Manchester United women's team have been left disappointed by the surprise departure of supportive sporting director Dan Ashworth.

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Ashworth leaves after five monthsWomen's team disappointed by exitSporting director seen as a supportive presenceFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ashworth has been sacked from his role as sporting director after just five months in the role. The decision has left the women's team "deflated" as Ashworth was seen as a "key ally" and a passionate supporter of the women's game, according to The Telegraph. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is certainly not viewed in the same way. The INEOS chief recently gave an interview where he made it clear the men's team was the priority at United, with his comments said to have been "dimly received" by the women's team.

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Manchester United's decision to axe Ashworth so soon came as a shock, particularly as the Red Devils had gone to great lengths, and expense, to lure him from Newcastle. Ratcliffe made the decision after their relationship deteriorated in the wake of the decision to sack Erik ten Hag. The INEOS chief has also made previous decisions that have been to the detriment of the women's team. He went to watch the men's team rather than see the women beat Tottenham in the Women's FA Cup final and has also moved the women's team into portable facilities while the training ground undergoes a revamp.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

A United source told The Telegraph: "There is a sense of deflation around Dan’s exit. The women’s team have lost a very passionate supporter.”

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GOALWHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

Ashworth may have only just left Manchester United but he is already being linked with a move to Arsenal to take over from Edu. Meanwhile, his early exit from United has seen questions raised about how the club is being run, particularly as it comes in the wake of Ten Hag's departure – just months after the club triggered an extension to his contract.

أعلن ظهير أيسر نادي ريال مدريد الأسبق، مارسيلو، اعتزاله النهائي لكرة القدم في عمر 36 عامًا، من خلال فيديو وداعي عبر حسابه الرسمي على منصة “إنستجرام”.

وأشار مارسيلو في الفيديو إلى سبب حبه لكرة القدم، حيث جاء من خلال جده الذي كان يحلم بأن يصبح لاعبًا محترفًا، وأضاف أن جده بذل كل ما في وسعه لتحقيق هذا الحلم له.

اقرأ أيضًا | الأجواء تشتعل قبل الديربي.. أتلتيكو مدريد يسخر من بيان ريال مدريد

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وتحدث مارسيلو عن انتقاله إلى ريال مدريد في سن 18 عامًا، حيث قال: “في هذا العمر، طرق ريال مدريد بابي وانتقلت إلى هناك، الآن، أستطيع أن أقول بفخر إنني مشجع مدريدي حقيقي”.

وتابع: “حياتي تغيرت بشكل كامل في مدريد، حيث أسست أسرة مع زوجتي”.

واستعرض مارسيلو إنجازاته في الفيديو: “لقد شاركت في 16 موسمًا، فزت بـ25 لقبًا، 5 دوري أبطال أوروبا وكنت واحدًا من قادة الفريق”.

واستمر: “لقد عشت الكثير من الليالي الساحرة في سانتياجو برنابيو، يا لها من رحلة، ريال مدريد نادٍ فريد من نوعه، إحساس رائع أن تكون من مشجعي هذا النادي”.

وواصل: “لقد كان فخر كبيرًا أن أمثل منتخب البرازيل، سأتذكر دائمًا فوزي بميداليتين أولمبيتين، كأس القارات كذلك”.

وأكمل: “لقد عدت إلى فلومينينسي أيضًا من جديد ونجحت في قيادتهم للفوز بثلاثة ألقاب، لقد كان شعورًا رائعًا”.

وأتم: “تحقيق كأس كوبا ليبرتادوريس أمر عظيم، لكن رحلتي انتهت هنا في الملاعب، لكن لا يزال لدي الكثير لأقدمه إلى كرة القدم، شكرًا على كل شيء”.

