How can you follow Thursday night?

Well, Manchester United are back in action at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday afternoon, with Ruben Amorim’s men needing to shift their focus following the chaos of their Europa League exploits.

Unsurprisingly, the former Sporting CP boss has openly admitted that the club’s European commitments are now the priority, not least with it already confirmed that United are set for their worst-ever Premier League points tally.

The need to put all their energy into seeing off Athletic Bilbao next month should not mean that the Old Trafford side simply throw in the towel domestically, however, with now the time to build some momentum to help aid their continental fortunes.

Equally, United will also be keen to avoid losing out to the Molineux side for the second time this season, having notably been undone by a Matheus Cunha-inspired performance as the Old Gold secured a 2-0 win on Boxing Day.

That drab display memorably saw captain Bruno Fernandes dismissed after picking up two yellow cards, with Cunha also scoring directly from a corner to pile the misery on his potential future employers.

Will there be further drama this time around, with Amorim looking set to ring the changes?

Man Utd team news vs Wolves

Speaking after Thursday’s thrilling 5-4 win over Lyon, the Portuguese head coach admitted that it might be time to play “the kids” in the Premier League, with alterations needed after such a gruelling 120 minutes of action in midweek.

Indeed, the 40-year-old went on to state in his pre-match press conference that the likes of Diogo Dalot could be among those to make way, with the United boss suggesting the defender was among those looking “really tired” against the Ligue 1 side.

Amorim appears keen to avoid the “risk of injury” with his first-team stars, albeit with his options set to be boosted with both Victor Lindelof and Noussair Mazraoui set to be available once again, after the pair were forced to leave at half-time due to ‘personal issues’.

Meanwhile, Amorim did suggest that it is “not the best moment or the best season” to unleash academy talents, albeit while pointing to the rise of Ayden Heaven as an example of where throwing a youngster in at the deep end can bear fruit.

As for those who could follow in the footsteps of the likes of Heaven, Chido Obi and Harry Amass, it was noteworthy that Jack Moorhouse, Godwill Kukonki and Jaydan Kamason were all part of the matchday squad in midweek, with the teenage trio still waiting for a first taste of senior action.

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In the case of Kamason, in particular, the need to take Dalot out of the team could see the young full-back finally make his first-team debut.

How Man Utd can replace Dalot against Wolves

Having claimed the club’s Players’ Player of the Year of the award last season, Dalot’s form has somewhat “fallen off a cliff” this time around – as per one content creator – with the Portuguese full-back having perhaps been hampered by repeatedly being forced to line up on the left flank in the early months of the campaign.

Diogo Dalot

While even his suitability as a wing-back on the right flank can be questioned, the 26-year-old has quietly come good of late, notably teeing up Fernandes for the third goal against Leicester City, while also scoring himself against both Real Sociedad and Lyon at the Theatre of Dreams.

Described as an “elite” talent by Statman Dave, the former Porto starlet is particularly crucial to his compatriot, Amorim, due to his remarkable availability, having started 49 games this season, while missing just one game against Southampton due to suspension.

Diogo Dalot

50

3

5

Alejandro Garnacho

50

10

9

Bruno Fernandes

49

17

18

Noussair Mazraoui

49

0

3

Joshua Zirkzee

48

7

3

Andre Onana

44

0

0

Rasmus Hojlund

44

8

4

Matthijs de Ligt

40

2

0

Whether it is to give Dalot or rest, or merely to see a different option in that role, now is the time for Kamason to be unleashed, with journalist Shaun Connolly suggesting that the 18-year-old is “banging” on the door for a first-team chance.

The promising Englishman notably played every minute of United’s run to the FA Youth Cup semi-final this season, having even netted a crucial, stunning strike in the 3-2 win over Arsenal at the quarter-final stage.

With two goals and six assists to his name in 31 games in 2024/25, as per Transfermarkt, the right-back has showcased his attacking quality for the U18 and U21 sides, with it no surprise that he is now in the mix in Amorim’s ranks.

While Kamason has operated in a back four at youth level, that desire to get forward should ensure he is well suited to operating in a more advanced wing-back berth, with Amorim currently short on options in that role, particularly with Amad Diallo currently sidelined.

