da aviator aposta： Liverpool fell by the wayside under Arne Slot’s wing last season, the Dutch tactician getting the sack as the Anfield side failed to qualify for the Champions League and went without silverware.

da pinnacle： That paragraph is completely, painfully incorrect, but it perhaps conveys the result that rivals had hoped for and expected after Jurgen Klopp packed his bags and left Liverpool at the end of the 2023/24 term.

Liverpool might have lost Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid, but things are going well indeed, with the Reds revelling in the glory of winning the Premier League and now making staggering moves in the transfer market.

FSG are planning for extensive changes this summer, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz is sure to be the cream of the crop, currently in the process of signing for the Merseysiders.

However, Liverpool need new forwards too. Wirtz is technically an attacker, but he’s more of a playmaker, a string puller.

Liverpool looking for new forwards

With Luis Diaz potentially leaving Liverpool this summer, courted by Barcelona and Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, Reds sporting director Richard Hughes may want to turn toward a new wideman.

And if recent reports are to be believed, Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon is one of Liverpool’s top targets to replace their Colombian talent.

Gordon, however, has struggled to recapture his form from 2023/24, and given the Magpies want £80m for his sale, Liverpool might be better off focusing their time and resources elsewhere.

Though the England international’s dynamism and ability to shift across the frontline is something which echoes Diaz, who has played a false nine role at times in Slot’s set-up, there might be another option on the market who can play that Bobby Firmino-esque role.

Though Wirtz would be the obvious pick for such a position, he might actually be placed on the wing during his Liverpool career, for his ball-carrying skills are “out of this world”, according to one data analyst.

Real Madrid star Rodrygo faces an uncertain future at the Santiago Bernabeu, and while Arsenal are interested in striking a deal for the Brazilian, Liverpool have also been credited with an interest last month, holding discussions to ascertain the feasibility of launching an official bid.

But given Los Blancos would be hoping to bank around €100m (£84m) for the 24-year-old’s sale, FSG would need to be certain he’s the man for the job.

Luckily, Rodrygo ticks all the boxes, and could be the perfect fit.

Why Liverpool should sign Rodrygo

Real Madrid signed Rodrygo from Brasileiro Serie A giants Santos in a deal worth €45m (£39m) back in 2019, when the talented young forward turned 18.

He’s been immense in white, praised as a “world-class superstar” by former teammate Luka Modric. Rodrygo perhaps doesn’t get the acclaim teammates like Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham reap, but then he’s often placed on the right flank, which he doesn’t enjoy.

That’s because it inhibits the right-footer’s goalscoring, and given that Mohamed Salah has extended his Liverpool contract by two years, the Brazil star shouldn’t have that problem, instead allowed to play on the left or in the false nine role that Diaz has performed across the past year.

Rodrygo – Real Madrid Stats by Position (24/25)

Position

Apps

Goals

Assists

Right winger

145

34

30

Centre-forward

82

22

8

Left winger

78

23

16

Attacking midfield

4

–

1

Stats via Transfermarkt

It’s not as if he hasn’t played in the centre before, and with such dynamic technical qualities, Rodrygo could become Salah’s new Firmino, ranking as he does among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, as per FBref.

Regarded as a “magician” by Statman Dave, the £202k-per-week talent has a similar silkiness to his compatriot, who in his Liverpool pomp was one of the most elegant and influential forwards in the business.

Excitingly, Rodrygo is also a superior finisher to Firmino, evidenced by his missing just one big chance in La Liga this season, converting six big chances, as per Sofascore.

Moreover, he’s one of the definitive big-game players of his generation, as evidenced by his immense record in the Champions League knockout rounds.

As Liverpool look to clinch number seven in the coming years, Rodrygo’s profile would be doubly important. You’d have to say, his record and indeed future potential suggest Liverpool would be better off moving for him than pushing ahead with a move for Newcastle’s Gordon.

With Salah likely entering the penultimate year of his legendary Liverpool career, finding the right formula to win the Champions League is going to be crucial for the Egyptian, who would certainly relish the opportunity to play alongside a seasoned continental star like Rodrygo.

And further to the point, Rodrygo’s finishing could find the perfect battery power in Salah, who stormed his way toward the Premier League Playmaker award this season, scoring 34 goals from 52 matches in all competitions but also laying on 23 assists.

Two years ago, Salah declared his departing Brazilian peer would be remembered as one of “the best players to ever play for Liverpool”, and now he could find a new incarnation of Bobby Dazzler in Rodrygo.

Only a few months ago, in March, Jude Bellingham claimed Rodrygo is “the most gifted player in the squad.”

