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Celtic forward Daizen Maeda could be on the move in the January transfer window after it was claimed that he is open to leaving the Scottish giants.

Journalist Graeme Bailey reported earlier this week that the Japan international is “ready to leave” the club, which comes after the Hoops blocked a potential transfer away from Parkhead in the summer.

It remains to be seen how much money the Scottish Premiership champions could rake in for him in January, but he is currently the most valuable member of the squad.

The most valuable players in the Celtic squad

Per Transfermarkt, Maeda is valued at £13m at this moment in time. That is at least £1m more than any other member of the squad, which speaks to how valuable he is to the team.

The Japanese forward scored 33 goals and provided 12 assists in 51 matches in all competitions (Transfermarkt) last term, hence why he is so highly valued and why losing him in January would be a big blow.

Daizen Maeda

£13m

Cameron Carter-Vickers

£12m

Reo Hatate

£11m

Arne Engels

£8.5m

Alistair Johnston

£8m

As you can see in the table above, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Reo Hatate, Arne Engels, and Alistair Johnston make up the rest of the top five most valuable players at the club.

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?

Celtic’s top goalscorer in all competitions, Benjamin Nygren, does not feature within the top five most valuable players, but he could break into that list if he keeps up his current form, as the Hoops already appear to have hit the jackpot with him.

Celtic have hit the jackpot with Benjamin Nygren

The Scottish giants signed the central midfielder from Nordsjaelland for a reported fee of £1.3m in the summer transfer window to bolster Brendan Rodgers’ options out wide and in midfield.

Celtic were able to agree a cut-price deal for the Sweden international because his contract with the Danish club was due to expire at the end of 2025, which means that they were able to take advantage of the situation to land a bargain.

The left-footed star, who was described as “fearless” by international teammate Alexander Isak, has produced quality performances on the pitch in the Premiership that prove that the Hoops hit the jackpot with this signing.

xG

2.82

Top 1%

xG on target

4.37

Top 1%

Goals

4

Top 1%

Shots on target

9

Top 1%

xA

2.36

Top 4%

Chances created

18

Top 1%

Assists

1

Top 33%

As you can see in the table above, Nygren has been one of the best midfielders in the division, if not the best, at scoring and creating goals this season.

The 24-year-old star, who is the club’s top scorer in all competitions with four goals (Transfermarkt), has scored four goals and created 2.6 chances per game across seven outings in the Premiership, per Sofascore.

Whilst these statistics show that Celtic have hit the jackpot on Nygren because of his outstanding performances on the pitch, the club have also struck gold with his market valuation.

Transfermarkt currently values the Sweden international at £5.2m. This is 300% more than the £1.3m fee that the Hoops reportedly paid for him in the summer, which suggests that they could make a significant profit on him if they decided to cash in.

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Therefore, Celtic have hit the jackpot with this signing because it has already worked out on the pitch, and the finances behind it make it all the more impressive.

Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven has largely impressed under Thomas Frank and throughout his time in north London, so much so that he’s now attracting serious rumoured interest from Real Madrid.

Real Madrid turn to Tottenham star Micky van de Ven as 2026 target

The Dutchman, signed from Wolfsburg during the very start of Ange Postecoglou’s era in charge, formed an absolutely stellar partnership with Cristian Romero over his first two seasons.

Romero was reportedly on Real’s shortlist of targets before the Argentine committed his future to N17 by penning a brand-new £195,000-per-week contract, which made him Spurs’ joint-highest earner alongside summer signing Xavi Simons.

Van de Ven and Romero once starred in Postecoglou’s high line, which was a key reason for Tottenham’s success and qualification for the Europa League in 2023/2024.

Micky van de Ven

7.4/10

Djed Spence

7.3/10

Rodrigo Bentancur

7.3/10

Mohammed Kudus

7.2/10

Santiago Mourino

7.1/10

via WhoScored

Last season, Tottenham conceded just 20 goals in the 18 games they started together, with the duo’s injury problems throughout 24/25 seriously crippling Spurs.

With Romero tied down and van de Ven continuing to impress this season, it is believed that Real are now eyeing a move for the latter as Xabi Alonso looks to bolster his central defensive options in 2026.

