Tag Futebol

Tottenham Hotspur could strike a summer reunion with one of their former players, and one who Mauricio Pochettino rated “very highly”, according to an update this week.

Spurs await season-defining Europa League final in Bilbao

Ange Postecoglou will soon face a blockbuster 90 minutes in Bilbao, which has the power to define his potential final season in charge of the Lilywhites.

Tottenham star clear he wants to join club as they hatch £84m transfer plan

Spurs face losing him to a big club.

3

By
Emilio Galantini

May 14, 2025

Spurs play fellow Premier League strugglers Man United in the Europa League final on May 21, with the club’s first piece of major silverware in 17 years and qualification for next season’s Champions League all on the line.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League	Average match rating
Son Heung-min	7.05
Pedro Porro	6.98
James Maddison	6.98
Dominic Solanke	6.88
Dejan Kulusevski	6.83
via WhoScored

After Tottenham broke their record for most Premier League losses in a single season last weekend, Postecoglou could save face by clinching a precious trophy for Spurs, amid reports that the 59-year-old is likely to leave once the campaign has concluded (David Ornstein).

Unfortunately, following news of Dejan Kulusevski’s knee surgery, Postecoglou will be without a trio of his star midfielders, with the Swede joining both James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall on the injury list.

Injury absences have been a thorn in Tottenham’s side throughout 2024/2025, and they’ve seriously exposed the lack of depth in Postecoglou’s squad whilst emphasising the need for chairman Daniel Levy to acquire fresh faces.

Spurs will need to be clever when the summer window reopens, though, as they’re apparently likely to adopt a ‘sell to buy’ policy amid their lack of funds (The Telegraph).

Tottenham make contact with Southampton defender Kyle Walker-Peters

The free-agent market could be a fruitful pool of talent for the club, with ex-Spurs defender Kyle Walker-Peters currently set to leave Southampton on a Bosman once his contract expires on June 30.

A host of English sides are showing interest in Walker-Peters, who has arguably been one of the better performers in an otherwise dismal Saints side this term. According to journalist Graeme Bailey, in an interview with Leeds United News, Postecoglou’s side are among them.

Bailey states that Tottenham have held talks with Walker-Peters’ camp, but the competition for his signature will be rife.

“I’m told no decision just yet,” said Bailey on the Englishman’s future.

“Leeds have had contact, but as we know they’re one of many clubs to be in touch with him. West Ham, Spurs, Everton, there’s loads. And some foreign clubs are lurking too. Can Leeds get him? Of course. But from what I can make out it’s going to be tough.”

While Spurs eventually let the right-back, described as a “beautiful” footballer by ex-Saints boss Russell Martin, depart in 2020 for around £12 million, Pochettino did shower Walker-Peters with praise during his time in the English capital.

“For me, he’s one of the best options,” said the Argentine about Walker-Peters in 2018.

“Like always, who deserves it more is going to play — you know me. I’m so happy with his performance. I’m so happy and so proud of how he managed the pressure. I’m very pleased and I talk very highly of him.”

da betcris： Liverpool are planning to strengthen after Arne Slot’s side won the Premier League, especially since Trent Alexander-Arnold is leaving to join Real Madrid and several fringe players have struggled to prove themselves reliable options in the coach’s eyes.

da supremo： The transfer window hasn’t yet opened but the Reds have already moved to advance bids for a number of top targets, with sporting director Richard Hughes focusing on the full-backs to get the summer spending up and running.

It’s been reported Jeremie Frimpong has completed his medical as he closes in on a transfer as Trent’s direct replacement, set to challenge Conor Bradley for the top right-back berth. On the other flank, discussions with Bournemouth are ongoing for the signing of Milos Kerkez, who is valued at £45m.

However, though Liverpool are enjoying a flurry of action right now, there’s bound to be more to come when the transfer window is in full swing.

The gates will be busy, both for arrivals and departures.

