Everton are believed to be preparing an offer for a "top-level" Premier League player before the end of the transfer window, according to a new claim.

Everton transfer news

The Blues made a disastrous start to their 2024/25 campaign on Saturday afternoon, being beaten 3-0 at home to Brighton, with Ashley Young sent off to compound Sean Dyche's misery. It is an early blow for the supporters, who have been hoping for a more successful season, and it arguably highlighted the need for more new signings between now and the end of the month.

Roma midfielder Edoardo Bove has emerged as one rumoured transfer target for Everton, with a £13m move potentially on the cards. In May 2023, he became the youngest-ever player to score in a European semi-final, highlighting what an exciting talent the 22-year-old is.

Meanwhile, Arthur Melo has been linked with a move to Goodison Park in the coming weeks, although his brief time as a Liverpool player could make it a tricky piece of business to get done. Currently at Juventus, the Brazilian could be seen as an alternative to Kalvin Phillips, who has joined Ipswich Town on loan.

Everton must keep hold of the most important players at the club currently, one of whom is Dominic Calvert-Lewin. One report has claimed that the 27-year-old could still leave the club before the deadline.

Everton ready loan offer for Arsenal striker

According to a fresh report from Football Insider, Everton are preparing a bid for Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah this summer, with a season-long loan move from the Emirates in the offing. The move "could depend on whether Calvert-Lewin leaves the club before the window closes", though.

The Blues "could be given a free run at the striker", with Marseille and Bournemouth seemingly out of the race to sign him, but Crystal Palace and Wolves are mentioned as potential suitors.

Nketiah could be a really astute signing for Everton for the 2024/25 campaign, possessing proven Premier League pedigree and nerveless finishing.

It is wholly understandable why the Englishman could do with a temporary move away from Arsenal, given the quality ahead of him in the pecking order, but Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has still heaped praise on him, saying:

"Well to me he is top level. He’s started nine out of our ten Premier League games, so that tells you how much we trust him and the importance he has in the team. I’m really happy for him, an academy player to experience a Premier League hat-trick. He needs to enjoy the moment, he fully deserves it, and hopefully there are many more to come."

The £100,000-a-week Nketiah has scored 38 goals in 168 appearances for Arsenal, two of which have come vs Everton, which is a good return for a player who is often introduced from the substitutes' bench, and he also netted a highly impressive 16 times in just 17 caps for England's Under-21s.

Fewer touches than Pickford: Dyche must axe 5/10 Everton man after Brighton

He couldn’t get into the game as the Toffees slipped to an opening weekend defeat.

1

By
Joe Nuttall

Aug 17, 2024

This further shows why the 25-year-old could be a good addition for Dyche, providing him with additional firepower and a player who is desperate to prove his worth to his current employers.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras deu sequência, nesta terça-feira (9), à preparação para o confronto contra o Atlético-GO, pelo Brasileirão. A novidade do treino foi o lateral Jorge, que treinou de maneira integral com o elenco pela primeira vez desde que se lesionou.

Xavi faz revelação sobre a Seleção Brasileira, Newcastle anuncia novo treinador, Dentinho fica sem clube… O Dia do Mercado!

O jogador está em fase final de transição física, mas já trabalha sem restrições com os jogadores do Verdão.

Além dele, Felipe Melo e Renan também estiveram em campo. Foram desfalques os defensores Gustavo Gómez e Piquerez, convocados para jogos das Eliminatórias para a Copa do Mundo de 2022. Para o lugar deles, Michel e Lucas Freitas, do Sub-20, completaram durante as atividades.

Veja a tabela completa do Brasileirão

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasWesley é julgado por expulsão contra o Bahia e se livra de suspensãoPalmeiras09/11/2021PalmeirasBoa fase e volta do público fazem o Palmeiras chegar a 40 mil Sócios AvantiPalmeiras08/11/2021PalmeirasPalmeiras solicita anulação de R$ 90 milhões de IPTU do terreno do Allianz ParquePalmeiras08/11/2021

Em campo, os atletas fizeram um primeiro trabalho em dimensões reduzidas. Posteriormente, os titulares no clássico contra o Santos realizaram, apenas, um complemento físico, enquanto os demais foram separados entre setores ofensivo e defensivo, para atividades com foco em balanços, finalizações, entre outros.

