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Celtic are well underway regarding their transfer business and have now reportedly opened talks to bring a striker to Parkhead this month as Brendan Rodgers looks to bolster his squad.

Celtic's transfer priorities…

Scottish Premiership champions the Hoops will be optimistic that they can retain their crown this campaign by the time all is said and done in May; however, Rodgers will know that his side's activity on the transfer front this month will go a long way to deciding the destination of the Scottish title.

In all honesty, the Hoops have been quiet in the market so far, like is the case with many clubs at this stage in the campaign, though Rapid Vienna winger Nicolas Kuhn looks set to be their first addition of the window. Finer details of the deal are currently under discussion and the 24-year-old has missed out on a mid-season camp friendly against Weiner SC to keep himself fit before moving to Glasgow.

Celtic to spring out of nowhere for “flamboyant” £3.4m target – report

It’s been quiet on the transfer front for months, but Celtic could now come alive.

By
David Comerford

Jan 13, 2024

Taking to social media platform X, Football Scotland journalist Mark Hendry has indicated that reinforcements at left-back and centre-forward could be next on the agenda at Parkhead.

Reports elsewhere claim that Bologna will look to part ways with Dutch striker Sydney van Hooijdonk after they take on Cagliari in Serie A on Sunday and Celtic have been mentioned as his potential next destination. Now, another striker has entered the frame as a source of goals Rodgers could look to acquire in the January transfer window, according to a fresh report.

Celtic open Mathias Kvistgaarden talks…

According to Football Insider, Celtic have opened talks with Brondby regarding striker Mathias Kvistgaarden amid their need to add further attacking options due to Oh Hyeon-gyu, Daizen Maeda and Yang Hyun-jun being away on Asian Cup duty.

The outlet claim the versatile 21-year-old has emerged as an option due to his standout performances in Denmark this campaign and could be accompanied by a central midfielder in Glasgow, with Rodgers keen to also boost his options in the engine room.

Labelled "fantastic" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Denmark Under-21 international has registered seven goals and seven assists in 21 appearances across all competitions this term (Kvistgaarden statistics – Transfermarkt).

Celtic are in need of a different avenue to utilise in attack over the next few weeks and Kvistgaarden could provide some firm competition for Kyogo Furuhashi if he does indeed move to Glasgow this month, making this one to watch.

Thiago and Liverpool fans have had something of a love-hate relationship since the Spain international joined the club from Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window of 2020 for a fee worth around £20m.

Although he has often been lauded as Liverpool's "best player", notably by John Barnes, his injury proneness creates a distaste in some fans' mouths, as he can never seem to play for the squad consistently.

For a player of Thiago's stature within the team, is something of a headache for Jurgen Klopp. As, when available, he is one of Liverpool's most creative players. This is shown by his goal contributions with the midfielder having contributed to a total of nine goals since his switch to Anfield.

His goal against Porto in the 2021 edition of the Champions League in particular is one of the Spaniard's finest moments in a Liverpool shirt.

It's moments like this where the £20m spent on the now 32-year-old seems like a bargain. However, as such has been the case throughout his stint in Merseyside, Thiago has been plagued with injuries.

As per TNT Sports, the midfielder has missed a total of 102 games through injury whilst being employed by the club.

This total is so high that it even exceeds the number of times he has played for the club, as the Spain international has only played 98 times for Liverpool. That number is set to increase too after he cruelly picked up a fresh setback in the defeat to Liverpool.

Statistics like these are hard to overlook and there is no wonder why the future of the Spain international is up in the air. His contract is set to expire at the end of the season with a renewal not yet being on the table.

Liverpool's answer to the void left by Thiago

Although Liverpool made four additions to their engine room over the course of the summer transfer window, there was one "great" youngster – as he was labelled by Klopp – at the club who had been given some consistent game time throughout the 2022/23 season.

That player was Stefan Bajcetic. The midfielder is just 19-years-old and yet, he was a recurring fixture in Klopp's starting XI last term.

Playing a total of 26 times over the course of the campaign for the Reds last season, Bajcetic was one of the more consistent midfielders within the squad.

It was the defensive midfielder's first season with the senior squad, making his Premier League debut during the Reds' historic clash against Bournemouth on the 27th August, where they triumphed 9-0 over the newly promoted side.

