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Celtic won the Scottish Premiership title and the League Cup trophy during the 2025/26 campaign, but missed out on the treble with a loss to Aberdeen on penalties in the SFA Cup final.

It was a successful season for Brendan Rodgers and his men, despite the final loss at Hampden Park in the final game of the campaign, and that was owed, in part, to the quality of the squad.

Nicolas Kuhn was one of the stars who propelled Celtic to two trophies with his contributions at the top end of the pitch, with 21 goals and 15 assists in all competitions this term.

His form was particularly impressive when you consider that his reported wage of £12k-per-week does not make him one of the top earners in the squad.

Noteworthy Celtic players who earn more than Nicolas Kuhn

As per Capology, James McCarthy (£14k), Anthony Ralston (£14k), Luis Palma (£16k), and James Forrest (£19k) earn, or earned in McCarthy’s case, more than Kuhn.

Chalkboard

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They combined for 12 league starts between them, whilst Palma was sent out on loan to Olympiacos for the second half of the season, and the German winger managed 21 starts on his own.

Meanwhile, Maik Nawrocki, who played three times in the Premiership in the 2024/25 campaign, is also on a weekly wage of £12k at Parkhead, which suggests that Celtic are not getting value for money on their wages with several members of the squad.

Another centre-back who reportedly earns more than Kuhn is Gustaf Lagerbielke, who Lecce chief Pantaleo Corvino claimed is on £13k-per-week, and Rodgers must finally axe the flop this summer.

Why Celtic must sell Gustaf Lagerbielke this summer

The Hoops swooped to sign the Swedish central defender from Elfsborg for a reported fee of £3m in the summer of 2023, and it is fair to say that things have not gone to plan for him so far.

He only made ten appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants in all competitions during the 2023/24 campaign, as Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales established themselves as the first-choice pairing.

Speaking about Nawrocki and Lagerbielke’s lack of game time last season, pundit Ewan Cameron claimed that they were not Rodgers’ signings, saying: “He (Rodgers) doesn’t fancy them. He doesn’t rate them.”

23/24 Premiership

Gustaf Lagerbielke

Appearances

7

Starts

4

Pass accuracy

85%

Clean sheets

3

Error led to goal

0

Duel success rate

72%

Stats via Sofascore

The Swedish defender’s lack of game time in the Premiership that season, as evidenced in the table above, backs up that claim from Cameron, as Rodgers very rarely relied on him.

Celtic’s manager then opted to allow the 25-year-old flop to join FC Twente on loan for the 2024/25 campaign, and it has been another fairly frustrating year for the centre-back.

Lagerbielke did start 15 Eredivisie matches, playing more than he did for the Hoops, but was also an unused substitute in five of the club’s last six regular season games.

This shows that he has failed to nail down a regular spot as a starter in the Dutch top-flight out on loan, which does not suggest that the £3m dud is coming back to Parkhead this summer in a position to push on and fight for a place in Rodgers’ starting line-up.

The Northern Irish boss decided to go with Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Scales, and Nawrocki ahead of him in the squad this season, and Lagerbielke’s struggles abroad indicate that the manager made the right call.

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Therefore, Rodgers must, now, finally ditch the defender on a permanent basis, if there is sufficient interest from elsewhere to facilitate a deal, because he does not appear to have a bright future in Glasgow and earns more than one of the team’s biggest stars in Kuhn.

Leeds United are currently preparing for a huge summer transfer window as they look ahead to trying to avoid instant relegation from the Premier League.

The Whites won the Championship title, with a staggering 100 points, with their win over Plymouth Argyle on the final day, and now have a top-flight season to look forward to.

Daniel Farke and his staff must recruit players who they feel can bolster the squad to improve their chances of survival, and the West Yorkshire outfit are reportedly looking to bring a former star back to Elland Road.

Leeds considering move for Premier League midfielder

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Leeds United are “considering” a deal to sign Manchester City defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Transfer Focus

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

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The reporter claims that the England international would be “ready” to return to West Yorkshire ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, having left the club to join the Cityzens in the summer of 2022.