Com isso, a provável escalação do Alviverde conta com Weverton; Marcos Rocha, Luan, Renan e Jorge; Felipe Melo (Danilo), Zé Rafael, Raphael Veiga e Gustavo Scarpa; Dudu e Rony.

Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada

O embate entre Palmeiras e Atlético-GO está marcado para a próxima quarta-feira (10), às 20h30 (de Brasília), no Allianz Parque.

Southampton fans will hope that, after a rocky start to the season, the newly promoted side's form does pick up after the international break is over.

Only netting one goal so far, with three defeats from three also making for grim reading, Russell Martin now has the lengthy break to try and get more out of his group on the training pitch to try to positively impact their worrying early Premier League form.

He could well even end up experimenting with what he at his disposal to try and get points on the board, but it looks very unlikely that Kamaldeen Sulemana will get a chance to impress in the first-team picture.

Sulemana's time at Southampton

Once costing the Saints a club record £22m, it's fair to say Sulemana has never quite lived up to this bumper price tag when playing on the South Coast.

From 44 appearances to date donning a Saints strip, the ex-Rennes winger has only managed to grab two goals and four assists, with zero strikes coming his way during Southampton's promotion-winning campaign.

Only averaging 39 minutes per clash that same season, it hasn't been a great shock to see Sulemana's standing in the St. Mary's pecking order take a battering moving up a league, with no games being handed to him so far in the Premier League.

A move to Ajax was meant to be the confidence-boosting switch Sulemana needed on deadline day, but that loan adventure was initially put on hold, owing to the fact it was unclear whether or not all of the paperwork involving the move took place before or after the Dutch window slammed shut.

There had even been the potential for him to move permanently to the Eredivisie giants for £17m as part of the temporary deal, although journalist Fabrizio Romano has since confirmed that the deal is now off.

Martin and Co likely wouldn't have been too gutted to see the back of their £22m flop if he had departed, owing to his hefty salary in the Saints camp which sees him earn double the salary that key first-teamer Kyle Walker-Peters finds himself on.

Sulemana's wage at Southampton

As per Capology, Sulemana's wage for the season ahead comes in at an extortionate £40k-per-week, a wild amount for a player who is yet to taste any action for Martin's men in either the league or even the EFL Cup.

On the contrary, Walker-Peters remains a key cog in the Saints machine, with the South Coast outfit relieved that the former Tottenham Hotspur man didn't move to new pastures this window just gone.

Regardless of goals like the one above from the attack-minded defender helping Southampton achieve promotion last season, and Walker-Peters averaging 87 minutes per clash in the Premier League so far, the popular 27-year-old only earns a lesser £20k-per-week pay packet.

Walker-Peters won't be the only aggrieved member of the Saints camp when it comes to Sulemana earning more, with the likes of Will Smallbone and other fixed first-teamers also earning less.

Southampton first team players earning less than Sulemana

Player

Wage

First-team appearances last season

Kamaldeen Sulemana

£40k-per-week

25

Will Smallbone

£25k-per-week

46

Gavin Bazunu

£20k-per-week

41

Kyle Walker-Peters

£20k-per-week

46

Taylor Harwood-Bellis

£7.5k-per-week

43

Sourced by Capology/Transfermarkt

Looking at the table above, it's not a shock to see that Southampton do want to balance the books and get rid of their £40k-per-week man, with first-team stalwart at the back from last season in Taylor Harwood-Bellis even earning significantly less at £7.5k-per-week.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

Expand Collapse

Southampton have been prone to many blunders in the transfer market over the years, with Sulemana another one now added to the list.

While Martin and Co will likely now be forced to wait until January to offload the costly forgotten man, the hope will be that a last-gasp deal can be struck with a handful of markets still open across the globe.

Related Walcott 2.0: Southampton could soon unleash "flamboyant" teenager

Southampton could discover their next Theo Walcott with this young ace.

