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Celtic travel away from Parkhead to take on their local rivals in a huge match at the top of the Scottish Premiership table on Sunday afternoon.

The Hoops, who are currently one point clear at the top of the division having played one game more, have the chance to extend their lead to four points with a win at Ibrox.

Brendan Rodgers' side are yet to win a trophy this season, having already been knocked out of the League Cup and all European competitions, which means that the league title and the SFA Cup are their last two chances to pick up silverware this season.

With almost two months left of the 2023/24 campaign to go, the bulk of the club's focus will be on making sure that they can enjoy a successful end to the term.

However, they will also be thinking about the upcoming summer transfer window and the moves that they can make to improve their squad for next season.

Latest Celtic transfer news

According to Football Scotland, the Scottish side will have to wait until the end of the current campaign to find out if they can sign Adam Idah on a permanent basis.

The report claims that some fans were not convinced by the loan signing at the time it was made but his form for the club since making the move to Glasgow has led to calls from supporters for Rodgers to snap him up in the summer.

Football Scotland adds that no option to buy has been agreed between Celtic and Norwich City, who did not sanction the possibility of a permanent deal when they sent him up north on deadline day at the start of February.

The outlet states that the Canaries are waiting to see whether or not Sydney van Hooijdonk, who they brought in on loan from Bologna after he was linked with Celtic, proves his worth at Carrow Road.

Since his move from the Serie A, the Dutch striker has zero goals and one assist in seven substitute appearances in the Championship for David Wagner's side.

Football Scotland also claims that Norwich are also waiting to see what division they will be playing in next season, as they are currently in the race to secure promotion up to the Premier League. However, the report does not reveal exactly how that would affect Celtic's potential pursuit of Idah.

If the Hoops can secure a permanent deal for the Ireland international then they could repeat the masterclass they played with Jota, who was also signed permanently after an initial loan spell.

Celtic's Jota masterclass

Ange Postecoglou swooped to sign the Portuguese forward on loan from Benfica in the summer of 2021, during his first transfer window with the club, after the winger had struggled to nail down regular game time.

Jota had spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan with Real Valladolid in Spain, where he scored two goals in 18 appearances in all competitions, and Celtic then snapped him up for the following season.

21/22 Premiership

Jota (Celtic)

Appearances

29

Sofascore rating

7.56

Goals

10

Assists

10

Big chances created

17

Key passes per game

2.0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the right-footed wizard hit the ground running in Scottish football with an impressive return of double figures for both goals and assists.

The Portuguese dynamo, who scored 13 goals and provided 14 assists in all competitions that season, did enough to convince the club to snap him up on a permanent deal in the summer of 2022, for a reported fee of £6.5m.

Jota continued his fantastic form at the top end of the pitch throughout the 2022/23 campaign after joining on a permanent basis, with a return of 11 goals and 11 assists in 33 Premiership outings for the Hoops.

Celtic were rewarded for their decision to sign him permanently after his sublime performances on loan as he remained a phenomenal asset to Postecoglou on the pitch.

The Scottish giants were then rewarded off the pitch as they cashed in on the Portugese starlet in the summer of 2023. Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad came in to sign him for a staggering £25m, which shows how much of a masterclass the club played with Jota as they made a gigantic profit on him after just one year.

Why Celtic should sign Adam Idah permanently

If Norwich decide that they are willing to sell Idah this summer, Celtic must pounce to sign the Ireland international to bolster their attack next season.

The £23k-per-week marksman arrived on loan on deadline day and has hit the ground running in Scotland, with a big impact on the pitch in recent months.

It took him no time at all to find his feet in the Premiership. He came off the bench to make his debut away at Aberdeen and instantly provided an assist to Nicolas Kuhn, with a clever lay-off inside the box to tee up the winger.

The Norwich loanee followed that up with two penalties in a 2-1 win away at Hibernian, including one in stoppage time at the end of the match, to secure all three points for the side.

In total, Idah has produced five goals and two assists in eight Premiership appearances – including four starts – for Celtic since his move to the earlier this year.

