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Captain wants team to bring smiles to his countrymen who have endured a tough fight with covid-19

Mohammad Isam14-Oct-2021Papua New Guinea may be first-timers at the T20 World Cup, but captain Assad Vala spoke of their ambition of making it out of the competition’s first round and make their appearance in this tournament a habit. At the same time, they want to ensure that people back home, who are suffering from what is being described as the “worst surge” in Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began, have something to smile about.”It is really a proud moment for me and the boys,” Vala said. “It has been a long time coming. We have come so close on so many occasions. We are a couple of days away from playing our first World Cup match. The boys are looking pumped up for the game on Sunday. During this pandemic, it will mean a lot for people back home. We are trying to put a smile on their faces.”PNG will take on co-hosts Oman in the tournament opener on Sunday, a day that Vala, synonymous with PNG’s modern-day teams, has been looking forward to. They have had good acclimatisation too, having arrived in the country more than a month ago for a series of camps, WCL matches and friendlies. The mood, understandably, is upbeat.”To be honest, we believe in ourselves,” he said. “We want to play to the best of our abilities. We want to express ourselves. We want to make it to the second round to test ourselves against the best teams in cricket. We don’t want this World Cup to be a one-off. We want to keep improving. We want to get the exposure and knowledge against the best teams.”PNG are known in the Associate circuit as nearly men after throwing away good chances to make it into the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups. They topped Group A in the 2019 Qualifier tournament to make it into this tournament.”We got a lot of confidence from the 2019 World Cup qualifiers,” he said. “We have played a lot of cricket over the last 18 months. We have got better by playing more matches, particularly the ones we played in Oman and Dubai. It has put us in good stead. On Sunday, we can hit the ground running.”He is among the key players, but so are Norman Vanua and Charles Amini, talented allrounders who have done well for them in the past. Vanua however is nursing a shoulder injury, which Vala is confident will be okay come Sunday.”We are just resting (Vanua) at the moment. He is a very good allrounder. He played a really good innings against Kenya to get us over the line. I hope he will be ready when the game starts. Charles Amini is the leader of our spin attack. There’s a lot of responsibility on him. He is a really good bowler. He can turn the game in all three departments. Hopefully the pitches will help him.”He also paid tribute to Joe Dawes, PNG’s former coach who was at the helm when they were awarded ODI status and secured T20 World Cup qualification. But Dawes, also a former India bowling coach, left PNG this March to spend time with his family in the wake of the pandemic. Vala said that Dawes corrected a number of things within the setup, but insisted the team has gelled well with new coach Carl Sandri too.”I think he brought in a lot of structure to the team,” Vala said. “When he first came in, he saw a lot of things were not done properly, so he tried to correct everything. He got us fitter, and in the right state of mind. When we did the little things right, the cricket took care of itself. He played a really big part in getting us to this stage.”We have a really good coach in Carl Sandri as well. He has been around the Big Bash. He has different ideas. The boys are trying to implement those ideas, they are taking on the challenges, and working with the coaches.”Vala said their new Australian bowling coach Chadd Sayers, who joined in July this year, has also become friendly with the bowling unit. “He is really good. I think the bowlers are enjoying working with him. He played at the highest level for Australia. He is always talking about getting AB de Villiers out. It is a lot of fun, lot of banter with the boys. They are enjoying his company and getting a lot from him.”PNG however know that they have a daunting task at hand, particularly against Bangladesh’s quality spin attack coming up this week. But Vala is also quite confident that they will make themselves proud, and wants his teammates to enjoy the moment.”We will come up against quality spinners. We have been working hard in training. It is just about executing and expressing ourselves. We have to play with flair. We have to enjoy ourselves.”We pride ourselves on our fielding. We have to play well in other departments too to become an all-round team. It is all about having fun. We want to leave everything in the field but we want to represent our country with a smile in our face.”

Being the super club they are, Manchester United have been blessed with countless sensational footballers over the years.

The likes of Éric Cantona, Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney have all graced the Theatre of Dreams in the last thirty years, and depending on who you ask, they could add another handful of names to that illustrious list.

However, like any club, the Red Devils have also signed their fair share of flops over the years, with perhaps the most extreme example in recent years being Donny van de Beek.

