Manchester City are building towards a campaign where they will be vying for the Premier League title, and the Citizens could now be on the verge of securing a key reinforcement to address a priority position.

Manchester City pondering over Ederson's future

Despite the excitement over incomings such as Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri this window, much has been made over Ederson’s uncertain future at Manchester City.

The Brazil goalkeeper has been heavily linked with a move to Galatasaray, and there is an inkling from his side of the table that the opportunity to move elsewhere after a difficult campaign in England would be appealing.

Speaking about his situation, former Manchester City star Nicky Weaver believes Ederson could leave the Etihad Stadium due to the fact that he is in the last year of his contract at the Premier League giants.

He stated: “It’s gathered a bit of pace, especially in recent days. When it gets to this point, it almost looks like it’s going to happen.

“He’s into the last year of his contract now. Most summers he gets linked with a move away but you never think it’s actually going to happen. This summer, I think we could actually see it happening.”

Now, it is important to note that nothing definitive has come to light as of yet. Still, Manchester City’s wish to sign Porto stopper Diogo Costa does indicate Pep Guardiola is in the market for another goalkeeper.

Manchester City’s summer signings so far

Name

Club signed from

Tijjani Reijnders

AC Milan

Rayan Cherki

Lyon

Rayan Ait-Nouri

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Marcus Bettinelli

Chelsea

Sverre Nypan

Rosenborg

With the key question still to be solved between the sticks, the Citizens may have found one part of the answer amid recent developments involving their pursuit of an alternative target.

Romano: Manchester City set to sign Burnley's James Trafford

Taking to social media platform X, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Manchester City are set to sign James Trafford from Burnley after the Englishman agreed a deal to return to his former club to work under Guardiola.

Newcastle United have missed out on his signature and were informed of his decision, leaving the Citizens to wrap up an agreement for a fee well under his £40 million buyback clause.

Later on, Romano confirmed Manchester City will sign Trafford for £27 million and that he is booked in for a medical early next week, stating: “More on exclusive story on James Trafford joining Manchester City: understand medical tests will take place early next week, main part on Monday. Man City to pay £27m fee to Burnley for the goalkeeper, as revealed.”

Enjoying a fantastic campaign at Turf Moor, the 22-year-old kept 29 clean sheets in 45 appearances as Burnley won promotion to the Premier League, leading Scott Parker to label the young goalkeeper “world-class” due to his immense contribution.

Maintaining a save percentage rate of 84.6% in the Championship, Trafford is now back where it all began and will hope to unseat either Ederson or Stefan Ortega for the number one jersey.

After months of speculation, Manchester United finally secured the signature of Bryan Mbeumo earlier this week, with the Cameroonian international penning a five-year contract.

The hierarchy forked out a whopping £71m for the 25-year-old’s signature, becoming Ruben Amorim’s second signing of the summer after Matheus Cunha joined from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

However, whilst it may be a hefty sum, it could prove to be a worthwhile investment should he replicate his form in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign.

He registered 20 league goals last time around, with only talents such as Alexander Isak, Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland finding the net more in the same period.

Despite the big-money addition of Mbeumo, the hierarchy are still working tirelessly to improve the current squad to try and be successful in the 2025/26 season.

The latest on United’s hunt for new additions this summer

Ollie Watkins is a player who’s been constantly linked with United over the last couple of weeks, leading to strong interest from Amorim’s side this summer.

The England international could be available for a fee in the region of £60m this summer, a figure that could be slightly inflated given he’s 29 and coming into the back end of his professional career.

However, another name has been thrown into the mix over recent days, with PSG striker Randal Kolo-Muani also in their sights, according to one Spanish outlet.

They claim that the Red Devils are preparing an opening offer for the Frenchman after scoring 10 goals in his 22 appearances on loan at Italian side Juventus.

It also states that Newcastle United are in the hunt for the 26-year-old, with Luis Enrique’s side currently demanding a fee in the region of £39m for his signature this summer.

Why United’s £39m target would be a better signing than Mbeumo

There’s no doubt that signing a player after scoring 20 league goals in England’s top flight is excellent business for a club who were lingering in the bottom half all campaign.

