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Manchester United are now lining up a move for a former Puskas Award nominee, with Ruben Amorim personally keen on the deal.

Amorim lining up targets for the January transfer window

The 2-1 victory over Chelsea at the weekend will certainly have bought Amorim some time, but the Man United boss has stressed the importance of carrying the momentum into the next game against Sunderland on Saturday.

Should United pick up victories against the Black Cats and Brentford in the following game, their Premier League standing will start to look a lot healthier, but after a slow start to the campaign, the manager has already started to identify potential January targets.

After missing out on a central midfielder in the summer, it would make sense to look to improve in the engine room in the upcoming window, and the Red Devils are on red alert over a potential move for Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher.

Not only that, but Man United are also looking to bolster their defensive options, according to a report from Il Napolista, which states they are now lining up a January move for Federico Dimarco, with Amorim personally very interested in a deal.

The United boss has placed Dimarco high on his list of winter targets, given that the left-back would be an ideal fit in his system, while he also ‘really likes’ the defender for his technical and shooting qualities.

The Italian’s shooting ability was perhaps best displayed in Inter Milan’s clash with Frosinone, during which he scored a remarkable goal from distance, earning a nomination for the 2024 Puskas Award in the process.

"Revelation" Dimarco could be ideal for Amorim

Given that the Inter Milan defender has regularly played at both left-back and left-midfield throughout his career to date, he could be an ideal fit in Amorim’s system, which, of course, utilises wing-backs.

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The 27-year-old was also lauded by Paolo Cando, courtesy of his impressive performances in the 2022-23 season, with the Italian journalist saying: “Federico Dimarco has been the revelation of the season. He started at Inter as a backup, and quickly became one of the ironclad starting eleven players.”

Having averaged a 7.38 SofaScore rating so far this season, the Italy international is ranked as the third-best performing player in the Inter squad, and at 27-years-old, he could now be entering his prime.

Consequently, Dimarco could be exactly the type of signing needed to take Man United to the next level, and they should undoubtedly pursue a January move.

Considering their disastrous campaign last season, it would be fair to say that it’s been a pretty good summer of business for Manchester United and for director of football, Jason Wilcox.

They’ve dramatically improved Ruben Amorim’s frontline with the additions of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko, and overseen a few much-needed departures.

For example, while they’ve been unable to sell Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford is out of the squad, Rasmus Hojlund is close to joining Napoli, and, arguably most importantly, the disruptive Alejandro Garnacho joined Chelsea for a fairly sizable £40m plus a 10% sell-on clause.

And now, in even more good news, the Red Devils are being linked with a deadline-day move for someone who could be the perfect upgrade.

Manchester United eye deadline-day move for Garnacho upgrade

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Manchester United are one of several top-flight teams interested in Fermin Lopez.

Transfer Focus

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

Alongside the Red Devils, the report claims Chelsea, Newcastle United, Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur are all keen on the Spanish gem.

In addition to facing considerable competition, United will have to pay a substantial amount to secure their target, with Barcelona reportedly seeking offers of up to €90m, equivalent to approximately £78m.

With that said, Lopez would likely be worth the effort to sign, as not only is he an extraordinary talent in his own right, but a significant upgrade on Garnacho as well.

How Lopez compares to Garnacho

So, comparing Lopez to Garnacho to determine who is the bigger talent is actually relatively straightforward, as, like the Argentine, the Spaniard is a versatile attacker who primarily plays in attacking midfield and off the left wing.

In other words, we can take a look at their output and underlying numbers from last season and directly compare them to one another, and when it comes to the former, the Barça gem comes out on top.

In 46 appearances, totalling just 2039 minutes, the “creative” star, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored eight goals and provided ten assists.

That means he managed to average a goal involvement every 2.55 games, or every 113.27 minutes, which is undeniably impressive for someone his age.

In contrast, the Red Devils’ former troublemaker scored 11 goals and provided 10 assists in 58 appearances last season, totalling 3568 minutes, which comes out to a less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or 169.90 minutes.