Moreover, what makes that signing even worse is that, just a few months later, the club were pushing to sign a future superstar but ultimately backed off, potentially believing they already had a player good enough in the Dutchman.

Van de Beek's United nightmare

In the summer of 2020, United agreed a £35m deal with Dutch giants Ajax for their incredibly impressive young midfielder Donny van de Beek, who just the summer prior had helped the Amsterdam side to a Champions League semi-final and had agreed personal terms for a move to Real Madrid.

Unfortunately for all involved, while it looked like a brilliant deal at the time, it now looks like one of the worst transfers the Red Devils have agreed to in recent history.

For example, in the four seasons he was contracted with the club, the Dutchman made just 62 appearances, scored two goals, provided two assists, went on two short-term loan moves, and spent a whopping 375 days sidelined with injury.

Van de Beek’s United career
Appearances	62
Goals	2
Assists	2
Goal Involvements per Match	0.06
All Stats via Transfermarkt

To top it all off, the 27-year-old was also earning £120k-per-week for most of his stay at the club and was sold for just £400k to Girona this summer, meaning it was a disastrous move on the pitch and the spreadsheets.

Overall, while United have signed worse footballers in the past, few transfers have worked out quite as poorly as Van de Beek’s did.

This makes it all the more maddening that the club then passed on a youngster who could have been the perfect upgrade in the January after he signed.

United's pursuit of Moises Caicedo

Yes, the youngster who could have replaced Van de Beek in the team had United stuck to their guns and signed him back in January 2021 is Ecuadorian international Moises Caicedo, who completed his £115m move to Chelsea last summer, becoming the most expensive transfer in the competition’s history in the process.

However, before he joined the Blues and Brighton & Hove Albion, the Santo Domingo-born star was on the Red Devils’ radar and could have been another addition to the young and exciting squad Ole Gunnar Solskjær was trying to build at that time.

The Norwegian icon confirmed the club’s interest in the Chelsea midfielder in an interview with the Athletic last year, revealing that a fear of the youngster’s inexperience prevented the deal from proceeding.

However, a report from the Manchester Evening News at the time claimed that United pulled out of the deal due to too many intermediaries making the negotiations ‘messy,’ which could explain why Fabrizio Romano claimed the potential €5m – £4m – fee was not seen as a stumbling block in December 2020.

Ultimately, whether it was a concern about his perceived lack of experience or the involvement of too many hands in the deal, United decided against signing Caicedo for a minuscule fee in January 2021 and were left with Van de Beek as their shiny new midfielder that season, which has to go down as a massive transfer mistake.

"Phenomenal" 3-5-2 manager liked by Ratcliffe to replace Ten Hag at Man Utd

Potential Erik ten Hag replacements continue to be linked.

By
Henry Jackson

Sep 24, 2024

Chelsea are at the centre of a frenzied finish to the summer transfer window, still hoping to sign a centre-forward but seemingly losing both of their top targets, Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen, to Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli.

Only, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that while Al Ahli have an agreement with Napoli for the transfer of Osimhen, Stamford Bridge still have a vested interest in the striker, with a delegation in Naples working on finding a solution and bringing him to London.

This one's picking up speed, but Chelsea might actually be eyeing another player as well, with space to be found in a Raheem Sterling-shaped hole.

Chelsea eyeing another D-day deal

According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Chelsea are still in the mix for Jadon Sancho, with chances of completing a deadline-day move boosted by Juventus' pursuit screeching to a halt.

Manchester United have held exploratory talks with Sterling, and since Sancho is on their books, a swap deal of sorts makes sense. However, Arsenal appear to be stealing ahead in the race for the Chelsea winger.

Sky Sports have now gone even further to claim that the move for the United man is "edging closer to an agreement", with talks continuing over the nature of the deal, be it a permanent or loan move.

Why Jadon Sancho could be a dream for Osimhen

Chelsea don't necessarily need to sell Sterling to Old Trafford in order to sign Sancho, with both players expected to be on the move today anyway.

Sancho might have fallen by the wayside since signing for Man United in a £73m deal, but he's still only 24 years old and a highly talented player too. Having returned to Borussia Dortmund on loan for the second half of last season, he played an instrumental role in reaching the Champions League final.

