Celtic reportedly could lose a "quick" and "strong" player in the summer transfer window, having rejected the chance to sign a new deal at the club.

Celtic transfer news

The Hoops have made a quiet start to their summer so far, not making a single signing, while rivals Rangers have added significant numbers to their squad. That's not to say that additions won't come in between now and the start of next season, however, and various reports are linking them with players.

Celtic have been urged to hijack a potential deal for Valencia and Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili this summer, with the 23-year-old seen as the perfect successor to Joe Hart. It would be an audacious swoop, with former England stopper Paul Robinson hailing him recently, saying: "He played for Valencia last season, and for me, he was probably La Liga’s goalkeeper of the tournament. The way he’s played in this tournament for Georgia, I think there’ll be a lot of teams around Europe standing up and taking notice. "

Teenage BK Hacken ace Pontus Dahbo is another player who has been backed to complete a move to the Hoops in the coming months, with the 18-year-old considered one of the most exciting prospects in his homeland of Sweden.

While a number of players are expected to come in and bolster the options at Brendan Rodgers' disposal this summer, it looks as though one Celtic ace is likely to be heading in the opposite direction.

Celtic could lose "quick" player this summer

According to a new update from Football Insider, Celtic could now accept an offer for youngster Rocco Vata in the summer window, with a bid of £2-3m potentially enough to prise him away.

The 19-year-old midfielder has already turned down a contract extension at Parkhead, and the likes of Watford and Bologna are eyeing a move for him, as well as Nottingham Forest. Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph has since said that Watford are in advanced talks to sign Vata.

Losing Vata at his current age would be an undoubted blow for Celtic, considering how much more there is to come from him in his career. Rodgers is clearly an admirer of his, too, saying of him last year:

"I remember Rocco as a young player when I was here last. He’s developed physically. There are aspects of his game that he needs to work on to make the next jump but his attitude is good. He’s strong, quick, he wants to score goals. There is lots of development he needs, if he’s willing to do that."

Vata may simply feel that a new challenge is needed, in terms of enjoying more regular playing time, with only six appearances coming his way for Celtic to date. He scored twice in his only cap for the Republic of Ireland's Under-21s, and may think that he could feel more wanted elsewhere.

The hope is that the young Hoops attacker has a change of heart, but the fact that he isn't interested in signing an extension suggests that his mind could already be made up.

Lauryn Goodman revealed that she "didn't want to go" out on the night she conceived her daughter with Manchester City star Kyle Walker.

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• Walker started dating Goodman in 2019
• Their second child was born in August 2023
• Walker's marriage with Annie Kilner on the rocks

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In 2020, Lauryn gave birth to her and Walker’s son, Kairo, marking the beginning of an intense co-parenting relationship. Then after a brief pause in their romance, the pair reportedly rekindled their previous connection in 2022, with the defender wanting to spend more time with Kairo.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The relationship grew intense once again and in August 2023, Lauryn gave birth to their daughter, Kinara. Annie Kilner, wife of Walker, learnt about Kinara from Lauryn during Christmas last year, when pregnant with her fourth child. In light of these revelations, Walker’s personal life went downhill and his marriage has hit the rocks.

• WHAT LAURYN SAID

  Lauryn on her new podcast, , in a candid conversation with her friend and co-host, Lisa Andrews, discussed her relationship with Walker at length detailing how their connection went beyond mere chance encounters. Addressing assumptions that her pregnancies could have resulted from brief encounters, Goodman disclosed that her diagnosis of endometriosis, a condition that often impacts fertility, made conception difficult and unlikely to occur after a single interaction as she went on to emphasize that her relationship with Walker was a long-term affair.

  Discussing the night she became pregnant with Kinara, Lauryn noted her initial reluctance to see Walker. She explained to her friend Andrews, “The night we conceived Kinara, I actually didn’t want to go meet him. I remember saying to my friend, ‘I really can’t be bothered to go and see him.’”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Walker and Lauryn's relationship has been fraught with legal disputes and consistent clashes. Although Walker currently pays child support for Kairo and Kinara, the arrangement has seen its fair share of contention. As they navigate the legal system and co-parenting dynamics, their personal lives have often captured the attention of fans and tabloids alike.

