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The teams have been involved in some of the fiercest battles over 30 years, and now clash for the big title at Lord’s

Alex Malcolm10-Jun-20252:47

Five key questions ahead of the WTC final

Big picture: Is South Africa’s XI more settled than Australia’s?This will be the first World Test Championship final at Lord’s, the home of cricket. But it won’t be the first time Australia and South Africa meet in a Test match at Lord’s. In 1912, the two sides met in the fifth match of a Triangular Test tournament between the only three Test nations in the world at the time, that ran from late May until late August, with England triumphing.Although the tournament was an unsuccessful one-off event, in some ways it was a precursor to the World Test Championship (WTC). For the record, Australia beat South Africa at Lord’s by 10 wickets 113 years ago. They start this week’s final as defending champions and warm favourites, with former South African greats even acknowledging and embracing the underdog status.Those same former greats and the team itself can feel the weight of this final. South Africa are fighting history, with their only previous title being the ICC Knockout in 1998. They are fighting perceptions, too, of having supposedly not earned their place in the decider because of a perceived easy route, despite winning their last seven Tests after winning just one of their first five in the two-year cycle. They are also fighting a familiar foe. South Africa and Australia have played out some of the feistiest and most entertaining Test battles over the past 30 years.Related

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But their most recent meeting in 2022-23 was arguably the most uncompetitive in three decades. And despite some suggestions from Kagiso Rabada, among others, that things could get spicy, the Australia team that will arrive at Lord’s on Wednesday is not a stereotypical one.While South Africa can feel the weight of history and the significance of this final on their Test future, Australia have taken an entirely different approach. Previous Australian teams might have taken a trip to Gallipoli or the Somme to imbibe the spirit of the Anzacs ahead of a final like this. Those days, though, are long gone for this Australian team. Just as they did two years ago ahead of the WTC 2023 final, they prioritised five days of golf in northern Scotland over a practice match as part of another relaxed and bespoke build-up.2:58

Finch: Australia’s batting gives them the edge over SA

Most of Australia’s squad have been there and done it before. They know what to expect and how to handle the occasion, with the core of the group gunning for a fourth world title across three formats in four years. They boast of one of the best bowling quartets of all time, and have one of the best batters of all time in Steven Smith, who has been back near his best this year. Travis Head is also on a streak of consecutive match-winning centuries in his last two global finals.But they had some key questions to answer over the XI. Cameron Green being fit to bat, and in fine form, but unable to bowl is a spanner in the works given he has not played in Australia’s last seven Tests. He will now bat No. 3 for just the second time in his first-class career, in his first Test in 15 months, while Marnus Labuschagne opens the batting for the first time in Test cricket. It will also mean Usman Khawaja will have a fifth different opening partner in nine Tests.South Africa’s batting order has lined up as expected. But most of them will be unknowns of sorts to Australia’s attack, with only Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma having played Test cricket against them before, although Australia’s quicks have seen plenty of Tristan Stubbs and Ryan Rickelton in the IPL, with Stubbs and Mitchell Starc having also played together.Form guideSouth Africa: WWWWW
Australia: WWWWD1:05

Finch: The way Labuschagne has been playing is ‘concerning’