As per FBref, he actually ranked among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe's elite club competition for successful take-ons per 90 (4.19), a measure of his fleet-footed brilliance. It put him in the same bracket as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Napoli superstar, as per the site's similar players model.

And that brings a sense of circularity, back to Osimhen. Al Ahli will have to choose between the 25-year-old and Toney, and Osimhen is hailed as "one of the best strikers in the world" by Joao Cancelo and many others, so Chelsea likely have him at the top of their shopping list.

The Georgian menace ranked among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Champions League last term for progressive carries and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90, and we all know about the partnership he has struck with Osimhen in Italy over the past few years.

League Stats 23/24: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Statistics (*per game)	#
Matches (starts)	34 (32)
Goals	11
Assists	6
Touches*	55.1
Shots (on target)*	3.8 (1.3)
Pass completion	86%
Big chances created	11
Key passes*	1.9
Dribbles*	3.0
Ball recoveries*	2.9
Total duels won*	6.9
Stats via Sofascore

With Sancho – praised for his "gifted" style by former Dortmund boss Edin Terzic – barrelling forward, stretching lines, Osimhen could find himself scoring goals by the dozen under Enzo Maresca's guidance, and this would certainly be a stunning finish to a promising transfer window.

Imagine him & Palmer: Chelsea in late race to sign "monster" £40m striker

This striker is the perfect Osimhen alternative…

By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 30, 2024

John Simpson finds late support to rescue another top-order wobble

Jon Culley27-May-2021

Callum Parkinson was in the wickets for Leicestershire•Getty Images

Middlesex feel they would have doubled their wins tally for the season but for the badly-timed arrival of rain at The Kia Oval last week and arrived here with a sense of relative optimism after another season in which that mood has been experienced only intermittently.Moreover, against the only team in Group Two with a worse record than theirs, they have at least given themselves a chance of securing the second win that eluded them last week, following a fightback from 132 for 6 in the final session.Increasingly frustrated with senior players unable to summon consistent form, Middlesex’s selection policy is shifting towards giving younger players their head. With the 39-year-old Tim Murtagh rested, the average age of their bowling attack here drops dramatically to 23.Youngest among them is the legspinning allrounder Luke Hollman, who will not be 21 until mid-September. He and the 22-year-old left-armer Thilan Walallawita, with eight first-class appearances between them, have been backed to exploit what promises to be a turning pitch, which is a fair vote of confidence from head coach Stuart Law.In the meantime, Hollman has already made an impression with the bat. Playing in only his third first-class match, he batted almost two hours for his 32 – his highest red-ball score so far – and his support for John Simpson rescued a day that had threatened to leave Leicestershire in firm control. Tall, strongly built and, as he has already demonstrated in T20 cricket, a powerful hitter, this showed that he can also keep an end up with a high degree of competence.Related

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Jack Haynes 97 puts Worcestershire on front foot against Derbyshire

The pair put on 90 for the seventh wicket, turning a position that had looked decidedly pessimistic at 132 for 6 midway through the afternoon into one that may yet look pretty useful. Although the two Middlesex spinners lack experience, batting last on it could be a difficult proposition for a home side yet to win a match.Middlesex would have been expected to finish with something near to their closing score after a morning’s work that saw them suffer only one loss for 73 runs when Sam Robson was leg before to a flighted delivery from Callum Parkinson, the left-arm spinner, who found enough in the pitch early on to suggest Middlesex’s decision to pick two spinners might be a smart move.Two more setbacks followed soon after lunch, rewarding an impressive return to action for Will Davis, making his first appearance since a pre-season ankle injury. The in-form Nick Gubbins was leg before trying to work a full-length ball from the right-arm seamer, who followed up by having Stevie Eskinazi caught low down at second slip for 38.Recalled for the first time in six matches, having been dropped after the defeats against Somerset and Hampshire that began Middlesex’s season, Eskinazi would have been disappointed not to cash in after seeing the shine off the new ball but Davis, who bowled very few loose deliveries, produced enough late movement to find the edge as the batter sought to defend on the front foot.Peter Handscomb, their Australian captain, essayed a couple of nice sweep shots for four off Parkinson but the pattern of Middlesex batters failing to build on decent starts continued when he was lbw on the back foot to Ed Barnes, who like Davis bowled with good control.Five overs later, a promising position for Leicestershire turned into one they celebrated with rare enthusiasm in front of an appreciative crowd as Parkinson claimed two wickets in two balls. The Lancastrian, instinctively an attacking bowler who likes to make things happen, dismissed Robbie White with a flighted ball he edged to slip before Martin Andersson was beaten by one that turned past his defensive bat to strike him on the back pad. Hollman plonked a solid block behind the hat-trick ball before getting off the mark with a straight hit to the boundary over the bowler’s head but from a Leicestershire perspective, tea at 148 for 6 came as an unwelcome pause.Yet there was only one further reward as Simpson and Hollman dutifully applied themselves to the task. Parkinson could not maintain his hot streak and though the seamers kept their discipline they could find only one further breakthrough, Hollman eventually playing down the wrong line to one from Barnes with the second new ball that clipped the outside of his off stump.

