Newcastle United are interested in signing Joachim Andersen from Crystal Palace this summer and have now received a boost in their pursuit, if reports are to believed.

What's the latest on Joachim Andersen to Newcastle?

That's according to FootballTransfers, who claim that the Eagles might be willing to reduce their initial £40m asking price for the Danish defender with the south London club in pursuit of reinforcements themselves.

Fabrizio Romano recently reported that United have been in constant discussion with the 27-year-old's agents and have made it be known that he is a player they have appreciated for a long time.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

FootballTransfers also reported Newcastle's initial interest back in June, and technical director Dan Ashworth now needs to decide whether a deal is feasible given the club's outlay already this summer.

How good is Joachim Andersen?

The 2023/24 Premier League campaign is but a whisker away, with the 20 teams at contrasting stages of their summer transfer business.

Eddie Howe will be one of the more satisfied bosses, having bolstered the first-team ranks with Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento after finishing fourth last season and qualifying for the Champions League.

St. James' Park is headed for further success this season, subjectively of course, and while Howe's transfer appetite is largely sated, there is room for a ball-playing centre-half such as Andersen, who could replace Fabian Schar.

Schar was pivotal to the Magpies' impressive season and started 36 matches in the English top-flight, earning an average Sofascore rating of 7.13, completing 78% of his passes, averaging a key pass every two matches, keeping 12 clean sheets, making 1.4 interceptions, 1.3 tackles and 3.8 clearances per game and succeeding with 65% of his total duels.

He was hailed for being "important at both ends" by analyst Statman Dave and this is evidenced through his FBref statistics, where the Swiss ranks among the top 5% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 2% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for total shots taken and the top 10% for aerials won per 90.

However, the £40k-per-week titan is out of contract at the end of the season and at 31 years of age, Newcastle might feel that it is time to sign a replacement.

Andersen could be the "leader" – as he was described by his former coach Svend Graversen – to bolster the squad as they look to cement their newfound stature among Europe's elite, with full belief in the transfer of his skills to Tyneside.

The Eagles colossus recorded an average rating of 6.96 last term, completing 80% of his passes, averaging 0.4 key passes per game, making 1.3 tackles and a whopping 5.8 clearances per match and winning 64% of his total duels.

Meanwhile, the 22-cap international also ranks among the top 16% of positional peers for total shots, the top 2% for clearances and the top 17% for aerials won per 90.

By joining the fold at Newcastle, Andersen's performances would only improve and if Ashworth can indeed strike an astute deal for the £80k-per-week gem, Schar's possible departure could leave not so much as a bent in the St. James' Park armour.

Arsenal are one of the sides keen on signing Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz before summer deadline day, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

Who else will Arsenal sign?

The Gunners and manager Mikel Arteta are closing in on yet another signing with Arsenal sealing a deal for Brentford keeper David Raya, who has been given the "here we go" by renowned transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano.

Arsenal look set to bolster their goalkeeping department with Raya's signing as sporting director Edu Gaspar provides stiff competition for current number one Aaron Ramsdale.

It's been a summer window to remember for Arsenal, who have spent well over £200 million, having also put pen to paper on deals for winger Kai Havertz, defender Jurrien Timber and club-record signing Declan Rice.

Buoyed by their victory over treble-winners Man City in the Community Shield as well, it could be a season to really look forward too for supporters.

More outfield signings are certainly not out of the question, either, as Arsenal are linked with moves for the likes of Barcelona forward Ansu Fati and Dinamo Zagreb's Josip Sutalo.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

Luiz, who starred for Villa regularly last term, is another player who could make the move to north London this summer.

That is according to Football Insider and O'Rourke, who say Arsenal have held a long-standing interest in the former Man City star, namely since the summer of 2022.

Villa are actively pursuing USA international and Leeds midfielder Tyler Adams, and that could apparently open the door for Luiz to depart before deadline day.

Arsenal, it is believed, are keen on signing the 25-year-old alongside arch rivals Spurs. There is little detail given beyond that line, but it appears a move for Luiz is still firmly on the cards.

