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.

رفض جاريث ساوثجيت المدير الفني لمنتخب إنجلترا، حسم مستقبله مع الفريق بعد خسارة لقب كأس أمم أوروبا “يورو 2024”.

وتعرضت إنجلترا للهزيمة بهدفين لهدف أمام إسبانيا التي توجت ببطولة كأس أمم أوروبا “يورو 2024”.

وسُئل ساوثجيت عن مستقبله ورد في حديثه لقناة “ITV”: “لا أعتقد أن الوقت مناسب الآن لاتخاذ قرار كهذا، أحتاج إلى التحدث إلى الأشخاص المناسبين، ليس الآن”.

وأضاف: “هناك بالتأكيد عيب في الحصول على يوم أقل للاستعداد (مقارنة بإسبانيا)، سيستغرق الأمر بعض الوقت للفهم”.

وعن استبدال هاري كين، أوضح: “لقد كان الأمر صعبًا بالنسبة له بدنيًا، لقد دخل البطولة بدون عدد من المباريات ولم يصل تمامًا إلى المستوى الذي كنا نأمله جميعًا”.

اقرأ أيضًا | يويفا يعلن أفضل لاعب شاب في يورو 2024

وأردف: “المباريات متطلبة للغاية واعتقدنا أن حيوية أولي واتكينز ستسمح لنا بالضغط أفضل والضغط في الخلف، اعتقدت أن البدلاء جاءوا وفعلوا ما طلبنا منهم القيام به”.

وأشار: “أعتقد أن إسبانيا كانت أفضل فريق في البطولة، لم نحتفظ بالكرة بشكل جيد بما فيه الكفاية، لكننا كنا على حق حتى الدقائق العشر الأخيرة، أنا محبط للغاية، بالنسبة للجميع، لقد كان اللاعبون مذهلين حقًا، وأنا فخور جدًا بما فعلوه”.

وعن هدف التعادل الذي سجله بالمر، أستطرد ساوثجيت: “كان لدينا القليل من الزخم في المباراة في تلك المرحلة، كانت لدينا أيضًا فرصة كبيرة لتحقيق التعادل في النهاية، ربما خلال 90 دقيقة، لست متأكدًا من أننا فعلنا ما يكفي”.

وأكد: “إنجلترا في وضع جيد حقًا من حيث الخبرة التي تتمتع بها، سيكون معظم هذا الفريق موجودًا لكأس العالم واليورو المقبلة، هناك الكثير لنتطلع إليه ولكن في هذه اللحظة هذا ليس أي عزاء”.

وأتم ساوثجيت: “أعتقد أن اللاعبين يجب أن ينالوا إشادة كبيرة في وصولنا إلى النقطة التي وصلنا إليها، لقد قاتلوا بالطريقة التي حاربوا بها ومثلوا القميص بكل فخر، لم يتعرضوا للهزيمة أبدًا حتى النهاية، الدقائق الخمس الأخيرة من المباراة الأخيرة، وعلى الشخصية والمرونة التي أظهروها”.

Newcastle United are eyeing a move for a “sensational” Premier League midfielder in the summer transfer window, who has scored more goals than Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali combined this season.

Latest Newcastle news

The Magpies face a massive game at home to Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon, in a match that feels so important in the battle for Champions League football between now and May.

Newcastle are six points behind Nuno Espirito Santo’s side heading into the weekend action, highlighting the importance of Eddie Howe’s side picking up a win, especially after last weekend’s disappointing 4-0 defeat away to Manchester City.

Whatever happens in the coming months, a productive summer window is needed at St James’ Park, with a new centre-back needing to come in. Bournemouth ace Dean Huijsen has been linked with a move to the Magpies, having made 19 league appearances this season, excelling alongside Illia Zabarnyi.

Another Cherries player, Marcus Tavernier, has also been mentioned as a target for Newcastle, as Paul Mitchell also looks to strengthen the wide attacking options at Howe’s disposal, particularly after the exit of Miguel Almiron.