Unfortunately for the Madrid-born ace, the comparison is just as one-sided when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

For example, the “spectacular” Spaniard, as dubbed by former manager Xavi, comes out ahead in most relevant metrics such as expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes, key passes, passes into the penalty area, shot and goal-creating actions, and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.69

0.48

Non-Penalty G+As

0.79

0.33

Progressive Passes

5.68

2.30

Progressive Carries

2.23

5.78

Passing Accuracy

81.8%

78.9%

Key Passes

2.09

1.52

Passes into the Final Third

4.68

0.90

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.44

1.02

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.43

0.20

Shot-Creating Actions

4.10

3.40

Goal-Creating Actions

0.50

0.25

Successful Take-Ons

1.80

1.07

Ball Recoveries

4.75

4.43

These numbers help to show that the El Campillo-born dynamo is a far more dangerous goalscorer, a considerably more accomplished creator, and an attacker who is also a more effective dribbler.

In other words, Lopez is simply a far better player than Garnacho and would therefore be a significant upgrade for United.

Therefore, Wilcox and the Red Devils should be doing all they can to sign him before the window slams shut at 7pm.

West Ham in shock talks for "one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United's history"

Potter is in a desperate situation.

ByCallum Kemp Aug 27, 2025

With James McAtee, Omari Hutchinson and Arnaud Kalimuendo already through the door, Nottingham Forest have now reportedly made contact to sign a defensive addition.

Nottingham Forest closing in on Luiz agreement

The Tricky Trees may have taken time to truly get going this summer, but they’re now in no mood to stop spending as the Premier League campaign gets underway and transfer deadline day approaches. Evangelos Marinakis has welcomed a flurry of arrivals as of late, and Douglas Luiz looks destined to be the next to be welcomed by the Greek owner.

The midfielder will arguably be Forest’s most impressive signing of the summer if he puts pen to paper as expected. The former Aston Villa midfielder has endured a nightmare spell at Juventus, but will be remembered most by Premier League fans for how he helped Unai Emery’s side into the Champions League two seasons ago.

Now set to return to the Premier League to play for Aston Villa’s Midlands rivals, Luiz will have the chance to restore his reputation in a World Cup year. Given how emphatic Forest were on the opening day against Brentford too, the addition of Luiz is only likely to improve a side that is already firing on all cylinders.

More prolific than Wood: Nottingham Forest chasing £25m "physical beast"

As Nottingham Forest seek to add even more attacking firepower, could they sign a “physical beast” worth £25m who outscored Chris Wood last season?

ByBen Gray Aug 19, 2025

Even after the Brazilian potentially arrives to make it a fourth signing in the last two weeks at the City Ground, however, Marinakis is reportedly not done there in the transfer window. Reports are now indicating that Forest have launched an opening move to sign a Championship defender.

Nottingham Forest make contact to sign Fisher

As reported by Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Nottingham Forest have now made an opening enquiry to sign Kellen Fisher from Norwich City. The 21-year-old has caught the eye of those at the City Ground after breaking into the Canaries’ senior squad last season and since keeping hold of his place under Liam Manning in the current campaign.

Earning plenty of praise from Johanes Hoff Thorup last season, the former Norwich manager explained why Fisher has the ability to play an inverted right-back role as well as in the natural full-back position – telling reporters: “He can do it because he has the technical abilities. He’s a great crossing player, and he’s a great technical player.

“When you have that as one of your skills, then you can cover more and different positions. It’s just praise to him. He’s doing well, and it also creates a little bit more rotation in the team because now he has tried more positions.”

Seemingly doing enough to earn the interest of the Premier League, the young defender could go from Bromley in 2022 all the way to Nottingham Forest in the space of three impressive years.

This summer transfer window has acted as a period of change for Liverpool, and it has felt at times like the transition from the end of the Jürgen Klopp reign to the start of the Arne Slot one. Whilst this will be Slot’s second season at the club, last year’s Premier League-winning campaign was predominantly done with his predecessor’s signings, with the exception of Federico Chiesa.