How good is Douglas Luiz?

The South American midfield ace racked up six goals and six assists in 37 league appearances last season for Villa, all while ranking among their best-performers by average match rating according to WhoScored.

Luiz also featured among Villa's best for tackles made and successful interceptions per 90, highlighting how he could be a very good job under Arteta if signed.

Arsenal legend Ian Wright, speaking on his podcast last year (via football.london), has praised Luiz and believeds he is actually an "underrated" top flight player.

“Someone like Douglas Luiz," said Wright.

"He is ready to be one of the best midfield players in the Premier League. He is so underrated. They [Villa] blasted us (on Sunday). We had no chance. It was men against boys."

Meanwhile, Luiz has also attracted praise from City boss Pep Guardiola, who has called the midfielder "strong".

"He’s a guy who plays all of the minute," said Guardiola after Villa played City in 2021.

"He’s an important player for Aston Villa. A guy who’s clever with the ball, so physically strong. He’s a lovely, lovely guy."

Arsenal's interest in Luiz is clearly not unjustified and it will be interesting to see whether they can pull off a move for the star so late this window.

Indeed, with just weeks till the deadline, it is set to be a very interesting time.

Of course it was spin that sealed Somerset’s victory. And of course it was Jack Leach who took the final wicket.Less than a year after his career was threatened by suggestion that his action was not legal, Leach clinched his fourth five-wicket haul of the campaign to secure his side’s third victory in the final four games of the season. As a result, he passed 50 wickets in the season and Somerset avoided relegation. Matt Maynard, Somerset’s departing director of cricket, said he “couldn’t make sense” of the decision not to take him to the Ashes.Leach wouldn’t see many pitches like this in Australia, of course. Pitches where spinners open the bowling in three of the four innings and take all 10 wickets in the fourth innings. Somerset have made a point of preparing such surfaces in the last couple of years and, in Leach and Dom Bess, they have two bowlers well equipped to take advantage.The Somerset players took a lap of honour at the end of the game. It wasn’t so much a sign that they were content with their low position in the table; more a reflection of their relief in retaining their decade-long stay in Division One (no side in the land will have been in the top division so long when the 2018 starts) and gratitude to their 2000 supporters. Cricket still matters in Taunton.This pitch was marked “below average” by the Cricket Liaison Officer (CLO), Wayne Noon, as it showed signs of “excessive turn” from the start. Crucially he could not see any uneven bounce on days one or two. As a result there will be no points deduction and Somerset’s place in Division One is assured.That isn’t quite the get out of jail free card it might appear. The ECB regulations state that, should a pitch be marked “below average” twice within a 12-month period in the same competition, penalties can be applied. While Somerset have not had another such mark this season, they will, Noon said “have to be very mindful” of their surfaces in 2018.There is a slight caveat to all this. Phil Whitticase, a senior CLO, will arrive in Taunton on Friday and conduct a further investigation into the pitch. He will, as part of that investigation, speak to the umpires and the groundsman and it remains theoretically possible that he will increase the penalty. He could also decrease it.But it would be a major surprise – and an astounding own goal from the ECB – if they should, for the second season in succession, alter the table after the campaign has finished and change the relegation positions. But, not so long ago, it seemed impossible that a hotel magnate with comic hair would become US president; life is full of surprises and not all of them are good.Adam Voges, the Middlesex captain, was frank in his assessment of the pitch. “We knew we’d get a spinning wicket,” he said. “And I’ve no problem with teams preparing pitches to suit their strengths.”But we were surprised by how much disturbance there was before a ball was bowled. There was excessive spin from ball one. There were rake marks at both ends. There should be a line and whether that line was crossed is the match-referee’s decision.”He remains more upset by the two-point deduction for a slow over rate following the crossbow incident at The Oval last month. He feels his team were assured by officials at the time that the nature of the incident would be taken into account and no penalty levelled.”It was such an extraordinary circumstance,” he said. “We had every intention to rectify our over rate and were assured at the time that it wouldn’t be an issue. Whether there is anything that can be done now is up to the administrators.”Voges admitted, though, that to leave themselves in a position where they were hurt by such moments was a reflection of their disappointing cricket over the course of the season. Champions in 2016, they end 2017 with rumours of deep dressing-room discontent. They still look a very strong side on paper, though, and might reflect in time that they have simply been victim to a league which relegates a quarter of its participants a season. Over-reaction would probably be an error.”You look at the season as a whole and it’s obviously been disappointing,” Voges said. “It’s not just the last week or the last month.”It took less than two hours to wrap-up victory on the final day. Leach and his fellow left-arm spinner, Roelof van der Merwe, utilised the conditions expertly with the latter finishing with career-best figures. Leach, in particular, bowled beautifully with his subtle and wonderfully disguised changes of pace causing many of the problems. And, for all the talk about this pitch, it wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow in Asia. England really don’t play spin very well.Marcus Trescothick salutes the crowd after Somerset secured Division One status•Getty Images

