Tottenham Hotspur are now progressing towards a spectacular deal to sign an “extraordinary forward”, and a swift breakthrough on personal terms is likely.
Tottenham vying to sign new winger
In many ways, it has been a difficult summer for Tottenham, having missed out on Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White, leaving Daniel Levy with a lot of work to do before the transfer deadline, which is in less than one week’s time.
As we enter the final stages of the transfer window, Spurs appear to have three main targets on their transfer shortlist, all of whom enjoyed impressive 2024/25 campaigns.
Target
Current club
League G/A in 24/25
Rodrygo
Real Madrid
12
Maghnes Akliouche
AS Monaco
15
Savinho
Manchester City
11
However, it has proven to be difficult to get any deal over the line, with Real Madrid demanding around £86m for the Brazilian winger, while some Spurs chiefs are pessimistic about their chances of tempting Manchester City into a sale.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, however, a deal for Savinho is very much still on the cards, with talks now progressing, and Tottenham thundering towards what would be a spectacular signing.
The Lilywhites are in active talks over a deal for the 21-year-old, and Man City are now lining up a replacement, which suggests Pep Guardiola’s side will be willing to cash-in on the young winger before the September 1st deadline.
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Crucially, the starlet is keen on a move to north London, in order to become a key part of Thomas Frank’s project, which means a swift breakthrough on personal terms is now likely, although not yet agreed.
With discussions over a £70m+ deal progressing, it is now looking more likely the Brazil international will move to N17 before the deadline, which could be a major boost for Frank…
Savinho could be "extraordinary" signing for Spurs
Guardiola has previously made it clear he doesn’t want to see the winger leave, saying: “I am only concerned right now that Savinho will be with us for the rest of the season and hopefully many years, because of the potential he has at 21. He has to improve in final positions but he is an extraordinary player.”
It is true that the former Girona man is still raw, and his end product could be a lot better, having scored just one Premier League goal up to this point, but an assist tally of ten in his debut campaign at the Etihad Stadium is very impressive.
Tottenham desperately need to bolster their attacking options, and Savinho is the most exciting option on the shortlist, given that he is still only 21-years-old, and he has already proven himself in the Premier League, so it is exciting news that a deal is now looking more likely.
Celtic have had a mixed start to the season, and despite sitting top of the Scottish Premiership, failure to qualify for the Champions League and an inability to sign a new striker in the transfer window have dampened the mood at Celtic Park.
In the final few days of the window, Brendan Rodgers’ side were frantically trying to bring in a replacement for the departing Adam Idah. Celtic were in negotiations for Anderlecht’s Kasper Dolberg, but that move fell through with the Danish striker returning to his former club Ajax.
In an even more concerning turn of events, deadline day saw Celtic try to sign Chelsea’s David Datro Fofana, but the 22-year-old opted to attempt a loan move to Championship side Charlton instead.
While they failed to sign their final player in the window, the Bhoys have received the unique opportunity to bring in their much-desired striker.
Celtic's Iheanacho lifeline running out of time
Leicester City strikerKelechi Iheanacho.
Indeed, Celtic have received a second opportunity to sign their final striker target. On deadline day, the Hoops tried to sign Sevilla’s Kelechi Iheanacho, but this move did not materialise. However, Rodgers has been offered a transfer lifeline as Sevilla and Iheanacho have reached an agreement to terminate his contract. The Nigerian striker had one year left on his deal in Spain.
When revealing Celtic’s deadline day interest in Iheanacho, Anthony Joseph reported that it was the Scottish side’s second attempt to sign the midfielder as they also approached Sevilla about signing him in January, but he decided to go out on loan to Middlesbrough instead.
As a free agent, Celtic have the opportunity to recruit Iheanacho outside of the usual transfer window. However, time is still of the essence for Celtic as they have to submit their UEFA Europa League group stage squad by 11 pm on Tuesday. This means that if they want Iheanacho in Europe, they have to sign and register him as soon as possible.
Iheanacho can revitalise his career at Celtic
Some fans may be concerned that the striker they may end up with was quite a way down their shopping list and that his club would rather terminate his contract than keep him for another season. However, he has shown in the past that he is a more than capable striker who can help Celtic in their multiple cup campaigns.