This means that the Irish marksman, who Rodgers hailed as an "incredible" talent, has averaged a goal contribution every 1.14 games on average in the league.

Idah, who scored six goals in 12 Championship starts during the first half of the season for Norwich, has showcased his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals, whilst he still has plenty of room to develop and improve at the age of 23.

This means that, as was the case with Jota, Celtic would be signing a talented young player with scope to grow throughout his time at Parkhead.

They could nurture and develop his skills in the hope of being rewarded with superb performances on the pitch, and then a potential sale for profit in the future, which is why Rodgers could repeat the club's Jota masterclass by sealing a deal for the impressive loanee.

كشف مسؤولو الفريق الإعلامي للبرازيلي نيمار جونيور، صانع ألعاب فريق الهلال السعودي، موقف اللاعب من الرحيل عن الفريق في الفترة القادمة.

نيمار كان قد انضم إلي صفوف الهلال السعودي قادمًا من باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي في موسم 2023-2024، وتعرض للإصابة بقطع في الرباط الصليبي في بداية الموسم الماضي ليغيب لنهايته، حيث لعب 5 مباريات فقط.

وعاد نيمار للمشاركة من جديد مع فريق الهلال مع بداية الموسم الحالي، لكنه تعرض لإصابة بتمزق في العضلة الخلفية، خلال مباراة الفريق أمام الاستقلال الإيراني بدوري أبطال آسيا، ويحتاج من 4 إلى 6 أسابيع للتعافي.

طالع | الهلال يدرس قرارًا حاسمًا تجاه نيمار بعد إصابته

ووفقًا لصحيفة الرياضية السعودية، قال داي كريسبو، أحد أعضاء الفريق الإعلامي لنيمار: “كل ما تردد بشأن رحيل نيمار عن الهلال في يناير المقبل غير صحيح وأخبار كاذبة”.

وأضاف: “نيمار مستمر مع فريقه الحالي حتى نهاية عقده وهذا مؤكد، حتى وقتنا هذا لا يوجد أي شيء مختلف عن ذلك”.

نيمار شارك مع الهلال في 7 مباريات فقط، سجل هدفا واحدا، وصنع 3 أهداف.

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Chelsea's chances of signing Napoli star Victor Osimhen, amid FFP worries and PSR concerns.

Chelsea in worry of breaching PSR regulations

Under chairman Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's ownership, the Blues have spent over £1 billion on new signings, so you could be forgiven for thinking they're sailing pretty close to the wind when it comes to breaching PSR.

Chelsea and Boehly offered “world-class” £50m+ player after contact

The Blues already have one eye on the summer.

ByTom Cunningham Mar 24, 2024

Premier League clubs cannot record a loss of more than £105million over a three-year period under the division’s profit and sustainability rules, with the likes of Man City, Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City having all been charged or sanctioned already.

While Mauricio Pochettino's side haven't been charged, financial expert Stefan Borson recently told talkSPORT (via The Sun) that Chelsea face "more severe" sanctions than the likes of Everton and Forest if the Premier League accuse them.

“Possibly more severe (than Forest and Everton)," said Borson. “I think the scale of the losses they're currently forecasting, to me, appear to be vastly in excess of both Everton and Nottingham Forest. There was an assumption with Mason Mount, because he was announced on Manchester United's website on July 1 that [his sale] had been put into this current season.

"So the £55million of profit was in this season. It now transpires that Mason Mount appears to have been transacted in 2022/23 and that is how they got through [FFP rules]."

Amid these off-field worries, reports still suggest that Chelsea could invest significantly in their squad this summer. Indeed, a marquee new striker is in the offing, with Chelsea currently fierce competitors to sign Osimhen.

Sassuolo 1-6 Napoli

9.90

Frosinone 1-3 Napoli

8.46

Napoli 2-0 Sassuolo

7.62

Napoli 2-1 Cagliari

7.60

Napoli 4-1 Udinese

7.36

The Nigerian, who has a £113 million release clause written into his contract after he signed a new deal this season, looks set to be one of the blockbuster names who could well be on the move later this year.