Bailey’s report on The Boot Room adds that a permanent deal would be difficult for the Whites to do, because the midfielder has three years left on his contract at The Etihad, and that they are currently eyeing up a loan move for their former academy graduate.

Phillips has spent the current season on loan with Ipswich Town, who have already been relegated from the Premier League, but his previous form for Leeds in the top-flight suggests that he could star alongside Ao Tanaka at Elland Road.

Why Kalvin Phillips could thrive with Ao Tanaka

The Japanese midfielder enjoyed a fantastic season in the Championship with the Whites and showed potential to make the step up to the Premier League, with his passing and defensive qualities.

Tanaka ended the 2024/25 campaign with a pass completion rate of 90% and a duel success rate of 55% across 43 appearances, which shows that he was efficient in and out of possession in the middle of the park.

Leeds will need their midfielders to be reliable on the ball and strong off it in the top-flight, as they will be battling against relegation, and that is also why Tanaka could thrive alongside a physical operator like Phillips, who was once dubbed “exceptional” by U23 scout Antonio Mango.

Stats

Phillips (20/21 Premier League)

Tanaka (24/25 Championship)

Appearances

29

43

Pass accuracy

85%

90%

Tackles per game

2.6

2.2

Interceptions per game

1.6

1.3

Duels won per game

5.3

4.5

Duel success rate

52%

55%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the English maestro’s defensive form for Marcelo Bielsa in the Premier League during the 2020/21 campaign was even more impressive than the current Leeds star’s in the second tier this term.

This suggests that the potential is there for them to be a robust midfield pairing who can provide protection in front of the back four, whilst also being reliable with their passing into the front players, which could be needed as they battle it out for vital points.

Of course, there are question marks over whether or not Phillips can get back to that level, having struggled of late in loans with Ipswich and West Ham, losing 57% of his duels in the top-flight for the former and 52% of his battles for the latter.

Perhaps a return to familiar surroundings at Elland Road, where he has been successful at the top level in the past, could help him to return to form.

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Signing him on loan, therefore, could be a worthwhile gamble and one that could pay off for Leeds and Farke as it could result in him and Tanaka forming an impressive midfield partnership.

Glasgow Rangers gave their supporters a moment to remember last time out in the Scottish Premiership when they beat Dundee 4-3 away from home.

A last-gasp winner from Cyriel Dessers to complete a comeback from 3-1 down to win 4-3 last weekend was a joyous moment for the travelling support, but it was still a game that illustrated the team’s flaws.

The club’s city rivals are inching closer to a fourth successive Premiership title, as they sit 13 points clear of the Light Blues as it stands, and the Gers have to do something to change the tide next season.

Sky Sports reported last month that a takeover including US investors Andrew Cavenagh and San Francisco 49ers Paraag Marathe has been agreed in principle, which suggests that the dawn of a new era at Ibrox is a matter of months away.

This could mean that there is a longer-term replacement for Philippe Clement than Barry Ferguson, but it is not just the management side of the team that should be looked at.

If Rangers want to get back on top in Scottish football then they may need to kickstart their new era by moving on from some of their experienced players who have become used to finishing second, including Jack Butland and James Tavernier.

Why Rangers should move on from Jack Butland and James Tavernier

The Gers captain has been a terrific servant for the club over the years, scoring 130 goals in 504 appearances in all competitions, but he has only won one Premiership title in his career.

Tavernier has also lost a whopping 25 of his 40 appearances against Celtic, winning just ten of those games, and Rangers may need new leadership if they are to progress and move past the Hoops, as he has become used to being behind the club’s rivals on the pitch.

Therefore, it could be time to move on from the 33-year-old veteran, who has lost possession 20.8 times per match in the league this term, to make room for new leaders to step up and lead the team forward.

Butland, meanwhile, has been error-prone in the Premiership this season and it could be time for Rangers to find a new number one to provide more stability between the sticks, after two years of the Englishman at Ibrox.