Rangana Herath has joined Bangladesh as their spin-bowling consultant until the T20 World Cup, while Ashwell Prince will be their batting consultant during their upcoming tour of Zimbabwe. Both coaches will travel to Zimbabwe later this week to join the Bangladesh side for their series of one Test, three ODIs and three T20Is in July.The BCB’s cricket operations chairman Akram Khan said both Herath and Prince would be judged on their performance before being considered for long-term roles.”We discussed Ashwell Prince’s appointment with coach Russell Domingo who rates him highly,” Khan said. “He will be with us during the Zimbabwe tour, after which we will decide. Herath will be with us till the World Cup T20. If things go well, we will think about them as long-term options.”Herath and Prince are both on their first international assignments. Prince, the former South Africa batter who retired from international cricket in 2014, has coached the Cape Cobras since 2016 while also serving as a selector with CSA. He has also been South Africa A’s interim head coach and batting consultant.This is Herath’s first major coaching role since the Sri Lanka spinner retired from international cricket in 2018, having taken more Test wickets than any other left-arm bowler. He has completed his Level 3 coaching course (ICC/SLC) with a specialisation in spin bowling.Herath has been linked with the Bangladesh team since last month, with the BCB reportedly also speaking to the former India legspinner Sairaj Bahutule and the former Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal for the spin coaching role.The BCB had also considered Jamie Siddons, the former Bangladesh coach, for the batting coach role, but there was no clarity regarding his ability to travel to and from Bangladesh and to other tours given Australia’s Covid-19 restrictions.Herath replaces the former New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori, whose 100-day contract with the BCB ended in April 2021. Since the Covid-19 pandemic restricted travel from his country, Vettori had only been available as spin-bowling coach during Bangladesh’s white-ball tour of New Zealand in March 2021. BCB coach Sohel Islam had been deputising for him on other assignments.Prince replaces Jon Lewis, who served as batting coach from January 2021, his tenure covering the home series against West Indies and tours to New Zealand and Sri Lanka, as well as the home ODI series against Sri Lanka. Prince’s former South Africa team-mate Neil McKenzie was Bangladesh’s ODI batting coach from 2018 to 2020.Prince is now the third South African in Bangladesh’s coaching staff. The others are head coach Russell Domingo and fielding coach Ryan Cook. Bangladesh also have the former West Indies seamer Ottis Gibson as their fast-bowling coach.

The summer transfer window officially slams shut on Friday of next week and this means that Leeds United do not have much time left to complete their business.

Georginio Rutter's permanent transfer to Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion was officially confirmed on Monday night, with the Frenchman becoming the latest star to move away from Elland Road in recent months.

Glen Kamara, who signed for Rennes, Archie Gray, who joined Tottenham Hotspur, and Crysencio Summerville, who moved to West Ham United, have also left the club this summer.

Meanwhile, the West Yorkshire outfit have dipped into the transfer market to land Alex Cairns, Joe Rothwell, Jayden Bogle, and Joe Rodon to bolster Daniel Farke's squad.

This means that the Whites are yet to add an attacking midfielder, winger, or striker to the group, despite losing Summerville and Rutter from the team.

