Former England captain withdraws from Test Match Special following internal criticism

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2022

Michael Vaughan has made the decision “step back from work with the BBC”, almost two weeks after being charged over the Yorkshire racism scandal, and will not be part of the Test Match Special commentary team for next week’s delayed fifth Test against India.Vaughan was dropped from last winter’s Ashes coverage after being implicated in Azeem Rafiq’s testimony about the culture of institutional racism at Yorkshire, but was restored to broadcasting duties for the recent three-Test series against New Zealand.That move, however, has caused disquiet for the BBC Sport’s Black, Asian and minority ethnic group, which last week sent an internal email criticising the “totally inexcusable” decision to re-employ Vaughan, whom Rafiq claims told a group of Asian players in 2009 that there were “too many of you lot, we need to do something about it”.That alleged comment led to Vaughan becoming one of seven Yorkshire players to be charged by the ECB’s Cricket Discipline Commission with bringing the game into disrepute.On Tuesday evening, Vaughan responded to the criticism by releasing a statement on Twitter.”On numerous occasions, I have put on record my views on the issues concerning YCCC,” Vaughan wrote. “It is always regrettable when commentary on matters off the field take the focus away from what’s happening on the field. In view of the ongoing dialogue on the subject, I have taken the decision to step back from my work with the BBC for the time being.”The key driver for this is my concern for the wellbeing of my family members and my wish to protect their family life. Stepping back temporarily is also in the interests of the game and I hope that it will minimise any difficulties for my work colleagues.”The BBC responded in a statement: “Following conversations with Michael Vaughan we have accepted his decision to step away from our cricket coverage. This is a decision we respect and understand. Michael remains under contract to the BBC.”

England seamer impresses on comeback after Dane Paterson, James Pattinson share all 10

ECB Reporters Network27-Jul-2022Nottinghamshire 240 and 284 for 7 (Hameed 94, James 56, Robinson 3-55) lead Sussex 143 (Paterson 5-43, Pattinson 5-56) by 381 runsEngland’s Ollie Robinson increased his wickets haul to seven in the match but Nottinghamshire were in full control at the halfway stage of their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Sussex.Robinson proved deadly with the new ball for the second time, reducing the Division Two leaders to 40 for 3 in their second innings. But after Haseeb Hameed made 94 and Lyndon James 56, Nottinghamshire finished on 284 for 7, with a lead of 381.Earlier, Nottinghamshire pace bowlers James Pattinson and Dane Paterson finished with five wickets each as Sussex, who sit next to bottom of the table, were bowled out for 143 in reply to Nottinghamshire’s first innings 240.To add to their woes, any points take from this match – they have three thus far – may be lost, as they stand at minus six on their over-rate.Nottinghamshire needed just under an hour first thing to take the final five Sussex wickets, the key breakthrough coming in the sixth over when Paterson trapped Cheteshwar Pujara with an inswinging ball that was too good even for a player of the Indian Test star’s calibre.His wicket, ending a partnership worth 71, more than compensated the South African bowler for a chance missed earlier when Archie Lenham, the 18-year-old son of Neil Lenham and grandson of Les, who had battled courageously alongside Pujara in the face of a high class attack, was put down at second slip.With Pujara gone, Paterson and Pattinson ripped through the remainder so quickly that all five wickets fell for 23 runs in the space of 34 deliveries.Pattinson removed Lenham for a gutsy 31, the youngster looking disappointed to be given out leg before after the ball rolled away to third slip. Robinson was strangled down the leg side, prompting Luke Fletcher to appear alongside Pattinson to congratulate him on his first five-wicket haul of the season.Not to be outdone, Paterson knocked out Sean Hunt’s off stump before having Ari Karvelas plainly leg-before to finish with 5 for 43, Pattinson having taken 5 for 56.As on day one of a breathtakingly fast-moving contest, Robinson came up with a superb opening spell as Sussex, trailing by 97 on first innings, made early inroads.Again, his fourth and fifth overs were productive as Ben Slater, Ben Duckett and Joe Clarke departed in the space of six deliveries, the last-named pair without scoring.Slater went after a short ball with little chance of controlling the shot and was caught at fine leg. Duckett was caught behind off an inside edge before Clarke, offering no shot, was lbw to a ball that kept low.If they had winkelled out Hameed at that point, Sussex might have felt they were back in the contest but the sometime England opener, closing on 1,000 first-class runs in a season for the first time since his sensational breakthrough year at Lancashire in 2016, looked in splendid touch.A superbly timed straight drive for four in Robinson’s opening over was evidence of that and by the time he pulled Brad Currie to the fence for his ninth boundary he had 50 from 71 balls. Having seen the back of Robinson for a while, he and James added 138 in 33 overs.Hameed missed out on a hundred when a ball from Hunt, the 20-year-old left-armer, nipped away to have him caught behind. In his best spell of the match, Hunt also dismissed James, lbw trying to work him to leg.Currie removed Tom Moores shortly after tea with another delivery that found the edge and Steven Mullaney, whose 70 was the key innings in Nottinghamshire’s first innings, added another 42 before he was leg before sweeping another 18-year-old, the left-arm spinner.Pattinson and Liam Patterson-White added 34 before bad light brought the close forward by two overs.