British football fans will most likely be familiar with Iheanacho from his time in the Premier League with Manchester City and Leicester City. While he never set the world alight in England, he was always playing second fiddle to another striker.
In both Manchester and Leicester, he was rotated with club legends Sergio Aguero and Jamie Vardy, respectively, and he only reached 30 league appearances in a season on one occasion. This means that despite only averaging just over 8 goal involvements a season, he actually averaged a goal involvement about every 98 minutes of play time.
While the move to Sevilla undoubtedly didn’t work out, given a new opportunity and ample game time, Iheanacho has a good chance of rediscovering his Premier League form and prolificness in front of goal.
It would be fair to say that it’s been a reasonably successful transfer window for Manchester United so far this summer.
On top of shipping off a few unwanted stars, like Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund, they’ve massively improved Ruben Amorim’s attack.
The triumvirate of Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko, and Bryan Mbeumo has the potential to be one of the very best in the Premier League, although even with them in the side, there are a couple of areas that still need addressing.
Fortunately, it looks like the Red Devils are closing in on another signing who has been compared to Eric Cantona and could be viewed as a Mbuemo repeat.
Manchester United target their new Catona
According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United remain interested in signing Emiliano Martínez.
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In fact, the Italian journalist goes further, revealing that personal terms have now been agreed and that the Argentinian shot-stopper now “wants to join” the Red Devils.
Romano does not state just how much Aston Villa might want for their £150k-per-week star, but reports from earlier in the summer claimed that the Aston Villa ace may cost around £40m.
Even then, for a player of his quality, that may well be a price worth paying, especially as he has been compared to Cantona and could be seen in a similar light to Mbeumo.
How Martínez compares to Catona and Mbeumo
Before examining the reasons Martinez could be considered another Mbeumo for Manchester United, it’s worth looking into this comparison to Cantona, as the retired goalscorer is a legend of the club and English football.
In this instance, it stems from Sky Sports analyst Dougie Critchley, who boldly described the Argentine as the “Cantona of his generation.”
It might sound like a wild take, especially as the two internationals play, or played, in totally different positions, but when you take where they played out of the equation, it starts to make a lot more sense.
Outside of scoring for fun, what was the Frenchman known for? Arrogance and bravado.
Now, that might sound like a bad thing, and outside of football it may well be, but in the context of the beautiful game, it is most certainly a positive, and a massive one at that.
Eric Cantona – in-article
The former United magician was a natural-born entertainer and someone who thrived on the biggest stage, which is exactly how you would describe the World Cup-winning Villa man.
On top of pulling out world-class save after world-class save in the biggest games, he is a natural entertainer, someone rival fans love to hate, but would love to have at their club.
With that cleared up, why could he then also be another Mbeumo for Amorim and Co?
Well, this comparison is all down to the club signing a ready-made Premier League-proven superstar who could come right into the starting line-up for the next game.
Appearances
213
Goals Conceded
257
Clean Sheets
70
Points per Game
1.63
After all, the former Arsenal ace has won two of the last two Yashin Trophies and won two of the last three FIFA Best Goalkeeper awards.
As if that wasn’t enough, he also won last 24/25’s Premier League Save of the Season for his magnificent stop against Nottingham Forest.
Ultimately, Martinez possesses the same swagger and confidence as Cantona, and the proven track record of Mbuemo, so even if his price tag is a little high, Man United should do everything in their power to bring him to Old Trafford before 7pm.
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Arsenal supporters were all hoping their clubs would invest heavily in the squad this summer, but even the most optimistic Gooner must surely have been pleased, and surprised, by the extent of the summer recruitment.
On deadline day, Piero Hincapié was unveiled as the eighth summer signing, joining on loan from Bayer Leverkusen with an obligation to buy of around £45m, becoming the first Ecuadorian in the club’s history.
Before this, the Gunners had spent around £267m, bolstering all areas of their squad, after Mikel Arteta’s team were so significantly hampered by injuries last season.
While certain signings have garnered all the headlines, could one of Arsenal’s under-the-radar arrivals actually prove to be the best signing any Premier League club made this summer?
Arsenal's attacking reinforcements
We’ll ultimately never know, but it’s safe to assume that Arsenal would not have invested in their squad quite as heavily as they did, had current Premier League champions Liverpool, the side they’re ultimately attempting to dethrone, spent even more.