However, there may be some concerns around his impact next season, potentially having to operate in an unnatural role at the club given Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.

The Cameroonian operated in a right-wing position during his time at Brentford, but could be forced to play in a central attacking midfield role during his time at Old Trafford.

It could prove to be a huge investment on a player who’s not featuring in a familiar position, potentially failing to replicate his excellent form from 2024/25 as a result.

As a result, Kolo Muani could be a better option this summer, handing the manager the centre-forward he’s craved since taking the reins back in November last year.

When comparing the Frenchman’s stats to those of Mbeumo from the most recent season, he’s managed to better him in numerous key areas, highlighting the threat he carries in attacking areas.

Kolo Muani, who’s been labelled a “superstar” by former Ballon d’Or winner Lothar Matthäus, may have been outscored, but he posted the same goal per shot on target rate, showcasing the clinical edge he possesses in front of goal.

Games played

26

38

Goals & assists

12

27

Shot on target accuracy

48%

43%

Goal per shot on target

0.4

0.4

Pass accuracy

71%

66%

Take-ons completed

1.5

1.3

Aerials won

1.2

0.9

Aerial success rate

39%

31%

He also managed to register a higher shot on target accuracy rate, whilst winning more aerial battles – handing Amorim the all-round talent he desires at the top end of the pitch.

Such dominance is further reflected in his tally of take-ons completed and a higher pass completion rate highlights he can also provide for others along with finishing off attacks himself.

£39m could prove to be an excellent fee for the 26-year-old striker, who will be entering the prime years of his career should he complete a move to Old Trafford.

If he can solve the issue the Red Devils currently have within the final third, he would be worth every penny, filling the void at the top end of the pitch, subsequently making him a better signing than Mbeumo.

He'll love playing with Mbeumo: £70m CF now keen on signing for Man Utd

Manchester United have set their sights on a new centre-forward this summer.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 22, 2025

Lions will now face Markhors in the second Eliminator on Friday

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2024An all-round show from Ahmed Daniyal and a three-wicket haul from Khushdil Shah helped Lions keep their campaign alive, as they held on for a 12-run victory in the Champions One-Day Cup Eliminator against Stallions in Faisalabad. Lions will now face Markhors in the second Eliminator on Friday, with the winner facing Panthers in Sunday’s final.Opting to bat, Lions were in a spot of bother at 43 for 3, before Sharoon Siraj (38) and Mohammad Taha revived the innings with a 77-run partnership. However, Stallions kept chipping away, resulting in another slide for Lions, who went from 120 for 3 to 140 for 7 in the space of five overs. With Lions staring at the possibility of a sub-200 total, Daniyal and Aamer Yamin launched a counterattack, their 81-run eighth-wicket stand eventually guiding the team to 263 for 9. While Yamin was run out for 46, Daniyal remained unbeaten on 65 off 59 balls, with two fours and five sixes. For Stallions, seamer Ubaid Shah was the pick of the bowlers, ending with 3 for 46.Stallions began their 264 chase well, courtesy an opening stand of 64 between Yasir Khan (39) and Maaz Sadaqat (27). However, three wickets in successive overs saw the team stumble to 68 for 3, with Khushil accounting for both Sadaqat and Adil Amin. Another threatening partnership – 69 for the fourth wicket between Tayyab Tahir and Hussain Talat – appeared to give Stallions a way back into the game, but Daniyal broke through to halt their momentum in the 30th over.Stallions captain Mohammad Haris and Jahanad Khan provided a late surge, but Lions stayed ahead with regular wickets. Stallions needed 23 off the last two overs, but they only had two wickets in hand, and Lions finally bundled them out for 251. Khushdil finished with 3 for 40 while Daniyal took 3 for 59.

تقام اليوم الجمعة 19-9-2025، عدة مباريات هامة ومرتقبة على الصعيد المحلي والقاري بالإضافة إلى الدوريات العالمية والعربية.

ففي الدوري المصري، الجميع ينتظر مباراة الأهلي ضد سيراميكا كليوباترا، التي ستكون مليئة بالإثارة والندية بين الفريقين، والتي يسعي من خلالها المارد الأحمر إلى العودة لطريق الانتصارات ونهاية البداية الأسوأ له في تاريخ الدوري.