It’s been a tough season for Arsenal so far this year.

Instead of battling it atop the Premier League table with Manchester City, Mikel Arteta’s side currently find themselves down in third place, six points off Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

However, while the Gunners have certainly been less impressive than in previous campaigns, they’ve also suffered their fair share of injuries and had to do without Martin Odegaard for quite some time.

The Norwegian’s impact on the team cannot be understated, so recent reports linking the club with someone who could be an upgrade on him should excite fans, especially as the player in question has previously won comparisons to the legendary Dennis Bergkamp.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in Atalanta star Charles De Ketelaere.

Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that Liverpool, West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Manchester City and Aston Villa are also all keen on the Belgian playmaker.

While this level of interest is far from ideal for Arteta and Co, the good news is that it may not cost them too much to get their man, with the story revealing that he’s valued at around £40m.

It could still be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given De Ketelaere’s sensational ability, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as he’s been compared to Bergkamp and could even be an upgrade on Odegaard.

De Ketelaere's comparisons to Bergkamp & Odegaard

Okay, before we get onto the comparisons between De Ketelaere and Odegaard, let’s examine the ones to Bergkamp.

Well, there are a few ways in which the Belgian mirrors the iconic Dutchman, and the first is that he, too, struggled at the San Siro, producing a single assist in 40 games for AC Milan.

In comparison, the former Arsenal ace left Inter with a better but still middling haul of 34 goal involvements in 72 games.

Moreover, while the non-Flying Dutchman went on to excel once he left Inter, the young Belgian has done the same, only with another team in Italy.

Another similarity between the pair is where they play, as, like the former Invincible, the Atalanta gem can play in multiple positions but clearly favours forward areas and attacking midfield.

Furthermore, it’s not just us making this claim either, as only a couple of years ago, Italian journalist Paolo Condo told Sky Sports Italia that “he reminds me of another great: Dennis Bergkamp.”

With that said, the final and incredibly important reason he has shades of Bergkamp about him is the same reason he could even be an upgrade on Odegaard: his output.

For example, in just 23 appearances this season, a good chunk of which have come in attacking midfield, the “magical” phenom, as dubbed by Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, has scored eight goals and provided nine assists, equating to a sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.35 games for the Bergamo outfit.

In contrast, the Gunners’ mercurial captain has only scored once and provided five assists in 13 appearances this season, which comes to a still impressive but nonetheless worse average of a goal involvement every 2.6 games.

Now, the former Real Madrid gem’s season has obviously been hampered by injuries, and he offers more to the North Londoners than just pure output. Even so, the difference is stark.

Ultimately, while he likely won’t go on to be as legendary as Bergkamp, there are undeniable shades of the Dutchman in De Ketelaere’s game, and he certainly seems good enough to challenge the Gunners’ captain.

Therefore, Arsenal should be doing all they can to secure the Belgian’s signature as soon as possible before someone beats them to it.

Arsenal struck gold selling star who Arteta said was "something special"

The talented player netted Arsenal a big payday.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 20, 2024

Graham Potter has been hired as the new West Ham United manager, following the dismissal of Julen Lopetegui, after a poor start to the 2024/25 Premier League season left the Hammers 14th after 20 games played.

One area that West Ham have struggled in so far this season is the middle of the park, lacking mobility to cover ground, often leaving big gaps between their two lines of pressure, with the midfield either too deep to help the forward line, or too advanced, making them unable to recover the large distances.

