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Daniel Farke must wonder how he never won promotion with the Leeds United team he inherited heading into the 2023/24 season as the West Yorkshire outfit’s new manager.

Thankfully, the EFL promotion expert did guide Leeds back up to the Premier League at the second time of asking, with a Championship title even being secured along the way, but his previous side disastrously slipped up in the playoff final, even with the likes of both Georginio Rutter and Archie Gray starring week in week out.

Crysencio Summerville, despite his unbelievable display, was another unfortunate member of that team, leaving for West Ham United after the season’s conclusion.

The attacker is still held in high esteem at Elland Road, despite his celebrated stay at the club ultimately ending in disappointment.

What made Summerville so magic

Summerville eventually got a chance to shine again in the top-flight with the Hammers, having initially burst onto the scene as a promising talent in the tough division when Leeds routinely battled against the drop.

An encouraging four goals and three assists came the tricky winger’s way across 28 Premier League outings during the 2022/23 season, with the Rotterdam-born attacker certainly sticking out as a bright spark in an otherwise depressing period for the Whites, as relegation was confirmed.

He was only getting started when looking back, however, with the former Whites number 10 striking fear into Championship defences all season long during the following campaign.

Summerville had the goals and assists to back up his immense footwork and trickery on the left channel, with 20 goals and 19 assists in regular action crowning him as the second tier’s Player of the Season.

Journalist Jake Winderman would even go all out to declare the 5-foot-9 ace as “world-class” for those sublime heroics, while Farke himself stated that the “sky is the limit” for what his star asset could go on to achieve.

Summerville has since shown flashes of his excellence with West Ham, despite injury issues threatening to stop him in his tracks.

After an injury-disrupted 2024/25 season saw just 19 Premier League appearances fall into his lap, the 23-year-old is now up to a quickfire two assists for this campaign, from just five clashes.

While the former fan favourite at Leeds underwent a testing first term away from West Yorkshire, Farke was scrambling for his new Summerville-like star to latch onto, with Manor Solomon stepping into the role effortlessly as another unpredictable talent on the left wing.

Now out on loan with Villarreal, away from parent side Tottenham Hotspur, Solomon was once viewed as a fitting replacement for the immense magic served up by Summerville and Rutter, with a devastating ten goals and 13 assists notched up last campaign by the diminutive 26-year-old helping Leeds to achieve a promotion feat not even their revered Dutchman could clinch.

Solomon would even score Leeds’ title-clinching goal when bursting forward with his usual Elland Road exuberance versus Plymouth Argyle on the final day, with the former Shakhtar Donetsk attacker also receiving similar glowing praise to that of Summerville, lauded as “unplayable” by former Whites boss Neil Redfearn.

The hope was surely to tie down the entertaining forward to a long-term deal past his loan stint, but nothing would come to fruition despite speculative talk suggesting Solomon was up for a reunion, as Leeds looked at other top-flight-ready recruits instead.

So, with Solomon now gone, who has become Leeds’ new Summerville?

Leeds' new Summerville-type figure at Elland Road

Leeds could well have been hesitant to dive in and secure Solomon permanently based on his sketchy track record in the Premier League.

The new Villarreal man is, unfortunately, more known for being ravaged with injuries at that level than being a rip-roaring success, with just four goals and two assists picked up, missing 61 games through injury for both Spurs and Fulham.

Staggeringly, he has already been absent from five games this season through more injury-related difficulties, as Leeds sense they have dodged a bullet somewhat.

In stark contrast, new signing Noah Okafor has been there and done that in some challenging top-flight environments, with a 25-goal haul for RB Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga even seeing scout Jacek Kulig refer to the Swiss international as “prolific” force.

On top of that, he was also previously on the roster of AC Milan for 57 matches, culminating in seven goals being put away with confidence.

Therefore, the powers that be at Leeds would have felt assured that dropping £18m on his services this summer was money well spent, and they have already been vindicated, with two strikes picked up in the Premier League by the direct number 19.

While his calmness in front of goal stands him in good stead to be a Summerville-type figure for Farke’s men moving forward, it’s his ardent manner to always bomb forward and try and create an opening out of nothing that also makes the similarity stick, with Summerville finding that he was constantly fouled in the Championship for also being a brash attacking presence.