Misbah-ul-Haq has played down talk of his days as head coach of the Pakistan team being numbered, saying that stakeholders in Pakistan cricket need to avoid “being reactive”. He added that he is hoping that the PCB cricket committee’s summons to him and Waqar Younis is only a discussion to help improve Pakistan cricket and not much more.Misbah has a three-year contract with the PCB but his position – first as chief selector and chief coach and now as only the latter – has come in for scrutiny often in the recent past as losses have piled up for the team, most recently in New Zealand. When the PCB cricket committee meets him on Tuesday, it will be the second review of Misbah’s performance in three months. ESPNcricinfo understands that the review is a routine affair that broadly covers 2020-21 domestic and international season.”There is scrutiny and then there is an analysis of any series, which is how it should be, and I don’t mind it,” Misbah told a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Monday. “But obviously there shouldn’t be any communication gap. We need confidence and continuity with no uncertainty.”Improvement takes time and you can’t be overly reactive with it. We have young players and haven’t got experience in the side and that is why it’s taking some time to get favourable results, and this needs to be understood. I hope this committee isn’t for grilling me, but to help and share what they think needs to be done to get things better for the country.”After Misbah came into the picture, the PCB took several bold decisions, such as removing Sarfaraz Ahmed as captain and dropping him from the team in all three formats. Soon after, Azhar Ali was made the Test captain while Babar Azam was chosen to lead the team in the limited-overs formats. However, after the England series last year, Ali was stripped off the captaincy and Azam made captain in all formats.But with the results not being as good as expected, Misbah’s stocks appear to have taken a hit.”There is always pressure on me being in this post, on the team, or the position in which Waqar is,” Misbah said. “We are indeed disappointed about these results [Pakistan lost the Tests 2-0 and T20Is 2-1 in New Zealand most recently] because this is not on. This is not the result we anticipated. Nobody needs to tell us, we know we need to improve as a team, we know we need to improve as a coaching team to get good results.”But, at the same time, no sportsman in the world can be locked in a room for 19 days and then with just a week of preparation expected to beat a world-class team and that too in their own conditions.”I have no doubt about the commitment of my players. They are giving their best and there are performances we can take forward, but overall it’s not reflecting on the end result and that is where everyone is focusing. There are performances in phases and there were some great fightbacks we saw on the New Zealand tour. I know we are improving and when you judge the series, it doesn’t always give you a true picture.”Prior to the tour of New Zealand, the contingent spent three days in Lahore, got on a flight to Auckland, and then spent 14 days in strict quarantine in Queenstown. The team effectively got six days of training before the first game. Before that, the Pakistani players were in a bio-bubble in England, as well as at home during the final leg of the PSL, the Zimbabwe series, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the National T20s.”Bio-bubbles are affecting players mentally and physically and this isn’t just an excuse but a fact everyone is talking about,” Misbah said. “Moving from one bubble to another and maintaining the quality of cricket and player fitness is becoming a worry. If you look around in the cricket world, coaches like Mark Boucher, Mickey Arthur, Ravi Shastri, they are all facing the same problem.”The preparatory camps aren’t serving the way they used to, and that it affecting the fitness of players. All of this is adding up and eventually reflecting on our performance. We have to find a way out to counter this situation.”

Manchester United and Erik ten Hag continue to prepare for the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, looking to bolster the squad with the aim of returning to Champions League football, after finishing 8th last season.

Reinforcements have already been made, with the signing of highly rated 18-year-old Leny Yoro from Lille, and Bologna's talented forward Joshua Zirkzee, both joining for sizable fees.

But the additions don't look set to stop there, with United still looking to offload a host of players, and bring more players to Old Trafford, including links to another central defender, a central midfielder, and another attacking signing.