There has no doubt been talk of new recruits arriving this summer to help bolster that wing-back department, in particular – with Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong one name to have been mentioned – yet there should also be a willingness to try and solve that issue in-house, by promoting the likes of Kamason.

As such, now is the perfect opportunity for the teenager to show what he can do on the Premier League stage…

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Man Utd beat Lyon 5-4 in a Europa League classic

ByJoe Nuttall Apr 18, 2025

While there remains a slither of hope that this season ends in Europa League triumph for Tottenham Hotspur, there is no escaping from the fact that, at least domestically, it’s been diabolical.

Ange Postecologu’s side have lost 19 games in the Premier League, and it feels like a certainty that they’ll finish the season with 20 to their name.

However, for all the doom and gloom – of which there is plenty – there remains a reason to be hopeful about the club’s future: their youngsters.

The likes of Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Mikey Moore look like superstars in the making, and if recent reports are to be believed, the club are looking to add another name to that list, someone who’d be a massive upgrade on Brennan Johnson, and has been tipped for Ballon d’Or glory.

Tottenham's transfer targets

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other youngsters who’ve been linked with Spurs in recent weeks, such as Dean Huijsen.

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The Spanish international reportedly has a release clause worth £50m in his current Bournemouth deal, and while that is a lot to spend on a youngster, it could well be worth it, as he’s already made 32 appearances for the Cherries this term.

Another youngster from the South Coast who has been heavily linked with the Lilywhites this year is Tyler Dibling.

The Southampton star has racked up a reasonable tally of four goals and three assists in 35 games so far this season and will be available for reportedly £35m.

Finally, the most exciting player, and the one who’d be a significant upgrade on Johnson, is Rayan Cherki.

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Spurs and Manchester United are now leading the race to sign the highly-rated Lyon youngster.

The report claims that the 21-year-old could be available for around €35m, which comes out to £30m.

It might be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Cherki’s immense ability and potential, it’s worth fighting tooth and nail for, especially as he’d be a big upgrade on Johnson.

How Cherki compares to Johnson

So, as Cherki’s primary position is off the right, his main competition for game time at Spurs would be Johnson, but who comes out on top when we compare them?

Well, when it comes down to their raw output, it’s the Frenchman who comes out on top, and by quite some way at that.

For example, in just 41 appearances, totalling 2894 minutes, he’s scored 12 goals and provided 19 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.32 games, or every 93.35 minutes.

In contrast, the Welshman has scored 16 goals and provided seven assists in 46 appearances, totalling 2987 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every other game, or every 129.86 minutes.

Unfortunately for the former Nottingham Forest ace, the comparison remains just as one-sided when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.71

0.52

Non-Penalty G+As

0.88

0.60

Progressive Passes

9.31

3.03

Progressive Carries

4.17

2.47

Key Passes

3.33

0.82

Passes into the Final Third

4.46

1.08

Passes into the Penalty Area

3.33

1.52

Live Passes

52.7

26.2

Shot-Creating Actions

6.23

1.99

Goal-Creating Actions

0.93

0.30

Successful Take-Ons

2.11

0.82

For example, Lyon’s “future Ballon d’Or winner,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Alex Barker, comes out ahead in almost all relevant metrics, such as actual and expected non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, key passes, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while Johnson has been a useful player, it’s clear that Cherki would be a massive upgrade and, therefore, Spurs should do all they can to sign him this summer.

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Tottenham Hotspur are now keen on signing a £100k-a-week striker who’s scored 57 Premier League goals, having identified him as their ideal target, according to a report.

Spurs set to pursue new striker this summer

Dominic Solanke returned to the scoresheet on Sunday afternoon, with the Englishman ending his seven-game drought in the Premier League, but Liverpool ultimately came out on top in a dominant performance at Anfield, securing the title with a 5-1 victory.

While Solanke may have found the back of the net against Liverpool, he hasn’t exactly been prolific in the Premier League this season, netting eight goals, and it is now looking increasingly likely that Spurs will attempt to bring in a new striker this summer.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are in a good position to win the race for Feyenoord striker Zepiqueno Redmond, while they are also looking to sign Bayern Munich loanee Mathys Tel on a permanent basis, and they will have the opportunity to do so for a fee of £43m.

