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Celtic and Ange Postecoglou showed during the previous summer and winter transfer windows just how astute they can be when it comes to securing deals for players moving in and out of Parkhead.

Last month, the Australian revealed that the club are “always looking to improve areas” that they see fit on and off the pitch.

Now that his debut campaign in charge of the Bhoys has come to an end, his focus can now turn to helping the club to progress even further and strengthen the areas that he feels need work.

In terms of improving his squad as they look to not only retain the Premiership title but also compete with the top clubs in Europe, one area of his ranks that he may feel the need to strengthen is the left-back position.

Looking at current left-back options Greg Taylor and Boli Bolingoli, the latter has found himself out of the squad more often than not this season, meaning that this summer could well see him leaving the club if he’s not in Postecoglou’s plans for the future.

One man who has been linked with a move to Celtic recently and who could not only be a suitable potential replacement for Bolingoli but also a possible upgrade on Taylor is Hammarby left-back Mohanad Jeahze.

Better than Taylor

Last month, the Hoops were linked with a £2m move for the Iraq international.

Taking a look at the Hoops full-back and his recent campaign, in which he made 24 league appearances, the 24-year-old only delivered three assists and failed to score, making him one of the few Celtic players who started more than one league game not to find the net.

To compare Taylor’s latest campaign at Celtic with Jeahze’s previous full season with Hammarby, the 25-year-old not only managed to get his name on the scoresheet, he also racked up more assists than his Hoops counterpart.

He also had more shots at goal, crosses and interceptions than the Scotland international, which says to us that Taylor could see his place in the team come under threat should Jeahze find himself at Parkhead in the summer.

Hailed by his teammate Darijan Bojanic as a player who “always makes good decisions” on the pitch, Jeahze could find himself making another good decision if he chooses to link up with Postecoglou at Celtic to help them achieve their targets for next season.

In other news: Worrying behind-the-scenes development emerges, it’s bad news for Celtic

Tottenham Hostpur have been dealt a huge injury setback ahead of their Premier League meeting with Arsenal on Thursday.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, Alasdair Gold relayed comments made by Antonio Conte in his pre-match press conference, in which the 52-year-old manager confirmed that the left-back, who has missed Spurs’ last two fixtures due to a knock, has once again been ruled out for tomorrow’s clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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Regarding the current condition of the 25-year-old, Gold said: “Conte on injury news: ‘The situation is the same and the same of the last game against Liverpool. Reguilon is not available and I don’t think he can recover. There is only 10 days to go. Only the same players as Liverpool’.”

Conte will be fuming

Considering just how important Thursday’s North London Derby is in Tottenham’s bid to secure a top-four finish in the league, the news that Reguilon will once again miss out due to injury is sure to have left Conte fuming.

Indeed, over his 25 Premier League outings this season, the £25.2m-rated left-back has scored two goals, provided three assists and created five big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 0.8 shots, making 1.2 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

The £53k-per-week defender has also helped his side keep six clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 1.6 clearances and winning 4.6 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the former Real Madrid starlet average a SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as Spurs’ 12th-best player in the top flight of English football.

As such, the Spaniard’s absence will certainly come as huge blow to Conte and the Italian’s hopes of securing all three points against the Gunners tomorrow – with anything but a win against Mikel Arteta’s fourth-placed side all but ending Tottenham’s bid to seal Champions League football next season.

AND in other news: “Being monitored”: Kilpatrick drops Spurs transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

All the stats from the Australian quick’s phenomenal career

Shubh Agarwal11-Jul-2025A monumental landmark awaits Mitchell Starc in Jamaica. Taking the field in the third Test against West Indies at Sabina Park, Starc will complete 100 matches in the format, becoming only the second Australian quick after Glenn McGrath to amass a century of Test caps. Only 15 other Australian players have earned 100 Test caps.Starc will be the 15th pacer overall, including Jacques Kallis and Ben Stokes, among players who have notched up a minimum of 100 Test wickets as a fast bowler and played 100 Tests or more.Starc gets to the 100-Test mark in the 14th year of his career, having made his debut in the first Test against New Zealand in December 2011. Since then, he has featured in 99 of the 141 Tests that Australia have played, picking 395 wickets at an average of 27.39 while having a strike rate of 48 balls per wicket.Related

