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Virat Kohli, meanwhile, heaped praise on RCB legspinner Karn Sharma and tagged his stand with Faf du Plessis “the perfect start”

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-20232:22

Moody: ‘There are too many holes in the Mumbai team’

On a night when Mumbai Indians were in danger for a long time of being brushed aside with all of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s wickets intact, Rohit Sharma had to field the inevitable question around the hole losing Jasprit Bumrah leaves in his side.Mumbai can’t dwell on that, Rohit insisted. “For the past six to eight months, I am used to playing without Jasprit Bumrah [for India too],” he said after the loss. “Of course, this is a different set-up. Someone needs to put their hand up and come in to fill that place. We can’t keep dwelling on it. You can try and control the things that are in your control and those that are not in your control, you can’t do that. Injuries are not in your control.”The other guys that we have are talented. It’s just that they haven’t played a lot of IPL. We need to give them the support.”Defending 171, each of Mumbai’s bowlers – save for experienced legspinner Piyush Chawla whose four overs went for only 26 – had an economy rate in excess of eight. Their 11.2 overs of fast bowling – which included the likes of Jofra Archer, Cameron Green and Jason Behrendorff – went at a rate of 11.29 runs per over and that more than nullified the control Chawla had. It meant Mumbai lost their opening match by eight wickets with a whopping 22 balls remaining.On the night, it was not just their bowling that let five-time champions Mumbai down. They had crumbled to 48 for 4 in the ninth over after being asked to bat and could get past 170 only because of rookie Tilak Varma’s partnerships with Nehal Wadhera and Arshad Khan – both of whom were on T20 debuts. Varma added 50 with Wadhera for the fifth wicket before combining with Arshad to add an unbroken 48 in 17 balls, and in the process he stayed unbeaten on 84 off 46 balls. Rohit heaped praise on the youngster for “showing courage and being brave” in the middle.Related

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“He is a very positive person, quite talented as well,” Rohit said. “Some of the shots he played, in the first game of the season, he showed a lot of courage. That is something we spoke of – we want to be brave and courageous in the middle. We didn’t start well, and it was always a catching up game. Hats off to Tilak to get us to a competitive total.”It was a good pitch to bat on. We didn’t bat to even half of our potential and yet got to 170. Probably 30-40 runs more would have been ideal. We were struggling to play the catch-up game but Tilak was magnificent.”Kohli: ‘Me and Faf got off to the perfect start’Mumbai had the momentum after a strong finish with the bat and would have been hopeful of ending their streak of starting an IPL season with a loss, one that has been going on since 2013. But Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis added 148 for the opening wicket to quash any hope Mumbai had of disappointing a sold-out Chinnaswamy Stadium. Later, Kohli said that the “phenomenal win” capped off a near-perfect homecoming for them.”I thought with the new ball it [the pitch] was a bit tricky [to bat on],” Kohli said. “But because we took them [their bowlers] down with the new ball, that’s where we shifted the momentum completely towards us. How they batted in the last two overs, it could have been tricky to walk out without intent. The way we both started nullified the intensity that they were going to bring onto the field.Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli started strongly for Royal Challengers Bangalore•BCCI

“Me and Faf got off to the perfect start. We kept going, kept backing ourselves. Faf went first and then I joined later. So, it was a very comprehensive win and we wanted to win with balls to spare so that it could benefit our net run rate a little bit.”Despite being part of the Royal Challengers squad, legspinner Karn Sharma did not get a game last season. On Sunday, though, he picked up a couple of crucial middle-order wickets to puncture Mumbai’s recovery. After being hit for two sixes by Wadhera, Karn tossed another one up to have him hole out before getting one past hard-hitter Tim David to bowl him.”When he got the left-hander out after getting hit for two sixes, that’s brave bowling,” Kohli said of Karn. “That comes from a lot of repetition of bowling in the right spot. He’s had a good domestic season. He was bowling so well for us last year, unfortunately he couldn’t get a game. He was ready to play, even in the nets here he wasn’t getting hit for sixes in the nets easily.”[He is] very confident with the skillsets and his spell in the middle was very crucial. He got a couple of big wickets and put us on the front foot in the middle phase.”