Posts 1 ByKelan Sarson Sep 3, 2024

Durham seal innings victory after dominating visitors at the Riverside

Paul Edwards01-May-2021

The funfair arrived in Chester-le-Street this week. If they glimpse its gaudy attractions as they travel home this evening Warwickshire’s cricketers might think them an exercise in irony, the last insult from the worst three days of their season so far. Their innings defeat had looked likely since they collapsed on the first day and Durham’s openers showed them how to bat on a pitch that was testing but never the haunt of vipers Will Rhodes’ batters thought it. Nevertheless, the lights and those bloody waltzers were the final insult.From the upper floors of the Riverside one could see the Ferris wheel, nothing as grand as the London Eye, mark you, but a couple of classes above the one featured in the 1949 film . Until Friday morning there were no carriages attached and one wondered if, in keeping with the North East’s reputation for toughness, customers were supposed to hang from the struts. It might have been rather tricky for Harry Lime to give Holly Martins a tutorial in his moral philosophy had those been the conditions in post-war Vienna. But wait, I was going to tell you about Carse, Brydon Carse…Related

Alex Davies salvo sets up Lancashire chase after Sussex squander sizeable lead

Yorkshire dig deep in bid to protect unbeaten start despite Wayne Parnell efforts

Kemar Roach eight-for consigns Hampshire to heavy first defeat of season

The evening session ended with Carse leading his team off the field after taking five wickets, three of them rather easy ones, when the game was up. Earlier, though, he had removed Sam Hain and Matt Lamb in a lively spell from the Lumley End. So he and everyone else will have received plaudits and pints.Yes, this was a lovely day and a lovely match for Durham and who will say they do not deserve their time of jubilee? Even their first reverse of the morning prompted a standing ovation. For after 500 minutes’ unobtrusive and quietly magnificent resistance Alex Lees was caught by Tim Bresnan for 129 when he couldn’t get his bat out of the way of a lifting delivery and the nick was parried to first slip by Michael Burgess. Three wickets then fell in less than an half an hour, two of them to Danny Briggs, but this was something a trade-off, given that both Ben Raine and Carse whacked the slow left-armer into the stands. And Carse continued his resistance after Raine had flat-batted a return catch to Briggs. He added exactly 50 with Wood, a partnership that took the lead past 300, although by the time Wood was bowled by Briggs the batters were swiping at most things, Carse was unbeaten on 40 and the lead was 304.The declaration gave Warwickshire’s openers a rather smelly 20 minutes before lunch and their noses were not up to it. The fifth ball of Wood’s second over kept low and brought Rhodes to his knees, unsurprising when the thing’s coming down at about 90mph. The next delivery was maybe even quicker and of full length. Warwickshire’s unsettled skipper played a loose drive and nicked a catch to David Bedingham at first slip.What the visitors needed after lunch was exactly what they had required in their first innings: a long partnership between two of their established batters. What they received was Russell Warren’s finger in the second over after the resumption when Hanuma Vihari pushed slightly forward to his second delivery only for the ball to hit his pad. He thus became Chris Rushworth’s 500th wicket in County Championship cricket. The task of salvaging something from the fast accumulating wreckage fell to Rob Yates and Sam Hain…The relative stability Yates and Hain brought to Warwickshire’s innings lasted barely 90 minutes. After batting for nearly two hours for his 34, Yates was defeated by Rushworth’s bounce and Scott Borthwick took the catch at second slip. On the point of tea Hain had no price when a ball from Carse reared off a length and Bedingham did the necessary. Early in the evening session Lamb played inside a ball from Carse and lost his off stump. Warwickshire were 93 for 5 and no one gave a cuckoo-clock for their chances.They were right. The end came fairly quickly after tea as only Bresnan showed any taste for the fight. Carse took three wickets in 15 balls and at one stage looked as though he might end the game with a hat-trick. Instead he had to settle for five wickets, a chorus of “Blaydon Races” and a day off. One doubts he will be complaining. The same may not be said for Rhodes’ cricketers but they would be sagely advised to watch a recording of Lees’s innings. It was a master class.There will be celebrations both in and near the Riverside tonight. For one thing there is the funfair; for another, this town has long had a reputation for enjoying its Saturday nights. That may be so… but then I never knew the old Chester-le-Street before the war with its folk music, its glamour and easy charm…

Liverpool’s transfer business throughout the summer was underwhelming, to say the least, as Arne Slot waited until the last minute to sign goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and winger Federico Chiesa just before the window shut.