Okafor last three PL matches

Stat

v Wolves

v Bournemouth

v Spurs

Touches

40

27

34

Unsuccessful touches

4

2

6

Goals

1

0

1

Key passes

0

1

2

Successful dribbles

6/14

3/4

1/2

Stats by Sofascore

Okafor has come into his own in this regard across Leeds’ last three matches in the league, with the pacey 25-year-old managing an absurd six successful dribbles against Wolverhampton Wanderers, despite only accumulating 40 touches.

Yet, much like in Summerville’s case, it isn’t showboating for showboating’s sake, with two goals picked up across his last three Premier League outings making him a firm starting figure for Farke, which is only reinforced by him amassing three key passes in his attempts to assist teammates around him.

Dubbed as an “explosive” presence by scout Antonio Mango when first securing a move to England, it now appears as if Okafor was the Summerville-like ace Leeds had been crying out for all along.

After all, even an opposition defender for Coventry City in Milan van Ewijk had to hold his hands up at Summerville being an “exceptionally good” dribbler when the Sky Blues clashed with Farke’s men in the second tier.

Okafor will hope, in time, that he’s also remembered as a feared force for defenders to wrestle with, with the early signs of his Leeds career pointing in the direction that he will be a fan favourite for many years to come, particularly if he can be one driving factor behind the Whites becoming top-flight regulars again.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Oct 14, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras enfrenta o Deportivo Pereira nesta quarta-feira pelas quartas de final da Libertadores 2023 e o jogo será muito especial para o volante Richard Rios.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasLeon Dario Muñoz, a lenda colombiana do Palmeiras que jogou no Deportivo PereiraPalmeiras23/08/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras volta para Pereira após 29 anos e defende bom retrospecto na ColômbiaPalmeiras23/08/2023PalmeirasNa Colômbia, Palmeiras treina completo e fecha preparação para encarar o Deportivo Pereira; veja provável timePalmeiras22/08/2023

+ Veja tabela da Libertadores-2023 clicando aqui

Visitando o seu país natal pela primeira vez como jogador profissional, o camisa 27 comentou da alegria de enfrentar um time colombiano pelo Verdão.

– Feliz de estar de volta ao meu país. Será a minha primeira partida aqui como jogador profissional. Feliz porque a minha família poderá assistir e hoje teve esse carinho das crianças, que é sempre muito bom receber. Desde que fiquei sabendo da possibilidade de classificação do Pereira, torci para encontrá-los. Estou feliz por estar aqui – afirmou o meia que veio do Guarani.

continua após a publicidade

Apesar do amplo favoritismo e do abismo que separa os dois elencos, Richard Rios pregou muito respeito ao Deportivo Pereira e pediu atenção ao Palmeiras.

– O Pereira vem fazendo sua história, sua trajetória, e a gente vai respeitar como respeitamos todos os times. A gente veio aqui para fazer o nosso trabalho e levar um bom resultado para o Allianz Parque – finalizou o volante de 23 anos.

continua após a publicidade

+ Deportivo Pereira x Palmeiras: onde assistir, desfalques e prováveis escalações do jogo pela Libertadores

Atleta com a maior sequência de partidas nesta temporada: com 16 jogos consecutivos, Richard Rios vai completar o seu jogo de número 34 com a camisa do Palmeiras e tem apenas três gols nessa primeira temporada no Maior Campeão do Brasil.

Deportivo Pereira e Palmeiras se enfrentam nesta quarta-feira (23), a partir das 21h30 (horário de Brasília), e o jogo terá transmissão da Rede Globo e dos Canais ESPN.

يستعد فريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي لاستقبال نظيره إيجل نوار في إياب دور الـ32 من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، مساء اليوم السبت.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع إيجل نوار البوروندي، في إياب دور الـ32 من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، على استاد القاهرة الدولي.

طالع.. سر استبعاد محمد الشناوي من مباراة الأهلي وإيجل نوار

ونجح الأهلي في تحقيق الفوز خارج الديار على إيجل نوار بهدف نظيف، ويحتاج إلى التعادل فقط لجز مقعده في دور المجموعات بدوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وكان الأهلي قد نجح في تحقيق الفوز في آخر مبارياته على الاتحاد السكندري بنتيجة 2-1، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن لقاءات الجولة 11 من بطولة الدوري المصري. موعد مباراة الأهلي وإيجل نوار في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

يلتقي الأهلي أمام إيجل نوار بمباراة العودة اليوم السبت 25 أكتوبر، في تمام الساعة الثامنة مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي وإيجل نوار اليوم

تنقل مباراة الأهلي أمام إيجل نوار اليوم السبت، على قناة “أون سبورت 1”.

