Vinicius Junior is all set to face Erling Haaland in the international arena as a Brazil football chief has revealed plans to organise a pre-World Cup friendly with Norway in a potential repeat of the 1998 classic. The Manchester City goal machine emerged as the highest scorer in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers as his 16 goals helped Norway reach the finals in North America.
Regular white-ball captain Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra return from injuries
Deivarayan Muthu12-Oct-2025Kane Williamson will miss the T20I series at home against England, but targets a return for the following ODI series. Williamson, who had returned to New Zealand from overseas on Thursday, had last played international cricket in the Champions Trophy final against India in Dubai in March earlier this year.Williamson, 35, is among a group of players who have a casual contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC). He had earlier made himself unavailable for the three-match T20I series against Australia and missed the Zimbabwe tour to play county cricket and the Hundred as part of his deal with Middlesex.New Zealand coach Rob Walter said that Williamson was also dealing with a “minor medical issue” in the past month and that it was agreed that he needed more time to recover.”He’s obviously a world class player and we’re hoping these two weeks will ensure he’s ready for the ODIs against England and the following tour by West Indies,” Walter said in a statement.Regular white-ball captain Mitchell Santner returned from an abdominal surgery to take charge of the team while fast bowler Ben Sears was sidelined with a left-hamstring injury, sustained during training last week. An MRI scan revealed a hamstring tear, which will require three-four weeks to recover.Sears’ good friend and Wellington team-mate Rachin Ravindra, though, is set to return to action after being ruled out of the Australia T20Is with a facial injury. The allrounder had collided with the boundary boards during fielding practice at Bay Oval in the lead-up to the first T20I.Finn Allen (foot), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Lockie Ferguson (hamstring) were all unavailable due to injury.There was no room for wristspinner Ish Sodhi, who became New Zealand’s most-capped T20I player earlier this month. Ravindra will be the third spin-bowling option behind captain Santner and Bracewell. Mark Chapman can also pitch in with left-arm spin, if needed.”It’s great to have Mitch back,” Walter said. “Alongside being our leader, he’s one of the very best white-ball spinners in the world and his skills and experience will be a welcome addition.”Likewise, it’s nice to welcome back Rachin who was unlucky to miss out on Australia and I know is really excited for this series.”Auckland mates Jimmy Neesham and Bevon Jacobs are part of New Zealand’s T20I squad•Zimbabwe CricketKyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes have all been retained along with allrounder Jimmy Neesham.Neesham had originally been picked as a replacement player for the Australia T20Is after Ravindra had hurt his face, but he was particularly impressive in the third T20I in Mount Maunganui where he cut through Australia’s middle order with figures of 4 for 26.Neesham, who turned 35 last month, has ambitions of playing for New Zealand in the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.”I want to win a World Cup for New Zealand and that’s the reason I’m still playing and I’m still available,” Neesham said at his press conference after the third T20I against Australia. “It’s a very, very clear goal of mine. What happens with selection in the six months leading up to the tournament is up to powers above me. But no, I’ll just stay ready. If I’m in the squads or not leading up to the tournament, I’ll just take that in my stride and try and provide performances as best as I can when I’m selected in most teams.”The T20I series against England will kick off at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on October 18. Hagley Oval will also host the second T20I, on October 20, before the teams will shift to Auckland for the third – and final – T20I. The three-match ODI series will run from October 26 to November 1.Williamson could make his New Zealand return at his home ground, Bay Oval, on October 26.NZ T20I squadMitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert (wk)
Razzak collected his nomination papers to stand as a director candidate from the Khulna division on October 6
Mohammad Isam27-Sep-2025Former left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak has resigned as a Bangladesh national selector after deciding to contest in the upcoming BCB elections. Razzak, 43, collected his nomination papers to stand as a director candidate from the Khulna division on October 6.Razzak played 13 Tests, 153 ODIs and 34 T20Is for Bangladesh, and remains the third-highest wicket-taker for his country in ODIs. He is one of 61 nominations for the 23 directors’ position that will be contested in the upcoming BCB elections.The general members body, known as the councillors, will elect 23 of the 25 board directors, and the BCB president will be elected from that pool of 25 to serve a four-year term. The most prominent candidates are the incumbent BCB chief Aminul Islam and Tamim Iqbal, who have both announced that they will contest for the board president.”I had the honour of playing for the national team for 14 years and the privilege of serving as a national selector for over four years,” Razzak, who has been a selector for the Bangladesh men’s team since 2021, said in a statement. “I believe the time has come for me to step down from this position to explore the possibilities of contributing to the game that has given me so much, on a larger scale if the opportunity presents itself. I feel this is the right thing to do.”Following Hannan Sarkar’s resignation in February last year, Razzak was one of two members in the selection panel alongside chief Gazi Ashraf Hossain.Reflecting on Razzak’s tenure as a selector, Ashraf praised his colleague. “He was an invaluable member of the panel and brought his undoubted experience and vision to the selection process,” Ashraf said. “We thank him for his contribution and wish him the very best for the future, which we hope will remain closely connected with Bangladesh cricket.”