وضمن مواجهات دوري أبطال إفريقيا، في النسخة الجديدة لمنافسات دور الـ 64، تقام 3 مواجهات، أهلي طرابلس الليبي ضد ديدجي من بنين، يانج أفريكانز التنزاني يلاقي ويليت إس سي الأنجولي، ونادي أفريكان استار مع فايبرز.

طالع | تشكيل الأهلي المتوقع أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا في الدوري.. بديل زيزو

وفي منافسات بطولة الكونفدرالية، يلعب ولايتا ديشا الإثيوبي ضد الاتحاد الليبي، الفائز من هذه المباراة يلاقي المصري البورسعيدي في دور الـ 32، أولمبيك آسفي المغربي يلعب ضد جمعية نيجيليك ونادي سان بيدرو يلاقي النسر الملكي.

وتنطلق جولة جديدة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني بمباراة ريال بتيس مع ريال سوسيداد، وفي الدوري الإيطالي، ليتشي مع كالياري.

وعربيًا في الدوري السعودي، تلعب 3 مباريات، أبرزها، القمة المرتقبة بين الأهلي والهلال. مواعيد مباريات اليوم الجمعة 19-9-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات الدوري المصري اليوم

وادي دجلة ضد طلائع الجيش، الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة أون سبورت 1.

سموحة ضد حرس الحدود، الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة أون سبورت 2.

الأهلي ضد سيراميكا كليوباترا، الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة أون سبورت 1. مواعيد مباريات دوري أبطال إفريقيا اليوم

أهلي طرابلس الليبي ضد ديدجي من بنين، الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

يانج أفريكانز التنزاني ضد ويليت إس سي الأنجولي، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

نادي أفريكان استار ضد فايبرز، الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. مواعيد مباريات كأس الكونفدرالية اليوم

ولايتا ديشا الإثيوبي ضد الاتحاد الليبي، الساعة 3 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

أولمبيك آسفي المغربي يلعب ضد جمعية نيجيليك، الساعة 4 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

نادي سان بيدرو ضد النسر الملكي، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

يو أس سي ضد إس جبهولو سي، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. مواعيد مباريات الدوري السعودي اليوم

القادسية ضد الخليج، الساعة 6:15 بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة ثمانية.

الشباب ضد الفيحاء، الساعة 6:35 بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة ثمانية.

الأهلي ضد الهلال، الساعة 9 بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة ثمانية. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإسباني اليوم

ريال بتيس ضد ريال سوسيداد، الساعة 10 بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة بي إن سبورت 3. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإيطالي اليوم

ليتشي ضد كالياري، الساعة 9:45 بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على تطبيق ستارز بلاي. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الألماني اليوم

شوتجارت ضد سانت باولي، الساعة 9:30 بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة mbc action. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الفرنسي اليوم

أولمبيك ليون ضد آنجيه، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة بي إن سبورت 4. مواعيد الدوري الإماراتي اليوم

الوحدة ضد الظفرة، الساعة 4:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة أبو ظبي الرياضية 1.

بني ياس ضد الجزيرة، الساعة 7:15 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، تنقل على قناة أبو ظبي الرياضية 1.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا

West Ham United need to add some firepower to its squad this summer. Last season, the club scored just 46 Premier League goals, with only five teams scoring fewer throughout the campaign.

Losing Mohammed Kudus is a further blow to Graham Potter’s plans, but there is still time for the club to make several new additions before the season starts.

At the time of writing, Niclas Fullkrug is the club’s only senior centre-forward in the club’s squad, which poses plenty of problems.

As such, the Irons are in the market for another striker or two. Could they look to sign someone with plenty of Premier League experience?

West Ham’s chase for a striker

According to BBC Sport, the London side are currently in talks with former Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson as they look to bolster their attacking options.

The Englishman is a free agent, having departed the Magpies at the end of the season. Aged 33, he might only have a few years left at the top, but there is no doubt Potter would be signing a player capable of scoring in the top flight.

