Questions for India’s selectors to ponder, as they sit down this weekend to pick the squads for the England ODIs and the Champions Trophy

Nagraj Gollapudi17-Jan-2025
Will Bumrah play the Champions Trophy?
There has been no update on Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness ever since he did not come out to bowl, reportedly because of back spasms, on the final day of the Sydney Test. There has also been no word on whether Bumrah has visited the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, where the BCCI’s medical wing is located. So the intrigue continues about what injury, if any, Bumrah suffered during the Sydney Test, which forced him off the ground to have scans after lunch on the second day.Related

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India play their first match in the Champions Trophy on February 20, against Bangladesh in Dubai, followed by Pakistan on February 23 and New Zealand on March 2. The semi-finals are on March 4 and 5 followed by the final on March 9. The key question for the selectors is, if the injury is not serious, how long does Bumrah need to rest before he’s match-ready? Of course if the injury is of real concern, then the selectors will play it safe and not consider Bumrah for selection. It is likely that Bumrah will be named in the 15 with an asterisk against his name, with the idea to allow him the chance to play at least one of the three ODIs against England to test his fitness levels.Is Shami ready for ODIs?
Last week Mohammed Shami was named in India’s squad for the five-match T20I series against England, which starts on January 22. It ends a testing and stressful wait stretching nearly 14 months for Shami, whose last international was the ODI World Cup final on November 19, 2023. Shami was the highest wicket-taker in that tournament and one of the key match-winners in India’s run to the final. Soon after, he underwent an ankle surgery and his ankle healed, but his return was repeatedly delayed by fluid building up and causing swelling his right knee.Shami was recently declared fit by the NCA and played three matches in the domestic 50-overs tournament, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, representing Bengal. Shami bowled a total of 26 overs across those games, including his full quota of 10 in the pre-quarterfinals. Before that, Shami also played nine matches in the domestic T20 competition, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. So it seems Shami is set to make his ODI return against England, and he can use the series to sharpen up his match fitness before the Champions Trophy. He will be needed to spearhead the attack if Bumrah is not good to go.Kuldeep Yadav has not played since having a hernia surgery around October last year•ICC/Getty ImagesIs Kuldeep ready to return?
Along with Bumrah and Shami, Kuldeep Yadav played a key role in India going through to the 2023 World Cup final undefeated in the league phase. In the home Test series against England in early 2024, Kuldeep impressed once again, becoming the fastest Indian to 50 Test wickets. It seemed like he was moving towards taking over the lead-spinner’s role in the format. However, his progress has been stalled by a hernia surgery; he has not played any competitive cricket since the first Test against New Zealand in October. Eyebrows have been raised about the timing of that surgery – about why it was not done soon after the T20 World Cup but so close to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It is understood Kuldeep’s rehab is going smooth at the NCA, but there is no clarity on whether he will be fit to play the England ODIs, which he will need as a platform to establish match-fitness ahead of the Champions Trophy.Does Jaiswal find a spot?
Yashasvi Jaiswal was international cricket’s second-highest run-maker across formats in 2024: in 37 innings (23 matches), Jaiswal scored 1771 runs at an average of 52.08. Jaiswal scored 161 in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, an innings that helped craft India’s only win in the series. Bold and clever in his strokeplay, Jaiswal has put new-ball bowlers under pressure across the longest and shortest formats, but he is still to debut in ODIs. With the hugely successful alliance of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill at the top – they are among the leading opening pairs in ODIs – do India need another opener in the 15 for the Champions Trophy? Given the opening slots belong to specialists, Jaiswal, who became the youngest man to hit a double-century in List A cricket in 2019, could still be seen as a back-up option.Does KL Rahul trump Rishabh Pant on form?•Getty ImagesWho are the two wicketkeepers?
Based on current form and impact at the 2023 World Cup, KL Rahul should be the primary keeper at the Champions Trophy. With the bat, too, Rahul played a significant role in the middle-order in the World Cup, especially on pitches where spinners dominated, using his skills to manoeuvre the ball into gaps. Among the other contenders are Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel, who is yet to debut in the format.Pant was India’s regular wicketkeeper from the 2019 World Cup up until he was sidelined by his car accident in December 2022. His protracted absence created the opportunity for Rahul. While Pant kept wicket in one game in the previous ODI series India played – in Sri Lanka last August – Rahul once again was the primary choice. The one point in Pant’s favour is he is a left-hand batter, which is an option the selectors and head coach Gautam Gambhir could be interested in.Seam or spin-bowling allrounder?
Among the squads so far announced for the Champions Trophy, several teams have stacked their sides with allrounders. India, too, are likely to be tempted to take that approach with the objective of creating batting depth. You’d expect two if not all three of Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel to feature in the squad. In addition, there are several other options who can contribute a few overs with the ball while floating in the batting order: Nitish Kumar Reddy (yet to debut in ODIs), Riyan Parag, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube. Reddy and Tilak are part of the T20I series against England but Parag is still in rehab having undergone a shoulder surgery last year. One caveat is this latter group of players’ body of work is small, so the selectors could be wary of blooding them at an ICC event.

