All posts by z3u9t.icu

With nine wins, four draws and eight losses, Chelsea have endured a pretty torrid 2023/24 Premier League season so far.

Still, with three league wins on the bounce, a League Cup semi-final, and passage into the fourth round of the FA Cup secured, Mauricio Pochettino has a lot more to smile about than he did a month ago.

However, with the transfer window in full swing, things could get even better, as the latest played touted for a move to Stanford Bridge could be the perfect Moises Caicedo partner, and he has been likened to Enzo Fernández.

Chelsea look north for midfield reinforcements

According to reports from Spain, Newcastle United's Brazillian midfielder Bruno Guimarães is seen as an 'ideal addition' to Chelsea's midfield in the summer by the club, and his name has been resonating 'in the corridors of Stamford Bridge' for some time.

The reports claim that while the Toon do not want to sell one of their best players, the financial situation at the club regarding FFP may force their hand, with the report going as far as claiming that the former Lyon star's days at St James' Park are 'numbered.'

However, Luke Edwards, the Telegraph's northern football writer, revealed last month that the tenacious midfielder has a release clause in his contract, but it is worth £100m, and while Chelsea have shown a total willingness to pay those sorts of prices, it'll still make the deal that bit more complicated.

That said, a midfield pairing of Guimarães and Caicedo or Fernandez might just be enough to tempt Todd Boehly and Co to once again dip into their enormous pockets.

How Guimarães compares to Enzo Fernández and Moises Caicedo

So, the Newcastle midfielder's comparisons to the World Cup-winning Fernandez stem from FBref, which takes data from a vast swathe of professional football leagues from around the world, and in the case of players from the Premier League, they take players from Europe's top five leagues, look at where they rank for specific metrics, and then create lists of those players who rank very similarly to one another.

In Guimarães' case, the Chelsea man is the ninth most similar player to him across all of Europe's top five leagues.

Douglas Luiz

Aston Villa

Enzo Le Fee

Rennes

Maxence Caqueret

Lyon

Marcelo Brozovic

Al-Nassr

Dani Ceballos

Real Madrid

Alexis Mac Allister

Liverpool

Vitinha

Paris Saint-Germain

Jordan Veretout

Marseille

Enzo Fernandez

Chelsea

Youssouf Fofana

Monaco

That said, how do the two Chelsea players actually compare to the Toon's "complete midfielder", as described by Talent scout Jacek Kulig?

Well, the first thing to note is that he is much more of a direct goal threat than his potential new teammates, registering one goal and three assists this season to Caicedo's zero goal involvements and Fernández's one goal.

However, when it comes to the trio's underlying numbers, it becomes a slightly tighter affair.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.23

0.33

0.08

Expected Assists

0.13

0.10

0.06

Progressive Passes

7.55

8.13

5.00

Passing Accuracy

85.5%

84.6%

91.1%

Goals per Shot on Target

0.17

0.11

0.00

Goal-Creating Actions

0.41

0.27

0.25

Tackles Won

2.24

1.87

2.47

Interceptions

0.87

0.67

0.86

Successful Take-Ons

1.79

1.07

0.74

Ball Recoveries

6.22

4.53

5.56

For example, the "world-class" Brazilian, as teammate Dan Burn dubbed him, emerges victorious regarding expected assists, goal-creating actions, goals per shot on target, interceptions, successful take-ons and ball recoveries.

In contrast, the Chelsea pair excel in other areas, such as tackles won, progressive passes and passing accuracy. Still, if you were to take an overall winner across every metric, it would be hard to argue against the Toon Titan.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 20, 2024

Ultimately, while it looks like it'll be another costly transfer for the Blues to complete, Guimarães' performances this season, combined with his underlying numbers, are evidence enough that he would be worth every penny and could form a brilliant partnership with either Caidcedo or Fernández – or both.