• From Galle to Lord's: Starc's ten greatest Test performances

• Starc secures his place in the pantheon of greats ahead of 100th Test

• 'It makes me feel old' – Starc reflects on journey to 100 Tests

Five more wickets will take Starc to 400 scalps in 100 Tests, making him the eighth pacer to achieve the double. Whether he manages those remaining wickets in Jamaica or not, Starc is almost certain to become the second-quickest bowler overall to 400 Test wickets in terms of balls bowled. Only Dale Steyn is ahead of him, getting there in 16,334 balls. Starc, having bowled 18,971 deliveries, is likely to reach the mark at least 1000 balls ahead of the next best – Richard Hadlee (20322-20436 deliveries). He will also be ahead of McGrath, making him the quickest Australian to 400 Test wickets when balls bowled are considered.In fact, Starc has the best bowling strike rate for a pacer heading into his 100th Test. While McGrath and Wasim Akram had more wickets at this point in their career, Starc is the only with a bowling strike rate under 50 after the first 99 Tests.ESPNcricinfo LtdEver since ball-by-ball stats are available (since 2002), Starc has taken the second most number of wickets in the first over of the innings (20), the most famous being Rory Burns’ dismissal on the first ball of the 2021-22 Ashes. Only James Anderson (29) has more.Starc’s habit of striking early has fetched him 107 wickets of openers. He is among the only six fast bowlers to dismiss more than 100 openers.Starc has been a big contributor in wins, picking 246 of his 395 scalps in victories, the second highest by a pacer for Australia. Including spinners, Shane Warne (510) and Nathan Lyon pip Starc.Starc’s 246 wickets are also the most for a pacer in Test wins since his debut in December 2011, followed by two other quicks known for their longevity, Stuart Broad (242) and Anderson (233).ESPNcricinfo LtdThe Adelaide Oval has been Starc’s favorite venue where he also picked his career best of 6 for 48 against India in 2024. He has snaffled 55 wickets in only ten Tests there, averaging 17.14. He is the only Australian bowler to take over 50 wickets at a venue at an average less than 20.Overall, with his 235 wickets at home, Starc is also only behind McGrath (289) in terms of most wickets for a fast bowler in Australia. Only three fast bowlers have taken over 200 Test wickets in Australia, with Dennis Lillee being the third (231). Warne (319) and Lyon (268) are again ahead of Starc if spinners are included.ESPNcricinfo LtdStarc has also been the highest wicket-taker in the brief history of day-night Tests. He has 74 wickets in the 13 Tests he has played, which is 31 more than the next best, Nathan Lyon. Among the six bowlers with more than 20 wickets in day-night Tests, Starc’s strike rate of 34.8 is the best.Starc is also the only bowler with four five-wicket hauls in day-night Test matches, giving him a good opportunity of picking the remaining five wickets to complete the double of 400 wickets in his 100th Test.

Invincibles’ sixth-wicket pair shared record unbeaten 127-run stand from only 64 balls