It is clear that Slot signed Chiesa as a long-term heir to Mohamed Salah, who turned 32 in the summer, yet the former Juventus man has endured a tough time of it in the previous few years.

Federico Cheisa’s Juventus statistics

The winger was a key part of the Italian side which won Euro 2020, scoring twice during the tournament.

In the subsequent three years following the tournament, the Italian has missed 80 matches due to a succession of injury problems during his spell with Juventus.

Despite this, the 26-year-old has managed to score 18 times for the Old Lady, while also chipping in with 13 assists, showing that he can be effective when the winger is fit and healthy.

Unfortunately, these injuries have made consistency a problem, something which Salah has exuded during his time at Anfield.

Indeed, the Egyptian star has registered a stunning 303 goal contributions – 213 goals and 90 assists – across 351 matches for Liverpool, a figure which Slot will surely find difficult to replace once Salah does leave Merseyside.

Is Chiesa the answer? Judging by his recent record, perhaps not. Might the Dutchman have signed a far greater alternative this summer instead? As Pedro Neto was linked with a move to the club.

Liverpool missed out on dream Chiesa alternative this summer

At the start of the month, rumours were rife that Liverpool were keen on signing Neto from Wolverhampton Wanderers before the window closed.

The winger was valued at £60m and this looked like a figure out of what Slot was willing to spend. Neto joined Chelsea instead a few weeks ago, and it looks like an opportunity missed by the club.

The Portuguese gem was hailed as a “pace monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, with this trait allowing him to regularly beat his opposition man with ease, creating chances galore for his teammates.

Indeed, last season in the Premier League, Neto may have only scored two goals in 20 matches for the Old Gold, but he managed to register nine assists, create seven big chances while averaging 1.9 key passes and 1.9 successful dribbles per game, indicating that his lack of goals wouldn’t have been a problem given his other skills.

Goals

2

Assists

9

Key passes per game

1.9

Shots on target per game

0.6

Successful dribbles per game

1.9

Total duels won per game

3.5

Big chances created

7

When compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, Neto ranked in the top 1% for assists (0.61) and in the top 6% for progressive carries (5.78) per 90 over the previous 365 days.

Plenty of evidence to suggest the former Wolves star would have been a solid acquisition for Slot ahead of the current season, especially given his success in the Premier League already, unlike Chiesa.

With Neto also potentially better suited to filling Salah's shoes on the right flank, as a natural left-footer, will Slot regret not making a more concrete move for the winger? Only time will tell.

Liverpool hit gold on Klopp signing worth nearly 5x more than Chiesa

He’s had his detractors but he sure is the real deal…

ByAngus Sinclair Aug 28, 2024

The England quick, who underwent elbow surgery last week, insists he is placing no timeframe on his recovery

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2021Jofra Archer says he is “quite prepared” to miss England’s five-Test series against India in August and September in a bid to be ready for his twin targets of the T20 World Cup and the Ashes next winter, after undergoing what he described as a “career-defining” elbow operation on Friday.Archer, who has been managing his elbow problem ever since being diagnosed with a stress fracture on the tour of South Africa in January 2020, was forced to withdraw from this year’s IPL after playing through the pain during England’s tour of India, and required a cortisone injection to get him through the five-match T20I series in March.The ECB confirmed that he had undergone Friday’s operation, after Archer had failed to come through his return to bowling for Sussex earlier this month. He bowled 29.2 overs in his comeback for Sussex’s 2nd XI, but only managed 18 overs in his County Championship return against Kent two weeks ago.He will now undergo “an intensive rehabilitation period”, according to the ECB, with a review in approximately four weeks to determine his readiness for bowling. That puts him in a race against time to be fit for the first Test against India, at Trent Bridge on August 4, but Archer insists he himself is placing no timeframe on his recovery.

