Category Uncategorized

Rangers’ centre-forward options at Ibrox are set to undergo a mass overhaul during the final few days of this transfer window.

On Friday, Hamza Igamane’s departure was made official, joining Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille for £10.4m, leaving under a bit of a black cloud, having refused to come off the bench during last Sunday’s 1-1 draw with St Mirren, at least according to under-fire manager Russell Martin.

Meantime, Cyriel Dessers has been heavily linked with a move away all throughout the summer, with AEK Athens the club who’ve shown the strongest interest.

For now, the Nigerian remains a Rangers player, but he is a doubt ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm derby at Ibrox, so Danilo is expected to lead the line against Celtic.

However, ahead of that game, could the Light Blues sign not one but two new centre-forwards?

Rangers' search for new strikers

As has been widely reported, Rangers are set to sign striker Bojan Miovski from Girona for around £2.6m, potentially rising to £4.2m.

The North Macedonian international underwent a medical in France on Friday, with the Gers attempting to get the paperwork finalised in time so that he would be eligible to feature in Sunday’s Glasgow derby.

Miovski will be a familiar face to all Scottish football fans, having scored 44 goals across two seasons at Aberdeen, four of which came against Rangers, only on target against Livingston more frequently, but he is now tasked with scoring goals in light blue.

However, Miovski is not the only centre-forward on his way to Glasgow’s south side.

That’s because, as reported by Mike McGrath of The Telegraph, Rangers are in the “final stages of completing a deal” to sign Everton striker Youssef Chermiti, adding that a deal is now virtually agreed.

Transfer Focus

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

The Portuguese under-21 international will move to Ibrox on a season-long loan, seemingly set to swap Merseyside for Glasgow imminently.

What Youssef Chermiti will bring to Rangers

After coming through Sporting CP’s academy, Chermiti made just 22 appearances for the Lions’ first team, scoring three goals, but this was enough to convince Everton to pay £15m to secure his signature.

However, this move has not paid off so far, with the striker making just 24 appearances for the Toffees, of which only two have been starts, these coming against Brentford in the Premier League in April 2024, and at Doncaster in the EFL Cup soon after his arrival, hooked at half time in Yorkshire with the side 1-0 down.

This might explain why Chermiti is yet to score a single goal for the Blues, having seen just 295 minutes on the field since moving to Merseyside over two years ago.

Thus, he is certainly looking to relaunch his career north of the border.

Analyst Kai Watson labels Chermiti a “proper big man” centre-forward, adding that, despite being 192 cms (6 ft 4 in), he is a “good dribbler”, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout asserts that he is a “superb prospect”

Given his lack of game time at Goodison, this signing is certainly a risk, mitigated by the fact it’s only a loan move, but could the Portuguese youngster replicate the success of Rangers’ best loan signing of recent times?

Ryan Kent also arrived at Ibrox on loan from Merseyside, joining from Liverpool in 2018, so successful during that season that they made him the club’s most-expensive signing of modern times, paying £7.5m to make the move permanent.

Before this however, as the table below documents, Kent had shown little sign that he was going to become a high-level performer.

Liverpool

1

Zero & zero

Coventry

17

1 & 1

Barnsley

47

3 & 3

Freiburg

6

Zero & zero

Bristol City

11

Zero & 2

As the table documents, before arriving at Rangers, in 82 senior appearances, Kent had scored just four goals and registered only six assists, ultimately accumulating 33 goals and 56 assists during his time at Ibrox.

Thus, there is certainly a recent precedent for a player arriving in Glasgow on loan and exploding in front of goal, something Chermiti will be hoping to replicate.

He could revive Raskin: Rangers in the race to sign "versatile" £1m talent

After both Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomandé were left on the bench in Brugge, are Rangers about to sign a “versatile” midfielder valued at £1m?

ByBen Gray Aug 29, 2025

Tottenham are set to be very active in this final stretch of the window, and we can expect talks for attacking targets to intensify quickly after they were robbed of a deal for Eberechi Eze by north London rivals Arsenal.

VIP Tickets

Secure your matchday experience with Seat Unique.

See at Seat Unique Expand Collapse

The Lilywhites thought they were closing in on Eze, then Arsenal moved, and everything changed.

Spurs were deep in talks with Crystal Palace, seemingly on the brink of agreeing a deal for their star number 10.

However, Arsenal reignited their long-standing interest almost immediately after losing Kai Havertz to injury – seizing the initiative and agreeing a deal worth £60 million upfront, plus £7.5 million in add-ons.

Despite Tottenham agreeing both personal terms and a deal in principle with Palace, the final decision rested with Eze, and he chose a move to the Emirates.

The 27-year-old grew up a Gunners fan, trained in their academy as a youth, and Mikel Arteta’s side needed fresh attacking flair amid Havertz’s fresh knee problem. Arsenal have been targeting Eze all summer, but Havertz inadvertently pushed them into action whilst breaking Spurs’ hearts in the process.