Leeds United are looking to sign a new centre-back on deadline day, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Leeds transfer rumours

The Whites are yet to make a signing for Daniel Farke’s side in the January transfer window, with attention being on moving players out and extending contracts to some highly-rated youngsters.

Djed Spence’s season-long loan came to an end at the beginning of the year, whereas Luke Ayling left for Middlesbrough, Leo Hjelde for Sunderland and youngsters Darko Gyabi and Lewis Bate headed out on loan.

Archie Gray and Mateo Joseph have put pen to paper on new Elland Road contracts, with Wilfried Gnonto looking to follow suit. When it comes to new signings, defence appears to be the position Leeds need to strengthen, with Farke coy at his press conference on Wednesday in regards to any late business.

A number of defenders have been linked with moves to Yorkshire, including Tottenham Hotspur’s Ben Davies, West Ham’s Ben Johnson, Burnley’s Connor Roberts, Bournemouth’s Chris Mepham, Nottingham Forest’s Joe Worrall and Everton’s Ben Godfrey. Reports on deadline day have claimed that a move for full-back Roberts is close.

Leeds, and by extension owners the 49ers Enterprises, also appear to be working on a possible centre-back arrival as well, and Romano has shared what he knows about the situation.

Romano shares Leeds transfer update

Talking to GiveMeSport, transfer expert Romano said that the Whites are “looking” at a deadline day move for a centre-back, although the name is “unclear”.

“Of course, a centre-back is needed at Leeds. They are looking for an opportunity there. The name is still unclear, but Leeds are still trying and looking for a chance there.”

Leeds’ current centre-back options are Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk, Liam Cooper and Charlie Cresswell. Summer signing Ethan Ampadu has also provided cover when needed, with Struijk and Cooper missing through injury recently and Cresswell out of the squad.

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Cresswell is now back in the first-team fold after holding positive talks with Farke, so you could argue that the priority should be a new full-back instead of a centre-back.

Gray, primarily a midfielder, has made the right-back spot his own, and behind him, Leeds have Sam Byram and Jamie Shackleton. Meanwhile, on the left-hand side, the Whites have Junior Firpo and Byram, both of whom have had injury issues in the past.

Therefore, if Leeds can sign Roberts and a centre-back, Farke may well be delighted at the club's late business.

It's no real surprise that the Premier League endured a fairly quiet January transfer window, given the recent crackdown on Financial Fair Play and the league's profit and sustainability rules. An expert has since revealed Arsenal's position regarding potential FFP sanctions and their frustrating decision during the winter window.

Arsenal's FFP position

Among the clubs to have already been charged with breaching FFP rules are Everton and Nottingham Forest, with the former potentially facing a second point deduction of the season to perhaps all but end their survival hopes.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are also reportedly in danger of breaching the rules unless they make some significant sales. The same can be said for Newcastle, who are walking a fine line after recording £155m in losses over the last three seasons, though it remains to be seen whether they will be in danger of punishment.

Arsenal, however, are not one of those sides left walking a tightrope. According to financial expert Stefan Borson, Arsenal could have spent in the January transfer window without breaching FFP rules. Borson told talkSPORT:

“You have a combination of teams who have chosen not to spend, so that’s teams like Arsenal. Because Arsenal could have spent if they wanted.

"If they were to invest in the necessary equity, they could push their limit up to the £105m from the £15m that it is now. But they opted to stay out of the market.

"Well it’s always very, very hard to calculate the exact amount. Certainly tens of millions pounds on a player – they could have bought the striker that everybody thinks they need. If they would have chosen to, it would have required the owners to have put in a very considerable amount of equity.

“They would have had to put their hands in their pockets, and ultimately, I think in line with most in the game around Europe, there is a limit. And people are saying, ‘Actually, I don’t want to do it anymore.”

Who Arsenal could have signed

It's a fairly open secret that Arsenal's two biggest transfer targets are a striker and a defensive midfielder to replace the injury-prone Thomas Partey. And as it turns out, the Gunners were in a position to spend the money and solve Mikel Arteta's two biggest problems during the January transfer window.