This has had a negative effect on their off-ball principles, leading to 2024 being their worst defensive year since 1967.

West Ham conceded 79 goals in 2024, the most in the Premier League during that calendar year. This alone could be enough for Potter to ask for reinforcement in central areas, in order to change their out-of-possession principles and improve those numbers.

The midfielder West Ham could sign

According to reports from The Daily Mail, West Ham are interested in out-of-favour Chelsea star, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. According to the report, Potter wants to strengthen his midfield options in January, and the Chelsea man could be a perfect way to do so.

With the 26-year-old only joining the Blues this summer for a fee of around £30m, Chelsea look like they are already willing to let Dewsbury-Hall leave the club, having fallen behind in the pecking order to multiple midfielders in Maresca’s plans.

The former Leicester ace has made 15 appearances in all competitions so far this season, scoring two goals, providing one assist and totalling 857 minutes played.

Dewsbury-Hall vs Paqueta comparison

Lucas Paqueta has been subject to criticism this season, making 21 appearances, scoring three goals and totalling 1,440 minutes so far.

But the main sources of criticism have come due to his lack of assists (0) in comparison to the number of times the Brazilian gives the ball away per game.

Dewsbury-Hall, whilst having an expansive passing range, will keep it simple in order to retain possession, and could therefore offer Potter another midfield option to keep things tidy and help the functionality of his side.

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The Englishman’s ex-manager, Brendan Rodgers, labelled Dewsbury-Hall a “special player” back in 2022, and that same skill set is clearly still there when we look at the numbers.

Dewsbury-Hall vs Paqueta

Stats (per 90 mins)

Dewsbury-Hall

Paqueta

Goals

0.27

0.19

Assists

0.00

0.00

xG

0.19

0.24

xAG

0.19

0.13

Progressive Carries

2.71

0.72

Progressive Passes

8.31

5.29

Key Passes

2.37

1.50

Shot-Creating Actions

5.76

3.46

Tackles + Interceptions

1.50

3.33

Stats taken from FBref

When comparing their metrics from this season, you have to take into account that the Chelsea ace has played the majority of his minutes in the UEFA Conference League, in comparison to the Brazilian who has played the majority of his minutes in the Premier League.

Having said that, Dewsbury-Hall is outperforming the Irons star in many metrics, providing more progressive carries per 90, more shot-creating actions and more expected assists (xAG), whilst still offering the work-rate and mobility desired in midfield.

Whilst Paqueta is seen as the bigger talent between the two, the simplicity that Dewsbury-Hall could add to their midfield, along with that extra mobility needed and hard-working mentality, allowing Potter to implement new out-of-possession ideas at a faster rate, hopefully allowing the Hammers to get some points on the board.

Related Dream Potter signing: West Ham could sign "one of the most exciting CFs"

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Posts ByConnor Holden Jan 8, 2025

Everton are now looking to inject some pace into their side as they open talks over a potential January addition for Sean Dyche, it has been reported.

Everton struggling for results

With just one win in their last 11 Premier League games, Everton are drifting towards the relegation zone once more. The Toffees have picked up credible draws against Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal in that run, but back to back defeats and a tough fixture list ahead has left the club looking nervously over their shoulder, with just a point separating themselves from Wolves and Ipswich, who occupy 17th and 18th place.

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Brighton (Away)

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Crystal Palace (Away)

With the January transfer window now open, Everton have a chance to strengthen their ranks ahead of another attempt at a great escape in the second half of the campaign, but it may not be as easy as that. Speaking to the media at the turn of the year, Dyche admitted he was not hopeful for new faces in the winter window despite the club takeover.

The Toffees had been linked with a move for winger Jaden Philogene, but that move has since broken down with Ipswich closing in on his signing. However, fresh reports have claimed that Everton have identified a potential bargain, and have opened talks over bringing him to Goodison Park before the end of the month.

Everton in talks with Premier League midfielder

That comes courtesy of Caught Offside, who report that Everton have opened talks to sign Jakub Moder from Brighton ahead of the January transfer deadline.

The Polish midfielder has been restricted to just three Premier League appearances so far this season under Fabian Hurzeler, totalling just eight minutes of action.

