s worst signing of all time?

Another failed signing in some of the darkest days of Sunderland’s history, was the £4m transfer of Will Grigg from Wigan in 2019.

The 32-year-old had played 150 times for the Tics, scoring 65 goals and providing 14 assists, making him an obvious target to try and pull the Black Cats out of League One.

However, this was not the case, the striker only played 62 times for Sunderland, scoring just eight goals and providing three assists, on top of this the Wearside club were unable to gain promotion and finished fifth.

Grigg signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at Sunderland but went on long loan twice, first to MK Dons and then to Rotherham.

After moving to Rotherham in 2021 Grigg revealed to the Sunderland Echo that he never thought it was going to work at Sunderland.

He said: "It is just football and life in general. It just didn't work and it seems like it was never going to.

"Sunderland did not work out how everyone expected. It is one of those things. If I could put my finger on it, I would have changed it and made it work a long time ago.

"It is just one of things. I signed last minute and we lost in the play-off final and it did not quite happen"

Although Grigg’s time with Sunderland was poor – costing £500k per goal – it was nowhere near as bad as Graham’s £6.5m per goal price tag, which could make him the worst value for money transfer in Sunderland’s history.

It is far from a secret that Celtic are in the market to add to their options in the wide areas before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.

The Hoops lost Portuguese forward Jota to a long-term knee injury in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign, which means that he is not going to be available in the opening months of next season.

Losing the forward, who arrived on a permanent deal from Rennes for a second spell at Parkhead in January, came as a blow to Brendan Rodgers, because he had hit the ground running upon his return to Glasgow.

Jota produced four goals and two assists in 11 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, despite only starting seven of those matches, in the second half of the season, before his injury.

Celtic are now in the market to bring in a left winger who can plug the gap that his injury has created, whilst also having the potential to compete with him for a starting berth in the future.

One left-sided attacker who has emerged as a reported target for the Scottish giants this summer is Royal Antwerp star Michel-ange Balikwisha.

The latest on Celtic's pursuit of Michel-Ange Balikwisha

Belgian reporter Sacha Tavolieri recently reported that the Hoops are in talks with the 24-year-old wide man over the possibility of a move to Glasgow in the coming weeks.

The journalist claimed that talks are already underway and that the right-footed wing wizard is keen on securing a transfer to Parkhead before the end of the window.

Tavolieri did not mention how much money it would take for Royal Antwerp to part ways with their star forward, but The Scottish Sun revealed, in April, that he is valued at £5m by the Pro League outfit.

Balikwisha’s performances in the Pro League in the last two seasons suggest that the potential is there for him to be a value-for-money signing at £5m for the Hoops, as he has showcased his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Michel-Ange Balikwisha (Pro League)

23/24

24/25

Starts

27

12

xG

6.46

2.65

Goals

7

4

Big chances created

6

7

Key passes per game

1.5

1.6

Assists

5

3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Celtic target has racked up 11 goals and eight assists in 39 starts in the division, outperforming his xG in both campaigns, which speaks to his efficiency in front of goal.

These statistics suggest that he could replace the goals and assists that the Hoops have lost through Jota’s injury, if he can translate his performances over to the Premiership at Parkhead.

At the age of 24, Balikwisha would also arrive in Scotland as a player who could have his best years ahead of him, with time to develop and grow, and this could make him an interesting long-term addition, as well as a player who could replace Jota in the short-term.

A fee of £5m would be a decent outlay for the winger, but the Hoops already have a number of forwards who are worth significantly more than that, including Japanese forward Daizen Maeda.

Celtic have hit the jackpot with Dazien Maeda

The Scottish giants initially signed the Japan international on loan from Yokohama F. Marinos in the January transfer window at the start of 2022, before they snapped him up on a permanent basis that summer.

Their decision to sign him permanently has turned out to be a blinder because the versatile attacker has gone to become an incredibly valuable player, both in terms of his market value and his value to Rodgers and the team.

Maeda has racked up 62 goals and 28 assists in 158 appearances for the Hoops to date, and remains a regular starter in the attack after three-and-a-half-years in Glasgow. This shows that he has provided consistent quality as a threat at the top end of the pitch during his time in Scotland so far.

His form in the 2024/25 campaign was particularly impressive. The 27-year-old star ended the season with an eye-catching haul of 33 goals and 12 assists in 51 appearances for Rodgers’ side, whilst playing as a left winger and as a centre-forward.