Tottenham are reportedly ready to double van de Ven’s wages in an attempt to keep him out of their clutches, with Chelsea also believed to be interested in the ex-Bundesliga star amid Enzo Maresca’s hunt for new centre-backs (Graeme Bailey).

Losing the pacey, powerful and commanding centre-half would be a major blow for Frank, and journalist Dean Jones has sent a warning to Tottenham about Real’s interest.

Tottenham sent Micky van de Ven a warning amid head-turning Real Madrid plan

Speaking to TEAMtalk, Jones reports that Real are planning to “turn people’s heads” with a statement defensive signing, and despite Liverpool star Ibrahima Konate being Alonso’s main target, an alternative move for van de Ven cannot be ruled out.

Commenting on Real’s “interesting” van de Ven links, he’s “heard” that this could be one to watch.

Defenders of his calibre, age and ability are few and far between.

Van de Ven’s recovery speed is arguably his biggest asset. Time and again, he bailed Spurs out with last-ditch tackles or blistering sprints to snuff out counter-attacks during Postecoglou’s reign, and he’s been equally imperative for Frank.

talkSPORT’s Jamie O’Hara went as far to say that Romero and van de Ven are the best centre-back partnership in the world right now, and either player would stroll into Alonso’s starting eleven at the Bernabeu.

Friday night’s clash in the Championship between Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion saw two early-season heavyweights in the second-tier do battle.

Indeed, heading into the match, Rob Edwards’ Boro sat pretty at the top of the division on an unbeaten streak of form. At the same time, Ryan Mason’s Baggies happily occupied a spot in the playoff positions.

Both of these statements would still ring true at the final whistle, but depending on results elsewhere on Saturday, West Brom might find themselves slipping out of that coveted top-six after succumbing to a 2-1 loss at the Riverside Stadium.

Aune Heggebo would trudge off the pitch at the end of the defeat with his head held high, at least, with his consolation effort at the death going down as his first-ever goal in England.

However, that can’t be said for all of Mason’s troops, with many others putting in underwhelming displays against the campaign’s initial pace-setters.

West Brom underperformers against Boro

Mason might well have fancied his side’s slim chances away at the league leaders heading into the tense clash, considering West Brom unsettled Wrexham on their own patch earlier on this season.

Unfortunately, a second league defeat is now next to the Baggies’ name instead of a celebratory fourth victory, with first-team regular Jayson Molumby struggling throughout.

Indeed, the usually tenacious and tough-tackling number eight could only muster up a weak two duels won from ten attempts, as per Sofascore, with his midfield teammate on the night, Ousmane Diakité, also struggling in this department, as the Malian only won two duels as well, on top of failing to register a single accurate cross or long ball.

Isaac Price also didn’t look at his best on the road at the Riverside, with the often vibrant number 21 struggling to make much of an impact down the left flank, with zero on-target efforts troubling Solomon Brynn in the home side’s net.

On the contrary, the confident home side managed to pack their shooting boots when cutting the Baggies apart with fast-paced moves, with Price not the only shoddy performer down the wings.

The West Brom star now on borrowed time

Mason has stuck by a consistent starting XI so far this season, but with two defeats now in a row, wholesale changes could be in the offing.

Jed Wallace will be worried about his starting spot moving forward, with the experienced EFL attacker only lasting 62 minutes against Edwards’ men, before being handed his marching orders by his 34-year-old manager.

Minutes played

62

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

36

On-target shots

0

Accurate passes

23/24 (96%)

Key passes

2

Accurate crosses

1/6

Successful dribbles

0

Total duels won

0/1

At first glance, Wallace’s numbers from the 2-1 defeat don’t look absolutely horrendous, with the 31-year-old winger only misplacing one of his passes all night.

Yet, when you delve deeper, it’s clear that the former Millwall man offered very little in attack – away from neatly spraying the ball about – to try and kickstart a comeback, with zero on-target efforts notched up from his hour on the Riverside turf, on top of just one accurate cross being delivered into the danger area to try and catch the table-topping hosts out.

Looking even further doesn’t get any better, either, with Wallace also failing to complete a single successful dribble when attempting to be a thorn in Boro’s side, whilst also failing to win a single duel as a passive performer on the right flank.