Liverpool's summer plans moving forward

Expect sales. Darwin Nunez celebrated winning the Premier League with the squad but has flattered to deceive as Slot’s number nine, and the plan is for him to leave this summer, with clubs from Saudi Arabia and Spain allegedly interested.

Though he’s well-liked by the fanbase, Federico Chiesa may also be on the move, his first top-flight start coming just over a week ago at Brighton & Hove Albion. The Italian has been linked with a return to Serie A.

However, with Everton reportedly lining up a brazen bid for Ben Doak, who has finished a promising loan spell with Middlesbrough in the Championship, this might leave Mohamed Salah’s right side somewhat exposed, thinning out the ranks, especially as Harvey Elliott’s future is up in the air too.

Of course, Frimpong adds a dimension, and Liverpool may yet move for another forward, though this is more likely to arrive at centre-forward, with Hugo Ekitike and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres among the names touted to replace the departing Nunez.

The Anfield side may yet move for a centre-half too, having missed out on Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid. Lots to think about, but all this will wait until sporting director Richard Hughes finalises a deal for Florian Wirtz, for bagging his signature would mark an unstoppable marquee signing.

Liverpool closing on marquee signing

On Monday morning, Liverpool presented their first official proposal worth more than €100m (£85m) to Bayer Leverkusen as they look to get Wirtz over to Anfield.

Now, reports on the continent have confirmed the ensuing talks have been positive. Details pertaining to the structure of the package still need ironing, but all parties are unanimous in pushing the short-lived saga toward completion.

Wirtz was won over by Liverpool’s determination and conduct in fighting to beat Bayern Munich and Manchester City to his signing; make no mistake, this will be a stunning capture for Slot’s side.

Why Florian Wirtz is perfect for Liverpool

Wirtz is still in the early stage of his professional career but he’s already drawn plaudits for his staggering quality and tenacious pursuit of superstardom.

He leaves Bayer Leverkusen having played an instrumental role in their success over the past few years, hitting 122 goal contributions from 197 senior appearances after breaking from the academy, winning the Bundesliga Player of the Season for 2023/24 after helping Xabi Alonso toward an invincible title triumph, bagging the DFB-Pokal too.

The elite playmaker could even prove to be Slot’s own version of Philippe Coutinho, endowed with a flair and show-stopping quality that has been pursued by FSG to add a dimension to Liverpool’s title-winning squad.

Florian Wirtz – Past Five League Seasons

Season

Apps

Goals

Assists

24/25

31 (25)

10

13

23/24

32 (26)

11

12

22/23

17 (11)

1

6

21/22

24 (22)

7

10

20/21

29 (25)

5

6

Data via Transfermarkt

Cast your mind back to those sparkling early days of Jurgen Klopp’s reign, when Coutinho sat in behind the iconic front three: Salah, Sadio Mane, Bobby Firmino.

It was a staggering stint for the club, lasting all of five months before Coutinho packed his bags and left for Barcelona in a deal worth £142m, leading to the transformative arrivals of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker.

But Coutinho was in fine fettle indeed in the build-up, posting 12 goals and nine assists across just 19 matches in the Premier League and Champions League before taking his leave.

He supercharged Salah and co with so much battery that the Egyptian, 33 next month, is still performing at a world-renowned level to this day, and now could now retain his current standards across Slot’s second season, with the new Coutinho pulling strings.

Wirtz, hailed as a “generational talent” by sports media professional Cristian Nyari, has the blend of athleticism and potency to replicate that erstwhile iteration of Coutinho, perhaps the finest form the Brazilian has ever been in.

He’s maintained a similar level for the Werkself in Germany this term, and with Slot’s coaching and his inevitable growth as he continues his rise, only turning 22 three weeks ago, projecting his growth makes for an exciting thought.