Newcastle interested in £60m midfielder

According to a new report from The Telegraph, Newcastle are eyeing a move for Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White at the end of the 2024/25 season.

The £60m-valued Englishman is described as one of a number of names who have been “discussed at various points”, along with the likes of Johan Bakayoko, Antoine Semenyo, Huijsen, Jonathan David, Nicolas Kuhn and Tyler Dibling.

Gibbs-White stands out as a great option for Newcastle to sign this summer, having become such an influential for a Forest team that has been excellent throughout the campaign. Magpies supporters will just hope his brilliance isn’t on show this weekend at St James’ Park.

The 25-year-old has scored five goals in the Premier League this season, which is more than Bruno Guimaraes (two) and Sandro Tonali (one) combined, and he has the same number of assists, too, showing that he can both score and create, being called “sensational” by journalist Josh Bunting.

Gibbs-White has the box-to-box energy that Bruno, Tonali and Joelinton provide, which will surely appeal to Howe, and he would add to the homegrown quota within Newcastle’s squad, acting as an added bonus.

The Forest star is also still a relatively young player who can reach higher levels in the coming years, especially if he is suddenly playing alongside superior players, with all due respect to Forest.

Morgan Gibbs-White’s 2024/25 Premier League stats	Total
Appearances	21
Starts	21
Minutes played	1677
Goals	5
Assists	5
Shots per game	1.7
Key passes per game	1.6
Tackles per game	1.4

Gibbs-White has proven himself in the Premier League, registering 40 goal involvements, and it would be a surprise if he didn’t hit the ground running for Newcastle, should he join them.

Aston Villa are enjoying brighter times under Unai Emery, with the Spaniard directing the club back to the glory days after some questionable form under Steven Gerrard.

The former Arsenal boss has reconnected the squad and implemented his own style of play to great effect, as his players continue to elevate their performance for the benefit of the club.

While the signings that the four-time Europa League winner has made so far at Villa have been impressive, the Villans haven’t always had a high success rate from new arrivals, as Dean Smith will know from one of his captures.

In the summer of 2021, Smith struck a deal with Southampton to sign striker Danny Ings on a three-year contract in a bid to bolster his front line.

How much did Danny Ings cost Villa overall?

Villa paid £25m to the Saints to take the sharp-shooter off their hands, with Smith describing him as an “outstanding” acquisition who has “scored goals wherever he has played”.

It was a fair evaluation by Smith, as Ings sits today on a domestic goal tally of 123 scored in 380 appearances for a variety of clubs, however only 14 of them came at Villa.

The Englishman was handed a salary of £6.24m-per-year by the Midlands club, making him their second-highest earner at the time – falling just short of Philippe Coutinho with a wage of £120k-per-week.

Considering that Ings arrived on the back of a glorious stint at St Mary’s where he had netted 46 goals in 100 appearances, his price and wage seemed verifiable with reference to the impact he was anticipated to make on the team.

Things didn’t quite go to plan for the Winchester-born whiz, as he bid farewell to Villa Park after just a year and a half, where in that time he’d cost the club a total of around £34m in both wages and transfer fees.

Was he worth that much?

When you divide the overall expenditure Villa paid to both purchase Ings and maintain his wage demands by the number of goals he scored, it works out that the 31-year-old cost the club around £2.4m per goal.

There was no denying the presence in leading the line that the former Liverpool forward would implement to the XI, however what he actually delivered at Villa Park was far from the standard expected.

After scoring 22 Premier League goals in 2019/20 and 12 in 2020/21, it was a disappointment to see Ings score only seven in his debut campaign in the top flight with Villa.

Luckily for the Villans, they had, and still have, a talisman to compare and contrast the poor form of Ings to in Ollie Watkins, who outscored the £25m man during both seasons he was at the club.

Upon reflection of his career in Birmingham, the England international with three caps dubbed his first campaign at Villa Park as “underwhelming”, which after seven goals in 30 appearances, is a fair call of judgement.

In January 2023, the striker moved on to the London Stadium to call it quits on his time with the Villans, signing for West Ham United as part of a £15m deal.