“The way I am looking at things is that I would rather miss a few weeks of a year so that I have a few more years in my career.”Jofra Archer

“One thing I am determined about post-elbow operation is not to rush my comeback,” Archer wrote in his column in the Daily Mail, “because my primary focus is to be playing for England in the Twenty20 World Cup and Ashes later this year.”Those are my targets. If I come back before then and manage to play in the home Test series against India — then fine, so be it. If I don’t, I am quite prepared to sit out the summer.”The way I am looking at things is that I would rather miss a few weeks of a year so that I have a few more years in my career.”While England would dearly love to have their strike bowler available for the Tests against India, the timing of his operation shows that the ECB also recognise where Archer’s priorities should lie. As the MVP at the 2020 IPL in the UAE, his skills in T20 cricket are second-to-none, and his fitness would be a major asset for a side that hopes to add the 20-over World Cup to the 50-over crown that he was instrumental in winning two years ago.And then there’s the Ashes in Australia in December and January, where England know from past experience the importance of having an arsenal of 90mph bowlers at their disposal. However, Archer is aware that the delicacy of the operation on his elbow demands a cautious return to action.”I just want to get this injury sorted once and for all and that’s why I’m not looking that far ahead or at dates for a return to action,” he wrote. “Because if I don’t get this right, I won’t play any cricket. Period.”I am not going to do myself any good by coming back before I’m fully fit, so I will take my time and do what is best for me and my life.”Related

Archer ruled out of all cricket for the rest of 2021 after recurrence of elbow fracture

Ashley Giles: England will be conservative with Jofra Archer's comeback

Archer confirms Test fitness bid is on track

England's freak injury list: From Stokes' locker punch to Roy's bat rebound

Archer ruled out of New Zealand Tests due to elbow concerns

Archer confirmed that the bandages were already off in the wake of the operation, but that everything was still “very fresh” and that he remained sore after the procedure.”Surgery was always the last option and we wanted to exercise every possible strategy before we went down that route,” he added. “It was the last thing on the list. It is not always a fix and in four weeks we will find out how things have gone.”I must retain faith that this now sorts out the issue for good, although there’s always room for another surgery if needs be. At the age of 26, I am still pretty young.”However, my attitude right now is that the less thought I put into things like that, the better. I just want to throw myself into the rehab.”I remain committed to playing all three formats for England and to winning big series. But it has been quite a while since I bowled completely pain-free.”

أعلن الجهاز الفني لفريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي بقيادة السويسري مارسيل كولر عن التشكيل الرسمي لمواجهة بتروجيت، المقرر إقامتها مساء اليوم الخميس.

ويصطدم الأهلي بـ بتروجيت ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ12 من الدوري المصري الممتاز، في لقاء يستضيفه استاد السلام.

وشهد التشكيل استمرار مشاركة الثنائي المنضم حديثًا خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية الجارية، مصطفى العش وجراديشار.

أحمد عبد القادر أفضل لاعب في الدوري القطري عن شهر يناير

ويحتل الأهلي وصافة جدول ترتيب الدوري برصيد 23 نقطة، بعدما حقق 6 انتصارات وتعادل في 5 لقاءات دون تلقي أي خسارة حتى الآن.

وكان الأهلي قد نجح في تجاوز عقبة مودرن سبورت في الجولة الماضية من عمر الدوري المصري، محققًا الفوز بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف.

على الجانب الآخر، يطمح بتروجيت للخروج بنتيجة إيجابية أمام الأهلي، خاصة بعد تعادله السلبي مع الاتحاد السكندري في المواجهة السابقة. تشكيل الأهلي اليوم أمام بتروجيت

حراسة المرمى: محمد الشناوي.

خط الدفاع: رامي ربيعة – محمد هاني – مصطفى العش – كريم الدبيس.

خط الوسط: مروان عطية – عمرو السولية – محمد مجدي أفشة.

خط الهجوم: إمام عاشور – حسين الشحات – جراديشار.

