Tottenham legend Ledley King has privately told Spurs chiefs to make a transfer swoop this summer.

Spurs want to sign new defenders for Postecoglou

Despite already bringing in Radu Dragusin from Genoa for £25 million in January, reports in the last few weeks suggest that Ange Postecoglou's defence could look very different next season.

Club determined to sign Tottenham player as chiefs already open talks

They’re making moves behind-the-scenes pre-summer.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 19, 2024

Indeed, Postecoglou has already expressed the club's wish to bring in another centre-back, as the Lilywhites head coach claims it's an area which needs further reinforcement.

“If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at”, said Postecoglou on Spurs signing another centre-back.

“With all these things, it’s about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club. So it’s not just numbers. It’s more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit in to what we’re trying to build here.

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“I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That is planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment.

“We’re a squad that needs to develop, and we’re looking for that younger demographic. But at the same time you’re looking for guys that have played."

As well as at centre-back, Spurs are identifying potential full-back signings, with Postecoglou believed to want alternatives to star defensive duo Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie. The pair have been crucial to Tottenham's success under Postecoglou and are a major foundation of their push for Champions League qualification next season, but there are arguably few quality alternatives to the duo behind them.

Emerson Royal stands out as the only choice behind Porro, while questions surround the longevity of Ben Davies at left-back and the torrid injury record of Ryan Sessegnon.

Tottenham told to sign Ben Johnson by Ledley King

Now, according to Football Transfers, Spurs legend King has told Tottenham to sign West Ham defender Ben Johnson to help fix their lack of depth at full-back.

The Englishman, who is now attracting interest from Tottenham as a result, is out of contract at the end of this season and could join the club for free. Former West Ham staff member Stuart Pearce highly rates the 24-year-old from their time together in east London as well.

"He's a wonderful professional to deal with and work with," said Pearce on the £20,000-a-week defender.

"We're very proud to have him out of our academy system as well, which is a real plus for us, especially with the connection to this club with the academy. I think he's just developing and getting better and better, and like with all young players, the more game time they have, the better they'll get, so I am delighted for the boy."

The north London side have been gradually building an extremely exciting, young squad over the past few summers

It doesn't take a genius to work out Tottenham's priorities for this summer's transfer window. So far, Spurs have added three 18-year-olds to their squad: Archie Gray from Leeds, Lucas Bergvall from Djurgarden (who agreed his move in January) and Yang Min-hyeok from Gangwon FC. Meanwhile, veterans Eric Dier, Tanguy Ndombele and Ivan Perisic have all moved in the other direction.

Last season, Ange Postecoglou helped breathe new life into a club that had seemingly lost its identity, trusting in a crop of young players to help navigate the post-Harry Kane era. And those in charge of recruitment in north London have only expedited the process of youthful regeneration over the past few months.

What made Tottenham's transfer activity especially noteworthy is the rival clubs they were able to fend off to secure their priority targets this summer. Gray had looked all set to join Brentford, only to be wooed by Spurs at the eleventh hour, amid interest from Chelsea too. Bergvall, meanwhile, turned down Barcelona's advances in January in favour of life under 'Big Ange', and 17-year-old centre-back Luka Vuskovic will arrive next summer after Spurs beat Manchester City to his signing in September 2023.

Clearly Tottenham are now adept at presenting themselves as the ideal home for world football's top young talent. Just how have they managed to do this, though, and what does it mean for Postecoglou and Co ahead of the new season?

• Getty Images
  

  Acceleration of existing strategy

  While Spurs' teenager-filled transfer window represents an extreme break with the past, there has been a gradual move towards a more youthful recruitment policy over the past few years. In summer 2021, Matt Doherty, Gareth Bale, Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg and Carlos Vinicius were all over 24 when they signed.

  Then, ahead of the following summer's window, Fabio Paratici took over as managing director. Under the Italian's stewardship, there was a clear move away from these practices, with Bryan Gil (20), Emerson Royal (22), Pape Matar Sarr (18) and Cristiano Romero (23) their marquee additions during his first summer.

