A club are preparing to push hard for one member of Ange Postecoglou’s squad in January, as the player looks for a way out of Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs face Bournemouth after disappointing 1-1 draw to Fulham

The Lilywhites take on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium tonight, and it is quite uncertain which version of Spurs we’ll see.

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Postecoglou’s side thumped Premier League champions Man City 4-0, thrashed London rivals West Ham in a London derby, beat top-four rivals Aston Villa by three goals and dominated Man United at Old Trafford, but they also handed both Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace their first wins of the season.

Bournemouth vs Tottenham

December 5

Tottenham vs Chelsea

December 8

Southampton vs Tottenham

December 15

Tottenham vs Liverpool

December 22

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham

December 26

Tottenham’s inconsistency has been a real chink in their armour so far, and it could seriously endanger their prospects of clinching a first piece of silverware since 2008 and a place in the top four at the end 2024/2025.

It will be interesting to see how Spurs decide to show up on the south coast this evening, but they also are not helped by the plethora of absentees in their squad right now.

Postecoglou is without his number one keeper Guglielmo Vicario for the foreseeable future after surgery on an ankle fracture, while he’s also missing his star central defensive duo Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.

Wilson Odobert, Richarlison, Mikey Moore and Rodrigo Bentancur are also set to miss tonight’s trip, while doubts surround summer signing Dominic Solanke, which has left Spurs very short on the field.

“Everyone from the weekend got through OK, Archie [Gray] obviously got a knock, but he’s recovered well,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham team news before Bournemouth.

“Dom’s due to train today, he’s still not 100 per cent, but he’s definitely improved from the weekend, so we’ll see how he goes through training today. The other injured guys are inching closer but not available.”

Due to the severe shortage of options, Postecoglou has even suggested that they could turn to £120,000-per-week outcast Sergio Reguilon, who is yet to make a first-team appearance and this season and was included on the bench for the first time in months against Fulham.

“He is ready. He is training every day so part of the squad and we’re down in numbers, but there is also a reason why Reggy is in the last year of his contract with us,” said Postecoglou on Reguilon.

“We’ll see how that all transpires but nothing wrong with his attitude. He is training every day and we literally have schoolboys on the bench, so we’re low down on numbers and he’ll probably be involved again tomorrow.”

Getafe prepared to open talks for Tottenham defender Sergio Reguilon

As a result of his exclusion from the team, Reguilon is attracting interest from La Liga, as he reportedly looks for a way out of N17.

There have even been reports that Reguilon wants to terminate his Spurs contract, with SuperDeporte now providing an update on the former Real Madrid defender’s future heading into January.

The Spanish news outlet writes that Getafe are prepared to “negotiate hard” to sign Reguilon from Tottenham, as they look to take advantage of this situation and shore up their left-back department.

“Frustration” is emerging from Reguilon and his camp over the lack of game time, with Getafe apparently ready to offer him a route out of north London. Reguilon is accomplished at the top level, spending last season on loan spells at Man United and Brentford, so he could be a very astute option on loan mid-season.

According to SuperDeporte, Tottenham will demand around £10 million to sell him outright in January, despite his contract expiring at the end of this campaign.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will be hoping that his players come back from the international break without any major injuries or incidents that affect how they perform for the club in the weeks to come.

He has already had to deal with a blow to Adam Idah, who withdrew from the Ireland squad before any matches took place, and it remains to be seen what the severity of that is.

The likes of Alistair Johnston, Anthony Ralston, Luis Palma, who scored two for Honduras against Mexico, and Arne Engels, among others, have already competed for their countries and avoided any issues.

However, one Celtic star had a night to forget – to put it lightly – as central defender Liam Scales was left embarrassed against England at Wembley.

Liam Scales' performance against England

The Ireland international lined up on the left side of a three-man central defensive unit, as part of a back five, against the Three Lions in the Nations League on Sunday.

Scales had a very strong start to the game and won four of his five duels, including one crunching challenge on England captain Harry Kane in the middle of the park.

The left-footed defender, however, was left embarrassed by Jude Bellingham, who was signed by Real Madrid for £88m in the summer of 2023, at the start of the second half.

As you can see in the clip above, the superstar midfielder sold the centre-back a dream with his first touch and tricked the Celtic dud into tripping him up, giving away a penalty.