Among those linked with a move was Ivan Toney, who Brentford reportedly valued at £100m in what would have been the biggest deal of the winter window. Seemingly ready to wait until the summer to potentially make their move, Arsenal stuck with what they've already got in the form of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah.

Meanwhile, when it comes to midfielders, one of the main names mentioned was Amadou Onana. Alas, like Toney, Onana failed to complete a move to The Emirates and remains an Everton player after the Toffees reportedly set a price of around £90m. Currently sat third and six points adrift of leaders Liverpool, Arsenal may regret their decision not to spend during last month's window.

Southampton survived an almighty scare against Huddersfield Town last time out, three goals in the final ten minutes for Russell Martin's never-say-die Saints allowing his high-flying side to come out on top as 5-3 victors.

Unbeaten in the Championship for 22 games now off the back of these heroics at St. Mary's, Martin will just want the wins to keep coming when his team travels to Bristol City on Tuesday night.

The popular Southampton boss could well have to make a couple of changes here and there to freshen up his troops after such a barnstorming contest on the South Coast, with Sekou Mara potentially coming into the XI after a crucial goal against the Terriers.

Here's what the Saints potential lineup could look like, with two changes in total from the enthralling Huddersfield clash…

1 GK – Gavin Bazunu

Despite shipping three goals against Huddersfield, Southampton's number one goalkeeper in Gavin Bazunu should remain between the sticks for the trip to Ashton Gate.

Keeping a clean sheet in Southampton's last away encounter versus Rotherham United, the former Manchester City goalkeeper will hope he can pick up another one against Bristol City.

2 RB – Kyle Walker-Peters

Likewise, despite being in the back four that leaked three goals at the hands of the Terriers, Kyle Walker-Peters will also remain in Martin's starting XI.

Walker-Peters was lively in the contest regardless of the weak defensive display at points as a collective, amassing 108 touches of the ball as an energetic attacking presence.

3 CB – Taylor Harwood-Bellis

Taylor Harwood-Bellis will also stick it out at the heart of defence against Liam Manning's Robins, accumulating 104 touches last game in total as the Saints attempted to create from deep to outscore Huddersfield.

The Manchester City loanee might be disappointed with the fact he only managed to win 50% of his duels against the Terriers, the 22-year-old hoping to put in a more resilient display in truth versus Bristol City that sees a win and a clean sheet notched up.

4 CB – Jan Bednarek

Jan Bednarek would come away from the full-throttle contest against Huddersfield with his head held somewhat high, winning all but one of his aerial duels at St. Mary's.

Therefore, the reliable Polish defender should be retained by Martin for the clash at Bristol City – the Southampton number 35 helping his side pick up eight clean sheets this campaign when played away from the floodgates opening last game.

5 LB – Ryan Manning

An unchanged defence could well be a brave call by Martin after his side conceded three rapid fire goals last game, but Ryan Manning could start again as Southampton's first-choice left-back tomorrow night.

Managing two key passes from down the left-hand side against Huddersfield, the Saints will just want Manning to be stronger when Bristol City shirts foray forward.

6 CM – Will Smallbone

Will Smallbone will also be kept in the side for the trip to Ashton Gate tomorrow night, the former Stoke City loanee becoming a fixed first-teamer under Martin this campaign.

The Saints number 16 was measured on the ball even when the contest was frenetic, only misplacing three of his 84 passes. Creating one big chance and constantly receiving the ball also, Smallbone will hope he can pick up an assist against Bristol City on the way to his promotion-seeking side registering another win in the second tier.

7 CM – Joe Rothwell

The first change to the side that pulled off an unbelievable comeback win against Huddersfield could see Flynn Downes miss out, the West Ham United loanee ruled out for the mid-week clash at Bristol City owing to an injury concern.