  In 2022-23, the age profiles were generally a little higher, as Spurs sought to compete in the Champions League under Antonio Conte, though this was offset by Destiny Udogie (19) and Djed Spence (21) arriving for significant fees. Last season's windows followed a similar pattern with the recruitment of Brennan Johnson (22), Pedro Porro (23), Micky van de Ben (22), Radu Dragusin (21), Alejo Veliz (19) and Ashley Phillips (18).

  In short, Tottenham were buying young players for some time before this summer. However, it appears that some backroom manoeuvring, necessitated by Paratici becoming involved in the Juventus amortisation scandal, has resulted in Spurs narrowing their focus even further on the potential stars of tomorrow.

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• Getty Images
  

  What's been said

  The back-office shakeup led to ex-Aston Villa executive Johan Lange being made technical director in October 2023. Upon his unveiling, Spurs were eager to talk up his track record in youth recruitment, and it's a reputation that's proved justified in his first few months in charge of transfers.

  Speaking after completing the Bergvall transfer back in February, Lange expanded a little on Tottenham's plan in the market. "First of all we want to be a destination for the best young talent out there," he explained. "That can be talent coming into our academy in the foundation phase, or later being developed [when] coming through the academy. Or, as in the case, of Lucas it can be a player we decide to try to buy from a club abroad, in this case Djugardens."

  Lange added: "We're completely aligned as a club on how we want to build the squad over the coming years, which is hugely important. But this is not only about Ange or myself, this is a club strategy, a club alignment and Ange and myself have been brought in in different roles to execute this."

  This "alignment" in priorities has been pretty clear this summer. When selling themselves to their young targets, being able to point to their track record of recruiting youthfully will have been a useful in making themselves stand out among the crowd. This isn't just PR bluster; Spurs really do want to make themselves place for the stars of tomorrow.

• Getty Images
  

  Academy stars

  Tottenham's emphasis on young players isn't restricted to their recruitment strategy, either. This bold transfer approach has been accompanied by the emergence of their most exciting crop of academy players in recent memory.

  Without doubt, the crown jewel is Mikey Moore. The 16-year-old forward already boasts a hatful of goals at youth level for club and country, and he's been turning heads in pre-season too, netting a superb, solo strike against Hearts in July. He's already being described as Harry Kane's spiritual successor and Spurs look set to fend off interest from Manchester United in their teenage sensation.

  Spurs' strength at age-group level is also reflected in the Under-21s lifting the Premier League 2 title last season, with squad members Jamie Donley, Will Lankshear and Jude Soonsup-Bell all nominated for the Player of the Season award. Lankshear – plucked from Sheffield United as a teenager – would eventually lift that gong, with his own pre-season performances likely to see him earn first-team involvement in some capacity this campaign.

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  Ideal position to be in

  All of the above would seem to leave Tottenham in a strong position on the pitch moving forward. And it's not hard to see why they've adopted this future-first approach. Realistically, there is a cartel of European clubs – revenue-generating giants like Real Madrid and state-owned outfits such as Manchester City – that Tottenham will never be able to compete with in the transfer market. This precludes them from signing top talent that are entering or are in their peak years.

  As a result, it makes sense to position themselves as the leading destination for developing footballers. They have taken steps over the past 12 months to ensure this is the case. Not only does the club's new stadium give Tottenham similar revenue-raising power to Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, the appointment of Postecoglou has given them an exciting, coherent and distinct playing identity.

  Combine that with the club's state-of-the-art training facilities and it's little wonder that the likes of Gray and Bergvall turned down proposals from traditionally 'bigger clubs'. It's now easy for these types of players to see a bright future at Tottenham.