Wayne Rooney has compared Harry Kane’s “incredible evolution” into England’s GOAT with the development that Cristiano Ronaldo once enjoyed at Manchester United. Kane is already his country’s all-time leading goalscorer and appears set to smash records on the appearance front as well. If he could win an international trophy, then it would be difficult to argue against him being the greatest.

England's GOAT: Will Kane pass Moore, Charlton & Beckham?

At 32 years of age, the former Tottenham striker is showing no sign of slowing down. Remarkable numbers are being posted at Bayern Munich, with the target being found there on 108 occasions through 113 appearances. He has also broken his trophy duck by becoming a Bundesliga title winner.

On the international stage, Kane remains the talismanic captain of England. He is rarely rested, with few alternative No.9 options breathing down his neck, and has helped the Three Lions secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

He has reached 78 goals for his nation and boasts 112 caps. Kane needs to reach 126 in order to pass legendary former goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Another shot at major glory will be taken in next summer – having suffered defeat in back-to-back European Championship finals – with the plan being to emulate Bobby Moore when it comes to claiming the most prestigious of prizes.

AdvertisementGettyRooney explains why Kane is England's greatest

Explaining why Kane will pass Moore, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan, Bryan Robson, Paul Gascoigne, David Beckham, Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer on the GOAT front, ex-England captain Rooney told : “Just the goals he has scored and his performances. He will go on and get the caps record as well, you would imagine – the caps he is on.

“I just think how he has evolved as a player is incredible. He reminds me of Cristiano when we were at United and he was younger. Sometimes he’s at a mad angle and he’s shooting and you’re like ‘what are you doing shooting?’ You might say ‘pass it’ but it doesn’t bother him, he’ll try it again and keep going – right and left foot. I think he’s, for me, the best England player. The numbers he is getting are incredible.”

Kane or Shearer? Carragher sees only one winner

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher agreed with that assessment, suggesting that Kane still does not get the recognition that his stunning exploits deserve. The former England defender said: “I absolutely love him. I think he is a little bit underrated. There was always that thing about trophies.

“Shearer was always the centre-forward of the Premier League when it started – for six or seven years, Shearer was the guy and he was England’s guy, most goals in the Premier League. I think if you asked most people up and down the country: Shearer of Kane? I think the majority would go with Shearer.

“I’ve always been Kane. Shearer was amazing but I don’t know what you can say against Kane. He has gone to Bayern Munich and he is like Ronaldo and Messi level. He’s going to get more goals and caps than Lineker, Shearer, Jimmy Greaves, Rooney. What hasn’t the lad done? What can you throw at him?”