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According to a report from Spain, however, Tottenham are also keen to sign a striker who has a plethora of Premier League experience, having identified Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin as the ideal option to bolster their frontline.

Spurs are closely monitoring Calvert-Lewin’s situation at Goodison Park, with the striker’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, which means he will be available on a free transfer.

The Englishman’s availability without a transfer fee is attractive to Spurs, who are looking to bolster their attacking options without spending a significant sum of money, and his refusal to sign a new deal up to this point suggests he is likely to be available this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur’s upcoming fixtures

Date

Bodo/Glimt (h)

May 1st

West Ham United (a)

May 4th

Bodo/Glimt (a)

May 8th

Crystal Palace (h)

May 11th

Aston Villa (a)

May 18th

"Outstanding" Calvert-Lewin could be solid rotation option

The Everton marksman has proven himself in the Premier League over a number of years, scoring 57 goals in the competition during his time with the Toffees, while also receiving high praise from The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland, who lauded him as “outstanding”.

As such, the 28-year-old could be a decent rotation option for Spurs, and his availability on a free transfer is an added bonus, but there are doubts over whether the 11-time England international is capable of taking Ange’s attack to the next level.

Injuries have been a real problem for the £100k-a-week striker throughout his career, and they have continued to hold him back this season, missing the last 12 games due to a hamstring issue.

The last time Calvert-Lewin was on the scoresheet was against Tottenham back in January, bagging a goal and an assist in his side’s 3-2 victory, but constant injury problems mean the Sheffield-born forward can’t be relied upon as a consistent source of goals.

Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side dropped two vital points in their 2-2 draw against Ipswich. However, it could have been far worse, having gone into the half time interval 2-0 down courtesy of goals from Julio Enciso and Ben Johnson.

In the first half, the Blues had 76% possession, generating 1.03 xG, creating two big chances and taking 15 shots, but didn’t manage to find the breakthrough.

This saw Chelsea come out far more aggressive in the second half, adjusting to Maresca’s attacking 2-2-5-1 shape at times and looking to take the game to Ipswich even more.

In the second half, the Blues had 72% possession, generated another 1.11 xG, created two more big chances and took a further 19 shots, this time managing to score two goals for their efforts, making it 2-2 courtesy of an own goal from Axel Tuanzebe and Jadon Sancho, taking a point from the game.

But, one point will be seen as a huge failure for Chelsea, as they now drop to sixth in the Premier League, sitting one point off Manchester City in fifth, two points off of Newcastle in fourth and three points off of Nottingham Forest in third.

Cole Palmer's woes continue

Cole Palmer has long been the star man for Chelsea, scoring 14 times this season, providing nine assists and totaling 2,962 minutes played.

However, despite adding another assist to his tally against Ipswich, the 22-year-old has been in disappointing form for some time.

Against Kieran McKenna’s side, Palmer had 77 touches, made four key passes and took six shots (only one on target), but the England international has looked off the pace in recent weeks.

He’s lacked confidence and conviction in his actions, having four of his shots easily blocked and losing his duels (seven of his nine in total).

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Whether Palmer can find some confidence and form during this last stretch of the season could be what stands between their Champions League chances, but he isn’t the only one struggling right now.

In fact, the Blues have a far bigger problem at the other end of the pitch, who continues to cost them points this campaign.

Chelsea's 5/10 flop must be axed

Chelsea continue to have struggles between the sticks, as Robert Sanchez put in another sub-par performance, being awarded a 5/10 match rating from GOAL, who wrote of his display that ‘the goalkeeper set a sour tone with incredibly poor distribution and looked a bag of nerves throughout.’

The 27-year-old has made as many as 28 appearances for the Blues this season, already conceding 33 goals, keeping seven clean sheets in 2,520 minutes played.

Sanchez often put Maresca’s side under pressure against Ipswich, looking to play out from the back, but only completing one of his nine long ball attempts in the game and having a 64% passing accuracy, losing possession and allowing Ipswich to attack the Blues when out of shape.