Appearances

25

Save success rate

69%

Goals prevented

-0.37

Error led to shot

2

Error led to goal

2

Penalties committed

1

As you can see in the table above, the former Stoke City star has underperformed as a shot-stopper and made too many unforced errors to gift shots and goals to the opposition in the league, which is why Rangers should consider moving him on this summer.

The issue for the Light Blues, however, may be finding suitors to buy Tavernier and Butland, as the veteran stars are no longer among the most valuable talents at Ibrox.

The top ten most valuable Rangers players

As per Transfermarkt, both English players are worth £2.5m at this moment in time, and that does not earn either of them a place in the top ten most valuable stars at the club.

Wolfsburg loanee Vaclav Cerny is currently the most valuable player at the club, at a whopping £7.6m, and it remains to be seen whether or not the Gers will be able to keep hold of him beyond the end of his current loan spell.

The Czechia international has provided a regular threat at the top end of the pitch, racking up 17 goals and four assists, in the Premiership and the Europa League to earn his valuation.

Vaclav Cerny

£7.6m

Mohamed Diomande

£5.9m

Nicolas Raskin

£5.5m

John Souttar

£3.8m

Cyriel Dessers

£3.4m

Dujon Sterling

£3.4m

Danilo

£3.4m

Nedim Bajrami

£3.4m

Jefte

£3.4m

Hamza Igamane

£3.4m

As you can see in the table above, Rangers have many players on a market value of £3.4m, which is still £900k more than Tavernier and Butland are currently valued at.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Some of those players could play key roles moving forward, into the dawn of a new era at Ibrox, and one of those the club have hit the jackpot with in recent years is versatile defender Dujon Sterling.

Dujon Sterling's soaring market value

The Scottish giants swooped to sign the English talent in the summer of 2023 on a free transfer after he had been released by Premier League side Chelsea.

It was an opportunistic signing by the Gers, as they took advantage of his contract situation, because he was valued at £2.4m by Transfermarkt at the time, which shows that the club landed a £2.4m-rated talent for £0.

His first season at Ibrox, in the 2023/24 campaign, was a struggle because Michael Beale and Clement utilised him in a multitude of positions, with his appearances stretched between right-back, left-back, right midfield, defensive midfield, left midfield, and right wing.

This meant that Sterling did not have a chance to build any consistency in his performances because he was constantly being moved around the pitch to fill different holes in the team.

The 25-year-old star has had slightly more clarity in his game this term, however, as the vast majority of his starts have come as a centre-back or a defensive midfielder, which has allowed him to build a rhythm in the middle of the pitch.

Starts

7

Centre-back starts

7

Clearances

37

Blocks

5

Tackles

12

Duels won

31/44 (70% success rate)

As you can see in the table above, Sterling has started at centre-back in seven of his last eight league appearances and provided a dominant presence at the back for the Gers, winning 70% of his duels in those matches.

His overall form for the club and his success in finally nailing down a consistent position on the pitch has led to his market value soaring up to £3.5m, which shows that Rangers hit the jackpot when they signed the defensive ace.

The Light Blues snapped him up for £0 and he has turned out to be an incredibly valuable player, with his quality at centre-back and versatility to play in other roles, as well as being an asset that continues to grow in value.

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He is now among the top ten most valuable players at the club, making him worth even more than the likes of Tavernier and Butland, and the defender could have a big future as a centre-back at Ibrox if he can continue his current, dominant, form.

MS Dhoni did have moments of influence over this game, but the headline belonged to someone else

Alagappan Muthu23-Mar-20241:01

Moody’s message to Gaikwad: ‘Make this your team’

Maheesh Theekshana was wondering where he was supposed to go. He was loitering somewhere at fine leg, halfway to the boundary, trying to catch the captain’s attention.Ruturaj Gaikwad was at mid-off, talking to the bowler Tushar Deshpande. It took a while for him to realise he was needed by somebody else but by the time he looked up, MS Dhoni has already taken care of it.Theekshana was sent to patrol the fence, although he did wait until the captain agreed with . This team has been the extension of one man’s will. A multi-million dollar manifestation of his personality. Until now there was never anybody else. And when there was, it didn’t really work.Related