Sampath Bandarupalli27-Aug-2023127 Partnership runs between Tom Curran and Jimmy Neesham, the highest for any wicket in the Hundred Men’s competition. The previous highest was the unbeaten 124 between Dawid Malan and D’Arcy Short for Trent Rockets’ second wicket against Southern Brave in 2021.34 Oval Invincibles’ total at the fall of the fifth wicket. Only one team has won a men’s T20 final after losing their fifth wicket at a lower total – 32 by Uganda in the Africa Continental Cup final earlier this year against Kenya, where they finished on 125 and won by one run.1 Number of teams to have won a game in the Hundred Men’s competition, despite losing their first five wickets for less than 50 runs, before the Invincibles on Sunday. Trent Rockets defeated the Northern Superchargers in 2021 by two wickets in the pursuit of a 133-run target, from five down for 41 runs.29 Runs aggregated by Invincibles’ top five on Sunday. It is the lowest contribution by the top five batters of a team to win a men’s T20 final. The previous lowest was 42 runs by Westerns against the Northerns in the 2009 Zimbabwe domestic T20 final. It is also the lowest contribution by the top five batters of a winning team in the Hundred Men’s competition.3 Number of sixth-wicket partnerships in men’s T20s that have been higher than the unbroken 127 between Curran and Neesham. The highest is 161 by Andre Russell and Kennar Lewis for the Jamaica Tallawahs against Trinbago Knight Riders in 2018. The Curran-Neesham partnership was also the first century stand for the sixth wicket or lower in a men’s T20 final.67* Curran’s score against the Originals is now the highest individual score in a final of the Hundred. Paul Stirling’s 61 against Birmingham Phoenix in the 2021 edition was the only fifty scored in the final during the first two editions of the Hundred across the men’s and women’s competitions.7 Curran’s 67 not out is also the highest score while batting at No.7 or lower in a men’s T20 final, surpassing MS Dhoni’s 63 not out against Mumbai Indians in the 2013 IPL final.5 Curran and Neesham are only the fifth pair of No.6 and No.7 with fifty-plus scores in the same innings in men’s T20s. Oval Invincibles’ innings was only the tenth in men’s T20s where two players batting at No.6 and lower had fifty-plus scores in the same innings. Never, in the Hundred, before this game, had two players batting outside the top three scored fifties in the same innings.4 out of 5 T20 fifties by Curran have come while batting at No.7 or lower. Russell (9), Kieron Pollard (7), David Wiese (5) and James Foster (4) are the other players with four or more fifty-plus scores while batting at No.7 or lower in the men’s T20s.

He brings heat, passion and energy to the middle. And Bangladesh need it now

Mohammad Isam19-Nov-2021Taskin Ahmed brings a whole lot of energy to the Bangladesh team. When he gets a wicket, he spreads the joy. His Shoaib Akhtar-like take-off and infectious smile lets his team-mates join in. And he celebrates every wicket, in every situation.He took 2 for 31 on Friday against Pakistan, making him one of the bright spots in Bangladesh’s four-wicket loss in the first T20I. Taskin removed Babar Azam in the fourth over, and when he had Fakhar Azam caught behind in the 15th, he broke a 56-run fifth-wicket stand between Fakhar and Khushdil Shah that set the stone of Pakistan’s revival.Both wickets felt like big events. His team-mates’ reaction, the crowd’s reaction and the opposition’s reaction told you so. Taskin’s energy resonates across the ground. Part of their admiration for him stems from how he has proved everyone wrong to bounce back from multiple setbacks when it appeared as if his career was over.All said, there wasn’t the usual air of expectation around the Bangladesh team on Friday even though the crowd sensed the need to give them a lift. And they cheered for every run saved – every stop – even though things remained difficult on the field.But the defeat compounded Bangladesh’s misery after the T20 World Cup debacle. On the field, the changed top order hardly made much of a difference to their approach or their score. The middle order quickly caved in too, leaving the lower order to get them past the three-figure mark for the first time in three matches.Bangladesh also were left to rue a poor end-overs performance that blew away their strong start – they reduced Pakistan to 24 for 4 in defence. A late big-hitting onslaught from Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz ended the home side’s hopes of a late revival. Mustafizur Rahman’s 15-run over off the 18th gave Pakistan the spring to push over the line.Having to chew on another tough loss, Mahmudullah once again was drawing on crumbs of comfort. “I wasn’t frustrated [about the late onslaught],” he said. “I think we bowled well. We took wickets up front. These things can happen in the death overs when batsmen are chancing their arms.”Our bowlers tried hard, especially Mustafizur. They [Pakistan batters] played some good shots there in the end. I think Mahedi [Hasan] has been performing well for the team, both with the bat and ball. Taskin has been outstanding. Afif [Hossan] and Sohan [Nurul Hasan] batted well. I still think we could have done better with the bat.”Mahmudullah will feel under pressure if Bangladesh can’t pull one back in the second of the back-to-back T20Is on Saturday. There have been several points of criticism, including his bowling changes and his inability to finish the game against West Indies in the T20 World Cup. The latest in what is growing to be a long list of issues is his silence over selections, like Mushfiqur Rahim’s axing from this series.Another aspect he may have to potentially look at is letting his trail of thoughts filter through to the bowlers. Someone like Mustafizur, as experienced as he is, largely keeps to himself. He does his bowling, quietly fields and isn’t the type who will proactively walk up to his captain with suggestions and advice.This is where someone like Taskin can spruce things up. He gives Mahmudullah some breathing space. Every captain wants a genuine fast bowler in his attack and in Taskin, Mahmudullah has someone who can bowl 140kph on a regular basis. He loves being in the thick of things. He brings heat, passion and energy to the middle. And Bangladesh need it.