This is undoubtedly a blow for the promotion-chasing Saints, with Martin very fond of the slick central midfielder – the Southampton boss once describing Downes as "incredible" when the pair were together at Swansea City.

Joe Rothwell should be able to fill in for Downes to soften this injury blow however, the AFC Bournemouth loanee netting a brace from off the bench last game – which included an unbelievable first-time strike rippling the back of the net – to set Southampton on their way to pulling off the unthinkable.

Only misplacing one pass too from a very impactful 57 minutes on the pitch, it's a no-brainer to bring Rothwell in for an injury-stricken Downes.

8 CM – Stuart Armstrong

Rothwell wasn't the only midfielder attempting to turn the game on its head however, with Stuart Armstrong attempting three shots on goal during the contest to steer Southampton to three points when defeat loomed.

The Scottish midfielder did get hauled off on the 71st-minute mark, but he should still be retained to feature alongside Rothwell and Smallbone.

9 RW – Adam Armstrong

Adam Armstrong will be retained at the right wing spot most likely for the trip to Liam Manning's side tomorrow, even with Che Adams on the chopping block as the main striker and Armstrong's expertise in the striker role.

Adams struggled throughout a lacklustre 45-minute spell, substituted off at the break owing to a slight knock as was revealed by Martin post-match.

Still, with Martin having another player up his sleeve who could come in and shine as the centre-forward, Armstrong will remain as a winger for this one.

10 ST – Sekou Mara

The second possible change could see Martin give Sekou Mara an opportunity to shine from the get-go as the lone striker, with the exciting 21-year-old attacker scoring and assisting at St. Mary's last time out from just 11 minutes on the pitch.

Without Mara, the game could well have finished as a 3-3 draw with both teams huffing and puffing but no winner coming up trumps.

Yet, the ex-Bordeaux youngster's drive to come on and be a difference-maker paid off which could see him rewarded with a place in Martin's starting eleven tomorrow night.

Newcastle United have endured something of a fall from grace this season as the side currently sit seventh in the Premier League table. The Magpies find themselves 11 points short of the top four, which is likely what they would have been aiming for at the start of the season.

Granted, Eddie Howe's men have suffered an abundance of injuries to key players which hasn't helped their case but, realistically, they should be doing better.

To make things worse for the Tyneside club, they even finished at the bottom of their Champions League group after qualifying for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

Aside from the injury crisis that the Magpies have gone through, many of their players have performed below what was likely expected of them. One player in particular is that of Dan Burn.

The defender joined the club from Brighton in the January 2022 transfer window for a fee worth around £13m but his form of late hasn't been the best.

Dan Burn's season in numbers so far

After joining Newcastle in 2022, Burn had a stellar start to life at Newcastle in the second half of the 2021/22 season, playing almost every Premier League game possible aside from his first clash against Everton on the 8th February where he was left on the bench.

Since then, he has been a constant within Eddie Howe's squad, even earning an extension to his contract which would keep him at the club until 2025. However, in recent weeks, Burn seems to have lost some of his confidence.

In one of the defenders' more recent clashes against Luton, according to Sofascore, he was the worst-rated player on the pitch, receiving a rating of 5.4. This below-average rating was due to a number of reasons, one of which was that out of all his attempted ground duels, he only managed to win half. He was also the cause of the concession of a penalty. Not ideal at all.

When compared to the likes of Gabriel Osho from Luton, the Hatters' defender managed to win 80% of his attempted ground duels. This shows how far off the pace Burn has been this season and is one of the reasons why Howe may be forced to drop him.

Fortunately for the Magpies, they have a few options within their squad in regard to players who could replace the 6 foot 7 titan.

The player who could take over from Dan Burn

Much like many other Premier League clubs, Newcastle spent a large chunk of change in the summer to bolster their squad. The Magpies accrued a spending of around £130.7m during the window with players such as Sandro Tonali and Tino Livramento arriving.