Bajcetic came on in the 70th minute and was deployed at right-back. According to Sofascore, during his time on the pitch, he managed to win both of his attempted ground duels and 12/15 of his attempted passes were successful.

League games played

11

League starts

6

Goals

1

Key passes per game

0.4

Tackles per game

0.8

Interceptions per game

0.8

Duels won per game

3.1

Average pass success

79%

When this is compared to Kostas Tsimikas' contribution, who also came on at around the 70th minute, the Greece international didn't manage to attempt any ground or aerial duels and only managed ten accurate passes.

This puts into perspective how up to speed Bajcetic was already, despite never playing a senior game.

Why Bajcetic is the answer Klopp has been looking for

Bajcetic's involvement last season was also cut short due to injury. However, he has since returned to first-team training, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

As the end of the season edges ever closer, Liverpool's title hopes are becoming more and more of a reality.

They currently sit top of the Premier League table with 54 points and have only lost two Premier League games all season.

Without a doubt, the re-introduction of Bajcetic could become vital to the Reds' hopes. Wataru Endo is currently the club's only natural defensive midfielder, however, with the 19-year-old coming back into the picture, some of the pressure can be eased off of the shoulders of the Japan international.

The pair could rotate each game and ensure that each other aren't being overplayed, which could result in further injuries to the Reds' squad. Despite the additions made in summer, the main area in which Liverpool's medical team are currently busiest is the centre of the park.

Each of, Thiago, Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all set to be absent from the squad. So, with the return of Bajcetic edging closer, he could make a real difference to Klopp's ambitions for the season.

Streameast, known as one of the world's largest illegal sports streaming platforms, has been shut down, per a new report.

• Streameast shut down after sting 
• Investigation lasted over a year
• Had over 1.6 billion views a month

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Athletic reports that a United States-based anti-piracy organisation has claimed that Streameast has been shut down after a year-long investigation. The network had over 80 unauthorised domains through which users could watch live sport for free, including matches in the Premier League, the Champions League and the NBA, among others. Over 1.6 billion users are said to have visited Streameast over the last 12 months. 

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The operation to "disrupt" Streameast was led by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, which is a coalition of multiple streaming services, and Egyptian police. Two men have been arrested in Cairo and detained. Amazinly, LeBron James may have played a role in the shutdown, as he was seen courtside watching an NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks on Streameast.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  A separate sting operation, led by La Liga, took place in Argentina this week, with multiple streaming services also disrupted in Latin America amid the ongoing fight against piracy. 

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Such is the nature of these services, it is possible that more streaming channels will open up, but they are likely to be chased just as doggedly by law enforcement. 

Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar impressed against Sri Lanka in a reshaped Australia T20 attack

Alex Malcolm02-Nov-2019

Twelve months ago, Australia went into a home T20I against South Africa without a specialist spinner.It was a rain-shortened 10-over game but it was the second time since the 2016 T20 World Cup that they had opted not to pick a frontline spinner in home conditions, having only once picked two in a side at home in that time.Yet 12 months out from a home World Cup, it’s looking increasingly likely that Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar could be key pillars in Australia’s specifically designed five-man attack in home conditions, following their success as a pair in the 3-0 whitewash of Sri Lanka.Agar and Zampa were Australia’s two most economical bowlers for the series, conceding just 5.33 runs per over each, and taking eight wickets between them. At the MCG on Friday night, they bowled five overs straight in tandem without conceding a boundary to restrict Sri Lanka as they attempted to make a competitive total. Agar conceded just one boundary for the series, Zampa only three.Both came in for special praise from player of the series David Warner post-match. “The two spinners for me have been the stand-out,” he said. “Their lengths have been great, they haven’t been hit for many boundaries and they’re getting in and out of their over very well. So that’s very pleasing for us on a bowling front.”They have benefitted greatly from the work done by the quicks in the powerplay – Sri Lanka were 3 for 29, 2 for 36, and 2 for 41 after six overs each time they came on to bowl – and they will need to be tested under tougher circumstances, but it seems Australia may have stumbled on a combination after so many years of trial error with their spin department.Both Zampa and Agar have found themselves in and out of favour at different times. Mitch Swepson played a T20I in England last year before Agar filled the role on his own in Zimbabwe with the part-time support of Glenn Maxwell and D’Arcy Short. Zampa returned in the UAE in favour of Agar and had Nathan Lyon join him in one game. It was felt that Australia’s Test offspinner, who made his name in T20 cricket and has a better career economy rate than both Zampa and Agar, could fill a permanent role.No spinner was used in the first game at home against South Africa last summer before Zampa was the solo frontliner for Australia’s next five T20Is against India.Adam Zampa was excellent against Sri Lanka•Getty Images