Now down to the final six months of his £10,000 a week deal at the Amex Stadium, he is thought to be keen to leave in search of more regular minutes, while Brighton for their part are also keen to cash in on the 25-year-old rather than lose him for free at the end of the season.

Everton made "important bid" to sign massive upgrade on Dwight McNeil

Everton are in talks to sign Aston Villa winger Jaden Philogene, with a permanent deal most-likely, as the Blues aim to bolster their forward options.

ByBen Gray Jan 8, 2025

To that end, the report claims that relegation candidates Everton and Leicester City are both keen to land him this transfer window as the pair seek more midfield reinforcements. Able to play as a number six, central midfielder or creative midfielder, the Toffees are “in talks” over a potential move to land the Brighton man on a cut-price deal.

Though not renowned for his goalscoring threat, one thing that Moder would certainly provide is pace. According to last season’s statistics, the Poland international was the fifth fastest player in the Premier League, clocking up an impressive top speed of 36.84KM/H, higher than the likes of Anthony Gordon, Callum Hudson Odoi and Gabriel Martinelli.

That speed would also make him faster than anyone in the Everton squad this season, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin the quickest player Dyche can currently call upon, and his top speed a full 2 kilometres an hour below that of Moder’s from last season. Bringing fresh energy to the Toffees, could Moder prove a low-cost gem for Dyche’s side?

Chelsea star Cole Palmer delivered a hilarious "just a Sunday League player" response to claims that his dad taught him everything he knows.

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Manchester native showed early potentialLeft City for Stamford Bridge in 2023Now an award-winning England internationalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

In his early years, Palmer spent many happy hours working with his father in their family garden. It was there that he honed the skills that would one day make him a Premier League hero and senior England international.

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Natural ability obviously played a part, with the Manchester native showing enough potential to join the academy ranks at City from Under-8 level. He went on to take in 41 appearances under Pep Guardiola, before heading to Stamford Bridge in 2023.

DID YOU KNOW?

Palmer has become a talismanic presence in west London, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award in his debut campaign, and the plan is – at just 22 years of age – to take his game to even greater heights.

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WHAT COLE PALMER SAID

While enjoying another kickabout with his father, smirking Palmer said on the ‘The New Generation’ documentary series from Amazon Prime after learning that his dad was claiming to have taught him how to become a star: "Nah, he did teach me but… he’s just a Sunday League player, it’s not like he was good."

With the January transfer window rolling on, Manchester City have reportedly received a first answer in their pursuit of a much-needed defensive reinforcement for Pep Guardiola.

Man City transfer news

Whilst the Citizens have finally returned to winning ways of late, there’s no taking away from the fact that it’s been their worst season under Guardiola and that they desperately need fresh faces.

It has, therefore, come as little shock to see their club dominate the transfer headlines in the first 11 days of the window, with names such as Omar Marmoush already mentioned.

The Eintracht Frankfurt forward has been one of the most in-form players in European football so far this season and has attracted Manchester City’s growing interest as a result.

In a deal that would finally ease the responsibility on Erling Haaland to be the sole goalscorer of City’s side, Marmoush could arrive to turn their campaign around.

Looking elsewhere, those at the Etihad certainly have the funds to welcome fresh faces having resisted the urge to splash the cash in the summer transfer window after winning a fourth straight Premier League title, with another target including a young defender.

After Marmoush: Man City chase £70m ace who's "very similar to Bellingham"

After Omar Marmoush, Manchester City are looking to further raid Eintracht Frankfurt for a highly-rated midfielder compared to Jude Bellingham.

ByBen Gray Jan 10, 2025

According to Ben Jacobs, Manchester City are still optimistic that they’ll sign Vitor Reis despite seeing their opening bid rejected by Palmeiras. The Brazilian side reportedly want to keep hold of their defender for the Club World Cup, but it remains to be seen whether City’s confidence will deny them that opportunity this month.

Reis, of course, doesn’t seem to be the only defender of interest, with Abdukodir Khusanov also reportedly edging closer to a mid-season switch to the Premier League champions.

"Thiago Silva heir" Reis is one for the future

Still just 18 years old, Reis is not a player expected to make an instant impact on Manchester City’s backline. Crucially, however, he would instantly provide Guardiola with a star for the future in what is an otherwise ageing defence. Dubbed “Brazil’s heir to Thiago Silva” by analyst Ben Mattinson back in October, the teenager is certainly highly rated.