However, one arrival which excited many was that of Lewis Hall from Chelsea. Initially a loan deal, the Magpies have an obligation to buy the defender for a fee worth up to £35m.

Despite just starting one top-flight game all season, Hall has been lauded by many as having real potential with Chelsea legend Frank Lampard even hailing the performances of the 19-year-old.

"I thought Lewis did really well," said Lampard. "He’s a good player Lewis. In terms of quality on the ball, that’s really clear. In terms of quality, if you see him with the ball and the things he can do, he’s got the levels, he’s obviously got to add to that as he goes along."

Now, with Burn's poor performances, Howe could look towards the youngster for a starting role within his squad. With an extended run in the team, the 19-year-old could develop further and become integral to the Newcastle starting lineup for many years to come.

Additionally, since his arrival at the club, the youngster has managed to become one of the most valuable teenage footballers in world football as per Transfermarkt.

Within the squad, the youngster sits among some of the strongest teenage talent in world football with the likes of Barcelona's Gavi and Brighton's Evan Ferguson also making the mark.

He shouldn't be played just on his valuation alone but in the ever-improving Lewis Miley, Howe has already shown a willingness to throw a teenager into the action.

Miley most notably put in an "excellent" performance against PSG this season – as Ally McCoist voiced on commentary. That display cemented himself as one of the most exciting young players in Europe. However, Hall shouldn't be taken for granted either and must be given a chance to show what he's capable of in the back end of the campaign.

Arsenal are on the charge and things are looking up for the red half of north London this season.

Six wins from six in the Premier League has seen the Gunners move within a point of Manchester City and two of Liverpool.

Even better, an avalanche of goals has seen Mikel Arteta's side dramatically improve their goal difference, which could prove to be the deciding factor come May.

With Gabriel Jesus missing for four of the six games, much of the goalscoring burden has fallen on Bukayo Saka, a burden he has carried wonderfully well.

In fact, the young Englishman has done so well without the Brazilian beside him that Arsenal could look to fast-track one of their most promising prospects this summer to challenge the former City man for his place and form a deadly partnership with the 22-year-old.

Arsenal's Hale End Jesus replacement

The youngster in question is 21-year-old Mika Biereth, who joined Arsenal's youth setup from Fulham in July 2021.

He had an outstanding record with the Cottagers in west London, scoring 25 goals and providing 15 assists in just 41 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.02 games.

Appearances

26

41

Goals

12

25

Assists

5

15

Goal Involvements per Match

0.68

0.97

This impressive record saw him jump up the age groups upon his arrival at Hale End, and he was immediately placed in the U23 squad, where he managed to score 12 goals and provide five assists in just 26 games, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.52 matches.

His impressive displays for the youth sides saw him make the bench for a handful of senior games towards the end of the 2021/22 Premier League season.

When asked about his pathway into the first team in an interview with The Athletic, he was reassuringly confident: “Maybe not with strikers as much, but with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, if you play well you get in the squad. That’s all I’ve got to do.”

Why fans should be excited about Mika Biereth

Since he gave that interview, the Danish forward has been sent out on loan several times.

First, he joined Dutch side RKC Waalwijk, but a season blighted with injuries restricted him to just 357 minutes of first-team action, in which he did manage to bag two goals, mind.

This season, the "proper no.9", as described by data analyst Ben Mattinson, was sent to Scottish Premiership side Motherwell, where, after recovering from a knee injury, he scored six goals and provided five assists in just 15 games.

The powerful striker was so effective north of the border that Arsenal opted to recall him in January and send him out on loan to Austrian side Sturm Graz, where Biereth has already bagged three goals in five games and has a chance of winning the league.

It's clear the London-born forward has an eye for goal then, but his catalogue of assists is what could help him eventually push his way into the first team.

According to Mattinson, Biereth is "not selfish" as a player and "creates a lot of chances for others, whether it's cutbacks, through balls or general link-up play", which, based on the signing of Jesus, is precisely the sort of frontman Arteta wants in his team.