Now Spurs are left scrambling for different options to plug the creative voids left in their squad – made worse by Son Heung-min’s departure and James Maddison’s long-term ACL injury.

In just a few hours, the tag-team of Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta snatched the deal from under Daniel Levy’s nose. From nearly finalized by Tottenham to firmly Arsenal’s – this one will sting in N17 for some time.

Levy and Thomas Frank will be desperate to put the saga behind them whilst making a serious statement of intent, and they’ve been linked with a few intriguing attacking options in the aftermath of their botched Eze deal.

Tottenham are still trying to loosen Man City’s grip on Savinho, but another option is still there in the form of Real Madrid star Rodrygo.

Tottenham could be close to agreeing loan deal for Rodrygo

According to Defensa Central, the Brazilian is not in Xabi Alonso’s plans, and his pool of suitors is running thin.

As things stand, Spurs are the most realistic destination for him, and their eagerness to offload him has resulted in Bernabeu chiefs softening their stance when it comes to his £86 million price tag.

So much so, in fact, that Real are now prepared to green-light an initial loan for Rodrygo, something that is enticing Tottenham as Levy maintains an interest in the 24-year-old.

As per Defensa, this means that Tottenham “could be close” to reaching an agreement for Rodrygo, as they’re also ready to cover the player’s entire £208,000-per-week salary.

The only roadblock is apparently whether Levy will agree to include a buy-option/obligation, as Florentino Perez would ideally like his price tag paid in full, but could be forced to wait until 2026.

Rodrygo, for his part, has decided to leave Real in pursuit of more game time, and while not explicitly stated, the prospect of a Premier League move could well tempt him.

Called a “superstar” by Luka Modrić, Rodrygo bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions for Los Blancos last term.

Readers like you help support FootballFanCast. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More.

Alvaro Morata has slammed the match officials for the Como vs Genoa game for not having a look at VAR before sending off former Real Madrid defender Jacobo Ramon. The marching orders for the Spaniard played a crucial role in the outcome of the fixture, as Como shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw against Patrick Vieira's team on Monday.

• Como held after late red card and equaliser

  Como were closing in on three points heading into the late stages of the game with a 1-0 lead after a 13th minute goal from Nico Paz. In the 88th minute, though, Ramon was sent off for a harsh slide tackle on Genoa player Junior Messias and four minutes later the visitors equalised through Caleb Ekuban.

  Morata was not happy with the decision to give the young defender his marching orders as he felt the replay should have been given a closer look by the officials. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Como forward acknowledges mistakes

  Morata said after the game: "We lost two important points. I understand it's difficult to make decisions, but I can't understand why Ramon's sending off wasn't reviewed by VAR. You can tell right away it wasn't a straight leg. I don't understand why, with today's technology, they don't review the play by VAR. The intensity may seem harsh, but if you review it slowly, it doesn't warrant a red card. He barely gets it. We're all human and we make mistakes."

• A blow for Como but Fabregas not concerned

  After finishing 10th in Serie A last season and investing heavily in new players over the summer, Como are eager to reach the next level under Cesc Fabregas, though the coach says he is being patient. They opened the new season with a victory against Lazio before suffering a 1-0 defeat at Bologna in their second game before they hosted Genoa this week.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  When do Como return to action?

  Como, with four points in three fixtures, currently sit ninth in the Serie A table. They will face Fiorentina in their next match on September 21.

India A gather healthy lead after India D are skittled out for 183

Shashank Kishore13-Sep-2024Khaleel Ahmed’s India career hasn’t quite taken off, but a decent IPL opened the doors for a white-ball return in Zimbabwe in July for the first time since 2019. Now, Khaleel is working his way back up to a steady diet of first-class cricket.The ongoing Duleep Trophy fixture is only his 14th since his debut in 2017, and with Yash Dayal having leapfrogged him to the Indian Test squad for Bangladesh, Khaleel had another opportunity to impress. On Friday, he built on his five wickets from the opening round to pick up another three first-innings wickets to give India A control.Having added just two runs to their overnight 288 for 8, India A bowled out India C for just 183, with Khaleel turning in a superb spell of swing and seam bowling to finish with 3 for 39.While he just bowled eight overs, he managed to create opportunities and kept batters guessing with his late movement and lift. He dismissed Atharva Taide with a wicked inswinger that he shouldered arms to off the third ball of the innings and then had Shreyas Iyer for a seven-ball duck in his second over.Iyer, seemingly troubled by the away-movement and a short ball that he somehow managed to sway out of, fell as he lobbed a full delivery to mid-on, unable to fully commit to the shot because he had been hanging back in the crease.Khaleel’s third was Zaheer Khan-esque for the angle he managed to create from around the stumps as he bent one back in late to strike Ricky Bhui on the pads. Bhui was overbalanced and was trapped plumb in front.File photo: Devdutt Padikkal scored 92 of India D’s total of 183 all out•PTI Khaleel’s fire from one end was matched by the intensity of young Uttar Pradesh quick Aaqib Khan. Just 12 first-class games old, Aaqib isn’t express pace but makes up for that with his control and minute deviations off the pitch. In what is possibly his most high-profile first-class appearance so far, Aaqib remained unfazed by the quality of batters up against him.One of his three wickets early in his spell was that of the returning Sanju Samson, whose stay lasted just six deliveries as he miscued a pull to mid-on. Aaqib finished with 3 for 41.For India D, only Devdutt Padikkal was among the runs, a punchy 92 filled with sumptuous cover drives and a solid back foot game, especially off his statemate Prasidh Krishna, who bowled a lot better than his figures of 11-4-30-1 suggest.Prasidh had the last laugh, however, when he had Padikkal with one that decked away sharply to take the edge through to the wicketkeeper. Padikkal’s 92 came off just 124 balls with wickets falling around him. He hit 15 boundaries in his knock.Having taken a 107-run lead, Mayank Agarwal and Pratham Singh tucked into a tired attack to hit half-centuries late in the day, before an innocuous delivery from Iyer had Agarwal tamely lobbing a return catch in the dying moments of play.