That resulted in his second booking of the match and a red card, after he picked up a yellow card in the first half for delaying the restart, pushing the ball away with his hand before kicking it away moments later – forcing the referee’s hand.

Scales, who was handed a player rating of 5/10 by the Independent, was embarrassed by Bellingham and let his team down in the process.

Minutes played

51

Touches

27

Accurate passes

16/16

Clearances

5

Interceptions

1

Tackles

1

Blocked shots

1

Ground duels won

1/2

Aerial duels won

3/3

Fouls

1

The score was 0-0 at the time, in the 51st minute, and his side went on to be thrashed 5-0 with ten men in the second half.

What this could mean for Liam Scales

This could be bad news for the Irish flop after the international break if Cameron Carter-Vickers is back fit and available for selection against Hearts.

Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty were preferred as the first-choice centre-back pairing in the games against Aberdeen in the semi-final of the League Cup and against RB Leipzig in the Champions League, before Scales came back in against Kilmarnock as the former Spurs man missed out through injury.

His naive performance against England at Wembley will do little to show Rodgers that he should be his go-to centre-back alongside either Carter-Vickers or Trusty moving forward.

It is now down to the left-footed titan to return to Glasgow this week and show the manager that he can bounce back quickly and nail down a regular starting spot ahead of his positional rivals at Parkhead.

With games against Aberdeen and Club Brugge in the weeks to come, Scales will need to show Rodgers that he is not likely to repeat his Wembley howler on the biggest stages for the Hoops.

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1 ByDan Emery Nov 16, 2024

Aston Villa came so close to ending their six-game winless run against Juventus in the Champions League. Morgan Rogers scored in the dying minutes, but the goal was ruled out following a ‘foul’ on the goalkeeper in the buildup.

A draw against one of the best sides on the continent is certainly no disgrace, but Unai Emery will be aiming for three points against Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.

With several changes expected, Leon Bailey could well be one player to drop to the bench after another insipid display.

Leon Bailey’s game in numbers vs Juventus

So far this campaign, the winger has scored zero goals while registering just three assists in all competitions, a far cry from the 28 goal contributions that he recorded last season for Villa.

Unleashed on the right wing against Juventus, Bailey failed to cause much trouble for the Serie A side.

Indeed, the Jamaican winger succeeded with just 70% of his passes, completed two of his four total dribble attempts, lost possession 16 times throughout the game and won only six of his 12 total duels contested.

What has happened to the 27-year-old in recent months? So often Villa’s saviour last season, he has struggled to make much of a difference in the final third for the club during the current campaign.

Metric

Premier League

Champions League

Goals

0

0

Assists

2

0

Key passes per game

0.9

1.3

Big chances created

3

1

Successful dribbles per game

0.6

0.8

This performance will surely see Emery drop him to the bench for the trip to Stamford Bridge. The question is, who will come into the starting XI to replace him?

Why Emery must unleash Jaden Philogene against Chelsea

The youngster arrived back at Villa Park in the summer following a productive season at Hull City, where he registered 18 goal contributions in the Championship.

This saw Emery splash £13m to lure him back, and it could prove to be a wise decision. Although primarily a left-winger, Philogene has featured on the right flank on occasions this season and this versatility could see him replace Bailey for the Chelsea clash.

In the Champions League, the former Hull sensation has succeeded with 50% of his dribble attempts along with winning 3.7 total duels and making 0.3 key passes per game, despite starting just one match and playing for 124 minutes in total.

He now needs a proper run in the starting XI to build on his excellent campaign for Hull. Hailed by Liam Rosenior as being a “special talent” during his spell in the Championship, the key for him now is to make that step up and start performing regularly in the Premier League.

Playing on the right would mean the £40k-per-week starlet is out of position, but it could cause a surprise to the Chelsea backline, who surely wont expect him to start over Bailey on the wing.

Whatever happens, changes need to be made to freshen up the team after a gruelling run of matches.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Philogene has the attributes to make a lasting impression. Can he score his first goal of the season against the Blues?

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ByBen Browning Nov 29, 2024

Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement is finally beginning to see the fruits of his labour with regard to how his signings from the summer transfer window are performing.

A rebuild was certainly required at Ibrox, with plenty of high earners being sold or released, while a host of young talents arrived in Glasgow, along with a few experienced players.