Pochettino lacks an out-and-out striker who can bag 25-plus goals per season, and it's something which Chelsea arguably need if they're to go to the next level.

Romano shares Osimhen update amid Chelsea's PSR battle

Speaking to CaughtOffside, Romano has now shared an update on Chelsea's chances of signing Osimhen amid this potential PSR battle.

“I think Chelsea will be there,” the transfer expert said. “The interest is still there. It is really important to understand what is happening; first of all with the FFP situation because Chelsea do not want to overpay, so it is important to know how much the package is going to be for Victor Osimhen.

"We already know about the release clause between €120m-€130m with Napoli so Chelsea and other clubs are waiting to see if Napoli can be flexible but usually with their president, De Laurentiis, it is usually very tough to go there and negotiate, especially for a fantastic player like Victor Osimhen.

“It will then be important to see how much Osimhen wants in terms of salary and his contract. So there are some crucial financial points to sort out before Chelsea can say ‘ok’ and go for Osimhen.”

Celtic have been rocked by something Mark Lawwell did before his recent departure from the club, acting as a potential "disaster" for the Hoops.

Lawwell leaves Celtic

Last weekend, Lawwell made the decision to leave his role as Head of Recruitment at Parkhead, having been an important member of the backroom team. He and his deputy Joe Dudgeon have both been placed on gardening leave.

It means the search is now on to find a successor to the 33-year-old, who started his job at Celtic in May 2022, having previously been the youth chief scout at Manchester City, highlighting his pedigree. Brendan Rodgers seemingly valued Lawwell's impact at the club, saying after his departure: "As part of the Club’s recruitment team, Mark and Joe have worked tirelessly to bring success to Celtic, and I would like to wish them both the very best for the future."

This news cannot afford to affect Celtic's focus on the pitch, as they look to overcome rivals Rangers in the Scottish Premiership title race this season, and the right replacement needs to come in as soon as possible, in order to have time to target players ahead of the summer transfer window.

Celtic suffer "disaster" with striker update

According to a fresh update from Football Insider, the fact Lawwell didn't include an option for Celtic to sign Adam Idah permanently is seen as a "disaster" by those within the club now.

Norwich City "will look" to move him on for a big fee at the end of the current campaign once he returns to Carrow Road, so the Hoops will now find it tough to snap him up compared to if a clause was in place.

Not having an option to buy has to be considered a big error from Lawwell prior to his exit last week, with Idah's impact since arriving on loan at Celtic in January making the decision look even worse.

10 key Mark Lawwell signings at Celtic

Success?

Alistair Johnston

Yes

Nat Phillips

No

Aaron Mooy

Yes

Yang Hyun-Jun

Yes

Marco TIlio

No

Yang Hyun-Jun

Yes

Luis Palma

Yes

Kwon Hyeok-kyu

No

Gustaf Lagerbielke

No

Adam Idah

Yes

The 23-year-old has scored five goals in just four Scottish Premiership starts – only six appearances overall – and he has also won an average of 1.5 aerial duels per game in that time. Rodgers clearly rates him, too, recently saying: "The ability he has is incredible, really; he has every tool that you want to play at the highest level. He’s obviously doing that internationally, and it’s been a wee bit hit-and-miss for him at Norwich."

The hope is that Idah is enjoying his spell at Celtic enough to want to move there permanently once the summer arrives, but if other offers arrive from elsewhere, especially from England, there is the risk that his head could be turned by a fresh challenge.

Related Reporter drops “huge” Celtic transfer plan involving marquee striker

Dermot Desmond is not messing around.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Mar 9, 2024

His impact between now and the end of the season is going to be vital if the Hoops are to secure title glory, but the hope is that this is only the start of his time at Parkhead.