In the spotlight: Kagiso Rabada and Marnus LabuschagneKagiso Rabada has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons over the last few months, and it will be intriguing to see how he performs in the WTC final. He looms as Australia’s biggest threat, given he dismantled England in his last Test appearance at Lord’s, and has tormented Australia down the years – especially when the ball swings and seams. The break from the IPL may have done Rabada a favour in terms of freshening up for the final. Australia collared a tired Rabada in flat conditions in the last two Tests of the 2022-23 series. But coming in fresh with a chip on his shoulder, and brandishing a brand-new Duke’s ball under dank skies at Lord’s, he looms as a potential match-winner for South Africa.Marnus Labuschagne is under the most pressure he has ever faced in his Test career. Nearing his 31st birthday, with 57 Tests and over 4000 runs to his name, he should have been in the prime of his career and at the peak of his powers. Instead, Labuschagne is fighting for his immediate future. He is now being asked to bat out of position for the first time in six years. His performances in three innings for Glamorgan last month would have done little to allay any fears about his overall form. Labuschagne’s last first-class century came opening the batting for Glamorgan, but it was over 12 months ago. The selectors, though, are banking on his experience shining through in the final.Team news: Ngidi the third quick; Konstas made to waitSouth Africa’s same top six that faced Pakistan in January has been retained at Lord’s, with Wiaan Mulder continuing at No. 3. Tony de Zorzi, though, misses out. There also appears to be no temptation to throw an all-out pace attack at Australia. Lungi Ngidi, meanwhile, has got the nod ahead of Dane Paterson.South Africa : 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Ryan Rickleton, 3 Wiaan Mulder, 4 Temba Bavuma (capt), 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 David Bedingham, 7 Kyle Verreynne, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi Ngidi2:03

Smith: Top-order batting ‘as tricky as I’ve seen’

Australia, extraordinarily, will try a new batting combination in the final, with Labuschagne opening and Green batting at No. 3. Green won’t be able to bowl, so Beau Webster will provide the extra seam overs if required. Josh Hazlewood has returned in place of Scott Boland as the third quick despite Hazlewood breaking down with injury in each of the last two Tests he played, which left Australia with a three-man attack on both occasions.Australia: 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Marnus Labuschagne, 3 Cameron Green, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Beau Webster, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh HazlewoodPitch and conditions: Look up and look downIt had been a very dry start to the English summer up until the last week. Neither Australia nor South Africa have much experience of playing at Lord’s in early June, and there will be some guessing about the conditions. Given the dry spring, the surface is on the drier side which could mean more of an impact for the spinners. The forecast looks good with warm temperatures coming, although there is a chance of a few thunderstorms.Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Josh Hazlewood are the first four-man attack in Test history to play together with 250 wickets each•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Stats and trivia Australia and South Africa have met three times in neutral Tests, with all three played in 1912. Australia won two of those Tests at Manchester and Lord’s. The third at Nottingham was drawn. Pat Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon are the first four-man attack in Test history to play together with 250 wickets each. But Rabada alone has 327 wickets at a better average and strike rate than all four of them. Australia have played 40 Tests at Lord’s for 18 wins, seven losses and 15 draws. South Africa have played 18 there, winning six, losing eight and drawing four. Quotes”You only get a few opportunities if you’re lucky in your career to try and win one. It’s a trophy we’ve spoken a lot about over the last couple of years. We wanted to be in this final. Personally, I think that 2023 World Cup title is going to be tough to beat, but this is a good one. Test cricket is my favourite format.”
“In our preparation, a lot of it has been emotive. It has been about understanding what the occasion is about, being here at Lord’s, and from a motivation point of view, there’s not much that I can do. If players needed to be motivated, then that would be a problem. Now it’s just kind of getting down to the fact that we actually need to play the game. Let’s play what is in front of us. Let’s not get caught up into too much of the story and what could be. And just be ready for what’s to come.”

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke will surely be pleased with how his side has adapted to Premier League football after their promotion from the Championship.

The last six teams to have come up from the second tier have all been relegated at the first time of asking, and the Whites, Sunderland, and Burnley are hoping to avoid making it nine from nine.

Leeds have racked up eight points in seven matches in the Premier League so far this season, lifting them above the relegation zone, in what has been an impressive start to the campaign.

They lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur last time out in the top-flight at Elland Road, but they had a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth and a 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, which included a stunning goal from Anton Stach, prior to that.

The German central midfielder smashed his free-kick right into the top corner for his first goal for the club after his move from Hoffenheim in the summer window.

Another signing from the summer transfer window who has impressed since his arrival at Elland Road is exciting wide attacker Noah Okafor.