Manchester United transfer news

According to a report from Sport, as relayed by CaughtOffside, Manchester United are interested in RB Leipzig attacking midfielder, Dani Olmo this summer. The 26-year-old has also been linked with other Premier League clubs, including Manchester City and Chelsea.

However, reports also suggest Barcelona are 'very much in the race' for his signature, and are confident of winning it, which could cause the heat on this transfer to increase in the coming weeks.

Olmo made 25 appearances in all competitions last season for Leipzig, scoring eight goals, providing five assists, and totaling 1,715 minutes of football. He also impressed at Euro 2024, helping Spain towards the trophy, scoring three goals, and providing two assists along the way.

Olmo comparison to Simons and Bellingham

Using FBref's "similar players" feature, Olmo is compared to two other attacking midfield stars – Xavi Simons from Paris Saint-Germain and Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid.

The Spanish was described as a "genius" for his technical brilliance by Josh Bunting, praising the Spaniard for his ability to find space and deliver moments of quality, referencing his goal against France at Euro 2024.

The 26-year-old Spain international is currently on £152k-per-week, on a contract running until June 2027, according to FBref.

Olmo vs Simons vs Bellingham Comparison

Stats (per 90 mins)

Olmo

Simons

Bellingham

Non-Penalty Goals

0.28

0.25

0.60

Shots Total

2.98

2.69

2.32

Assists

0.28

0.36

0.30

Shot-Creating Actions

3.98

6.07

4.00

Progressive Passes

4.31

6.04

7.22

Progressive Carries

3.92

4.93

3.30

Successful Take-Ons

1.88

2.74

1.88

Key Passes

1.93

2.71

1.96

Stats taken from FBref

Olmo proves to be a good medium between the two of Simons and Bellingham, offering aspects of both in his game. The extra goalscoring ability and shooting volume Olmo offers over Simons, and the extra carry/creative potential (progressive carries) he offers over Bellingham.

He is also an achievable target, compared to Real Madrid's star summer signing last season, and the competition currently for the highly rated PSG man, who will only be allowed to leave on loan.

The 26-year-old would offer a welcome level of goalscoring ability from midfield, as well as that extra bit of creative genius in the attacking third, with his 0.28 assists per 90, his 0.31 xAG (expected assists) per 90, and his 3.98 shot creating actions per 90.

His versatility would also be crucial, as he can feature as a primary attacking midfielder, but has also played off the left and right in attack, allowing him to feature alongside key man and club captain, Bruno Fernandes.

Related Man Utd line up £68m Mainoo partner who's "far less reckless than Ugarte"

The Red Devils’ bid to sign PSG midfielder Ugarte has hit a snag.

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This is why United must now swoop to sign the Euros champion before the summer transfer window officially slams shut at the end of next month.

It was the Lucas Digne and Adrien Rabiot show at San Siro on Sunday as France downed Italy 3-1 to top their Nations League group.

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• France win 3-1 against Italy at San Siro
• Digne has a hand in all three goals
• France top group over Italy on goal difference

• TELL ME MORE

  France and Italy entered their final Nations League A Group 2 clash knowing that they had already secured their place in the two-legged quarter-final of the tournament set to be played in March. However, both sides knew top spot was still up for grabs. While Italy entered the clash with a three-point lead over France, Didier Deschamps' men knew that a two-goal win at San Siro would see them finish first.

  France made a perfect start as Adrien Rabiot scored in the second minute of the game after heading Lucas Digne's corner past Guglielmo Vicario. Despite the shaky start, Italy soon started to attempt to control the game, however, France's heavy press meant Gli Azzurri were unable to do so.

  After a scruffy 30 minutes of play, Christopher Nkunku was brought down by Davide Frattesi outside the Italy box, which prompted France to have their first real attack since Rabiot's goal. Digne stepped up and struck an almost perfect free-kick which hit the underside of Vicario's goalpost, ricocheted into the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper's back and then pinged into the net to give the visitors a two-goal lead.