Liverpool don’t want to sell Luis Diaz this summer, but they might have to. Keeping a player on the books whose heart is set elsewhere is an ill-fated move, and the Colombian wants to leave Anfield.

You can see his case. Aged 28, Diaz is one of the finest wingers in the game, but he earns a comparatively modest salary at Liverpool and has entered the second-to-last year of his contract.

Diaz wants a pay rise, but Liverpool aren’t inclined to give him one, instead willing to see out his contract.

1

Mohamed Salah

£400,000

£20,800,000

2

Virgil Van Dijk

£350,000

£18,200,000

3

Florian Wirtz

£195,000

£10,140,000

4

Andrew Robertson

£160,000

£8,320,000

=5

Alexis Mac Allister

£150,000

£7,800,000

=5

Alisson

£150,000

£7,800,000

=5

Ryan Gravenberch

£150,000

£7,800,000

=5

Federico Chiesa

£150,000

£7,800,000

16*

Luis Diaz

£55,000

£2,860,000

He was a crucial part of last season’s success. Diaz scored 17 goals and supplied eight assists across all competitions for Liverpool, his best return for the club.

His electric pace, tenacious fight and versatility proved perfect for Arne Slot as the Dutch coach led the Reds to the Premier League title.

But Bayern Munich are persistent in their bid to sign the Colombian winger, having already seen a £58.5m bid knocked back this summer.

However, Sky Germany confirm that the Bundesliga champions continue to push, and with Liverpool set to sign a new striker, perhaps his sale for a mammoth fee wouldn’t be such a bad thing in the long run.

The latest on Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike has been one of the more coveted names on the market this summer. Manchester United and Newcastle United have both shown an interest, but it’s the Reds who will likely prevail, the Frenchman submitting a transfer request on Thursday to seal a deal with the Anfield side.

Valued at €100m (£85m) Ekitike will cost a pretty penny, all right, but he’s worth it, already regarded “one of the best strikers out there” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

While Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak has been sporting director Richard Hughes’ first choice, the Magpies have rejected Liverpool’s advances, so the Reds have stolen their top target instead.

He’s not as good as Isak, but the 23-year-old does have sky-high potential, the genuine chance to make headway over a number of years at Liverpool and reach that pedestal.

While Diaz spent a fair share of time as a makeshift striker in 2024/25, he is at his core a left-sided forward. With Darwin Nunez supposedly off as well, Liverpool might need to sign a winger to go alongside Ekitike.

Liverpool line up Luis Diaz heir

According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, Liverpool have retained an interest in signing Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon, having come close to signing him one year ago.

The England international, 24, is valued at £75m and any concrete move is dependent on Diaz’s future. However, the long-standing interest and Gordon’s Merseyside affiliation could see him push for a return to Anfield, having left Liverpool’s academy as an 11-year-old.

While Real Madrid’s Rodrygo is also on Liverpool’s radar, with preliminary talks having taken place, Gordon might be the man to go for.

Why Liverpool want Anthony Gordon

In Cody Gakpo, Liverpool have a prolific and proven left winger. However, Diaz’s departure would call for a direct replacement, and while Rodrygo would be a stunning signing, Arsenal also have a vested interest, and Real Madrid are seeking upwards of £87m.

Gordon would be a more than acceptable fallback. A high-speed runner with a dogged approach to his football, the Newcastle star has bloomed into one of the Premier League’s finest over the past couple of years, with teammate Bruno Guimaraes describing him as “special”.

Technically sharp and physically robust, he certainly fits the mould that Diaz would leave behind, and this dynamic skill set could be the perfect thing for a young striker in Ekitike, who will need support as he steps into the cauldron of fire that is the English top flight.

Ekitike will, of course, have the likes of Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz to lead the supply line, but in Gordon, Liverpool could retain the sense of energy and completeness that Diaz brings to the table.