Where Noah Okafor ranks among Leeds United's attackers

It may not be unfair to suggest that the Switzerland international is the best and most effective attacker within Farke’s first-team squad in the Premier League this season.

Okafor, who was signed from AC Milan, has hit the ground running in English football with two goals in four starts in the Premier League, per Sofascore, which is twice as many goals as any other player in the team has managed.

He is the only Leeds player who has scored more than one goal this season in the top-flight, with his strikes against Wolves and Spurs, and that suggests that the forward is, at the very least, the most effective goalscorer in the attacking ranks.

Sofascore rating

7.06

1st

xG

1.16

2nd

Goals

2

1st

Minutes per goal

153

2nd

Big chances created

1

2nd

Dribbles completed per game

2.2

1st

Key passes per game

0.8

2nd

As you can see in the table above, Okafor ranks either first or second in a host of key attacking metrics for the Whites in the Premier League, which speaks to how influential he has been at the top end of the pitch in the early stages of the campaign.

The Swiss speedster, who scored in the 2-1 defeat to Spurs last time out, is an electric dribbler who can score goals and create chances for his teammates, which makes him an invaluable part of Farke’s attack.

Despite that, Transfermarkt have Okafor as the 13th-most valuable member of the squad, at £11m, and the seventh-most valuable winger or striker, even below Jack Harrison at £12m.

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Another player who is worth even more than the Switzerland international, despite his impressive form in the Premier League, is central defender Pascal Struijk, whom the Whites have hit the jackpot with since his move to the club from Ajax.

Leeds have hit the jackpot with Pascal Struijk

The Dutch central defender joined the club at U21 level on a free transfer at the start of 2018, as his contract with Ajax was due to expire, and he was able to rise through the ranks at Thorp Arch.

Struijk made seven appearances for the U21 team before he emerged as a regular first-team squad member in the 2020/21 Premier League season under Marcelo Bielsa, playing 27 times, per Transfermarkt.

The left-footed star has since racked up 166 appearances for the first-team in all competitions for the West Yorkshire outfit, and has started all seven of the club’s league matches this season.

Struijk was particularly important to the club’s promotion to the Premier League last season, scoring five goals in 35 appearances, as he formed a reliable partnership with Joe Rodon.

The 26-year-old titan, who scored two late goals in a dramatic comeback against Sunderland, kept 14 clean sheets in 31 starts in the second tier last term, per Sofascore, which speaks to how defensively solid the team were with him in it.

Farke has kept his faith in both Rodon and Struijk, despite the signings of Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw, in the Premier League so far this season.

The German boss described him as a “crucial” player back in 2023, and he still relies on the Dutchman, even if his performances this term have not quite been up to scratch.

Tackles

6

Bottom 34%

Duels won

19

Bottom 40%

Duel success rate

43.2%

Bottom 3%

Aerial duel success rate

46.4%

Bottom 13%

Interceptions

2

Bottom 9%

Blocked shots

2

Bottom 34%

As you can see in the table above, Struijk currently ranks among the worst centre-backs in the division in a host of defensive statistics, which suggests that he needs to improve his performances if he wants to remain in the side.

Despite his slightly concerning form at this moment in time, the Dutch star is valued at a whopping £15.6m by Transfermarkt, which means that he is worth more than Okafor (£11m). He is also the joint-fourth most valuable player at the club, per Transfermarkt.

Considering that the Whites picked him up from Ajax’s academy and he started his career in England at U21 level, it is fair to say that Leeds hit the jackpot when they signed Struijk back in 2018.

He has developed into, at the very least, a Championship promotion-winning central defender, and one of the most valuable players in the squad at £15.6m.

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At the age of 26, Struijk also has plenty of time left ahead of him to increase in value, but he must first turn his Premier League form around and show that he is good enough to start week-in-week-out in a top-flight side that can avoid relegation.

Following the success of Nick Woltemade, Newcastle United are reportedly preparing to spend big once again to sign an impressive midfield star in 2026.