Transfer Focus

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

Wilson is attracting interest from other Premier League sides, as well as having options in MLS, meaning West Ham must act swiftly to secure his signature.

His spell in the North East was hampered by injury, but when he was fit, Wilson certainly delivered. Could he turn out to be Potter’s very own Alexander Isak in the process?

Why West Ham must sign Callum Wilson

Last term, Wilson made just 18 league appearances due to several injuries, scoring no goals. The season before, however, the Englishman netted ten times across just 26 matches for the Magpies.

While not the most prolific strike rate, if he were fit more often, there is no doubt Wilson would have scored more goals. In all, he boasts 88 goals in 239 Premier League outings, notably ahead of even Jarrod Bowen’s return of 56 goals in 200 career top-flight appearances.

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2024/25

22

1

0

2023/24

26

10

1

2022/23

36

18

5

2021/22

18

8

0

2020/21

28

12

5

Indeed, that season, Isak was the fourth-most comparable player to Wilson in the top flight, as per FBref, Both players registered similar statistics across a range of metrics that season, including shots per 90 (3 vs 2.87), shot-creating actions (2 vs 2,87), goal-creating actions (0.36 vs 0.4) and goals per shot (0.21 vs 0.22) in the top flight.

Of course, Isak was the more clinical player in front of goal for Newcastle in 2023/24, but these statistics prove that Wilson matched the Swede in several key areas.

Should he get back to full fitness, Potter might get the best out of the 33-year-old next season.

Hailed by Eddie Howe as an “incredible footballer” during his spell at St James’ Park, Wilson left a solid legacy at the club.

The next chapter could well come with West Ham, and this move might just be a shrewd one for both player and club.

He won’t cost Potter anything, and if he hits the ground running, Wilson can certainly score 10–15 goals a season for the Irons, thus taking the burden off main man, Bowen.

Watch this space.

West Ham now racing Man Utd to sign "exciting" 18 y/o sensation for Potter

He’s a rising star.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 24, 2025

Ricky Ponting has been appointed head coach of Punjab Kings (PBKS) from IPL 2025, a little over two months after he and Delhi Capitals parted ways ending his seven-year tenure at the franchise.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Ponting has signed a four-year contract with Kings, a franchise with multiple owners. Ponting, it is understood, will take the final call on the rest of the coaching staff. There is no clarity yet on who remains on the books from the coaching unit from last year: Trevor Bayliss (head coach), Sanjay Bangar (head of cricket development), Charl Langeveldt (fast-bowling coach), Sunil Joshi (spin-bowling coach).”I am grateful to Punjab Kings for presenting me with the opportunity to be the new head coach,” Ponting said. “I am excited to take up the new challenge. I had great conversations with the owners and the management about the way forward and was truly elated to see the alignment of our visions for the team. We all want to repay the fans who have stayed with the franchise over the years and we promise that they will see a much different Punjab Kings going forward.”Ponting will be the third head coach in four seasons at Kings, who finished ninth in the 2024 season. They have not qualified for the IPL playoffs since 2014, when they finished runners-up. Ponting’s first challenge would be shortlisting players who could be potentially retained for the next season even as the franchises wait for the IPL to finalise the retention rules.Related

• Punjab Kings part ways with Bayliss and Bangar

• Ricky Ponting on his Punjab Kings role: 'We are not going to sit back and just accept mediocrity'

• Ricky Ponting and Delhi Capitals part ways

• Shikhar Dhawan retires from international and domestic cricket

• Dravid unveiled as Rajasthan Royals head coach

Harshal Patel, who won the purple cap for the second time in IPL 2024, along with the uncapped Indian pair of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma were among the key performers for Kings last season. Kings also have India left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, legspinner Rahul Chahar in their squad along with a healthy bunch of overseas players, including the England trio of Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow and South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada.With Shikhar Dhawan retiring recently, Kings will also be keen to identify a new captain.Ponting has been part of the IPL set-up since the inaugural season in 2008, first as a player at Kolkata Knight Riders followed by Mumbai Indians where he stepped down as captain midway through the 2013 season, paving way for Rohit Sharma to take over. Mumbai won the title the same year, with Ponting continuing in an advisory role in 2014 and then serving as head coach for two seasons in 2015 and 2016.In 2018, Ponting took charge as head coach of Capitals who made the playoffs for three successive seasons between 2019 and 2021, during which period they qualified for the first IPL final in 2020. After ending his association with Capitals in July, Ponting was head coach during Washington Freedom’s title-winning campaign in the 2024 season of Major League Cricket (MLC).