However, there are still around ten days left to go before the window slams shut and there is some time left for Leeds to pursue deals for attackers to improve Farke's attacking options ahead of the rest of the 2024/25 campaign.

In fact, the Yorkshire-based outfit are reportedly eyeing up a winger from the Championship to come in and replace Summerville this month.

Leeds eyeing swoop for EFL sensation

According to Football Insider, Leeds are targeting a late swoop to bring former academy graduate Jack Clarke back to Elland Road from divisional rivals Sunderland.

The report claims that the English wizard, who was described as "unplayable" by pundit Adrian Clarke, is one of the players the club have identified as a target to come in and bolster their wide options before the deadline passes.

It states that the Whites have decided that they will sign a winger and a striker before the end of the window, following the departures of Rutter and Summerville.

The Boot Room reports that Leeds are interested in signing Clarke and goes as far as to say that the Black Cats whiz is open to returning to his former club.

It added, though, that there are a number of teams keen on the electric forward and it will not be an easy deal for Farke's side to get over the line.

The outlet also revealed that it will take a fee of around £18m to tempt Sunderland into parting ways with their star player and it remains to be seen whether or not the Whites are prepared to spend that much on a signing this summer.

If they do splash the cash and swoop to sign Clarke for £18m, the Black Cats magician could come in as a dream partner for Mateo Joseph in the final third.

Mateo Joseph's attacking potential

Leeds supporters saw first-hand how willing Farke is to give young players a chance to showcase their ability, as Gray was handed a regular role in the team and earned the Championship Young Player of the Year award.

Joseph looks set to be the latest talented prospect to get the Gray treatment from the German head coach. He started the first two games of the league season, having come into the campaign with zero senior league starts in his career.

The Spain U21 international is yet to get off the mark this term but did create a 'big chance' for his teammates, which they failed to make the most of.

He has been handed an opportunity after an impressive summer, in which the youngster scored four goals during pre-season, with two strikes against Hannover, one against Schalke, and one against Valencia.

Last season, all 20 of his appearances in the Championship came as a substitute but he did get a chance to impress as a starter against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup.

Minutes played

90

Shots

3

Goals

2

Key passes

2

Pass accuracy

81%

As you can see in the table above, Joseph found the back of the net twice against the Premier League side and created two chances for his teammates, which shows that he can make a big impact when given time and service.

The Spanish striker, who scored 19 goals in 33 games for the club at U21 level, did not have Rutter to provide him with service against West Brom on Saturday, and the signing of Clarke could provide him with a player who can create chances for him.

Why Leeds should sign Jack Clarke

Firstly, the 23-year-old gem came up through the ranks at Thorp Arch and may not take much time to settle in, as he has lived in the area and will already know people around the club.

This could allow him to hit the ground running in a way that a signing with no prior experience in the area or at the club may not be able to do this summer.

Secondly, he is a proven Championship performer who has the quality to make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch, based on his form for Sunderland in recent seasons.

Appearances

45

40

2

Goals

9

15

1

Assists

11

4

1

Dribbles completed per game

2.0

3.7

3.5

As you can see in the table above, the English sensation has provided a big threat in the final third for the Black Cats, as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

This suggests that he could arrive at Elland Road this summer and Farke could expect him to immediately be a key player for the team, due to his proven quality at that level.

His creative prowess could also make him the perfect winger to play alongside Joseph, as he has the ability to consistently create high-quality chances for the forward.

In the 2023/24 campaign, Clarke created 12 'big chances' for his teammates and racked up 9.77 xA in the Championship. However, he was only rewarded with four assists, which shows that his fellow attackers let him down with their wasteful finishing.

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The Whites are reportedly interested in signing the Championship winger this month.

ByDan Emery Aug 20, 2024

This suggests that Joseph would not be starved of service at the top end of the pitch if Leeds sign the winger, which is why they could be an exciting pairing for the club.

Celtic return to action once again in the Scottish Premiership as they travel away from Parkhead to take on Hibernian on Sunday in the early kick-off.

The Hoops are currently top of the division after one match, having swept Kilmarnock aside with ease in a 4-0 win in Glasgow last weekend, and will now be looking to maintain that position this weekend.