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Stephen Fleming did say at the pre-match press conference that Dhoni had such a sense for cricket that it would be impossible to turn it off and foolish to let it go to waste. He had a chat with Ravindra Jadeja just before he came on to bowl on Friday. He had been active in setting fields, not necessarily deciding on positions, but the angles. Those 1m, 2m adjustments for which, last season, he said he liked the players to always keep an eye on him. It looks like that instruction might still be valid this year.Throwbacks had been the theme of the night starting with the opening ceremony, where the entertainment arrived on stage riding a zipline like it was 1996 and purveyed grade A nostalgia. A full house was treated to (1998), (1997) and (1998) and then a Chennai Super Kings win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the eighth straight match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Except in between all the same old things there was a little bit of a revolution.Ruturaj Gaikwad captained a CSK outfit with MS Dhoni in it•BCCICSK gave out four debuts for just this game. That’s only one less than the count for the entire last season. There were, of course, mitigating circumstances. Two of their first-choice players were injured so they had to be replaced. Daryl Mitchell has proven himself in international cricket and so merits a place. But Sameer Rizvi – born almost exactly a year before Dhoni played his first international – making it to a CSK XI on opening day is a significant change of track. Their current captain spent his entire first season with the side warming the bench.This team is changing. It has no choice.Gaikwad seemed to be enjoying his first few minutes rendering CSK in his own way. There were almost half a dozen little field changes in the first three overs and one of them made a lasting impact on the match. He made it together with Mustafizur Rahman. Third on the boundary came up. Cover went back to sweep. It was a response to a batter finding his runs a little too easily; a play made to complicate his process.This was a good surface with enough pace in it. So at the start, CSK assumed that if the ball were to fly, it would go behind square. Faf du Plessis, though, kept finding the boundary in front of it. He hit each of RCB’s eight fours in the first 4.2 overs. So a decision was needed. The bowler seemed to come up with it. The captain agreed. The wicket fell. It wasn’t necessarily a plan – or if was, it was aimed at making the batter access a different area of the field; it was a way to ask more questions of him. And that really is the gist of being captain. Just try to make the other guy mess up.2:54

What contributes to CSK’s winning culture?

That wicket was part of a period where only three of eight overs produced more than a run a ball. And at the end of it, Mustafizur had 4 for 7 and RCB were 78 for 5. Who had that on their bingo card? A fast bowler dominating a home game for CSK. And he still had 12 balls left. There was every chance he could become only the second seamer, since L Balaji in 2008, to pick up a five-for for the Super Kings. It wasn’t to be, but when his work was done, and he was heading off to field at short third, he came to a dead stop and turned around, like you would if someone from behind calls you. Dhoni was the one who was behind. He put his arm around Mustafizur and gave him a pat on the back. These two and their PDA.”I thought he bowled brilliantly,” RCB batter and Chennai boy Dinesh Karthik said, “In all three spells, he showed his skills. He’s bowling a lot quicker than he usually does. So that’s great for him personally. He hit the right lengths. His slower ball came out well. This was a very good pitch. It’s not the usually slow Chepauk turner that we are probably visualising in our mind. The ball skidded on a lot more and it was good for batting and he bowled really well. What makes It really tough is that he can bowl at 138-139kph and he’s got that slower ball which goes to 120-125kph, which makes it really hard to line him up”Towards the close, a packed house wearing yellow started hoping for a wicket to fall. When RCB appealed for a caught behind off Shivam Dube, they were joined by a chorus of thousands. They wanted the No. 6 wearing the No. 7 coming out to bat. They had already seen him do all the other things, including an acrobatic one-handed take where he seemed to just lift off from the ground. That brought the first roar after the first ball. Clearly, the more things change, the more they stay the same, but somewhere Dhoni himself would have been happy with the way this game ended. It contained bits of him – he took two catches and effected a run-out – but the headline belonged to someone else.