With a few months of the season now completed, several players have established themselves as key members of Clement’s squad. Connor Barron, for example, has played in every single match this season so far, shining in the heart of the midfield.

Vaclav Cerny is another who has recently put a couple of bad performances behind him to embark on a wonderful run of form over the previous few weeks.

Indeed, the Czech winger has scored five goals and grabbed three assists in six games and there is no doubt the 27-year-old has cemented his place in the starting XI.

Others haven’t quite lived up to the hype on their arrival, especially a defender signed back in August…

How much Rangers paid for Robin Propper

One area which Clement needed to bolster during the summer was the Light Blues’ defensive options. Connor Goldson was sold after six years in Glasgow, while Leon Balogun was likely to enter his final season at the club.

This saw the Belgian turn to Europe in order to add some reinforcements to his squad, making a move for FC Twente captain Robin Propper.

The Dutchman had played over 200 times in the Eredivisie throughout his career, so it was clear the 31-year-old was experienced enough to take over from Goldson at the heart of the Gers defence.

Clement didn’t exactly have the biggest budget to play with, yet he managed to secure Propper’s signature for a fee in the region of just £1.5m due to a clause in his contract.

On the surface, it appeared to be a smart piece of business, yet after a few months, the centre-back hasn’t quite performed at his best for the Light Blues.

Robin Propper’s Rangers stats

Since making the move to Rangers, Propper has featured 14 times across all competitions, although he has had to settle for a place on the bench in the club’s last two domestic matches.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

The former Twente captain has started three of their four Europa League ties, although his three starts have seen the club concede five goals, including four at home to Lyon in October.

During those games, Propper has won just 48% of his total duels each match, lost possession on average 9.5 times per game and completed just 80% of his passes.

Robin Propper’s Rangers stats this season
Metric (per 90)	Premiership	Europa League
Accurate passes	70.1	34.5
Tackles	1.9	1
Possession lost	8.7	9.5
Total duels won	6.1	3.5
Dribbled past	0.7	0.8
Via Sofascore

The defender has committed 1.5 fouls per game too, while being dribbled past on 0.8 occasions each match. Is he struggling with his discipline?

Question marks still surround Propper and his performances of late haven’t exactly convinced the Ibrox faithful that he is the right choice to be the leader in the heart of their defence.

Should the Gers have gone all out for a transfer target in 2023 who is now starring in the Champions League? Rather than wait another year for Goldson’s inevitable decline and having to replace him within a matter of weeks.

Auston Trusty was someone Michael Beale wanted, yet he ended up joining Celtic this summer.

Rangers' pursuit of Auston Trusty

Beale faced a similar conundrum to Clement during his first summer transfer window in charge, as a major rebuild was required at Ibrox.

One area which needed some overhauling was the defence, which led the Englishman to add several targets from down south to his list.

Trusty was one name that appeared quite frequently. In May 2023, the then Arsenal starlet was linked with a move to Ibrox, with the club reportedly even submitting a bid in July to secure his signature.

He ended up joining Sheffield United for the 2023/24 campaign, ensuring he got some first-team football in the Premier League.

It looked like the boat had sailed with regard to signing him during the summer, with Celtic eventually securing a deal for the defender, spending £6m to bring him north of the border.

The move looks like an inspired one, that’s for sure.

How Auston Trusty compares to Propper

Hailed by former teammate George Friend for being “incredible”, Trusty has shone for the Parkhead side during his first few months in Scotland, especially in the Champions League.

The American has played in all four of Celtic’s European games so far this season, as they have recorded two wins, a draw and a solitary defeat to Borussia Dortmund.

Across three starts in Europe’s premier club competition, Trusty has succeeded with a staggering 96% of his passes, has been dribbled past just 0.3 times per game, won 4.5 total duels per game – a success rate of 62% – and has also lost possession just 2.3 times per match, showcasing his class on the biggest stage of all.

Compare these stats to Propper’s from the Europa League mentioned earlier, and they are night and day, with Trusty looking like the real deal in Europe.

Signing a competent defender can make all the difference when performing in continental competition.

This is one area in which Clement has struggled, and it is clear the Ibrox side blundered massively by failing to sign Trusty back in 2023.