And anyway, the Toon talent has already demonstrated in the Premier League that he’s capable of throwing down with the likes of Diaz, and indeed Rodrygo, whose skill has led Luka Modric to describe him as a “world-class superstar” in La Liga.

Let’s dig a little deeper. Now, we’re going to skew the data a tad. Gordon’s 2024/25 campaign left plenty to be desired, but he was a force to be reckoned with the season prior.

Looking at that 2023/24 term, comparing it to Rodrygo and Diaz’s league efforts last term, we can see that he’s got the potential to make quite the impression at Liverpool.

Matches (starts)

35 (34)

30 (22)

36 (28)

Goals

11

6

13

Assists

10

5

5

Shots (on target)*

2.3 (0.9)

1.8 (0.7)

2.0 (0.8)

Big chances missed

9

1

11

Pass completion

82%

91%

86%

Big chances created

16

5

8

Key passes*

1.6

1.6

1.6

Dribbles*

1.5

1.6

1.5

Ball recoveries*

3.6

2.4

2.9

Tackles + interceptions*

1.8

1.1

1.3

Duels won*

5.3

3.8

3.8

Quite the effort. Gordon’s performances, notching 21 goal contributions across Newcastle’s injury-hit year, led to the honour of the club’s Player of the Year. It was his first full season on Tyneside, and an illustration of his capacity for high-level performances.

And while his high duel rate, creativity and potency in the final third would elevate Ekitike as he makes his maiden way in England, the centre-forward could certainly return the favour, with a style of play that is truly layered and vast.

Indeed, as per FBref, Ekitike ranked among the top 10% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues last season for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, and the top 4% for both progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90.

Whichever way you look at it, it’s hard to imagine Liverpool’s transfer window being anything other than a success. Slot proved his worth last season, and now he’s being rewarded with the parts to create a lasting squad of champions.

Better than Isak & Ekitike: Liverpool make £142m "monster" a dream target

Liverpool have two primary candidates to bolster their forward line; Alexander Isak & Hugo Ekitike.

1 ByMatt Dawson Jul 17, 2025

Everton are believed to be confident of securing the signing of a “fantastic” attacking addition in an exciting piece of business in the summer transfer window.

Who are the potential ins and outs at Everton this summer?

Life feels more optimistic for the Blues currently, having once again avoided relegation from the Premier League and now preparing for life at their impressive new stadium.

A busy summer window is expected at Everton over the next couple of months, with RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa linked with a move to the club. The 20-year-old has even been described as “incredibly talented” by Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland, which can only bode well.

The Blues are also reportedly pushing to seal a big-money move for former Manchester United midfielder Fred, who is now plying his trade at Fenerbahce. Now 32 years of age, the Brazilian could bring huge experience to David Moyes’ midfield, but he admittedly wouldn’t represent a long-term addition.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is among the Everton players who could move on in the summer – the same applies to influential defender Jarrad Branthwaite – and Brighton striker Evan Ferguson has been mentioned as a replacement for the former, having been loaned out to West Ham last season.

Everton confident of sealing summer reunion

According to The Boot Room‘s Graeme Bailey, Everton have hope they can re-sign Richarlison from Tottenham this summer, bringing a “club legend” back to Merseyside.

The Blues reportedly want to sign two strikers ahead of next season, with Villarreal’s Thierno Barry also mentioned as an option. The likes of Brentford, Crystal Palace, Leeds United, West Ham and Wolves are all thought to be keen on him, too.

Seeing Richarlison back in an Everton shirt would likely go down well with a large chunk of the fanbase, considering what a popular figure he was during his stint at Goodison Park.

The Brazil star always gave his all for the Blues, scoring 53 goals in 152 appearances in total, and he has 64 goals to his name in the Premier League in his career.

Richarlison’s Everton career	Total
Appearances	152
Goals	53
Assists	15

Meanwhile, Calvert-Lewin spoke of his admiration for the £90,000-a-week Richarlison during their time together at Everton in the past: “I thought he was fantastic today. His goal was well deserved and his play off the ball, his selflessness was the key for us today. I thoroughly enjoyed playing with him again in front of the Goodison faithful.”

Still only 28, Everton could get several strong years out of Richarlison, who may want a new challenge after a relatively disappointing spell at Spurs. That may depend on whether new manager Thomas Frank sees him as an important part of his plans, though.

Everton now eyeing £38m ace who Haaland thinks is "incredibly talented"

He’s impressed the Man City star.

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 14, 2025

You know what you are going to get from the former Blues favourite, from tireless work to an ability to wind up opposition players, and if Everton could sign both him and Barry this summer, it could prove to be successful business in the final third.

Manchester United’s rebuild this summer is certainly needed, looking to make amends for the 2024/25 campaign, which saw the club finish in 15th place.

Such a finish for the Red Devils’ stature is unacceptable and something in which Ruben Amorim must transform if he is to keep his job at Old Trafford.