Birmingham City have been outlining their exciting vision for the future of the club, and that could include bringing home-grown superstar Jude Bellingham back to his roots. England international Bellingham left his boyhood team in 2020 when joining Borussia Dortmund, and is now on the books of Real Madrid. He could retrace steps to the West Midlands at some stage.
Retired shirt number: When Bellingham left Birmingham
Bellingham made his debut for the Blues aged just 16 years and 38 days. It did not take long for his potential to be noted, with heavyweight outfits from across Europe lining up to make a play for his signature. Manchester United were among those to be left disappointed.
The talented youngster made just 44 appearances for Birmingham before heading to Germany, but still saw his No.22 shirt retired – proving how highly he was regarded. He could not have imagined back then that an opportunity to grace that jersey again could present itself.
Birmingham are, however, daring to dream big. They have unveiled plans for a stunning new 62,000-seater stadium. That project, which comes at the cost of £1.2 billion, is intended to help propel the Blues to the top of domestic and continental games.
AdvertisementStunning design: Birmingham reveal the Powerhouse Stadium
Securing promotion out of the Championship and into the Premier League represents one of the first steps down that path, and success of that kind could eventually lead to the Blues being in a position to re-sign local hero Bellingham.
Chairman Tom Wagner admits as much, saying of bringing Bellingham back to what will be known as the Powerhouse Stadium: "I think Jude is the greatest player on the planet today and we haven’t seen anywhere near his full potential yet. Not just as a player, but also what he can do for a community, what he can do as a leader. If we can provide him with a platform to achieve his full potential, well that’s a great story. It’s a great Birmingham story, it’s a great England story and a great homecoming story."
The promotional video for Birmingham’s grand stadium project features a number of familiar faces, including Bellingham. In that, the 22-year-old says "oh wow" when seeing the impressive structure. He goes on to ask: "When’s it going to be ready?"
After it is pointed out to him that construction will take around "five years", Bellingham stares into the distance deep in thought – in a hint at him considering an emotional return to where it all began.
Brady on board: Birmingham want NFL games
Birmingham have the backing to make anything possible, with their Knighthead ownership group pumping considerable funding into the club. They also boast NFL legend Tom Brady as a minority investor. The seven-time Super Bowl winner could help to bring competitive American football to the West Midlands in the future.
Wagner has said of the Blues’ stadium venture: "The ground will definitely have a naming-rights deal, ideally before we even put a shovel in the ground. We have an ambition to host any and all events, like NFL, international global football for men and women.
"[We expect it to be] the most environmentally-sound stadium that will ever be built. Maybe we look like modest lunatics to be [unveiling these plans] while we are in the Championship but we feel very good about where we are."
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Amazon Prime VideoPremier League promotion: Birmingham in 2025-26
Wagner added that the development would “change this city forever” and could be used 365 days a year. A striking stadium will form part of a wider £2.5-3 billion ‘Sports Quarter’ that boasts housing, shops, offices, hotels and other entertainment facilities. Wagner added: "We are putting the city and the club on a trajectory towards greatness. It will be a place where the world’s best want to perform."
Birmingham are currently sat 11th in the Championship table, ahead of a return to action against Norwich on Saturday, but are only four points adrift of the play-off places and may yet form part of the promotion picture in 2025-26.
Away from narrowly scraping past Everton 1-0 on the opening day, Daniel Farke’s Leeds United have only tasted victory once more in Premier League action.
That was on the road back in September when the top-flight newcomers convincingly got the better of bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1.
Anton Stach’s glorious free-kick hitting the back of the net was the pick of the strikes from this comprehensive win, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin also broke his Whites duck when heading home the initial equaliser.