It remains just about possible – if Jofra Archer makes a late bid for selection on Wednesday – that England could go into the third Test in Port Elizabeth with six players under the age of 25. They have only done that once before*.It is a statistic that underlines the period of transition in which this England side find itself. Whether by design or not – in a perfect world, the side might well contain James Anderson, Rory Burns and Moeen Ali or Jack Leach – England are in a rebuilding phase. An investment has been made into young players. They are likely to be given time to develop.At the heart of this young side is Ollie Pope. While some of the other young players – Zak Crawley and Dom Bess, for example – are taking advantage of the misfortunate of first-choice players, Pope is a first-choice pick. In the eyes of most of the England management, he is the most promising specialist batsman to come into the Test team since Joe Root in 2012. There are whispered hopes he will develop into a 100-Test player.ALSO READ: Botham, Flintoff, Stokes – who is England’s greatest?</aSuch was Pope’s promise that he was first selected for the Test side when just 20. By then he had played 15 first-class games and scored four first-class centuries. That is, in context, only two fewer than Jos Buttler in his 104 match first-class career.But England, bursting with men who could bat in the middle-order, asked Pope to fulfil a role that was unfamiliar to him. Despite batting at No. 6 for Surrey, despite never having come in before the 20th over of a first-class innings, he was required to bat at No. 4 on Test debut. In his first three innings he came into bat in the ninth, 13th and 12th overs. Unsurprisingly, he struggled. Perhaps more surprisingly in these days of continuity of selection, he was dropped after those three innings despite the fact one of his dismissals was down the leg side.But if the use of Pope was wrong, the identification of his talent was surely correct. He has, at the time of writing, an average of 71.31 in first-class cricket for Surrey and 58.06 in all first-class cricket. After 30 games, he had a higher first-class average than any English player in history.But for a dislocated shoulder, sustained while fielding for Surrey last April, his recall would have come earlier than November. But as it is, he has been assured of a run at No. 6 – the position Root started out in Test cricket – and, over his last few innings, started to provide returns on that investment. Two of his three most recent innings have been half-centuries, with the first, in Hamilton, showcasing an improved tightness in his game and the second, in Cape Town, providing something of a masterclass in batting with the tail. He scored 29 of the 35 posted for England’s tenth-wicket and later took the catch that sealed the win.After the Cape Town victory, a small group of the younger players – Pope, Bess, Dom Sibley and Matt Parkinson – hired an apartment in Camps Bay and enjoyed a few days’ beach holiday. But now, back in training with the rest of the squad, it is clear Pope is relishing being part of a young team who are enjoying the new experiences and each other’s successes.”Winning this series would be an amazing achievement for us, especially where we’re at as a side at the moment,” Pope said. “We’re quite young side with a lot of players just coming through.”The Cape Town result says a lot about what we have within the camp, but we also realise that it’s not something that happens overnight. Putting this side together will take time, but if we can win this series will be a great achievement.”The first time I was picked I felt like it was almost a bit of a lottery. I was thinking ‘hopefully I’ll get a score but if I miss out then so be it.'”At the moment I feel like I’m in a good place with my game. I know I’ve got the technique and mindset to do it. To have those scores under my belt is a real positive for me.”Perhaps it says something for Pope’s ambitions that he was inspired by Steven Smith and Virat Kohli when batting with the tail in Cape Town.”The way I went about my innings was just remembering how some of the best players in the world have done it,” he said. “I remember watching Smith and Kohli from when they played against England and how, even when they were nine down, they were trying to face almost every ball. It was pretty new for me.”The way Stokesy did it at Headingley was slightly different because he can just whack every ball out of the park and clear the men on the rope. Us smaller lads have to go about it in a bit more of a smart way and try and find a way of facing as many balls as you can. If you get a boundary option, then great, if not then try and face five balls and get a quick single at the end and get a boundary next over.”If you ask any young batsman coming into the game, Smith, Kohli and Joe Root are the guys you want to be like. They have been the main run-scorers in international cricket over the last however many years and hopefully I’ve got a game where I can follow in their footsteps.”I wouldn’t say I tried to copy their techniques, but the one thing they have in common is having solid foundations. They can build their game around that and that’s what I’m trying to do.”Ollie Pope looks on•Getty Images