Brendan Rodgers is aiming to win the top-flight for the second time in as many seasons during his second spell at the club, and could yet use the summer transfer window to ensure that his side have the best possible chance of doing so.

So far, Celtic have brought in goalkeepers Viljami Sinisalo and Kasper Schmeichel on permanent deals to bolster their options between the sticks, and central midfielder Paulo Bernardo has been signed on a permanent basis after his loan at Parkhead during the 2023/24 campaign.

However, there is still a few weeks left before the summer transfer window officially slams shut and this means that the Scottish giants could make further additions to their squad to improve the manager's options across the park.

Celtic eyeing up Premier League starlet

Speaking on Redmen TV on YouTube (07/08/2024), journalist Paul Gorst claimed that Celtic are one of the teams in the running to sign Liverpool central midfielder Bobby Clark.

The reporter stated that the Hoops and Glasgow rivals Rangers are both in the 'mix' to land the England U20 international on a season-long loan deal.

Gorst added that a number of teams in the English Championship, including Norwich City, Leeds United, and Derby County, are also interested in signing the talented young maestro.

He also revealed that Austrian side RB Salzburg have had an offer to sign him on a permanent basis turned down by the Premier League club.

This comes after The Athletic recently reported that Liverpool are more likely to send the 19-year-old talent out on loan for the 2024/25 campaign, than cash in on him.

That report did reveal, though, that the Merseyside outfit would be open to doing business for a fee of £12m, if they were to sell the former Newcastle United youngster this summer.

Clark is not the only player Celtic are attempting to sign, though, as the club are reportedly in talks with Norwich City over a deal to bring Adam Idah back to Parkhead.

The BBC recently claimed that the Hoops have submitted a new offer, having already had a bid of £4m turned down, and it has not been accepted by the Canaries, but the two teams remain in negotiations over a possible transfer.

Why Adam Idah could be a good signing

Idah arrived in Glasgow at the end of the winter window earlier this year and spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan with the Hoops.

He made an instant and huge impression on the club and the supporters with his fantastic performances on the pitch, as the Norwich academy graduate hit the ground running.

The Ireland international did not take long to catch the eye, with two goals against Motherwell in his first start, and went on to plunder eight league goals in 15 appearances.

23/24 Premiership

Adam Idah

Appearances

15

Starts

5

Goals

8

Big chances missed

7

Conversion rate

27%

Minutes per goal

76

Assists

2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Idah fired in eight goals in just five starts and showcased his clinical finishing by scoring more goals than he missed 'big chances'.

Whereas, Celtic's current first-choice – and only – striker, Kyogo Furuhashi, has had issues with his finishing since the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

The Japan international scored 14 times in 38 Premiership matches for the Bhoys last season, and spurned a staggering 24 'big chances' in that time.

He then started the current campaign with two 'big chances' missed and zero goals in the 4-0 win over Kilmarnock last weekend, which means that the forward has missed 26 'big chances' and only scored 14 goals over the last 12 months or so in the league.

These statistics suggest that the potential is there for Idah to return and provide a better option upfront for Rodgers due to his clinical nature in front of goal.

Why Bobby Clark could be a dream for Adam Idah

With this in mind, Clark could be a dream signing to come in alongside the 6 foot 3 centre-forward to provide him with chances to find the back of the net from a central midfield position.

The 19-year-old is a box-to-box midfielder, rather than an out-and-out number ten, but has displayed his quality as a scorer and a creator of goals at youth and senior level.

In the 2023/24 campaign, ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp brought him through into the first-team and provided him with 12 chances to play with the likes of Mo Salah, Alexis Mac Allister, and ex-Celtic star Virgil van Dijk, among others, which speaks to how highly the German boss rated the teenager.

The £12m-rated starlet racked up four goals and six assists in 24 matches for the senior and academy teams combined last term, including one goal and one assist in two Europa League outings.

Bobby Clark's attacking contribution

Liverpool career

U18

U21

First-team

Appearances

27

37

14

Goals

13

5

1

Assists

5

6

2

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the Hoops target consistently provided a threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a midfield position at U21 and U18 level for the Reds.