But with a rethink in Australia’s batting strategy, with no Short or Marcus Stoinis present in the top order thanks to Warner and Steve Smith’s return, Australia have got creative with the pivotal No. 7 role, opting for the specialist spinner in Agar who can hit if required, rather than the specialist bat who can share four overs with Maxwell.They have discovered on the huge grounds in Australia, that it could prove a winning formula.”I think it’s important to have those options especially when you have a left-arm and a leg-spinner,” Australia captain Aaron Finch said. “When Maxi [Maxwell] is playing he offers that off-spinning role as well which can give someone a chop if they’re not having their best day. The two spinners, all the stats suggest the runs per over from spinners are lower in this country than quicks and I think that’s based off ground size, how true the wickets are too.”It’s not a non-negotiable but structuring up for these two series we’ve felt that it was our best five bowlers going forward. Agar offers that brilliance in the field, very good with bat when he’s playing well, he just hasn’t had the opportunity yet, which is also a good thing that our No. 7 and No. 6 haven’t had a hit. At some stage, he’ll no doubt get his opportunity with the bat and do really well.”Finch was also really pleased with Zampa’s form. There was some pressure on the legspinner following an underwhelming World Cup where much was expected from him. Cameron Boyce’s name continues to be thrown up given his equally good overall T20 record, but Zampa has answered any critics thus far.”His length has been really important,” Finch said. “I think everyone, I know I did in particular, overplayed how big an impact spin would have in the World Cup. Everyone felt at that time of the year with a lot of matches being played on surfaces that spin would play a huge part. England grounds are bloody small. If you get it slightly wrong you get hurt, especially as a spinner. That was one thing we overplayed slightly.”He’s bowling beautifully at the moment. His length is great, he’s not giving batsmen width, he’s defending his overs really well. To get in and out of your overs is so crucial in T20 cricket and he’s doing that really well and having that experience playing at the MCG which is very short straight over the last few years in the Big Bash think that’s helped him a lot in his T20 cricket.”It’s taken Australia longer than most to embrace the importance of spin in T20 but now it’s looking like a key element of their bid for a home world title.

Much of Newcastle United's January transfer window has been centred around potential departures, as they look to balance the books and stay within the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules. However, into the final week of the winter window, the Magpies could turn their attention to a surprising reinforcement.

Newcastle transfer news

So far this month, and more so in the last week, we've seen Miguel Almiron heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia side Al-Shabab, Callum Wilson linked with a number of Premier League clubs in a deal worth £18m, and Kieran Trippier linked with a winter switch to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

Yet, as the deadline approaches, none of the aforementioned stars have sealed an exit away from St James' Park. Instead, Eddie Howe could welcome a bargain transfer to reinforce his midfield.

According to Aaron Stokes, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is a name being discussed behind the scenes at St James' Park by Newcastle. The reporter told The Chronicle: "There's one name that has been bubbling away under the surface and that is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg."

The Premier League's profit and sustainability rules state that clubs are only allowed to record a loss of £105m in the space of three seasons. Newcastle's loss in that time reportedly stands at £155m. And although investment into the women's team, charity foundation and academy don't count towards the final figure, PIF are certainly walking a fine line.

Given Hojbjerg's struggle for game time under Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur, the Dane is certainly in need of a move away this month, and Newcastle could offer him exactly that. It's a deal that could suit the Magpies too, as they look to avoid spending big whilst still welcoming key additions.

"Important" Hojbjerg can provide short-term solution

With summer signing Sandro Tonali still serving his long-term ban for breaching betting rules and Joelinton now sidelined with a long-term injury, Newcastle have been left short on options in midfield. But that's where a player of Hojbjerg's experience can come in. The Denmark international is a player who has played on the biggest stage and one who has earned the praise of Postecoglou, despite falling down the pecking order.