An “amazing” Everton player is now thought to be “seriously considering” leaving the club when the January transfer window arrives.

Beto under-fire among Everton fans

In the Blues’ 3-0 defeat at home to Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday, Beto again failed to score, meaning he has only found the net once in the competition this season.

Sky Sports reporter Alan Myers has revealed that one Everton fan slammed the Portuguese after the game, comparing him to “that riderless horse in the Grand National that keeps going even though he’s never going to win the race,” and adding that “hard work cannot be criticised but as a striker, you will be judged on goals and he just isn’t scoring enough of them”.

Beto hasn’t managed to consistently shine for the Blues since arriving at the club, but he isn’t alone, with too many new signings flattering to deceive in recent years.

While Jack Grealish has made a positive start to life at Everton, other fellow arrivals haven’t managed to hit the ground running, and one such figure is already reportedly eyeing a fresh challenge in his career.

Everton player "seriously considering" exit

According to Africa Foot [via Sport Witness], Everton left-back Adam Aznou is “seriously considering” leaving the club in January, having not yet played a single minute of football for the Blues this season.

The £25,000-a-week Spaniard only moved to the Hill Dickinson Stadium from Bayern Munich in the summer window, but it looks as though a loan move away could be on the cards. A switch to La Liga is most likely, with Getafe leading the race, and Everton are open to the idea of loaning him out.

Aznou must be frustrated with how things are panning out at Everton, but there is no need to panic about his early struggles, considering he is a young player in a new country, especially given how tough the Premier League is.

Alongside Beto: Moyes must drop 4/10 Everton star who lost possession 19x

Everton were humbled on their own patch as Tottenham Hotspur ran out convincing 3-0 winners.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 27, 2025

The former Bayern teenager is clearly a talent, being described as an “amazing player by scout Jacek Kulig, and a loan move elsewhere in the second half of the season could be more beneficial instead of him not even being involved in matchday squads.

The 2025/26 campaign has brought a whole host of problems onto Arne Slot’s doorstep, with his title-winning Liverpool side knocked so far out of kilter it is difficult to see how they will be realigned before the end of the season.

The tenth-place champions would be in deep bother were they to limp to the finish line, trailing the Champions League pack, trailing the pay packet that comes with Europe’s elite competition.

Liverpool spent a lot of money this summer, a record-breaking amount. It would be fair to say that Richard Hughes’ signings haven’t all worked out, and the onus is now on finding form and sustaining it, mounting a fightback after months of distress.

However, the recent Mohamed Salah conundrum has cast Liverpool’s season into new territory, and it needs sorting out quickly.

The latest on Salah's situation at Liverpool

Slot was coy when discussing Salah’s explosive outburst at Elland Road, incensed after being kept on the bench for three successive fixtures.

All of a Liverpool persuasion hope for an agreeable resolution, but the truth is that the 33-year-old may be headed for the exit, with multiple pointers suggesting he will not return after jetting off to the African Cup of Nations with Egypt.

Liverpool need a replacement, and they may have found one in a star bearing a likeness to Luis Diaz, who was sold to Bayern Munich in August.

According to Fabrizio Romano, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Liverpool are in talks to sign Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, whose future has been a hot topic this year.

Semenyo’s £65m release clause becomes active in January, and with Salah ostensibly inching toward a bitter exit at the end of his glittering Merseyside career, FSG are primed to make the payment and restore Liverpool’s frontline.