Cummins admits he was ‘not surprised’ as former captains criticise overtly attacking move

Matt Roller20-Jun-2023

Ben Stokes wasn’t all down and out after a close loss•PA Photos/Getty Images

Ben Stokes defended his decision to declare England’s first innings at 393 for 8 after their two-wicket defeat to Australia in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.Joe Root was unbeaten on 118 and, along with Ollie Robinson, had just taken 20 runs off a single Nathan Lyon over when Stokes called his batters in on the first evening, leaving England 20 minutes to bowl against Australia’s openers.Robinson and Stuart Broad bowled two overs each, which Usman Khawaja and David Warner survived to finish the opening day on 14 for 0, with Khawaja going on to make 141 in the first innings.Stokes’ decision came under scrutiny in the media, with former England captains lining up to say they would not have declared in the same circumstances. And in the context of England’s narrow defeat late on the final evening, his declaration was questioned again.Speaking on the BBC’s Test Match Special, former England captain Michael Vaughan said he would “guarantee” that Stokes would not make the same declaration in the second Test if the circumstances arose.Related

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“Those 30 or 40 runs…” Vaughan said. “If you’d have asked Ben Stokes this morning, ‘Would you have liked Joe to have got another 30 on that day one, you’ve now got them in the bank?’ Of course [he would].”I will guarantee at Lord’s, if they bat first and they’re 393 for 8 with 20 minutes to go, I will guarantee that they’ll carry on batting… not with Joe Root 118 not out.”But at his press conference, Stokes said: “If we were in the same position? Yeah. I would like to be 398 for 6 [sic] with 20 minutes left. That would be great.”I could also turn it around and say, ‘if we didn’t declare, would we have got the excitement that we did at the end of day five?’ I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I’m not going to be looking back on this game as ‘what ifs’… the reality is, we just didn’t manage to get over the line.”Australia’s captain Pat Cummins, who hit the winning runs and took four second-innings wickets in leading Australia to victory, said he would “probably not” have declared in the same circumstances.”I wasn’t overly surprised,” Cummins said, “But the wicket felt pretty good, so I thought every run was pretty much needed in that first innings.”Stokes explained that he had sensed “an opportunity to pounce” on Khawaja and Warner, and that he would not alter his bold captaincy style simply because of the opposition and the nature of Ashes series.”I thought that was a time to pounce,” Stokes said at the presentation. “I am not going to change the way I have gone about my cricket because it is the Ashes.”Who knows? We could have got an extra 40 runs or lost two wickets in two balls. I am not a captain who gets by on what ifs.”We saw it as an opportunity to pounce on Australia and really start day two on top.”

Says Royals tweaked their squad this season with a view to getting the most out of “extreme talent” Parag

PTI02-Apr-2024

Riyan Parag scored useful runs for his side once again•Associated Press

Rajasthan Royals assistant coach Shane Bond has described the in-form Riyan Parag as a player of “extreme talent”, likening him to a young Suryakumar Yadav.The 22-year-old Parag has brought his rich form in domestic cricket into the IPL, striking two high quality fifties to help Rajasthan notch up three wins in three so far, the latest being against Mumbai Indians on Monday night.”He sort of reminds me a little bit of Surya [Suryakumar], who came to Mumbai a few years ago,” Bond, who is also RR’s bowling coach, said at the post-match press conference. “He looks like that – he has got extreme talent. He has just matured as a cricketer, even though he is only 22.”Related

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Bond shifted to Royals’ staff this year, after a nine-year stint with Mumbai. He said Royals had set up their line-up this year to get more out of Parag. “He has had an outstanding domestic season, obviously, batting up the order. The trade we made with Devdutt [Padikkal], bringing Avesh [Khan] in, that was to put Riyan up into a position which was probably better suited.”Bond said it was unfair to judge Parag on previous seasons, when he had to play the role of finisher at such a young age. “Riyan started so young, you forget that he was 17 or something, playing in one of the toughest spots in a batting line-up: No. 6. You look at the characters who finish games around the IPL, they are generally pretty experienced guys. The Tim Davids, the David Millers… these are high-quality players who play international cricket. Riyan had been tasked with that for a number of years. He is still a very young man, but he has got this wealth of experience behind him now.”We are getting the best of him. The investment that RR have made of him, it’s starting to reap the rewards. It is pretty exciting what he could offer for the rest of the season for us.”Bond also agreed that the “selfless” Yuzvendra Chahal, who produced a spell of 4-0-11-3 to set up Royals’ win on Monday, could be back in the reckoning for India if he continues to deliver. For now though, he said it was best for Chahal – or any other player – to focus on the IPL and not look to far ahead.”The competition is pretty tough, so one of the real challenges for any bowler coming into this tournament is to forget that there is a [T20] World Cup [coming up], and you start bowling to get into the World Cup team.”If your [IPL] team is successful, you are in a winning team, selections and rewards come from that. That has more of been our focus, to forget about all that other noise from the outside and just work really hard for each other.”If we do that, I have got no doubt people are going to start talking, like you [the journalist asking the question] are now, about Chahal and whether he will feature in the World Cup or not. He is bowling beautifully.”