Maeda’s sublime form in the top-flight earned him the Premiership Player of the Year award, which shows that he was deemed to be the best player in the entire division.

The Japanese speedster’s market value has soared as a result of his fantastic performances on the pitch for the Scottish giants, so much so to the point that he is now worth around £8m more than reported target Balikwisha.

Daizen Maeda’s soaring market value

Date

Market value

Jan 2022

£1.5m

June 2022

£3m

November 2022

£3.5m

December 2022

£4.5m

June 2023

£5m

December 2023

£5.5m

May 2024

£6m

October 2024

£6.5m

December 2024

£7m

March 2025

£9.5m

June 2025

£13m

Valuations via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Maeda’s value has soared by a whopping £11.5m throughout his time in Scotland, to the point where he is now worth £13m, as per Transfermarkt.

He is the most valuable player in the Celtic squad, ahead of the likes of Nicolas Kuhn, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Arne Engels, and Reo Hatate, which speaks to how impressive his valuation of £13m is.

Celtic have hit the jackpot with the Japanese marksman, who has been the subject of reported interest from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, because they struck gold by signing him when he was valued at just £1.5m.

The forward has developed into the most valuable member of the squad, and the most prolific after a haul of 33 goals this season, as illustrated by him being worth a whopping £8m more than reported target Balikwisha.

Related Their next Kuhn: Celtic reach agreement to sign "dangerous" star

Celtic have agreed a deal to sign a “dangerous” wide attacker for around £1.7m, so here is why he could be the Hoops’ next Nicolas Kühn.

Posts 1 ByBen Gray Jun 19, 2025

Hopefully, the Scottish giants will be able to retain his services ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, and he will continue to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis.

Newcastle United have been given a potentially huge boost regarding one key player at the club, according to an exciting update this weekend.

What's gone wrong at Newcastle?

The Magpies have made a stuttering start to their 2023/24 Premier League season, picking up just three points from their opening four matches. In fairness, it has been a difficult run of fixtures, including having to face Manchester City and Liverpool, but much more was expected after such a positive campaign last time around.

There is no need to panic, with a kinder batch of games on the horizon, but it is also clear that improvements are required, both in terms of performances and results.

Supporters are in need of some positivity at St James' Park at the moment, having been flattened by this below-par opening to the season, and a significant boost may be coming their way.

What's the latest on Bruno Guimaraes' Newcastle future?

After Fabrizio Romano claimed a deal between the club and player was close, a massive update from Football Insider reports Bruno is now all set to become highest-paid player in the history of Newcastle United Football Club:

"Bruno Guimaraes is set to become the best-paid player in Newcastle United’s history when he signs a new contract that is now close to being finalised, sources have told Football Insider. Talks have been ongoing in recent months over a new and improved deal for the club’s star man, 25, that will catapult him into the top earning bracket at the club.

"A well-placed source has told Football Insider that Newcastle are close to a breakthrough in negotiations with Guimaraes, who has established himself as one of Europe’s leading midfielders since his move to Newcastle in January 2022.

"It is expected there will be an announcement soon over a new deal that would be worth up to £60million in total and see him become the highest-paid player in Newcastle’s history."

This is an eye-opening update for anyone of a Newcastle persuasion, highlighting how highly Bruno is valued at the club, and how much faith they have in him continuing to be a star for years to come.

The 25-year-old has been a fantastic signing from the moment he arrived at the Magpies back in January 2022, helping them finish fourth in the Premier League last season, and his box-to-box presence has made him arguably the first name on Eddie Howe's team sheet.

Bruno has 16 goal contributions (ten goals and six assists) in 61 appearances for Newcastle, also averaging 2.3 tackles per game in the Premier League this season, showing how much he can offer both on and off the ball. If Howe's side are to continue progressing in the coming years, they simply must retain the services of their best player, as well as signing top-quality new faces, and the Brazil international undoubtedly falls into that bracket.

Granted, his current Magpies deal still doesn't expire until the summer of 2026, so there is no great rush to hand him an extension, but this is just reward for his efforts so far, and also staves off the threat of Real Madrid trying to snap him up.

أعلن الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا”، عن الفائز بجائزة رجل مباراة رومانيا وأوكرانيا في كأس الأمم الأوروبية “يورو 2024”.