Why Liverpool want to sign Semenyo

Semenyo, 25, was hailed as “the best winger in the country” by pundit Chris Waddle in November, having enjoyed a blistering start to the campaign with Bournemouth. On the opener, he netted twice at Anfield.

Now he has six goals and three assists to his name in the Premier League this term, and that’s without having notched a direct involvement across the past two months. This could be perceived as a negative thing, but Andoni Iraola’s side have been in a rut for a little while, and Semenyo continues to stand out as a shining light.

The Ghanaian’s physicality and directness could even see him emerge as Liverpool’s new version of Diaz, even if he’s welcomed to – in theory – replace Salah.

Diaz and Semenyo share in their athleticism an economy of strength and motion. The two players are versatile and confident across the frontline. They are both fleet-footed and as electric as they come, but they are also intelligent and calculated, reserving their energy for opportune moments.

Goals scored

0.43

0.49

Assists

0.21

0.19

Shots taken

2.29

2.66

Shot-creating actions

3.43

4.39

Touches (att pen)

4.43

6.27

Pass completion (%)

71.3

84.2

Progressive passes

3.65

4.13

Progressive carries

3.65

4.05

Successful take-ons

1.64

1.99

Ball recoveries

5.00

3.94

Tackles + interceptions

2.00

1.73

Semenyo’s pace and ability to take on and beat defenders set him apart from Liverpool’s current crop. Cody Gakpo is too one-note; Salah is getting old, and he lacks his one-time speed and physical attributes.

Liverpool need more variation. They have been ‘found out’ this season, with the same players weaving the same patterns and struggling to get the same results as last year. Semenyo would change that, adding not one attacking dimension but two or three.

Four matches have come and gone since Liverpool last tasted defeat. The midweek win over Inter Milan at the San Siro was impressive, for sure, but Premier League draws against Sunderland and Leeds United shine a light on the many dents in the metalwork.

FSG, Slot, Hughes, Michael Edwards. Nobody could have foreseen such a staggering slide, but the slump has to be arrested and kept locked up.

It’s all well and good making Liverpool more compact, harder to beat, but if the restoration process is to launch the Reds back into the ascendancy, they need an elite forward as Semenyo added to the mix. The decision against directly replacing Diaz has had far-reaching ramifications. It’s time to sort it out.

Sell him before Gakpo & Konate: Slot must bin Liverpool's "Origi regen"

A number of Liverpool stars face uncertain futures on Merseyside following a dismal start to the season.

ByAngus Sinclair 4 days ago

Things are looking up for Chelsea.

Despite a couple of poor results earlier in the season, Enzo Maresca’s side are second in the Premier League, with a chance to cut Arsenal’s lead to just three points on Sunday.

Then on Tuesday night, they showed the continent just how dangerous they are by beating Spanish champions Barcelona 3-0.

One of the stars of that game, and of Chelsea’s season, was Estevao, and so fans should be excited about reports linking them to someone who could be seen as the original version of the wonderkid.

Chelsea target the original Estevao

The transfer window is still over a month away from opening, but that has not stopped Chelsea from being linked with a host of potentially game-changing signings.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, Nottingham Forest’s man-mountain Murillo has been touted for a £79m move to Stamford Bridge, as has Athletic Bilbao’s £62m Nico Williams.

However, as talented as those two are, neither one can accurately be described as the original Estevao, unlike Vinícius Júnior.

Yes, according to a recent report from Football Insider, Chelsea are one of a couple of teams interested in signing the Real Madrid superstar.

In fact, the report goes further, revealing that should the Brazilian be up for sale in the summer, the Blues will be one of the frontrunners for his signature, alongside Manchester City.

However, the report has confirmed that, even though he’d have just a year left on his deal, Los Blancos would demand a fee of around £80m.

Even so, Vini Jr is a genuinely world-class player and someone Chelsea should be happy to break the bank on, especially as he’s the original Estevao.

Why Vini Jr is the original Estevao

Now, when it comes to the similarities between Vini Jr and Estevao, there are a few that are quite obvious and somewhat surface-level.