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

Celtic did not have a perfect summer transfer window, as they failed to land any strikers on deadline day, but they did do some good business on the whole.

Bringing Kieran Tierney back to the club on a free transfer from Arsenal was arguably the highlight of the window on paper, six years on from his £25m move to Arsenal in the summer of 2019.

The Scotland international was the first signing of the window and the highest-profile addition to the squad to replace Greg Taylor for Brendan Rodgers.

How Kieran Tierney has performed for Celtic

Expectations were, understandably, high for the left-footed star after what he achieved during his first spell at the club, and the fact that he has played in the Premier League and LaLiga over the past six years.

The 28-year-old full-back has not had a perfect start, losing 100% of his ground duels in the second leg against Kairat for example, but that should have been expected given his injury issues in recent years.

Tierney missed 45 matches through injuries in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns combined, per Transfermarkt, but he has still shown glimpses of the quality that he can provide, with an excellent assist against Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership.

Whilst it has been exciting to see such a high-profile player return to Celtic this season, Tierney is not the most valuable full-back in the squad – Alistair Johnston is.

Celtic have hit the jackpot with Alistair Johnston

Ange Postecoglou signed the Canada international from Montreal for a reported fee of £3.5m in January 2023, and the Australian head coach hit the jackpot for the club with that move.

The impressive right-back, whose work rate was hailed as “phenomenal” by Rodgers, has gone on to play 115 times for the Scottish giants in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, and registered 22 assists.

Johnston did not have a Transfermarkt market value at the time of Tierney’s £25m move to Arsenal in 2019. Now, six years later, the Canadian star is worth even more than the Scotland international.

Celtic’s full-backs’ fluctuating market values

Date

Kieran Tierney

Alistair Johnston

August 2019

£25m move to Arsenal

N/A

July 2020

£24m

£43k

May 2021

£28m

£2m

May 2022

£28m

£2.5m

June 2023

£21m

£6m

March 2024

£10m

£7m

October 2024

£9m

£8m

June 2025

£8m

£9m

Valuations via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old star is worth more than the Scottish defender for the first time in their respective careers, which speaks to his rise and the fall of the left-back.

This also shows that the Hoops hit the jackpot with the right-back because his value has soared from £3.5m to £9m in less than three years, making him a far more valuable asset than he was when they signed him from the MLS.

Johnston, who is currently out injured, has proven himself to be a huge attacking threat from right-back for Celtic, creating 15 ‘big chances’ in 30 league starts last term, per Sofascore.

His superb performances on the pitch for the Scottish giants have led to his market value soaring to the point that he is now worth even more than Tierney, who was once a £25m-rated player.

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Overall, Postecoglou hit the jackpot for Celtic by signing him from Montreal and the club will be hoping that he can continue to deliver on the pitch to increase his value by even more.

A former Liverpool coach says Premier League sides' use of the long throw is currently "too chaotic". Teams such as Arsenal, Liverpool, Brentford and Manchester United have been using this rejuvenated tactic this season as clubs seeks to take it to the opposition. But a long throw-in expert believes the quality of those deliveries have dropped off this term.

Tuchel talks up return of long throws

Earlier this month, England manager Thomas Tuchel declared that long throws are "back" and he sees the tactic as an important weapon in a team's arsenal as the Three Lions try and win the 2026 World Cup.

The former Chelsea boss said: "I told you: the long throw-in is back. But we do not have a lot of time. But once we arrive at the World Cup, all these things matter, so we will also talk about long throw-ins, we will talk about long kicks from the goalkeeper and not only playing short. But we cannot put everything into four days of training. But these things will matter. And let's see. I need to reflect now with my assistant coaches. All these patterns are back and crosses are back as well."

Ex-Bolton Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce was known as a strong proponent of utilising this approach, as was former Stoke City boss Tony Pulis. Like many things, football goes in cycles.