Newcastle's 2026 transfer plans

The Magpies have unfinished business in the transfer market. The majority of their summer window was spent searching for much-needed strikers before Yoane Wissa and Woltemade both arrived to replace the firepower of Alexander Isak. Now, with that problem solved, the Magpies have the chance to think about improvements elsewhere.

Just what that could entail is the big question. The transfer rumours are already coming thick and fast, with ambitious moves for the likes of Julian Brandt and Arda Guler mooted. The latter would be a particularly impressive signing, but given how he’s burst into life under Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid, there’s no doubt that it would be a difficult one to get over the line.

Whoever arrives should be keen to follow the Woltemade path. The towering striker has scored three goals in six games and has already earned the praise of manager Eddie Howe more than once.

The Newcastle boss told reporters in the build-up to Newcastle’s 4-0 thrashing of Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League: “We’re very pleased to have Nick with us. I think he’s started very strongly in what has been a difficult period for him because he’s been thrust straight into action with no training time of note with us.”

Adding further creators around the German should now be among Newcastle’s top priorities when 2026 arrives and that could yet see a big-money midfielder arrive.

Newcastle preparing £60m+ Sancet offer

According to reports in Spain, Newcastle are now preparing a €70m (£61m) offer to sign Oihan Sancet from Athletic Club in 2026. The midfielder reportedly has a release clause of €80m (£70m) in his current deal and the Magpies plan to get close to that with their first offer.

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Those at St James’ Park reportedly see Sancet as the perfect player to partner Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes at the heart of Howe’s midfield, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll match his release clause to skip any negotiations with Bilbao in 2026. Looking at the numbers, it’s clear to see the talent that they would be signing.

Minutes

1,620

2,393

Goals

15

4

Key Passes

21

23

Ball Recoveries

77

149

Whilst Sancet isn’t as combative as Joelinton, he would offer Newcastle a fresh goalscoring outlet from midfield. It’s the one trait that the Magpies occasionally lack in the middle of the park, but something that the Bilbao star would provide after netting 15 goals in La Liga last season.

Dubbed “underrated” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Newcastle should do everything to sign Sancet if the opportunity arrives in 2026. The Spaniard would take Howe’s midfield to yet another level.

After confirming the arrival of Tyler Dibling, Everton have reportedly submitted an opening offer to sign a midfield star in a move driven by manager David Moyes.

Dibling "buzzing" to join Everton

At one stage, it looked as though Everton were set to miss out on Dibling amid reports that they were reluctant to match Southampton’s asking price. The Saints soon lowered their demand, however, and the Toffees agreed a deal worth around £42m. Adding yet another attacking talent to their ranks, there’s no denying that Everton’s frontline has been transformed this summer.

Speaking for the first time since putting pen to paper, Dibling told reporters: “I’m buzzing to sign. I felt the Club already, even before I was in the building, just from social media and from people telling me about the Club. I’ve never been so excited to play football and I’m just ready to get going.

“I think it’s the perfect match because of where the Club is right now. Obviously with the new stadium, the fans here are unreal and it has a family feel to it. I think it was the perfect fit and was a no-brainer to join.

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“I think I’ve come to Everton at the perfect time and hopefully I can be here for many years. “[The Brighton win] gave me a feel for the Club. It looked unbelievable. I also played in the last Men’s game at Goodison. It was so loud. I was looking around and thinking, ‘This is quality’.”

Even after welcoming their eighth arrival of the summer, however, the Toffees still reportedly have unfinished business in the transfer window.

Everton submit opening Soucek offer

According to transfer reporter Ben Jacobs, Everton submitted their opening offer to sign Tomas Soucek in a move driven by Moyes, only for West Ham United to turn that offer down. With less than one week left until the transfer window slams shut, it will now be interesting to see whether those in Merseyside return to launch an improved offer.

The Czech Republic midfielder was one of the most successful players to work under Moyes at West Ham and the veteran manager now wants him at the heart of his Everton side.