This has been a tale of Wallace’s middling season, for the most part, with the Baggies captain fading in and out of contests at an alarming rate, as seen in him averaging just 21.5 touches per Championship contest so far this season.

It could be time for Mason to ditch the seasoned veteran; therefore, with Mikey Johnston offering lots more from off the bench when thrown into the match in Wallace’s place, as seen in the Irishman winning two duels and completing two gung-ho dribbles to push his struggling team up the pitch.

Wallace could still be an option Mason relies on as a substitute, but based on his no-show at the Riverside, his first-team minutes might not be so plentiful in the games to come.

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Leeds United are “now leading the race” to sign a £30m+ star for Daniel Farke in the final days of the summer transfer window.

Farke wants two more Leeds signings after Arsenal defeat

The Whites suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season on Saturday evening, losing 5-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta’s side only had five shots on target but were dominant throughout, with Farke admitting after that it won’t be a “season-defining” loss for his side.

“I think it’s fair to say that Arsenal deserved to win this game today. They were the better side, they deserved also to win this game with a good proper goal difference.

“I’m not sure if it was actually a 5-0 because five shots on target and they scored with all five of these shots. Long story short, it’s more like when a team like Arsenal are on it – a team who in the last three years is probably the best team in the whole of Europe at least in consistency you could argue – not title winners but no other team has showed this consistency – then it’s always difficult. It’s not a season-defining game for us. We accept they were better than us.”

A Longstaff repeat: Leeds considering late move for "outstanding" PL star

Leeds United appear to be targeting yet another Premier League talent before the transfer deadline.

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Farke was also asked how the result would impact the club’s transfer plans, with the manager confirming he wants at lest another winger and full-back before the Monday September 1 deadline.

Winger Largie Ramazani was a notable exclusion from the traveling squad at the Emirates, and by the looks of things, Leeds may have found the winger they and Farke are after to potently replace him.

Leeds “leading the race” for £30m+ Dilane Bakwa

According to Sacha Tavolieri, Leeds are “now leading the race” to sign Dilane Bakwa from Strasbourg.

A Sky Sports reporter, Tavolieri said that the Whites are now ahead of Nottingham Forest for the 22-year-old and are ready to meet the €35m (£30.3m) asking price.

“Leeds United now leading the race for Dilane Bakwa. LUFC are now ready to meet Racing Strasbourg expectations which around €35M to make a deal happen. NFFC has not left but the newly promoted are now ahead.”

Should a deal materialise for the “very exciting” forward, £30m+ Bakwa would easily become the 49ers’ most expensive signing of the summer and take the club’s spending over £100m.

A versatile attacker capable of playing on either wing, Bakwa is left-footed and appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €25m Transfermarkt valuation.

Signed by Strasbourg in 2023, Bakwa has scored 11 goals and registered 19 assists in 68 games for his current employers, and by the looks of things, could be heading to Elland Road over the next week.

Newcastle United are believed to have made an approach for a recent Champions League finalist, with the Magpies also receiving a reply from his current club.

Newcastle continue to push for Wissa signing

The Magpies are still trying to keep hold of Alexander Isak beyond the end of the summer transfer window, with the saga surrounding the 25-year-old remaining complex.

Isak is training alone currently, playing no part in Saturday’s 0-0 draw away to Aston Villa in Newcastle’s Premier League opener, and while their fans will hope things blow over eventually, replacements need to be looked at in case he seals a move to Liverpool.

Brentford’s Yoane Wissa has emerged as a primary target for the Magpies, perhaps even regardless of whether Isak stays or not, and a new update claims that they are set to see a bid for him accepted.

Wissa is far from the only player linked with a move to Newcastle this month, however, with Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and Villa star Ollie Watkins mentioned in recent weeks, but now a new update has dropped regarding a player in a different area of the pitch.

Newcastle make approach for Italy midfielder

According to Gazetta dello Sport, Newcastle have made an approach for Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi, but have been rebuffed in their efforts to sign him.

The Serie A giants are keen on keeping hold of the 25-year-old beyond this summer, potentially looking to offer him a contract extension in the process.

Frattesi, who was previously valued at £30m, is a popular figure at Inter, having gained a reputation for scoring important goals, not least the dramatic winner against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals last season.

The midfielder is also an eight-goal and 29-cap Italy international, outlining his pedigree, and Marco Tardelli has heaped praise on his influence for club and country.