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GettyWorld Cup win: Kane looking to lead England to glory

One-time England striker Jermain Defoe, who also graced the books at Spurs, has previously told GOAL when asked if Kane will go down as England’s greatest: “I think if he wins something, you have to put him in the conversation. Of course there have been others that are iconic figures and legends in terms of caps – Beckham, Ashley Cole, all the great players. But to be England’s leading goalscorer, that’s a special achievement. If you go on to win a major tournament and have the most caps, of course you have to put him in the conversation.”

Kane has spoken of his admiration for Rooney, with inspiration being taken from the Manchester United great and fellow frontman that he took England’s all-time goal record from. Rooney was unable to win anything during the Three Lions’ so-called ‘Golden Generation’, but Kane has an opportunity to grab himself a gold medal before hanging up his boots.

Andy Pycroft, who was at the centre of the handshake row when India and Pakistan met on September 14 at the Asia Cup, will be the match referee for the Super Fours fixture between the two teams in Dubai on Sunday as well.The PCB had sought Pycroft’s “immediate removal” after he had requested the captains Salman Agha and Suryakumar Yadav not to shake hands during the toss of the September 14 game. Pycroft stayed, and the row spilled over into Pakistan’s next game, against UAE. After they cancelled a pre-match press conference, Pakistan didn’t arrive on schedule for the match, which had to be pushed back by an hour, as they conducted backroom talks with the ICC.It wasn’t until a late meeting between Pycroft and the Pakistan team management just prior to toss – which snowballed into another controversy – that Pakistan agreed to take the field.Related

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• Pycroft givenbarely any notice ahead of handshake-gate

It is in this backdrop that India and Pakistan square off again at the Dubai International Stadium, and Suryakumar made it clear that his team’s focus was on the game and nothing else.”I feel our preparations have been really good leading into the tournament. And we had three good games also,” Suryakumar said on Saturday. “So we are actually focusing on what we can do best. We want to follow all the good habits, which we’ve been doing in the last two-three games. And we’ll take it one game at a time.”But yeah, it doesn’t give us an edge because we played them once and we had a good game. Of course, it will be a good game. We’ll have to start well from scratch. And whoever plays well will win the game.”Having wrapped up their group fixture against Oman on Friday night and having travelled back to Dubai in the wee hours, India will have an optional training session on Saturday. Pakistan, meanwhile, are slated to have a full training session at the ICC Academy in the lead up to Sunday’s match.

Tim Seifert and Ackeem Auguste led the chase of 110, as Kings topped the table and ended TKR’s winning streak

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2025The St Lucia Kings spinners Tabraiz Shamsi, Roston Chase and Khary Pierre shared seven wickets to bundle Trinbago Knight Riders for 109 and set up a commanding seven-wicket win in Tarouba. Victory took Kings into the playoffs of CPL 2025.Tim Seifert, Ackeem Auguste, Chase and Tim David made sure the chase was wrapped up at the start of the 12th over to give their net run rate a big boost with their fourth win in a row that placed them on top of the points table. Their streak also ended TKR’s hot run of five wins in a row as they lost the top spot after the game.Pierre struck on the second ball of the match after Kings opted to bowl. He had Colin Munro caught for a duck off a delivery which kept a little low. In the third over, Darren Bravo chipped Pierre to short fine leg for 11, before captain Nicholas Pooran staged a brief recovery.But once Chase had Hales bowled for 9 to end the powerplay, Kings began to slide. Forty for 2 soon became 59 for 5 by the end of ten overs. Shamsi cleaned up Akeal Hosein with a wrong ‘un first ball while Chase, who ended with 2 for 19, had Pooran caught behind albeit with help from DRS. After Pooran’s knock of 30 off 27, no TKR batter managed to cross 20.Keiron Pollard and Andre Russell were TKR’s biggest hopes if they were to reach a respectable total. But Shamsi had both batters bowled with his deceptive turn to finish with 3 for 12 without conceding a single boundary in his four overs. Nathan Edward and Terrance Hinds took TKR past 100, but Delano Potgieter and Alzarri Joseph wrapped the tail up to leave Kings only 110 to win.Seifert came out firing first ball. He swept Hosein for six, before cutting and punching him for fours in the first over that went for 14. TKR removed Seifert’s partner Johnson Charles for 1 to end the second over; but by then, Seifert had crashed 25 off ten deliveries. Two quiet overs followed before Auguste and Seifert ensured TKR’s momentum was short lived.The two batters doubled the score in the last two overs of the powerplay, which ended with Kings at 66 for 1. Usman Tariq, though, ended the fun for Kings in the seventh over when he had Seifert caught at deep midwicket for 36 from 19 balls. Next over, Sunil Narine trapped Auguste for an attacking 28, but Chase, who hit Tariq for three fours in the ninth over, and David took Kings home with 53 balls to spare.

Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have been handed a fairly concerning injury update on the condition of Kai Havertz, who was rumoured to be in contention for this weekend’s looming North London derby against Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium.

After losing star defender Gabriel Magalhaes to a thigh injury earlier this week, which cut short his international tour of duty with Brazil, the last thing Arteta needs is another injury setback.

Arsenal, who top the Premier League table after a sensational run of form and haven’t lost a single game since their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in August, have done extraordinarily well to cope without a plethora of key attackers lately — including Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Jesus and Havertz.

Odegaard, Madueke, Havertz and Jesus have been on the treatment table for extended periods, with the latter last in line to return to action after he ruptured his ACL against Man United at the start of 2025.

Madueke is racing to be fit for this weekend’s clash with Tottenham after impressing Arsenal rehab staff in his recovery from a knee problem, with Odegaard in the same boat according to reliable media sources like Standard Sport.

Havertz was believed to be in contention as well, but an update from Nagelsmann threatens to cast some doubt over his involvement against Spurs on Sunday.

The 26-year-old was sidelined in the opening week of the Premier League campaign and required surgery on a knee issue, having only just returned from a hamstring injury which kept him out for months.

It’s been a frustrating time for Havertz, and while reports suggest he’s been excelling in his Arsenal rehab similar to Madueke, Nagelsmann has actually made a suggestion to the contrary.

Julian Nagelsmann makes Kai Havertz injury claim in worry for Arsenal

Speaking to reporters this week, the Germany boss made an interesting prediction, stating that he expects Havertz to return “towards the end of the year”.

This comes after the £280,000-per-week star also suffered a “minor relapse” of his knee injury, though Nagelsmann has moved to say that Havertz is “doing well” all things considered.

While this doesn’t mean that Havertz is definitively out for this weekend’s all-important derby clash, it doesn’t exactly paint a certain picture of his involvement either, so Arsenal could have another injury worry on their hands here after a few scares over the international break.

Luckily for Arteta, while Gabriel is a major doubt to face Tottenham, Riccardo Calafiori has been given the all-clear to play this weekend, according to Fabrizio Romano.

If Havertz does turn out to be ready for Sunday, with uncertainty surrounding him right now, it would come as an almighty boost.

Gyokeres is another Arsenal player who could miss the derby, so a return for Havertz would undoubtedly do wonders to alleviate the Swede’s absence, otherwise Mikel Merino is in line to start his third successive game as Arteta’s makeshift striker.

Liverpool splashed the big bucks and then some over the summer, hopeful of retaining their Premier League title in style.

However, the majority of the whopping £415m spent now looks as if it has gone down the drain, with both Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak remaining goalless, despite costing a combined £225m to bring to Anfield.

Arne Slot thankfully has the January transfer window coming into view now to try and turn around his side’s lacklustre campaign, with Liverpool all the way down in eighth position at the moment, as Manchester United are even ahead of the Reds on goal difference.

Liverpool planning to spend big again

You would think that the Merseyside giants might be more cautious in the transfer department after such a wild summer spending spree.

However, reports suggest that the underwhelming reigning champions could go all out to try and win Michael Olise from Bayern Munich for an astronomical £177m fee.

Moreover, one of the best players in the top-flight this term in the shape of Antoine Semenyo is reportedly also on their radar as they try to upgrade on an attack that looks short on confidence, even with Mohamed Salah starting week in, week out.