A summary of the first six rounds of games at the Dhaka Premier League T20s

Mohammad Isam10-Jun-2021How the table stands
Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club lost their top place in the Dhaka Premier League T20 following their three-run loss to Prime Bank Cricket Club on Thursday. Prime Bank and Abahani Limited are now on ten points each, followed by Doleshwar who are on nine points in third place.Partex Sporting Club are the only team without a win after six rounds, while Shinepukur Cricket Club are just above them with two points. Click here for the full points table.Top performers
It is of no surprise that Mushfiqur Rahim is among the top performers in the DPL, after his player-of-the-series winning exploits against Sri Lanka last month. Rahim has batted Abahani Limited into winning positions in nearly every one of their five wins.But it is young Mahmudul Hasan Joy who leads the batters’ leaderboard with 241 runs. He has been dismissed twice in five innings and hit the most sixes. Joy’s strike rate of 136.15 is the highest among batters who have faced 100 balls till now.Rahatul Ferdous of Brothers Union put together the best all-round showing in the tournament when he made 54 after his side was reduced to 57 for 6 against Partex. He followed it up with a four-wicket haul with his left-arm spin that decimated the opposition.Left-arm quicks Mustafizur Rahman and Salauddin Sakil took the only five-wicket hauls in the tournament so far, while Alauddin Babu took the only hat-trick. Fast bowlers have generally done well in this competition, with five of them among the top ten wicket-takers so far.Mustafizur Rahman is one of two bowlers to take a five-for after six rounds of the DPL•BCBPlayers with poor returns
Najmul Hossain Shanto, Anamul Haque and Nasir Hossain haven’t been among the runs despite playing in important positions for big clubs. Abahani’s Shanto, who was dropped from Bangladesh’s ODI side recently, has so far made 85 runs in five innings. Haque, who plays for Prime Bank, averages 15.50 with a top score of 35 runs in six outings. Hossain, playing for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, averages 15 with the bat and 80 with the ball, having struck just one six in his six innings.Pace bowler Shohidul Islam, who was picked as Mohammad Saifuddin’s replacement in Bangladesh’s ODI squad against Sri Lanka last month, has been surprisingly expensive in his five games, conceding runs at 9.21 while having taken just four wickets. Islam’s Abahani team-mate Taijul Islam also hasn’t done too well, having taken just two wickets and conceded runs at seven per over in his four outings.On the national radar
T20 skills are at a premium in Bangladesh, which is why Nurul Hasan’s unbeaten 66 against Mohammedan Sporting Club won’t go unnoticed by the selectors. He struck five sixes and four boundaries in a 34-ball knock that help Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club to a 16-run win. Hasan isn’t usually regarded as a big-hitter but his wicketkeeping skills and middle-order ability could be tested in the build-up to Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup campaign.Another who has staked a claim is Kamrul Islam Rabbi, an underrated death bowler. He is among the wickets in this competition, as he had been in the Bangabandhu T20s last year, and during the BPL the past couple of years. Rabbi also hit a 12-ball 38, including four sixes off Rubel Hossain in a last over in which they needed 31 to win. He couldn’t help Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club to the win, but very few lower-order batters in Bangladesh have shown this proclivity towards hitting sixes in the death overs.Talking points
BCB’s monetary and logistical effort to ensure a bio-bubble environment for 12 DPL clubs and match officials is commendable. Never before have the Dhaka league players seen such opulence in their accommodation, but the cricket on the field hasn’t quite matched the budget. There have been no more than two or three tight finishes. Pitches have been predictably slow at the Shere Bangla National Stadium while the drainage in the two BKSP venues hasn’t helped in the monsoon.Rain has had a lot to do with the 130-ish average scoring rate in all three venues as matches have been interrupted, reduced and abandoned in the first ten days. Batting line-ups have found themselves out of rhythm. When Dhaka has to host three matches per day from 9am to 10pm, it is clear that the BCB and the clubs are desperate to finish the tournament, rather than worry too much about the quality of cricket.The other disappointment has been the performance of teams like Gazi Group Cricketers, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Legends of Rupganj. Rupganj lost their first four matches before recovering with two wins, while Gazi Group and Dhanmondi Club have been lacklustre. This, despite all three spending big on player salaries.Paying for a bio-bubble that costs more than 7 crore takas (USD $825,000 approx.) isn’t sustainable, but Bangladesh is in the middle of a prolonged lockdown so there weren’t too many alternatives to finish what is essentially the 2019-20 DPL. There are still 30 matches left in the first round apart from the Super League and the relegation playoffs.