Since signing for the Hammers, the former Saints talisman has found the net on just two occasions in the Premier League, signalling that despite losing millions to sign him, Villa cashed in on his services at the right moment.

From millions in wages to a struggle for goals, Villa are fortunate enough to have been handed a life raft in the form of Watkins – who has struck four times in eight league games this season – to save them from the humiliation of Ings’ woeful spell, with their goals restored through Emery’s star man.

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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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR TURNER?

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.

Pujara first laid India’s foundations, then shored up the super-structure, with a superb unbeaten 132

The Report by Andrew Miller31-Aug-2018England 6 for 0 and 246 (Curran 78) trail India 273 (Pujara 132*, Moeen 5-63) by 21 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsWhen Cheteshwar Pujara was scratching around for form during his early-season stint with Yorkshire, amassing 172 runs at 14.33 in six County Championship outings, it might as well have been a down-payment for today’s moment of fufillment at the Ageas Bowl.In batting for five minutes shy of six hours to make his first Test century in England, and only his second outside of Asia in a 61-Test career, Pujara first laid the foundations, then shored up the super-structure in partnership with an unexpectedly doughty tail, to secure a priceless lead of 27 with a superb unbeaten 132.It was the innings of a true Test-match No.3 – a player with enough faith in his own game to let the match come to him, and block out all competing emotions; elation as he and Virat Kohli eased into a 92-run stand for the third wicket that, at 142 for 2, had looked set to secure a hefty first-innings advantage, and despair, as Moeen Ali reprised his feat on this very ground in 2014, with a brisk five-wicket haul that rattled through the lower middle-order either side of tea.By the close, England had inched their way to 6 for 0 in four taxing overs, with Keaton Jennings escaping his pair with a nudge for four off the hip against Jasprit Bumrah. But, as Pujara’s efforts had amply demonstrated on a pitch that retains good carry for the quicks and is showing increasing purchase for the spinners, application of the sort that England’s batsmen had so manifestly lacked first-time around will be required over the weekend if they are to turn a battling day’s work into an opportunity to arrest their alarming mid-series slump.In terms of sheer skill, England’s bowlers paled compared to India’s peerless display of swing and seam on the first day. But they lacked little in application from first ball to last. Stuart Broad bashed his way through the openers in a deck-hitting morning spell, before Sam Curran and latterly Ben Stokes – brought into the attack after even Jennings amid concerns about his knee injury – found sharp bend through the air to dislodge, respectively, Kohli for a fluent 46, then Ajinkya Rahane for 11. Rahane never got going before Stokes nailed him on the knee-roll – a plumb lbw that came excruciatingly close to being denied by the most marginal front-foot call imaginable.1:18