Appearances

99

355

Goals

47

138

Assists

25

66

The 6 foot 2 striker has registered 25 assists in 99 games, which equates to an assist every 3.96 matches, which is slightly better than Jesus' average of 5.37 assists per game, although that is from 355 senior games.

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Ultimately, Biereth isn't going to be breaking into the first team this season, but he looks to have a genuine chance of making it in the long term and with Saka still only 22 himself, there is no reason that the pair couldn't form a deadly partnership in a couple of years.

Leeds United will know picking up another victory tonight will ramp up the pressure on Ipswich Town to then travel to Cardiff City and clinch a similar result, the Whites praying that the Tractor Boys have an off-day in the Welsh capital.

Before Leeds get carried away however, Daniel Farke's automatic promotion hopefuls will have to overcome a resurgent Sheffield Wednesday side who have won five of their last six matches in the Championship.

Still, when you consider the Owls' lowly 23rd ranking in the division compared to Leeds' superiority up in third spot, anything but a win for the travelling Whites will be considered not good enough.

Patrick Bamford could well drop out of Farke's XI for the short trip to Hillsborough, with the 30-year-old centre-forward ineffective up top last match against Stoke City.

Patrick Bamford's performance vs Stoke in numbers

It would have been wildly optimistic to expect Bamford to keep firing on all cylinders at the rate he was, the injury-prone attacker bagging six goals this season all condensed into the last three months before this out-of-sorts display against the Potters.

The well-regarded Leeds servant would muster up just two efforts on the Stoke goal in the 1-0 win, with Bamford's blushes spared by Daniel James' tricky feet enabling the Welshman to score a wonderful strike to win the tight affair.

Club played for

Games

Goals scored

Assists

Derby County

1

1

0

Middlesbrough

3

0

1

Leeds United

3

0

0

Away from James' heroics, Bamford was timid in contrast with a lacklustre 31 touches managed and just 18 accurate passes tallied up before being substituted off late into the second 45 minutes.

This poor night overall for the revitalised Whites figure could see him drop out of his manager's plans for the nail-biting clash with Wednesday, with Joel Piroe waiting in the wings ready to take his chance in the starting lineup at the expense of his teammate.

Joel Piroe as Bamford's replacement

Piroe should lead the line with more confidence than the quiet number nine against the Owls, even with the former Swansea City man wanting to break his Championship goalscoring duck against Danny Rohl's side.

The Dutchman last bagged a goal for Leeds in the middle of last month, returning to his ex-employers in the Swans by firing in an effort in the routine 4-0 win.

That was four games ago however, with the 6 foot 1 striker now eager to add to his second-tier goal tally of 11 at Hillsborough by striking fear into the Owls defence.

Piroe was impactful from off the bench against Stoke last time out, even when being deployed as a number ten in that game as opposed to slotting in as the lone attacker.

The silky 24-year-old – who was once described as being "clinical" by football journalist Josh Bunting – did fail to register an effort on Daniel Iversen's goal from his 17 minutes on the pitch but was a creative spark nonetheless by setting up a big chance at Elland Road.

Yet, his performances elsewhere this season backs up Bunting's complimentary label for the Dutch forward.

Piroe would need just one shot on goal to score against Swansea in February, whilst also not fooling around against Ipswich Town last December with a strike buried from just 25 touches of the ball.

Farke will hope that this call will see Leeds stroll to a confident three points in South Yorkshire, with the Whites still assured in their own ability that they can pip Ipswich and any other rivals to second place.

One Celtic star is still expected to be called up for international duty this month, despite having picked up a knock just days before he is due to be in action for his national team, it has emerged.

Celtic labour to cup win

Struggling by their own standards in the Scottish Premiership, the Scottish Cup was a welcome distraction for Brendan Rodgers and co. But while they eventually made it through to the next round courtesy of a 4-2 win, it was far from a vintage performance from the Scottish champions and will have done little to reassure fans that they will be able to pip bitter rivals Rangers to the domestic crown come the end of the campaign.