It’s clear that Rodrygo isn’t drawing the praise he perhaps deserves, and if Liverpool were to make their move, he could become a bona fide superstar in the Premier League, acting as the connective force in the frontline to elevate Salah and combine with Wirtz.

Rodrygo, for sure, could emulate his iconic countryman Firmino and become a staple of the incipient era at Anfield.

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da esoccer bet： Celtic got their second Fabrizio Romano ‘here we go!’ of the summer transfer window when he provided the latest on their pursuit of Benjamin Nygren on Saturday night.

da stake casino： The Italian journalist has confirmed that the Scottish Premiership champions are on the verge of completing a deal to sign the Sweden international to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

Nygren is set to sign for the club on a five-year contract and will link up with his new teammates in pre-season in the coming weeks, ahead of competing for a place on the right wing next season.

The 23-year-old talent scored 15 goals in 30 appearances in the Superliga during the 2024/25 campaign, which suggests that the Hoops have landed a bargain with the fee that Romano has reported.

That is because Nygren’s contract with FC Nordsjælland was due to expire at the end of this year, forcing the Danish side to cash in before they lost him for nothing in January.

Whilst this looks set to be a shrewd piece of business, Celtic have shown that they are willing to push the boat out for signings, as shown by their move for Arne Engels last year.

Celtic hit the jackpot with Arne Engels

The Hoops smashed their transfer record to sign the Belgium international from Bundesliga outfit Augsburg in the summer of 2024 for a reported fee of £11m.

It overtook the previous record of £9m that was paid to sign Odsonne Edouard on a permanent deal from Paris Saint-Germain. It showed that the board were ready to seriously back Brendan Rodgers in the transfer market.

Given the money involved in the move, signing Engels for a fee of £11m was a gamble by the Scottish giants, but it is one that paid off big time for them.

24/25 Champions League

Arne Engels per 90

Percentile rank vs midfielders

xAG

0.25

Top 7%

Assists

0.37

Top 6%

Shot-creating actions

3.11

Top 29%

Key passes

2.24

Top 6%

Percentage of dribblers tackled

71.4%

Top 9%

Tackles made

2.49

Top 28%

Passes blocked

1.12

Top 27%

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, the Belgian maestro provided plenty of quality in the Champions League, as he ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of key creative and defensive metrics.

Engels also ended the season with a haul of ten goals and 13 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions from a central midfield position, which shows that he has been a big threat for the Hoops as both scorer and a creator of goals.

Celtic hit the jackpot with the midfielder because he hit the ground running at Parkhead to become an instant star, and they could repeat that trick with another record purchase this summer.

Celtic learn asking price for Sondre Orjasaeter

According to Norwegian outlet TV Sport 2, as relayed by the Glasgow Times, Celtic will have to splash out a fee of £11m to sign Sondre Orjasaeter from Sarpsborg before the end of the summer transfer window.

This means that they would have to make him their joint-record signing alongside Engels by splashing out a fee that they have never paid more than for any other player.

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The report, however, adds that Dutch giants PSV are currently leading the race to sign the Norway U21 international, and that French side Lille are also eyeing him up, which means that there is plenty of competition for his signature.

It was reported earlier this month that the Hoops had opened talks with Sarpsborg to sign Orjasaeter to bolster their options on the left flank, but there has been no further update on those discussions to date.

They now know that a record fee of £11m will be required to get a deal over the line in the coming weeks, and they could repeat their Engels masterclass by going through with a move.

Why Sondre Orjasaeter could be Arne Engels 2.0

As aforementioned, Celtic have hit the jackpot with the Belgian star because he immediately became a key performer in the middle of the park for Rodgers.

At the age of 21, Engels is also still a young player with plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve, and could yet be sold for a profit in the future.

Orjasaeter is a 21-year-old talent with similar potential, based on his performances for Sarpsborg. He has shown that the quality is there for him to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch, particularly as a creator.

It was confirmed in May that Jota is set to be out for up to nine months with a knee injury, which means that the left-wing spot where the Norwegian star operates is set to be vacant at the start of the 2025/26 campaign.

Sondre Orjasaeter (Eliteserien)

2024

2025

Appearances

28

7

Goals

5

1

Big chances missed

5

2

Big chances created

12

7

Key passes per game

1.9

2.0

Assists

5

2

Dribbles completed per game

2.4

2.7

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Orjasaeter is a player with the quality to fill the hole that has been left by Jota’s injury, as he has been in impressive form for Sarpsborg since the start of the 2024 campaign.