On top of flashy recruits being rumoured to join the Anfield ranks in attack, an update from Liverpool-based writer DaveOCKOP has also revealed that the Reds are holding initial talks with Crystal Palace over midfield star Adam Wharton.

Transfer Focus

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It is stated that the move is more likely for the summer of 2026 than the upcoming January window, but never say never when it comes to Liverpool’s ambition in this department, with it also being revealed back in September that the English international’s preference – if he were to leave the Eagles behind – was a switch to Slot and Co.

Having just made his first start for the Three Lions during this international break, the sky really does appear to be the limit for Wharton currently, with a mammoth £100m price tag also above his head.

How Wharton can become Slot's own Gerrard

As Slot looks to reshape his midfield in 2026, he could find a new beating heart at the centre of his team in the form of Wharton, much like a certain Steven Gerrard was back in the day.

By the close of his distinguished career at the very top, Gerrard was showered with some immense praise, with Gabriel Agbonlahor notably once describing him as the best midfielder in Premier League history, even ahead of Kevin De Bruyne.

Indeed, away from bagging a stunning 186 goals and picking up 155 assists for his boyhood club, the well-rounded servant also closed out his long-standing career on Merseyside with a Champions League title.

As Liverpool’s website affectionately put it when Gerrard hung up his boots, the Englishman was a revered “gladiator” for his boyhood side.

Of course, it would be crazy to expect Wharton to be as impactful from minute one of his own Anfield journey, but in time, he could be Gerrard 2.0, displaying a similar level of composure and ball manipulation from midfield.

Games played

16

20

9

Goals scored

0

0

0

Assists

3

2

0

Touches*

49.6

45.7

43.9

Accurate passes*

28.5 (81%)

26.7 (79%)

25.2 (78%)

Key passes*

1.3

1.3

1.6

Big chances created

5

5

5

Tackles*

3.0

1.7

1.3

Ball recoveries*

4.8

5.1

4.0

Total duels won*

4.9

3.2

3.2

The data above displays Wharton’s similar well-roundedness from the middle of the park, which is very much like the Liverpool great, with the 21-year-old only getting better with time, as he becomes more and more used to the demands of the Premier League.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t quite uncovered a goalscoring mojo in the top-flight yet, like Gerrard, but with the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai next to him if he takes on this huge Anfield opportunity, there is a possibility that he enhances his varied game to that next level.

Hailed as a “genius” at a very early age at Blackburn Rovers by ex-boss Tony Mowbray, and now an “incredible” star by former Selhurst Park teammate Eberechi Eze, it does feel as if a big move soon awaits Wharton.

If all clicks into place for the 21-year-old at Liverpool, he might well be the second coming of Gerrard; a powerful English midfield technician who has all of the tools to be a Three Lions mainstay for years to come.

It will take some big bucks to land his services, but if Slot can win a new legend in the process, it’s a bold investment that’s definitely worth making.

New Trent: Liverpool star is "one of the most underrated players in England"

Slot could find a shrewd solution to Liverpool’s problems in this talent.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 17, 2025

The final day of Major League Baseball's regular season has a lot at stake. In the AL East, the Blue Jays and Yankees are playing for the division in their final games.

Toronto holds the tiebreaker, so they simply need a win in their game against the Rays or a New York loss in their finale against the Orioles. The team who comes out on top gets the AL's No. 1 seed, which means home-field advantage and a bye to the AL Division Series. The loser will become the league's top wild-card team and will have to play a best-of-three series against whichever team lands at No. 5.

The Blue Jays control their own destiny, and they came out hungry at Rogers Centre Sunday afternoon. Tampa Bay scored a run in the top of the first, but Toronto's offense made up for it and then some in the bottom half of the inning. They started the inning with an RBI single from Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Center fielder Daulton Varsho loaded the bases two batters later for catcher Alejandro Kirk, who provided a heck of a moment for the home fans. Kirk hit a no-doubter to left field on an 83-mph changeup that made the stadium rock.