The move would certainly make sense too. The Toffees have been searching for an Abdoulaye Doucoure replacement all summer long and Soucek would certainly tick that box. With a knack for goals from midfield and a towering physical presence, the experienced West Ham man should be among Everton’s last remaining transfer priorities.

Dubbed “brilliant” by Moyes during the manager’s time at the London Stadium, Soucek could be one to watch as deadline day approaches.

India batter backs the next generation to carry forward the strong performances in ICC tournaments

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Virat Kohli holds the Champions Trophy aloft in Dubai•ICC via Getty Images

Virat Kohli believes India have a squad “ready to take on the world” for the next eight years, following their victory in the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in Dubai.”When you leave, you want to leave the team in a better place, I feel we’ve a squad that’s ready to take on the world for the next eight years,” Kohli said on the broadcast after the game. “Shubman [Gill] has been outstanding, Shreyas [Iyer] beautiful, KL [Rahul] has finished games, and Hardik [Pandya] has been superb with the bat.”Kohli said the Champions Trophy triumph somewhat made up for India’s Test series loss in Australia. “It’s been amazing. We wanted to bounce back after a tough Australian tour, and wanted to win a big tournament, and we ended up doing that. So it’s an amazing feeling.”Related

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Standing beside Gill during the celebrations, Kohli was asked for his thoughts on leaving the dressing room a better place when he eventually finishes up. “There’s so much talent in the dressing room,” he said. “They’re trying to take their game further and we [seniors] are just happy to be of help, sharing our experience and that’s what makes this Indian team so strong.”These are the things you want to play for [titles], playing under pressure and putting your hand up. The whole team, everyone has put their hands up sometimes or other during the course of the tournament. Everyone has put up impactful performances, we’ve been part of an amazing team, the amount of work we’ve done in the practice sessions, it feels great.”Kohli had words of appreciation for New Zealand. “Amazing, we’ve always been in awe with what they can do with the limited number of players they have had over the years, and just maximise their talent,” he said. “Every time we played against them in big games, we knew they were going to come with a set plan. No team in world cricket executes plans as well as they do.”Every fielder knows where the bowler is going to bowl, you can sense it, they’re all attacking the ball, they know the bowler is going to be accurate. Credit to them for being the most consistent team in the last few tournaments. The reason for that is the immense belief in their skills, and the amount of talent they have they utilise that to the maximum.”They’re easily the best fielding side in the world, a huge shout-out to them. They continue to display why they are one of the top teams in the world. Again, a great campaign. It’s sad to see a very good friend [Kane Williamson] on the losing side, but I’ve been on the losing side a couple of times when he has been on the winning side, so only love between us.”

Rangers supporters will be desperate for their side to strengthen before Monday’s deadline, particularly defensively.

On Wednesday night, the Gers were demolished 6-0 in Champions League qualifying, humiliatingly dumped out 9-1 on aggregate, thereby conceding nine plus goals in a two-legged European tie for the first time in 65 years.

This has only cranked up the pressure on manager Russell Martin, despite the fact it was only his tenth match in charge across all competitions.

For now, Martin retains the trust of the Rangers board, if not the Rangers support, so could the addition of a new defender help his cause?

Rangers' defensive issue

Ever since his first game in charge, a 2-0 victory over Panathinaikos in July, Martin’s first-choice centre-back pairing has been John Souttar alongside Nasser Djiga, the duo starting together eight times today to date.

However, the latter, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, is certainly beginning to show signs of weakness.

Djiga was certainly culpable for Club Brugge’s opening goal at Ibrox, with the Burkina Faso international having also been sent off during the dismal 1-1 draw with Dundee earlier this month.

So, as Rangers search for an upgrade, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, they are close to signing centre-back Derek Cornelius from Olympique de Marseille.

It has been reported elsewhere that the deal will be a loan with an option to buy, which transfer insider Sacha Tavolieri believes will be worth €4m (around £3.4m).