The Reds’ signed Alexander Isak for £125m on deadline day, shattering the Premier League record transfer fee, taking their summer outlay to around £450m, with Florian Wirtz’s £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen a short-lived British record.
The German is yet to sparkle in a Liverpool shirt, albeit it’s very early days, and he did score a scrumptious free-kick against Northern Ireland at RheinEnergieStadion last Sunday, showcasing his talent.
Isak meantime is, arguably, the best striker in the world, not a bad player to add to your squad if you’re Arne Slot, but it’ll be interesting to see how he fits in, considering fellow new recruit Hugo Ekitiké has already caught the eye, and how long he takes to get up to speed.
Nevertheless, the champions now possess an array of attacking talent, with Arsenal recruiting Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyökeres in response.
Eze is set to make his eagerly-anticipated home debut against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, while Gyökeres has earned mixed reviews so far, barely involved against Manchester United and Liverpool, but scoring a brace during the Gunners’ only home game to date, the 5-0 demolition of Leeds.
However, could a less heralded new recruit actually prove to be Arsenal’s best?
Arsenal's best summer signing
With Jorginho and Thomas Partey both departing Arsenal as free agents this summer, the base of their midfield has undergone a major revamp, and an important one at that, given that the player in this position is very much the nucleus of an Arteta team.
Martín Zubimendi is the new midfield fulcrum, arriving to little fanfare, even though he deserves much more.
There are a few reasons for this.
First, David Ornstein of the Athletic reported as far back as mid-January that his move from Real Sociedad was essentially a done deal, meaning by the time he arrived in July, most anticipation and excitement had subsided.
Also, at the time, Gyökeres was still yet to join, with Gooners fixated on the striker signing, unable to be pleased about anything else until that was done.
Nevertheless, Zubimendi is someone worth heralding, not least because the Spanish international turned down the chance to join Liverpool 12 months earlier, emphasising the attractiveness of moving to Arsenal.
The reason Zubimendi was so sort after is simply because he is an exceptional player, as the table below documents.
Attempted passes
1,772
21st
Passes into final 3rd
172
12th
Progressive passes
195
10th
Touches
2,131
18th
Touches mid 3rd
1,332
8th
Interceptions
44
12th
Blocks
42
16th
Ball recoveries
140
24th
Worth noting that Zubimendi’s statistics last season are all the more impressive given that his Real Sociedad side ended up 11th in La Liga, their lowest finish since 2018, losing almost half of their matches.
Upon his arrival in North London, Arteta spoke glowingly about his compatriot, praising his “football intelligence”, adding that he will bring “a huge amount of quality”, concluding that “he has all the attributes to be a key player”.
Already in Arsenal’s opening three matches, Zubimendi has been able to show what he is all about, completing 145 of his 167 passes, 11 of which have been into the final third, while 12 are categorised as progressive.
The 26-year-old may not be someone you’ve really noticed during Arsenal matches so far, more a player you need to witness in the flesh to truly appreciate, but he crucially has the capabilities to increase the Gunners’ speed of in-possession play, improving the team at both ends of the pitch.
If Arteta’s team do go on to achieve what they want to achieve this year, the £60m paid for Zubimendi’s signature will feel like a steal. Those on Anfield may well live to rue missing out on him a year ago…
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Liverpool won the Premier League last season and then underwent major surgery throughout the summer transfer window.
Perhaps you could frame the Reds as a team in transition. This could be asserted for the 2024/25 campaign, when Liverpool pranced their way through the term and, yes, won the league title in Arne Slot’s first year at the helm.
Maybe it could also be argued that this is a transitional year for Liverpool. After all, many ins and outs occurred down Anfield Road this summer.
Regardless of which side of the fence you stand on, none can argue that Slot’s Liverpool are not title contenders once again, having won all five of their opening Premier League fixtures to establish a five-point lead at the summit. It took them until November to achieve that last year.
It is early days, of course, but the Merseysiders are shaping into quite the force, having signed Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz and many more.
However, they are hardly impregnable, with Liverpool’s defensive issues made worse by the ACL injury sustained by Giovanni Leoni against Southampton on Tuesday evening in the Carabao Cup.