Leach may yet feature in the Ashes. He can expect to be named in the Lions party that will train in Perth as the Test series is played and, should anything befall Moeen Ali, could well be called into the Test squad if required.”I’d prefer to see him there instead of Mason Crane,” Maynard said. “Crane can’t get into the Hampshire side all the time. I can’t understand it. If he gets called into the team he won’t know anyone there. They’ve missed a trick in not picking him”One thing is sure: for Leach to recover from the low he was in only a few months ago is testament to impressive resilience. To re-model an action without missing a game and then emerge as a better, more skilful, more mature bowler bodes well for his future.He had, he admits, some “dark moments” on the Lions tour of the UAE last winter. There were times, as he tried to bowl with his new action, when he feared he might never recapture the bite and consistency of previous days. Just nine months later, he is back to winning games for his side and pushing for an England spot.”I’ve shown good resilience,” he said. “Something like that can’t be fixed overnight and, from a mental perspective more than technical, there were some dark moments on that tour. I wanted to make a really good impression but it was hard.”Now I look back on it as part of the journey. I think I’m probably a better bowler now. I can bowl a bit quicker and I’ve learned a lot. About myself and my action. At the start of the season I wasn’t sure if I could keep doing this, so to have finished with more than 50 wickets…. Yes, I’m proud of how I’ve reacted to the challenges. It was tough.”Leach was one of eight academy products in this Somerset side. Well, academy or equivalent. They didn’t have academies when Marcus Trescothick was growing up. Hell, they didn’t even have the Quantocks. But it means that Maynard’s successor – and it still seems likely that Andy Hurry will be named as such next week with Jason Kerr as his deputy – inherits strong foundations ahead of next season.”I’d love to have stayed and seen the project through,” Maynard said. “We did have discussions about me doing the head coach role, but decided there could be friction if I didn’t agree with the new director of cricket. So a settlement was agreed and we part very amicably. The club have handled it well.”The club have undergone quite a transition under Maynard. The over-reliance upon imports has improved and the trust in home-grown youth has improved. And it was his idea that Trescothick, at slip, should field on his knees to the spinners in certain circumstances. “When the ball is dying, we felt he could get that bit lower,” he explained. It wasn’t, perhaps, a perfect stay but the club went within an ace of winning that elusive first Championship title a year ago. Memories in cricket have never been shorter.It transpires the review of the club structure was led by James Taylor, the England batsman who retired through illness at the start of last season, who felt it was necessary to employ a head coach and director of cricket. Maynard, who described cricket as his passion, will now consider more “backseat” roles such as batting consultancy positions. He is unlikely to be without offers for long.So, Somerset will play in Division One in 2018. And that means Trescothick could yet fulfil that Championship-winning dream. If he does, it would be a success popular far beyond the borders of the county.

Liverpool have made a fresh bid to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, however it was immediately knocked back by the Saints, as it was well below their asking price of £50m, according to a report from Sky Sports.

Is Romeo Lavia signing for Liverpool?