The battle for the SPL crown

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

GD

Points

Rangers

29

23

1

5

48

70

Celtic

29

21

5

3

46

68

The two face each other at Ibrox next month, and Celtic know that a win will be vital in their bid to retain their title, but they are sweating on the fitness of one key man.

Carter-Vickers picks up knock

Now, Celtic are reeling from another injury issue as it has emerged that Carter-Vickers was absent in the weekend win after picking up a knock 'in the back of his leg' during training. The 26-year-old has already missed a large chunk of the season through injury, and now could be sidelined further, though the fact that he was able to complete the training sessions lends hope to the idea that he may not be on the treatment table for too long.

“We were just going through something very light on Saturday and he felt something in the back of his leg," Rodgers explained.

“He was okay to continue training but we just didn’t want to take any risk whatsoever with him. As much as he wants to play every game and be there, we had this earlier in the season when he said he was okay, but we ended up losing him for a number of matches.

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“Hopefully it’s nothing too serious. We just have to wait and see. If players are fit and available then we can’t stop him going, that’s internationals. He’ll obviously be called up for the USA I’m sure, but we’ll just have to wait and see what the scan result says.”

The USMNT face Jamaica later this month in the CONCACAF Nations League semi-final, and a win would pit them against either Panama or Mexico in the final. Carter-Vickers has been named among the provisional roster for his country, and started both quarter-final legs in their nervy win over Trinidad.

But injury could put pay to his involvement should it turn out to be more serious than first feared. He was not the only absentee as Celtic made it into the last four of the Scottish Cup over the weekend, with Callum McGregor also absent through injury. Rodgers hopes to have his midfield general back after the international break though.

"There will be other players who can come in, but the level that he brings the game to is beyond what a lot of our players can do. Fingers crossed again we can get to the bottom of that and he’ll be available after the international break.”

Nottingham Forest are in real trouble this season, with the Reds currently sitting three points above the relegation zone with nine games remaining in the Premier League.

The club are already on the cusp of potential relegation, but they could find themselves in yet more trouble on Monday, with the Reds set to find out the verdict of the PSR case.

Evangelos Marinakis invested over £200m since promotion, with the signings a huge factor in the club's breach of the Premier League's rules.

Players such as Morgan Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awoniyi joined Forest for then-club record fees as the Reds smashed their transfer record after promotion.

Despite their big spending, the club may have missed a trick by not signing a loanee who excelled at the club during the promotion campaign in 2021/22.

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ByStephan Georgiou Apr 16, 2024 James Garner's stats at Nottingham Forest

After joining the club on loan for the 2020/21 campaign, Forest re-signed midfielder James Garner for the promotion campaign, with the Manchester United loanee impressing under Steve Cooper in the Championship.

During the 2021/22 season, Garner featured 41 times for the Reds scoring four times with eight assists – including a brilliant strike against Blackburn Rovers.

The midfielder also provided the cross for Levi Colwill's own goal in the Championship play-off final – a decisive strike that ended the club's 23-year exile from England's top flight.

Forest were reportedly interested in making the youngster's loan deal permanent in the summer of 2022 but were priced out of a deal for the United midfielder, with the Reds moving on to signing different targets such as Lewis O'Brien and Orel Mangala.

Garner eventually joined fellow Premier League side Everton for a deal in the region of £9m rising to £15m with add-ons, with the Reds making a big mistake in not pushing harder to bring the youngster back to the City Ground.

How James Garner compares to Ibrahim Sangare

Current Forest boss Nuno Espírito Santo is yet to find a settled midfield, with the likes of Ryan Yates, Danilo, Nicolas Dominguez and Ibrahim Sangare often rotating the two deep-lying roles.