Robert Sanchez vs Ipswich performance
Stat	Sanchez
Minutes	90
Touches	35
Accurate Passes	16/25
Long Balls	1/9
Saves	2
High Claims	1
Errors lead to shot	1
Stats taken from Sofascore

These mistakes have been occurring all season. On certain occasions, the Spaniard has made some big saves to offset the criticism for his blunders, but that was not the case against Ipswich, as Sanchez only managed two saves, conceding two of the four shots on his goal.

Chelsea’s chances of playing Champions League football next season could fall flat due to their issues in this department, and whether they make it or not, big changes will be needed in the goalkeeping department next season, either from internal solutions or the transfer market. Sanchez must be axed, not just for their next game, but for next season.

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With promotion and League One title glory well within their grasp, Birmingham City have now reportedly turned their focus towards securing a bargain deal to sign a defensive addition this summer.

Birmingham strolling towards promotion

With games in hand on second place Wrexham, Birmingham sit clear at the top of League One and look unlikely to ease their hold on the top of the tree anytime soon. With just a handful of games left to play, the Blues are also on course to secure early promotion above third place Wycombe and could even seal their Championship spot as early as April 18 when they square off against the struggling Crawley Town.

Left delighted with his side’s most recent victory against Barnsley, watching on as they soared to a 6-2 win, manager Chris Davies told reporters: “It was a big three points. To score six goals at home and win 6-2 is a wonderful day for us.

“I thought were good throughout, we had to be patient when they went down to ten men but to score six in front of the home fans is brilliant. Against ten men, it’s a mental game. You can think it’s going to be easy, but it doesn’t work like that.

“To get a sucker punch after we score, with a long throw, that frustration can build so it was really important for me at half-time that I calmed the players down and made them see the game quite clearly and what we needed to do, the positions we needed to get into and how to attack them relentlessly. If we did that, we would score the goals to win the match and we did.”

That victory only strengthened their stride towards promotion and securing an early place should only benefit Birmingham as they go in pursuit of one particular summer bargain.

Birmingham plotting bargain Harry Darling deal

According ton Wales Online, Birmingham are now plotting a move to sign Harry Darling on a free deal once his current contract comes to an end at Swansea City this summer. The defender does reportedly have an offer on the table from the Championship side but is yet to put pen to paper on an extension – opening the door for his exit in the coming months.

That said, the Blues aren’t the only side reportedly interested, with Premier League hopefuls Sheffield United also linked to the Swansea contract rebel as the summer transfer window approaches.

The interest in the 25-year-old centre-back should come as no surprise either. Former Swansea manager Luke Williams is just one of few to praise Darling in recent months, telling reporters following a hard-fought draw against West Bromwich Albion in January: “Harry was outstanding, and it is impossible to question his commitment to the football club because that an heroic performance from him.

“He is fantastic at defending the goal, competing for everything with the opposition. But he also had plenty of brilliant actions in helping us to build-up to try and score. He was brilliant, he’s an excellent player.”

One title-winning manager is reportedly in love with the prospect of a potential move to Tottenham Hotspur, something which chairman Daniel Levy realises, as the under-pressure Ange Postecoglou faces a very uncertain future at the club.

Managers linked with potential vacant Tottenham job

Regardless of Spurs’ campaign in the Europa League, it is reliably believed that Levy could still part company with Postecoglou at the end of the season (Matt Law).

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Tottenham are just one game away from equalling their highest number of defeats in a single Premier League season, and with a tough trip to Anfield on the horizon, Postecoglou is staring down the barrel of that unwanted record on his resume.

Liverpool could finally be crowned champions by defeating Spurs on Merseyside this weekend, so odds are that Arne Slot’s men will throw the kitchen sink at a vulnerable Lilywhites side who’ve also lost four out of their last five top flight matches.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

Brighton (home)

May 25th

Postecoglou’s saving grace after a dismal domestic campaign lies in Europe, where the Australian has a chance to make history by guiding Spurs to their first piece of major silverware since their League Cup triumph in 2008, under Juande Ramos.

However, with victory in the competition not even a guarantee that Postecoglou keeps his job for next season, attention is beginning to turn to who could replace the former Celtic boss in N17.

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and Brentford’s Thomas Frank have all been linked in the last few weeks, while Fabrizio Romano has reported Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi is liked by Tottenham.