While Pope acknowledged the comparisons with Ian Bell – it was Andrew Strauss who first mentioned it to him – he insisted they are accidental. But since his first spell in the side, when his expansive off-side play could leave him looking loose at times, he looks even more like Bell now: more compact; more disciplined outside off stump; more prepared to be patient and make the bowlers come to him. In short, a player who has learned to harness his talent.”I think Bell is an amazing player and I used to love watching him bat but it’s not been anything that I’ve tried to emulate,” Pope said. “But it’s a big compliment because he is a pretty class player to watch. I’ve seen that a lot on social media. He was an amazing player and I loved watching him play.”His favourite players were, instead, keeper-batsmen such as MS Dhoni and Adam Gilchrist and he has not given up hopes of fulfilling a role as keeper in the years ahead.”I still want to keep that going in my game,” he said. “I definitely will be practising my keeping. I’m still the second keeper at Surrey. It’s only going to be a positive if I can keep nailing that side of my game, but I’m also more than happy playing as a batter as well.”With a youthful look to the side, it is probably even more important that the more experienced players provide leadership. And Pope said Ben Stokes had taken him under his wing and demonstrated the fitness levels required to excel at this level.”In New Zealand I realised what was needed,” he said. “I’d go under Stokes’ wing a little bit and, after the warm-up games, we’d run back to the hotel and do a running session the day before the games.”If you can get into those good habits, if you control everything in your power to make sure you are as fit as you can be and you’re training as well as you can, then hopefully good things will happen. It’s good to see the way these guys go about it. Hopefully I can learn from that and keep following in their footsteps.”England’s players were given a day off on Tuesday. While some, including Pope, went on safari, others played golf. Only Root, accompanied by batting coach Graham Thorpe, took to the nets where he had a long session.

Manchester United's new defender Leny Yoro is set to be out for up to two months after suffering a suspected fractured metatarsal.

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Yoro suffered injury in Arsenal friendlySpotted using crutches at United's LA baseFacing two months on the sidelinesGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The 18-year-old centre-back came off in the first half of United's friendly against Arsenal on Saturday. He had been spotted using crutches and wearing a protective boot at the club's base in Los Angeles, and the severity of the injury has now been revealed. It is widely reported that Yoro has fractured his metatarsal and will face up to two months on the sidelines.

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The Arsenal friendly was just Yoro's second game for United following his big-money move from Lille. The Frenchman had to be withdrawn from the match in Los Angeles – which the Red Devils lost 2-1 – in what is a setback for Erik ten Hag given Yoro looked set to be an immediate starter.

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It's a case of deja vu for United and their supporters after last season's pre-season tour of the US was marred by injuries to Kobbie Mainoo and Amad Diallo. Not only is Yoro out with a significant injury, but striker Rasmus Hojlund also left the Arsenal game in the first half with an apparent hamstring problem.

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WHAT'S NEXT?

Yoro's injury may intensify United's efforts to sign another centre-back in the summer transfer window. They've been linked with a move for Bayern Munich's Matthijs de Ligt, and had two bids for Jarrad Branthwaite rejected by Everton. With Yoro now set to miss the Community Shield against Manchester City on August 10, and potentially Premier League games against Liverpool (September 1) and Tottenham (September 29), it wouldn't be a surprise if a new addition to the backline wasn't made a priority.

Leeds United once again failed to take an opportunity to move to the top of the Championship table as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Sunderland on Tuesday night.

The Whites could have gone ahead of Leicester City, who were beaten 1-0 by Millwall on the night, but could not force the ball into the back of the net against the Black Cats.

They were not helped, however, by the referee missing a seemingly blatant handball from Luke O'Nien as the defender deflected a corner away from Joe Rodon's head with an outstretched arm.

Leeds cannot blame the referee for the rest of their performance, though, as they only created 0.56 xG worth of chances from a staggering 70% of the possession.

However, there were positives to come from the match and one was the performance of Junior Firpo at left-back, as the former Barcelona defender has now made himself undroppable for Daniel Farke with a series of fantastic displays.

Junior Firpo's Sunderland blinder

The left-footed whiz caught the eye with his excellent showing against the Black Cats at Elland Road, ending the game with a match-high Sofascore rating of 7.6.