There have been conflicting reports about whether Lavia is close to a move to Anfield, with Foot Mercato recently detailing the midfielder is "one step away" from completing a switch for a fee of around €50m (£43m).

Journalist Ben Jacobs recently told GiveMeSport that the Reds believe they will be able to get a deal over the line, saying: "Liverpool are preparing another offer, which will be over £40million, and the feeling is relatively positive that there is a deal there to be had.

"There is some Chelsea interest at this point, but it may become strong, especially with Moises Caicedo talks not moving as fast as they would like.

"But the key point in all this is that Lavia wants Liverpool. Knowing the player's desire, Liverpool have got more confidence. Now it's about agreeing a package with Southampton."

According to a report from Sky Sports, however, Liverpool's most recent bid was still below an initial £40m, way under the Saints' asking price of £50m, so it was immediately knocked back.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

The total package took the Reds closer to Southampton's valuation, but a compromise is yet to be reached, meaning they have started to run the rule over other targets, including Fluminense midfielder Andre.

In an ideal situation, Jurgen Klopp would like to bring in two new midfielders and a defender before the transfer deadline, and the Southampton star remains keen on a switch to Anfield, with personal terms not expected to be a problem.

However, as the Saints are currently unwilling to budge on their asking price, Liverpool are now considering alternative options.

How good is Romeo Lavia?

Lauded as "outstanding" by members of the media, the Belgian certainly made a good impression during his first season in a Southampton shirt last season, averaging 2.1 tackles per game in the Premier League, a higher amount than Fabinho.

The 19-year-old also averaged more interceptions than the Brazil international, indicating he could be a fantastic long-term replacement, however there are doubts over whether he justifies a £50m outlay at this stage.

Although he clearly has a lot of potential, the Brussels-born midfielder has only made a total of 29 appearances in the top flight, so it is difficult to justify a £50m price tag, and it is no wonder Liverpool are considering other midfielders.

That said, Andre has performed worse than the youngster on almost every key defensive metric over the past year, despite playing in a far weaker league, averaging fewer tackles, interceptions and blocks per 90.

As such, Lavia remains the Reds' best option to replace Fabinho, and they should see if they can reach a compromise in the coming days, but they will need to move swiftly, with the Premier League season set to get underway in less than two weeks.

MatériaMais Notícias

O presidente da Câmara dos Deputados, Rodrigo Maia (DEM-RJ) não pretende levar a Medida Provisória 984/2020 para votação no Congresso dentro do prazo de 120 dias. Com isso, o texto assinado pelo presidente Jair Bolsonaro em junho deve perder validade em meados de outubro. A informação é do ‘Uol Esportes’.

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Segundo a reportagem, Rodrigo revelou sofrer pressão de clubes que apoiam a MP, mas acredita que deveria haver um debate maior sobre o tema. O governo federal não consultou clubes, profissionais do esporte e políticos antes da divulgação do texto.

16 clubes da série A apoiam o texto
Um grupo de 16 clubes da elite do futebol brasileiro divulgará um manifesto a favor das mudanças pretendidas pela “MP das transmissões”, que deixa o direito de transmitir os confrontos nas mãos dos clubes mandantes.A mudança no cenário ocorreu graças à articulação de Bolsonaro com a diretoria do Flamengo. A Lei Pelé estabelece que o direito de transmissão é dividido entre os clubes mandante e visitante.

A lista de clubes da Série A que assinaram o manifesto conta com Bahia, Palmeiras, Ceará, Fortaleza, Sport, RB Bragantino, Athletico-PR, Coritiba, Atlético-MG, Flamengo, Corinthians, Goiás, Vasco, Atlético-GO, Santos e Internacional.Fluminense, Botafogo, Grêmio e São Paulo não quiseram ser signatários deste apoio à MP das transmissões.

– Os torcedores ganham com o fim dos apagões de jogos, com mais craques em campo e com um melhor espetáculo no Brasil. Os clubes ganham com mais liberdade e receitas. E o país ganha com os clubes mais sólidos financeiramente, maior geração de empregos e crescimento de impostos pagos aos governos – diz trecho do manifesto dos clubes favoráveis a MP.