“There are very few players like him. Inzaghi has several top players, and the three players he goes with in midfield are virtually a certainty: Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan. I can’t tell Simone who to play or not to play, obviously. But what Frattesi is doing with the national team is now there for all to say.”

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For now, it looks as though Newcastle could miss out on yet another transfer target, as has been the case throughout this summer, but if things change and a second bid is accepted, Frattesi could be a great addition to Eddie Howe’s midfield.

Benfica announced their decision to part ways with Bruno Lage with immediate effect after their shock defeat to Azerbaijani side Qarabag in the Champions League opener on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, Lage, while speaking to reporters, wished Jose Mourinho "best of luck". Mourinho has been linked with the Benfica role and it is understood that he is keen on taking over at the Estadio da Luz.

• Benfica part ways with Lage

  Benfica announced the sacking of Lage with immediate effect on Tuesday after the Portuguese heavyweights slumped to a shock 3-2 defeat to Azerbaijani side Qarabag FK in the Champions League. It was the first-ever win for Qarabag in the competition, while it extended Benfica's winless streak at home to six games in the competition. In the aftermath of Lage's dismissal, Mourinho has been speculated to become the next Benfica manager.   

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• Getty
  

  Mourinho eyeing immediate return to coaching

  Mourinho was relieved of his duties at Turkish giants Fenerbahce last month, after the Portuguese head coach failed to guide his team in securing qualification for the Champions League 'league phase'. Coincidentally, Fenerbahce lost 1-0 to aggregate to Benfica, with Lage overseeing the passage to the league phase. Now, has already reported that the Eagles are eyeing the former Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter, and Manchester United boss to take over the reins at the Estadio da Luz. Mourinho is open to joining Benfica as he is keen on an immediate return to coaching.  

• Lage wishes Mourinho 'best of luck'

  Speaking to reporters on Wednesday morning, Lage said: "The most important thing is that I wish Benfica all the best. That’s what we tried to do upon returning — that was the spirit in which we worked hard from the start of the season, with a completely different squad… But unfortunately, certain constraints, both internal and external, didn’t allow us to do better.

  "I wish the best of luck to the man who comes next. I don’t know if the news is true, whether it’s Mr. Mourinho or not. What matters is that it’s someone who knows Benfica very well. He played against this team three times, praised the squad often, said I was happy — and he’ll be even happier with [Heorhiy] Sudakov and Dodi [Lukebakio] coming in.

  "They always followed my instructions. I feel fulfilled. I wish Benfica well — the club did a lot for me and for my career, projected me in a way I never imagined, and gave me the financial stability to provide for my family."  

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  What would be Mourinho's first game in-charge of Benfica?

  Surprisingly, Mourinho's first-ever job as head coach came at Benfica. Indeed, in September 2000, he was appointed as the manager of the club, but Mourinho stepped down just 11 games into his tenure after a contract dispute with then-president Manuel Vilarinho. If he joins Benfica, he can be expected to be on the touchlines for the league encounter against 17th-placed AVS on Saturday.   

Celtic have not made many headline-making signings during the summer transfer window so far, but the return of Kieran Tierney has been the exception.

The Scotland international has returned to Parkhead after six years down south with Arsenal, putting pen to paper on a permanent deal after his deal at The Emirates expired at the start of this month.

Tierney has played four times in pre-season for the Scottish Premiership champions and registered an assist for Liam Scales in the 4-0 win over Newcastle United.

Celtic supporters can get excited about the prospect of watching the attack-minded left-back bombing up and down the left flank to make an impact in the final third next season.

However, it remains to be seen who will be playing ahead of him on the left wing on a regular basis, whether Daizen Maeda starts on the left or plays through the middle as a number nine.

Celtic hope for bargain deal for new winger

The Scottish giants are in the market to add another left-sided attacker to their squad before the end of the summer transfer window, and are keen on a star who would love Tierney.

Transfer Focus

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According to the Daily Record, Celtic are refusing to give up on their long-standing pursuit of Royal Antwerp attacker Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

The report claims that the Belgian forward is out of contract next summer and that the Hoops hope to land a ‘cut-price’ deal for him, as the ‘cash-strapped’ Pro League side are open to selling.