He showcased his quality both in and out of possession, although his creativity was not on full display, throughout the game and must now retain his place whenever he is fit.

Junior Firpo

Vs Sunderland (09/04/2024)

Sofascore rating

7.6

Duels won

11/18

Tackles

4

Interceptions

1

Clearances

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Firpo was dominant in his defensive duels, with 11 out of 18 won, as he rarely allowed the Sunderland players to get the better of him in physical contests.

The £30k-per-week dynamo also completed 100% (2/2) of his attempted dribbles to get out of danger when under pressure, in order to retain possession for Leeds.

He may, though, be disappointed to have ended the game with zero chances created for his teammates to break the deadlock on Wednesday night.

Junior Firpo's undroppable form

The Dominican Republic international was selected to be on the bench in the recent 2-2 draw with Watford after the international break, as Sam Byram started the game ahead of him at left-back.

Byram recorded a Sofascore rating of 7.1 and created one chance in his appearance on the left side of the defence, which was a solid outing from the former Norwich City man.

However, Firpo has since started the subsequent three Championship matches and earned Sofascore ratings of 7.7, 7.7, and 7.6 against Hull, Coventry, and Sunderland respectively.

In those three games, the impressive star provided four key passes – more than one per game – and created an eye-catching three 'big chances' for his teammates.

Byram, meanwhile, has only created one 'big chance' in 29 league matches for Leeds this season, which shows that he does not offer anywhere near as much creativity as Firpo.

The former Barcelona gem's fantastic creative work in recent games and his phenomenal defensive effort against Sunderland, in a blinder of a performance at left-back, is why he should now be undroppable for Farke when fit between now and the end of the season.

The former wicketkeeper and now world-renowned commentator also cautioned against leaving Tim Southee out in the pink-ball Test

Andrew McGlashan in Perth11-Dec-2019Former New Zealand wicketkeeper and now world-renowned commentator Ian Smith believes room has to be found for Lockie Ferguson to play the first Test against Australia in Perth.Ferguson, who has enjoyed impressive returns in limited-overs cricket, is uncapped at Test level but with the Perth Stadium wicket expected to provide pace and bounce, Smith argued it is time to unleash him to provide a point of difference in the New Zealand attack for when the ball doesn’t swing.ALSO READ: Pink ball, 40-degree heat… New Zealand brace for ‘most extreme’ Test in PerthNew Zealand coach Gary Stead acknowledged the skills Ferguson would bring to the side but said that it was difficult to fit him into a settled line-up. There may yet be a vacancy in the XI if Trent Boult does not prove his fitness from a side strain, but if Boult is available, Smith agreed it would a tough decision on who would miss out and suggested there could be a case for not playing Mitchell Santner and going in with an all-pace attack.”They’ve got to wake up and pull the curtains and find out where they are and that’s Australia and that is conducive to bowling fast. I believe he [Ferguson] should play,” Smith, who will be commentating for , said. “He’s an element of the unknown. They’ve all seen him do very well in the World Cup but you can’t coach [someone to bowl] 145-150kph and, if it’s very accurate, it’s very often hard to play and commands respect.Lockie Ferguson steams in during New Zealand’s training session•Getty Images