Next season looks set to be a massive one for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s side are coming off the back of a tough year in which they were still able to qualify for the Champions League and win the Conference League, and are now in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup.

In other words, the expectations for next season’s Premier League campaign are more than a little high.

Fortunately, the board are doing their part to support the team in the transfer market, and after securing Joao Pedro, they appear to be targeting someone who could be their own Martin Zubimendi.

Chelsea target their own Zubimendi

It’s already been a jam-packed summer of deals for Chelsea.

Transfer Focus

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

Before they even left for the Club World Cup, the Blues had secured the services of young up-and-coming talents like Dario Essugo and Mamadou Sarr, as well as the exciting Liam Delap, who has already opened his account for the club out in the USA.

However, the most significant deal the Pensioners have sealed thus far has been for Pedro, who completed his £60m move from Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this week, after racking up a tally of 17 goal involvements in 30 appearances for the Seagulls last season.

Yet, while that might be a window’s worth of transfers for some clubs, the West Londoners are nowhere near done and now appear to be targeting a talented midfielder who could be their own Zubimendi.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Spain, which claims Chelsea are intensely interested in Marc Casado.

The report goes a step further, revealing that the Blues have already submitted an offer worth around €40m for the 21-year-old, which is about £34m.

However, they are not the only ones to do so, as the story also states that Napoli, Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen have made similar offers.

It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Casado’s ability and potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he could be their own Zubimendi.

Why Casado could be Chelsea's Zubimendi

There are several reasons why Casado could be viewed as Chelsea’s own Zubimendi, and one of those relates to the transfer itself.

After all, like the soon-to-be Arsenal star, he too will be moving from a major side in La Liga to a London-based ‘big six’ side.

Moreover, they are both now Spanish internationals, with the 26-year-old now having 19 senior caps to his name, and the younger Barcelona gem already having two, despite being just 21 years old.

However, the comparison goes further than that, as, just like his older compatriot, the sought-after youngster is someone who can play in central midfield when needed, but he is far and away more comfortable and better suited to playing as an out-and-out defensive midfielder.

However, just because he can do some of the dirty work for his side does not mean he cannot help kickstart attacks, as, like the former Real Soicedad star, he is a brilliant passer and someone who ‘always wants to make the progressive passes,’ per Breaking the Lines.

You don’t just have to take their word for it, though, as you can see this part of his game in some of his impressive underlying numbers.

According to FBref, the midfield “animal,” as dubbed by teammate Bryan Zaragoza, sat in the top 3% of midfielders in La Liga last season for live-ball passes, the top 5% for passes attempted and completed, the top 6% for passes into the final third and more, all per 90.

Passes Completed (Short)

36.54

Top 2%

Passes Attempted (Short)

39.44

Top 2%

Tackles (Mid 3rd)

1.68

Top 2%

Touches (Mid 3rd)

58.10

Top 2%

Goals/Shot on Target

1.00

Top 3%

Live-ball Passes

74.30

Top 3%

Passes Completed

68.21

Top 5%

Passes Attempted

76.37

Top 5%

Passes into Final Third

7.71

Top 6%

Total Passing Distance

1046.09

Top 7%

Pass Completion %

89.3%

Top 10%

Ultimately, while he may not be a well-known quantity in England, Casado has demonstrated himself to be a talented defensive midfielder with an eye for a pass.

Therefore, Chelsea should consider bringing him to the Bridge this summer, as he could be their answer to Arsenal’s Zubimendi.