England's Euro 2024 campaign has not gotten off to a start that Gareth Southgate wanted and tensions are reportedly rising.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• England start Euros with win and a draw
• Reports suggest tensions within players' families
• Southgate criticised for selection biases

• GETTY
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  England travelled to Germany earlier this month for Euro 2024 and did so as one of the outright favourites to lift the trophy at the Olympastadion on July 14. However, despite them sitting atop their group, all has not gone to plan as they struggled to a 1-0 win over Serbia before a frustrating 1-1 draw against Denmark. Reports from the Independent suggest that there are tensions among the players' families.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The report has suggested that when the players met their families in Frankfurt after the drab draw against Denmark, there was a lot of 'tension' between all that were involved but not due to the result. It is believed that a lot of players and their families are convinced Southgate has reservations towards certain senior players and will not select players in form over them.

• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  While the report suggests players' unhappiness towards Southgate for his biases towards senior players, that has not been the case in his squad picking for the Euros' 26-man squad. He left a number of big names back at home in favour of young talent like Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo, Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

  The Three Lions' management and the players themselves will look to put behind the murmurs surrounding the 'brokenness' of their camp as they look to take on Slovenia in their final group stage match on June 25.

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS' partial takeover at Old Trafford now confirmed, they are already looking to the summer, with their first confirmed target revealed this week.

Man Utd still struggling in front of goal

Whilst sitting sixth in the Premier League is far from a disaster, many Manchester United fans will be disappointed at the lack of goalmouth action for their side. Hitting the back of the net on just 35 occasions this season, the tally put up by the Red Devils is dwarfed by their biggest rivals, Man City and Liverpool, who have scored 58 and 59 goals respectively, while even teams below like Chelsea and Wolves have bagged more.

With the £72million man, Rasmus Hojlund appearing to have hit form, scoring seven in his last six league games, the onus is now on the rest of the attack to step up and give the Denmark international some support.

Related Man United "monster" to leave Old Trafford this summer

He featured in Sunday’s win over Aston Villa.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Feb 12, 2024

Previous big money signings in the attacking third have failed to live up to expectations. Antony's £85million move to Manchester has now become a punchline with the Brazilian yet to score in the league this season despite starting on twelve occasions. Jadon Sancho has finally been freed of his torturous time in the north west, although he producing a nightmare performance for Borussia Dortmund this week.

The confirmation of the new ownership means that the chequebook will likely be open again this summer. Whilst previous big money moves have fallen flat on their face, it appears that the new owners are already courting a proven Premier League talent to change their fortunes.

Ratcliffe's first major target revealed

Speaking to GiveMeSport this week, journalist Ben Jacobs revealed that the "only categorical and endorsed target" of the new ownership is Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise. Jacobs suggests that Ratcliffe is looking to implement a new transfer strategy at Old Trafford, one driven towards acquiring young talents with a proven track record in England.

In Olise, Man United will be receiving a player capable of improving the side in his current capacity but with a ceiling higher than much of their existing talent. The Frenchman arrived at Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021 following a 19-goal-contribution season in the Championship with Reading.

His time in the topflight has seen Olise provide ten goals and nineteen assists for the Eagles as well as earn his first caps for France's Under 21's side. Compared to current attacking options at Erik ten Hag's disposal, Olise would be an instant upgrade.

Premier League Stats 23/24

Goals

Assists

Michael Olise

6

3

Marcus Rashford

5

2

Antony

0

0

Rasmus Hojlund

7

2

Alejandro Garnacho

5

3

At just 22 years of age, Olise is already rightfully touted as one of the most exciting talents in the league, with player-turned-pundit, Micah Richards, predicting that he will have a bright future.

If Ratcliffe and INEOS are determined to shake up Man United's recruitment strategy, there would be few better players to go for than the English-born Frenchman.

MatériaMais Notícias

Marcelo Benevenuto está por detalhes de ser emprestado pelo Botafogo ao Fortaleza até dezembro de 2021. A transferência pode ser benéfica para os três envolvidos: ao Alvinegro, que vai manter um ativo em um cenário de destaque do futebol brasileiro; ao jogador, que terá novos ares; e ao Leão, que ganha um reforço para a defesa. O LANCE! explica.