The Mail also claimed earlier this week that Burnley boss Scott Parker has some fans inside Spurs as well, but perhaps the most exciting appointment would be a return for ex-fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino.

The Argentine enjoyed a successful spell at the Tottenham helm from 2014-2019, which included an unprecedented run to the Champions League final in 2019, and you can argue the north Londoners haven’t enjoyed consistency akin to Pochettino’s tenure since he departed.

Mauricio Pochettino would "love" to return to Tottenham

Now manager of the USA national team, as they prepare to co-host the 2026 World Cup, journalist Graeme Bailey has reported for The Boot Room that Pochettino hasn’t quite settled into his first international role.

Alternatively, if he were to leave the States, Pochettino would “love” to re-join Tottenham, and Levy is said to be “aware” of this. The 53-year-old would also be Levy’s first choice to replace Postecoglou, given their already-close relationship and communication.

After a string of lacklustre results with the USA, Pochettino is also said to be under pressure, and he is very much in Levy’s thought process as a potential replacement for Postecoglou.

The former Southampton, Chelsea and PSG boss won a Ligue 1 title with the latter, and he appears to currently be one of three trophy-winning managers under consideration by Spurs – the other two being Glasner and Inzaghi.

Manchester United could now be offered the chance to sign a “strong” Juventus star in exchange for selling striker Rasmus Hojlund, according to a recent report.

Amorim determined to keep key man at United

United are all set to play the second leg of their Europa League semi-final tie against Athletic Bilbao, knowing they are in a very good position to seal their place in the final. Leading up to United’s biggest game of the season, there has been talk about Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal wanting to sign talisman and captain Bruno Fernandes.

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Al-Hilal are said to be prepared to pay a British record transfer fee and also pay the Portugal international more than £1 million a week to get him out of Old Trafford. However, that may not be an easy task for the Saudi team, as Ruben Amorim has once again confirmed that he wants Bruno to stay at the club, as he is “one of the top players in the world”.

Amorim said in his pre-match Bilbao press conference: “Our idea didn’t change. We want to keep the best players – and Bruno is clearly one of the top players in the world. We want Bruno here.

“It is easy to understand [his importance] – not just because of the numbers but the way he plays and the importance he has during his five years here.

“It’s normal; a lot of clubs want a player like Bruno. He is a leader, and he’s the captain, so he’s really important. He is a top player; we need top players.”

Man Utd could be offered £135k-p/w star in exchange for Hojlund

While Amorim makes it clear he wants Fernandes to stay, he may be open to the idea of letting other players leave, in particular Hojlund, and the Red Devils could now be offered an intriguing player swap. According to Tuttosport, Juventus could be prepared to offer Douglas Luiz to Man United in exchange for Hojlund.

The report states that the Serie A giants are leading the race to sign Hojlund this summer and have taken steps to move towards a deal. There is talk that Dušan Vlahović, who Juventus are open to selling this summer, could be a part of a deal for Hojlund, but it also mentions that Luiz is an ‘important card to play’ in the negotiations for the United striker.

Luiz, who has been dubbed “strong” by Aston Villa sporting director Monchi, only joined Juve in the summer but has struggled to nail down a regular starting spot, featuring in just 17 Serie A games and mostly from the bench. Despite being under contract until 2029, Juventus may look to use Luiz in a deal for Hojlund to bring United’s price down.

Apps

17

Starts

3

Minutes per game

30

Touches per game

29.4

Passes per game (accuracy)

21.2 (90%)

Key passes per game

0.9

Tackles per game

0.7

Balls recovered per game

1.7

Hojlund, who earns £85,000 a week at Old Trafford, has struggled in front of goal all season for United, and it could be that the Red Devils do move him on, so it allows them to bring in a suitable replacement. However, it is unclear if the Premier League side would be interested in doing a deal which sees them sign a new midfielder in Luiz, who earns a staggering £135,000 a week at Juventus despite barely making an impact. If there is going to be a player swap, United may want a striker for a striker instead of a new midfielder.

Chelsea held “very positive” transfer talks with the representatives of a top transfer target, just before their disappointing loss to Legia Warsaw in the Europa Conference League on Thursday.