However, Royal Antwerp have been reluctant to budge on their £5m valuation of the winger and negotiations are seemingly ongoing to find a middle ground.

The Daily Record adds that Balikwisha has been identified as a top target for the Hoops, and it is now down to them to reach an agreement with the Belgian side.

Why Michel-Ange Balikwisha would love Kieran Tierney

If Celtic can strike a deal for the 24-year-old forward, Balikwisha and Tierney could form an exciting connection down the left flank for Brendan Rodgers next season.

As shown by the left-back’s assist tally of 37 from his first spell at the club, the Scotland international is a full-back who loves to go down the outside to deliver crosses and create goals by holding the width.

This means that Tierney is the perfect foil for a left-sided attacker who wants to cut inside onto their right foot, because his energetic runs down the flank can draw attention away from the winger by giving the opposition’s defender an extra player to think about.

Therefore, Balikwisha could take advantage of that potential overload, depending on how much the other team’s right winger wants to track back, to either play Tierney into the space out wide or to dribble inside with the ball to exploit the space that the left-back’s run could create.

Balikwisha (Pro League)	23/24	24/25
Starts	27	12
xG	6.46	2.65
Goals	7	4
Big chances created	6	7
Key passes per game	1.5	1.6
Assists	5	3
Stats via Sofascore

Based on the Belgian dynamo’s form in the Pro League in the last two seasons, as shown in the table above, the £5m-rated star could make a fairly big impact in the final third by playing with the former Arsenal man.

Balikwisha, who was described as a “creative” talent by analyst Will Glavin, has the quality to deliver both goals and assists for his side from the left flank, as he outperformed his xG and averaged 1.5 key passes or more per game across two years in his home country.

These statistics show that coupling him with Tierney down the left will cause the opposition’s right-back plenty of problems, whilst also forcing the other team’s manager to have to pull players from other positions to come and double up on them, possibly creating overloads elsewhere on the park.

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Therefore, signing Balikwisha could be a move that makes a lot of sense for Celtic and one that could be very effective for their left side next season.

After already welcoming both Emmanuel Fernandez and Joe Rothwell this week, Glasgow Rangers are now reportedly keen to sign a Premier League gem this summer.

Rangers sign Fernandez and Rothwell

The Gers have well and truly got their summer business underway and now that things have started, they don’t look likely to slow down anytime soon. After welcoming both Fernandez and Rothwell, Russell Martin has taken his incomings count to as many as five since arriving with the likes of Conor Coady also on Rangers’ radar as they look to add to that number.

The latest to arrive, Fernandez told Rangers’ official website after putting pen to paper: “I am honoured, it is a huge club with a great fanbase and I think I can kickstart my career and have a good journey here.

“I was shocked when I heard about Rangers because it is such a big club but it was the place I wanted to be. I haven’t played at this level, there will be a lot of life changes for me, but it is something I want to be part of and I can’t wait to get started.”

Meanwhile, equally delighted to be joining up with those at Ibrox, Rothwell said: “My first reaction? A yes straight away, obviously then with the manager coming in as well it made that decision a little bit easier for me.

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“Working with him and knowing what type of guy he is and how he wants to do things that was an even bigger pull for me, but the club speaks for itself really.”

It’s been the most important week of the summer so far for Rangers, who have now set their sights on welcoming another impressive Premier League talent for Martin.

Rangers keen to sign Owen Beck

According to The Daily Record, Rangers are now keen to sign Owen Beck from Liverpool but will need to sell Ridvan Yilmaz if they are to make their move to sign the left-back on a permanent deal. Recent reports have suggested that the Premier League champions would accept a loan offer for their youngster, although there would need to be guarantees over his game time.

It should come as little shock that Beck has found himself on Rangers’ radar. The 22-year-old enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Blackburn Rovers last season and following Milos Kerkez’s Anfield arrival, is likely to need either another loan move or a permanent exit to earn further game time.

It wouldn’t be the first time that Beck features in Scotland either, given that he also spent time on loan at Dundee. It was then that their technical director and former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan told reporters: “With Owen Beck, you can take all the data away from the player and it will tell you this: he gets forward, his engine’s good, it’s all good.