Imagine him & Pedro: Chelsea in talks to sign "frightening" Madueke upgrade

The incredible talent could be a star for Chelsea.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 2, 2025

Neither side wanted to lay blame after a result couldn’t be manufactured despite the captains having a conversation on day three

Alex Malcolm11-Oct-2024

Marcus Harris added 52 to his first-innings century to continue to build his case for a Test match recall but both sides bemoaned a lifeless Junction Oval surface as Victoria and Tasmania dawdled to a draw on day four in Melbourne.Harris made 52 off 70 balls in the second innings, after scoring 143 in the first, as Victoria cruised to 120 for 2 off 52 overs in their second innings on the fourth day after Tasmania had declared overnight with a 99-run lead. But given the surface had so little life in it, there was no prospect of Tasmania taking 10 wickets with time left to chase a target and the captains agreed to call the game off just before tea on the final day.Related

Harris and Handscomb make statements with twin hundreds

Timely centuries from Webster and Hope give Tasmania the lead

Harris played with similar fluency to his first innings, striking eight boundaries in his 52 before nicking a very full delivery from Kieran Elliott to potentially cost himself a chance at twin hundreds in the match.Ash Chandrasinghe was challenged by left-arm orthodox of Matt Kuhnemann, who tried to extract something from the footmarks outside the left-hander’s off stump. Chandrasinghe made 44 from 128 before Kuhnemann finally got one to bite from the dust to bowl him through the gate.Campbell Kellaway and Peter Handscomb blunted the bowling thereafter to thwart any chance of a collapse. Jordan Silk even tried himself for an over before the game was called off.Despite the flat nature of the pitch, player of the match Harris was pleased with his return. He had a brief conversation with Australia selector Tony Dodemaide on the ground after the match and revealed he looks set to play for Australia A against India A in a few weeks time.”He asked if I wanted to bat six and bowl seam up in the Test side,” Harris joked. “He was just talking about the Aussie A stuff. I think that’ll come out the next few days.”Australia A play two four-day matches against India A in Mackay and Melbourne before the Test season. Cameron Green’s likely absence from the XI opens the door for Harris to win a place in the side through performance, especially if Steven Smith moves back to No. 4 as expected.”It probably wouldn’t hurt if you made runs in it,” Harris said. “I’ve been in the situation a few times now where I’ve played those games. It’s not like it’s going to be the first time I’ve ever played for Australia A before a Test series. There’s obviously always a bit of attention around those games. Pressure wise, I’m not going to be trying to put the same pressure on myself as I had before. It will just be a great opportunity.”Victoria coach Chris Rogers and Tasmania coach Jeff Vaughan were left frustrated that a result was not possible. Silk and Handscomb had held discussions on the third day about trying to manufacture a result but could not find common ground, which both coaches stated was understandable given it was the first game of the season.There was no blame placed on the curator at the Junction Oval given the weather in the lead-in, but Rogers did not sugarcoat the result.”That’s not great for cricket and anyone involved,” he said. “We have a bit of a history here early on in the season of just having wickets that we we try different things, but we can’t seem to get anything out of it. So it’s frustrating.”Vaughan did not have an answer as to how to avoid these early season results, particularly in the two most southern states of Victoria and Tasmania.”I’ll feel for curators in that regards, because it is darn hard at this time of year to get high-quality result wickets,” Vaughan said.

After an inauspicious but victorious start to their Scottish Premiership title defense, Celtic’s need for attacking reinforcements was emphatically underlined further.

On Sunday, after the champions’ flag had been flown, the Hoops struggled to break down a solid and stubborn St Mirren, requiring a deflected strike from Luke McCowan with just two minutes remaining to pinch all three points at Parkhead.

In less than a fortnight, Brendan Rodgers’ side will take on either Kairat or Slovan Bratislava in a season-defining Champions League play-off tie, the first leg in Almaty between that pair ended 1-0 on Wednesday, and supporters are concerned about the squad’s current lack of quality.

So, with that clash looming large, could Celtic soon sign a new highly-rated youngster?

Celtic's search for firepower

Inarguably, Celtic’s squad is weaker now than it was in May, largely due to the fact Nicolas Kühn has been sold to Como for a reported fee of £16.5m.

The German winger scored 21 goals across all competitions last season, most notably bagging a brace during the famous Champions League victory over RB Leipzig, also on target as the Hoops came agonisingly close to a victory over Bayern Munich in Bavaria.