Enzo Maresca blames rotation as Chelsea lose 2-1 to Legia Warsaw

The Premier League heavyweights are in the Conference League semi-finals after their aggregate win over Legia, but they did it in unconvincing fashion after their tepid loss at home to the European minnows last night.

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Goals from Tomas Pekhart and Steve Kapuadi cancelled out Marc Cucurella’s equaliser to hand the Poles a deserved win at Stamford Bridge, leading to small sections of boos around the stadium from Chelsea’s home crowd.

Manager Enzo Maresca has come under fire recently, leading Chelsea to just five league wins from their last 16, and he admitted in a post-match press conference that heavy rotation played a role during a dissatisfying performance from his side.

Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures	Date
Fulham (away)	April 20th
Everton (home)	April 26th
Liverpool (home)	May 4th
Newcastle (away)	May 10th
Man United (home)	May 18th

“First of all, yeah, we are for sure not happy with the defeat,” said Maresca about Chelsea’s defeat to Legia.

“Probably the first leg, 0-3, probably we try to manage the result a little bit, rotate, make rotations with the players, try to avoid injury, because we have an important game also Sunday. So, as I said, for sure not happy with the result.

“We are in the semi-final, but at the same time, we were probably trying to manage a little bit the first leg, the result, we are there. But overall, the good thing is that we can rotate players, we don’t have an injury, that for us was the main target, because during the season we had many injuries, an important moment, and because it’s an important moment now, the last part of the season, the good news was that we don’t have injury.”

After Maresca highlighted the silver lining of no new injured Chelsea players, there has been more good news off the field, according to reliable journalist Simon Phillips.

Chelsea hold "very positive" Thursday talks with Dean Huijsen

It concerns Bournemouth defender and top transfer target Dean Huijsen, who is a wanted man across the Premier League after a very impressive season on the south coast under Andoni Iraola.

News of his £50 million release clause has piqued interest throughout England and further abroad, with Vincent Kompany also reportedly pushing Bayern Munich to sign Huijsen (Football Insider).

Writing via his Substack, Phillips has shared a fresh update on Maresca’s pursuit of the 20-year-old, stating that Chelsea held “very positive” talks with Huijsen’s camp on Thursday, and just before their defeat to Legia.

Following these discussions, Chelsea believe their chances of striking a deal for the “sensational” Spain international have increased.

“Chelsea have held new talks with the agents of Huijsen today, and talks have been described by sources as being very positive,” wrote the reporter.

“We have heard that the player’s father is very involved in the dealings as the main part of his entourage and he is asking for a fairly high agent fee, which we know Chelsea do not mind paying if other parts of the deal and fees can be reduced.

“Chelsea are now feeling more confident that they can land their man after talks today, mainly due to the fact that they are promising him game time and at the moment Liverpool are not able to do that with Virgil van Dijk just signing a new contract.”

Phillips’ source is also quoted as saying that Chelsea are “going all in” for Huijsen, so this comes as a very promising update on one of Europe’s most exciting young centre-backs.

Celtic’s business model, over the last decade and a half in particular, is all about buying players for a low fee, providing them with a platform on which to shine before selling them on for a massive profit.

As noted in the graphic, Matt O’Riley is the most recent player that fits into this model, arriving from Milton Keynes Dons for just £1.5m, before departing for Brighton for £25m two-and-a-half years later.

This strategy earned the Hoops the title of the ‘most well-run club’ in Britain, according to the Fair Game Index, so who will be the next high-profile Celtic star to depart?

Jeremie Frimpong's time at Celtic

When Jeremie Frimpong arrived at Celtic from Manchester City for just £350k in 2019, he was a complete unknown, having never played a senior football match in his life.

However, during 51 appearances in Hoops, he really impressed, named the club’s Young Player of the Year at the end of his debut campaign in Glasgow, before being sold to Bayer Leverkusen for a reported fee of £11.5m in January 2021.

Frimpong has since taken his game to another level in Germany, appearing 186 times for die Schwarzroten, while proving a key member of last season’s invincible Bundesliga-winning side. He is also now a first-team figure for the Netherlands, starting both of Oranje’s UEFA Nations League quarter-finals against Spain in March.