The 21-year-old star, who was described as a “playmaker” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has created 19 ‘big chances’ in his last 35 Eliteserien matches, which shows that the wing wizard is an incredibly creative forward.

For reference, Alistair Johnston’s haul of 15 ‘big chances’ created was the most of any Celtic player in the club’s 38-game Premiership season, suggesting that Orjasaeter could be a standout creative threat for Rodgers next term and beyond.

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That suggests that the potential is there for the Norwegian star to be an Engels repeat for the Hoops as a record £11m signing who could instantly become a key player for the club, whilst still having plenty of years left ahead to develop and improve.

da roleta： Manchester United have now made contact with the agents of a £34m star, who’s “the best in his role in the world”, journalist Orazio Accomando has revealed.

Man Utd lacking cutting edge in attack

da brwin： Man United’s 2024-25 campaign was one of their worst in modern history, but they still managed to create 400 chances in the Premier League, the sixth-highest total in the top flight.

Those figures suggest that a lack of cutting edge in attack is the real issue, with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee scoring just seven goals between them, so it is little wonder the Red Devils are now stepping up their pursuit of a new striker.

However, Ruben Amorim may also be keen to relieve the burden of creating chances which currently rests on Bruno Fernandes, with the Portugal international directly involved in just under half of the 44 Premier League goals United scored last season.

As such, an approach has now been made for a new creative midfielder, with Accomando taking to X to reveal Man United have now made contact with the agents of Inter Milan star Hakan Çalhanoğlu, who is looking to leave the Italian club this summer.

The maestro is eager to return to his home country and sign for Galatasaray, but the Turkish champions are unable to offer more than €15m (£13m), with Inter looking to hold out for a figure close to €40m (£34m).

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Fulham have also made contact over a deal for Çalhanoğlu, and if a bidding war breaks out, Galatasaray could find it very difficult to get a deal over the line.

Çalhanoğlu impressing in Serie A for Inter Milan

The 31-year-old has been a regular source of goals and assists for Inter over a number of years, picking up 70 goal contributions in 182 appearances for the Italian club, indicating he could provide support to Fernandes in attack.

However, the Inter and Turkey star has most commonly featured in a deep-lying playmaker role, where he has flourished, according to Turkey manager Vincenzo Montella, who said: “Hakan has been the best in his role in the world in recent years.”

The 2025 Champions League finalist is in doubt over his ability, having also ranked himself alongside some of the world’s best midfielders, saying: “I’m not far from De Bruyne or Modric. Maybe in this period, those who play in the Premier League have more visibility.”

Having never played in the Premier League before, a move to Old Trafford would provide Çalhanoğlu with the opportunity to prove himself as one of the best in the world, although United should be cautious about paying £34m for a 31-year-old.

da pinup bet： Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy and his plans for the summer window have taken another turn, with the Spurs chief attempting to back new manager Thomas Frank ahead of his debut season in the dugout.

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da 888casino： Spurs kickstarted their recruitment drive with a £30 million permanent deal for Mathys Tel, and followed that up by agreeing a J League record £5 million deal for promising Kawasaki Frontale defender Kota Takai.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

The plan for Takai, according to reliable journalist Alasdair Gold, is for him to compete for a place in the senior matchday squad, and Tottenham are apparently hopeful that he can replicate the likes of Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr as young players who’ve staked their claim in the starting eleven.

Frontale have now confirmed the 20-year-old’s exit, with Takai looking set to become a new Spurs player after July 5, even if they didn’t explicitly mention Tottenham.

“We would like to inform you that Kota Takai will be leaving the team at the end of the activity on Saturday, July 5, in order to complete the necessary procedures and preparations for a transfer to an overseas club,” read a club statement.

“We will notify you further regarding future plans as soon as they are officially decided.

“After the match against Kashima Antlers in the 23rd round of the J1 League on Saturday, July 5, Kota Takai will be giving a speech to the supporters. In addition, Takai will not be participating in the Fan Appreciation Day on Sunday, July 6.”

According to recent reports, Takai could well be followed by West Ham United winger Mohammed Kudus, if all goes to plan.

Fabrizio Romano says that talks are underway between all parties for the Ghana international, and he’s apparently open to making the switch across London.

Now, GiveMeSport have shared an intriguing update on the matter.

Daniel Levy holds talks with David Sullivan over signing Mohammed Kudus

GMS report that Levy has personally held talks with West Ham chairman David Sullivan over the signing of Kudus.

Levy apparently contacted his Hammers counterpart to discuss a deal for the ex-Ajax sensation, with Tottenham starting negotiations at £50 million for Kudus as they attempt to seal a quick deal ahead of rival suitors.