Allardyce told : "We got heavily criticised at the time. But we were ahead of the game, and lots of people, particularly at the bigger clubs, or even the press, were not too complimentary. Corners and free-kicks are extremely important. Long throws must be used. If a player's not comfortable, you don't use it. But if they are, you do. There's more and more set-play coaches than ever before. Arsenal have done very well on that. They've changed slightly this year because everybody's had to spend a lot of time trying to stop them against that particular corner."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThrow-in expert calls out 'ugly' part of football

Thomas Gronnemark, who worked with Liverpool for five years under Jurgen Klopp and has been helping out at Brentford recently, has developed a reputation as a long throw-in expert. Indeed, he used to hold the world record for the longest throw-in at 51.33 metres. But he thinks English sides are using them poorly at present.

He told the: "You can say there are many more long throw-ins in the Premier League. You can say, 'Isn't that good?' No, not necessarily! There are far too many teams taking low-quality long throw-ins. Some of the throw-ins are just not long enough, so they're not dangerous, and sometimes it's about the strategy. 

"To be honest, for most teams, throw-ins are a really ugly part because the quality is so low, the ball is being thrown into high-pressure situations where there are duels. There are too many chaotic throw-ins in the Premier League: the level from Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Newcastle is really low. Possession rates are at around 25 to 33 per cent on throw-ins under pressure. The standard is really low.

"When I was at Liverpool, the quality went up, but it's started to go down again. I think one of the reasons is that they're only training one or two routines in each zone. Yeah, it can work but your players have to learn to think throw-ins."

Brentford the most potent exponents of long throw

The report adds that Brentford have put 23 long throws into an opponent's penalty box this season, resulting in one goal, 11 shots, and an Expected Goals tally of 1.29 – the best in the division. While Gronnemark knows how important this tactic can be, it isn't always a fan's cup of tea.

He added, "It's also about entertainment for the fans. People might think that a guy who coaches long throw-ins wants a lot of them. Actually, I don't. I don't want to see every team take 10 long throw-ins in every game because then we have too much start and stop. People just look at the best teams and say 'they're having real success data-wise, so we'll do the same'. But they are forgetting that there's a lot of work, many years' worth, behind it. You have to do space creation around the opponents' penalty area."

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Getty Images SportCoach calls out Premier League set-piece staff

Gronnemark also believes that more preparation on the training ground needs to happen before long throws are used in games. 

"If you're a world-class throw-in taker, it's much easier to put the ball where you want with a throw-in than with a corner kick. How many corners hit the first man? It's hard to kick with your foot. It's much easier to throw with your hands if you have the right technique," he said.

"There are a lot of set-piece coaches now, and a lot of them treat the throw-in like a corner or a free-kick. So they say 'we can have one or two routines in each zone’' But the challenge is that the opponents' defending pattern will already mark this from the start then the players have a big challenge. Even with the biggest teams in the Premier League, you can see that if they make one move and it doesn't work then the players don’t know what to do – they're getting confused, frustrated because they don't have a high throw-in intelligence."

Chelsea have now received a response after submitting a £43m offer for a defender who’s “as good as Van Dijk and Saliba”, according to a report.

Blues looking to strengthen at centre-back

Although his side were unable to pick up all three points against Crystal Palace on Sunday, Enzo Maresca will be pleased that his side managed to keep a clean sheet, with the centre-back partnership of Josh Acheampong and Trevoh Chalobah holding firm.

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The duo made a combined 17 defensive actions to keep Palace at bay, with both players also showcasing their ability in possession of the ball, averaging pass-completion rates of over 90%.

However, there may be some doubts over whether the Blues’ defence is good enough to mount a serious Premier League title challenge, with Acheampong still only 19-years-old, while Chalobah remains relatively inexperienced at the top level.

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With Levi Colwill also sidelined for the foreseeable future due to an ACL injury, it would make sense to get another centre-back through the door, and an offer has been made for a Serie A defender.

That is according to a report from Gazzetta, which states Chelsea have tabled a €50m (£43m) bid for Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni, which was ‘politely declined’ by the Italian.

The Blues are not the only Premier League club to have expressed an interest in Bastoni, with Newcastle United also coming forward over a potential deal, but the defender remains focused on Inter’s upcoming campaign.

That said, another approach from one of the interested English clubs isn’t ruled out, suggesting that a deal could still be possible later in the window.

Bastoni could be on Van Dijk and Saliba's level

The 26-year-old is held in very high regard by presenter and analyst Nieve Petruzziello, who claimed he was “as good as Van Dijk and Saliba” last season.