  However, the healthy advantage didn't last too long as Dimarco and Sandro Tonali combined. The former let in a perfect cross from the by-line which just went over the head of Frattesi but was met by Andrea Cambiaso, who perfectly slotted a volley past Mike Maignan. What followed was a barrage of Italian attacks, however, Luciano Spalletti's men failed to equalize before the half-time whistle.

  And in the second half it was yet another set-piece situation that broke Italy down yet again. Digne and Rabiot recreated a similar move as they had in the second minute of the clash as the defender's pinpoint cross was able to find the Marseille midfielder, who headed the ball past a stranded Vicario.

  The game was then a case of Italy going gung-ho at Maignan's goal as Gli Azzurri knew that reducing their goal difference would mean Italy could take the top spot, however, it wasn't to be as France's 3-1 win was enough for them to finish first.

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  THE MVP

  Deschamps has Digne to thank for the victory over Italy. The Villa star racked up two assists and was very solid defensively against Frattesi and Cambiaso. The Aston Villa left-back has been in top form for Unai Emery's side as well this season and was given a run out at left-back for Les Bleus ahead of Theo Hernandez. The former Barcelona and Everton star may now have put some pressure on Deschamps to consider him as a potential number one for the left-back spot.

• THE BIG LOSER

  Italy's set-piece coaches will need to have a long hard look at the set-up Gli Azzurri use when defending dead-ball situations. The last six goals that Spalletti's team has given up, including all three against France tonight at San Siro, have come from set pieces. Spalletti will need to work out a way to iron out such a big flaw in his team before they take on their quarter-final clash in March.

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• WHAT COMES NEXT?

  Italy and France will now have to wait until November 22 to figure out who they will face off against next in the quarter-final of the Nations League. Thanks to their group win, France will play at Stade de France in the second leg. Meanwhile, Italy will have to play at San Siro in the first leg as they finished as runners-up.

حرص محمد صلاح جناح فريق ليفربول الإنجليزي، على نعي المعلق القدير ميمي الشربيني، وتقديم العزاء لأسرته.

وتوفى أسطورة التعليق ميمي الشربيني اليوم الإثنين الموافق 20 يناير 2025 عن عمر يناهز 86 عامًا.

وعبر حسابه الرسمي على منصة “إكس”، كتب محمد صلاح: “البقاء الله في وفاة المعلق الكبير كابتن ميمي الشربيني خالص العزاء له ولأسرته”.

ميمي الشربيني سبق ولعب للنادي الأهلي المصري بداية من عام 1957 واستمر في صفوفه لمدة تصل إلى 14 عامًا.

وبعد نهاية مسيرته الكروية في الملاعب، اتجه إلى التعليق وكان من أبرز معلقي مصر والوطن العربي.

ويستعد محمد صلاح لخوض مباراة مع ليفربول غدًا الثلاثاء، في منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويلتقي ليفربول وليل ضمن مباريات الجولة السابعة لمرحلة الدوري بـ دوري أبطال أوروبا.

يذكر أن عقد محمد صلاح مع ليفربول ينتهي بنهاية الموسم الجاري ولم يصل بعد لاتفاق لتجديد عقده.

البقاء الله في وفاة المعلق الكبير كابتن ميمي الشربيني خالص العزاء له ولأسرته

— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) January 20, 2025

Ipswich Town's latest transfer business shows off a club that isn't content with just simply making up the numbers in the Premier League and enjoying the ride whilst it happens.

Instead, Kieran McKenna and Co want to stay up and thrive in the top flight if possible.

Splashing the cash to sign the likes of Omari Hutchinson, Jacob Greaves and Liam Delap – with both Delap and Hutchinson costing the Tractor Boys almost £40m alone – the Suffolk club will hope these bold purchases can help them keep their heads above water in the tough top division.

More ambitious buys could be soon on their way, including this potential deal for a new well-rounded midfielder on loan, who is attracting interest from the likes of Inter Milan away from being linked with a switch to Ipswich.