This saw him sold for a more than 500% profit, having arrived from Rapid Wien for just £3m a year and a half earlier, but fans are demanding that this money be reinvested in a similarly high-quality replacement.

Well, according to a report from TEAMtalk, Celtic are intensifying their interest in Brøndby winger Clement Bischoff, with Premier League trio Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Brighton also noted as being interested.

Transfer Focus

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

They add that, should he move to Glasgow, he would add ‘dynamism’ to Rodgers’ wide options, valued at just over £6m.

It’s safe to assume Celtic have sent scouts to Brøndbyvester, given their long-standing interest in Brøndby​​​​​​​’s top scorer last season Mathias Kvistgaarden, who instead joined Norwich City for £6.9m, but will the Scottish champions land their man this time?

What Clement Bischoff would bring to Celtic

Still only 19 years old, Bischoff made his Danish Superligaen debut as recently as February 2024, but was a key figure for Brøndby last season, making 39 senior appearances across all competitions, 27 of which were starts.

He scored two league goals, on target against Viborg and Lyngby, while also providing ten assists, starting both legs of Brøndby’s Conference League qualifying victory over Havnar Bóltfelag to start this campaign. He also started their first two Superligaen fixtures, scoring the only goal as they beat Nordsjælland away from home last month.

His performances saw him included in Denmark’s squad for the under-21 European Championships earlier this summer, starting three of four fixtures, netting against Ukraine and during the quarter-final defeat to France in Prešov.

During that tournament, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labelled him a “quality winger”, adding elsewhere that he is “flamboyant”, noting that his strengths include “explosive” pace, dribbling, ball-striking technique and the fact he is ambidextrous.

So how does he compare to the man he could well be replacing in Glasgow Kühn?

Appearances

49

69

Minutes

2,765

4,263

Goals

3

24

Assists

12

18

Shots per 90

2.04

2.27

Shots on target %

44.4%

43.3%

Crosses per 90

3.09

1.66

Dribble success %

38.7%

49.5%

Big chances missed

3

10

Big chances created

11

21

Average Sofascore Rating

7.12

7.26

As the table documents, while Kühn comes out on top for the vast majority of metrics, it’s worth noting that Bischoff is still a teenager, while the German joined Celtic as a 24-year-old, and played almost twice as many minutes during the timeframe analysed.

The young Dane’s statistics are largely similar to Kühn’s, which is certainly high praise, coming out on top when it comes to shooting accuracy and crosses per game, while only a small amount below in terms of shots, assists and chances created.

Thus, Bischoff is clearly an ultra-talented player, one that could prove to be a bargain if Celtic are able to secure his signature.

​​​​​​​

Perfect for Tierney: Celtic made approach to sign Euro U21s star

Celtic reportedly made an approach to sign a star who would be perfect for Kieran Tierney.

ByDan Emery Aug 6, 2025

Marcus Harris boosted his chances of a Test recall with a gritty 74, while Prasidh Krishna continued his impressive tour with four wickets and KL Rahul failed again as wickets continued to tumble on a second day dominated by Australia A at the MCG.Harris held Australia A’s innings together through two rain delays before valuable contributions from Jimmy Peirson, Nathan McAndrew and Corey Rocchiccioli helped them post a crucial 62-run first innings lead despite Prasidh taking 4 for 50 and Mukesh Kumar bagging 3 for 41 in impressive spells.India A then lost five wickets for 73, to lead by just 11 at stumps, with McAndrew and Beau Webster doing the damage in the absence of Michael Neser who has flown home to rehabilitate his strained left hamstring. Rahul survived against the quicks but fell in bizarre fashion for just 10 to the offspin of Rocchiccioli as he tried to pad away a ball going down leg and was bowled off his inner thigh.Harris’ innings became more and more impressive the longer the day went. The 32-year-old has been arguably the leading candidate for Australia’s vacant Test opener’s spot but had not been able to solidify his case following a series of starts in his previous four innings after scoring 143 and 52 in the first Sheffield Shield game of the summer.But on a difficult MCG pitch, where only one other player in the game has passed 35 so far, Harris showed why he remains highly regarded by Australia’s selectors with a patient 74 to give Australia A a vital first innings lead. The innings was reminiscent of his last Test half-century in December 2021, when he made a match-winning 76 in a game where one other player passed 38 and Scott Boland took 6 for 7.Prasidh Krishna celebrates the wicket of Marcus Harris•Getty Images