Postecoglou said via The Independent: “I don’t think there was any time during the transfer window where I thought Pierre would move,” Postecoglou insisted. The discussions I had with him were that he was here and wanted to contribute, he wanted to be part of what we were building.

“It is obvious someone that has played regularly would have wanted to play more but ultimately our performances have been strong and he has had to bide his time. He has also been very important in a lot of the games that we’ve won late or had to shore up late. He has been one of the people who has helped us and it is not like he hasn’t contributed at all. He’s been a really important part for us."

MatériaMais Notícias

da lvbet： Cria de Xerém, Ramon é um dos diversos jogadores que o Fluminense projetou para o futebol. Apesar de não ter tido oportunidades, em 2019 Ramon foi emprestado ao CSA, porém, na mesma temporada teve sua primeira experiência internacional. Na ocasião, o atacante foi transferido para o mercado asiático, mas precisamente para o futebol japonês, quando reforçou o Ryukyu.

RelacionadasFutebol InternacionalAlex Brilhante vive grande fase na SuéciaFutebol Internacional15/02/2021São PauloAtaque forte com leves alterações: os caminhos do São Paulo para a vitóriaSão Paulo14/02/2021BrasileirãoInter, Flamengo e São Paulo vencem e acirram disputa; Flu está na Liberta e Vasco, no Z4. Veja classificação!Brasileirão14/02/2021

da dobrowin： No ano passado, permaneceu no país e chamou atenção do dirigentes do Gainare Tottori, que pediram sua contratação. Para 2021, retornou de empréstimo ao clube detentor do seu passe (Ryukyu). Ramon falou sobre como está sendo sua adaptação, as diferenças de estilo de jogo e possível retorno ao Brasil.

– Está sendo muito boa, estou amadurecendo como pessoa aprendendo outra cultura. Eles me receberem super bem, o futebol é um muito rápido, de muita transição totalmente diferente do Brasil, aqui é mais corrido. Sobre um dia voltar, penso sim, não sei quando, mas está nos meus planos. Tem uns clubes no Brasil que eu penso em jogar – afirmou.

Muito perto de garantir sua sétima participação na Libertadores, o Fluminense ocupa atualmente a 5ª colocação do Campeonato Brasileiro. A equipe ainda enfrenta Ceará (fora), Santos (casa) e Fortaleza (casa). Ramon acredita que o Tricolor não terá problemas de estar novamente na competição.

– Tenho acompanhado os noticiários e vejo os melhores momentos, devido ao fuso horário, é muito complicado conseguir ver todos os jogos. Mas creio que com o futebol que estão jogando, sem dúvida eles irão se classificar. Marcão entrou e ajeitou o time, misturou a garotada da base com a experiência de alguns jogadores, está dando super certo – concluiu.