Sangare cost the Reds £32m in the summer, with the Forest faithful unhappy with the Ivorian's impact at the club since his arrival.

Given Garner's fee, which was nearly four times less than Sangare's, the Reds would have been better off signing the Englishman with the former Forest loanee ahead of Sangare in multiple key areas this season.

Even though the two are completely different types of midfielders, Garner's box-to-box playstyle would be more beneficial to Nuno, with the former Wolves boss consistently operating with two players at the base of the Reds midfield.

Undoubtedly, the former Reds loanee is better in possession than Sangare, with the now 23-year-old averaging more than double the Ivorian when it comes to shot-creating actions and progressive carries per game.

Interceptions

1.6

1.1

Progressive Carries

1

0.5

Shot Creating Actions

3.3

1.6

Passes Attempted

38

35

However, he also beats the former PSV man out of possession especially for interceptions per 90, with his tally of 1.6 ahead of Sangare's 1.1 per game.

It's still relatively early days for the 26-year-old at the City Ground, but so far he's failed to live up to expectations, with the club potentially making a big loss on the midfielder should they suffer relegation this summer.

Tottenham are looking into signing a £45 million star this summer, with his club now potentially forced into selling him amid their financial woes.

Spurs drawing summer transfer shortlist

Ange Postecoglou recently admitted that the Spurs squad needs a lot of work done over the next few transfer windows to reach their required level, but it's safe to say the recruitment team have done an excellent job during his reign thus far.

Tottenham planning to accept bid for £110,000-a-week player

Ange has called him “determined”.

ByTom Cunningham Mar 31, 2024

The signings of Micky van de Ven and James Maddison last summer have been key to Tottenham's position in the table and fight for a Champions League place, while Timo Werner's addition on loan has also proved successful – so much so that they could opt to sign him permanently from RB Leipzig.

Technical director Johan Lange and the wider recruitment team have cherry-picked players from across the continent who are seemingly tailor-made for Postecoglou's system, with the biggest example being van de Ven, whose searing pace allows Spurs to play their aggressive high line defensively.

Son Heung-min

7.40

James Maddison

7.33

Pedro Porro

7.12

Cristian Romero

7.08

Manor Solomon

7.05

The aim for Tottenham is to continue building upon their transfer success under Postecoglou and to avoid mishaps like the club-record signing of flop Tanguy Ndombele.

One of their key goals for the next summer window is bringing in a midfielder, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg looking pretty likely to leave Spurs as things stand.

They've been repeatedly linked with a move for Conor Gallagher as an option, as the England international's contract expires next summer and there is still no sign of a renewal.

A deal could be difficult to pull off, though, given the rivalry between both Chelsea and Spurs. Atalanta's Ederson is rumoured to be a Tottenham alternative to Gallagher heading into ther summer, but it appears another could well be Leicester City star Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

Tottenham looking at signing Dewsbury-Hall

According to talkSPORT this week, Tottenham are looking into signing Dewsbury-Hall as Leicester may be forced into a painful sale.

The midfielder has bagged a sensational 11 goals and 13 assists in 38 Championship appearances this term, standing out as one of their star players, but the Foxes need to balance their books after posting £90 million losses for the last financial year.

Leicester's loss could be Tottenham's gain, as Postecoglou's side join the host of teams keeping tabs on the £45 million-rated Dewsbury-Hall heading into this summer.

"He is a wonderful demonstration of someone who works very hard and he has proved that if you work hard the opportunities come your way," said former Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers.

"It is a real joy as a coach and a manager to see a young player come through the system here over many years and then score his first goal at his home stadium in front of his home supporters that he has dreamt of doing all his life.

"What’s very important for him is to keep proving his point and he needs to find consistency. He has certainly done that since he has come into the team and he’s been a revelation for us.

"He is a young man that is very determined. He has great human qualities as well. His humbleness, his vision of where he wants to go is very clear and he knows that is just about work. It is staying calm, staying focused and improving yourself every game."