The Premier League has often been such a successful competition for the club, but one they have failed to win since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, spanning well over a decade ahead of 2025/26.

Matheus Cunha has already agreed to make the move to join Amorim’s squad, costing £62.5m from Wolverhampton Wanderers, looking to make a huge improvement to the front line in the North West.

However, it appears as though outgoings are needed during the off-season, with multiple players having to be sacrificed to make way for new additions.

The latest on United’s move to sell players this summer

Over the last few days, it’s been confirmed that Bruno Fernandes has rejected interest from Saudi Arabia in favour of staying at United during the summer window.

It was reported that the Portuguese midfielder had been offered a deal in the region of £700k-per-week from Al-Hilal, wanting to stay at the top level of European football at this stage of his career.

However, the same can’t be said for striker Rasmus Hojlund, with the Danish international who looks set to depart Old Trafford during the off-season, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato.

The report claims that Serie A side Inter Milan are advancing a move to sign the 22-year-old, after preliminary talks were held between the club and his representatives.

Another report has reported that the Red Devils will demand a fee in the region of £40m this summer to part ways with the forward, who has only scored four league goals this campaign.

Why United’s £40m star would’ve been incredible with Mbeumo

It’s become clear over recent days that Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo has chosen a move to join United over the likes of Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

The 25-year-old, who scored 20 league goals this campaign, has been a man in demand over recent weeks, understandably so given his form in England’s top-flight.

He looks set to cost a fee in the region of £60m this window, looking to be the next big-money addition during the Amorim era, linking up with Cunha in the final third.

The Cameroonian’s ability in attacking areas would undoubtedly change the club’s fortunes, something which could’ve benefited Hojlund if he were to stay at the club.

Whilst it’s undeniable that he’s been a disappointment after his £72m switch from Atalanta, Mbeumo’s talents could’ve enabled him to recapture his impressive form in front of goal.

The Bees’ winger has created 1.8 chances per 90 this campaign, whilst completing 1.3 crosses per 90 – evidently being able to offer opportunities for those around him.

He’s also registered seven assists, further demonstrating the creative ability he possesses, making him an all-round threat for the Red Devils in the final third.

1.

Paul Pogba

Juventus

£89m

2.

Antony

Ajax

£86m

3.

Harry Maguire

Leicester City

£80m

4.

Jadon Sancho

Borussia Dortmund

£75m

5.

Romelu Lukaku

Everton

£74m

6.

Rasmus Hojlund

Atalanta

£72m

7.

Ángel Di María

Real Madrid

£70m

8.

Mathue Cunha

Wolves

£62.5m

As for Hojlund, he’s managed to win 1.4 aerials per 90 this campaign, highlighting his ability to thrive in the air – something which Mbeumo certainly would’ve aided him with.

There’s no denying that his time at Old Trafford has been hugely disappointing, only registering 26 goals across his two-year stint, which seemingly appears to be coming to a close.

Mbeumo would’ve aided him in his attempts at turning around his fortunes in the side, but given the rumours around his future, it appears Amorim has already lost faith in the Dane.

Such a departure could raise funds for the club to complete a deal for Thomas Frank’s star man, who could operate behind the striker or even as the player at the top end of the pitch, especially with Hojlund’s pending move back to Italy.

Better signing than Cunha: Man Utd eye move for PSG Ballon d'Or contender

Manchester United could land a bigger signing than Matheus Cunha by bringing in this PSG star.

ByDan Emery Jun 3, 2025

Celtic romped to a 5-1 win over Aberdeen in their final away match of the Scottish Premiership campaign on Wednesday night, despite playing a much-changed side.

Brendan Rodgers opted to hand opportunities to several players in the comprehensive victory for the Hoops, including the likes of Viljami Sinisalo, Paulo Bernardo, Luke McCowan, Johnny Kenny, and Maik Nawrocki, among others.

Nawrocki made just his third appearance in the Premiership this season and scored the opening goal in the match with a fine header, and he made five clearances, two blocks, and two interceptions.

Rodgers was also quick to point out how well the Polish colossus performed in possession, as the boss said: “I thought he (Nawrocki) played through the lines really, really well, defended well, and obviously, he was very dangerous in the box.”

The former Legia Warsaw central defender was not the only rarely-seen star who caught the eye for the Northern Irish head coach, though, as Irish striker Johnny Kenny made his first senior start for the club and impressed against the Dons.

Why Johnny Kenny could be a future star for Celtic

The Celtic manager was “pleased” for the 21-year-old centre-forward after the reserve striker scored his first goal for the club with a fine header in the second half.

Rodgers said: “Johnny, we’re also pleased for because he works so hard, he is a natural goalscorer. I think when you see his movement for the goal, it’s so, so good and everyone was delighted for him.”

The young attacker did brilliantly to get across his man to redirect the header into the opposite corner from Luke McCowan’s cross to make it 4-1 on the night.

That was one of the five shots that Kenny managed against Aberdeen, which shows that he provided a constant threat in front of the opposition goal, whilst it was one of two shots on target for the forward.