Prominent members of Liverpool’s front line have departed the club this summer, including Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, which have helped fund new faces. Liverpool’s opening day win against Bournemouth has demonstrated Slot’s favour towards his own signings, as four of the starting eleven were signings from this summer.

Slot now looks likely to remove another one of Klopp’s favourites as a German club are prepared to offer Liverpool a massive return on their investment.

RB Leipzig preparing bid for Elliott as personal terms agreed

RB Leipzig are preparing to submit a bid worth £25.9 million for Liverpool and England attacking midfielder, Harvey Elliott. This report comes from the Empire of the Kop, who stated that Liverpool’s valuation of Elliott is closer to £34.5 million, and the gap between the two figures will “potentially be bridged through structured payments and add-ons”.

This deal will see Liverpool receive more than 500% profit on Elliott, given that he only cost them £4.3 million when they signed him from Fulham in 2019.

Elliott has fallen out of favour at Liverpool since Slot took over, with his appearances dropping from 53 in all competitions during the 23/24 campaign to 28 appearances in all competitions in the 24/25 campaign. Since departing Liverpool, Klopp has taken over as Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull and may be one of the figures behind recruiting Elliott.

Empire of the Kop also report that Elliot has come to terms with the fact that he does not feature heavily in Slot’s plans and is accepting a move to the Bundesliga, having already agreed personal terms in principle. These personal terms include a pay rise where he’ll increase from the £2.08 million that he earns each year at Liverpool to a new salary between £2.6 million and £3.4 million a year.

Elliott's transfer adds to Slot's forward depth issues

While Elliott didn’t feature prominently for Slot last season, his departure would still add to the minutes that need to be made up. Slot’s new-look forward line will have to make up for the minutes of the recently sold Diaz and Nunez, as well as those of Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away in the summer.

Premier League Minutes Last Season

Jota

1,194

Diaz

2,410

Nunez

1,118

Elliott

360

Total

5,082

Whilst it may seem like a mammoth task to make up 5,082 minutes, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitiké came close to that last season. Across the last Bundesliga campaign, the pair racked up 4,933 minutes of game time, only 149 minutes short of what the listed players played combined.

Bangladesh earned just two wickets on opening day, both picked up by Taijul Islam

Firdose Moonda29-Oct-2024

South Africa 307 for 2 (De Zorzi 141*, Stubbs 106, Bedingham 18*) vs Bangladesh It was a coming of age day for two of South Africa’s top three as Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs both scored their first Test centuries in Chattogram. De Zorzi and Stubbs, with eight and five Test caps to their names respectively, shared South Africa’s third-highest second-wicket stand in Asia of 201 to put South Africa in a strong position to push for a series sweep.They made the most of batter-friendly conditions with little seam movement, swing or steep bounce and only hints of turn to assist the home attack. Bangladesh’s bowlers had little to work with and the best they managed was to keep South Africa quiet in patches. Their tall seamer Nahid Rana was the most impressive of the five-man attack and reached speeds of up to 148kph but went wicketless. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam picked up from where he left off after a five-for in Mirpur and was the only bowler to take wickets, although Hasan Mahmud will feel hard done by. De Zorzi was dropped off him twice, on 6 and 69, on his way to an unbeaten 141.South Africa started the day strongly as stand-in captain Aiden Markram and de Zorzi motored at 4.6 runs an over in the first hour. They hit four fours and a six between them as South Africa reached morning drinks on 60 without loss. The only threat came from Hasan, who took de Zorzi’s edge with the first ball of his fourth over but debutant wicketkeeper Mahidul Islam could not hold on. Bangladesh turned to spin from both ends after that and it brought success for Taijul. Markram advanced down the track to a ball that was not as short as he anticipated and chipped it to Mominul Haque at mid-on.Related