Given that John Stones is now 30 years old and often struggling on the injury front, welcoming an eventual replacement in Reis alongside Khusanov would represent the type of intelligent move that the Premier League has become familiar with at Manchester City.

But after seeing their first offer knocked back, City must go again.

MatériaMais Notícias

Com o torcedor da Ponte Preta ainda tentando esquecer o rebaixamento no Campeonato Paulista, finalmente teve motivos para comemorar. Na tarde deste sábado, no estádio Moisés Lucarelli, pela 3ª rodada Brasileirão Série B, conquistou sua primeira vitória na competição, diante do CRB, com Lucca marcando ainda na etapa inicial dando números finais em 1 a 0.

Sendo assim, a equipe comandada por Hélio dos Anjos chegou aos 4 pontos, pulando para a 8ª colocação, enquanto o time comandado por Marcelo Cabo, por conta do revés, caiu para a 17ª posição com apenas 1 ponto.

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>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

JOGO EQUILIBRADO NO INÍCIO

Mesmo jogando sob seus domínios, a equipe da Ponte Preta não conseguiu impor sua força sobre o CRB nos primeiros minutos. Até meados dos 10 minutos, apesar de tentar manter mais a posse de bola, viu o adversário conseguir chegar à sua área, porém as tentativas de ambos os lados pouco deram trabalho aos goleiro Caíque França e Diogo Silva, respectivamente.

LUCCA ABRE A CONTAGEM

Na sequência, o time da casa passou a ditar o ritmo em campo. Com isso, aos 24 minutos, após lindo passe de calcanhar de Ramon para Norberto, o lateral rolou para Lucca, sem marcação, mandar para o fundo das redes no cantinho.

Mais tranquilo em campo, o time de Hélio dos Anjos passou a cadenciar o jogo. Sem sofrer pressão por parte do Galo, que pouco chegava ao seu campo de ataque, apenas aguardou o término da etapa inicial.

PONTE SEGUIA MELHOR

Mesmo com Marcelo Cabo promovendo uma troca no intervalo, os mandantes mantiveram o mesmo ritmo da primeira etapa. Até meados dos 15 minutos, conseguiu criar as melhores chances com Ramon e Luís Otávio, sendo esse último substituído momentos depois.

Até os 25 minutos, com novas trocas realizadas pelos dois comandantes, o foco no CRB foi aumentar seu poder ofensivo, enquanto a intenção na Macaca foi reforçar seu meio-campo.

RETA FINAL DE DUELO

Já nos momentos finais, com Hélio e Marcelo apostando suas últimas fichas, o CRB até esboçou uma reação. Entretanto, mesmo mantendo a posse de bola, pouco conseguiu criar jogadas para assustar o goleiro Caíque França, dando a deixa a arbitragem colocar um ponto final no jogo com vitória e alívio da torcida da equipe de Campinas.

FICHA TÉCNICA
PONTE PRETA 1×0 CRB

Data e horário: 23/04/2022, às 16h (de Brasília)
​Local: Moisés Lucarelli, em Campinas (SP)
Árbitro:Ramon Abatti Abel (SC)
Assistentes:Henrique Neu Ribeiro (SC) e Helton Nunes (SC)
VAR:Héber Roberto Lopes (SC)

Cartões Amarelos: Lucca, 15’/1ºT; Ramon Carvalho, 37’/1ºT; Wallace, 2’/2ºT; Norberto, 6’/2ºT; Wallisson, 26’/2ºT Hélio dos Anjos, 26’/2ºT

Gols: Lucca, 23’/1ºT (1-0);

PONTE PRETA:Caíque França; Norberto (Bernardo, aos 33’/2ºT), Thiago Oliveira, Fábio Sanches e Artur; Amaral (Wesley Fraga, aos 21’/2ºT), Léo Naldi e Ramon (Wallisson, aos 21’/2ºT); Echaporã (Nicolas, aos 12’/2ºT), Lucca e Danilo Gomes.
(Técnico: Hélio dos Anjos)

CRB:Diogo Silva; Raul Prata, Gum, Iago Mendonça, Guilherme Romão; Marthã (Reginaldo, 38’/2ºT), Wallace (Gustavo Apis, aos 20’/2ºT) e Vico (David Brall, no intervalo); Richard (Gabriel Conceição, 30’/2ºT), Fabinho (Wesley, aos 20’/2ºT) e Anselmo Ramon.
(Técnico: Marcelo Cabo)

Paul Mullin has been told that he is already “fifth choice at best” and needs to consider a transfer away from Wrexham as “teams move on”.