Arsenal are poised to battle it out for the Premier League title once again, and while Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino have been signed, the frontline needs some work before the day is done.

Emile Smith Rowe has joined Fulham while Eddie Nketiah is closing on a £30m transfer to Crystal Palace; Fabio Vieira has also re-joined Porto on loan. Mikel Arteta boasts one of the most talented teams in Europe, but surely some added depth is needed to fire across all cylinders over the coming campaign.

Arsenal transfer news

As per ESPN, Arsenal are holding internal talks over whether to strengthen their frontline before the transfer deadline this evening, with Chelsea's Raheem Sterling offered Arteta's way.

The England international, as Fabrizio Romano also reports, is at the core of late-stage discussions in north London to determine a possible transfer, but with Manchester United also interested, Arsenal are also weighing up an alternative option.

However, Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman is also an option and could be the perfect alternative, with the German giants hoping to collect a €40m (£34m) fee for the 28-year-old.

Why Arsenal should sign Kingsley Coman

Coman has led a storied career, draped in hordes of silverware, and while he has a lucrative offer from the Saudi Pro League, he might feel that he wishes to try his foot in the Premier League.

Bayern wish to get the versatile winger off the wage bill but that certainly does not mean that he is past his sell-by date, carrying athletic and creative properties that could see him thrive among Arteta's squad.

And while his injury record leaves something to be desired, Coman would not be expected to shoulder a hefty workload, for Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and co all compete for starring spots in the Gunners' starting team.

Sterling might be a decorated Premier League icon, but the 29-year-old has not been brilliant since transferring to Chelsea for £47.5m two years ago, scoring just 19 goals and adding 12 assists across 81 matches. It's not a bad haul but still a regression from his Manchester City days.

His underlying metrics are also not the best, with Coman outperforming him across a sweep of ball-playing and ball-carrying statistics, which suggests that Arteta's dynamic project might find better use of the Frenchman's qualities.

Goals scored

0.31

0.32

Assists

0.21

0.19

Shots total

2.36

2.74

Shot-creating actions

3.51

4.21

Pass completion

73.4%

80.5%

Passes attempted

31.73

50.93

Progressive passes

3.46

5.35

Progressive carries

5.24

5.74

Successful take-ons

1.94

2.74

Ball recoveries

4.03

4.27

As the statistical analysis shows, Coman has outstripped Sterling across every aspect, highlighting the gains that could be found from adding him to the Arsenal accord.

His former coach Patrick Gonfalone has even said: “His reading of the game and his technique stand out and make him formidable." Such traits would go down a treat at the Emirates.

Arteta, having parted with several stars, will need to sign someone before the transfer window concludes, ensuring that the frontline is in a fitting condition to charge across multiple fronts this year.

Arsenal offered last-gasp move for "unplayable" Trossard rival

He’s been offered to Mikel Arteta…

ByAngus Sinclair Aug 30, 2024

Time is running out for Celtic to complete the rest of their incoming business as the summer transfer window officially slams shut on Friday night.

The Hoops have added four new players to their squad since the end of the 2023/24 campaign, with two goalkeepers, a central midfielder, and a centre-forward coming in.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart retired when his contract expired at the end of May and the club reacted by signing Viljami Sinisalo and Kasper Schmeichel to compete for the number one shirt.

Brendan Rodgers also dipped back into the market to re-sign Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah on permanent deals after their respective loan spells at Parkhead last season.

The Northern Irish head coach looks set to do further business before the deadline passes on Friday after the club confirmed on Monday that central midfielder Matt O'Riley has left the club.

Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion swooped in to snap the Denmark international up on a permanent deal and that has left a gap in the middle of the park for Celtic, after his return of 18 goals and 13 assists in the Scottish Premiership last term.

The Hoops have reacted to that by making moves to add to their squad in that area of the park, as they are eyeing up a new midfield addition.

Celtic eyeing up midfield signing

According to Football Insider, Rodgers is pushing to secure a Celtic deal to sign Los Angeles FC central midfielder Mateusz Bogusz this week.

The report claims that the Bhoys boss is desperate to bolster his side in order to continue their dominance of Scottish football and to compete in the new-look Champions League format.