The Celtic striker, who had only made six substitute appearances in the league prior to that game, had not made a single first-team appearance for the club prior to his return from Shamrock Rovers in January.

Kenny did, however, showcase his potential whilst on loan in his home country, with a return of 26 goals and eight assists in 76 matches for Shamrock Rovers in all competitions.

Appearances

6

xG

3.78

Goals

5

Big chances missed

1

Big chances created

1

Assists

1

As you can see in the table above, the Irishman caught the eye in the Conference League during the first half of this season, scoring five goals in six matches, before his return to Celtic at the turn of the year.

Kenny is a young talent who has shown potential to shine in the future for the Hoops, given his performance against Aberdeen and his goalscoring record in Ireland, but he is also 22 this summer and potentially at a crossroads in his career, where he will have to decide whether it is worth fighting for a spot at Parkhead or going elsewhere to be guaranteed regular game time.

Chalkboard

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

Meanwhile, Celtic could unearth an even bigger talent than the 21-year-old Irishman by continuing to integrate 17-year-old Sean McArdle into the first-team.

Why Sean McArdle could be an even bigger talent than Johnny Kenny

It took Kenny until the age of 21 to make his senior bow for the Hoops. McArdle, on the other hand, has made his Scottish Premiership debut before turning 18.

The teenage talent has come off the bench in the last two matches, since the club were confirmed as champions of the division, as Rodgers has decided that he is ready to play in the first-team.

McArdle made his debut against Hibernian at Parkhead last week before coming on for the final nine minutes against Aberdeen away from home on Wednesday night.

The 17-year-old Scottish ace was praised by Rodgers after his debut, as the head coach said: “I like him, he’s got decent legs, he’s got a nice football brain, left-sided, he’s got culture when he plays, and now he’s got the best role models you can have in some of the players that we have here, like Callum and these guys, to learn from.”

Minutes

9

Passes completed

11/12

Shots

1

Shots on target

1

Chances created

1

Dribbles completed

1/1

Duels won

1/1

Possession lost

1x

As you can see in the table above, McArdle followed up on that praise by delivering an impressive cameo off the bench against Aberdeen, completing 92% of his chances and showing a few nice touches, creating one chance in the process.

After that display, Rodgers praised the teenager once again: “Yes, I liked him when he came on. I like the young players, and any player that you play for Celtic, you have to have personality. And you could see at 17, he comes into the game, he takes the ball, he passes the ball. He’s got a wee edge to him as well that I like.”

The manager was not the only person impressed by McArdle, though, as teammate and experienced midfielder McCowan described him as a “great” player.

This shows that he has gained respect from the manager and at least one of the senior players in the first-team with his performances in training and in Premiership matches, despite being just 17.

McArdle, who scored five goals in 25 Lowland League games this season, could, therefore, be an even bigger talent than Kenny because he has already made more progress than the Irishman did at his age.

Kenny is five years older than the Scottish midfielder and only made his Premiership debut for Celtic at the start of this year, whilst the teenager has played twice in the division already and could establish himself as a regular in the coming years, potentially before he gets to the age the Irish striker is at now.

Dream Jota replacement: Celtic line up move for "wonderful" £10m-rated star

Celtic could land a dream replacement for the injured Jota by signing this star.

ByDan Emery May 14, 2025

To make his breakthrough at such a young age, whilst earning plaudits from Rodgers and McCowan, speaks to his potential and suggests that he could be a future star for the Hoops for many years to come if he continues his progression.

Leeds United returned to the top of the Championship last night with a huge 1-0 win over play-off-chasing Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.

Dan James’ goal after just two minutes secured all three points for Daniel Farke’s side, moving back to the summit after Sheffield United and Burnley both dropped points.

The scoreline could’ve been a lot better for the Whites, with Ao Tanaka and Patrick Bamford both having legitimate goals chalked off for wrongful offside calls.

Nevertheless, their chances of securing promotion back to the Premier League is back in their own hands, potentially ending their two-year absence from the top flight.

However, despite the victory in the North East, numerous players failed to live up to their high standards, putting their starting roles at risk over the next few weeks.

Leeds’ poor performers against Middlesbrough

Midfielder Brenden Aaronson was handed a recall to the starting eleven by Farke for the clash with Michael Carrick’s side but was unable to take advantage of the opportunity.

The American international featured for the vast majority of the contest but lost 10 duels – the most of any player from either side – whilst also only completing 60% of the passes he attempted.

He wasn’t the only one to disappoint, with Manor Solomon struggling to live up to his high standards despite registering the assist for James’ strike early on.

The Spurs loanee only managed to complete 40% of the crosses he attempted, whilst losing possession eight times, often looking wasteful – something which was rarely said a couple of months ago.

However, despite the showings of the aforementioned pair, one other player failed to deliver once again, with Farke desperately needing to drop him at the weekend.