Spurs are wary of the competition for Kudus and have decided to move early for him. The 24-year-old, meanwhile, is actively seeking an exit from the London Stadium, but as things stand, West Ham are insistent that any offer made up to this point is unacceptable.

The Lilywhites will need to meet their capital rivals in the middle, even if West Ham are under some pressure to sell so they can begin their own summer transfer plans.

Kudus endured a mixed 2024/2025 when compared to his electric debut campaign in east London, but teammate Aaron Cresswell has perhaps already explained exactly why Tottenham are very keen.

“I’ve just trained with him and you don’t want to go anywhere near him,” Cresswell told the Iron Cast.

“I’m up against him all the time and I’m like: ‘Mo, go on over to the left!’

“He’s a top, top talent and I think we haven’t seen the best of him yet. I won’t go near him in training because I know if I’m going to try to knock him off the ball, I had better make sure he’s not looking and doesn’t see me coming.

“You just can’t get near him. He’s so strong, so quick, so sharp.”

da jogodeouro： There are no prizes for guessing what Celtic’s priority in the transfer window is likely to be in the coming days or weeks, as they look to add more quality to Brendan Rodgers’ squad.

da poker： The Hoops have already snapped up Ross Doohan, Kieran Tierney, Callum Osmand, Hayato Inamura, and Benjamin Nygren to bolster their options across the pitch.

However, Celtic are not done there and they are set to be in the market to add another winger to their squad, as they are about to lose one of their star forwards.

Nicolas Kuhn is reportedly set to undergo a medical with Como either today or on Tuesday ahead of a £17m switch from the Scottish giants this week.

The German forward’s exit will come as a blow for Rodgers, given what he produced in the 2024/25 campaign, but it also represents a masterclass by the club.

Celtic have played a masterclass with Nicolas Kuhn

The Scottish Premiership champions hit the jackpot when they swooped to sign the left-footed attacker from Rapid Vienna for a reported fee of £3m at the start of 2024.

Kuhn had a relatively slow start to life in Glasgow, with a return of two goals and two assists in 14 league games in the second half of that season, but his first six months in Scotland helped him to adjust to the country and the league.

That experience helped him to then hit the ground running in the 2024/25 campaign, as the 25-year-old star went on to become a key player for Rodgers.

The German attacker, who came through the youth set-ups at Leipzig and Bayern Munich, ended the season with a haul of 21 goals and 15 assists in 51 matches for the Hoops, which shows that he made a big impact in the final third for Celtic.

24/25 Premiership

Nicolas Kuhn per 90

Percentile rank vs wingers

xG

0.46

Top 10%

Goals

0.62

Top 8%

Shots on target

1.30

Top 14%

xA

0.34

Top 10%

Assists

0.43

Top 10%

Chances created

2.49

Top 12%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Kuhn ranked very highly among his positional peers in a host of key attacking metrics, which further illustrates the impact that he had on the team, particularly in the Premiership.

Celtic hit the jackpot with Kuhn because they turned a £3m signing into a Premiership superstar and are now set to make a £14m profit on him within 18 months.

Celtic eyeing deal for new winger

The Scottish giants could be on course to repeat the masterclass that they played with Nicolas Kuhn, as they are eyeing up a player from his former club.

Transfer Focus

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According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic have identified Rapid Vienna winger Isak Jansson as a potential replacement for Kuhn, as a player who can play on either side of the pitch.

The report claims that the Swedish forward is one of a number of attackers on the club’s radar as they look to add more quality to their frontline, amid the German’s proposed move to Como.

It adds that the 23-year-old dynamo, who was signed by Rapid Vienna to replace Kuhn, is valued at a fee of around £3m by the Austrian Bundesliga outfit.

However, it currently remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops are prepared to accelerate their pursuit of the right-footed star by offering that kind of fee for his services.

Why Jansson could be Kuhn 2.0

Despite being a right-footed winger who predominantly plays on the left flank, there are a lot of similarities between a potential deal for Jansson and the deal they completed for Kuhn in 2024.

For starters, a fee of £3m would be the exact same figure that they paid Rapid Vienna for the German sensation, which would leave plenty of room to make a healthy profit on him in the future if he follows in the left-footed ace’s footsteps at Parkhead.

The Swedish star, who was once hailed for his “beautiful” goal by ex-head coach Robert Klauß, could also be a Kuhn repeat for Celtic because, of course, he would arrive from the same club.