Of course, the £5m asking price that Arsenal demanded was clearly too much for the club. Instead, they splashed money on players such as Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers and Danilo instead.

It remains to be seen what the Gers will do in the January window, especially as Balogun enters the final six months of his contract. With the midfield improving after every game while Cerny and Nedim Bajrami settle in nicely, might another defender be signed?

If they can land someone similar to Trusty, then the second half of the season may see a change in fortunes, no doubt about that.

Rangers loan star is now worth £20m & better than Bajrami after leaving

Rangers had the chance to sign a former loan star for £5m…

By
Ross Kilvington

Nov 9, 2024

Arda Guler's future at Real Madrid is in doubt, as AC Milan and Inter emerge as the favorites to sign him after struggling to impress Carlo Ancelotti.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Guler unable to carve out a place under Ancelotti
• Has played under 1,000 minutes this season
• Serie A giants Milan and Inter keeping tabs on the Turk

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a report from SPORT, Arda Guler has decided to leave Real Madrid in search of regular playing time should Carlo Ancelotti continue as the head coach of the club for another season. Guler was signed from Fenerbahce in 2023 but has yet to cement his place in Ancelotti's starting lineup.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 18-year-old has struggled to secure regular playing time under the Italian coach, prompting him to consider a move away from the Spanish capital. Real Madrid are open to his departure, provided they retain control over his future. A loan or a transfer with a buy-back option seems to be the most likely outcome. The club sees Guler as a potential future star but believes he needs more playing time to develop, preferentially at a Champions League-playing club, which he is unlikely to get at Madrid.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Per the report from Serie A heavyweights AC Milan and Inter are keeping tabs on Guler's situation at Real Madrid. They join the likes of Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt, who are also planning a swoop for the 19-year-old playmaker from Turkey.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARDA GULER?

  Guler will be hoping to earn some minutes when Real Madrid visit the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium to take on Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday, March 12.

The former Zimbabwe batter also faces the charge of failure to report an accident

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2022

Tarisai Musakanda has played five Tests, 15 ODIs and 12 T20Is for Zimbabwe•AFP

Tarisai Musakanda, the Zimbabwe batter, is reportedly expected to appear in court on charges of culpable homicide and failure to report an accident. Musakanda, who was driving his car in Harare on the night of January 16, was allegedly involved in a collision with a pedestrian, who has been identified as Gwinyai Chingoka – a tennis player who has represented Zimbabwe in the Davis Cup.Chingoka was 38.According to a report in , Chingoka sustained fractures on the left leg and elbow, and died in hospital on January 27.Musakanda is alleged to have stopped at the scene of the accident and driven the injured Chingoka to hospital, but that he did not report the accident to the police within 24 hours of the incident. It is alleged that Musakanda filed a police report on January 28, a day after Chingoka’s death.The post-mortem ruled that the road accident was the cause of Chingoka’s death.This is not the first time Musakanda has been in trouble related to driving. In January 2020, he returned home from Australia after his club team, New City Cricket Club, sacked him for a drink-driving conviction.The 27-year-old Musakanda has played five Tests, 15 ODIs and 12 T20Is since his international debut in 2016. His most recent appearance for Zimbabwe was in a T20I against Bangladesh in Harare in July 2021.

Newcastle defender Dan Burn was rushed to hospital after a rib injury suffered in the Magpies’ derby defeat to arch-rivals Sunderland left him “struggling to breathe”. The towering England international was sent for medical checks after being forced out shortly before half-time, and it has now been confirmed that the towering defender has suffered a fractured rib.

Burn injury: Collided with Sunderland star Mukiele

Experienced centre-half Burn had to be replaced in the 42nd minute of a keenly-fought contest on Wearside. It was unclear at the time how severe the knock he had picked up was, but he was last gasping for air at the half-time interval.

The decision was quickly taken for Burn to go to hospital. He was injured when sliding in for a challenge with Black Cats star Nordi Mukiele. The Sunderland defender – who was booked – appeared to make contact with his knee when battling for the ball with his derby opponent. Burn initially carried on after receiving treatment, but went down again and ultimately had to be replaced.

AdvertisementGettyBurn update: England international taken to hospital for scans

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe told reporters after the 1-0 defeat when asked for an update on Burn’s condition: “He was struggling to breathe at half-time. It was a big problem. Dan Burn has gone to the hospital for a check of his ribs, so hopefully he will be OK.”