Celtic continued their impressive start to the 2024/25 campaign with a convincing 2-0 win over Hibernian away from Parkhead on Sunday afternoon.

The Hoops sit top of the Scottish Premiership after two matches, having won both of their games, and are yet to concede a single goal in the division.

Kasper Schmeichel, who was brought in on a free transfer to replace Joe Hart after his retirement from professional football, has kept two clean sheets in his first two matches for the club.

Early goals from Nicolas Kuhn and Callum McGregor ensured that the Bhoys enjoyed a comfortable afternoon, with the former converting from close range before teeing up the captain to fire the ball into the far corner from 25 yards.

There was also a second Celtic debut for Paulo Bernardo against Hibernian. The Portuguese midfielder came off the bench for the first time since his permanent move from Benfica was confirmed earlier this month, having spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan in Glasgow.

One thing that should be taken away from this match, however, is that the Scottish giants must dip into the market to secure a new centre-forward, after a difficult game for Kyogo Furuhashi.

Kyogo Furuhashi's struggles

The Japan international is the club's only senior striker option and was selected to lead the line, with Kuhn and James Forrest either side of him.

Unfortunately, it was a frustrating afternoon for the 29-year-old centre-forward. He has now gone 15 away matches in the Premiership without finding the back of the net, stretching back to last season.

The experienced attacker failed to find the back of the net with any of his four efforts in 75 minutes on the pitch on Sunday, which comes after his two 'big chances' missed and zero goals scored on the opening day against Kilmarnock.

Minutes played

75

Shots

4

Goals

0

Big chances missed

1

Passes completed

5

Duels won

1/2

As you can see in the table above, Kyogo was wasteful with the chances that came his way and offered very little in build-up or out of possession.

His saved shot did allow Forrest to follow up to assist Kuhn for the opener but the striker took that shot on from distance despite the German forward being in a fantastic position for a pass to his right.

Kyogo's struggles in front of goal at the start of this term should not be a surprise, as he also left a lot to be desired from his finishing last season.

The right-footed dud missed a staggering 24 'big chances' and only found the back of the net 14 times in 38 Premiership appearances in the 2023/24 campaign.

His latest poor showing in the final third, at least when it came to his finishing, proves that Celtic must do everything they can to bring Adam Idah back to the club.

Celtic's pursuit of Adam Idah

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph reported last Friday that the Scottish giants are in advanced talks to sign the Norwich City centre-forward.

The reporter claimed that the two teams have been discussing a potential deal that would be £6m+, with an initial fee of £6m along with add-ons to take it beyond that.

Joseph added that, whilst no agreement has been reached, there is a 'willingness' from both sides to get a move over the line before the end of the window.

Despite that news, Idah was involved in Norwich's opening day defeat against Oxford United, playing 29 minutes off the bench in a 2-0 defeat.

After the win over Hibs, Brendan Rodgers revealed that there is no fresh update to report on their pursuit of the 6 foot 3 marksman, which suggests that the talks are still ongoing as they look to reach a positive conclusion.

This latest performance from Kyogo may help to speed up those conversations in order to bring him to Parkhead, as the club's current centre-forward continues to struggle in front of goal.

The fact that Mikey Johnston, a winger who was out on loan at West Bromwich Albion in the second half of last season, was selected to play as the number nine off the bench perfectly illustrates their need for a new number nine.

Why Celtic must sign Adam Idah

Celtic have won their first two league games of the season, scoring six goals and keeping two clean sheets, but Kyogo's finishing woes may eventually cause them problems when the bigger games come around – whether that be against Rangers or in the Champions League.

Idah spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Parkhead from the Canaries and caught the eye with his impressive finishing quality.

The Irish star showcased his versatile finishing skills with three goals with his head, one with his left foot, and four with his right foot in the Premiership, which shows a strong variety of strikes from the attacker.

Idah also showed glimpses of having the potential to be a clutch finisher for the Hoops, with an 87th-minute strike that put Celtic 3-2 up against Rangers at Ibrox, and a 90th-minute goal against the Gers to win the League Cup for his side.