“The reason I would have him is it’s all very well for the ball to swing and seam around initially but at 135kph when it stops doing that, how are you looking? That’s bit of a problem from New Zealand’s point of view. I’d have him in the side.””Would you put him instead of Wagner? Probably not. Wagner is going to give you 110 percent for 100 percent of the day, so I’m not sure I would. What I would think about here knowing it hasn’t had a massive history of Test cricket or spin I might even think about playing four [fast bowlers] and just going at Australia and saying ‘You against us, us against you; fight fire with fire’. But [New Zealand have] got to find room for him.”ALSO READ: Is this the best New Zealand Test side of all time?There would be a significant risk in going in without a spinner in a Test that is set to be played in very high temperatures. The other option could be to leave out Tim Southee, who averages over 50 with the ball in Australia. Smith, however, cautioned against that because of the threat Southee could pose with the pink ball.”It’s a difficult call; it’s one they have to consider because if it’s a one for one and you keep Santner in probably Southee is the one they’re looking at,” he said. “But I’ll bring in the pink ball to that. Red ball, bright sunny day late in the afternoon – I’m with you, but I just worry that late in the afternoon the pink ball kicks in all night and Southee over the years has been one of the best seam/swing bowlers that we’ve had and that is an asset we might just need at this particular venue.”Of New Zealand’s prospects of securing just their second series win in Australia – after the 1985-86 triumph in which Smith played – he was confident they have the side to pull off victory, but the opening exchanges in Perth will be vital.”If they hang in, they have a right royal chance of pulling it off,” Smith said. “I think they can go the distance. I say that because I’ve seen them do it for a number of years, they aren’t ranked No. 2 because they are an overnight good side, they have been playing good cricket in most conditions for quite some time.”The only worry I’ve got is that sides have come over here labelled as underdogs and thought like underdogs. That’s more the New Zealand psyche that anything else, but I do believe ability-wise I think they are ready. Whatever they do, New Zealand have to start well. First hour, first session they have to win that. If they do, I think they are on track.”

Ex-Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has warned his former club to "be aware" of a potential transfer development happening at Rangers this summer.

Rangers eyeing summer signings

The Gers may be focusing on winning the Scottish Premiership title this season, but work will also be going on behind the scenes to complete some important summer transfer business.

Abdallah Sima has been an excellent loan signing from Brighton in 2023/24 to date, even though injuries have disrupted his campaign, with ten league goals coming his way to date. The Seagulls are happy to offload him at the end of the season, and it could be that Rangers strike a permanent deal for him.

Fabio Silva finds himself in a similar position, too, admittedly not impressing as much as Sima this season, but potentially leaving Wolves for good this summer, at which point the Gers could look to retain his services albeit for a larger fee.

Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland is seen as another top option to bolster Philippe Clement's attack, possibly even standing out as a superior player to both Sima and Silva. He leads the Scottish scoring charts so far in 2023/24, finding the net 20 times in the league.

McAvennie shares Shankland warning to Celtic

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie admitted that Shankland joining Rangers could be a great piece of business, and one that he could see happening.

"I don’t understand why the Shankland rumours are all over the place if there’s nothing in it. I think he would do well at Rangers. He hasn’t got the pace for England. Unfortunately for him, the Premier League is all about pace. But Shankland is a very intelligent player, he’s great with his feet. Has he got the pace to play in England? No.

"He’ll score goals in Scotland. I think it’ll be an interesting one if he goes to Ibrox – it’s a real step in the right direction and something Celtic will have to be aware of."

Regardless of what Rangers are planning with Sima and Silva this summer – Champions League qualification may need to achieved in order for them to afford at least one of them – Shankland should be considered a brilliant choice to come in and make Rangers' attacking even more fearsome.

Lawrence Shankland

20

James Tavernier

15

Bojan Miovski

14

Cyriel Dessers

13

Matt O'Riley

12

Theo Bair

12

Kyogo Furuhashi

10

Simon Murray

10

Abdallah Sima

10

The 28-year-old is now an experienced player who knows the Scottish Premiership inside out, and his performances this season suggest that he is a player who is coming right into his prime.

From a Celtic perspective, seeing the Gers snap up Shankland would be a big concern, at a time when Clement's men have not only narrowed the gap hugely on their rivals, but are also threatening to pip them to title glory.

Rangers must unleash "player of the season" in place of Silva

Rangers face their most important match of the season against Celtic this weekend

ByRoss Kilvington Apr 1, 2024

The Hoops should also be looking to strike a deal for the Scot, although the fact that the Hearts star is a boyhood Rangers supporter could quickly put paid to that.

Celtic are back in action in the Scottish Premiership this afternoon as they travel away from Parkhead to take on their closest rivals to keep their place at the top of the table.

A defeat at Ibrox would see the Hoops move two points behind Rangers, having played a game more than them, whereas a win would see them go four points clear.

Brendan Rodgers' side come into this match off the back of a 3-0 win over Livingston last time out, thanks to an own goal from Jamie Brandon and strikes from Paulo Bernado and Matt O'Riley.