Playing county cricket gave me confidence – Moeen

James Anderson, however, found none of the magic that Bumrah in particular had produced for India, and for much of the day his lack of penetration appeared symptomatic of an England side who had relinquished the right to dictate terms with their flaccid first-innings batting. And yet, he gave nothing away as usual, not least against the strokeless Rishabh Pant, whose 29-ball duck was India’s joint-third-slowest in Test history, and marked the moment at which the innings began to tilt back in England’s favour.It was Moeen who ended Pant’s miserable stay, pinning him on the pad as he returned to the attack in the final over before tea, and extracting a leg-stump lbw from umpire Oxenford. Twenty minutes, and six deliveries later, Moeen struck again as Hardik Pandya was beaten in flight as he clipped airily to short midwicket for 4, and all of a sudden Moeen had four for eight in 16 balls when Ashwin – dragging a reverse-sweep onto his timbers – and Mohammad Shami – pinged through the gate first ball – fell to consecutive deliveries.But throughout it all, Pujara simply leant on his bat at the non-striker’s end and trusted himself to steady the innings in his own good time. He had brought up his first fifty in 98 balls, taking 36 deliveries to drill his first boundary through the covers off Curran when Kohli, at the other end, had needed just two to do likewise against Broad, and he promptly marked the achievement by wearing a fierce bouncer from Stokes on the forehead.Anderson too, rattled Pujara’s lid on 78 – moments after the fall of India’s eighth wicket – but he continued undaunted, changing his tone subtly to shield the No.10 Ishant Sharma from pace and spin alike, while stepping out of his crease to dump Moeen for a brace of boundaries through backward point and cow corner. England opted for a twin-spin response, with Rashid returning to the fray after twice dismissing Ishant in the opening Test at Edgbaston. This time, however, his long levers proved sufficient to eke out a vital 14 from 27 balls, which was finally ended as Moeen tweaked one into his inside-edge for Alastair Cook at short leg to swallow a looping chance.At 227 for 9, England were back on course for a slender lead. But Bumrah, uncomfortable against the quicks at Trent Bridge, seemed emboldened by the challenge of guiding his senior partner to a priceless century and beyond. Pujara’s moment finally arrived from his 210th delivery, an uncharacteristic but utterly effective wipe into no-man’s land at long-on off Moeen, and as the India balcony rose in acclaim, he set himself to restore the advantage that ought to have been pre-ordained given the discipline he had put into his stay.India’s 46-run stand for the tenth wicket would prove to be second only to the Kohli-Pujara alliance, and like all the best tail-end partnerships, it sucked the wind clean out of England’s sails. Pujara combined a judicious management of the strike with a determined pillaging of runs where the opportunity arose, the best of which were a brace of cleanly flogged fours off Stuart Broad through the covers and long-on.Broad, however, eventually ended the fun with his third scalp of the innings, as Bumrah fenced a lifter to Cook at first slip for 6, but the backslaps that greeted Pujara as he crossed the boundary rope told a tale. India believe they are right back in this series, and though they face the prospect of batting last on a pitch that won’t get any easier for batting, particularly if England’s twin spinners find increasing assistance as the weekend wears on, they also have in their ranks a player who has mastered the conditions like no-one else on either side.

Tottenham Hotspur's continuing prowess in the Premier League this season is starting to rankle divisional rivals, whose consternation is felt as Ange Postecoglou's side fight against the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City at the top of the division.

It's an aged and weathered tune but Postecoglou will be taking it one game at a time, consolidating the new position of power with each victory and simply maintaining the restored fluidity and offensive verve.

Last season, Spurs were absolutely woeful and finished eighth after the dismissal of Antonio Conte – the fourth manager in as many years – cast doubt over the future of the club, who faced the likely summer departure of stalwart striker Harry Kane.

The England captain might've joined Bayern Munich in August but Postecoglou's sage, inspiring management has produced wonders so far for an outfit that shipped 63 goals in the top-flight last year.

One man who would have fitted into Postecoglou's system nicely is Juan Foyth; the Argentinian defender arrived with great promise but was hindered by injuries and discontented under Jose Mourinho's leadership.

How much did Tottenham sign Juan Foyth for?

Tottenham completed the signing of Foyth from his homeland in August 2017, signing the highly-rated teenager from Estudiantes for around £8m.

A versatile player, Foyth thrives both centrally and on the right within the backline, and while he did not quite hit the ground running after conceding two penalties against Wolverhampton Wanderers on his Premier League debut, in a 3-2 win, he excelled in demonstrating his energy and ball-playing prowess.

Metric

#

Minutes played

90

Penalties committed

2

Clearances

3

Blocked shots

1

Interceptions

1

Tackles

3

Dribbled past

0

Duels won

6/9 (33%)

Touches

70

Pass completion

93%

Dribble attempts

1/1 (100%)

Injury, however, would restrict the defender to just 32 appearances during his Spurs career, prior to his eventual exit just over three years ago.

Why did Tottenham sell Juan Foyth?

In 2020, Tottenham allowed Foyth to join La Liga side Villarreal on loan until the end of the 2020/21 campaign, tying him down to a new contract in the process.

Having been featured so sparingly over the past couple of years, his loss did not come as a big blow to the Lilywhites' plans, with Mourinho actually stating that due to a bloated squad it was "possible that we could let a couple of players to leave".