Also: what is the record for the most ducks in a first-class innings?

Steven Lynch01-Mar-2022Yash Dhull played his first first-class match last week, and made 113 in both innings. Has this happened before? asked Sanjit Srivastava from Canada, and many others
In his first match since leading India to victory over England in the Under-19 World Cup in Antigua, the exciting Delhi prospect Yash Dhull marked his first-class debut by scoring 113 and 113 not out against Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy in Guwahati.Dhull is the ninth to score twin centuries on his first-class debut, but the first of those to make the same score in both innings. The previous record for a debutant was two scores of 56, by Bert “Poddy” Davie for Tasmania against Victoria in Launceston in February 1922, almost exactly 100 years before Dhull’s effort.Overall, there had been 24 previous instances of a player making the same score of 100 or more in both innings of a first-class game. The highest such double is 146 (run out) and 146 (not out), by John Langridge for Sussex against Derbyshire in Worthing in 1949. The highest in Tests is a brace of 105s by Duleep Mendis for Sri Lanka against India in Madras in 1982-83.Who was the first man to score two centuries in the same Test? asked David Johnson from Ireland
Scoring two centuries in a Test has become relatively commonplace (it has been achieved 87 times now) but the first instance – and the only one in the first 45 years of Test cricket – was by the durable Australian Warren Bardsley, who made 136 and 130 for Australia against England at The Oval in 1909. Seventeen years later, aged 43, Bardsley carried his bat for 193 against England at Lord’s.In the first innings of a recent Ranji Trophy match, five Mumbai batters were out for ducks – was this a record? asked Siddharth from India
Mumbai’s five duck-makers in the first innings of their match against Goa in Ahmedabad last week might be relieved to know they are well short of the record. There are many instances of six ducks in an innings (the most recent by Sussex – who still totalled 300 – against Derbyshire in Hove last September), and 34 cases of seven, the most recent by Sui Southern Gas against Multan in Pakistan’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in Multan in September 2018.But there are eight first-class innings that contained eight ducks, most of them in the far-distant past. The most recent of these came in July 1942, when Barbados skittled Trinidad for 16 in Bridgetown, with medium-pacer Derek Sealy taking 8 for 8. Trinidad’s openers made 13 between them, but all the other batters were out for 0, apart from Gerry Gomez who remained undefeated with 3.The previous instance of eight ducks in an innings came during a famous County Championship match in 1922, when Warwickshire dismissed Hampshire for 15 at Edgbaston: Hampshire followed on, made 521, and won by 155 runs.Hazratullah Zazai’s 236-run stand with Usman Ghani against Ireland is the highest partnership for the first wicket in a T20 match•Getty ImagesMultan Sultans had two hundred partnerships in their innings in a recent Pakistan Super League match. How rare is this? asked Sheraz Muzafar from Pakistan
In the match you’re talking about, for Multan Sultans against Quetta Gladiators in the PSL in Lahore last month, Mohammad Rizwan put on 119 for the first wicket with Shan Masood, then 103 for the second with the South African Rilee Rossouw, who clouted 71 from 26 balls. This was the 12th occasion that a senior T20 innings had contained two separate hundred partnerships.Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers put on 229 for RCB in an IPL game in 2016. Is this the highest in any T20 match? asked Peter Manford from England
That partnership of 229 came for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Gujarat Lions at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in 2016; Virat Kohli hit 109, and AB de Villiers 129 not out. It’s the overall IPL record, and the highest for the second wicket in all T20s – but there has been one higher opening partnership. For Afghanistan against Ireland in a T20I in Dehradun in February 2019, Hazratullah Zazai (162 not out, with 16 sixes) and Usman Ghani (73) put on 236 for the first wicket.In all, there have been 15 partnerships of 200 or more in senior T20 cricket, three of them in international matches.And there’s an update to one of last week’s questions, from Sameeranga Patwari from India
“Regarding the question about the most runs added after the loss of the fifth wicket, in one-day internationals the highest is actually 267, by New Zealand against Sri Lanka in Dunedin in January 2015. They were on the back foot at 93 for 5, but recovered to 360 for 5 – so added 267 – mainly thanks to the No. 7 Luke Ronchi, who scored 170 not out.”This is correct, so I’m sorry for misleading everyone last week – I must have entered something incorrectly when I did the search for ODIs. There was another instance higher than the two I mentioned: in Chennai in June 2007, the Asian XI were 72 for 5 against Africa, before Mahela Jayawardene (107) and MS Dhoni (139 not out), lifted them to 331 for 8. For what I believe is now the correct list, click here.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