The Bhoys have won five of their last six matches in all competitions and will be looking to carry that form into this massive top of the table clash this afternoon.

Rodgers may look to make alterations from that win over Livingston, however, as Kyogo Furuhashi had a particularly poor showing at the top end of the pitch.

The Northern Irish boss must now unleash Norwich City loanee Adam Idah over the Japan international to form a potentially lethal partnership with O'Riley in the final third.

Kyogo's performance against Livingston in numbers

The 29-year-old striker was selected to lead the line on the artificial pitch and struggled badly throughout the match before Idah was brought on to replace him during the second half.

Celtic will need every player to be at their best to ensure that they can get the better of their rivals and strengthen their chances of securing a third successive league title over them.

With this in mind, Kyogo should be dropped to the bench after his underwhelming, to say the least, display last time out with zero goals and zero assists in the 3-0 victory for the Scottish giants.

Minutes played

71

Sofascore rating

6.4

Goal contributions

0

Shots

4

Big chances missed

2

Key passes

0

Duels won

2/4

As you can see in the table above, the Japanese forward had opportunities to find the back of the net, with two 'big chances' created for him by his teammates, but did not have the finishing quality to put them away.

This has been a common theme throughout the season for the former Vissel Kobe star. No Celtic player has underperformed their Expected Goals tally by more than his -4.21.

Kyogo has scored ten goals from 14.21 xG in the Premiership so far this season, and missed 20 'big chances' in total, which illustrates how wasteful he has been, as was the case again versus Livingston.

Why Adam Idah should start

Rodgers must now ditch the experienced striker to start the on-loan Ireland international, who has made a big impact in his short time at Parkhead so far.

He came off the bench to replace Kyogo last Sunday and made an instant impact with an assist for O'Riley's goal and Celtic's third strike in the 82nd minute.

Since his move from Norwich City at the end of last transfer window, Idah, who Rodgers dubbed an "incredible" talent, has racked up five goals and two assists in eight Premiership appearances for the Hoops, despite only starting four of those games.

He has scored five goals from an xG of 4.37, which includes a missed penalty away at Hearts, and this shows that the talented youngster has outperformed his xG so far.

Whereas, Kyogo has severely underperformed his xG and, on current form, is unlikely to take a chance if it comes his way, whilst Idah appears more likely to find the back of the net.

The 23-year-old Irishman, who scored six goals in 12 Championship starts during the first half of the campaign for Norwich, has been in lethal form for Celtic and should be given a chance to really make a name for himself against Rangers in what could be a season-defining match at Ibrox.

Appearances

31

8

Goals

10

5

Minutes per goal

206

83

Assists

4

2

Aerial duel success rate

25%

71%

Duel success rate

39%

50%

As you can see in the table above, the Canaries academy graduate is also a far better outlet for the side at the top end of the pitch due to his strength in duels, particularly in the air, in comparison to Kyogo.

This means that he is more of a handful for opposition defenders, who do not find it easy to get the better of him in physical contests during matches.

He could also form an exciting partnership with O'Riley at the top end of the pitch due to both his ability to finish chances created by the midfielder, as well as his quality as a creator for the Denmark international, which was on show against Livingston for the third goal.

Matt O'Riley's Celtic season in numbers

The former Fulham youngster positioned himself perfectly to fire into the back of the net from Idah's clever lay-off inside the box last weekend, for his 12th Premiership goal of the campaign.

O'Riley is the top scorer in the Hoops squad with his 12 strikes in 30 appearances in the division, to go along with his 11 assists – also the most of any player in the team.

The left-footed maestro, who has been directly involved in 23 goals in 30 Premiership games, has the ability to consistently contribute at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

This means that the Danish playmaker, who has created ten 'big chances' in the division, has the finishing ability to score from chances that Idah creates, whilst also being able to tee up the Irish marksman to find the back of the net.

Therefore, they could be a terrific pairing due to their combined quality at the top end of the pitch, which could cause problems for the opposition's defence throughout the match.