Derby County are thought to be in talks to sign Sheffield Wednesday striker Michael Smith, according to Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett.

What’s the latest Derby transfer news?

The Rams and Paul Warne have been busy in the transfer market ahead of the manager’s first full season in charge at Pride Park, which begins this afternoon at home to Wigan Athletic.

In total, seven new players have arrived at the club in Curtis Nelson, Callum Elder, Joe Ward, Sonny Bradley, Josh Vickers, Conor Washington and Kane Wilson.

More could be on the way, though, with the domestic deadline not set to close until September 1. Another new forward appears to be on the agenda for Derby and Warne, with Smith, who has scored two goals against the Rams during his career, a target.

Senior Sky Sports reporter Dorsett took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to share news on Derby’s search for a striker. He said that the Rams are in talks over a move for Smith and are also interested in free agent and former forward Martyn Waghorn.

“#dcfc and #blackpoolfc both interested in a deal for free agent Martyn Waghorn, who left #ccfc in May. Derby also in talks with #swfc over Michael Smith, and unlikely to sign two strikers, so Blackpool hopeful they can steal a march with Waghorn.”

Dorsett then added a further update on the pair, with Smith appearing to be the key target.

“Slight tweak: #dcfc MAY sign two strikers, but #Blackpoolfc hoping to sneak a deal with Waghorn while the Rams focus is primarily on Smith.”

Who is Michael Smith?

Smith is an out-and-out centre-forward who has plied his trade from a number of Football League clubs over the years. The 31-year-old came through the ranks at Darlington and has gone on to play for Charlton Athletic, Accrington Stanley, Newport County, Colchester United, AFC Wimbledon, Swindon Town, Barnsley, Portsmouth, Northampton Town, Bury, Rotherham United and Sheffield Wednesday.

In total, the striker has made 70 appearances in League Two, 257 in League One and 89 in the Championship. Smith has scored 113 goals in the Football League and has registered 38 assists.

Smith was hailed as a “game-changer” by former Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore following his performance in an FA Cup win over Mansfield Town last season, who said:

“Michael Smith is a game-changer today. The quality showed at the end of it, and that’s what Michael is. He was in the right place at the right time and that’s what quality strikers do.”

He appears to be a proven third-tier forward who has netted 34 times in the division over the past two seasons, helping Rotherham and Wednesday to promotion.

Therefore, Smith seems to be a smart target for Warne, and who knows, he could look to make it three in a row with Derby, should a transfer go through.

Derby currently have Washington and James Collins as their centre-forward options, so Smith would provide a proven and experienced third option, making this a deal to watch over the coming days.

BBC pundit Alan Hutton can't believe Tottenham Hotspur could also sell midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg after some news this week.

Who will leave Spurs?

The most headline-grabbing exit of this summer window, and by some way, is the departure of star striker Harry Kane to Bayern Munich – with renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano giving his famous "here we go" to the deal.

Tottenham reached an agreement with Bayern to sell their talismanic star for a fee around €100 million (£86m) plus an extra €20 million (£17.2m) in possible add-ons – leaving manager Ange Postecoglou with a gaping hole to fill up front in a worry for the new manager.

Kane had entered the final 12 months of his Spurs deal, giving chairman Daniel Levy and co a major decision to make in regard to his future, as he could have left for nothing next summer.

The 30-year-old joins Harry Winks and Lucas Moura as players out of the door at Tottenham, as the likes of Davinson Sanchez, Japhet Tanganga, Hugo Lloris and Hojbjerg remain linked with other clubs.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

In the last week, there have been reports of the latter closing in on a move to Atletico Madrid, with Hojbjerg apparently set to leave despite being a regular starter under Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Denmark international could very well be next up after Kane if all goes to plan, and BBC pundit Hutton has suggested letting Hojbjerg go would be a mistake.

“I think he has been one of the better players in recent seasons for Tottenham," said the former Spurs defender to Football Insider.