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So, will Cornelius become the fifth Canadian international to represent Rangers, after Scott Arfield, Fraser Aird, Luca Gasparotto and Colin Miller?

Why Derek Cornelius should excite Rangers supporters

Since making his senior debut for VfB Lübeck in the German fourth-tier, Cornelius has become quite accustomed to changing country.

After spells with VfR Neumünster and then Javor Ivanjica in Serbia, he returned to Canada in January 2019, joining the Vancouver Whitecaps, with his big breakthrough coming during his time in Major League Soccer.

After that, following a loan spell in Greece with Panetolikos, and then 18 months with Swedish side Malmö, he finally earned a big move to Olympique de Marseille, joining les Phocéens for around £4m last summer.

He did make 21 appearances in Ligue 1 last season, 17 of which were starts, but has now been deemed surplus to requirements by Roberto De Zerbi, following the arrival of CJ Egan-Riley, so is on the move again.

Analyst Kai Watson is certainly a fan, labelling the 27-year-old “athletic” while also praising his “excellent” aerial duel-winning ability.

Cornelius will certainly arrive at Ibrox ultra-motivated, ahead of a World Cup on home soil next summer.

He has so far won 35 caps for Canada, starting all five of their matches at the most recent Copa América, as les Rouges upset the odds to reach the semi-finals, so, fitness permitting, he’ll be a starter for Jesse Marsch’s side next summer.

The question though still remains, how does he compare to the man he is set to replace in Rangers’ back-line, Djiga?

Pass completion %

94%

91%

Forward passes

23

15

Duels won

4.5

3.2

% of ground duels won

55%

70%

% of aerial duels won

67%

53%

Clearances

3.2

3.2

Blocks

0.7

0.7

Ball recoveries

4.3

3.5

Possession lost

4.9

6.1

Average SofaScore rating

6.84

6.74

Note: table includes Cornelius’ Ligue 1 stats.

Djiga’s stats are for Crvena zvezda and are UCL only.

As the table documents, from the given samples, Cornelius comes out on top for the vast majority of metrics included.

The Canadian’s ball recoveries, duel-winning ability as well as his aerial duels success percentage all jump off the page, while Djiga only comes out on top in terms of ground duels.

Thus, all available evidence suggests that Cornelius will be an improvement on Rangers’ current options, demoting the Wolves loanee to the Ibrox bench.

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واصل فريق ليفربول، بقيادة المدرب آرني سلوت، تراجعه في الوقت الحالي بعدما تعرض لهزيمة جديدة وهذه المرة في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، مساء يوم الثلاثاء أمام جالطة سراي.

وواجه ليفربول خصمه جالطة سراي، في ملعب الأخير، في الجولة الثانية من مرحلة الدوري من دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2025/26.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رجل مباراة ليفربول وجالطة سراي في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وتعرض ليفربول للهزيمة أمام جالطة سراي بهدف دون رد، جاء عن طريق فيكتور أوسيمين من ضربة جزاء في الشوط الأول من عمر المباراة.

وتُعد تلك الهزيمة هي الثانية على التوالي لـ ليفربول، بعدما خسر أمام كريستال بالاس على ملعب “سيلهرست بارك” يوم السبت الماضي بهدفين لهدف، في الجولة السادسة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز. موعد مباراة ليفربول القادمة في الدوري الإنجليزي

ويستعد ليفربول لخوض مباراة قوية أمام فريق تشيلسي، يوم السبت المقبل، في قمة منافسات الجولة السابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لذلك الموسم.

ويستضيف ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج” مباراة فريقي ليفربول وتشيلسي في تمام الساعة 7:30 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية.

Celtic look set to up the ante in the transfer window and may have gained a boost in their hunt to sign a talented star from the continent, per recent developments.

Celtic line up Manchester City defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey

Earlier this week, news broke that the Hoops have made an official approach to take Jahmai Simpson-Pusey on loan from Manchester City after his first-team breakthrough at the Etihad Stadium last season.