Just listen to this crowd pop once he made contact for the grand slam:

The huge moment gave the Blue Jays an early four-run cushion. Tampa Bay trimmed the lead in the third with three runs to make things interesting. The AL East hangs in the balance, but the fans at Rogers Centre are certainly ready for October baseball.

Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber made history on Thursday night against the Braves, becoming just the 21st player to ever hit four home runs in a single game.

Schwarber started the party early with a lead-off homer in the bottom of the first, then added dingers in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings.

With the Phillies holding an 18–4 lead heading into the eighth, it was pretty clear that the home team would not be batting in the bottom of the ninth, and thus, Schwarber would need some help to get one last at-bat where he could go for a record-setting fifth dinger.

The Phils got him to the plate, but Schwarber couldn’t connect on a slow pitch from Vidal Brujan, who started the game at shortstop for Atlanta.

After the game, the Phillies broadcast team rightfully celebrated Schwarber’s awesome night, but the slugger himself was stuck thinking about one moment he wished he could have taken back.

“It’s crazy. I wish I didn’t ask the question in the cage—how many guys have hit five homers,” he said laughing.

Schwarber had a shot at becoming the first to ever hit five home runs in a game, but apparently, got a bit in his head about it before his final at-bat of the night.

While he came up short on that mark, in his defense, literally every major league baseball player in the history of the sport has also come up short of hitting five home runs in a game before him.

أوضح نونو سانتو المدير الفني لفريق وست هام يونايتد الإنجليزي، أن لاعبه لوكاس باكيتا، يعاني ويمر بحالة سيئة، بسبب أحداث المباراة أمام ليفربول.

والتقى ليفربول ووست هام قبل أيام، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”، وتعرض باكيتا للطرد وشهدت المباراة هزيمة فريقه بهدفين دون رد.

وقال نونو سانتو في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ذا أثليتك”: “تحدثت مع لوكاس واعتذر لزملائه في الفريق”.

وأضاف: “إنه يدرك أخطائه، لكننا كنادٍ نحمي أنفسنا، حلّينا المشاكل فيما بيننا، ومن الواضح أن الجميع يدرك أن الأخطاء واردة في ملاعب كرة القدم، أحيانًا لا يمكنك التحكم في مشاعرك، والجميع يستحق فرصة”.

وأكد: “إنه ليس بخير، ويعاني، يشعر بخيبة أمل وحزن، لكنه يُدرك الخطأ الذي ارتكبه، ويريد المضي قدمًا، أحيانًا لا يدرك الناس جميع المشاكل التي يواجهها لاعبو كرة القدم، لكن لوكاس سيتجاوز هذا الوضع”.

اقرأ أيضًا | فرديناند يرشح نجم ليفربول السابق لخلافة سلوت.. ويؤكد: مناسب لقيادة الفريق في الفترة الحالية

وتطرق نونو سانتو للحديث عن مستقبل باكيتا الذي كان على وشك الانضمام لمانشستر سيتي، لكن بسبب تحقيق الاتحاد الإنجليزي لكرة القدم في قضية تلاعب بالنتائج في أغسطس 2023، لم تتم الصفقة، وقد بُرّئ في يوليو بعد تحقيق استمر عامين.

وأفاد المدرب: “أعتقد أن (محنة التحقيق) تؤثر عليه، لكنه مستعد للمضي قدمًا، ولعب كرة القدم كما هو، ووضع كل ذلك جانبًا، هنا في النادي، نقدم ونقدم كل الدعم الذي يحتاجه اللاعبون، لقد أجرينا محادثة جيدة، والفريق يدعم لوكاس، بالتأكيد، أعتقد أنه سعيد هنا”.

Is Wilfried Nancy going to become the new Celtic manager?

Well, it was reported last week that Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney will remain in interim charge for Saturday night’s short trip to St Mirren, but for how much longer will that remain the case?