Ipswich contemplating ambitious loan swoop

According to Fabrizio Romano, Ipswich are looking at snapping up the services of breakout Venezia star Tanner Tessman on loan this frantic transfer window, with Inter closing in on a permanent deal to sign him.

The two-time USA international starred last season for his current Italian employers as they successfully won promotion up to Serie A, which has alerted the reigned top-flight champions in Italy to his services, but they will allow him to leave on loan to further cut his teeth.

Feyenoord are also reportedly interested in the skilful 22-year-old, whilst Everton are also actively trying to strike up a deal with Inter, away from Ipswich's keen interest in the midfielder.

What Tessman can offer Ipswich

Tessman could shine at Portman Road next campaign, with the Venezia ace a well-rounded individual who would suit McKenna's gung-ho approach in attack, whilst also enabling the Tractor Boys to have another competent holding midfield partner alongside Sam Morsy.

The 32-year-old Ipswich captain could be a perfect partner for a growing Tessman to lean on in the Premier League, developing his game further, before heading back to Italy to try and make a name for himself at the San Siro.

Wildly described as a player who is like "[Manue] Locatelli and [Declan] Rice rolled into one" by football analyst Ben Mattinson, Tessman starred last campaign as a goalscoring midfield option, but also as a brute force capable of breaking up play from deep, and then orchestrating his own forward moves.

Tessman would score six goals and pick up three assists from 39 Venezia appearances last season on the way to his side's triumphant promotion, but when casting an eye at the table below, he's far more than just a presence who will bag some goals and set up teammates for chances.

Stat – per 90 mins

Tessman

Morsy

Total shots

1.72

0.82

Shot-creating actions

3.32

2.88

Attempted passes

61.70

66.93

Pass completion %

80.2%

84.9%

Progressive passes

6.93

6.77

Progressive carries

1.72

1.20

Successful take-ons

0.92

0.60

Progressive passes received

1.72

1.01

Tackles

1.20

2.86

Interceptions

0.94

0.82

Blocks

1.09

1.27

Clearances

1.80

1.01

Aerials won

1.00

0.72

Tessman actually betters Morsy in a number of their respective defensive areas, averaging more blocks, clearances and aerials won over the last year, with the potential now for the Venezia man to strike up a solid midfield partnership with the Egypt international, if a move gets over the line.

Massimo Luongo is also in the mix in the holding midfield positions, as McKenna starts to have the best possible selection conundrums to solve, as opposed to struggling to have significant depth for the might of the Premier League.

Ipswich would have only dreamed about being linked with the likes of Tessman back when they were swamped in League One, as the Tractor Boys continue to press on and sign more gems for their maiden voyage up to the elite division.

Leif Davis 2.0: Ipswich could target "swashbuckling" star at PL club

Kieran McKenna could strike gold with this Ipswich Town signing if he becomes as exciting to watch as Leif Davis.

1 ByKelan Sarson Jul 15, 2024

With Amadou Onana already heading for the exit door, Everton could yet lose another player amid surprising Champions League interest just one year on from his arrival.

Everton transfer news

The Toffees' transfer window was going a little too well. Jack Harrison returned, whilst Iliman Ndiaye and Tim Iroegbunam arrived. Those at Goodison Park were left waiting for the penny to drop on their summer that was too good to be true and, as it happens, that penny looks set to be worth £50m and cost them Onana with the Belgian set to swap Goodison Park for Aston Villa in a major blow for Sean Dyche.

His exit will at least add to Everton's summer budget, however, which could yet see them land a replacement in the form of Kalvin Phillips before the transfer window slams shut at the end of next month. In pursuit of replacing Onana, they could also raise funds through the sale of another player.

According to Sky Sports' Dharmesh Sheth, via Goodison News, Bologna are now exploring a deal to sign Beto from Everton this summer just one year on from his arrival worth a reported £26m. The forward could somehow fall upwards after a debut campaign to forget and become Bologna's Joshua Zirkzee replacement following his recent move to Manchester United.

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In quite the domino effect, Everton could show their expensive transfer flop the door once and for all in hope of at least making back close to the hefty fee they paid Udinese last summer.