Phil Coutinho (PL 17/18) vs Florian Wirtz (DFL 24/25)

Stats (* per game)

Coutinho

Wirtz

Matches (starts)

14 (13)

31 (25)

Goals

7

10

Assists

6

12

Touches*

71.1

73.4

Shots (on target)*

3.9 (1.2)

2.5 (1.3)

Pass completion

79%

82%

Big chances created

7

17

Key passes*

2.9

1.8

Dribbles*

2.8

2.6

Tackles + interceptions*

1.9

1.3

Duels won*

5.6

5.2

Stats via Sofascore

Liverpool might be set to break their transfer record, but it’s going to prove a shrewd deal indeed. Wirtz is the real deal and he will provide this incredible football club with many memorable moments, just like Coutinho.

Related Not just Trent: World-class Liverpool star must not play for the club again

Liverpool are ready to make a series of sales in the transfer market this summer.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair May 26, 2025

“The tour will soon become more of a cricket challenge than a health-related challenge”

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Jun-2020How significant is this tour?
I am pretty confident the players and management understand the historic aspect of this tour. They understand it’s a great opportunity for them to play some good cricket in an environment [playing in England] that several of them are not very familiar with. It is also giving players the opportunity to grow their game. I tend to look at these things from a cricket-first perspective, and when all is said and done, this tour will be about good cricket and about defending the Wisden Trophy, which we won in 2019.The world of cricket will be happy to see cricket restarting, but not at all costs. Covid-19 risk had to be addressed and we are confident that the key elements and protocols have been put in place. This is about two cricket boards doing the best they can to get international cricket happening. Is this of financial value to England? Everybody says it is, and I’m sure it must be. For Cricket West Indies it is of cricket value and reputational value.Are West Indies taking a bigger risk by travelling to England?
I don’t think we are taking a bigger risk. The way international cricket commerce is currently structured, we have much less to gain [financially] than England has, but the players [from both teams] will face the same risks. The English players and management are not going to be in a better position than we are under the protocols that have been set up. That is one thing which I made very, very clear as well – that those protocols must apply to all. We have been assured of that by highly qualified medical officials.It is also an opportunity for our major sponsor Sandals to get their brand exposed to the English market. But that’s not why we are going to England. We are going because we are convinced it is going to be safe to do so and because we are committed to make the future tours arrangements work, if possible.Look, just waking up every day is a risk. But the medical people on both sides of the Atlantic – in the UK and the Caribbean – have been engaged in several conferences on risks specific to Covid-19. We were assured that the risk would be minimal, and I believed it could be done. If not we wouldn’t be doing it. It does merit concern, but all of the concerns have been addressed.

“These are young, healthy cricketers. The normal risk with Covid-19 for that category is already relatively low. If you start from that point and then take the risk downwards, you will understand why we got the final approval.”