The Magpies’ manager added: “Unfortunate for us, we're losing players in one area of the pitch and our back line is stretched. We've got a number of absentees and so to lose another one in the colossal presence that Dan is, was a big one today. I don't know quite how serious it is. It looks like a rib problem. He's gone to hospital to get them checked. But that was a big blow for us because Dan's been an ever-present player.”

The Daily Mail's Craig Hope has now claimed that Burn has suffered from a fractured rib, and the 6ft 7in, no-nonsense centre-back will now certainly miss the next few weeks of action as Newcastle tackle the December run of festive fixtures.

Newcastle injury list: Several defensive players missing

Burn has started all but one of Newcastle’s 16 Premier League fixtures this season. His solitary absence came in a meeting with Manchester City on November 22, with a one-match suspension being served that day after collecting five yellow cards. He has also made the starting XI in all six of the Magpies’ Champions League matches in 2025-26.

Sven Botman, Newcastle’s other left-sided centre-half option, has not started a game since lining up against Brentford on November 9. He has been nursing a back complaint, but could come into contention for a home date with Chelsea next weekend.

William Osula and Emil Krafth have been ruled out indefinitely with ankle and knee injuries respectively, while veteran full-back Kieran Trippier – who is seeing his contract run down – is not expected to return until January and goalkeeper Nick Pope has sat out five matches with a groin problem.

Brazilian midfielder Joelinton did return to the Magpies’ matchday squad against Sunderland, with some relief on the injury front being found there, but he was an unused substitute at the Stadium of Light.

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GettyNewcastle fixtures: Next up after derby defeat

Newcastle slipped to a narrow defeat in the first Premier League Tyne-Wear derby since 2016 courtesy of a freakish own goal from German striker Nick Woltemade, who headed the ball beyond Aaron Ramsdale early in the second half.

The Magpies struggled to get going in front of a lively atmosphere, with Howe admitting that they had been hoping to put in a much better performance against their old adversaries. He said: “That is going to sting for a long time. We know our performance was off what we needed it to be. We defended pretty well, there were very few chances for both teams but the one big moment went against us. It was a bizarre goal to concede.

“Criticism comes with every defeat but this one will be louder and stronger because of the importance of the game. Sorry for the performance, really, in the lack of goalmouth action, the lack of clinical attacking we’ve tried to pride ourselves on.”

Newcastle sit 12th in the Premier League table, but are only four points adrift of the top five. They have a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie with Fulham – as they seek to defend that trophy – to come on Wednesday and will have to wait until March before getting the chance to right their derby wrongs against North East neighbours Sunderland.

Celtic’s board were not afraid to splash the cash to bolster Brendan Rodgers’ playing squad during the summer transfer window ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

The Hoops were dealt a blow in the off-season, however, as Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion swooped in to sign Matt O’Riley on a permanent deal.

Mikey Johnston, Hyeon-gyu Oh, Tomoki Iwata, and Saed Haksabanovic were among the other players who were allowed to move on from Parkhead, to make way for new signings to come through the door.

The headline arrival of the summer was the signing of Arne Engels from Augsburg. He was brought in from the Bundesliga outfit for a club-record fee of £11m, which shows how much the board were willing to back Rodgers in the market.

Engels was not the only high-profile addition, however, as £6m was spent to bring in Auston Trusty from Sheffield United, and a fee of up to £9.5m was agreed with Norwich City to bring Adam Idah back to the club.

The Irish marksman was signed on a permanent deal to come in and compete with Kyogo Furuhashi for a starting spot, as the Japan international’s output has declined in recent years.

Kyogo Furuhashi's declining form

Under Ange Postecoglou in the 2022/23 campaign, the former Vissel Kobe star made a name for himself in Glasgow with an outstanding return of 27 goals in 36 appearances in the Scottish Premiership.

The impressive centre-forward only missed 16 ‘big chances’ and averaged a goal every 86 minutes in the division, which shows that he offered an incredibly consistent source of goals for the Australian head coach.

Unfortunately, however, he has been unable to replicate that sensational form in front of goal since Rodgers returned to Parkhead in the summer of 2023.