Jansson has caught the eye with some impressive performances in the Austrian top-flight for Rapid Vienna, just as the £17m-rated winger did before his move to Parkhead, which suggests that he could be an exciting addition to Rodgers’ squad this summer.

Austrian Bundesliga

Isak Jansson (24/25)

Nicolas Kuhn (23/24)

Appearances

22

16

Goals

7

2

Goals per game

0.3

0.1

Crosses per game

0.5

0.5

Big chances missed

2

8

Assists

2

5

Big chances created

5

11

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the right-footed attacker delivered nine goal contributions in 22 matches in the Bundesliga last season, two more than Kuhn managed in 16 games for Rapid Vienna before his switch to Scotland.

When you see the way that the German winger had adapted to life in the Premiership, as a scorer and a creator of goals, after thriving in Austria, Jansson’s performances for Rapid Vienna are incredibly exciting.

The Swedish star could aim to follow in Kuhn’s footsteps as another £3m winger to make the switch from Austria to Scotland to thrive in the final third as a forward who makes a big impact on a regular basis.

At the age of 23, the Celtic target would also arrive at Parkhead with plenty of time left on his side to develop and improve over the years to increase his output in front of goal, and his market value.

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Therefore, this is a signing that could make a lot of sense for the Hoops, despite not being a like-for-like replacement for Kuhn from a stylistic perspective, because of his quality and potential for the reported fee that would be needed.

da imperador bet： Time was when segments of the Liverpool fanbase routinely criticised FSG for their frugal nature in the transfer market. But those times are gone.

da bet esporte： Who can argue against FSG’s diligence in the window, with Liverpool having won the Premier League last season after spending very little? Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp, and the rest is history.

But Slot doesn’t want his legacy to be recalled as a flash in the pan. Instead, the Dutch coach is hoping to sustain a period of trophy-filled success at Anfield.

And so in spite of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to sever his Liverpool connection and join Real Madrid, Liverpool are stronger yet, having added Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong to their wide ranks.

But what about the right-back’s creativity and ingenuity? Well, Florian Wirtz will see to that, the German playmaker, who arrived with Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen, signing for a British-record £116m fee and bringing all his world-class technical qualities to the English game.

And there’s more still to come.

The latest Liverpool transfer news

The headline: Liverpool are set to announce the signing of Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, who has chosen the Reds despite pressing interest from Manchester United and Newcastle United.

However, sporting director Richard Hughes is also contending with an outgoing or two, with Darwin Nunez, having failed to kick on, expected to leave and Luis Diaz the subject of a rejected £58.5m bid from Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga champions are primed to return.

The likes of Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and Magpie winger Anthony Gordon have been touted as potential replacements. Diaz, aged 28, is entering the final two years of his contract, and he may be better off sold if a new deal is not in the pipeline.

Replacing Diaz with either of those names would be exciting, but Liverpool might be looking forward to an even more interesting deal, with Slot hoping to add to his central defence before the summer’s out.

Liverpool leading race for Premier League star

Liverpool need a centre-back this summer. It’s a well-known fact. And according to The Telegraph’s Matt Law, the Anfield side are leading the race to sign one of the Premier League’s finest in Marc Guehi.

The caveat to that is Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to rival Liverpool for the Crystal Palace star, acting on their long-standing appreciation.

Valued at £45m given that he has entered the final year of his contract, the 25-year-old Guehi could prove an invaluable part of Slot’s side for many years to come, and it’s hard to argue that signing him now wouldn’t be money well spent.

What Marc Guehi would bring to Liverpool

Liverpool tried and failed to sign Dean Huijsen at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, but the prodigious defender, 20, instead left Bournemouth for Real Madrid.

Los Blancos’ pull is strong, and they are used to having it their way. Rodrygo will only depart this summer because it is their bidding, and after signing Trent, Xabi Alonso’s side are looking to raid Liverpool once again to sign Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract in one year.

For Konate to leave in the prime of his career would be a bitter blow, but one that Liverpool could rebound from swiftly were Guehi already to have been signed. Indeed, the England international would be a terrific addition to Slot’s squad regardless of the 26-year-old’s future.

Guehi, actually, is the real deal, hardened by the failure to make it work at Chelsea and sharpened to a keen point across a number of years at Selhurst Park, the last of which have allowed his passing game to graduate to a higher level, inching him toward a completeness befitting Slot’s ambitious Liverpool project.

Guehi’s combative and composed nature resides next to an aptitude on the ball. It all comes together in a cohesive way, a way which indeed would be perfect for Liverpool. He’s a “monster in defence”, as says reporter Bobby Manzi, after all.