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Markram’s dismissal allowed Bangladesh to pull the scoring rate back. They did not concede a boundary for 21 deliveries as Stubbs played himself in. He found his first four when he reverse-swept Mehidy Hasan Miraz behind point but then Bangladesh reapplied the squeeze. Another 28 balls were bowled for just 14 runs before de Zorzi brought up South Africa’s hundred with a sumptuous cover drive. De Zorzi went to lunch one away from a third Test fifty and got there in the over after the break.The opening exchanges of the afternoon session were difficult for South Africa and they went 91 deliveries between boundaries as they navigated Rana’s pace and small amounts of proper turn from Taijul. Nahid’s lengths were improved from the fuller ones he employed in the morning and he stuck to back-of-a-length balls which proved difficult to get away. But he did not come close to a wicket. Instead it was Mahmud who should have had something to show for his efforts. He drew de Zorzi forward again and took the edge but the chance slipped through the hands of Shadman Islam at first slip, de Zorzi and South Africa survived a period in which they scored only 34 runs in 13 overs after lunch and then things opened up a bit for them.The next eight overs brought 32 runs at a healthier scoring rate and Stubbs brought up his second Test fifty. Stubbs grew in confidence when he hit Mehidy over the sightscreen for six and de Zorzi followed suit by entering the nineties by sending Taijul over long-on. De Zorzi reached his hundred with a sweep shot off Mehidy through square leg and celebrated his achievement to warm applause from the dug out, which included injured captain Temba Bavuma. De Zorzi is only the second black African batter from South Africa to score a Test hundred, after Bavuma.2:12

‘You can’t buy that pace’ – Phil Simmons impressed with Nahid Rana

As de Zorzi struggled with cramps, Stubbs faced 25 of the first 30 deliveries after tea and showed good intent. He was particularly severe on Mehidy, charging him twice for six and reverse-sweeping him for four to near the nineties and knuckle down. De Zorzi struggled to run between the wickets so the pair quietened down and Stubbs spent 39 balls getting from 88 to 100. He did it with a single to deep point and a standing ovation from everyone in the South African camp.Stubbs was bowled in the next over by a ball that kept low from Taijul with about half an hour left of play in the day. South Africa saw that as a license to attack. De Zorzi and David Bedingham played with freedom and scored 34 runs in the six overs that followed as Bangladesh awaited the second new ball. They were also without their captain Najmul Hossain Shanto for that period after he left the field with what seemed like illness. Taijul led in his absence and took the second new ball as soon as it became available. Mehidy bowled one over with it before the players came off for bad light, with the day’s accolades going to de Zorzi.South Africa went into this series with only two specialist batters in their squad with playing experience in the subcontinent and only one, Markram, with a century in Asia. The other, Bavuma, was ruled out of the series with injury, which left them further bereft of experience. A Test and a day into the series they have four batters in the playing XI who have scored centuries in the subcontinent.

Fast bowler expected to win debut during five-match ODI series against Australia

Matt Roller17-Sep-2024

England will test out their fast-bowling depth when they unleash seven seamers across their ODI series against Australia. A tight schedule of five matches in 11 days – starting at Trent Bridge on Thursday – will demand some degree of rotation, which could aid Hampshire’s John Turner in his long-standing bid to make his international debut.Turner is 23 and only finished an economics and finance degree at Exeter University this summer, but has been on the fringes of England white-ball selection for over a year. He was first named in a squad for last summer’s T20I series against New Zealand, but was ruled out through injury, and was then an unused member of the touring party in the Caribbean in December.After running the drinks during last week’s drawn T20I series, Turner looks set to win first cap at some stage in the Australia ODIs – not least with Jofra Archer’s workload being managed, and three of England’s seven fast-bowling options (Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and Olly Stone) flying to Pakistan for October’s Test series days after the final ODI on September 29. Saqib Mahmood’s late addition to the squad on Tuesday further underlined that there will be regular changes through the series.”Just being in the squad is a cool experience for myself,” Turner said. “But you obviously want to and hope to debut at some point, and hopefully that comes at some stage in this series… being in and around the squads and the players, you naturally improve and you naturally learn.Related