How Leoni's injury affects Liverpool
Leoni must be gutted. Impressive on his Liverpool debut after leaving Parma in the summer, the 18-year-old will now recover across his first campaign in England, unlikely to be match fit until the business end.
Liverpool centre-back Giovanni Leoni
He had looked calm and assured and confident on the ball. Sadly, this is a significant setback for one so young. It’s about now that sporting director Richard Hughes might lament Crystal Palace’s failure to sign a Guehi replacement at the end of the transfer window, thus ending a move that looked all but complete and a summer in the making.
Such is football, but there’s no question the Premier League champions are now one Virgil van Dijk injury away from alarm bells to start ringing, with a four-front charge for silverware currently underway.
Guehi, too, may be frustrated at how things have panned out, with his chances of regular football at Liverpool almost certain had he indeed finalised that last-minute move.
Crystal Palace'sMarcGuehilooks dejected.
Hughes and Slot may also be tacitly frustrated that they sold Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen for £35m, with the hierarchy unable to promise the homegrown talent regularity of minutes for the club.
But then there will also be much confidence in Liverpool’s capacity to pull through. The backline has been refashioned over the past few months.
However, Quansah’s isn’t the only signature that may have left with an air of ruefulness. In fact, far more regret could be attributed to the mood when Trent Alexander-Arnold left for Real Madrid in June.
Alexander-Arnold's value after leaving
Liverpool were hamstrung. Noise coming from the concerning contract situations of Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Alexander-Arnold dominated the 2024/25 campaign, Slot’s first at the helm.
It’s small wonder that many felt the Reds would fall apart following Jurgen Klopp’s departure, with the ‘big three’ all slated to follow him out the gates.
That wasn’t the case. The skipper and the attacking talisman both renewed their Liverpool vows, but Alexander-Arnold, 26, left for pastures new and is now a member of Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid team.
Premier League
257
18 (67)
Champions League
60
2 (13)
FA Cup
13
1 (3)
Carabao Cup
10
0 (6)
Europa League
5
0 (2)
Club World Cup
2
0 (1)
CL Qualifying
2
0 (1)
Community Shield
2
1 (0)
UEFA Super Cup
1
0 (0)
Hailed as a “generational” talent by content creator Asim Mahmood, Trent’s range of passing and his vision and inventions on the ball have
He might not be the answer to Liverpool’s central defensive issues right now, but it’s an underpinning of the upheaval that has beset Slot’s backline in recent months.
Having refused FSG’s offers, the England international was set to sign for Real Madrid on a free transfer before Florentino Perez decided to bring him over for the Club World Cup, paying the English outfit an £8m fee to release him from his contract several weeks early.
This is some distance below the figure Liverpool recouped from Quansah’s sale, and does at least highlight the club’s expertise at the negotiating table, spending heavily this summer but banking a pretty penny too.
Alas, what’s done is done, but Alexander-Arnold is one of the world’s best, even if he is struggling to click from the off with Los Blancos, in and out of the starting line-up before a cruel injury that has ruled him out of action for the foreseeable.
For Liverpool to have got anything from a player imminently out of contract is a testament to Hughes’ prowess behind the desk, but, as Transfermarkt record it, his market value has already shot back up to £66m, which stands taller than the £35m figure the Reds were willing to pay for Guehi.
Moreover, when Alexander-Arnold brings it all together in Spain – and he will – this value will only skyrocket further.
In spite of the signing of Frimpong, the continued development of Conor Bradley and Dominik Szoboszlai’s interesting rebrand into a right-back, when called upon, none of them is Trent.
Dominik Szoboszlai in action for Liverpool
He was truly one-of-a-kind, and the most painful part of all is that all of a red persuasion across Merseyside and beyond felt that he was on the pathway to immortality at Liverpool, sure to replace Van Dijk as club captain and then take his seat, one day, on a plinth beside Steven Gerrard.
“He’s been a superstar,” Alan Shearer said, acknowledging the Three Lions man at the end of his Premier League career.
Alexander-Arnold must always be treasured for his contribution toward a sustained period of success, but he sadly joins a different category now, and it’s one the fans will look back at regretfully for many years.