But consistency is the art of a successful defender in the Premier League, and Guehi has proved himself across four years with Palace, joining from Chelsea for £18m in 2021, since making and winning the FA Cup in May.

All this, proven in the Premier League and so complete in his style, suggests that the Three Lions star could be an even better signing than someone like Rodrygo, should the Madrid man replace Diaz in the coming weeks.

Marc Guehi in the Premier League

Stats (* per game)

23/24

24/25

Matches (starts)

25 (23)

34 (34)

Goals

0

3

Assists

1

2

Touches*

61.6

64.9

Pass completion

87%

84%

Key passes*

0.3

0.5

Ball recoveries*

4.8

4.3

Dribbles*

0.3

0.4

Tackles + interceptions*

1.8

2.6

Clearances*

3.5

4.6

Duels (won)*

3.6 (60%)

4.9 (59%)

Data via Sofascore

Having maintained an imperious level across the past few seasons, there’s every reason that Guehi could prove a fantastic signing for Liverpool; more, a necessary signing.

Rodrygo would be nice, but for all the Brazilian’s sequined frills, he left plenty to be desired last season, going 13 La Liga matches without a goal or an assist before the close of the campaign.

That’s not to say the versatile winger wouldn’t mark an incredible piece of business from Liverpool and another statement of intent, but for the reported price of £87m, it would exhaust a significant amount of the club’s remaining resources this summer.

Given that Guehi, conversely, would be arriving for a cut-price figure and given the need for a centre-back to complement Virgil van Dijk and the rest, he might be the one to prioritise at this stage.

Tottenham lodged a £70m bid in January, and it was rejected. This shows how highly Guehi is viewed by the Eagles, who now face a tough decision given he might walk on a free in just one year.

Described as an “absolute gem” by Michael Beale, who coached Guehi during his Chelsea days, Liverpool have got to get this one wrapped quickly. If they don’t, one of their rivals will.

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da aviator aposta： Whilst they continue to battle it out for their top targets, Newcastle United have now reportedly set their sights on an unexpected attacking reinforcement who’s worth £50m this summer.

Newcastle win Isak war as Liverpool swoop for Ekitike

da betobet： It’s a fairly open secret that Newcastle were interested in Hugo Ekitike. Reports went as far as to suggest that they already submitted their first bid. But it was no simple deal.

Thanks to Liverpool, who have also reportedly made their first approach to sign the Frenchman, Newcastle found themselves in a tug-of-war with the Premier League champions. And it looks to be a battle that they’ve lost, perhaps at the benefit of winning the Alexander Isak war.

Left moving on to other targets, Newcastle can at least breathe a sigh of relief that Liverpool are now unlikely to make their move for Isak after seemingly pushing on to potentially seal Ekitike’s arrival.

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It’s the battle of the summer and one that Newcastle may be frustrated by. It’s also clear to see why that fight was centred around Isak and Ekitike. The two forwards both enjoyed excellent campaigns last time out and would instantly steal major headlines by completing big-money moves as the new season approaches.

League stats 24/25 (FBref)

Ekitike

Isak

Minutes

2,563

2,756

Goals

15

23

Assists

8

6

Expected Goals

21.6

20.3

With that said, as impressive as Ekitike is, Newcastle still have other targets in mind and that reportedly includes an unexpected Premier League rival.

Newcastle plotting shock Antony move

According to reports in Spain, Newcastle are now plotting a shock move to sign Antony from Manchester United, who have set their price at a hefty €58m (£50m) this summer.

The Brazilian winger will go down as one of Old Trafford’s biggest ever transfer flops after arriving for £86m in 2022, before enduring a nightmare spell. But last season’s loan move at Real Betis saw him get back to his best and may have even been enough to catch the attention of those at St James’ Park.

Antony at Real Betis

Record (via Transfermarkt)

Appearances

26

Goals

9

Assists

5

What truly puts Antony’s contrasting form into context is the fact that he scored just 12 goals in 96 appearances for Manchester United, before heading to Betis on loan and scoring just two fewer than that in just 26 games.

It’s the type of form that earned the winger plenty of praise in Spain too, including from journalist Guillem Balague. He told BBC Sport: “Betis have given the man love and confidence, played him in the right position and played him all the time.

“He has been absolutely brilliant and he has been emotional. We saw a very cold guy at United, since he has gone to Betis and things have been working, we’ve seen him cry, we’ve see him laugh and Betis fans love that.”

da premier bet： Celtic legend Chris Sutton has raised concerns regarding the lack of transfer activity at Parkhead as the Hoops prepare to kick off their Scottish Premiership campaign on Sunday.

da roleta： The Bhoys cruised to their 55th top flight title last season, leading rivals Rangers by a wide margin for practically the entire season, but it’s fair to say their summer hasn’t been quite such smooth sailing.