Coach Ravi Shastri, too, quashed reports of “divisions” in the dressing room

Vishal Dikshit in Mumbai29-Jul-20192:30

Reports of rift with Rohit ‘baffling’ and ‘ridiculous’ – Kohli

India captain Virat Kohli is “baffled” about media reports that have surfaced recently about fights or rifts between him and ODI vice-captain Rohit Sharma. Kohli also said it was “absolutely ridiculous” and “disrespectful” to bring players’ personal lives into the picture when the team’s focus has been on taking Indian cricket to the top.Rumours of a rift between Kohli and Rohit had emerged after India’s semi-final exit at the World Cup with some media reports saying there were differences between the two players about split captaincy.”In my opinion, it’s baffling, to be honest. It’s absolutely ridiculous to read such stuff that comes out there,” Kohli said in Mumbai before the team’s departure for the tour of the USA and the West Indies. “I mean I’ve been to a few public events and the public sentiment that I’ve seen – everyone comes up and says, ‘ (you guys played so well). We have so much respect for you’. And here we are feeding off lies, we are overlooking facts, we are turning a blind eye to all the good things that have happened and creating fantasies and scenarios in our head and we want to accept that this is the truth. And I’ve seen this for too long now, you know bringing personal lives into the picture, it’s disrespectful at the moment. I’ve played the game for 11 years, Rohit has played for 10 years. It’s bizarre that you people are creating this on the outside when, as I said, [so much] about the change room environment.”If the team environment was not good, we wouldn’t have played the way we have in the last two-three years. I know very well how important the dressing-room environment and the trust factor are to succeed in international cricket. If that wasn’t there, we wouldn’t have been here in world cricket. Our journey from No. 7 to 1 [in Tests] and getting this consistency in ODIs and the way we’ve been strong in T20s as well. I know environment is very important. To get from No. 7 to 1…that camaraderie wouldn’t have been there without the respect and understanding.”Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli run during their second-wicket stand•Associated PressHead coach Ravi Shastri soon interrupted and quashed any such reports of “divisions” in the dressing room, by calling it “nonsense”.”The way this team plays, no individual is bigger than the game. Not me, not him, nobody in the game,” Shastri said. “And the way they play, it’s in the interest of the team. You can’t have the kind of consistency across formats if you have, like you mentioned, rifts or divisions, or whatever. It is not possible. So when you play on the cricket field, in that dressing room, I’ve been part of it for some time, and none of that nonsense [is] there.”The various media reports that Kohli was asked about were of possible rifts between him and Rohit, and the captain was even asked about how he felt when he saw media reports of players’ wives and management companies also fighting.Kohli was also asked if the current scenario reminded him of MS Dhoni’s situation on the Australia tour of 2011-2012, when the former captain had admitted that coming face to face with team-mates Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir had become “awkward after there were media reports of divisions in the dressing room.”I’ll tell you something about myself. If I don’t like a person, I’m insecure of a person, you’ll see it on my face or in my behavior towards the person,” Kohli explained. “That’s how simple it is. I’ve always praised Rohit when I’ve had an opportunity, I believe he’s that good, I’ve had no issues. As I said, it’s baffling, to be honest. I don’t know who is benefitting from all of this. We here are living, breathing, working towards getting Indian cricket to the top and here people want to get some kind of pleasure in bringing this up. I don’t understand how that works.”I mean you work hard for seven years to bring a team from No. 7 to 1, and after four years what are we talking about. Within the team it’s for everyone to see what kind of camaraderie and friendship and it’s evident on the field. You can’t play with that kind of passion if people don’t get along with each other, it’s as simple as that. It’s baffling and it’s time we focus on taking Indian cricket forward and not on things that are not even there at the moment.”

Australia’s joint vice-captain knows that he will need to be patient and show a more measured approach to have success in English conditions

Daniel Brettig at Edgbaston30-Jul-2019Wielding his bat like a cutlass and swinging it with enough gusto to twice be caught at third man against India last summer, Travis Head would not, at first glance, look like an Australian player ideally suited to the subtleties required to bat successfully in England.There have been numerous similarly swashbuckling Australian talents who never quite cracked it in England, not least Doug Walters and David Hookes, when confronted by slower surfaces and the moving ball. Adding to the difficulty for Head is another matter of more recent history – he is too young to remember Australia winning a series in England, having been seven years old when a team led by Steve Waugh rushed to a 3-0 lead and ultimately a 4-1 final margin in 2001.”2001, very early days, I probably didn’t watch much of it. I was probably asleep most of the time,” Head said with a laugh. “Yeah, probably ’05 [was first memory]. Obviously the last one, coming to Trent Bridge, I only watched the first couple of sessions.”I was over here when Ash [Agar] got 98 [in 2013]. I think I was watching it with a mate in the Greek islands. I went to The Oval and watched Smudge [Steven Smith] get a hundred. So I’ve watched a bit of cricket here. I loved watching India here last year as well. It’s a place where you get exciting cricket. So looking forward to get involved with it.”ALSO READ: James Anderson the key as Glenn McGrath ‘sits on fence’ in Ashes predictionBack in November, Head was discarded from Australia’s ODI team at an inopportune time for anyone wanting to go to England for the World Cup – something Head clearly wanted. However, it also provided useful clarity in terms of what his goals should be, something added to when he acquitted himself more than adequately against Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka in his first three Test series – those edges to third man aside.After the SCG Test, Head was left with some regrets about not finishing off the series well, something he atoned for while striding to a century against Sri Lanka in Canberra in Australia’s last Test before the Ashes. Given that two other centurions for that match, Kurtis Patterson and Joe Burns, did not make the final Ashes squad, Head had to have done more work in the interim.”I think for a long part of my career, I was a bit, not reckless but I took the game on,” he said. “But as I’ve matured a little bit and played a lot more cricket, I’ve got more of an understanding of how I want to play on different wickets, especially in the last 12 months. Being able to adapt to wickets throughout the country in Australia and over here, and how I adapt my game it has been probably a more mature approach.”I’ve taken more time and tried to give myself a chance a bit more than I did when I was younger. As I’ve played more cricket and got more experience, I’ve been able to do that, and I found that the other week batting with Wadey [Matthew Wade, for Australia A against England Lions]. It was nice to spend time in the middle, and I’ve played a bit of cricket over here so I know what to expect. It’s about making sure I let them bowl to me, but also making sure that I’m still positive and don’t change my natural instincts.Travis Head celebrates a century•Getty Images