As the CWI president, what was the one thing you needed assurance of?
We had to have secure and safe travel unencumbered by other non-cricket participants, so the travel arrangements are by private charters. I thought the highest risk was going to be in the travel segments. Once they get into the protected bubble that’s been created, I’ve been assured the squad would be very, very safe.The key thing for me was our medical people saying, “Yes, it’s a go.” Once the medical people said that the risk was no greater than the normal risk living here in the Caribbean and that the environment that was being put together for our squad in the UK was safe… They assured me they had looked at it from all angles.These are young, healthy, enthusiastic cricketers. The normal risk with Covid-19 for that category of individuals is already relatively low. If you start from that point and then take the risk downwards everywhere you can, you will understand why we got to the final point of agreement and approval.The other thing, which was actually one of the first things that the CEO [Johnny Grave] and myself discussed was, in no way any player be arm-twisted into participating and in no way any player be punished for deciding not to go. I was manager of West Indies 18 years ago when there was a civil war in Sri Lanka. And there was a similar situation of assessing risk, but we went on the tour.West Indies cricket is about playing exciting cricket and entertaining fans all over the world. Obviously, safety and security are two pertinent and relevant ongoing issues that always need to be dealt with scientifically, pragmatically and thoroughly, and we think we have done so in this case.And hence it was easy for you to convince the CWI board?
The board discussed it thoroughly and agreed that we should go ahead. This was not a Ricky Skerritt decision. This was a Cricket West Indies decision based on the best possible advice and inputs that we could muster.Have you addressed the squad?
I addressed the 36 players and management who participated in a group call last week on Monday [before the final squad of 25 including reserves was picked]. I basically confirmed to them that the CWI board had only approved the tour once we had received the recommendations from the key medical people. I assured them that if we had felt in any way at all that there was a higher risk than reasonable, we would not have agreed. We saw this tour as a commitment because of the ICC Future Tours Programme and the World Test Championships that is ongoing.I encouraged all of the players to use this as an opportunity to grow their own game and to do what they do best: play positive and exciting cricket. Although the world of cricket is changing dramatically and they are facing an uncertain future because of Covid-19, I congratulated them for being part of history.This is an unprecedented tour in that it would be played in a bio-secure environment. Due to the many unknowns, the mental aspect for players becomes very important. What are the measures being taken to keep the players positive in this bubble that they will be in for seven weeks?
We have put together a management team made up mostly of the best West Indian professionals available to us. It includes a medical doctor accompanying the team, Dr Praimanand Singh, who is from Jamaica and has been on the frontline dealing with Covid-19. He also has a significant sports medicine background, having worked with cricketers for at least the last 20 years. We also have a mental coach in Donald La Guerre along with two physios and two massage therapists.So the management team has been beefed up to be the largest that it has ever been with a West Indies team. And it is not about size, it is about making sure that the players can get the kind of personal, physical, medical and emotional attention they may need. Also, the ECB has assured us that there will be a significant line-up of key medical people available if need be. We are confident that once the players get into the bio-secure environment and develop a sustainable preparation routine, the focus will be more and more on cricket.Do you reckon this tour is a good opportunity for West Indies to do something special?
Exactly. West Indies are defending champions of the Wisden Trophy. Players who are now travelling to England, for no doing of theirs and for no fault of theirs, will find themselves in the middle of history. To me, the psychological concerns about Covid-19 will lessen as the players get settled in. Their bigger pressures would be related to playing their best cricket and getting to a point, within just three weeks to be precise, to be ready to put out their best efforts, having not played any competitive cricket for three months. That is not easy for any cricketer, much less a young cricketer without vast experience. So it will soon become more of a cricket challenge than a health-related challenge, in my opinion. But I know our squad will rise to it.

حددت الجهات الأمنية، عدد جماهير مباراة منتخب مصر أمام نظيره غينيا بيساو، ضمن التصفيات المؤهلة لبطولة كأس العالم 2026 في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وكندا والمكسيك.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر، مع غينيا بيسارو، ضمن منافسات الجولة الأخيرة من التصفيات الإفريقية المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026 على استاد القاهرة يوم 12 أكتوبر المقبل.

طالع.. حكم مباراة منتخب مصر وجيبوتي في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026

وعلم بطولات من مصادر خاصة، أن اتحاد الكرة تلقى خطابًا رسميًا من الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم بشأن إقامة المباراة يوم الثاني عشر من أكتوبر على استاد القاهرة.

وحصل اتحاد الكرة على موافقة مبدئية من الجهات الأمنية لحضور 50 ألف مشجع في مواجهة مصر وعينيا بيساو.

وينتظر اتحاد الكرة، التأهل إلى كأس العالم خلال مباراة جيبوتي المقبلة يوم 8 أكتوبر في المغرب حيث يحتاج الفراعنة الفوز للتأهل رسميًا.

da pinnacle： No club has been as active in the transfer market as Chelsea in recent years.

da betano casino： Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed the takeover of the club three years ago, the Blues have signed over 40 first-team players costing in excess of £1bn.