+ Diferentemente do Brasileirão 2020, Botafogo consegue mostrar poder de reação para construir virada

Titular do Botafogo na última temporada, Marcelo Benevenuto passa por um período de desgaste com a torcida. Apesar de ter sido um dos destaques do time no começo da época – inclusive, sendo escolhido para a seleção do Campeonato Carioca -, o zagueiro caiu de rendimento de forma drástica durante o Brasileirão e foi um dos destaques negativos na queda à Série B.

O camisa 14 iniciou a temporada 2021 como titular da equipe comandada por Marcelo Chamusca. O zagueiro não comprometeu nos jogos iniciais, mas bastaram falhas diante de Vasco e Flamengo para as críticas retornarem. O fato é que, atualmente, não há um clima favorável para Benevenuto, mesmo que ele goste do clube, para que permaneça no Alvinegro.

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O Botafogo emprestará Marcelo Benevenuto, que possui contrato até 2023, para uma equipe da Série A e manterá o zagueiro em um zagueiro de evidência no cenário nacional – algo que seria menor, naturalmente, do que na disputa da segunda divisão. Além de, claro, economizar com os vencimentos mensais do jogador, que tinha um dos maiores salários do atual elenco.

+ Vice-presidente do Botafogo exalta virada sobre o Nova Iguaçu: ‘Importante para passar confiança’

Para o zagueiro, uma mudança de ares pode ser positiva para reencontrar o melhor futebol. Longe da pressão da torcida e vivendo um novo contexto, haverá espaço para tal.

O Fortaleza, por sua vez, reforça a defesa com um nome que cabe na realidade financeira do clube. Benevenuto lutará para ser titular na equipe comandada por Enderson Moreira.

No fim, a transferência pode ser benéfica aos três envolvidos. O Botafogo pode valorizar um ativo, o Fortaleza ganha um reforço para um setor que passa por dificuldades na temporada e Marcelo Benevenuto ganha a chance e um novo contexto para um recomeço.

تقدم وزير الشباب والرياضة أشرف صبحي، بالتهنئة إلى الإتحاد المصري لكرة اليد، بعد تتويج منتخب مصر للشباب مواليد 2004 بلقب كأس أمم إفريقيا.

وتمكن منتخب مصر من الفوز على تونس بنتيجة 29-25، في المباراة النهائية من بطولة كأس الأمم الإفريقية لكرة اليد للشباب.

طالع | منتخب مصر للشباب يفوز على تونس ويحقق لقب كأس أمم إفريقيا لكرة اليد

وأكد وزير الرياضة الدعم الدائم والمستمر الذي تقدمه الدولة المصرية بقيادة الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي لمنظومة الرياضة المصرية.

وعبر أشرف صبحي عن فخره واعتزازه بالإنجاز الكبير والأداء المشرف لمنتخب شباب اليد، وهو ما يعكس التطور الملحوظ لمنظومة كرة اليد المصرية التي تُعد مثالاً حياً يحتذى به على المستوى التخطيطي والعقلية الاحترافية في تطوير اللعبة بكافة أعمارها السنية.

وضمت قائمة منتخب مصر لكرة اليد 18 لاعبا في البطولة:

يوسف ناجي – يوسف وليد – أحمد عبد الرحيم – حمزة مجدي – محمد مؤمن – محمد عبد الغني – عمر عدلان – محمد وائل – يوسف عبد الغني – زياد حشاد – محمد عدلان – محمد شعبان – مهند خالد عبد الرحيم – معاذ عزب – أمير جعفر – أحمد تغيان – ياسين محمد – محمود علي.

ويقود الجهاز الفني لـ منتخب مصر لكرة اليد مواليد 2004 طارق محروس، ويضم الجهاز كلا من مهند السحيلي المدرب للعام، محمد سراج مدرب حراس المرمى، مازن محمد إداري، محمد مصطفى طبيب.