"There is a lot surrounding him at this moment in time about moving on.

“I think they have got decent depth in the middle of the pitch but Ange [Postecoglou] would maybe look to bring somebody in. I think defensively is more where the problems lie.

“I would like them to keep Hojbjerg and work out the defence. But if the player wants to leave Ange will not stand in his way and hopefully then they can get some money to reinvest into the squad.“

How good is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg?

The 28-year-old was a mainstay for Spurs last season. Indeed, only Kane featured over more league minutes than Hojbjerg, with the midfielder also ranking among their best-performers per 90 according to WhoScored.

The former Southampton star chipped in with nine goal contributions from midfield, scoring four goals and assisting five others (WhoScored).

Members of the media called him "sensational" last campaign, while former Tottenham shot-stopper Paul Robinson heaped praise on Hojbjerg for his form at the end of 2022.

"I’ve been surprised by how much he has stepped up this year," said Robinson to Football Insider.

“I thought he was the one who would make way for Yves Bissouma. The club spent a lot of money on Bissouma. I think Hojbjerg recognised that and stepped up.

“He is playing to a level that we have never seen before. He is playing his best football in a Spurs shirt."

Alongside Kane, it appears Spurs would also lose a very capable player if a move to Atletico does go through.

In August, the High Court had ordered the BCCI to lift the life ban on the fast bowler, stating the board had no “incriminating evidence”

Nagraj Gollapudi19-Sep-2017

The BCCI has challenged a Kerala High Court judgement from last month, which had ordered the board to lift its life ban on fast bowler Sreesanth. The BCCI had banned Sreesanth in 2013 for his alleged involvement in the Indian Premier League corruption scandal. Sreesanth was one of three Rajasthan Royals players – Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan being the others – to be handed a life ban by the BCCI for an alleged role in the scandal.In February this year, Sreesanth filed a writ petition in the Kerala High Court challenging the ban, after the BCCI refused to issue a no-objection certificate for him to play league cricket in Scotland. A writ is an application filed in the court asking it to enforce some right against an authority or against an order against which there is no statutory remedy.In his petition, Sreesanth argued that in 2015 a trial court in Delhi had dropped charges filed by the Delhi Police against him, Chavan and Chandila. The three were among 42 individuals chargesheeted by the Delhi Police under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).In the absence of a specific criminal law to deal with spot-fixing in India, the cricketers were chargesheeted for offences under the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the MCOCA. The court, however, said there was not enough evidence for charges to be framed under MCOCA, a special law passed by the Maharashtra state government to tackle organised crime syndicates and terrorism. The MCOCA contains much stricter provisions relating to bail and admissibility of confessions compared to the Indian Penal Code.In August, Justice A Muhamed Mustaque of the Kerala High Court, accepted Sreesanth’s appeal and told the BCCI it had no “incriminating evidence” against the player and hence the ban should be “quashed”.On its part, the BCCI maintained the ban was handed after a one-man inquiry commission found Sreesanth guilty of various offences under the board’s anti-corruption code.The BCCI has now decided to challenge the order of Justice Mustaque. In an application filed in the Kerala High Court on Monday, the BCCI has pointed whether “interference” by a writ court was warranted”. The BCCI has also asked whether the writ court could “sit in appeal” and “alter the quantum of penalty imposed” against the findings of the board’s disciplinary committee.The BCCI said that its decision was in “accordance” with the principles of natural justice and it has now asked the court to decide whether Justice Mustaque’s order was “contrary to law and to principles of justice, equity and good conscience and ought to be set aside?”

أكد مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي بايرن ميونخ، توماس مولر، على أهمية مباراة ريال مدريد رغم نتيجة الذهاب والتعادل الإيجابي 2-2 في ملعب “أليانز أرينا” ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويلتقي ريال مدريد وبايرن ميونخ يوم الأربعاء المقبل في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” بقيادة الحكم البولندي، سيمون مارشينياك.