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Glasgow Rangers are already on the lookout to replace Russell Martin as manager, with an “amazing” individual admired by those high up at Ibrox.
Gers on the search for Ibrox saviour
Martin was relieved of his duties by the Gers on Sunday evening, following yet more dropped points in the Scottish Premiership, falling further behind Celtic in the process.
The limp 1-1 draw away to Falkirk proved to be the final straw for the Englishman, who had spent a tumultuous time in charge, consistently struggling to convince the fanbase, in terms of results, performances and tactics.
It’s now a case of Rangers looking for the right man to come in and replace Martin, with former Everton and Burnley boss Sean Dyche one of the names thrown into the hat recently. His style of play is completely different, but it is arguably what the Gers need, and the 54-year-old is thought to be keen on taking the job.
It is important that the club take their time in finding Martin’s replacement, however, following a period of struggle, and now another name has been mentioned as an option for the Scottish giants.
Rangers eyeing "amazing" 4-2-3-1 manager
According to talkSPORT, Danny Rohl has emerged as a target for Rangers, with the German currently without a job after departing Sheffield Wednesday in the summer.
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The report states that the 36-year-old is “appreciated by senior figures” at Ibrox, with former Gers manager Steven Gerrard also in the mix to return to the club.
Sheffield Wednesday manager DannyRohl
Rohl would be an exciting choice by Rangers, considering he is a young manager with fresh ideas, being hailed by Wednesday legend Chris Waddle for the job he did in tough circumstances at Hillsborough.
The 4-2-3-1-playing Rohl would hopefully bring improved man management compared to Martin, who openly criticised his players after the opening game of the season, and he did a superb job in steering Wednesday clear of relegation in 2023/24, having looked doomed when he arrived.
A “sensational” £100m midfielder has now emerged as Manchester United’s top midfield target ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba, with Ruben Amorim personally keen.
Man Utd keen on new midfielder amid Bruno concerns
Amorim has been forced to find a way to fit talisman Bruno Fernandes into his system, but there are concerns about whether the Portugal international is suited to playing in central midfield, with ex-Chelsea man Craig Burley criticising his positional awareness.
Burley said: “They have got no legs in midfield, we’ve talked about this with Casemiro and Ugarte. Bruno Fernandes is playing there, but it’s not his position.
“He doesn’t understand the defensive aspects and the positional aspects of being a deeper-lying midfielder. And it also negates, which we’ve talked about at length, his ability to influence 30 yards further up the field.”
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Perhaps with that in mind, the Red Devils have set out to bring in a new central midfielder, and summer target, Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, has remained on the shortlist, with a report from early September revealing plans to smash their transfer record in 2026.
However, according to a report from The i Paper, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton has now overtaken Baleba as Man United’s top target in midfield, with Amorim personally keen, as the manager is a fan of his directness and willingness to pass forward.
The Brighton midfielder, on the other hand, has made a disappointing start to the season, which has caused United to think twice about pursuing the Cameroonian, with one insider saying: “A calming influence, a midfielder on a different level with the ball at his feet wouldn’t go amiss right now,”
“Baleba can get about the pitch more, but does he possess Wharton’s quality on the ball? The club could do with the latter.”
"Sensational" Wharton would be very different option to Baleba
The Palace star, who reportedly has a price tag of £100m, is a very different type of player to Baleba, posing more of an attacking threat, while, as previously mentioned, expressing a willingness to drive the ball forward, which is why he has caught Amorim’s eye.
Average per 90 (past year)
Adam Wharton
Carlos Baleba
Assists
0.15
0
Shot-creating actions
3.94
1.88
Progressive passes
5.98
3.33
Tackles
1.90
2.47
Interceptions
1.39
1.53
As shown, the Cameroon international excels more from a defensive point of view, which suggests he is more of a like-for-like replacement for Casemiro, although there have recently been widespread reports suggesting the ex-Real Madrid man could sign a new contract.
As such, Baleba may not be a necessary signing, and it is probably a wise idea to focus on signing Wharton, who has received very high praise from Sky Sports’ Nubaid Haroon in the past.
Celtic return from the latest international break with a trip to Dundee in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, as they aim to return to the top of the table.
Brendan Rodgers and his men are currently two points behind Hearts in the top-flight table, which is not where they want to be, heading into this weekend’s fixtures.