Star winger Nicolas Kuhn has left Glasgow to join Serie A side Como, along with experienced leadership figure Greg Taylor, who joined Greek side PAOK on a free transfer, although Kieran Tierney’s return should go some way to filling that void.

Celtic arrivals

Fee

Celtic departures

Fee

Benjamin Nygren

£1.7m

Nicolas Kuhn

£16.5m

Shin Yamada

£1.5m

Gustaf Lagerbielke

£2m

Kieran Tierney

Free

Kwon Hyeok-kyu

£200k

Ross Doohan

Free

Greg Taylor

Free

Callum Osmand

Free

Scott Bain

Free

Hayato Inamura

Undisclosed

Luis Palma

Loan

Maik Nawrocki

Loan

Adam Montgomery

Loan

Josh Clarke

Loan

Jeffrey Schlupp

End of loan

While the Hoops’ model has long been to develop and sell players like Kuhn before replacing them with cheaper, younger assets, the fact they are yet to make a marquee signing just days away from the beginning of the season is certainly a concern.

Sutton: Celtic need signings before Champions League qualifiers

Celtic will play the first leg of their Champions League qualifier on August 19-20, coming after league matches against St Mirren and Aberdeen and a cup clash with Falkirk, and Sutton believes Brendan Rodgers will be disappointed with the lack of business.

“If you look at the squad going into the season, it’s still a little bit light,” Sutton said in quotes shared by the Press Association.

“Brendan Rodgers, everything I’ve seen him hint and say, he feels the same. The fact that Brendan talked about ambition, he is always quite calculated in what he says and the words that he uses. I think that’s a little warning shot across the bows to say ‘we need to bring players in’.

Celtic's major signings so far: in pictures

“It’s fair to say the squad aren’t as strong right now as they were at the end of last season, and that’s not ideal. But there’s still plenty of time left in the transfer window.

“If you look back at last season, Celtic won the league in the first half of the campaign. They won 16 of their first 18 games, set off like a house on fire and there was real momentum going into the season from pre-season. It doesn’t quite feel like that at the moment.

“And they didn’t have the burden of the Champions League qualifiers last season and we know how enormous they are for the club.

“Celtic have been in this position before where they are signing players when the Champions League qualifiers have already begun. That’s not ideal.

“You want players in so you can work with them, so they get the idea of the way that the team works. You don’t want them learning on the job when the Champions League has started and then missing out. We know how massive these games are. If you’re slightly off it, then you can get beat.”

He continued: “I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s never easy for Celtic and Rangers in the market they are in. We know what Celtic’s model is in terms of bringing players in.

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“We will find out at the end of next month whether Celtic have done enough. It’s OK for pundits to say ‘the board need to do more’ but at the end of next month if Celtic bring another few players in of quality which is going to lift the squad, all well and good.

“If not, then clearly people are going ask questions about why they are weaker now than they were at the end of last season.”

da leao： Tottenham Hotspur have now held talks over a deal for an “incredible” attacking midfielder, who could be brought in as an alternative to Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, reporter Graeme Bailey has revealed.

Spurs dealt major Gibbs-White blow

da betsul： Tottenham looked poised to sign Gibbs-White, after triggering the £60m release clause in the England international’s contract, but in a surprising twist, the Forest star has now opted to extend his stay at the City Ground.

It has to be considered a huge blow for Spurs to have missed out on the attacking midfielder, who picked up 17 goal contributions in the Premier League last term, but all they can do now is move on to alternative targets, and they have several options in mind.

Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott is one of the names on the shortlist, with the Lilywhites now “recalibrating” their summer transfer plans, but it has also been revealed they have held discussions over a deal for a different attacking midfielder from the Premier League.

Indeed, speaking to The Boot Room, Bailey has now named Manchester City’s James McAtee as a potential alternative target, saying: “Tottenham were confident and they hoped that Gibbs-White would still come, it is a blow to Spurs’ plans, but they will move on very quickly,”

“They have held talks with other players in recent weeks, the likes of Xavi Simons and James McAtee to name but two, there are options for them and they will move on, and they need to.”

"Incredible" McAtee needs to leave Man City this summer

There have been reports that Man City would be willing to sanction McAtee’s departure for £35m this summer, amid interest from West Ham United, and the attacking midfielder no doubt needs to move on, given a lack of game time last season.