Leeds United is currently the home to various talents who have made their names across Europe before moving to Elland Road over the last couple of seasons.

Brenden Aaronson is just one player who cost big money to secure a move for his signature, costing a fee in the region of £25m during their final season in the Premier League back in 2022/23.

The American has so far failed to demonstrate why the hierarchy forked out such a hefty fee for his signature, struggling to make a real impact under Daniel Farke in recent weeks.

Whilst he scored the opener against Swansea City last weekend, it was only his second goal contribution of the calendar year, struggling to produce any tangible results in their hunt for Championship promotion.

He’s since been unable to match the levels produced by one player who starred in Yorkshire after his own transfer from the Swans multiple years ago.

Pablo Hernandez’s stats for Leeds United

Over the years, Leeds has been the home to countless icons, with Pablo Hernandez undoubtedly cementing himself as a modern-day hero for his heroics at Elland Road.

The Spaniard originally moved on loan from Swansea back in 2016/17, before joining permanently in the January of that campaign after impressing in the first half of the season.

Such a move would be the springboard for his success with the Whites, with Hernandez going on to register 36 goals and 41 assists from 175 outings, helping the club lift the Championship title at the close of the 2019/20 campaign.

He was a pivotal part of Marcelo Bielsa’s side that season, remaining a key member of the squad the following year as the club ended their long wait for Premier League football.

Whilst he left the club back in 2021, current boss Farke already has his own version of the fan-favourite, playing a vital role in their own ambitions of returning to the top flight.

The player who’s become Farke’s own Hernandez at Leeds

The plethora of attacking talent on the books at Leeds has contributed to their phenomenal attacking record, which has seen them score 78 times in the league this season – by far the highest tally in the division.

Joel Piroe has been central to such a record, netting 15 league goals to date, a tally which is the highest within the current first-team squad – producing key goals at various moments.

The Dutchman arrived in a £10m deal from Swansea back in the summer of 2023, following in Hernandez’s footsteps in joining from the Welsh outfit and having an immediate impact in Yorkshire.

The similarities to Hernandez continue, with the 25-year-old also able to feature in the number ten role, as seen in certain matches this season, with the “superb” star, as dubbed by one analyst, key to the club’s recent success.

During his final Championship campaign in Yorkshire, the Spaniard notched a total of 18 combined goals and assists back in 2019/20 – cementing himself as a key member of Bielsa’s squad.

Piroe has already registered a combined 21 contributions with seven matches remaining this campaign, with any hope of securing promotion potentially down to whether he can continue to produce the goods in the final third.

Combined goals & assists from Leeds attackers in the Championship (2024/25)

Player

Tally

Joel Piroe

21

Daniel James

19

Manor Solomon

14

Brenden Aaronson

11

Wilfried Gnonto

11

Mateo Joseph

6

Largie Ramazani

6

Stats via FotMob

He’s been subject to criticism in recent times, but it’s safe to say the club wouldn’t be in this current position without his goals, certainly playing a key role in their promotion ambitions.

Whilst it’s unclear whether he will be able to cut it in the Premier League, Piroe has a huge job to catapult the side into the top flight between now and the end of the season.

His goals could provide the difference over the next couple of weeks, with the Dutchman able to cement his place in the Whites’ history books should he produce the goods and fire them back to England’s top-division.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Apr 1, 2025

Wrexham are one of a host of EFL clubs interested in signing an “excellent” international player in the summer transfer window, according to a new claim.