For example, they’re both exciting wide players, they’re both Brazilian, and now they’ve both played for the national team.

However, what makes the Madrid star the original version of the Chelsea star is how they were both spoken about prior to their big-money moves to Europe.

The Blues ace, for example, was labelled a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by respected analyst Ben Mattinson a few months before his deal was agreed.

Likewise, when the 25-year-old arrived in Spain over seven years ago, president Florentino Perez said: “He’s a player who is already considered one of the great hopes of Brazilian and world football.

In short, the West Londoners’ new prospect looks to be following in the footsteps of the former Flamengo ace, and they’ll certainly hope he continues.

After all, despite having a slow start to life in the Spanish capital, the São Gonçalo-born monster has now amassed 340 appearances for the biggest club in the world, during which he has scored 111 goals and provided 89 assists.

Appearances

340

Starts

267

Minutes

24,291′

Goals

111

Assists

92

Points per Game

2.15

Moreover, he’s helped the club win everything there is to win in the game, including two Champions Leagues, three La Ligas and one Copa del Rey.

Finally, he also has some sensational underlying numbers to his name, with FBref ranking him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries, the top 3% for successful take-ons, the top 6% for shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, with all that in mind, it’s hard to disagree with Ronaldo’s assertion that Vini Jr is “the best player in the world,” and therefore, Chelsea should be doing all they can to sign him next year, especially as he could help Estevao’s development.

Chelsea have already signed another exciting star who's "just like Estevao"

Chelsea have already signed another youngster who could become another Estevao for Enzo Maresca.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 26, 2025

Spring training is a place where players can work out some rust and get ready for the long season ahead. But they aren't the only ones who can benefit from some time in the sun in either Arizona or Florida. Umpires also need it to get back into game shape after a long winter spent not making calls in meaningful games.

Quinn Wolcott knows what we're talking about. He was the first base ump in Tuesday's Angels-Rangers game and he had one of the funniest moments of the spring when he seemed to have a quick debate with himself before making the correct call on a close play at the bag.

Check out as he first looks to make a safe call, only to quickly seem to change to an out call, before going back and calling it safe.

Too funny. But hey, at least he got the call right. That's all fans really want to see from the guys in blue.

كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية أن ريال مدريد يستعد لتلقي عرض لخوض مباراة ودية استعدادًا لمنافسات الموسم المقبل 2026-2027.

وبحسب “ديفنسا سنترال” الإسبانية فإنه من المقرر أن يتلقى ريال مدريد عرضاً لخوض مباراة ودية في البرازيل، في أول زيارة من النادي إلى البلاد منذ عام 2000.

ويجري ريال مدريد حالياً استعداداته لجولة ما قبل موسم 2026، ورغم أن موعد الرحلة لا يزال بعيداً إلا أن الفريق عادة ما يخطط مسبقاً لذلك وقد تلقى بالفعل العديد من المقترحات التي لفتت الأنظار.

أقرأ أيضاً.. داني أولمو يتحدث عن موقف لامين يامال من منتخب إسبانيا.. وإشادة للاعب ريال مدريد

وتردد في وقت سابق أن العملاق الإسباني يدرس بدائل أخرى غير الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية للجولة التحضيرية ما قبل الموسم الصيف المقبل، وقد تصبح البرازيل خياراً محتملاً.

وقد تواصل المنظمون البرازيليين مع ريال مدريد لفكرة استضافة مباراة ودية قبل الصيف المقبل، وينتظر ريال مدريد حالياً عرضاً رسمياً.

ولم يحسم أي شئ بعد، لكن المنظمين في البرازيل يحرصون جداً على استضافة مباراة ودية مع ريال مدريد ولا يبدو أن الدعم المالي يمثل عائقاً ومن المتوقع ضخ استثمارات كبيرة.

وتعود آخر زيارة لريال مدريد إلى البرازيل في عام 2000 عندما شارك النادي في النسخة الأولى من بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، ولم يلعب النادي الاسباني سوى مرة واحدة عندما واجه فاسكو دي جاما في 8 فبراير 1961.