Those with connections to Elland Road would have hoped this would be the kick-starter the ex-Everton marksman needed to then find himself deep in a purple patch of form.
Yet, he was frustratingly back to drawing blanks heading into the international break…
Why Calvert-Lewin is struggling at Leeds
The 28-year-old is arguably a streaky centre-forward, with the hit-and-miss number nine scoring seven of his 16 Premier League goals for ex-employers Everton during the 2020/21 season within his first five outings.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t sparked into life as a similar goal machine just yet in West Yorkshire, with both the 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth and the loss to Tottenham Hotspur before the break seeing Calvert-Lewin spurn chances galore, instead of adding to his early Leeds tally.
Minutes played
89
90
Goals scored
0
0
Assists
0
0
Shots
3
2
Shots on target
3
1
Big chances missed
3
1
In all fairness, Calvert-Lewin is getting into some great positions to try and score – with nearly all of his efforts across the two league clashes being on target.
However, despite accumulating four on-target efforts, he failed to find the back of the net.
When the pressure is ramped up towards the back end of the season, Farke might not feel too comfortable relying on the Sheffield-born striker to deliver the goods, with ex-Leeds legend Nigel Martyn even once stating that Calvert-Lewin doesn’t strike him as a “natural finisher” when he was also spurning chances regularly on Merseyside.
With Joel Piroe also not Premier League-recognised in reserve, Leeds must now wish they could turn back time to a player who could easily take Calvert-Lewin’s number nine shirt from him.
Former Leeds star now worthy of the number 9 jersey
The 6-foot-2 striker’s difficulties in the injury department haven’t even been mentioned yet, with a worrying 21 games missed over his previous two seasons for Everton owing to extended periods in the treatment room.
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Former Thorp Arch prodigy Max Dean has also had his fair share of injury troubles since leaving West Yorkshire behind, with a cruciate ligament tear completely derailing a positive 2024/25 season for the promising Englishman in Belgium.
Still, when he has been fit, he has left Calvert-Lewin completely in the dust with his goal-scoring prowess.
Indeed, while Calvert-Lewin could only collect a meagre three goals all of last season, Dean was a man possessed for KAA Gent, with a blistering 13 strikes amassed from just 1,497 minutes of action.
Of course, injury disaster then struck, but with the former England youth international now edging ever closer to being back available for the Jupiler Pro League outfit, some regret must still be lingering that Leeds didn’t persist more with one of their own, considering he also put away a stunning 16 goals for their U23s from 38 total appearances.
Games played
73
Goals scored
33
Assists
7
Value when leaving
£700k
Value now
£4m
With a goal-heavy stint at MK Dons also under his belt, netting 20 in 43, it’s clear that Dean was prematurely let go by Leeds in 2023, having actually never made a senior outing.
As a marker of his impressive rise, his transfer value now stands at an impressive £4m according to Football Transfers. When he first made the switch to Milton Keynes, he was worth far less at an estimated £700k.
Dubbed as “special” player by his ex-Gent manager in Wouter Vrancken, the 21-year-old will just be aiming to get amongst the goals again for Gent when he’s finally fully fit, away from any talk that he could have stolen Calvert-Lewin’s number nine shirt if still at his boyhood side.
It’s sad, though, that Leeds has had such little bearing on his fledgling career in reality, as Farke now strives to get a tune out of Calvert-Lewin in tense games to come.