His performances in the Premiership were particularly impressive and suggested that the quality is there for him to offer more in front of goal than Kyogo.

Appearances

15

Starts

5

Goals

8

Big chances missed

7

Conversion rate

27%

Minutes per goal

76

Assists

2

As you can see in the table above, Idah only missed seven 'big chances' and scored eight goals, compared to the Japanese forward's 24 spurned 'big chances' and 14 strikes.

These statistics indicate that the Norwich youngster, if he can continue that form, could return to Glasgow and offer a more clinical edge in the number nine position for Rodgers.

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That is why, particularly after Kyogo's wasteful start to the season, the Celtic board must splash the cash and sign the £6m+ centre-forward for the Northern Irish head coach to bolster the squad ahead of the Champions League starting next month.

Arne Slot believes that his Liverpool side can only get better, and maintains they are "not flying" at the top of the Premier League table.

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• Reds leading Premier League
• Four points clear of Chelsea
• Slot's side also have game in hand

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Slot's Reds have been in exceptional form thus far this season and sit atop the Premier League table, four points clear of second-placed Chelsea and with a game in hand. Their only loss in the league this term came in September, against Nottingham Forest, but Slot maintains that he is expecting more from his squad as the months tick by.

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  Slot claims the Reds are "doing well" but has rejected claims they are "flying", as he believes there is another gear they can find, as he talked up the prospects of the club's young players. The Dutchman is also yet to see the best from summer signing Federico Chiesa, who is injured, but Slot has revealed that he is very close to a return.

• WHAT ARNE SLOT SAID

  Slot told reporters: "We're not flying but we are doing well. I think there is more to come from the players into the team than we have showed until now. But I think that is something every manager feels. The longer you work with a team the more the better you start to play and the more they are used to playing together.

  “But that is not only for us that is probably the same for a couple of other teams as well that there is more to come from them as well. We truly believe that we can… OK there are a few that maybe it is not so easy to get more out of them individually – but as a team we can do better and there is is definitely more to come from a few individuals, also because of their age.

  “And that is the positive thing about the squad I inherited, most of them are still quite young and the best years normally are still to come."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Liverpool play Fulham at Anfield on Saturday as they bid to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.

Rashid Khan couldn’t defend seven in the Super Over

Alagappan Muthu25-Apr-20213:42

Deep Dasgupta: ‘It’s a shame Williamson didn’t have enough support’

Delhi Capitals win the one-over eliminatorKane Williamson once again masked the Sunrisers’ lack of middle-order firepower and took them as far as the Super Over. But that final hurdle just proved too much.The Delhi Capitals’ Axar Patel, only recently recovered from Covid-19, was chosen ahead of Kagiso Rabada, the Super Over expert, to bowl in the most intense conditions, and through artful changes of pace and vicious use of angles to cramp the batters, he restricted Sunrisers to seven. It could have been eight but the third umpire spotted a very tight short run by David Warner.People will debate the choice not to send Jonny Bairstow, who struck at 211 on the night, for the Super Over. But that will end up in the footnote of this engrossing game as Rishabh Pant persevered against Rashid Khan, reverse swatting him for a boundary to bring his team and his pandemic-hobbled city a tiny bit of joy deep into extra time.Shaw goes berserk
The pitches in Chennai are best to bat on right at the start of the game. Then it starts to wear, with every single ball. Eventually run-scoring becomes a serious hassle.So Prithvi Shaw decided to take advantage of his position as opener. He took strike and promptly hit the first three balls to the boundary. His best shot though was an imperious cover drive for six off Siddarth Kaul in the third over.The camera panned to Pant just then. He was sitting in the dugout, his chin resting on his hand, very quiet, almost contemplative. He was the next batter in, so perhaps he was focused on getting into his zone. Even so, that shot was so good it broke through the captain’s zen and made him nod in appreciation.Sunrisers vs Pant
The Capitals marched to 51 for 0 in the first six overs. Now with the field spreading and the spinners coming on, hitting through the line became almost impossible. Even the half-centurion Shaw, who cruised to 39 off 23 in the powerplay, could make only 14 off his next 16 balls before getting run-out.The Sunrisers placed all their faith in taking pace off the ball. But as well as they did that, they weren’t making too many inroads. Chances came in the 16th and 17th overs when Pant and Steven Smith offered catches to short fine leg (Khaleel Ahmed) and short third man (Siddarth Kaul) but neither were accepted.Rishabh Pant’s boundary in the Super Over all but sealed the game for the Delhi Capitals•BCCI/IPL