Whereas, Kyogo's performance against Livingston did not cause any issues for the defence and Rangers could find it too easy to keep him quiet on his current form, which is why Idah should be unleashed.

Now, just imagine O'Riley and the £23k-per-week striker causing mayhem at Ibrox this afternoon to secure all three points for Rodgers' side.

Manchester United are eyeing a summer move for a player called one of the "top midfielders" in his league, according to a fresh transfer update.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils are still buoyant after their thrilling 4-3 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday, but fans will also be aware of the bigger picture, knowing that plenty of new signings are needed in the summer window.

A host of players have been linked with moves to United at the end of the season, one of which is Borussia Dortmund attacking ace Donyell Malen, who could head to Old Trafford in a permanent swap deal with Jadon Sancho. The Dutchman has 11 goals in 19 Bundesliga starts this season, also netting once in the Champions League, and he is capable of thriving right across the attack.

Another report has stated that Dan Ashworth wants to take Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes with him to the Red Devils in the summer, assuming a deal is agreed to make the Englishman the club's new sporting director.

Meanwhile, Juventus centre-back Gleison Bremer has been backed to bolster United's defence, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly willing to trigger his release clause at the Serie A giants. The 26-year-old has won 2.9 aerial duels per game in the competition this season, as well as making 3.9 clearances per match, and he could be viewed as Lisandro Martinez's long-term partner.

Man Utd want to sign one of league's "top midfielders"

According to a new claim from Bianconera News [via Sport Witness], Manchester United are considering making a move for Weston McKennie this summer, with the American currently plying his trade at Juventus.

In terms of other Premier League clubs, Fulham and Arsenal are also credited with interest in the report, while Dortmund and RB Leipzig are also mentioned as potential suitors, too. Juve want to extend his current deal beyond 2025, but these clubs are making life difficult for them, putting his agent in a strong bargaining position.

McKennie is arguably a surprise option to come in and strengthen United's midfield options in the upcoming summer window, considering his stock fell during a disappointing spell at Leeds United. He made 19 appearances in the Premier League on loan last season, but ultimately failed to help keep them in the top flight.

The 25-year-old has enjoyed something of a resurrection at Juve in 2023/24, however, with USA head coach Gregg Berhalter hailing him recently.

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There would be question marks over whether United could do better than McKennie, especially given the manner in which he struggled to adapt to the English game at Leeds, but he is still a fairly young player and Erik ten Hag could believe he can get the best out of him.

Seven assists in Serie A this season outline his creative quality in midfield, and he has also averaged 1.9 clearances and 1.6 tackles per game in the competition, showing that he can be an effective all-round player.

Jean-Clair Todibo has been left out of Nice's squad during pre-season, with the ex-Barcelona defender still holding out for a move to Juventus.

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Article continues below

• Todibo dropped by Nice for friendly
• Juve and Nice can't agree on fee
• Defender wants Juve despite West Ham bid

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Todibo has been excluded for Nice's friendly against Italian side Lecce as the Ligue 1 side still continue to negotiate with Juventus over a sale for the 24-year-old. Todibo was also left out of the squad for Nice's previous friendlies, limiting his opportunities to get match fit for the upcoming season.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Nice are holding out for a fee in excess of €35 million (£30m/$38m), an amount which West Ham had previously offered, but Todibo rejected the chance of a move. Juventus have offered a similar fee, however they would like the deal to be a loan with an option to buy, or with an obligation based on certain conditions – something which Nice are relucant to agree to, reports.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Barcelona still retain a 20 per cent sell-on clause over any fee that Nice receive for Todibo, which is partially why the French side have been so strict with their demands. Manchester United were also interested in signing Todibo this summer before UEFA prevented a transfer from happening. West Ham still remain interested in a move, but Todibo is thought to only want a move to Juventus.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR TODIBO AND JUVENTUS?

  With Nice and Juventus no closer to resolving the differences in their valuations for Todibo, the centre-back faces an uncertain future in the final month of the transfer window. There are still three years remaining on his deal, meaning Nice are not under pressure to sell.