“What it won’t tell you is that Owen is a great kid with wonderful personality. He has a great team ethic, and he can’t do enough for the people around him. His first thought is always the team, and I like that in younger players. He’s made himself into a better footballer. He’s clever.”

West Bromwich Albion are now underway in pre-season with a 1-1 draw against Dynamo Kyiv ending their Austrian training camp.

Whilst a lot of eyes have centred on the Baggies splashing out £4.7m on new striker recruit Aune Heggebo, it was fellow fresh signing Nathaniel Phillips who scored the only West Brom goal against their Ukrainian opponents.

They’re far from done when it comes to transfer activity, however, as a new defender edges ever closer to joining the ranks to link up with Phillips, as well as gossip surrounding an interesting face now being tipped to be on Mason’s growing shopping list.

West Brom add new star to shopping list

You wouldn’t blame the Baggies if they were to add more and more new players to their squad this summer, having seen the likes of Grady Diangana, John Swift, and Semi Ajayi all depart the Hawthorns in quick succession.

To fill the void left behind by Ajayi, West Brom look to be closing in on the defensive purchase of George Campbell from MLS outfit Montreal, with the fee to bring him in to England around the £1m region.

Spurs youngster Mikey Moore is also on the radar, with Football Insider reporting earlier in the summer that both Birmingham City and Albion were planning to make a loan move.

Alternatives could be sought, namely in the form of Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, with the Crystal Palace winger a proven performer at Championship level, something was seen in his Sheffield United exploits last season.

A new update over the weekend from the Express and Star has revealed that the £10m-rated winger is on Mason and Co’s agenda, but it will be a tough battle to win, as local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers are also alleged to be sniffing around.

Why Rak-Sakyi would be even more exciting than Moore

Winning the services of Rak-Sakyi would arguably be an even more exciting pick-up than Moore, with the 22-year-old immediately ready to hit the ground running in a bid to push the Baggies up the Championship standings.

Of course, Moore’s moment in the EFL spotlight will inevitably come soon, with Spurs needing to see what their 17-year-old wonderkid is like away from the comfortable isolation of North London.

But, if it was a toss-up now between adding the teenager to their camp or Rak-Sakyi, it does feel like a no-brainer to go after the two-time England U21 international over risking it with Moore, especially when you see how much of an impact he had for the Blades last season, competing near the top of the second tier table.

Games played

34

Games started

22

Average minutes per game

51

Goals scored

7

Assists

2

Big chances missed

6

Big chances created

3

Amazingly, despite only averaging 51 minutes per Championship clash, Rak-Sakyi ended his fine 24/25 season in the league with seven goals and two assists next to his name.

Therefore, he could go on to be an invaluable member of Mason’s camp if a deal was struck, with Rak-Sakyi also capable of playing all across the forward positions.

Indeed, a sublime 26 goals and 12 assists have come his way from 38 career clashes down the opposing channel that has been depleted by Diangana’s exit.

Moore can boast similarly steep numbers playing in the youth teams at Spurs, with a stunning 19 goals next to his name from 24 U18 clashes, but it might well be deemed a step too far for the 17-year-old to be a shining light for a Championship team gunning for promotion.

At the time of writing, Moore only has one senior strike to shout about. Whereas, the “wonderful” Rak-Sakyi – as he’s been glowingly labelled by U23 scout Antonio Mango – has 32 EFL goal contributions and counting from 80 outings in League One and above.

Mason might well fancy taking a punt on Moore when you consider his ex-Spurs connections but if West Brom want a dazzling talent who can get spectators out of their seats from minute one of his arrival – instead of waiting around for a wide-eyed starlet to get settled – they should persist with Rak-Sakyi’s signature.

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There’s no certainty Liverpool will sign an out-and-out striker in the summer transfer market, even with Darwin Nunez in the process of leaving Anfield and joining Serie A champion Napoli.

It’s funny: in the build-up to the market, many of a Reds persuasion would have ranked the acquisition of a high-level striker among Richard Hughes’ chief priorities as Liverpool’s sporting director.

However, the Reds have armed themselves with a wide breadth of fresh quality, and though they are yet to sign a centre-forward, there’s no question that Arne Slot has the tools to defend his Premier League title and challenge for the various other trophies up for grabs.