Some of these signings have proved to be major successes, some have come and gone without a trace, while others have proved to be a massive waste of money, with one current squad member, who arrived just last summer, proving to be very reminiscent of, arguably, Chelsea’s worst-ever signing; Danny Drinkwate.

Danny Drinkwater's Chelsea career

Drinkwater will always be remembered in history as a key figure in Leicester City’s momentous Premier League title triumph of 2015/16.

He started 35 league games that season, forming a partnership alongside N’Golo Kanté that many, including Bleacher Report labelled ‘formidable’.

A year later, Drinkwater was reunited with Kanté at Chelsea, the Blues paying a reported £35m to secure his services, but it’s safe to say this move did not pay off, and the table below helps support this assertion.

Danny Drinkwater’s Chelsea career in number

Statistics

Drinkwater at Chelsea

Appearances

23

Starts

12

Minutes

1,181

Goals

1

Matches an unused sub

12

Matches not in the squad

118

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

The England international’s final appearance for Chelsea came in the 2018 Community Shield, never seen again in blue after that, spending brief loan spells with Burnley, Aston Villa, Kasımpaşa and Reading, before retiring back in October 2023.

Four Four Two Magazine believes Drinkwater to be Chelsea’s worst-ever signing, noting that few players have ever endured such a career ‘nosedive’, but is a current member of the Blues’ squad in danger of repeating this miserable drop-off?

Chelsea's latest big-money flop

Last summer, Chelsea signed the lesser-spotted Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester City for a reported fee of £30m, thereby reuniting with manager Enzo Maresca who, according to Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian, viewed him as an ‘ideal fit for Chelsea’s style of play’, forecasting he would be a ‘key player’.

Maresca also described the midfielder as “fantastic”, backing him to become an “important” figure.

Well, fair to say, this has not transpired, as the table below outlines.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s Chelsea career in numbers

Statistics

Dewsbury-Hall

Chelsea rank

Appearances

28

14th

Total minutes

1,564

15th

Total starts

17

15th

PL minutes

254

22nd

PL starts

2

2nd

UECL minutes

1,105

1st

UECL starts

12

1st

Total goals

3

12th

Total assists

3

16th

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table outlines, Dewsbury-Hall has been nothing more than a bit part player in the Premier League this season, starting just two matches, while seeing a miserly 254 minutes on the field, which is fewer than João Félix and Axel Disasi, both of whom were allowed to leave on loan in January.

In the Conference League however, it’s been a completely different story, considering he has started 12 of the Blues’ 13 fixtures to date, introduced at half time of the other, scoring three times, on target during home wins over Gent, Shamrock Rovers and København.

Nevertheless, the 26-year-old surely cannot be happy with this limited role, hence why Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider has reported that he will be ‘available for transfer​​​​​​​’, while Ciaran McCarthy of TEAMtalk adds that the Blues, rather optimistically, will ‘demand’ to recoup the £30m paid for him last summer.

Jonathan Wilson of the Guardian believes Dewsbury-Hall​​​​​​​ will simply never get enough opportunities at Chelsea, so must therefore leave to avoid further stunted development, and the Blues should look to cash in on their depreciating second version of Dewsbury-Hall as soon as possible.

​​​​​​​

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Posts ByBen Gray May 4, 2025

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is preparing to table an official bid for one “top” and “underrated” player, which is expected to arrive before the end of this 2024/2025 campaign.

Arsenal plan for summer window amid Champions League campaign

Mikel Arteta and his squad are fresh off the back of a stunning 3-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League earlier this week, courtesy of two sublime free-kicks from Declan Rice and a fantastic Mikel Merino finish.

Inter Milan tempted by "astronomical" Arsenal bid for £265k-per-week star

The Serie A champions would find it difficult to turn down.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 10, 2025

The historic night in north London gifts Arsenal real hope they could go on to become favourites for their first ever Champions League title, but first they must finish off the 15-time champions of Europe on away turf.