The Italy international is also extremely comfortable in possession of the ball, as showcased by his passing and dribbling ability, which has regularly been on display over the course of the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Passes attempted

80.63 (94th percentile)

Progressive passes

5.49 (92nd percentile)

Progressive carries

1.99 (98th percentile)

The Inter star’s passing ability, coupled with the fact he is used to playing in a back three, could make him an ideal addition to Maresca’s squad, given that the Chelsea boss often implements a three-at-the-back system.

As such, it is disappointing the Blues’ opening offer was rejected, but a move later in the window has not been ruled out, and it could be worth submitting an improved bid for the centre-back.

As speculation increases over Alexander Isak’s future, Newcastle United are now reportedly racing to sign a former Manchester City player in a £30m deal this summer.

Alexander Isak asks to leave Newcastle

Having been sent home by Eddie Howe before Newcastle’s pre-season game against Celtic last weekend and then left out of the Magpies’ squad for their Asia tour, Isak now reportedly wants to leave St James’ Park. There was an insistence that the Swede had suffered a thigh injury and that was the reason for his pre-season absence and not anything transfer related, but that has since been revealed to be a smokescreen for his desire to depart.

Newcastle’s biggest fear has been realised and they now face an almighty battle to keep hold of their star man. Liverpool could reportedly come calling if they manage to sell Luis Diaz and their interest in Isak has been an open secret all summer long. Meanwhile, clubs in Saudi Arabia are also reportedly plotting a move.

It would, of course, be quite the twist if another club owned by PIF made their move to sign Isak from Newcastle, but whether such a deal takes place remains to be seen.

Newcastle now set to take key next step in Wissa deal after offer rejected

The Magpies aren’t giving up.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 24, 2025

As for Newcastle, their attention must once again turn towards the transfer market. The Magpies have endured a tumultuous summer – missing out on a number of targets – and must now ensure that they get deals over the line for the likes of Yoane Wissa before potentially replacing Isak.

Newcastle join Adarabioyo race

One way that those in Tyneside could begin to spend any potential Isak money is by improving their backline. According to Caught Offside, Newcastle have now joined the race to sign Tosin Adarabioyo from Chelsea this summer. The defender is valued at just £30m by the Blues and could be on the move amid interest from the Magpies, Crystal Palace, West Ham United, Napoli and AC Milan.

Minutes

1,409

3,330

Progressive Passes P90

2.68

2.03

Tackles Won P90

0.83

0.65

Aerial Duels Won P90

2.68

3.95

Compared to Dan Burn, Adarabioyo would offer Newcastle an instant upgrade in possession. Meanwhile, the former Manchester City gem would also be an impressive alternative to Giorgio Scalvini.

Newcastle are reportedly interested in the Atalanta man, but with a deal yet to take place, the door has seemingly opened for the likes of Adarabioyo this summer.

Initially rising through the ranks at Man City before establishing himself at Fulham then joining Chelsea, Adarabioyo earned impressive praise from Pep Guardiola in the past.

The Spaniard told reporters: “He is fast, strong in the air, and has the quality to look forward behind the line for the next pass. He definitely has a future in the first team.”

Arsenal are about to wrap up some key summer transfer deals, but Mikel Arteta could also see a host of players go the other way.

Gyokeres would love him: Arsenal eyeing up move for £100m "nightmare"

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Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres is about to become an Arsenal player after a month of intense talks with the Primeira Liga champions, finally culminating in Fabrizio Romano dropping his famous ‘here we go’ tagline to the move earlier this week.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£140m

Plans are in place for Gyokeres to undergo his medical in Singapore and link-up with Arteta’s squad for their pre-season tour of Asia (The Independent), after Arsenal agreed a potential £64 million fee for the forward, including add-ons.

Gyokeres and defender Cristhian Mosquera – Arsenal’s two most recent arrivals – could be joined by a central attacking midfielder, which is seen as their next priority.

Arsenal are still reportedly planning to accelerate a move for Eberechi Eze after sealing Gyokeres (Pete O’Rourke), but they may have to start thinking more about outgoings too, in an attempt to balance the books and err on the side of caution with PSR.

Leandro Trossard has emerged as a recent target for Bayern Munich amid their struggles to land Liverpool forward Luis Diaz, according to Bundesliga insider Christian Falk, and sporting director Andrea Berta could be forced to consider a bid given the Belgian’s contract expires next year.