Signing a new striker would hardly be a bad thing, though, especially with rumours linking Liverpool to Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, who was declared “the best striker in the Premier League” by pundit Jamie Carragher last season.

However, should Luis Diaz be on the move too, that stance will no doubt change.

Luis Diaz's Liverpool future: the latest

At the start of June, Liverpool reportedly rejected a formal approach from Barcelona for their trusty forward Diaz. The 28-year-old hit 17 goals and eight assists across all competitions last season, filling in plenty at number nine to compensate for the struggles of Nunez and Diogo Jota.

Liverpool’s supposed stance is that he’s going nowhere, but that hasn’t stopped a gurgling stream of rumours from flowing through.

With interest coming from the Saudi Pro League too, there’s every chance the Colombian moves ship after his successful year in Slot’s system, for he has just two years remaining on his current deal and earns a comparatively meagre salary at £55k per week.

Given the potential finances involved in an agreement with a team like Al-Nassr, Liverpool’s position may well shift, though it would mean that the Merseysiders would need to sign a replacement.

Diaz’s dynamic qualities worked a treat for Slot last year, bringing something unique to the squad. Such players are few and far between, although Hughes has found a potential successor with similar properties.

Liverpool line up Diaz replacement

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are interested in signing Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman this summer, albeit they are behind Arsenal in the race at this stage.

The Gunners, who have a long-standing interest in the 27-year-old, are engaged in negotiations, with the Serie A side seeking a €50m (£43m) fee.

With Hughes keeping an eye on Lookman, things may yet accelerate. A deal would depend on the outcome of Diaz’s quandary, but given his dynamic faculties, it’s a move worth exploring.

Why Liverpool should sign Ademola Lookman

Liverpool have one of the best left-sided forwards in the business in Cody Gakpo, but the Dutchman would need competition if Diaz were to leave.

Mohamed Salah is a matchless forward, but he turned 33 this month and cannot be expected to haul such a heavy load again without more goalscoring support from his peers – Lookman could help in that regard, for sure.

Lookman, indeed, could blend the skill sets together, especially as he has some experience as his team’s focal frontman, and performing prolifically at that.

Ademola Lookman – Career Stats by Position

Position

Apps

Goals

Assists

Left winger

102

29

7

Attacking midfield

98

33

14

Right winger

62

10

12

Centre-forward

38

14

9

Data via Transfermarkt

Broadcaster Maximiliano Bretos praised Lookman for his “monster” 2023/24 season, winning the Europa League and posting 27 goal involvements across 45 matches.

It was his stunning hat-trick which won Atalanta the Europa League and ended Bayer Leverkusen’s incredible unbeaten run, which stretched across the vast chasm of a campaign.

There was no doubting it: this former Everton, Leicester City and Fulham prospect, who never quite brought it together in the Premier League, was a “superstar”, as had been said by 90min’s Sean Walsh.

Perhaps he didn’t quite reach the same heights last year, but he still scored 20 goals and provided seven assists for his Italian outfit – a higher tally than Diaz for Liverpool, it should be noted.

And the underlying data speaks in his favour too. As per FBref, Lookman ranked among the top 4% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues last year for goals, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for progressive passes and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90.

With Newcastle set to demand £200m for Isak this summer, Liverpool might be better off heading down this left-field track and signing a versatile forward who was recognised for his talent at a young age and has since realised his potential after first weathering adversity.

After all, FBref’s data reveals the Sweden international to have been among Lookman’s most comparable strikers in 2024/25, having played with a roundedness that aligns with the complete nature of Isak’s skill set, as has been noted by pundit Alan Shearer, who said in January, “his all-round game is magnificent.”

His performances out wide have also led the stats-led site to draw up Salah as one of his most comparable wingers, something which should hardly come as a surprise given the Nigerian’s ball-striking prowess and direct style of play.

Would he be expected to emulate Salah’s ridiculous output? Absolutely not. The Egyptian King scored 34 goals and supplied 23 assists in Slot’s system last year.

But the fact that Liverpool are pursuing a player with a semblance of their talisman bodes well for Slot’s project, especially as Lookman would be best utilised centrally or out on the left, meaning the forwards could play side-by-side.

All this hinges on Diaz’s fate, of course, but with so much exciting activity happening on Merseyside this summer, there are so many reasons to be excited for Liverpool fans.

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