The Phillies were able to keep their season alive with an 8–2 win over the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Wednesday night and leading the way once again was the man who put the team on his back so often during the regular season—Kyle Schwarber.

The lefty slugger hit two home runs in the must-win game, including an absolute Schwarberbomb in the fourth inning that tied the game at 1–1 and gave the rest of his team new life.

Schwarber's solo shot almost left Dodger Stadium, landing just over the back row of seats in the right field bleachers.

Aftter the game Schwarber had the coolest comment about his titanic blast, saying, via :

“I didn’t even see where it landed. I was looking in the dugout trying to get the guys going. Get back in the dugout, everyone is high-fiving. And I knew I hit it good. I didn’t know where it went. Eventually, somebody tells me. You watch it on video to see where it goes."

Imagine hitting a baseball that far in a playoff game and not even caring about where it landed but instead thinking about your teammates and trying to lift them up? That's a true leader right there.

Here's that 455-foot moonshot:

Schwarber had some other great things to say about it:

“I was just more focused on our guys there," he said. "I don’t care. It could go in the first row, it could hit the freakin’—that board right there. I don’t care. But hits are great, homers are great, walks are great. Anything positive for our offense is going to be great. But, yeah, it was a cool moment.”

Schwarber and the Phillies will have their season on the line again Thursday night in Game 4. The Dodgers might want to think about not giving him anything to hit, or this series could very well end up going back in Philadelphia for a winner-take-all Game 5.

In 2005, the Atlanta Braves were winning the National League East Division title, center fielder Andruw Jones was hitting 51 home runs, and a Braves starting pitcher was busy being born.

Atlanta is set to start pitcher Didier Fuentes on Friday against the Miami Marlins, the Braves announced Friday afternoon. Fuentes, a native of Tolu, Colombia, celebrated his 20th birthday on Tuesday.

Per Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Fuentes will be the youngest pitcher to start a game for the Braves since 19-year-old Mike McQueen started June 23, 1970, against the Los Angeles Dodgers. McQueen wound up spending five years in the major leagues with Atlanta and the Cincinnati Reds.

Fuentes is 0-7 with a 4.81 ERA in the minors in 2025, and Bowman indicated that "this will likely be just a spot start."

The Braves, recovering from a poor start to '25, are 7-3 in their last 10 games. They currently hold a 34-39 record and sit 10 games behind the first-place New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.

Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee has now decided which team he would like to join in January as he looks to leave Old Trafford ahead of the World Cup.

Zirkzee could get new opportunity at Man Utd after Sesko injury

After joining from Bologna in 2024 in a deal worth £36.5m, it is safe to say that things haven’t gone to plan for Zirkzee in Manchester.

Under both Erik ten Hag and now Ruben Amorim, the forward has failed to find the back of the net on a regular basis, scoring just seven times in 54 appearances for the Red Devils.

So far in 2025/26, Zirkzee has played 90 minutes of football in all competitions but could be in line for more appearances following the news of Benjamin Sesko’s knee injury that could see him sidelined for a month.

Talking about Sesko and Zirkzee, Fabrizio Romano has claimed that there could be an “opportunity” for the latter, who Amorim thinks can still be “very important”.

Zirkzee has also started to become a forward in demand ahead of the January window, and there have also been suggestions that the Red Devils are happy to sell the “imposter” for £35m with up to nine different clubs circling.