Warner was hunched over by this point. His bowlers were doing everything right. His fielders were doing everything wrong. And because of that a power-hitting genius was still at the crease.Pant made 37 off 27 balls. He hit slower deliveries for six. He reverse-scooped fast bowlers for four. He toyed with Rashid, whacking the legspinner for 15 off eight balls. His 58-run partnership with Smith helped take Capitals to a very reasonable 159 for 4.Bairstow and Williamson step up
Put the ball in a spinner’s hand – spinners of the quality of R Ashwin and Amit Mishra – and it was spitting and bouncing and ripping and dipping.Bairstow somehow put all that to the back of his mind – and better yet, he made the spinners put them in the back of theirs too. Worried by his power against tossed up deliveries, they all went fast and flat at him and he still punished them. The Sunrisers opener made 38 off 18 balls. He could have been gone for 1 had Shimron Hetmyer not misjudged a tough catch on the midwicket boundary.Williamson has a subtler approach. He knows he can’t blast an opposition out but he can bring them to submission, slowly and methodically. And he did that here. Williamson swept and reverse-swept the Capitals spinners, always mindful that his wrists came down on top of the ball to prevent the top edge. He made the most of the little flaws in the field; when Kagiso Rabada ran in with mid-off up, Williamson charged out and lofted the ball over that fielder. He knew the value of taking this chase deep and so he used the crease, worked the angles and ran like a demon between the wickets.The surprise cameo
Despite all of this, Sunrisers still needed 50 off the last 30 balls. How does a T20 team with no recognised finisher manage ten an over for that long?Well, with some help from a very unlikely source. J Suchith came into the side because Bhuvneshwar Kumar pulled up sore. With the game going the other way, he struck Avesh Khan for two cracking fours in the 19th over and Kagiso Rabada for one towering six in the 20th to force a Super Over showdown.

A new transfer update has emerged regarding Manchester United’s pursuit of “world-class” free agent Adrien Rabiot, with a reporter sharing news he’s heard from Old Trafford.

Man Utd transfer news

Despite the summer transfer window closing at the end of last month, United have continued to be linked with signings, as well as the potential to sell current players.

One of those figures in the latter category is Casemiro, who endured a torrid afternoon at home to Liverpool recently, gifting them two goals in their 3-0 win at Old Trafford in the Premier League, and he was left out of Erik ten Hag’s starting lineup for the trip to Southampton on Saturday. A move to Galatasaray was mooted for the Brazilian, but that has ended up not materialising.

In terms of incomings, Rosenborg BK teenager Sverre Halseth Nypan has been mentioned as a possible addition for United, with the 17-year-old once saying that it would be a “dream” to complete a move to Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Monaco right-back Vanderson has also been linked with a switch to the Red Devils, but Chelsea and Tottenham are believed to be in the mix to acquire the 23-year-old’s signature, too. Now, another claim has dropped regarding another rumoured addition.

Transfer update on Man Utd and Adrien Rabiot

According to Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke, Manchester United are now “unlikely” to sign Rabiot, despite him being available on a free transfer and heavily linked with the Red Devils.

The 29-year-old left Juventus at the end of last season and has been without a club since, standing out as one of the most high-profile free agents on the market at the moment, being valued at £30m by Transfermarkt.

Rabiot could have been such a strong signing by United if they had tried to get him, considering he has won seven league titles in his career – six with Paris Saint-Germain and one with Juve. He has also been lauded by former France striker David Trezeguet, who said of him in 2022:

“We are talking about a problem for Juventus because in Italy he may have been targeted for criticism, but in France it’s completely different. He is world class, an extraordinary player. Now he will evaluate his options and will go back to being the important player he always was.”