اقرأ أيضًا.. بايرن ميونخ يُعلن صدمة قوية قبل مباراة ريال مدريد في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وأجرى مولر حوارًا مع موقع ناديه الرسمي، وقال: “متحمس لرؤية الأجواء في ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو كما كان الحال في أليانز أرينا”.

وتابع: “كرة القدم أمر مهم بالنسبة للجماهير في مدريد، فأنت تجد الملعب في أرجاء المدينة وهو شيء حماسي للغاية للاعبين ويؤثر بالإيجاب”.

وأضاف: “كان الأمر مميزًا في أليانز أرينا وساعدتنا الجماهير أمام ريال مدريد في مباراة الذهاب ولكن لسوء الحظ لم نفز رغم أن الأداء كان جيدًا”.

واستمر: “هذه الأجواء تحفزنا كلاعبين في بايرن ميونخ كما حدث في عام 2012 وتأهلنا من سانتياجو برنابيو”.

وواصل تصريحاته: “لكن ريال مدريد فريقًا قويًا للغاية وكان متواجدًا في نصف النهائي لأكثر من مرة في السنوات الماضية، ولكن يمكننا مواجهتهم بالفعل”.

وأتم: “ستكون مواجهة متكافئة يوم الأربعاء، سيكون هناك تفاصيل صغيرة جدًا لتحديد من سيفوز وعلينا استغلال تلك الفرص جيدًا”.

Celtic started off their week with a bang by officially confirming the signings of South Korean duo Hyeok-kyu Kwon and Hyun-jun Yang on permanent deals.

They have since announced the arrival of Polish centre-back Maik Nawrocki as their fifth addition of the summer transfer window, as those three have joined Marco Tilio and Odin Thiago Holm in committing their futures to the Scottish giants.

Where does Hyeok-kyu Kwon play?

Kwon is a defensive midfielder who has joined from Busan IPark to bolster Brendan Rodgers' options in the middle of the park ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

He is a ball-winning expert who specialises in breaking up opposition attacks with his ability to make vital interventions in midfield, which is backed up by his K League 2 form in 2023.

The 22-year-old talent made 1.9 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game across 19 appearances in the division prior to joining Celtic this week, whilst he also completed 86% of his attempted passes.

Meanwhile, Matt O'Riley and Callum McGregor topped the midfield charts for tackles (1.5) and interceptions (one) per Scottish Premiership match respectively last term. This suggests that Kwon could be an outstanding defensive option for Rodgers in that position.

The Northern Irish head coach could now land a dream partner for the South Korea U23 international by signing reported £13m transfer target Fabian Rieder to provide an attacking threat alongside the towering gem's steel.

How many goals did Fabian Rieder score last season?

The Switzerland international plundered nine goals in 43 matches for BSC Young Boys throughout the 2022/23 campaign and could thrive alongside a powerful enforcer like the 6 foot 3 Celtic tank.

Rieder also registered 11 assists from midfield and his impressive form came off the back of five goals and 11 assists in 42 outings during the previous season.

He was directly involved in 20 goals for Young Boys last term and could be a phenomenal attacking threat from a number eight position, given that Matt O'Riley led the way for Celtic with 15 goal involvements in the Premiership.

The Swiss maestro, who journalist Dean Jones claimed has "twinkle toes", also caught the eye at the U21 European Championship this summer as he averaged 2.3 key passes per game across four appearances.

No Hoops player, in any position, managed more than 2.1 chances created per outing last season, which suggests that the potential is there for Rieder to be a terrific creative threat for Rodgers if he is able to translate that form over to Scottish football.

The 21-year-old dynamo, who recorded an assist on the opening day of the 2023/24 Super League season last weekend, is a player with the ability to score and create goals on a regular basis and could be a game-changer for the Bhoys if they are able to bring him in this summer.

Having Kwon in a defensive-midfield role next to him could allow the left-footed whiz to thrive as it could allow the £13m-rated talent to focus on going forward to make an impact at the top end of the pitch.

The South Korean colossus could cover the back four with his ability to make tackles and interceptions consistently, which would then provide Rieder with the space and freedom to work his magic.