In the 2023/24 campaign, Kyogo only scored 14 goals in 38 appearances in the Scottish top-flight. His declining output was not down to a lack of service, though, as the Japan international missed a whopping 24 ‘big chances’.

This shows that his level of finishing dropped significantly, as the attacker failed to make the most of the high-quality opportunities that his teammates created for him.

24/25 Premiership

Kyogo Furuhashi

Appearances

12

Goals

5

Big chances missed

14

Minutes per goal

156

Duel success rate

37%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Kyogo has continued to struggle in front of goal in the current Premiership season, with almost three times as many ‘big chances’ missed as goals scored.

Since the start of last season, the 29-year-old striker has scored 19 goals and spurned 38 ‘big chances’ in the league, which shows that he has been incredibly wasteful during Rodgers’ tenure in charge.

Idah has been brought in to provide the manager with an alternative option to the Japanese lightweight and has had mixed success on the pitch this term.

Adam Idah's form this season

The Ireland international joined on a permanent deal from Norwich in the summer transfer window after spending the second half of last season on loan from the Canaries.

Idah produced nine goals and two assists in 19 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants last term, including a 90th-minute winning goal against Rangers in the SFA Cup final at Hampden Park in the last match of his loan.

Rodgers then swooped to bring the 6 foot 3 marksman back to Paradise and he has largely been the back-up to Kyogo across all competitions this term.

The 23-year-old centre-forward has only started five times in the Premiership and the Champions League combined, which shows that the Japanese striker is still the preferred option in that position.

Adam Idah (24/25 season)

Champions League

Premiership

Appearances

5

10

Starts

1

4

Goals

1

5

Big chances missed

1

5

Duel success rate

40%

41%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Idah’s finishing has been better than Kyogo’s but still not perfect, with as many ‘big chances’ missed as goals scored across the two competitions.

Whilst, at 23, he still has plenty of time left to develop and improve to earn a starting spot in the team on a regular basis, Rodgers could look elsewhere to find a long-term replacement for the Japanese whiz, as there is a striker at the club who is thriving out on loan – Johnny Kenny.

Why Johnny Kenny could eventually replace Kyogo

The 21-year-old sensation is currently out on loan at Shamrock Rovers in Ireland and has enjoyed a terrific year in front of goal for his temporary club.

Kenny, who had scored 12 goals in 34 games for Sligo Rovers before his move to Celtic in 2022, has scored three goals in six games for the Hoops at youth level, but has spent the majority of his time out on loan.

After zero goals in 12 games for Queen’s Park at Championship level in the 2022/23 campaign, the Ireland U21 international went back to his home country to play for Shamrock Rovers, where he is now thriving.

His form in the current year, which has been described as “superb” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been very impressive and suggests that the youngster could be the long-term replacement to Kyogo that the Hoops have been searching for.

24/25 UEFA Conference League

Johnny Kenny

Appearances

4

xG

2.47

Goals

3

Big chances missed

1

Dribbles completed per game

1.5

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Kenny has made a fantastic start to his European career with three goals and only one ‘big chance’ missed in four outings in the Conference League for the Irish side.

The Celtic loanee has also plundered an eye-catching 13 goals in 19 starts, along with two assists, in the Premier Division in Ireland, which shows that the youngster has provided consistent quality in front of goal domestically and in Europe this year.

Overall, Kenny has scored 17 goals and missed 15 ‘big chances’ across the two competitions, which shows that he has been reliable in the final third. Whereas, Kyogo has missed more ‘big chances’ than he has scored goals, and Idah is level on both.

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Therefore, if the 21-year-old ace can translate that level of form over to Scotland, Rodgers could find his next starting centre-forward by bringing the Shamrock Rovers loanee back to Parkhead, either in January or next summer.

Glasgow Rangers are building momentum at precisely the right time following a relatively straightforward 3-0 win over Ross County over the weekend.

With a Europa League tie at Ibrox against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, followed by the League Cup final against Celtic days later, Philippe Clement will be pleased with how his side performed in the Highlands.

These two matches could define the season, yet Clement is already looking ahead to January…

Rangers have Championship star high on their list

It is no secret that the Light Blues need to add another player or two to the squad ahead of the second half of the campaign.