والتقى منتخب رومانيا مع أوكرانيا عصر اليوم الأحد، ضمن مباريات الجولة الأولى لدور المجموعات في أمم أوروبا.

ونجح منتخب رومانيا في تحقيق الفوز بثلاثة أهداف دون رد أمام أوكرانيا، ليحصد أول ثلاث نقاط في مشواره.

وتم اختيار قائد رومانيا ستانسيو كأفضل لاعب في المباراة، وقالت لجنة المراقبين الفنيين التابعة للاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم: “هدفه أعطى دفعة هائلة لزملائه”.

وأضافت: “من الناحية الفنية، كان هدفه مثاليًا، وسجل بينما أظهر توازنًا جيدًا، ومن الناحية التكتيكية، كان له دور حيوي في خطتهم حيث دفع الفريق للضغط”.

وكان ستانسيو سجل هدف تقدم رومانيا من تسديدة رائعة، بعد استغلال خطأ من الحارس أندريه لونين، ليطلق صاروخية بالقدم اليمنى في زاوية صعبة.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo encontrou o caminho das vitórias pela primeira vez no Campeonato Brasileiro sub-17. Nesta sexta-feira, a equipe comandada por Neto Colucci derrotou o América-MG por 2 a 1 no CEFAT, em Niterói, em duelo válido pela 4ª rodada, e venceu a primeira na competição. Gilwagner e Kauê marcaram os gols do Alvinegro.

A equipe contou com o “reforço” de Matheus Nascimento. Integrado aos profissionais desde agosto, o atacante treina com o time principal, mas joga com a equipe de base desde a chegada de Túlio Lustosa e a efetivação de Bruno Lazaroni como treinador da equipe – os dois, em conjunto com o atleta, optaram por dar ritmo de jogo ao camisa 9.

Os dois gols foram marcados ainda no primeiro tempo. Gilwagner é atacante e Kauê é volante. Os dois também são considerados promessas e já foram observados para serem aproveitados em categorias superiores.

Com a vitória, o Botafogo chegou a 5 pontos na classificação do Grupo A. O próximo compromisso do Alvinegro na competição será na próxima terça-feira diante do Corinthians, às 15h, no Parque São Jorge.

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The Sussex openers added an unbeaten 86 in the 21 overs possible on the opening day

ECB Reporters Network27-Apr-2018

Phil Salt and Luke Wells started strongly•Getty Images

ScorecardSussex openers Phil Salt and Luke Wells made an impressive start to their Specsavers County Championship game against Gloucestershire before rain swept in to ruin the first day at Hove.Salt, 21, was unbeaten on 54 and Wells had contributed 25 to a stand of 86 for the first wicket before rain arrived at 12.30pm. Umpires Martin Saggers and Russell Warren abandoned play at 4pm with no sign of an improvement in conditions after taking an early tea.After losing Chris Nash to Nottinghamshire during the winter Sussex are giving Salt, who is making only his tenth first-class appearance, a run as opener and although he played some false shots there was a lot to admire in his aggressive approach after Sussex had batted first following an uncontested toss.Australian Dan Worrall troubled both batsmen during a lively nine-over burst with the new ball up the slope. Salt came down the pitch to try and smear him through the off side and was then struck on the helmet by the next delivery when he misjudged a bouncer and needed to make repairs to his headgear.But in the last over before the rain arrived, Salt drove Matt Taylor for four then pulled his next ball over square leg for six. A single off the next delivery took him to his second Championship half-century from 59 balls which has included nine boundaries. Earlier, in the tenth over, he had taken three fours off Taylor with two drives through the off side and a pull to the midwicket rope.Wells, fresh from an unbeaten 102 on Monday in Sussex’s last match against Leicestershire, batted with more reserve but looked solid enough. His innings, from 66 balls so far, has included four boundaries.Gloucestershire, who won their opening Division Two game against Kent before losing to Glamorgan last week, used just Worrall, Taylor and Craig Miles and although Worrall in particular beat the bat on several occasions their trio of seamers could not make a breakthrough.Sussex made one change with left-arm spinner Danny Briggs making his first appearance of the season with legspinner Will Beer dropping out. Gloucestershire were without last year’s leading wicket-taker Liam Norwell and David Payne because of injury.