Several clubs in the English Championship have also made contact to gauge his availability, though the Bhoys are well and truly knocking at the door and will hope to capitalise on their long-standing trading relationship with Pep Guardiola’s men.

Overall, there is a feeling of frustration over transfer business at Celtic that Chris Sutton shares, as he recently claimed the Bhoys’ squad is currently weaker right now than the one that ended last season.

He stated: “If you look at the squad going into the season, it’s still a little bit light. Brendan Rodgers, everything I’ve seen him hint and say, he feels the same.

Celtic’s incomings and overall transfer spend

Kieran Tierney

Free transfer

Ross Doohan

Free transfer

Callum Osmand

Free transfer (cross-border compensation)

Benjamin Nygren

£2 million

Shin Yamada

£1.5 million

Hayato Inamura

Undisclosed

All fees courtesy of Sky Sports – full spend £3.5 million + undisclosed figures

“The fact that Brendan talked about ambition, he is always quite calculated in what he says and the words that he uses. I think that’s a little warning shot across the bows to say ‘we need to bring players in.”

Firing a warning shot or not, Brendan Rodgers need new bodies fast, especially with the beginning of the Scottish Premiership season seeing his side take on St Mirren this Sunday.

Now, Celtic supporters may have found out a new insight regarding one of their reported transfer targets amid recent developments.

Club director speaks out on Celtic target Jakob Breum

According to reports in the Netherlands via Sport Witness, Celtic target Jakob Breum wants a move to Glasgow after Go Ahead Eagles director Jan Willem van Dop confirmed his agent has informed them he “hopes he’ll go”.

The Hoops have already seen proposals turned down to sign the Denmark Under-21 international.

Van Dop stated: “Then he [Streuer] had a second question, and that was about Jakob Breum. That’s negotiable, but as long as the price is right. And we didn’t reach an agreement on that.

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“What I did find positive: his thoughts were certainly higher than the official offer Celtic ever made. That was €1.5m. I’ve told Celtic that we won’t be accepting their offer. I spoke to Breum’s agent on the phone Monday morning, and he hopes he’ll go in that direction.

“We’re certainly not the most difficult club, but it has to be a good fit. And if we can’t reach a financial agreement, we also have the right to say: well, it’s not going to happen.”

In layman’s terms, Go Ahead Eagles wouldn’t be opposed to selling Breum if they receive a suitable offer following a campaign where he registered 11 goals and six assists across all competitions.

Capable of playing in attacking midfield or on either flank, the Odense-born man would be an ideal replacement for Nicolas Kuhn at Celtic, but it remains to be seen whether the Scottish champions have the wearwithall to push a deal over the line.