“So when there’s a chance to score, score, because we’re there to get runs and it can be quite difficult to get runs over here. So when they’re on offer we have to make sure we take it, but also making sure we do it for a long period of time.”The battles against India, Jasprit Bumrah in particular, have stuck in Head’s memory bank ahead of likely duels with the similarly precise James Anderson, among others. “Looking back at the way I batted in Adelaide and knowing the conditions and not trying to drive the ball, just let the ball come,” he said. “I think I did a really good job in Adelaide and Perth of doing that, then got a little bit greedy in Melbourne and Sydney when the wickets were better and I wasn’t able to do it for long enough.”So it was nice to get through to the back end of the summer against Sri Lanka and be able to go out there and do it for a long period of time, to get a big score on a wicket on day one where it still did a bit. I was able to let the ball come, and do all the things I was able to do throughout the summer. It’s going to be a real key focus. I understand the England bowlers will put me under pressure and test that patience, I guess. For me, it’s about making sure I continue being as positive as I can be and moving the game, but also giving myself the best chance to get big hundreds and to be putting us into great positions.”Alongside Pat Cummins, Head was anointed co-deputy to Tim Paine during the Sri Lanka series, after the roles were passed on from Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh. Anyone thinking this premature, needed only look at how Head had been made South Australia’s captain in 2015, aged 21, and followed by building his batting record and consistency while helping the state to a pair of Sheffield Shield finals. He will, in England, be looking for advice from Smith and David Warner, both still barred from formal leadership roles.”I think I just look back on the captains that I’ve had – Michael Klinger, Johan [Botha],” Head said. “Just taking little bits out of everyone. I obviously had Steve for a lot of my one-day career, Painey’s been fantastic and it was nice to field next to him at first slip in the A tour because I got a great understanding of the way he thought about the game. I think in my first few years, I was trying to find that and probably looked at the job higher than what it was.”But I think in the last few years I’ve really taken a good focus, just making sure that my role is no bigger than anyone else’s, and just ticking off all the boxes for the boys, and just being there and creating a really good environment. Being really calm and consistent in the way I go about things, and trying to make it as good an environment as I possibly can. That’s been my focus and I see that as my role here, making sure that I’m on hand for Painey, that I’m a connection between the group and Painey.”Making sure we keep a really good environment, and a consistent environment throughout whatever we get throughout the next little period of time. And if games are getting a little bit out of hand, we can make sure that we’re calm and in control. So hopefully, I can bring that really levelled environment and level head out in the middle, and try and be a helping hand.”Walters toured England four times without success, and was left out of the 1981 tour. Hookes had only one chance in 1977, and never returned for a Test series. Head, his method so grooved on hard Australian surfaces, will make for a fascinating study on this tour.