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At 22-years-old, the maestro is now at an age where he needs to receive regular game time, but he made just 15 Premier League appearances last season, often being limited to cameo appearances as a substitute.

With Man City signing the likes of Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders this summer, the Englishman’s game time could be even more limited next season, and a move to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium may be suitable for all parties.

The England U21 international performed well for the Three Lions at the recent European Championships, picking up one goal and two assists throughout the tournament.

That said, despite being lauded as “incredible” by Pep Guardiola, it would be a gamble to take a chance on McAtee, given that he is yet to prove himself as a top Premier League player, and it is a real blow that Tottenham have missed out on Gibbs-White.

da stake casino： The countdown is very much on until Premier League football finally kicks back into gear at the Stadium of Light.

da pixbet： This coming Saturday’s opening contest for Sunderland against West Ham United is merely four days away now, with a hope on the Black Cats’ end that they don’t choke under the intense pressure of top-flight action from the get-go.

Instead, Regis Le Bris will be hoping for a confident display from his side against the Hammers, with the Frenchman given plenty of options to work with this summer transfer so far, having acquired 11 brand new signings in total.

That number looks set to increase even more before September’s early deadline, as the top-flight newcomers now enquire to bring this Premier League star to Wearside.

Sunderland plot deal for PL ace

Omar Alderete proved to be the latest addition to Le Bris’ ranks on Tuesday afternoon, with the 28-year-old Getafe defender making the switch from Spain for a fee of around £10.4m.

He might well be joined by another centre-back body in the form of Lloyd Kelly, with reports suggesting that the Black Cats have also made a £17m approach for the ex-Newcastle United defender to try and tempt him to Wearside.

Sunderland aren’t done in the midfield department, either, if other rumours are to be believed, even as the Frenchman already has the likes of Habib Diarra and Granit Xhaka at his disposal.

Reports filtering out from Italian outlet Tuttosport suggest that the Black Cats have lodged an enquiry about signing Brighton and Hove Albion ace Matt O’Riley, amid Juventus also being keen on landing the 24-year-old.

The former Celtic man is an in-demand figure this summer, with Nottingham Forest also being named as another party that has inquired about the ex-Hoops number 33, who has a transfer value of around €30m (£26m), as per the report.

Adding another versatile midfielder to the camp could be bad news for Chris Rigg ahead of the step-up in quality, as the teenage sensation fears for his gametime with the numbers in the group increasing.

Rigg – Sunderland stats by season

Season

Games

Goals

24/25

47

4

23/24

22

3

22/23

3

0

via Transfermarkt

Why O'Riley signing would be bad news for Rigg

Season by season, Rigg has slowly found himself climbing up the first team pecking order, so much so that the 18-year-old collected four goals last campaign under Le Bris’ wing.

However, even with the ex-Lorient boss lauded by Sunderland academy manager Robin Nicholls for the “outstanding” way he gets the maximum out of youngsters, the Frenchman will still be aware that over-relying on Rigg in such a daunting division could be foolish, especially if O’Riley is now available to buy.

After all, much like Xhaka, whom he could soon potentially line up alongside in the middle of the park for Sunderland, O’Riley has bags of top-flight experience in some testing environments, with the 24-year-old viewed as a modern-day hero to those with Celtic connections.

Indeed, O’Riley would go on to amass a stunning 27 goals and 35 assists across 124 appearances in Glasgow, leading to Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers labelling the £26m-rated midfielder as “phenomenal”.

O’Riley – career stats by position

Position

Games

Goals + Assists

CM

172

32 + 42

DM

38

4 + 6

AM

29

6 + 5

SS

1

0

LM

1

0 + 1

RM

1

0

via Transfermarkt

O’Riley’s sublime performances in Scotland would see him seal a deal with the Seagulls, with the four-time Scottish Premiership winner also settling in well on the South Coast – when injuries haven’t troubled his short stay to date – as seen in his two goals and three assists for Fabian Hurzeler’s men.

This vast knowledge of some tough leagues instantly places O’Riley above Rigg in the updated pecking order, on top of the fact that the four-time Denmark international can also slot into multiple different positions in the midfield department, much like his far more raw counterpart.

While Rigg might have to make do with spots on the substitutes bench moving forward, O’Riley joining could also be seen as a blessing for the youngster, with the 18-year-old able to learn and grow even more under the Dane’s tutelage.

Once hailed as “one of the most intelligent footballers” he’s ever worked with by now Rangers boss Russell Martin, this feels like a standout addition if it were to take place, with Le Bris’ options brimming with even more quality if O’Riley joins imminently.