Clark, who was hailed as "exciting" by reporter Lee Ryder, is a dynamic and talented midfield maestro who could come in and provide Celtic with an attacking boost, whether that is as a starter or off the bench.

Idah, as shown by his eight goals in five starts but 15 league appearances, is proof that a player can come in and excel as an impact substitute.

Related Celtic could land dream signing for Hatate in swoop for £7m star

The Hoops have been linked with an interest in the central midfielder this summer.

Posts ByDan Emery Aug 7, 2024

Clark and Idah could both come through the door and come off the bench as an exciting pairing, whilst working hard to both nail down places in the starting XI.

Following Jack Grealish's season to forget, Manchester City are now reportedly willing to trigger the release clause to sign a potential upgrade on the England star this summer.

Man City transfer news

Improving a side which has won four consecutive Premier League titles following a treble-winning campaign before that is the luxurious difficulty that those at the Etihad have in front of them this summer. Gunning for a record-extending fifth title in a row, the Citizens have already been linked with the likes of Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich in two arrivals that would certainly complete the near-impossible task of handing Pep Guardiola some incoming upgrades.

Man City make concrete moves to sign "magnificent" £50m+ midfield star

He has interest from both England and Europe.

By
Tom Coates

Jul 9, 2024

That said, the headlines haven't all been centred around incomings, with Kevin De Bruyne and Ederson both linked to the Saudi Pro League as they potentially declare their work in England done after countless honours. Meanwhile, Grealish finds himself at quite the crossroads this summer having lost his place under Guardiola to Jeremy Doku last season, before being dropped from Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 England squad.

In need of game time, the former Aston Villa man could yet depart the Etihad as an upgrade potentially emerges. According to The Sun, Manchester City are now willing to trigger Eberechi Eze's £60m release clause to secure his signature ahead of Tottenham Hotspur. The Crystal Palace ace has taken Grealish's place under Southgate this summer and could now deal the winger another blow by doing the same at City.

Given that they've already lost Michael Olise to Bayern Munich, Eze's exit would deal Crystal Palace an incredible blow, though they will be left with no choice but to bid farewell if his release clause is triggered. A player who lit up the Premier League once again last season, Eze could finally complete a difficult pathway to the top of English football at 26 years old.

"Incredible" Eze can replace what Grealish has lost

When Grealish arrived at Manchester City, he was one of the Premier League's best creators who only seemed destined to improve on his output, but that's not quite been the case. The more that his time at the Etihad has gone on, the more that the previous creator that many fans fell in love with at Villa has looked stifled and limited under Guardiola. Now, looking to add that spark to their side once more, City could turn to Eze.

Premier League stats 23/24 (via FBref)	Eberechi Eze	Jack Grealish
Minutes	2,055	1,009
Goals	11	3
Assists	4	1
Key Passes Per 90	2.37	2.32

With a far better output, City can add yet another goalscorer to their side to accompany the likes of Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland, all while welcoming a player who's more than capable of creating where Grealish has slowly dwindled.

However, Palace won't be keen to lose their star man, who earned the praise of Selhurst Park teammate Joel Ward. The right-back told the club's official website: "Ebs’ quality is incredible, with what he does on the ball, the way he manipulates it and the way he just seems to glide over the pitch – it’s mesmerising at times."

Updates, analysis and colour from the fourth day of the fourth Test

Karthik Krishnaswamy18-Jan-20215.10pm: StumpsIt’s still raining quite heavily, and the umpires have indicated that there will be no more play today. We will hopefully get 98 overs tomorrow, starting 9.30am local time. Do join us nice and early for that, and let’s hope this enthralling series doesn’t end on a damp note.4.37pm: Here comes the rainAustralia got to bowl just 1.5 overs before having to go off the field again. India are 4 for 0. The rain isn’t too heavy yet, but it’s really gloomy and overcast, and the floodlights are on at full intensity as the covers come on.

Its matter of minutes now, the clouds have almost reached Brisbane. Once the rains starts, it will be stumps. Looks massive ones from NW.

23 overs remain for the day. pic.twitter.com/GuzQ8usuB0

— Pradeep John (Tamil Nadu Weatherman) (@praddy06) January 18, 2021