Other reports suggest that the Hoops are close to agreeing a £2m compensation package with Nancy’s current club Columbus Crew, with the aim for the Frenchman to take charge for the first time when the Celts visit Easter Road to take on Hibernian at Easter Road on Sunday 30 November.

Should Nancy swap Ohio for Glasgow, he would have plenty of work to do and numerous issues to solve, but ensuring Daizen Maeda stays in Scotland will no doubt be of great importance.

The latest on Daizen Maeda's future

Back in September, after the transfer window had closed, Maeda revealed that he had requested to leave Celtic this summer.

However, with the club struggling to replace Nicolas Kühn and Adam Idah, who were both sold, the Japan international was informed that he would not be allowed to depart.

Well, potentially as a result of this uncertainty, Maeda has not been at his blistering best so far this season, bagging just four goals to date, having netted 33 times across all competitions last season, four of which came in the Champions League.

After adding to his goal tally against Kilmarnock last time out, the 28-year-old started at left-wing-back as Japan beat Bolivia 3-0 in an international friendly on Tuesday, so could he push for a January move to help increase his chances of being included in Hajime Moriyasu’s World Cup squad?

Well, according to Fabrizio Romano, it is a “possibility” that the forward will be on the move in January, with Brentford, Everton, Leeds and two other Premier League clubs purportedly interested.

Considering that, since netting four minutes into his debut against Hibs in January 2022, Maeda has scored 66 goals in 175 appearances in hoops, he would be a massive loss, but could the incoming boss, Nancy, fill this void by bringing with him a star he knows rather well?

Celtic's potential Maeda replacement

When Ange Postecoglou arrived from Yokohama F. Marinos, he utilised his knowledge of the J League, an undervalued market, to sign gems for a cut-price, bringing in Kyōgo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate and Maeda himself.

Well, with Major League Soccer in a similar position, could Nancy follow this blueprint?

According to a report by the Daily Record, should Nancy arrive, his number one transfer target would be Columbus Crew star Diego Rossi, who has previously hinted that he would like to return to European football.

After beginning his career at Peñarol, Rossi really burst onto the scene at LAFC, scoring 59 goals in 121 appearances for the Black and Gold, picking up the 2020 MLS Golden Boot, form that earned him a £4.5m move to Fenerbahçe.

However, after a pretty underwhelming stint in İstanbul, he returned to Major League Soccer in the summer of 2023, and has taken his game to a whole new level under Nancy in Columbus.

To date, the Uruguayan international has scored 45 goals in 101 appearances for the Crew, bagging 16 MLS goals in 2025, comparing favourably to other players across the league.

Worth reiterating that MLS is a gigantic league with 30 teams, while 882 players made an appearance in the competition this year, so to be in the top ten or even top 20 for the attacking metrics included is impressive.

His tally of 16 goals is noteworthy, albeit it could’ve been even better had he not missed 13 Opta-defined big chances, something that has also been a tendency of Maeda’s game, so perhaps he would be a ready-made replacement.

According to Football Transfers, Rossi’s estimated market value is around £7m, having increased again in recent months after it plateaued in 2024, following his exploits in, according to Global Football Rankings, the tenth-strongest league in the world, a humongous 23 places above the Scottish Premiership.

Speaking ahead of MLS Cup Final in 2023, Carlos Vela, who was Rossi’s teammate in California, labelled the Uruguayan a “really good finisher”, adding that he’s “fast” and “technically good”, while Bob Bradley, his coach at LAFC, adds that the forward is “deceptive” and “such a good player to have” as part of your attack.

Now 27, in a similar way to Maeda, now may well be the time for Rossi to take the next step in his career, aiming to get into Uruguay’s World Cup squad, having not featured for los Charrúas since June 2023.

Unlike in European leagues, MLS’ primary transfer window is in the winter, something that will change in 2027, meaning January moves are a lot more common.

Thus, with Rossi into the final year of his contract in Columbus, he appears to be the perfect fit for a Celtic side lacking attacking firepower, irrespective of whether Maeda departs or not.

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