Leeds outcast is quickly becoming Farke's new Bamford & it's not DCL
Leeds might see a repeat of the Bamford sitution
1 ByJoe Nuttall Oct 14, 2025
SAIDS confirmed the presence of Benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in its findings
ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jun-2025The recreational drug which resulted in South Africa seamer Kagiso Rabada’s one-month suspension from cricket has been confirmed as cocaine by the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS). The organisation, which is a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), publishes the findings of adverse drug tests a month after the appeal period for sanctioned athletes lapses.SAIDS published its findings today, June 3, which confirmed the presence of Benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in Rabada’s results. Benzoylecgonine is formed in the liver after the ingestion of cocaine, and is excreted in urine.Rabada was tested on January 21, during the SA20. He played in the entirety of that competition, for MI Cape Town, and for South Africa at the Champions Trophy before his results were known. He was informed of his positive test in late March, and served a one-month ban between April 1 and May 1, which kept him out of a significant part of the IPL, though his absence from the tournament was put down to personal reasons.Related
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The duration of Rabada’s sanction was determined by the nature of the drug (recreational and not performance enhancing), his commitment to an educational program, and that he ingested the substance on a non-match day, which is classified as out of competition. All that reduced his ban to one month. Rabada did not appeal against the one-month ban.On May 3, Rabada issued a statement through the South African Cricketers Association, in which he admitted use of a recreational drug but did not provide any further details. By then, he had already served his sanction and returned to the IPL, where he played two matches for Gujarat Titans before joining up with the South African squad for the World Test Championship final. Rabada has received support from CSA, national coach Shukri Conrad, and captain Temba Bavuma, who all said they had drawn a line under the issue.Last Friday, when South Africa left for the United Kingdom, Rabada made his first public statement since serving his ban and said he would not be seen as “Mr I apologise” but would discuss it in more detail with his team-mates.Rabada also anticipates a backlash from Australia, whose former captain Tim Paine has already criticised the secrecy around Rabada returning to South Africa from the IPL in early April. Rabada indicated he was ready for whatever they throw at him. “They come at you, and I think that gets the best out of me – and they have been notorious for that over the years, right? So yeah, let’s see.”
It feels like it’s a bit late to say the wheels have come off for West Ham United.
The Hammers were knocked out of the League Cup in the second round and have lost four of their five Premier League games, by a combined score of 5-13.
It felt like it was more a matter of when, rather than if, Graham Potter was replaced in the London Stadium dugout.
Lo and behold, despite being put in front of the press on Friday afternoon ahead of their clash with Everton on Monday, he was given the boot on Saturday morning.
Nuno Santo was quickly announced as his replacement but with only a couple of days of training before the clash with the Toffees, it will be interesting to see if the Portuguese makes many widespread changes.
James Ward-Prowse could be one player who drops out as Nuno chases a debut win.
Why Ward-Prowse has to be dropped
West Ham spent around £30m to bring Ward-Prowse to the London Stadium in the summer of 2023, and considering he was sent on an unsuccessful short-term loan to Nottingham Forest last year, it’s been a failure of a move.
However, while the fans were desperate for Potter to drop the former Southampton star from the lineup, he continued to persist with the Englishman, something that arguably played a hand in his sacking.
The 11-capped Englishman has had a brilliant career in the top-flight, and there was a point at which his deadball abilities made him a genuine threat for the Saints, but those days are long gone.
Instead, the 30-year-old is now more of a hindrance in the middle of the park than anything else, unable to offer much in attack and not being anywhere near mobile enough to help out in defence.
We saw this duel problem on full display against Crystal Palace, as even though he took 61 touches and completed 41 passes, he amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.25.
Ward-Prowse’s game vs Palace
Minutes
90′
Goals
0
Assists
0
Touches
61
Accurate Passes
41/48 (85%)
Crosses (Accurate)
5 (1)
Shots on Target
0
Ground Duels (Won)
6 (1)
Aerial Duels (Won)
3 (0)
Lost Possession
14
Fouls
3
Dribbled Past
2
All Stats via Sofascore
On top of that, he lost five out of six ground duels, all three aerial duels, was dribbled past twice, lost possession 14 times and gave away three fouls.
It was a horror show, and one that should see him nowhere near the starting lineup for quite some time, especially as West Ham have a new midfielder who could come in and surely do a better job.
West Ham's ideal Ward-Prowse replacement
While there are a few options Nuno could go with on Monday evening, he has to start Soungoutou Magassa in place of Ward-Prowse.
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The former AS Monaco ace is certainly still young and somewhat inexperienced compared to the Englishman, but he deserves a chance to show the fans what he can do tonight.
More importantly, though, he offers something the former Saints star no longer can: dynamism and quality.
According to respected analyst Ben Mattinson, the 21-year-old is blessed with a combination of “pure athleticism” and an ability to “spray passes wide out to the wings” because his “passing range is top.”
Moreover, Mattinson has claimed that “defensively there’s a high potential” in the youngster, which is borne out in his underlying numbers.
According to FBref, he ranked in the top 1% of midfielders in Ligue 1 last season for dribblers tackled, tackles plus interceptions, and ball recoveries, as well as the top 5% for tackles won and more, all per 90 minutes.