Despite Australia’s battery of quicks, the legspinner believes the two slower bowlers can play a vital role together in the World Cup

Melinda Farrell20-May-2019Australia’s attention turned to spin in their build-up to the Men’s World Cup, with Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon the focus of the second training session in London. While Australia’s bowling strength in the 50-over format has undoubtedly been pace in the post-Shane Warne era, legspinner Zampa believes spin will play a key role in their upcoming campaign and revealed how he and Lyon – who were both part of Australia’s recent eight-game undefeated streak against India and Pakistan – have worked closely on their partnership.”I think it was a few months ago where we actually spoke to each other and said, ‘I reckon we can play a huge role coming up in the World Cup together so let’s do everything we can to make sure we’re both there’,” Zampa said. “So we’ve communicated really well over the last few months. We speak a lot in the nets, we speak a lot in the field, just about whatever – anything – spin bowling, field settings or how the ball’s going to come out. Just anything. So we communicate a lot and really well.”Zampa, who averages 35.45 at a strike rate of 38.00, has been the first-choice spinner for Australia in ODIs after a string of options were used with varying success while Lyon, who came to prominence in T20 cricket after a breakout season with South Australia, has been preferred in Test cricket and has often been overlooked in white-ball formats. But while Australia rarely opt for two spinners outside the subcontinent, Zampa believes that could change in England.”It’s definitely going to play a role with the smaller grounds,” Zampa said. “I think the way we have been playing lately, we’ve been loading up a little bit towards the back end, so to have those wickets in hand is really important. So I guess stopping the [opposition] spinners from getting wickets in the middle overs is really important and obviously vice versa for us, for me and Nath to bowl well.”I love playing with Nath. We play two different roles. He’s so accurate, beautiful offspinner. Bowls to his field really well, bowls really tight, and it means I can attack from the other end. So I really, really like bowling with ‘Gaz’. I think it’s going to play a huge role for us sometime throughout the World Cup. I don’t know if it will be every game but I definitely see us playing a huge role together.”Nathan Lyon appeals successfully•Getty Images

Zampa was overlooked for Australia’s ODI tour of England in 2018, which they lost 5-0, but picked up a contract playing T20 cricket in The Blast for Essex, an experience he hopes to draw from in the coming months.”I absolutely loved my time there,” he said. “It was really tough and I think the added pressure of being an overseas player, you’ve got to really perform. So I found playing under those conditions and that pressure really good for me. Small ground. Chelmsford is probably the smallest ground in the world if you’ve ever been there, so yeah, that was enjoyable.”As the role of spin has developed in ODI cricket, so has Australia’s use of spinners. Zampa believes he has more licence to be attacking during the middle overs under captain Aaron Finch, even if it means leaking runs. That’s the kind of confidence he admires in the England camp and he views Adil Rashid as something of a role model.”Adil Rashid is someone that, you know, I could almost base my career around his,” Zampa said. “He’s been in and out of the team when he was a lot younger, he’s probably a little bit of a different bowler than I am but England have really backed him in. From looking from afar they’ve almost said to him, ‘you’re playing every game for the next couple of years until the World Cup is over.’ So he goes 1 for 80, 3 for 80, he’s a genuine wicket-taker for England and he’s probably had some ups and downs in his career too, but he’s someone I’ve really enjoyed watching bowl and he’s had a lot of success in England.”Australia’s first World Cup match is against Afghanistan in Bristol, a match that will likely pit Zampa against another player he admires and has observed closely, Rashid Khan. The pair spent time together during the most recent BBL series in a session that Zampa found both informative and humbling.”I had a bowl with Rash after a [Melbourne] Stars versus [Adelaide] Strikers game this year and I was always intrigued with Rash,” Zampa said. “I was like, ‘I love watching this guy so I’m going to pull him aside and have a bowl with him’ and, to his credit, he spent about 45 minutes with me and at the end of it I was so glad I did that because now I know that I would never ever be able to bowl like Rashid Khan.”Perhaps not, but Australia will undoubtedly hope that bowling like Adam Zampa is good enough to help them win a World Cup.

The Blaugrana have returned to their own ways, and started handing out first-team debuts to their best youth talents regardless of their age

Barcelona have been breaking records of late – but not the ones they might have expected. This La Liga-winning team from last year probably hoped that they would once again be in the mix for the title, their core of players in their prime and reliable veterans shepherding Xavi's side to a Spanish top-flight repeat.

Instead, results have gone awry, and this campaign will likely be remembered for the one in which youth became the currency of this Blaugrana setup. In Barca's Champions League round of 16 clash against Napoli in March, Xavi started multiple players under the age of 18 – a first for the competition. Add Fermin Lopez, who came off the bench to score, and it was the Catalan youth that kept their season alive.