Aston Villa

Brighton

Everton

Sunderland

West Ham

Inter Milan

Juventus

Roma

Sevilla

Now, the 24-year-old appears to have selected his preferred destination in 2026.

Zirkzee looking to leave Man Utd for Roma

According to reports in Italy relayed by Sport Witness, Zirkzee has made it clear that he would like to leave Man Utd and join Serie A side Roma in the New Year.

It is suggested that Gian Piero Gasperini’s side are offering him a clear starting spot in the side, something which appeals to the forward as he looks to increase his chances of making the Netherlands squad ahead of the World Cup.

Roma are looking to agree a deal with Man Utd as soon as possible and have already made initial contact over a transfer.

Should a move go through, Zirkzee, who scored 11 Serie A goals in 2023/24 before his move to Manchester, would be rivalling the likes of Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk and Brighton loanee Evan Ferguson for a starting spot.

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All three centre-forward options are currently injured, though, potentially explaining the reason why Roma want to land a new striker as soon as possible in the New Year.

How £100m Carlos Baleba now feels about leaving Brighton to join Man Utd

It is not just professional football that Harry Kane is dedicated to, with the Bayern Munich striker "braving the cold" in order to "get 18 holes in" during a winter round of golf. The England captain can often be found on the fairways and is not ready to put his clubs away just yet, despite freezing weather descending on Europe. He is wrapping up against testing conditions.

• World Cup-bound: Kane fired England to another tournament

  Kane has been making the most of time off towards the end of the latest international break. He has been away with England, helping to complete a faultless qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.

  He figured in meetings with Serbia and Albania, bagging a brace against the latter to seal a 2-0 win on the road. The Three Lions have reached another major tournament without dropping a point or conceding a goal.

  Kane will captain them – fitness permitting – at next summer’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He will get more time in the Americas to work on his golf game, with it likely that a bag of woods and irons will make the journey with him over the Atlantic.

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• Hitting the greens: Kane braves the cold

  The 32-year-old never passes up the chance to hit the greens, with golf becoming his favourite pastime. Said game presents him with an opportunity to escape the stresses of his day job.

  He has made a point of getting a few more rounds in before chilly conditions making playing impossible. Kane donned a woolly hat when breaking out his driver again. He posted on Instagram: "Winter golf. Anybody else been braving the cold to get 18 holes in?"

• NFL or PGA Tour: Kane has not ruled out crossover

  There will be a fair few joining Kane in getting more golf in before 2025 comes to a close. Some of those may fancy their chances of taking on the England skipper, with the prolific frontman revealing that he plays off a single-figure handicap of three.

  He has not ruled out exploring a future on the PGA Tour once his playing days on the football field are over. Kane has told : "I’d still say ‘never say never’, because I don’t like to rule anything out. It takes such a lot of time and dedication, it would be really, really, really tough. I think sometimes people don’t appreciate how much work goes into it. You watch it on the TV and you see them doing it so effortlessly and you think ‘I could have a go at that’, but it’s really tough. I’d never say never, but I think it’s really unlikely that will happen."

  While being more than competent with a club in hand, Kane has never achieved the ultimate goal in golf. He does, however, intend to right that wrong at some point in the not too distant future. He told his channel back in May: "I’ve never got a hole in one. One of my lifetime goals is to join the hole in one club!"

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• Getty
  

  Kane record: Goal tallies for Bayern and England

  Kane has made a habit of hitting his targets down the years, with there seemingly nothing that he cannot do. He is able to drive the ball over 300 yards in golf, which will put him in position to grab the odd hole in one at some point.

  With his clean striking of a ball with his foot also being taken into account, it has been suggested that Kane could move into American football once his soccer career is over. He is a big fan of NFL and has admitted to being keen on moving into place kicking.

  For now, Kane is focused on scoring goals for Bayern and England. He has reached 108 through 113 appearances for the former, while taking his record-setting haul for the latter to 78 from 112 caps.

  Bundesliga champions Bayern, who have dropped just two points through 10 fixtures in the German top-flight this season, will be back in action on Saturday when playing host to Freiburg.

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