There is an argument to say that United are being wise in not signing a 29-year-old on big wages, however, with the club guilty of bringing in ageing players whose best years are behind them in recent years. Casemiro is arguably an example of that, so bringing in a younger midfield alternative to Rabiot could make more sense further down the line, perhaps in January.

Better than Martinez: 9/10 Man Utd star has just made himself undroppable

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ByJoe Nuttall Sep 15, 2024

That being said, should their stance change all of a sudden, there is no reason why the France international couldn’t be a shrewd signing for a few years, bringing experience in the middle of the park and possibly acting as a short-term upgrade on Casemiro.

Jason Holder slips from the perch, concedes top spot among allrounders to Ravindra Jadeja

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2021

Quinton de Kock had scores of 141* and 96 in two of his three innings in the West Indies•AFP/Getty Images

Quinton de Kock’s 96 in the first innings of the second Test, after he scored 141* in the first, against West Indies has put him back in the top ten – at No. 10 – in the Test rankings for batters. He was last in the top ten back in December 2019, but after top-scoring with 237 runs in the two-Test series, which South Africa won 2-0, he has moved above Babar Azam and Dimuth Karunaratne.Related

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Rassie van der Dussen was a distant second to de Kock in the run-scorers’ list, with 125 runs, while Jermaine Blackwood was third with 88 and Dean Elgar fourth, with 87, and the three of them made gains on the table too: Elgar was up one spot to No. 19, van der Dussen up 31 spots to No. 43, and Blackwood one place behind him at No. 44, a rise of 12 positions.Jason Holder started the series as the top-ranked allrounder in Tests but average returns – 34 runs in four innings and six wickets (four of them in the first, which was before the period used in the latest rankings) – have pushed him down to second place behind Ravindra Jadeja, who is currently playing the World Test Championship final against New Zealand in Southampton.Kagiso Rabada was the player of the match in the second Test for his haul of five wickets, and moved up one place to sixth as a result, while Keshav Maharaj’s seven wickets, including a hat-trick, helped him go three places up to 28th. Lungi Ngidi also picked up three wickets in the game, and went up three places to No. 41.Kemar Roach was by far the best West Indies bowler on show, returning 3 for 45 and 4 for 52, and that took him close to the top ten for bowlers, as he finished at 12th place.

Some Celtic supporters may be looking forward to when the summer transfer window finally closes on Friday night of next week, to put the constant speculation around transfers to bed.

The Hoops have only added four players to their first-team squad since the end of last season and two of them – Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah – spent time on loan at Parkhead last term.

Goalkeepers Viljami Sinisalo and Kasper Schmeichel have also been brought in to compete for the number one position, after Joe Hart retired at the end of May following three years in Glasgow as the number one.

It now remains to be seen how many signings Brendan Rodgers and his recruitment team are hoping to add to that group before the window slams shut next week.

The Northern Irish head coach will be hoping for a better showing from his team in Europe this year after his side were knocked out of the Champions League by finishing bottom of their group last season.

Adding more quality to the group could help their efforts in the new-look Champions League format, and the Hoops are reportedly looking to bolster their midfield options.

Celtic keen on deal for midfield wizard

According to Polish journalist Tomasz Włodarczyk, Celtic are pursuing a deal to sign Los Angeles FC attacking midfielder Mateusz Bogusz this month.

The reporter claims that the Scottish giants are seriously interested in a swoop for the former Leeds United starlet to improve their squad before the end of the summer transfer window.

He states that the Premiership champions are already in talks with the MLS side to discuss a potential transfer fee and what the player would be looking for in a contract at Parkhead this season.

An article from Włodarczyk on Polish outlet Meczyki adds that personal terms are not expected to be a problem if the two clubs can agree on a fee, which suggests that the LAFC star is open to a switch to Scotland.

The report claims that it would take an offer of up to €10m (£8.5m) to prise the 22-year-old magician away from the American side in the coming days.

It also reveals that there is a long way to go before any deal can be concluded and this does not suggest that the Hoops are close to securing his services as it stands.

If Rodgers and the club can wrap up a move for the Polish wizard before next Friday's deadline then they could land a hybrid of two players who may leave the club this month.