Lamine Yamal has certainly been the standout, but this is by no means a solo effort. Pau Cubarsi has impressed, while Hector Fort and Marc Guiu have also been handed opportunities. Piece it all together, and La Masia, the great footballing academy that has seen its talent dry up in recent years, has returned with a bang. And although this Barca side will not win La Liga, and have committed the unspeakable crime of a trophyless campaign, the rebirth of the sport's most well-regarded academy offers hope for the future.

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  Pep starts it off

  La Masia had always been a place ripe with talent when Pep Guardiola took the helm in 2008. The first-team squad that he inherited included a number of top players from the academy. A certain Lionel Messi was the standout, but Carles Puyol, Andreas Iniesta, Xavi and Victor Valdes made up the core of the team.

  Guardiola, a La Masia man himself, only expanded that. He brought Sergio Busquets into the fold, gave valuable minutes to Thiago Alcantara, and bought Gerard Pique – a Barca youth product – back from Manchester United in his first summer in the job. By 2009, the legendary manager had a distinctly Catalan side on the pitch, the spine of Spain's dominant national team, and five La Masia graduates playing nearly every game.

  And that side soon became the envy of world football, Tiki-Taka becoming synonymous with Barcelona, and perfected in the halls of its famous academy.

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  Bartomeu and the dark years

  But that soon changed. Joan Laporta oversaw the original years of the La Masia revival, but new president Josep Bartomeu, who took over in 2014, went about tearing it apart. He had worked under Laporta in the late 2000s, but when called upon for the role himself, Bartomeu took a different approach. His reign was defined by not only poor management of club funds, but also a scattergun transfer policy that often neglected youth.

  There were some fine transfers completed during his tenure, with Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic brought in. But he also made some catastrophic decisions in the market. His buys make for grim reading, with Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, Philippe Coutinho and Malcom all walking through the door. Meanwhile, Neymar left for PSG and Luis Enrique was allowed to vacate his managerial position.

  La Masia, meanwhile, went quiet. Although Sergi Roberto worked his way into the side – and subsequently scored one of the most important goals in club history – it was an otherwise fallow period. And without the pipeline of talent coming through, Barca only continued to spend. By 2021, the most famous La Masia graduate of all, Messi, was forced to leave the club due to the state of their finances.

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  False dawns and the 'next Messi'

  For years, Barca have searched through their ranks to find the next big thing. Before he even left the club, an obsession developed in finding the next Messi to lead the club into the future.

  Every few weeks, it seemed, Barca had a new contender. Bojan was first, but faded quickly from the spotlight. Giovani Dos Santos and Riqui Puig both followed, but neither could make a mark on the biggest stage. Gerard Deulofeu, too, saw a promising career go awry. There were further options deeper into the ranks. Japanese youth international Take Kubo was full of promise, but a botched deal saw him depart for Real Madrid. Xavi Simons – named after the Barca legend himself – left for PSG when presented with a handsome offer to join the Parisian club.

  It became a curse for any number of players to be associated with the great Argentine, and only piled pressure on the famous footballing factory to start producing again.

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  Koeman changes things

  Things shifted under the tutelage of Ronald Koeman, though. The Dutch manager endured a poor spell at the helm in Catalonia. A former Barca player who became a key component of John Cruyff's "dream team" in the early 1990s, Koeman could never quite figure it out in just over one full season at the club. He publicly fell out with Laporta, now back as president, who admitted that the veteran manager was not his first choice for the job. Still, despite the fractious relationship between the two, Laporta remained steadfast to his La Masia first approach, and has consistently lauded academy talents as they have grown into the side.

  It wasn't enough to save Koeman's job, though, and he was fired in late 2021. The former Everton boss' time in the job won't be remembered for success on the pitch, but his legacy has since improved due to some of the selection decisions he made. Stripped of financial support, Koeman dipped back into the Blaugrana academy. He made Ansu Fati a crucial part of his side, handed a debut to Gavi, and also entrusted Las Palmas recruit Pedri with significant minutes.

  Barca may not have won much under his leadership – and Koeman could have few complaints about his dismissal – but he did prove that there was life in the club yet.