The player who Farke needs to drop after Middlesbrough

Over the course of the season, Leeds have impressed in the final third, as seen by their tally of 80 goals in their 41 outings – albeit two fewer than they should have after the wrongful offside calls.

The likes of Solomon and James have both been responsible for such a tally, popping up in key moments, as seen by the latter’s 12th league of the campaign last night.

Joel Piroe has been the Whites’ starting striker for the majority of 2024/25 but has struggled as of late, with his failure to find the net against Boro extending his goalless run to seven matches.

His showing at the Riverside was one to forget, unable to make the desired impact, leading to his withdrawal in the 73rd minute, subsequently being replaced by Bamford – who certainly outperformed the Dutchman in his brief cameo.

The 25-year-old only managed a total of 26 touches during his display, also only completing 10 passes – leading to journalist Beren Cross dubbing his showing as “careless”.

He also only registered a single effort on goal, whilst missing a big chance and losing 64% of the duels he entered, being largely ineffective at the top end of the pitch.

Joel Piroe’s stats for Leeds against Middlesbrough
Statistics	Tally
Minutes played	73
Touches	26
Passes completed	10/16 (63%)
Duels lost	7/11 (64%)
Shots taken	1
Big chances missed	1
Possession lost	8x
Stats via SofaScore

His misery would’ve been compounded had substitute Bamford’s effort stood, with the Englishman putting pressure on the manager to hand him a rare start at the weekend.

As a result of his performance, Piroe was handed a measly 2/10 match rating by Football Insider’s Harri Burton – the lowest of any Whites player during the triumph.

After extending his goalless streak, it would be a surprise to see the former Swansea City man start against Preston on Saturday afternoon, with no mistakes expected given their promotion hopes are once again in their own hands.

Whilst Bamford has been a player largely touted with an exit, the upcoming clash provides him with an opportunity to stake his claim for a first-team role next season, pushing Piroe back down the pecking order.

An amazing Solomon alternative: EFL star wants to sign for Leeds this year

Leeds United could be about to land an attacking star to improve their ranks next season.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 8, 2025

Cricket West Indies chief says the revenue-share model is “completely broken”

Firdose Moonda16-Jan-2024The boards of India, England and Australia must work closely with the ICC and act decisively to change the economics of Test cricket or risk more instances of under-strength squads going out on tour.That is the warning from Johnny Grave, the Cricket West Indies CEO, who was responding to criticism aimed at his board and Cricket South Africa for sending inexperienced Test squads to Australia and New Zealand respectively.”The revenue-share model is completely broken,” Grave said. “If we really want to operate as a cricketing community we are only as strong as the weakest team, and we’ve got to change the mindset of bilateral cricket.”Related

Cricket needs a more equitable spread of international fixtures

Test cricket is in rude health no? Think again

Lynford Inverary to replace Johnny Grave as CWI's acting CEO

Johnny Grave to step down as CWI CEO in October 2024

Zimbabwe to receive touring fee from ECB for 2025 visit

In 2018, Cricket West Indies put forward a paper regarding T20 leagues, which asked for a cap on the number of overseas players in leagues, and a fee for home boards. Those suggestions were greenlit last year, but it was too late, according to Grave. The regulations are not retrospective and exclude the ILT20 in the UAE (which allows nine foreign players in the XI), the Major League Cricket tournament in the USA (six) and the Global T20 in Canada (five). That means the horse has bolted and is perhaps beyond reining in.”If those regulations had been in place, the ILT20 probably wouldn’t have had the enormous effect it has had on bilateral international cricket in January because it wouldn’t have had as many international players, therefore wouldn’t have got the broadcast revenues and probably wouldn’t be offering players the kinds of money they are offering,” Grave said. “And then by consequence, South Africa wouldn’t necessarily have had to compete and invest so much in their international talent for the SA20 in the same window.”

“CWI has spent over 2 million dollars sending teams to Australia in the last four months and whilst CA have received all the economic benefits from those series, we’ve seen zero dollars back. Is that really fair, reasonable and sustainable?”