Wrexham facing huge period in promotion battle

Phil Parkinson’s side find themselves right in the League One promotion mix heading into the final weeks of the season, as they look to make it an incredible three promotions in a row.

Wrexham have six games remaining in the league in 2024/25, and while they currently sit in second place behind runaway leaders Birmingham City, they only have a three-point advantage over third-place Wycombe Wanderers, who have a game in hand.

Next up for Parkinson’s men is the visit of Burton Albion on Saturday lunchtime, with their opponents languishing in 21st place and desperately battling to remain in League One for another season. A home win is a must, with Wycombe facing a trickier trip to Reading.

New signings will be needed for Wrexham this summer regardless of what league they are playing in next term, and a proven top-level player has now been linked with a move to The Racecourse Ground.

Wrexham want "excellent" Wales and Rangers star Tom Lawrence

According to an update from The Daily Mail, Wrexham are interested in signing Rangers midfielder Tom Lawrence on a free transfer this summer, with the 31-year-old born there before moving to Manchester United as an eight-year-old.

The League One outfit are far from alone in expressing a willingness to snap him up, however, with the likes of West Brom, Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers all mentioned, among others.

Lawrence would be an ambitious addition for Wrexham this summer, especially if they can get him for free, with his current Rangers deal expiring at the end of this season. At 31, he isn’t getting any younger, but he is still at a good age to come in and make an impact, having been lauded by David McAllum for his influence on young players at Ibrox.

“Tom was excellent around the group, sharing his experience, and we spoke before the game about that. That’s what some of these games are going to be about, when we get the odd occasion where a player, or two, drops down from the first-team squad to get important minutes.”

Tom Lawrence’s key career stats

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Derby County

185

37

25

Rangers

66

12

7

Ipswich Town

36

11

11

Blackburn Rovers

23

2

3

Yeovil Town

19

2

2

Cardiff City

14

0

1

Carlisle United

11

3

2

Rotherham United

6

1

1

Leicester City

4

0

0

Manchester United

1

0

0

Lawrence is a 23-cap Wales international, scoring three times for his country, so his pedigree is undeniable, and his versatility allows him to shine in central midfield, out wide and also as a centre forward.

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Posts ByStephan Georgiou Oct 8, 2024

The Welshman has huge experience in the EFL too, as well as making a total of 66 appearances for one of Britain’s biggest clubs in Rangers, so the idea of Wrexham signing him is hugely exciting.

Manchester United have made their first move to sign a Premier League goalkeeper to replace Andre Onana.

Man Utd ready to sell Onana amid interest from Saudi Arabia

The Red Devils’ preparations for their Europa League quarter-final first leg 2-2 against Lyon were disrupted by Nemanja Matic’s comments on Onana.

The former United midfielder hit back at Onana’s claims on Man Utd being better than Lyon, saying: “You know, I respect everyone but to say that then you need to give the answer. If you are one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United’s history, you need to take care what you’re talking about.

“If it was [Edwin] Van der Sar, [Peter] Schmeichel or [David] De Gea saying that, then I would question myself. But you need to have cover to say something like that.”

In the 2-2 draw, Onana had an evening to forget, making a late error in stoppage time to allow the Ligue 1 side to level things up ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford.

Onana did hit back at Matic, though, highlighting the fact he’s won trophies in Manchester, unlike the midfielder. “I would never be disrespectful to another club. We know that tomorrow will be a difficult game against a strong opponent.

“We focus on preparing a performance to make our fans proud. At least I’ve lifted trophies with the greatest club in the world. Some can’t say the same.”

However, INEOS appear to be preparing for life without Onana at Old Trafford. Reports have claimed that Man Utd are set to sell Onana, who has interest from Saudi Arabia and is unsettled in England.

The club will therefore need a replacement ahead of Ruben Amorim’s first full season in charge, and they have made a move for one specific target.

Man Utd make contact to sign Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen

According to reports in Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, Man Utd have now made an approach to sign Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.

AC Milan are also keen on Verbruggen to potentially replace Mike Maignan, but it is the Red Devils who have made contact. Verbruggen cost Brighton €20m and it is claimed that the Seagulls would likely want double which would be €40m (£34m).