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

April 23rd

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

The three-goal cushion hands Arteta’s side major breathing room, but Real have shown a tendency to mount dramatic comebacks in Europe over the years, so you can never discount Los Blancos and Arsenal will need to put in another rip-roaring display.

The semi-finals are within touching distance, and if they go on to win the competition, this campaign would be seen as a major success despite their failed Premier League title challenge, so there is still everything for Arsenal to play for.

That being said, Arteta will be desperate for his team to put in a much more successful shift for the league next season, as Arsenal look to end their two-decade-long-plus wait for a domestic crown.

When it comes to this, Berta’s influence will be crucial, and the transfer chief is said to already have big plans to reinforce the squad this summer.

Arsenal could make up to seven major signings across the squad, as per GiveMeSport, and one of Berta’s key aims is to bring in a prolific striker.

RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko, Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, Ipswich Town ace Liam Delap and Sporting CP marksman Viktor Gyokeres have all been repeatedly linked, but it is the latter who appears to be gaining most traction.

There are even murmurs that Arsenal are ready to hand Gyokeres a £192,000-per-week contract to join them, while the reliable David Ornstein has claimed the Gunners are growing more and more keen on the Swede.

Andrea Berta preparing Arsenal bid for Viktor Gyokeres

According to an update from Portugal, courtesy of A Bola, club-to-club talks could begin pretty soon as well.

They report that Arsenal are “already” preparing a bid for Gyokeres, which will land before the end of 2024/2025, and Arteta’s side are currently the most “serious candidates” for his signing in England, ahead of Man City and Liverpool.

Given the presence of Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Bayern Munich in the race for his signature, Sporting are convinced that there will be an auction, which could inflate his final price to near his release clause of £87 million – despite his starting price of £61 million.

Gyokeres, for his part, is “attracted” by the Arsenal project and is keen on joining. Berta will also have £202 million to splash on three big-name signings this summer, including the Sporting star, Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams and Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

Called a “top player” by Arsenal keeper David Raya, there are those who believe Gyokeres is also “massively underrated”, which is a pretty understandable verdict considering he’s yet to secure a big move despite his ridiculous profiency abroad.

Echoing last season’s heroics, the 26-year-old boasts 44 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions, with another 11 assists to boot. Surely now is the time for clubs to take the plunge.

Mikel Arteta and newly-appointed sporting director Andrea Berta have been handed a summer striker boost, as one marquee forward is prioritising a move to Arsenal when it comes to preferred destinations.

Andrea Berta's striker targets for Arsenal this summer

Berta’s official arrival at the Emirates Stadium has brought plenty of excitement with it, especially now Arteta has admitted that Arsenal are set for a “big” first transfer window led by the ex-Atletico Madrid chief

Leroy Sane set for imminent Arsenal transfer decision after "concrete talks"

The German is set to leave on a free as things stand.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 2, 2025

One of many items on Berta’s agenda is reportedly the acquisition of a prolific new striker, following long-term injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, who won’t be returning to the field before next season.

Everton (away)

April 5th

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

TBD

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

A goal-scoring vocal point up front has long been viewed as the missing piece of Arteta’s jigsaw, and it is believed that Berta will seek to finally acquire one during his debut summer window at the club.

While Fabrizio Romano expects Berta to make an important offer for Alexander Isak, the Swede’s reported £150 million price tag may be too big of a hurdle for Arsenal to jump over, and Newcastle United are unlikely to be kind in negotiations.

More realistic targets, and ones of similar quality, come in the form of RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres.

Arsenal wanted to sign Sesko last year, making a proposal to the Slovenia international which was ultimately turned down (Fabrizio Romano). However, reports this year suggest Berta could move for Sesko and make a second Arsenal attempt for his signature.

Meanwhile, David Ornstein has reported that Arsenal are growing increasingly interested in Gyokeres as another option, with the Sweden international enjoying yet another prolific campaign in the Primeira Liga.