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“I definitely would say I’m in a much better place now than I was this time last year, but I’ve still got quite a long way to go: I’m not anywhere near the finished product… The way you approach the game with different ideas for different batsmen and different scenarios, that’s what I end up taking from these types of environments.”Turner has an unmistakable South African accent and only moved to the UK four years ago. But his pace piqued England’s interest during his first T20 campaign for Hampshire last summer and he has taken regular wickets throughout his young professional career, with a bowling average below 20 in all three formats.England are still hoping to identify a middle-overs wicket-taker in the Liam Plunkett mould and Jos Buttler – who will watch this series from the sidelines due to his calf injury – hinted last week that Turner could be used in a similar role. “[It’s about] finding ways to break partnerships and take wickets, which is crucial in those 50-over games,” Buttler said. “Having high pace is certainly a way of doing that.”Turner broke the 90mph/145kph barrier while playing for Trent Rockets this year and describes himself as “naturally competitive”. His Hundred season started in bizarre fashion – he was removed from the attack with figures of 0-0-5-0 against London Spirit after consecutive beamers – but he quickly recovered, taking five wickets in his next two games.He has enjoyed the challenge of playing in the Hundred – “constantly bowling against the best… you’re always under pressure” – and in particular, having his speeds tracked. “Post-game, I’ll probably end up watching every single ball back to see what speed I was at… it’s quite handy to know at times: almost don’t try too hard and it works itself out.”Turner believes that there will be “healthy competition” among England’s fast bowlers in their ODI series. “I’ve never played in the same team as Jof, and I probably won’t be as quick as him. But if I’m bowling with him, if I see his speed on the board, I’ll be like, ‘let me see if I can match him.’ I’m naturally competitive and I’ll naturally want to try and be the quickest.Turner jumps in celebration during the Hundred•PA Images via Getty Images

“It’s probably healthy competition if we have that as well… Pace is my point of difference, but around that, I want to have the skillset also to be able to compete. It’s always exciting to have a full stock of fast bowlers: the crowd enjoy watching sixes and boundaries, but I think it’s quite enjoyable watching guys bowling 85-plus and pure speed.”Despite having played only twice in the County Championship this year, Turner’s ambitions extend across formats. He missed the start of the season with a knee injury and has struggled to break into a Hampshire seam attack which boasts both Mohammad Abbas and Kyle Abbott as spearheads.”Just being in and around them has been a good learning area for me: they’ve helped me improve my game immensely,” Turner said. “That’s definitely the way I want my career to pan out. I’d like to be an all-format [player]: Test cricket, white-ball and franchise stuff. I don’t really want to put myself into a single category.”John Turner was speaking at Hampshire’s Utilita Bowl to mark the installation of 1044 solar panels at the venue, as part of an industry-leading partnership with Utilita Energy

While every season is a big one, next season feels especially important for Tottenham Hotspur.

The club are finally back in the Champions League thanks to Ange Postecoglou delivering on his promise of winning something in his second year.

However, while he’ll enjoy the benefits of leading out a team in Europe’s biggest competition, new boss Thomas Frank will be under pressure to improve the club’s dire Premier League form that saw his predecessor get the sack.

Fortunately, Daniel Levy and the board are not hanging him out to dry this summer, having already spent £55m on Mohammed Kudus and working to bring Morgan Gibbs-White to N17 for his £60m release clause.

The Nottingham Forest star would be an excellent addition to the squad, but Spurs might be better off signing another attacking ace they’ve previously been linked with.

Why Spurs want Gibbs-White

While we think there might be a better option out there, it’s easy to see why Spurs want to sign Gibbs-White this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

After all, not only does he have an abundance of experience in the Premier League, but he was also seriously effective for Forest last season.

For example, in 38 games across all competitions, totalling 3142 minutes, the 25-year-old ace scored seven goals and provided ten assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.23 games, or one every 184.82 minutes, and under the tutelage of the attack-minded Frank, you’d expect those numbers to improve in North London next season.

Another reason the Lilywhites might be keen to land the midfielder is that he’s a homegrown star and has already won four caps for the Three Lions, which is always great for the marketability of a player and his own development.

Finally, at 25 years old, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers gem is neither past his peak nor someone who will need time to develop; instead, he’s a prime age player who can come in and make an instant impact.

Yet, for everything there is to like about Gibbs-White, there is another international we reckon Spurs should sign instead: Xavi Simons.