A Netherlands international, Verbruggen move to England in 2023 from Anderlecht and has seen his Transfermarkt valuation rocket from €10m to a career-high €25m.

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Posts 1 ByDominic Lund Apr 9, 2025

The 22-year-old has made 60 appearances and has kept 15 clean sheets, coming in for praise from Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler earlier this season, who said: “I really enjoy working with him because he is an unbelievable character.

“For his age he is very mature and he sees things very professionally. That is why he is a role model for everything. I think he can play a big part in the future of the club.”

By the looks of things, a move north to Manchester or to Italy with AC Milan could be one to keep an eye on for Verbruggen.

Chelsea are reportedly preparing a bid to sign a new striker target who’s been “surprising” on-lookers with his form this year, as manager Enzo Maresca and Stamford Bridge chiefs begin to make transfer plans for the summer.

Chelsea's rumoured striker targets for the summer window

Nicolas Jackson is still yet to score a single Premier League goal this calendar year, while Christopher Nkunku was left out of the matchday squad entirely for Chelsea’s last game against Fulham.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Apr 22, 2025

Maresca’s shortage of prolific strikers has forced the Italian to get creative in recent weeks, with Pedro Neto even being utilised as a centre-forward in that time. Chelsea’s boss will be very eager to fix this hole in the squad ahead of his second full campaign in charge, and it is believed the west Londoners are eyeing a few top striker targets for next season.

Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Everton (home)

April 26th

Liverpool (home)

May 4th

Newcastle (away)

May 11th

Man United (home)

May 16th

Nottingham Forest (away)

May 25th

According to reliable journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea have the likes of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, Ipswich Town starlet Liam Delap, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitiké and long-term target Victor Osimhen on their radar.

Sesko is a “very serious” potential signing for Chelsea, following another excellent campaign with Leipzig in the Bundesliga, while Delap is likely to be up for grabs this summer after Ipswich’s relegation to the Championship.

The latter’s contract has a £30 million release clause tied with Ipswich’s relegation, so Delap could be a very astute option after his impressive season in an otherwise struggling team at Portman Road.

However, other elite clubs who are on the look-out for number nines will be fully aware of the 22-year-old’s exit clause too, and Sesko’s, which is rumoured to currently stand at around £62 million.

With Arsenal, Man United and Tottenham also in the market for proven forwards, according to reports, the competition will be fierce, so Chelsea may also have to think outside the box when it comes to solving their striker woes.

Chelsea preparing £43m bid for Como star Assane Diao

According to reports out of Spain, it is now claimed that Chelsea are targeting Como’s new striker, Assane Diao.

The Senegal international only just signed for Cesc Fabregas’ side in January, and has enjoyed a rip-roaring first few months of his Serie A career with eight goals from his last 15 top flight matches.

There is now a belief that Chelsea are preparing a £43m summer bid for Diao after being impressed by his excellent form at Como, with the 19-year-old “surprising” critics after a prolific start.

Liverpool have also been linked with a move for Diao, so he’s clearly turning heads in the Premier League, with journalist Antonio Mango also calling the teenage talent “ridiculous” within his first few weeks as a Como player.

Following a campaign full of moments to forget defensively, Manchester United are reportedly prioritising a summer move to sign a central defender who is now a Champions League finalist.

Man Utd's summer wishlist

At risk of sounding like a broken record given how often the Red Devils have been in this exact position in the last decade, Manchester United simply must get this summer right.

The jury is still out on Ruben Amorim, who has had the excuse that these are simply not his players in a system that requires certain profiles to thrive. But that excuse cannot be something to fall back on in the next campaign if the former Sporting Club boss is backed this summer.

If the Manchester United boss is to stand any chance of turning things around in the coming months, then a number of arrivals are needed. And that could yet include the likes of Matheus Cunha and Patrik Schick.

The former would be a particularly impressive signing following an excellent individual campaign at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Single-handedly keeping his side alive at times before Vitor Pereira arrived to turn things around, Cunha is now likely to leave the club this summer courtesy of a reported release clause worth around £63m.

Regarding Manchester United’s interest, recent reports suggest that it is the Red Devils in the driving seat for his signature in what would be a fantastic way to commence a crucial summer.