Grave spoke about the impact on South Africa – who he has a “huge amount of sympathy for” – because their case is starker. They will send an entirely makeshift Test squad, including a debutant captain, to New Zealand, while the majority of their first-choice Test team is engaged at the SA20.When South Africa announced this squad, several Australians, including former captains Steve Waugh and Michael Clarke, criticised them, questioning whether the integrity of Test cricket could be retained. West Indies were also referenced at that point. Like South Africa, West Indies have seven uncapped players in their Test squad in Australia, and some of their highest-profile players are not making the trip.”They [West Indies] haven’t picked a full-strength Test team for a couple of years now,” Waugh said to the Sydney Morning Herald . “If the ICC or someone doesn’t step in shortly, then Test cricket doesn’t become Test cricket, because you’re not testing yourself against the best players.”That someone, Grave says, should include Australia. “As an example of this is that CWI has spent over 2 million dollars sending teams to Australia in the last four months and whilst CA have received all the economic benefits from those series, we’ve seen zero dollars back. Is that really fair, reasonable and sustainable?”West Indies have sent a squad with seven uncapped players to Australia•CWI MediaSince September 2022, West Indies have played six women’s internationals and seven men’s internationals in Australia, incurring a sizeable cost.”We took a women’s team there and we won a T20I against all the odds, and match fees and international air flights cost us three-quarters of a million dollars.”We’ve got a Test team there, an ODI team and a T20I team, which will cost us another million-plus dollars in terms of match fees and airfares. We spend more on airfares than anyone else in the world.” Grave said. “In percentage terms we will spend more than anyone on red-ball cricket so I would argue against any narrative that the West Indies aren’t interested in Test cricket.”Much of the Australian coverage has focused on the absence of Jason Holder, who opted out of the Tests to play in the ILT20, and is arguably West Indies’ most decorated and recognisable cricketer today. There is a sense that without him, and given the inexperience of the rest of the squad, West Indies’ chances of ending their 27-year losing streak in Australia are unlikely, but Grave refused to pin West Indies’ fortunes on any one player.”We are not going to throw money at any player in order for them to say no to the Franchise leagues or force them under contract to go and play Test cricket or ODI cricket. If you want to go play ILT20 or SA20 instead of going to Australia this year, good luck and best wishes, here’s your NOC. We genuinely hope that for any of our current T20 players that they play well in these overseas leagues and work hard because it is part of their individual preparations for the T20 World Cup. But when you come back from it and if you want to play Test or ODI cricket, then you have to accept that someone else was selected to take your place and depending on how they performed and what your preparation and performances have been will depend on whether you are selected again or not.””Every player has a choice to make. As a board, we are going to be consistent. We are not going to force any player to do anything they don’t want to do. We respect their ability to make choices.”

“Anyone who says cricket in West Indies is dying, you can say, ‘Look at the CPL.’ The average age is young. The gender balance is more female than male. Those are the kinds of stats any sports league would love to have.”

While the West Indies board has not always seen eye to eye with their players on the club-versus-country argument, the marketplace has changed and their administrators appear to be changing with it.The Australian position is different. In the past, players such as Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have opted out of the IPL to focus on national duties, cushioned by handsome compensation from their boards. Grave was clear West Indies can’t do that.”We don’t have the ability to compete with the leagues on purely salaries and even if we did we wouldn’t have any money left for grassroots cricket and other crucial programmes in our system that need our funding.”That means West Indies are likely to lose a lot of players to leagues and can only hope to ensure they keep developing new ones to take their place. “We play red-ball cricket at Under-17 level, U-19 level, we have A-team tours, we just played an academy series, and our first-class cricket system will cost more than any other place by miles,” Grave said. “We have to put people up in tourist accommodation, we have to [use] hugely expensive regional flights just to be able to have one first-class game. We don’t have a host broadcaster so to produce Test cricket along with hawk-eye and all the cameras is very expensive but we are still very committed to the red ball game.”Johnny Grave: “We are not going to force any player to do anything they don’t want to do. We respect their ability to make choices”•Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty ImagesSouth Africa are in a similar position. Their first-class competition is not sponsored, is not broadcast, and has been bloated by expansion to a 15-team, two-tier system. Cost-cutting measures have included a reduction in the number of four-day games played – from ten to seven for top-tier teams. A recent South African Cricketers’ Association report claimed most former and current senior players believed standards had declined. But the red-ball game has been left in a state of neglect as CSA launched the SA20 in a bid to become self-sustaining outside of the ICC. It has worked for them financially because the tournament turned a profit in its first year and has attracted new sponsors for its second, but that success is backfiring on the national team.Last year CSA had to forego an ODI series in Australia that left South Africa’s World Cup qualification hopes hanging by a thread, and then played one against England in the middle of the SA20. This year they are potentially sacrificing World Test Championship points against New Zealand, and next year they continue to play only two-Test series to ensure the SA20 has a clear window. Grave understands their position, because he wants the same for the Caribbean Premier League.”The CPL is a fantastic product and we will always want to have an exclusive window so we don’t plan for the West Indies play international cricket ever again during the CPL. We want all our best players playing because we want that competition to be the absolute best it can be. We also want all the fan attention to be on that tournament when it plays. The average age for CPL fans is fairly young and the gender balance is probably more female than male. Those are the kinds of stats that any sports league would love to have. I hope the SA20 becomes like the CPL, so that anyone who says cricket in South Africa is dying – you can say look at the SA20.”But can you say something similar to anyone who says Test cricket is dying in West Indies and South Africa? Only if the other boards help them to revive it.”Hopefully the South Africa series has woken up the Australian media to the realities of what it’s like to operate Test cricket, and unless the boards change the economic model, I don’t think Test cricket will thrive outside of the Big Three,” Grave said. “I don’t think it will die either. But it could be and should be so much better. If the South Africa situation can restart sensible conversations about how we position Test cricket, we would certainly welcome that and give it our full support.”