Gyokeres has racked up a sensational 42 goals in 42 appearances over all competitions, including 11 extra assists, leaving little wonder he’s turning Arsenal’s head.

Viktor Gyokeres really wants to join Arsenal from Sporting CP

The 26-year-old, understandably, is also wanted by his former boss Ruben Amorim at Man United, while other elite European clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Bayern Munich are in the mix.

That is according to Portuguese news outlet A Bola, who also write that Gyokeres has Arsenal at the “top of his preferences” in what could be seen as a major boost for Arteta and Berta.

The former Coventry star has an £84 million release clause, and while the bidding will start at around £58 million, A Bola claim he’s likely to leave for a value closer to his release clause – as Sporting are anticipating an auction for his services.

Even a fee in and around the clause would arguably be worth the punt, as Gyokeres’ exceptional goalscoring record really does speak for itself, not to mention plaudits from past teammates like Jake Bidwell, who called him “unstoppable”.

“The way he plays as well, with his aggression, the two (qualities) go hand in hand with how well he has done,” said Bidwell to the MEN.

“He all of a sudden realised how quick and strong he was and had the confidence to use it, and mixed with the aggression, it’s made him pretty unstoppable.”

Allrounders Wessly Madhevere and Brandon Mavuta have been suspended with immediate effect by Zimbabwe Cricket for “allegedly breaching anti-doping rules”. They have been suspended from all cricket activities, pending a hearing, after they tested positive for a banned recreational drug in an out-of-competition case during a in-house dope test recently.They have been charged under the ZC Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials, and will appear for a disciplinary hearing soon, which will likely decide the length of their suspension.Both Madhevere and Mavuta were part of the Zimbabwe side that faced Ireland in a home series until last week. Madhevere played all three T20Is while Mavuta played just the third T20I and the three ODIs after that.Mavuta made his international debut in 2018, and has so far played four Tests, 12 ODIs and 10 T20Is, while Madhevere, who first represented Zimbabwe in 2020, has featured in two Tests, 36 ODIs and 60 T20Is.While Mavuta didn’t play any competitive cricket after the Ireland series, Madhevere featured for Mashonaland Eagles in the ongoing Logan Cup, Zimbabwe’s first-class competition, to score 4 and bag 2 for 34.Madhevere’s and Mavuta’s suspensions come a day after Zimbabwe’s head coach Dave Houghton resigned from his post, as they failed to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup after also missing out on the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Following a second successive Old Firm derby defeat, it is set to be an international break of introspection for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side.

On Sunday, Celtic were beaten 3-2 by Rangers at Parkhead, the visitor’s winner coming in the final minute of normal time, thereby condemning the Hoops to back-to-back Premiership derby defeats, in front of supporters, for the first time in 16 years.

The Celts remain a whopping 13 points clear at the top, with only nine fixtures still to play, on course for a sixth treble in nine seasons, but Rodgers has much to ponder ahead of their next fixture, a home game against Hearts in a fortnight.

So, could an early front-runner to be Celtic’s player of the season, whose form has tailed off lately, lose his place in the team to a rising star?

Nicolas Kühn's mixed campaign at Celtic

With Celtic 2-0 down, Nicolas Kühn was hooked at half-time during Sunday’s derby defeat, replaced by Adam Idah, and his performance has come under widespread scrutiny.

Speaking during Sky Sports’ coverage, former Rangers striker Krid Boyd said Kühn is “due a big performance” but “was really poor that first half”, while ex-Celtic forward Chris Sutton labelled his display “sloppy”, adding “he was miles off it.”

Pass completion %

71%

15th

Shots

0

=11th

Touches

24

19th

Key passes

2

=2nd

Possession lost

9

=12th

Dribble success %

25%

=8th

SofaScore rating

6.5

=21st

Meantime, former Celtic captain and manager Neil Lennon believed Kühn “lacked belief”, unable to get the better of Rıdvan Yılmaz at any point, also looking “lethargic”, understanding why Rodgers decided to take him off at the interval.