According to Glasgow World, the Gers are believed to be on the hunt for an attacking player this winter, with Leeds United youngster Joe Gelhardt reportedly high on the list of transfer targets.

He has failed to impress Daniel Farke this season, slipping down the pecking order and this could see him move away from Elland Road next month.

Further reports from Football Insider suggest he wants to sign for the club with rumours that Rangers are ‘plotting’ their move for the young attacker.

His contract expires in 2027, which suggests Leeds might be looking for a sizeable fee in order to let him depart. Could a loan deal be worked out between the two clubs?

Rangers have enjoyed previous success with regard to signing players from the Championship. Gelhardt could potentially be another Todd Cantwell-type figure at Ibrox.

Todd Cantwell 2.0 for Rangers

Of course, we all know how Cantwell’s spell at the club ended, but for a time, he was an exciting player who looked like he could be a star player for the Ibrox side over the next few years.

The Englishman fell out of favour at Norwich City, leading Michael Beale to sign him in 2023. Six goals and five assists during his first five months indicated that he could turn out to be a fine signing.

Despite registering 15 goal contributions last term, it was clear Clement wasn’t his biggest fan, leading to his sale in the summer to Blackburn Rovers.

Gelhardt could hopefully have a similar sort of impact should he move to Scotland next month. The £14k-per-week starlet burst onto the scene during the 2021/22 season, scoring twice and grabbing two assists in the Premier League for Leeds.

Goals

6

7

Assists

4

5

Big chances created

5

7

Key passes per 90

1.3

1.7

Successful dribbles per 90

1.5

1.2

Jamie Carragher lavished praise on the youngster after a goal against Norwich in 2022, saying: “And he’s a special, special talent. He’ll be remembered now for this big goal, but I can assure you, he is a lad we will be talking about a lot in a few years’ time, he really is.”

Unfortunately, he hasn’t quite lived up to his potential. Since his maiden campaign, Gelhardt has netted just four goals, with three coming in the Championship during a loan spell with Sunderland.

Perhaps a change of scenery could do him the world of good? Cantwell shone after moving to Ibrox and if the club can even secure a short-term deal for the 22-year-old, he could be an ideal signing.

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أكد الجناح الشاب لنادي برشلونة، لامين يامال، أن سر تألقه هذا الموسم يعود إلى استمتاعه بكرة القدم بعيدًا عن الضغوط، مشيرًا إلى أنه يتعامل مع المباريات بطبيعته دون التأثر بالعوامل الخارجية.

وشارك يامال في الموسم الحالي مع برشلونة خلال 42 مباراة وسجل 13 هدفًا وصنع 21 خلال 3448 دقيقة في جميع البطولات المحلية والقارية.

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وتحدث يامال عن موسمه الحالي وتألقه مع برشلونة خلال حواره مع شبكة “ESPN”، وقال: “ما تعلمته هذا الموسم هو كيف اتخذ القرار الصحيح بنفسي، كثيرون يتساءلون لماذا لا أتحرك لعشر دقائق، لكن في النهاية هناك لحظات ومباريات لا تحتاج فيها للركض طوال الوقت”.

وأضاف: “يجب أن تعرف كيف توزع مجهودك خلال المباراة، وطوال الموسم كذلك، وأن تميز ما يجب وما لا يجب فعله في التدريبات”.

وعن طموحاته: “أنا من أولئك الذين يؤمنون دومًا بفريقهم، منذ بداية الموسم، أبذل كل ما لدي، إذا كان بإمكاننا الفوز بالثلاثية، فسنفعل، الأمر لا يتعلق بالثقة الزائدة، بل بالإيمان بالنفس، إذا لم تؤمن أنك ستفوز، فلماذا تنزل إلى أرض الملعب أساسًا؟ نحن برشلونة، وقد فعلناها من قبل، وأتمنى أن نكررها”.

وعن سبب تألقه في الموسم الحالي: “كل ما أفعله هو أن أستمتع وألعب، أستمتع فقط، هذا كل شيء”.

ورغم نجاحه الكبير هذا الموسم، اعترف يامال أنه أحيانًا يشعر وكأنه يعيش حلمًا، مضيفًا: “صحيح أنك حين تعود إلى المنزل تقول لنفسك، واو، لقد لعبت نهائي بطولة كأس أمم أوروبا، إنه أمر لا يُصدق”.