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• Talismanic presence across meteoric rise
• Faces fierce competition for places
• Summer move is being speculated on

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 30-year-old frontman has been a talismanic presence for the Red Dragons across their meteoric rise under Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Mullin has registered 110 goals through 172 appearances.

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  He has, however, slipped down the pecking order in 2024-25. With record signing Sam Smith and one-cap England international Jay Rodriguez added to Phil Parkinson’s squad in January, Mullin is finding it difficult to make matchday squads.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Questions are being asked of whether a fresh start should be sought this summer, especially if Wrexham secure promotion into the Championship, with it difficult to see how Mullin works his way back into contention.

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  WHAT FORMER EFL STAR SAID

  Former EFL star Joe Jacobson has told of the position that Mullin finds himself in: “Teams just move on, players move on. People jumped on the Wrexham bandwagon a few years ago in the National League and he was one of those players, like Elliot Lee, who dropped down and probably shouldn't have done. They were better than the level. But you understand why they did it. They moved out the players that were there and, all of a sudden, they're at the top end of League One and there are players moving those guys out.

  “So, I don't necessarily think he needs to be there, because if they go to the Championship, then they'll sign again. They'll go big again and he's already fifth choice at best at the minute and if they sign more, then that's only going to go down. For his own sake, does he want to stay at a club where he is not really playing very much?”

Celtic are “highly likely” to complete the signing of a “special” player during the January transfer window, according to a claim from former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

Latest Celtic news

The Hoops continue to be linked with potential new signings in January, as Brendan Rodgers looks to give his side the best possible chance of glory across all competitions in the second half of the season.

Manchester City youngster James McAtee has been mentioned as an option for Celtic, with the 22-year-old not managing to force his way into Pep Guardiola’s plans in recent months, despite their huge struggles in the Premier League. The attacking midfielder could be a great signing for the Scottish Premiership champions, adding real quality in the final third and making them an even more fearsome attacking proposition.

There are two other Premier League players who the Hoops are eyeing up, too, with Chelsea pair Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka seen as options next month. Both midfielders have found it hard to enjoy regular playing time for the Blues this season, with the likes of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia all preferred in the middle of the park.

Meanwhile, Brondby forward Mathias Kvistgaarden has also been backed to seal a move to Celtic, potentially coming in and providing more competition in the attacking third.

Celtic "highly likely" to sign "special" ace

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Robinson claimed that Celtic are “highly likely” to seal a reunion with Kieran Tierney in January:

“It’s achievable. That’s probably what both parties would want, even Arsenal wouldn’t stand in his way. Like you say, injuries, not playing, he’s not been part of Mikel Arteta’s squad going forward. [Him leaving] frees that space up in Arsenal’s squad, [and] for Tierney, it’s a great fit. For Celtic, it seems a great fit. That one looks like it’s got highly likely potential of happening in January.”

Bringing Tierney back to Celtic should be seen as a no-brainer, considering the quality he possesses, and what a popular player he was at Parkhead during his first stint there.

Things haven’t quite panned out the way the left-back would have hoped for, in terms of being first-choice, but Mikel Arteta has still heaped praise on him during his time at the Emirates, saying:

“I am really looking forward to working with him and giving him the opportunity to play. His attitude, his commitment, his willingness it’s incredible. I think he’s going to bring something special to us.”

Still only 27, Tierney could remain a key man for Celtic for another five or six years, and he could cement further legendary status if he returns and helps inspire the Hoops to many more trophy wins, after claims he would accept a pay cut to move back to Parkhead.

Celtic make enquiry over signing "outstanding" £20m Premier League player

Brendan Rodgers is eyeing a midfielder this January.

ByDominic Lund Dec 28, 2024

The idea of getting more regular football will surely appeal to the Scotland international, too, as he looks to reignite his career and enjoy his peak years, rather than growing stagant at Arsenal.