Misson played five Tests for Australia between in 1960-61 and was a pioneer of physical fitness in cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Sep-2024Former Australia and New South Wales fast bowler Frank Misson has passed away at the age of 85.Misson played five Tests across the famous 1960-61 home series against the West Indies and the 1961 Ashes tour to England but his Test career was cut short by an Achilles injury. He took 16 wickets at 38.50 including a career best 4 for 58 against West Indies in Melbourne.He played 71 first-class matches, mostly for New South Wales, and finished with 177 first-class wickets at 31.13 in a short career that spanned from 1958 to 1964.Misson was a stellar athlete in his youth, training with legendary Australian athletics middle distance coach Percy Cerutty who famously coached Australia’s Herb Elliott to Olympic gold and a world record in the 1500m in Rome in 1960.Misson carried that fitness and athletics background into his cricket career, bursting onto the scene to take six wickets as a 20-year-old for NSW on Sheffield Shield debut in the last match of the 1958-59 season. At the end of the 1959-60 Shield season Misson was selected in an Australian second XI that toured New Zealand and he took 17 wickets at 12.47.The following summer he made his Test debut against the West Indies in the second Test in Melbourne that followed the famous tied Test in Brisbane.Misson played two more Tests in the five-match series before being selected on the 1961 Ashes tour. Former Australian captain Ian Chappell wrote about Misson’s incredible fitness regime to prepare for the tour.”The 1961 Australian team travelled to England by boat, but Misson was not to be denied his training regime,” Chappell wrote. “As he ran laps of the deck, some of the less physically minded players sitting in the bar saw Misson flash past the window. Perhaps embarrassed by Misson’s zealous workouts, they decided to complicate his exercise regime by placing deck chairs in his path. When Misson hurdled the first set of obstacles and did the same to yet another layer of chairs, the bar rats relented and left him to train in peace.”Misson played the first two Tests of the Ashes series but an Achilles injury caused him issues for the remainder of the tour and he did not play another Test match.Cricket NSW chief executive Lee Germon paid tribute to Misson following his passing.”We pass on our sincerest condolences to Frank’s family and friends, especially all of those that played with him as part of the NSW Men’s Team and the Australian Men’s Team,” Germon said.”Frank’s career was cut short by injury, which was ironic considering the focus he had on health, diet and fitness in an era where sports science was not very prevalent.”His five Test caps are recognition of his talent and determination and there is little doubt that if it wasn’t for injury he would have played many more times for his state and country.”Misson’s attitude towards cricket fitness would have a lasting legacy on Australian cricket with his son David Misson becoming the fitness advisor for the Australia men’s team between 1998 and 2000 as well as with Cricket New South Wales in the early 2000s.

Newcastle United’s search for potential signings is underway. Eddie Howe must bolster certain areas of his squad, considering they will take on Europe’s best in the Champions League next season.

There has been reported interest in both Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon in recent weeks, and the thought of losing either of his star players must fill the head coach with dread.

If he can keep both of them at St James’ Park next season, while adding another couple of high-profile players, the club could make progress in the Champions League.

It appears as though the manager has eyes on someone who shone on Europe’s brightest stage last term…

Newcastle eye move for German star

According to journalist Lee Ryder, writing in the Chronicle, the Magpies have sent scouts to monitor Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn throughout the winter months and remain keen on signing him during the current summer transfer window.

Brendan Rodgers has set a price tag of £15m on the German star, which is certainly more than affordable for the Toon, who are eyeing up the left-footed attacker.

RB Leipzig are also showing plenty of interest, but with the promised land of the Champions League set to grace St James’ Park once again, Kuhn has a big reason to favour a move to the north-east of England over a return to his former club.

Howe was keen on making a move for Anthony Elanga, but Nottingham Forest have placed a price tag of £60m on the winger.

On the surface, might Kuhn be a better signing than the former Manchester United starlet?

Why Nicolas Kuhn would be a better signing than Elanga

First and foremost, the price difference is staggering. Of course, Elanga has proven experience in the Premier League, scoring six times while grabbing 11 assists.

There is no doubt he could add something different on the right flank for Howe, but the winger has played just three Champions League games throughout his entire career.

Metric

Kuhn

Elanga

Goals

13

6

Assists

9

11

Key passes per game

1.6

1.3

Big chances created

11

9

Shots per game

1.9

1.2

Successful dribbles per game

1.8

0.7

This is when a move for Kuhn becomes advantageous. In the competition last season, the German not only scored three goals, including one against Bayern Munich, but he also provided an assist.

Furthermore, he had a goal conversion percentage of 38%, while also creating five big chances, averaging 1.5 key passes and succeeding with 1.7 dribbles against the best Europe can offer.

Overall, Kuhn scored 21 times and recorded 15 assists in all competitions for Celtic last season. It is no wonder he was hailed as “breathtaking” by pundit Marvin Bartley amid his excellent 2024/25 campaign.

Yes, making the step up from the Premiership to the English top flight is difficult, but for just £15m, Howe must be keen on taking the gamble.

His form in the Champions League must make him a slightly more attractive option than Elanga, especially with Newcastle keen to do well next term.

Having scouted him in spells last year, it is clear there is serious interest. Will Howe make his move sooner rather than later?

Only time will tell.

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