Meanwhile, Fulham are in talks over another loan deal for Reiss Nelson (Dharmesh Sheth), so there are a couple of opportunities for Arteta to trim the squad before deadline day on September 1.

However, one of the few stars they won’t be prepared to sell is mainstay defender William Saliba.

Agent offers William Saliba to Real Madrid with Arsenal unhappy

The France international has been a pivotal member of Arteta’s defence since the beginning of 2022/2023, forming an unbreakable partnership with Gabriel, and this has attracted interest from Real Madrid.

The La Liga heavyweights are continuously linked with a move for Saliba, and they’re believed to view the ex-Saint-Etienne star as a “game-changer” (Fabrizio Romano).

Only an offer of around £100 million would get Arteta’s side thinking, according to Sky Switzerland’s Sacha Tavolieri, but the Gunners are currently in advancing talks to extend Saliba’s deal.

As per a report from Football Transfers this week, Arsenal are close to agreeing a new long-term contract with Saliba, which comes as very good news for Arteta. However, they’re unhappy with the conduct of his agent, who offered the 24-year-old to Xabi Alonso’s side via a phone call.

Saliba’s representative, Djibril Niang, is said to have fuelled rumours of a departure by contacting Real, and they faced similar situations with him when Edu was sporting director.

Heated exchanges between Edu and Niang apparently nearly resulted in the defender’s exit during his loan spell at Marseille, but luckily for Arsenal, Saliba’s potential extension will quash any possibility of a Real move for the summer.

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Connolly earns Australia call-up

Australia players have Sheffield Shield window for India preparation

His heavy white-ball schedule has meant Zampa has played just two first-class games since 2019, both for New South Wales having returned to the state where his career began in 2020 after seven years in South Australia, and only six dating back to 2017.”I think, realistically, [I’m] still a chance to play Test cricket,” he told the podcast. “If I was playing a lot of Shield cricket right now with the way I’m bowling, the bowler I am, think I’d be fine, I’d be doing really well. The few games I have played in the last couple of years are suggestive of that.”While two spinners in home Tests is rare, Australia have a two-Test series in Sri Lanka early next year on which they will take a variety of spin-bowling options to support Nathan Lyon. The upcoming summer schedule also potentially provides Zampa a rare window for some Sheffield Shield cricket either side of Pakistan’s visit in November for ODIs and T20Is.However, Australia’s selectors have previously indicated that Sheffield Shield performances are not the only criteria when selecting for subcontinent tours – Glenn Maxwell is also in the frame for the Sri Lanka trip – and these days Zampa, whose first-class average is an unflattering 46.98, is comfortable that is game could adapt.Adam Zampa has become one of Australia’s greatest white-ball bowlers•ICC/Getty Images”Even if I do get picked in the upcoming subcontinent tours, people will say, well his record is averaging 46 with the ball, it’s not good enough, people will say that I’m sure, but if I do get picked I’ll know that the way I feel like I’m bowling, it’ll be fine,” he said.Whether or not Zampa’s international future includes Test cricket, he has been clear that he will prioritise Australia duty over the franchise scene particularly after the high of the 2023 ODI World Cup success. He withdrew from both the IPL and MLC this year and confirmed he had signed a two-year central contract deal with Cricket Australia.He is currently playing in the Hundred for Oval Invincibles, where he is the joint-leading wicket-taker in the tournament, which he said fits his lifestyle and the calendar this season with Australia touring the UK in September, but added that he does not want to spend extensive periods away from home outside of international cricket.”I was lucky to…be part of a winning World Cup team,” he said. “Looking forward, the franchise thing isn’t for me. I want to keep playing for Australia as long as I can, the feeling of success in that team is something I want more of. I’m lucky enough to have signed a two-year with Australia and it’s on the basis of wanting to play every game for Australia. It meant I had to make some decisions around franchise cricket.”Zampa, who is the only Australia men’s bowler with over 100 T20I wickets, will next be in action for Australia against Scotland in three T20Is early next month before three more against England followed by five ODIs.

Celtic are looking to improve their options in the wide areas during the summer transfer window ahead of the 2025/26 campaign getting underway.

The Hoops are already closing in on their first addition on the flanks, as reporter Anthony Joseph has claimed that the club have agreed a fee of £1.7m to sign FC Nordsjaelland attacker Benjamin Nygren.