Duminy will continue to play T20s for South Africa and in international leagues, including Mzansi Super League

Liam Brickhill05-May-2019

AFP

JP Duminy has retired from domestic cricket, Cape Cobras coach Ashwell Prince confirmed. Duminy, however, will continue to play T20 cricket for South Africa and in international leagues, including the Mzansi Super League. Duminy, 35, had announced in March that he will retire from ODIs after the 2019 World Cup.Duminy has not played first-class cricket for the Cobras for three years, but had been part of Cobras’ List A campaigns, up to and including his participation in the Momentum One-Day Cup this season. Having spent much of the summer on the sidelines, recovering from surgery on his injured right shoulder, Duminy returned to competitive cricket with the Cobras and was part of the squad that reached both the domestic One-Day and CSA T20 Challenge semi-finals.Having played for provincial B and age-group sides, Duminy made his first-class debut with the senior Western Province side as a 17-year-old in February 2002, joining a team that included Herschelle Gibbs, Gary Kirsten, Jonathan Trott and Paul Adams, and sharing in a 43-run stand with Kirsten in his debut innings.His first List A match for Western Province came the following season, in November of the same year. The teenage Duminy top-scored with 78 made at No. 4 in a 62-run win over Namibia in what was then called the Standard Bank Cup. He quickly established himself in the senior side, and was for several years a stalwart of the Cape Cobras side after Cricket South Africa adopted the franchise system in the 2004-05 season.In 108 first-class matches, Duminy scored 6,774 runs, including 20 hundreds and two doubles, with his top score of 260 not out coming in his final first-class game for the Cobras at Boland Park just over three years ago. He has also scored 7,408 runs in 269 List A games at an average of 38.78.While his rehabilitation and conditioning work on his right shoulder meant that Duminy could not be part of the early stages of Cobras’ CSA T20 Challenge campaign, he returned to play in their last three matches, his last game for the Cobras being the semi-final defeat to Warriors in East London on Wednesday.

Southampton are "pushing to sign" an "unbelievable" Premier League player, according to an exciting update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Southampton transfer news

The January transfer window gives Saints a great opportunity to bolster their squad, should Russell Martin feel that fresh faces are required to make a big difference. The south coast club have enjoyed a positive first half of the season, sitting third in the Championship table and now only three points adrift of Ipswich Town in the second automatic promotion spot.

Southampton do appear to be in the mix to complete some important business before the end of the month, with a host of players linked with moves to St Mary's in the coming weeks. Young Aston Villa defender Lamare Bogarde has emerged as a primary loan target, for example, having returned from his temporary stint at Bristol Rovers, while Liverpool youngster Fabio Carvalho is another player who is seen as a potential addition.

The attacking midfielder has had a disappointing period on loan at Bundesliga side RB Leipzig after joining last summer, but Jurgen Klopp could be keen to send him out elsewhere again for the remainder of the campaign, building his confidence again in the process.

Southampton "pushing to sign" Fabio Carvalho

According to Romano on X, Southampton are interested in signing Liverpool attacker Carvalho this month, but other EFL clubs are also keen on snapping him up.

"Liverpool will decide on the best loan option for Fábio Carvalho in the next few days. Southampton, Hull City and Leeds all pushing to sign him — Wolves also asked for Fabio but game time guarantees will be key."

Carvalho could be a wonderful signing for Southampton in January, possessing the individual ability to make all the difference in the Championship promotion battle. Granted, the 21-year-old has failed to kick on at Liverpool since arriving from Fulham in 2022, as well as struggling at Leipzig, but Klopp has had this to say about him in the past:

"Fabio, for the situation in which he is now, in training on an absolute super level and not being involved, how he deals with it, I have to say, that’s kind of a role model. Not that he is happy with the situation, but he never gives up. It’s unbelievable."

To be spoken about in such glowing terms by one of the best managers in the world says a lot about Carvalho's quality, and he could love being back in the Championship after shining there for Fulham back in 2021/22, scoring 10 goals and registering eight assists in the competition.

Southampton make first move to sign "immense" Premier League gem

The Saints could get a Premier League boost…

ByTom Cunningham Jan 6, 2024

The Portuguese will surely feel that he has a point to prove, given the manner in which his stock has fallen of late, and with Liverpool seemingly happy to let him leave on loan again in January, a club of Saints' promotion-chasing stature looks perfect for him, allowing him to enjoy being a key man again.