Despite it being the middle of October, with an international break having just finished and a league game on the horizon, Celtic are also having to deal with a transfer rumour.
It was reported on Thursday that the Scottish giants are set to complete a deal to sign central midfielder Bobby Clark from Austrian side RB Salzburg to bolster their options in the middle of the park.
However, as shown in the video above, Derby County manager John Eustace, who has the midfielder on loan from Salzburg, was unaware of any potential transfer.
The latest news on Bobby Clark to Celtic
It had been reported that the Hoops had agreed a £6m deal with Salzburg to sign the former Liverpool central midfielder once the January transfer window opens for business at the start of next year.
A fresh update has emerged on the situation, though, and provided some much-needed context that supporters who were excited about the potential signing may not be too pleased with.
CeltsAreHere claims that there has been no contact between Celtic and RB Salzburg about a deal for Clark, much less a deal agreed between the two clubs for his services.
The report adds that there may be interest from the Hoops in the English midfield whiz, but that has not extended to them agreeing a deal to sign him ahead of the January window, at least at this moment in time.
This suggests that the initial report that claimed a deal was in place to sign the 20-year-old talent was wide of the mark, and that may not be a bad thing for Celtic, based on Clark’s form in the last 18 months or so.
Appearances
17
8
Starts
7
5
Goals
1
0
Key passes per game
0.6
0.4
Assists
0
0
Tackles + interceptions per game
0.8
1.1
Duel success rate
35%
35%
As you can see in the table above, the £6m-rated starlet struggled for starts at Salzburg before his loan move to Derby, where he has struggled in and out of possession in the Championship.
A theme across both campaigns seems to be that he has failed to deliver consistent quality at the top end of the pitch, whilst also being dominated by opposition players in physical duels in the middle of the park.
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Clark is a young player, at the age of 20, who has plenty of time left to develop and improve in the years to come, but his form for Salzburg and Derby does not suggest that he would immediately improve Rodgers’ squad.
In fact, Celtic currently have a rotation option in their midfield ranks who is even better than the former Liverpool midfielder at this moment in time, Luke McCowan.
Why Celtic do not need Bobby Clark
The Scottish giants do not need to sign Clark from Salzburg to add more depth to their midfield ranks because they already have plenty of options in those positions.
Benjamin Nygren and Reo Hatate have been the regular first-choice number eights for Rodgers in the Premiership so far this season, with Paulo Bernardo, Arne Engels, and McCowan in reserve.
McCowan’s performances for Celtic as a back-up central midfielder since his £1m move from Dundee at the start of the 2024/25 campaign prove that the Hoops do not need Clark, as the Scottish ace is a terrific option to bring off the bench and start when needed.
The left-footed star has only started three of his seven appearances in the Premiership during the 2025/26 campaign, per Sofascore, which shows that he is not a first-choice option in one of the two number eight slots in midfield.
McCowan was once described as a “game winner” by pundit Marvin Bartley, and that was proven to be accurate on the opening day of this season against St Mirren.
The 27-year-old midfield magician has proven to be an effective operator when called upon by Rodgers, with one goal and one ‘big chance’ created in three league starts this term.
That comes after an eye-catching return of eight goals and eight assists in 36 appearances in the Premiership last season, per Sofascore, despite only starting 16 of those outings, whilst Clark scored one goal and failed to provide any assists at league level in that time.
xG
0.31
Top 3%
Goals
0.46
Top 4%
Shots on target
1.26
Top 3%
xA
0.40
Top 3%
Assists
0.46
Top 5%
Chances created
2.51
Top 5%
As you can see in the table above, McCowan was one of the most effective attacking midfielders in the Premiership last term, with an exceptional haul of 0.92 goals and assists per 90 on average.
The former Dundee star may not go on to be sold for £25m like Matt O’Riley, because he is not a young player with potential, but he still has plenty left to give at the age of 27.
This means that Celtic and Rodgers should not be in any rush to replace McCowan in the squad any time soon, because they will struggle to find a replacement who can be as effective in as limited a role as the Scottish ace is.
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Therefore, the Hoops should not worry too much about pursuing a deal to sign Clark for £6m from Salzburg, because they already have a better central midfielder who is not starting games regularly for them.