Two stars Celtic could lose out on

Celtic could be set for a big blow in the remaining eight days or so of the transfer window as two of their stars have been linked with moves away from Glasgow.

Firstly, the Scottish Sun have reported that Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion are hoping to sign Matt O'Riley before the weekend.

The outlet claimed that the two clubs are edging towards an agreement that will be worth in excess of £25m for the Denmark international, who now looks to be on course for a return to England.

Another player who could be on their way down south before the end of the window is centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi, who has been linked with a move to Manchester City.

The Athletic's Sam Lee has claimed that the Japan international is one of two strikers on their shortlist to replace Julian Alvarez, who left for Atletico Madrid earlier this month.

Appearances

38

37

Goals

14

18

Big chances created

7

14

Assists

5

13

Key passes per game

0.6

2.5

As you can see in the table above, Celtic's attack would take a big hit if they lost both Kyogo and O'Riley, as they were top performers for the club last season.

They combined for 32 goals and 18 assists in the Scottish Premiership in the 2023/24 campaign for Rodgers, which illustrates how big of a loss it would be if they went to Manchester City and Brighton respectively.

The Hoops could lessen that blow, however, by swooping to sign Bogusz as he could come in as a quality attacking option who could fill in for either of them in the Celtic team.

Why Bogusz is an O'Riley and Kyogo hybrid

Firstly, the Poland U21 international has the versatility to play in either of their roles, as he has been deployed as a centre-forward or as an attacking midfielder for the majority of his club career to date.

This means that Rodgers could utilise him as a number nine in place of Kyogo, should he depart to Manchester City, or as a number ten or central midfielder in place of O'Riley, should his move to Brighton go ahead as reported.

It is useful to have a player with that degree of versatility as it means that Celtic could sign one player, Bogusz, to fill two positions in the squad, rather than having to splash out on two signings.

The 22-year-old ace's form for LAFC this year also suggests that he has the potential to be an exciting and brilliant addition to Rodgers' squad.

Bogusz has racked up 20 goals and 14 assists in 74 matches for the American side in all competitions since his permanent move from Leeds in March 2023.

Appearances

24

xG

6.97

Goals

13

Key passes per game

2.2

Big chances created

8

Assists

5

As you can see in the table above, the Polish magician has been in incredible form at the top end of the pitch in the 2024 campaign for LAFC.

His return of 13 goals from 6.97 xG suggests that he is a lethal finisher who can make the most of the chances that fall his way, making him an ideal striker option in place of Kyogo if needed.

Meanwhile, he has also averaged 2.2 key passes per game and created eight 'big chances' in 24 matches, which suggests that the ex-Leeds man can consistently open up opposition defences to create chances – like O'Riley.

Rodgers could brilliantly replace Oh with Celtic move for "improving" star

The Hoops are reportedly considering a swoop for the young centre-forward this summer.

ByDan Emery Aug 20, 2024

Therefore, Celtic could land a hybrid of their two star attackers by swooping to sign Bogusz, who could come in as a dream replacement for either of them.

Axel Disasi has no intention of leaving Chelsea despite his diminished role under coach Enzo Maresca this season.

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• Disasi rarely played in PL this season
• Linked with Serie A & Bundesliga clubs
• Defender wants to stay at the Blues

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Disasi was a regular starter for the Blues following his arrival from Monaco in 2023, but he has fallen out of favour since Maresca's appointment in the summer. The 26-year-old has played only three times in the Premier League this season, with Maresca instead using him more frequently, and even giving him the captain's armband, in the Conference League.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The centre-back's struggles have sparked reports of a possible January transfer, with reporting this week that Juventus and an unnamed Bundesliga side are interested in him, but says he is happy at Stamford Bridge and does not want to leave just yet.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  With Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana both out injured, Maresca will not tell the club to sell the Frenchman, the report adds, meaning he could be given another chance to impress in the Premier League in the coming weeks.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  Disasi will likely be given a place on the bench when the London side travel to Merseyside to take on Everton in the league on Sunday, which will be followed by a clash with Fulham on December 26.