He also put up some promising attacking numbers as well, ranking in the top 9% for successful take-on percentage and the top 17% for passes into the final third, also per 90.
Magassa’s Scout Report
Statistics
Per 90
Percentile
Tackles (Mid 3rd)
2.37
Top 1%
Dribblers Tackled
2.20
Top 1%
Dribbles Challenged
4.04
Top 1%
Tkl+Int
5.97
Top 1%
Ball Recoveries
7.90
Top 1%
Tackles
4.13
Top 2%
Interceptions
1.84
Top 4%
Tackles Won
2.20
Top 5%
Successful Take-On %
65.2%
Top 9%
Touches (Mid 3rd)
45.57
Top 12%
Tackles (Att 3rd)
0.53
Top 16%
Passes into Final Third
5.88
Top 17%
Switches
0.61
Top 17%
Aerials Won
1.14
Top 12%
All Stats via FBref
In short, while he is nowhere near the finished product, the “elegant” Frenchman, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, already appears to be a better player than Ward-Prowse.
Therefore, for Nuno to elevate the chances of claiming all three points, he should drop the 30-year-old and start Magassa.
There’s been many a Sliding Doors moment in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United.
What if Cristiano Ronaldo had never returned in 2021? What if David Moyes had managed to land his top targets of Cesc Fabregas and Gareth Bale in 2013? What if the United hierarchy had waited before handing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a permanent contract in March 2019?
Perhaps one of the most pertinent questions is what would have happened if the Red Devils had listened to Solskjaer’s advice regarding a then-teenage Molde striker by the name of Erling Haaland.
According to the treble winner, he recommended that the Old Trafford side sign his young compatriot for a fee of just £4m in 2018, albeit with the Norwegian goal machine ultimately heading to Red Bull Salzburg, prior to joining Borussia Dortmund.
Now, of course, on the books at rivals Manchester City, the 25-year-old has plundered 136 goals in just 155 games under Pep Guardiola’s watch, including 12 goals in just nine games at club level alone this season.
The man who sets the bar for all other strikers to try and reach, Haaland is the cream of the crop. Can £74m sensation Benjamin Sesko get close to achieving such feats?
How Sesko compared to Haaland before the Premier League
It’s hard to deny it was a muted start to life in Manchester for Sesko, with the Slovenian giant failing to score in any of his first six outings in all competitions, largely reduced to cameos off the bench, while having been struck down by cramp amid that grim night away at Grimsby.
Having seen his persistence pay off – quite literally – after netting at the third attempt on the rebound away at Brentford, the 22-year-old followed that up with a first Old Trafford goal last time out, after prodding home from Diogo Dalot’s long throw.
Encouragingly, the ex-RB Leipzig man has suggested that there is still “loads to come” with regard to his displays, with it an exciting prospect to consider just how far he can go in a United shirt.
As already stated, that man Haaland will be the benchmark, with the pair notably enjoying a similar route to the Premier League, after traversing Austrian and German football in their formative years.
In the case of Sesko, his own time at Salzburg – following a loan spell at second-tier side FC Liefering – yielded 29 goals and 11 assists in 79 games in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt, with Haaland also reaching 29 goals for the club, albeit from just 27 outings.
Haaland vs Sesko – 25/26 PL
Stat (*per game)
Haaland
Sesko
Games (starts)
7 (7)
7 (4)
Goals
9
2
Mins per goal
66
193
Big chances missed
6
2
Assists
1
0
Big chances created
3
0
Key passes*
0.6
0.7
Successful dribbles*
0.4
0.1
Total duels won*
58%
38%
Stats via Sofascore
As for their respective time in Germany, the new United star scored 39 goals in 87 games for Leipzig, including 27 goals in 64 Bundesliga games.
His Man City counterpart, meanwhile, scored 62 goals in 67 Bundesliga games, having registered 86 goals in just 89 outings for Dortmund across all fronts.
Haaland, as is evident, is a class above, although could United have the tools to try and help Sesko close the gap?
How Man Utd can help Sesko reach Haaland levels
The key to any star striker is quality service, with Haaland notably combining with the great Kevin De Bruyne for 25 goals during their prior stint together at the Etihad, as per Transfermarkt.
The Belgian’s genius is now on show for new club Napoli, having even managed to get Rasmus Hojlund firing for the Serie A side, after assisting both of the Dane’s goals against Sporting CP in the Champions League last week.