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Posts ByBrett Worthington May 8, 2025

Whilst Cunha would undoubtedly provide United with an attacking solution, there would still be plenty of work to do at the other end. Alas, that’s something the Red Devils seem to be well aware of, with signing one particular target now reportedly among their top priorities.

Man Utd prioritising Bisseck move

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United are now prioritising a move to sign Yann Bisseck this summer and are already considering a formal proposal to sign the central defender.

A Champions League finalist after playing his part in Inter’s stunning 7-6 aggregate victory over Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals, Bisseck would be an excellent addition to Amorim’s backline. Among all the goals, the defender played his part across two legs in a starting role in both the away leg and then Tuesday’s San Siro thriller.

Dubbed “dominant” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Bisseck’s experience in a back three would also hand Amorim a perfect option as he looks to solve Manchester United’s defensive problems once and for all.

Whether those at Old Trafford can convince a Champions League finalist into a summer switch to a side currently struggling in the depths of the Premier League will be the big question in the coming months, however.

The summer transfer window officially opens for business next month and Celtic have already completed their first signing, although he will not officially join until the start of July.

Kieran Tierney will re-join the Scottish giants in the summer after his contract with Arsenal expires at the end of June, which means that the Scotland international will return on a free transfer.

The former Hoops academy graduate enjoyed a terrific first spell at Parkhead, racking up 37 assists in 170 matches in all competitions before his £25m move to The Emirates in 2019.

This suggests that Brendan Rodgers is set to have a brilliant attacking left-back option at his disposal when the 2025/26 campaign gets underway later this year.

Celtic are also set to be in the market for a player to play ahead of Tierney in the left wing position after it was revealed that Jota could be on the sidelines for up to nine months with a knee injury.

That could put the Hoops on alert for a new winger in the summer transfer window because losing the Portuguese talent to a long-term injury is a big blow.

Why losing Jota is a big blow for Celtic

The Scottish Premiership champions reportedly paid a fee of £8m to bring the attacker back to Parkhead from Rennes in the January transfer window, 18 months after they sold him to Al Ittihad for £25m.

This shows that the Hoops were willing to pay big money to reunite with the exciting winger, and for good reason, after his first spell on the flanks in Glasgow.

As you can see in the graphic above, Jota was an absolute joy to watch during his time in the team under Ange Postecoglou in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns, as he delivered goals and assists on a regular basis, whilst playing on the left and the right wing.

Prior to his recent injury, the former Benfica starlet showed that kind of form again with a return of four goals and two assists in seven starts in the Premiership during the second half of this season.

The Celtic star hit the ground running on his homecoming to Glasgow, despite scoring just one goal for Rennes in the first half of the campaign, and looked set for a strong end to the season after his fast start to life back at the club.

Unfortunately, the Scottish giants will now have to deal without having Jota for the best part of a year, which is a blow because they have lost a star who has proven that he can score and assist goals on a regular basis in Scotland.

Celtic could, however, find a perfect replacement for the Portuguese gem for the start of next season by signing their latest reported transfer target.

Celtic eyeing move for English attacker

According to The Herald, Celtic are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign 23-year-old attacker Tyrhys Dolan from Championship side Blackburn Rovers.

The report claims that the Hoops are monitoring his situation with the English side, as Rodgers seemingly lines up a swoop for the talented forward.

Transfer Focus

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

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Dolan’s current contract at Ewood Park is due to expire at the end of June and this means that the Scottish giants could swoop in to land him for a compensation fee, as he came up through the youth ranks at Blackburn and they would still be entitled to a nominal fee. This is quite remarkable considering the Scottish Sun suggests that he is actually valued around the £10m mark.

The Herald adds, though, that fellow Premiership side Rangers have already made contact with the player to be informed about his situation, which shows that Celtic are not the only side interested in a swoop for the English attacker.

It is now down to the Hoops to win the race for the Championship star’s signature because he could come in as a perfect replacement for Jota for Rodgers.

Why Dolan would be a perfect Jota replacement for Celtic

Like the Portuguese forward, Dolan is a versatile right-footed winger who can play out on the right or on the left flank, which means that he can play down the line as a touchline winger on the right or on the left as an inverted winger who cuts inside to create space for an overlapping full-back.