Playing just seven times during his final campaign for Tottenham, his far-improved spell in Spain saw him play 32 times across the 2020/21 season – important in winning the Europa League final against Manchester United.

Sold for around £13m, it's one that is best left in the archives for the powers that be, who must regret the failure to bring the best out of a talented starlet who is now thriving and attracting the attention of European juggernauts.

How much is Juan Foyth worth now?

According to Spanish outlet AS, Barcelona have been among the suitors for Foyth in recent years, with Villarreal demanding €42m (£36m) for his services.

Nothing of significance materialised in the end, but the interest was concrete, and La Blaugrana's financial perils perhaps hindered the chances of furthering negotiations.

But regardless, it's a testament to his continual growth since leaving the Premier League, and it must sting chairman Daniel Levy to witness how much more could have been recuperated from his sale.

How good is Juan Foyth?

The 18-cap international won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, though only made one appearance, against Croatia in the semi-finals.

Regardless, his inclusion is a testament to his rise after the testing time he spent in London, and his blossoming performances over the past few years have underscored a natural talent that was always there, just not utilised efficiently in his early days as a professional.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 7% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 7% for successful take-ons, the top 3% for tackles, the top 19% for blocks, the top 8% for clearances and the top 6% for aerial wins per 90.

Given his apparent similarities to Manchester City's Nathan Ake – as is noted by Football Transfers' 'similar players' list – it's clear that he could have been a fine addition to Postecoglou's squad, with the Dutchman hailed by Pep Guardiola for his "exceptional" qualities.

Indeed, the £160k-per-week dynamo ranks among the top 2% of positional peers for pass completion and passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes and the top 9% for aerial wins per 90.

Also interchangeable as a wide defender and centre-half, he has been a solid tool under his Spanish manager's leadership, and given the similarities between his philosophy and Postecoglou's, Foyth could have been Tottenham's very own version of the 28-year-old.

The £33k-per-week gem's rise and recent interest from Barcelona really does highlight the unfortunate blunder on Tottenham's part, who could have nurtured more from his ability and perhaps even cashed in for a more lucrative fee.

Unfortunately, the disgruntlement that stemmed from his role on the fringe led to his sale being the only feasible solution, and while his loan transfer to the Yellow Submarine came concurrently with a contractual renewal, he would indeed soon be sold for a relatively small fee.

And it's something of a rueful scenario for Spurs, who could have used his directness and adept passing to contribute immensely to Postecoglou's swift-flowing system; like a cascading river, the squad are expected to surge forward with focus and inexorable intensity.

Praised for his immense “quality” by former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, Foyth's time at the club didn't work out, and while it's not likely to haunt the club, the sustainability of their system this season would only be enhanced by adding the dimension at the back at he would offer.

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.

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O atacante Bruno Santos está no radar do Avaí e pode ser um dos reforços da equipe para o próximo ano. O jogador é um dos destaques do Goiânia, na consistente campanha do time na Série D. Com 24 anos, o jogador se destaca pela versatilidade, podendo atuar em diversas funções no setor ofensivo.

Além de referência no ataque e o trabalho de pivô, também atua como ponta. Foi desta maneira que marcou seus dois gols na Série D, sendo o último na vitória sobre o Aparecidense que encaminhou a classificação do Goiânia.

O jogador evita comentar sobre qualquer tipo de proposta. Bruno Santos reforça que o seu foco neste momento está totalmente em nas metas do Goiânia nesta fase de grupos da Série D.

– Nesse momento o meu foco está totalmente no Goiânia. Nosso objetivo é terminar na liderança do nosso grupo e chegar com força na próxima fase, já que temos essa classificação encaminhada. Estou trabalhando para pensar apenas em jogar o futebol e retribuir a confiança de todos no Goiânia – afirmou, completando:

– Acho que estou vivendo um momento especial. Acredito que posso melhorar bastante e entregar ainda mais para a equipe. Como eu disse, quero trabalhar ainda mais, evoluir, para conseguir terminar nesta fase de grupos na liderança da chave. É importante para o time ter essas vantagens na próxima fase da Série D – concluiu.

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