Having begun the day unbeaten on 26 after seeing fellow Test contender Nathan McSweeney and Cameron Bancroft fall cheaply on the opening night, Harris watched from the non-striker’s end as Sam Konstas, Ollie Davies and Webster all fell cheaply.Left-armer Khaleel Ahmed pinned Konstas plumb lbw from around the wicket. Davies came and went for a brisk 13, gifting his wicket to Krishna by holing out to midwicket, trying to heave him over wide on from a good length.Webster nicked Mukesh to second slip to leave Australia A in deep trouble at 84 for 5. But Harris remained resolute alongside Peirson. The pair had to sit through two lengthy rain delays that had the potential to break their concentration.Harris was compact, playing well under his eyeline with control. He did not try and over-hit the ball and only scored one boundary on the second day, having struck four on the opening night.He did have plenty of good fortune. After nicking one on the first evening that landed short of wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, he survived a huge appeal off Tanush Kotian. Bowling from around the wicket, the offspinner pitched one outside leg and Harris closed the face to try and work it leg side. The ball deflected to slip and India A were convinced it came off the bat but umpire Michael Graham-Smith remained unmoved. The umpire believed it deflected off pad only and Harris gestured as much when the India A players stood around him bewildered by the decision.He picked up his scoring shortly after reaching 50, with Nitish Kumar Reddy not quite as frugal as the other three quicks with his lengths and lines.Peirson also played with positivity, striking five boundaries in his 30 including a brilliant reverse sweep against the offspinner. But Krishna returned to break the partnership and continue his impressive tour. He had Peirson caught behind off the bottom edge as he tried to pull a back of a length ball from outside off.Shortly after, Harris sparred at one he shouldn’t have, pushing well away from his body to edge behind. His detractors will note it was another example of his propensity for making starts without kicking onto big scores but undoubtedly the selectors will hold this 74 as worthy of a three-figure score giving how difficult batting has been.Krishna was on a hat-trick when Boland nicked the next ball to slip to leave Australia A eight down with a lead of just six runs and without Neser able to bat after injuring his hamstring on day one.But Rocchiccioli and McAndrew produced a brilliant and entertaining 56-run last wicket stand in less than nine overs that could prove the difference in the game.Rocchiccioli, clearly stung by batting below Boland in the line-up, played some outrageous shots in his 28-ball 35. He shovelled a ball over the keeper’s head and he launched two massive sixes off Krishna and Kotian. McAndrew played nicely too, adding an unbeaten 26 before Rocchiccioli finally nicked one to hand Mukesh his third for the innings.India A’s second started solidly against the new ball despite the pitch still offering plenty for the seamers. They reached 25 without loss before Abhimanyu Easwaran sliced a catch to the gully off McAndrew. That set in motion a collapse where India A lost 5 for 31.Sai Sudharsan edged Webster to second slip where Bancroft held an excellent low catch. Ruturaj Gaikwad looked in good touch before missing a delivery from McAndrew that nipped in and thundered into his pad. The umpire gave him lbw. The line was not an issue but Gaikwad might have wondered about the height as he paused before departing.Rahul had no one to blame but himself. Rocchiccioli’s first ball of the day was an innocuous off break that was going down leg. There was a short leg in place which caused Rahul to withdraw from playing a shot. But he did not have his pads together as he tried to kick it away. It sneaked through the small gap in his thighs and ricocheted onto the stumps. Rahul’s returns of 4 and 10 for the match were not what India’s selectors would have hoped for having sent him to play in this game ahead of a possible recall in the first Test in Perth as a replacement for Rohit Sharma.Webster struck again in the shadows as Devdutt Padikkal’s 19-ball stay ended with just one run when he nicked the allrounder to first slip.It was left to Jurel again to hold the innings together as he and Reddy saw India A to stumps.