That could make him an ideal left-winger for Tierney to play with because the English ace could drift infield onto his stronger right foot and drag the right-back, which could provide the Scottish defender with opportunities to deliver crosses in from the space that creates.

This means that the Blackburn star could be the perfect Jota replacement from a stylistic perspective, because of his ability to fulfill the tactical roles that the £8m signing could play for Rodgers.

Of course, Celtic also need a winger who has the quality to provide goals and assists at the top end of the pitch to help them win matches and trophies, and Dolan also has the potential to be that forward as well.

24/25 Championship

Tyrhys Dolan

Appearances

44

Goals

7

Conversion rate

14%

Big chances created

7

Key passes

44

Assists

6

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old star has delivered seven goals and six assists in the Championship this term, which is a respectable, but not outstanding, return.

It is more impressive when you consider that Blackburn rank 16th in the Championship for xG, with 51.7 xG in 46 games, which shows that they are not a front-footed team that consistently creates chances.

Celtic, meanwhile, racked up 84.0 xG in 33 matches before the split. This means that Dolan, who Tony Mowbray once hailed as scoring a “wonderful” goal, would be in a team that creates significantly more chances for their attacking players.

Therefore, the English star could add far more goals and assists to his game by playing in an attacking, dominant, side in Glasgow, which could turn his decent haul of 13 goals and assists into Jota-esque contributions over the course of a Premiership season.

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Therefore, Dolan could be the perfect replacement for the injured Jota as a low-cost signing, given his contract situation, who fits tactically and has the potential to be an excellent operator in the final third.

Tottenham Hotspur are in ongoing talks with a “superstar” player who’s already announced that he’s set to leave his club this summer, with chairman Daniel Levy attempting to reinforce the Spurs squad early doors after an injury-ravaged campaign.

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Statistically, Postecoglou is Spurs’ worst-ever manager of the Premier League era, having recently guided the club to their record number of defeats in a single campaign since the competition’s inception.

Their dismal number of top-flight losses this season now stands at 21, following Spurs’ 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa on Friday, but Postecoglou still has a chance to etch his name into the club’s history books in much more positive fashion on Wednesday.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

Pedro Porro

6.98

James Maddison

6.98

Dominic Solanke

6.85

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

The Lilywhites face-off against fellow strugglers Man United in a blockbuster Bilbao encounter, where Postecoglou could win Spurs their first major trophy in 17 years while simultaneously qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

However, the tactician, akin to the vast majority of this campaign, has been dealt an injury headache going into the final – with Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall all set to miss the Europa League final next week.

Postecoglou was also dealt a major Pape Sarr scare, after the Senegalese went straight down the tunnel following his substitution against Villa through injury.

Even though Postecoglou has since confirmed that he doesn’t think Sarr’s problem is too serious, the series of aforementioned injury blows highlights Tottenham’s need for reinforcements in key areas, as Spurs head into their biggest game of the season with a weakened squad.

Injury absences have debilitated Postecoglou’s options and chances of success throughout 2024/2025, and it’s made the need for Tottenham to strengthen this summer pretty evident.

Tottenham in talks with Lille striker Jonathan David

The trouble for Levy is that credible media sources report Spurs may need to operate on a sell to buy policy, with transfer funds seemingly limited.

That makes world-class free agents, like Lille star Jonathan David, all the more tempting for Tottenham’s recruitment team.

The Canada international has been free-scoring in Ligue 1 since his move there five years ago, racking up strikes in big Champions League games this season against the likes of Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Liverpool.

Earlier this week, David announced that he is set to leave Lille when his contract expires, and this has piqued interest from a host of top sides, including Spurs.

Postecoglou’s side have had some contact with the 25-year-old’s camp leading up to the summer (Graeme Bailey), but as per esteemed French newspaper L’Équipe, Tottenham are in ongoing talks with David over joining them right now.

The north Londoners, despite murmurs of advanced Napoli talks for the Brooklyn native, haven’t given up hope of striking a deal for David, with Spurs, Antonio Conte’s side, Juventus and Aston Villa all in the mix.

While David is technically a free agent, Levy could still end up forking out around £28 million for his signature when factoring in salary, various commission fees and his signing bonus (Sacha Tavolieri). That being said, his impressive goalscoring record still marks the “superstar” out as a serious bargain.