After watching on as Celtic fell further behind in the Scottish Premiership last weekend, Chris Sutton and Kris Boyd had a lengthy chat about Brendan Rodgers’ future.
Rodgers blasts unacceptable Celtic
The Scottish Premiership champions are beginning to falter under Rodgers. The Bhoys now find themselves as many as five points behind Hearts and Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of Dundee only compiled their misery.
With their European form creeping into their domestic outings, questions will continue to be asked about Celtic’s summer recruitment. Many around Celtic Park were far from confident that club chiefs had done enough in the summer and have since been proved right.
Rodgers, however, took aim at the players that he did have at his disposal against Dundee rather than those that Celtic missed out on in the summer.
The former Leicester City manager told reporters: “I just said that this is where you really have to be a man, because at Celtic it’s great from the outside when you look in and you win in trophies and playing great football, but you’ve got to deal with pressure.
“And also the result and performance today isn’t good enough or acceptable for Celtic. I’ve come here a number of times over a number of years, and that today is not the level, so we have to find it.”
At a time when Rodgers’ future remains so uncertain, the Bhoys’ current form is far from ideal. The manager is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal and one Sky pundit has already delivered a worrying verdict about his time at Celtic.
Sutton reacts to damaging Rodgers claim
Speaking about the future of Celtic’s manager after his side’s defeat against Dundee, Sutton reacted to Boyd’s claim that Rodgers is publicly looking for a Premier League job.
Sutton replied to Boyd’s verdict by asking: “Did he say that?
“I think he took a bit of responsibility there [in his post-match interview]. He said it was his issue to get the team playing better.
“He will point – and I think fairly so – to rotten recruitment.
“You look in the final third for that spark and the players who have left and have they replaced them. I get the argument but should the team be playing better?”
Whether Celtic are in for a repeat remains to be seen, but they must turn their form around with or without their manager. Up next, the Scottish champions play host to SK Sturm Graz in the Europa League, where they’ll hope to pick up the first win of their European campaign.
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Then, as if things couldn’t get more difficult, the Bhoys travel to face league leaders Hearts. Lose that and they will be as many as eight points behind the unexpected leaders with plenty of football left to play. Simply put, it is a massive week for Celtic’s season.
Daniel Farke, manager of Leeds United, has provided an update on injuries within his squad ahead of their Sunday clash with Nottingham Forest.
Last season, at the second time of asking, Farke led Leeds back to the Premier League as centurions and winners of the Championship. After 10 games in the top flight, the Whites have picked up 11 points as, alongside Sunderland and Burnley, the newly-promoted teams have enjoyed promising starts to the campaign.
Leeds are certainly at their best when at home, having lost only to Tottenham Hotspur in five games at Elland Road. On the road, however, Leeds have just one win, which came against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Not only have they lost the other four matches, but excluding the win over Wolves, Leeds have not scored away from home.
The Whites are next in action on Sunday when they travel to face Forest, who have not won in the Premier League since their opening day victory against Brentford.
Sean Dyche oversaw a victory against Porto in the Europa League on his debut as Forest manager, having since lost to Bournemouth as well as draws with Man United and Sturm Graz.
Ahead of their visit to the City Ground, Farke has revealed which of his players have faced fitness setbacks.
Farke reveals Leeds pair are struggling with injury
Signed for just over £5 million in the summer from Wolfsburg, Sebastiaan Bornauw was recruited to serve as depth to pre-existing centre-back options Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon, along with fellow summer addition Jaka Bijol.
Yet to make his Premier League debut for the Whites, Bornauw has played just once for the club, when he featured against Sheffield Wednesday in the Carabao Cup. Farke has now revealed that the Belgian is struggling with a new injury suffered behind closed doors.
Elsewhere within the team, it will be a “late call” whether Dominic Calvert-Lewin can play against Forest. The former Everton striker has been brilliant for Leeds, giving them a physical outlet up front that has allowed them to compete in the Premier League.
Lukas Nmecha is a serviceable back-up option, but Leeds will hope that both Bornauw and Calvert-Lewin are not absent for too long. Given that, including Joel Piroe, no Leeds striker has been a consistent goal threat this season, it may be that Farke could soon turn to some younger options within his squad.
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