While Ruben Amorim may not have De Bruyne to call upon, he certainly has the next best thing, with Bruno Fernandes even hailed as a “creative machine” by the ex-City talisman in the past.
The man who topped the charts for most chances created in the Premier League again last term, as per Fotmob, Fernandes will be the key to unlocking Sesko, having previously failed to strike up a fruitful connection with Hojlund – the pair only combined for seven goals in 87 games together.
There have already been flickers of life, with the Portuguese skipper and Sesko combining for a neat one-two on the edge of the box against Chelsea, while his record of 9.72 progressive passes per 90 as per FBref – ranking in the top 2% of European midfielders – showcases the playmaker’s relentless creative approach.
That said, the 32-year-old can’t do it alone, with Amad Diallo likely to also be a key source of creativity, having finished joint-second at Old Trafford in 2024/25, alongside Alejandro Garnacho, for assists made in all competitions (10).
While Amorim does now boast the talents of Bryan Mbeumo – who assisted Mason Mount at the weekend – last season’s 20-goal Brentford hero is primarily a goalscoring threat, with Amad perhaps more adept creatively.
Described as “unstoppable” in the past by Fernandes, the diminutive Ivorian is a real outlet in that right wing-back berth, with last term seeing him create seven big chances in the league, while averaging 1.9 key passes per game, as per Sofascore.
Deploying the 23-year-old in that wing-back berth on a consistent basis could be a game-changer with regard to getting the best out of Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, with that more attack-minded approach likely to help the likes of Sesko flourish ahead of him.
With Fernandes taking on the De Bruyne role, Amad could then assume the Phil Foden mantle, with the Englishman ranking second behind the Belgium hero for joint-goal contributions with Haaland (14) at Man City.
Such a duo were crucial in allowing Haaland to hit the ground running under Guardiola, with now the time for United’s own £420k-per-week pairing to help Sesko reach similar heights at the Theatre of Dreams.
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Manchester United have an exceptional teenager in their academy ranks.
ByMatt Dawson Oct 7, 2025
Celtic could now sign a summer transfer target for a “relatively small fee” this summer, in a potential boost for Brendan Rodgers.
Royal Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha has been heavily linked with a move to Parkhead before the summer transfer window slams shut, with an agreement even reportedly in place.
The 24-year-old has met with the club over a move to Celtic this summer, and it looks increasingly like it is a matter of time until his move is made official, with a medical pencilled in for this week.
Balikwisha would be just what the doctor ordered for Celtic, in terms of providing Rodgers with extra firepower, aiding their Champions League push and ensuring that they are once again crowned Scottish Premiership champions in 2025/26.
It looks as though the Hoops may not be done there, though, with another attacking player now mentioned as a strong option for them over the next week.
According to Football Insider, Celtic could sign Feyenoord winger Calvin Stengs for a “relatively small fee” and thus afford him as well as Balikwisha this week, with journalist Pete O’Rourke sharing the latest.
“We know that Celtic are looking to bring in a new wideman. Stengs is a player that has emerged on Celtic’s radar – he had a difficult season for Feyenoord, a few injury problems, so that may be a concern for Celtic.
“He’s into the final two years of his contract with Feyenoord, so could be available for a cut-price fee this summer. Celtic are looking at that, seeing there could be real potential to land a former Dutch international for a relatively small fee with a bid imminent.”
The £5m-rated Stengs would be such an eye-catching signing for Celtic and Rodgers, arriving at the peak of his powers and providing impressive levels of end product in the final third.
The 26-year-old has already scored three goals in just eight caps for the Netherlands, looking to be a key figure heading into the 2026 World Cup next summer, and 54 goal contributions in 119 Eredivisie appearances is an impressive return.
Most adept in an attacking midfield role, Stengs can also do a good job on the right wing, with such versatility a bonus for Rodgers, and there is no reason why he couldn’t hit the ground running from the off.
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The Dutchman has proven himself in a good league, also playing in the Champions League, and has the ability to help take Celtic up another level, should the move go through in the near future.
Nico O'Reilly said it is very "special" to sign a new long-term deal with Manchester City. The 20-year-old has been at the club since the age of eight and has become an important player in Pep Guardiola's first-team. Following him putting pen to paper on a deal until 2030, the versatile talent spoke about how important his mum has been in support of his football journey and career.