Why Spurs should sign Xavi Simons over Gibbs-White

While it appears the club’s attention is now on Gibbs-White, they have been linked with Simons several times this summer.

Moreover, with his reported price tag also being around £60m, switching their focus to him wouldn’t incur additional costs.

With that said, why should they opt for the Ducthman over the Forest ace?

Appearances

33

38

Minutes

2763′

3142′

Goals

11

7

Assists

8

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.57

0.44

Minutes per Goal Involvement

145.42′

184.82′

Well, the first argument comes down to their output from last season, as in his 33 games for RB Leipzig, totalling 2763 minutes, the Amsterdam-born ace, who one analyst has dubbed “one of the best 10s in the world,” scored 11 goals and provided eight assists.

In other words, he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 145.42 minutes, which is far better than what the Englishman could manage.

Moreover, the former PSV Eindhoven gem has more experience at the very highest level of the game, making 13 Champions League appearances thus far and playing a major role for the Netherlands at the last Euros.

Another key advantage the 22-year-old has is that he’s more positionally versatile than the former Wolves star and is comfortable in the ten, off both wings and even up top.

Ultimately, both players would be brilliant additions to the side, but due to his significantly better output, experience beyond his years and the fact that he can comfortably play all over the pitch, we reckon Simons would be the better signing.

With all that said, Spurs would be clever to bring in both.

Gibbs-White will love him: Spurs huge admirers of £80m Premier League star

Tottenham Hotspur’s huge transfer window has shown no signs of slowing down in recent days.

ByEthan Lamb Jul 14, 2025

The South American market seems to be at the heart of Nottingham Forest’s plans this summer, and they have now reportedly made their first move to sign yet another talent after Cuiabano, Igor Jesus and Jair Cunha.

Nottingham Forest focusing on South American incomings

Perhaps hoping to find a star who could reach the same level as the likes of Murillo, Nottingham Forest’s focus has been set on welcoming South American talents this summer. Already, they’ve reportedly reached an agreement to complete a triple swoop for Botafogo stars Jesus, Cunha and Cuiabano and, if reports are anything to go by, they’re not stopping there.

As well as the aforementioned trio, Nottingham Forest have also reportedly received the green light to sign Romulo Cardoso from Goztepe this summer. The impressive striker scored 17 goals in Turkey last season and could now be on his way to the Premier League as a result.

With Jesus already on his way, the arrival of Romulo would instantly add depth to Nuno Espirito Santo’s frontline and potentially even create quite the partnership between the two countrymen.

The striker position will certainly be up for grabs sooner rather than later too, given that Chris Wood is 33 years old and likely to move past the peak of his powers in the coming years.

Even after Romulo, however, it looks as though Nottingham Forest’s search for South American talent will continue. As the Midlands club set their sights on qualifying for European football for a second season on the bounce, Marinakis is clearly keen to ensure that his side’s place in the top half comes as an expectation and not a major shock.

Nottingham Forest make first Kaio Jorge approach

According to reports in Brazil, as relayed by Sport Witness, Nottingham Forest have now made their first approach to sign Kaio Jorge from Cruzeiro, who are demanding as much as €30m (£25m) to sell their striker this summer.

The 23-year-old could be the third Brazilian striker that Forest have signed by the time the Premier League season gets underway, with adding fresh faces to Espirito Santo’s frontline a clear priority. Whether they are willing to splash out £25m to sign Jorge when they already have Jesus and have the green light to sign Romulo is the big question, however.

It’s clear to see why Cruzeiro value Jorge so highly, though. The 23-year-old has enjoyed an excellent campaign in Brazil – scoring 10 goals – and has done more than enough to secure a European move.

Nottingham Forest join race for £85m star who’s starred at Club World Cup

He’s a man in demand…

ByTom Cunningham Jun 18, 2025

Meanwhile, although negotiations with Cruzeiro may prove to be tough, Nottingham Forest could enjoy a far easier task when negotiating personal terms with Jorge thanks to the fact that he is represented by the same agent as Midlands-bound Cunha.

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

Expand Collapse

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.

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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.