Meantime, Sourav Mahanty of Sports Illustrated notes that Kühn was ‘brilliant’ during the first half of the season, but has been completely ‘off the pace’, so let’s assess the validity of these assertions.

Appearances

25

17

Minutes

1,714

1,125

Goals

14

4

Minutes per goal

122

281

Assists

11

2

Given the clear drop-off in Kühn’s form, as the table outlines, should Rodgers consider alternative options, with one player in particular certainly making a case for more minutes?

Celtic's in-form forward could surpass Kuhn

While many may think that January’s arrival, Jota, is the solution here, there are other ideas Rodgers could try.

Indeed, as Kühn’s form has deteriorated since New Year’s Day, on the flip side, Yang Hyun-jun has found the best form of his entire career in 2025.

The South Korean opened his account for the campaign at Dens Park in January, subsequently on target against both Raith Rovers and Aberdeen, before coming off the bench to score a crucial brace during a 5-2 victory over St Mirren in Paisley earlier this month.

Thus, Yang has scored five goals across his last ten Celtic appearances, having netted only once during his first 49 outings in hoops, this solitary strike coming all the way back in December 2023.

Korean journalist Joel Kim believes the 22-year-old is “growing and developing”, adding that he is “on fire”, form that has seen him included in Hong Myung-bo’s squad for World Cup qualifiers against Oman and Jordan, hoping to add to his three caps for the Taegeuk Warriors in Goyang on Thursday.

After the victory over St Mirren, Rodgers credited Yang’s girlfriend for his upturn in form, stating she has been in the country for “a little while”, with the manager then jokingly adding he’s doing everything in his power to make sure she can stay in Scotland.

Thus, as noted by Josh McCafferty of the Glasgow Times, Yang is currently the man in form, potentially set to return from international duty with even greater confidence, so perhaps he could start over Kühn against Hearts in a fortnight.

He’s primed and ready to surpass one of Celtic’s best players in Rodgers’ starting XI.

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Finn Allen, meanwhile, will miss the second ODI to do duty for Auckland Aces in the Super Smash

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2023

Kyle Jamieson is being kept fresh for the T20I series against Bangladesh•ICC via Getty Images

Kyle Jamieson will sit out the second and third ODIs against Bangladesh “and will instead have a period of rest” ahead of the three-match T20I series. Meanwhile, Finn Allen has also been taken out of the squad for the second ODI to turn out for Auckland Aces in their Super Smash opener on Tuesday.In a statement, NZC said that the decision on Jamieson was made after he “experienced stiffness in his hamstring following his arrival home from Bangladesh last week”.New Zealand were in Bangladesh for a two-Test series, which ended 1-1. Ben Sears, who had been brought in as cover for Jamieson prior to the ODI series, will stay on with the squad.Related

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“There’s a lot of cricket ahead of us and we want to make sure Kyle’s in the best place possible without taking any unnecessary risks,” Gary Stead, the team coach, said. “As we flagged when naming the ODI squad we see the series as a chance to provide opportunities to some new players, and Ben fits that category.”Allen will miss just the one ODI and will rejoin the squad for the third game.Neither Jamieson nor Allen played the first ODI of the series against Bangladesh, in Dunedin on Sunday, which New Zealand won by 44 runs (DLS method). Will Young and Tom Latham were the batting stars in that match, scoring 105 and 92 respectively, as New Zealand racked up 239 for 7 in their 30 overs. Bangladesh were then restricted to 200 for 9, with Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi and Josh Clarkson all picking up two wickets apiece.The second ODI will be played in Nelson on Wednesday.New Zealand squad for rest of ODI series: Tom Latham (capt), Will Young, Tom Blundell (wk), Henry Nicholls, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Rachin Ravindra, Adithya Ashok, Jacob Duffy, Adam Milne, William O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Finn Allen (only third ODI)