Mark White of FourFourTwo Magazine believes Frimpong to be currently the second-best right-back in the world, behind only Trent Alexander-Arnold, while Kurosh Moghtader of Total Football Analysis praises the 24-year-old’s ‘acceleration, constant vertical runs…. dribbling…. [and] dangerous low crosses’.

So, who will be Celtic’s next Frimpong, sold for a huge profit?

Celtic's next big-money sale

Back in January, there was widespread speculation that Nicolas Kühn could be on his way out of Celtic.

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It was reported that Celtic would only listen to offers at the £25m mark, with Football Insider claiming that Brentford and Fulham were amongst those interested, while there was even reported interest from even bigger Premier League clubs, namely Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham.

Any sale would represent a massive profit, considering he joined the club from Rapid Wien for £3m as recently as January 2024, with Transfermarkt believing his valuation has increased fourfold since.

However, this speculation has cooled, and the table below might outline why.

Appearances

25

19

Minutes

1,713

1,242

Goals

14

4

Minutes per goal

122

318

Assists

11

3

As the table outlines, Kühn has endured a massive drop-off in form in 2025, scoring only twice in 17 outings since 4 January, albeit one of these did give the Hoops the lead away to Bayern Munich in the Champions League knockout stages.

Rodgers believes Kühn’s dip in form is due to fatigue, saying the German has featured in the “most games he’s ever played” in a single season, before praising his “fantastic ability”, while Paul John Dykes from a Celtic State of Mind adds that, at his best, the 25-year-old is “unstoppable”.

Meantime, Robbie Hanratty of the National notes that Kühn hasn’t been the same since suffering a ‘suspected broken nose’ at Ibrox during the New Year’s Day defeat to Rangers, which could help to explain his downturn in front of goal.

Nevertheless, despite his recent barren period, Kühn’s three goals in the Champions League, including a spectacular brace against RB Leipzig in November, means his quality is there for all to see.

Having celebrated his 25th birthday on New Year’s Day, Kühn is getting to the age when players push for pastures new, so could he depart Celtic for a big fee come the summer, potentially following Frimpong to the Bundesliga?

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In a move that would see them get one over on Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United are now reportedly plotting a last-ditch hijack to sign an England international this summer.

Full focus on Bilbao for Man Utd

Although there are still three Premier League games left to play, they are likely to be seen as opportunities to rest key players at Manchester United. The Red Devils’ domestic campaign has long been over and they could yet finish as low as 17th to increase their embarrassment to beyond simple failure. But, in quite the twist, they could still qualify for the Champions League.

After smashing Athletic Bilbao 7-1 on aggregate, Manchester United will square off against fellow strugglers Tottenham in a game between two sides desperate to change the narrative of their seasons.

Like those at Old Trafford, there’s still every chance that Spurs finish as low as 17th in the Premier League. But, just like United, they could do the unthinkable by securing Champions League football through the Europa League.

Given just how much both sides have struggled this season, that qualification wouldn’t be without its controversy and many have already had their say, including Arsene Wenger.

The legendary ex-Arsenal manager recently told reporters: “No – they should qualify automatically for the Europa League again but not necessarily for the Champions League.

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“Especially when you’re in the Premier League where already five teams qualify. I think it’s something [for Uefa] to think about and to review. On the other hand, people will tell you that to keep the Europa League focused, interesting and motivated you need to give them that prize (of qualifying for the Champions League).”

However, if Manchester United end their season lifting the Europa League, the words of Wenger will simply become an afterthought, and their summer transfer window could suddenly come to life.

Man Utd plotting late Angel Gomes move

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United are now plotting a last-ditch hijack to sign Angel Gomes ahead of Tottenham this summer. Squaring off both on and off the pitch, the two Premier League sides are chasing the England international as his LOSC Lille contract comes to an end and he becomes a free agent at the end of June.

Whilst it is reportedly Spurs who lead the race, Manchester United should hold the advantage that Gomes came through their academy not so long ago. Having left as an attacking midfielder in 2020, the 24-year-old has since reinvented himself as a No.6 in France and could now make quite the return to Old Trafford this summer.

Dubbed “always impressive” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Gomes looks set to have quite the decision to make between his boyhood club that let him go and a Premier League rival this summer.