The Sweden international, who scored 15 goals in 30 league matches for the Danish club this season, is set to arrive to compete for a place on the right wing, but the club are also looking at a left-sided addition.

Journalist Sacha Tavolieri has claimed that talks are ongoing between Celtic and Michel-Ange Balikwisha over a potential move from Belgian side Royal Antwerp.

The Belgian reporter added that the 24-year-old winger is keen to make the move to Parkhead this summer, but it remains to be seen whether or not terms will be agreed between all parties to make it happen.

Celtic are looking to bring in a new left-winger after Jota suffered a long-term knee injury in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign, and there are reasons for and against a move for Balikwisha.

The Celtic case for Michel-Ange Balikwisha

One of the reasons why Celtic may want to sign the Belgian forward is because he has the potential to deliver quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals at the top end of the pitch.

The right-footed flanker has produced 29 goals and 17 assists in 141 appearances in all competitions for Royal Antwerp to date, which includes four goals and three assists in ten games during the Pro League play-off round this season.

Balikwisha has shown that he has the potential to make a big impact in the final third at a good level in Belgium’s top-flight, which is why Celtic may feel that he could hit the ground running in Scotland.

At the age of 24, the Belgian forward is also at a good age where he still has time to develop and improve, but is not inexperienced, which could make him an ideal signing.

24/25

3

205

29

23/24

1

49

10

22/23

2

103

14

21/22

2

51

10

As you can see in the table above, though, there are also reasons to be concerned about a potential deal for the winger, as he has missed 63 matches through injury in the last four seasons combined, and this means that the attacker may not be available week-in-week-out.

Balikwisha has also only played more than 17 games in one role, as a left winger, in his career, which does not suggest that he is supremely versatile across the frontline.

Transfer Focus

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

Celtic could, however, land an even better winger signing this summer by moving for Blackburn Rovers dynamo Tyrhys Dolan over a swoop for Balikwisha.

Why Celtic should sign Tyrhys Dolan

The Hoops are reportedly in the running to land the 23-year-old attacker on a free transfer, as his contract at Ewood Park is due to expire at the end of this month.

This means that he would be significantly cheaper than Balikwisha, who has a reported price tag of £5m, and that would allow the Scottish Premiership champions to save money to spend in other areas of the pitch.

Not only would Dolan be a cheaper alternative, the English forward would also arrive as a player who is more likely to be a reliable option for Brendan Rodgers from a fitness perspective, as he has not suffered any notable injuries in his career, as per Transfermarkt.

The 23-year-old ace, who has racked up 210 appearances for Blackburn already, is durable and can be relied upon to be available most weeks as Celtic compete across four competitions, as he has been used to 46-game seasons in the Championship.

Dolan, once hailed as “outstanding” by manager John Eustace, also has the positional flexibility to make him a useful option even when Jota is back fit. He has played 25 games or more in four different positions throughout his career, and is capable of playing on the right or left flank, as an attacking midfielder, and as a centre-forward.

This suggests that he is more likely to be a viable option in other positions than Balikwisha, who is predominantly a left-winger, would be, which is another reason why he could be a more valuable signing for Rodgers moving forward.

Goals

0.17

Top 45%

Shot on target percentage

44%

Top 11%

Non-penalty xG per shot

0.13

Top 22%

Goals per shot

0.12

Top 33%

Goal creating actions

0.48

Top 11%

Defensive actions leading to goal

0.06

Top 2%

Assists

0.17

Top 37%

As you can see in the table above, Dolan also caught the eye with his contributions at the top end of the pitch in the second tier of English football, ranking highly in a host of key attacking metrics.

He ended the campaign with a return of seven goals, seven ‘big chances’ created, and six assists, compared to Balikwisha’s haul of four goals, seven ‘big chances’ created, and three assists.

These statistics, with both his goal and assist numbers as well as his underlying data, suggest that the potential is there for the potential free agent signing to deliver quality as a scorer and a creator of goals for Celtic.

Overall, Dolan would be a better signing for the Scottish giants than Balikwisha because he would arrive at Parkehad for less money, offer more reliability with his fitness, offer more versatility with the positions that he can play, and offer a similar threat in front of goal.

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It is now down to Rodgers to push the board to strike an agreement with Dolan to bring him in on a free transfer instead of pursuing a big-money deal for Balikwisha this summer.