Everton need to move Beto on

Whilst he did manage 10 Serie A goals in 33 games in the season prior to his Everton move, Beto has shown little signs of bursting into similar form at Goodison Park, and after costing £26m whilst earning a reported £50k-a-week, the Toffees have the right to expect a little more. The signs were positive when he first arrived – he even earned the praise of Dyche – but he has since failed to kick on.

Dyche said via The Independent after Beto's debut from the bench against Doncaster Rovers: "We only got his clearance this morning, so we’d already set the team up. I had it in my mind to put him on at half-time regardless.

“He’s adapted very quickly, done very well tonight. With all due respect, the Premier League is different, but he’s shown the rawness, the pace and the effect that he can have on a team. It gives us something different, which is what we brought him here for.”

Alas, after just three Premier League goals in 30 appearances, that "something different" is yet to steal the headlines and if the right offer comes in this summer, Everton should cash in on Beto, even if it means cutting their losses in the process.

Some more of the tourists will be administered the vaccine on February 20

Mohammad Isam18-Feb-2021Tamim Iqbal and Russell Domingo were among several Bangladesh cricketers and support staffers to be administered Covid-19 vaccines in Dhaka on Thursday, ahead of the team’s departure for New Zealand next week to take part in a limited-overs international series.Soumya Sarkar was the first to be vaccinated at the Kurmitola General Hospital, followed by Iqbal, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Naim and Taskin Ahmed, followed by the contingent of support staffers – special arrangements had been made for the overseas coaches, since they don’t have the Bangladeshi national ID that is mandatory to be eligible for the vaccine. BCB director Jalal Yunus, who will travel with the team, was also among those vaccinated.Some more of the cricketers who are travelling to New Zealand will be administered the vaccine on February 20, and the BCB will make arrangements for more vaccines to be administered, if needed, after the tour.Speaking afterwards, Iqbal admitted to being apprehensive about taking the vaccine to start with. “The thing about vaccinations is that if you know how helpful it is for you then I think your fear will go. I will not deny that I was afraid,” he said. “I was not sure whether to take it or not. But after talking to the BCB and finding out that it is normal to have symptoms, it made sense to take it.”The app was also launched at the same time in the presence of health minister Zahid Maleque and BCB president Nazmul Hassan, and Sarkar was the first to use it.Ahmed urged people from his country to get the vaccination done at the earliest. “I am feeling quite good after being inoculated,” he told . “There’s no physical problem yet. I would like to thank the honourable prime minister and BCB for making it so easily available for us. I urge everyone to be vaccinated. The app has also made it a simpler process.”More than one million Bangladeshis have taken the vaccine since the government rolled it out earlier this month.

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni admits he's not sure if a Finalissima against Spain will happen due to a congested fixture schedule.

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Argentina due to play Spain in FinalissimaDate for match yet to be fixedScaloni doesn't think it will happenFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Spain and Argentina have been slated to meet in the 2025 edition of the Finalissima which will see the Euro 2024 winners take on the Copa America champions. The game will also see Lionel Messi come up against Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal, who has regularly been compared to the Argentine star, and who is currently playing a starring role at his former club.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

No decision has yet been made on where or when the Finalissima will take place and there's no doubt it will be tricky to find suitable space on a congested fixture calendar to find room. Argentina boss Scaloni has admitted that he is sceptical whether the game will even take place due to the heavy workload players are facing currently.

WHAT SCALONI SAID

He told reporters: "The Finalissima next year is not easy, because Spain is playing in the World Cup qualifiers. Given the schedule, I don’t see it happening. We’ll see. We go into the match [against Peru] with the feeling that we have been together a lot, when before we saw them very little. If you add to that the matches with their clubs, where they have not had a break… It is a topic that is being talked about a lot. Since June we have played a lot."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT

Fans will have to wait and see if a solution can be found for the game to be played. There has been speculation the Finalissima could even be pushed back until 2026, the same year as the next World Cup which will be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and could then be played in New York.