It states that the Scottish giants are now looking to bring the former Leeds United gem to Parkhead before the end of the summer transfer window on Friday, whilst they are also keen on Augsburg starlet Arne Engels alongside their pursuit of the Polish whiz.

The outlet adds that Engels and Bogusz have both been identified as top targets to come in and improve the team's options in the middle of the park, following O'Riley's £25m+ move to the Premier League.

It has previously been reported that the LAFC star is valued at around £8m and Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph claims that a bid has been lodged for him, with talks underway between the two sides.

If the Premiership champions can get a deal over the line for the 23-year-old talent before the deadline then Rodgers could land an exciting partner for Adam Idah at the top end of the pitch.

Adam Idah's potential for Celtic

Celtic showed that they have huge hopes for the Ireland international when they agreed a £9.5m deal to bring him back to Glasgow on a permanent basis this summer.

The Bhoys have agreed to an £8.5m fee with Norwich City and it could rise by another £1m if add-ons are met, which would make it a club-record deal – exceeding the £9m paid to Paris Saint-Germain for Odsonne Edouard in 2018.

Idah was handed his second full debut with the Hoops against St Mirren on Sunday and looked short of match sharpness, as he completed just five passes and missed one 'big chance' before being substituted.

However, his form during his loan spell at Parkhead during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign suggests that there is far more to come from the 6 foot 3 marksman.

He joined on loan from Norwich in the winter window and made an instant impact in Glasgow with his clinical performances in the final third.

As you can see in the table above, Idah only missed seven 'big chances' and scored eight goals in just five starts in the division, scoring more than one in every four shots on average.

These statistics show that the potential is there for him to be a lethal scorer for the Scottish giants if he can recapture and then build upon that form this term.

Celtic will need players who can support and create chances for him in matches on a consistent basis, though, and that is why Bogusz could be a dream signing for the Irishman.

Why Celtic should sign Mateusz Bogusz

The 23-year-old star has been in stunning form for LAFC in the MLS this year and his performances suggest that he has the potential to be a fantastic signing for Rodgers.

Firstly, Bogusz is a goalscoring midfielder who can also play as a centre-forward when required. His return of 13 goals in 24 MLS appearances this year speaks to his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

Those 13 goals also came from an Expected Goals tally of 6.97 and he only missed four 'big chances', which shows that the midfield whiz is a clinical finisher who can provide a huge goal threat from the middle of the park.

This could take some of the pressure off Idah's shoulders because Bogusz could run beyond him to chip in with goals to prevent the striker from being relied upon as the only source of regular goals.

As you can see in the table above, the Polish maestro is also a creative midfield player who has the ability to split open opposition defences to create chances for his teammates.

Only Matt O'Riley (2.5) and Luis Palma (2.4) made more than 2.2 key passes per game in the Premiership for Celtic last term, which shows that Bogusz could come in as one of the most creative players in the squad for Rodgers.

The LAFC sensation, who was once described as a "dangerous" player by journalist Greg Beacham, could create opportunities on a regular basis for Idah to find the back of the net, which is another reason why he would be a dream for the £9.5m-rated centre-forward if Celtic can bring him to the club this week.

Alongside Engels: Celtic can ease O'Riley blow by signing "remarkable" gem

The Hoops have been linked with an interest in the young attacker this month.

By
Dan Emery

Aug 27, 2024

Celtic are believed to have an agreement in place to sign a 20-year-old rising star on loan during the summer transfer window, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Celtic transfer news

The Hoops are still pushing to complete some late transfer business, with Arne Engels one of the latest players to be linked with a summer move to Parkhead. The FC Augsburg midfielder has reportedly begun talks with Celtic over a switch, as they look to bring him in alongside attacking midfielder Mateusz Bogusz.

The latter, who is currently playing for MLS side Los Angeles FC, is a rumoured target for Brendan Rodgers before the window slams shut later this week, and has some limited experience on British shores, making one Championship appearance during a spell at Leeds United.

Hammarby teenager Bazoumana Toure is another player who has been backed to bolster the Hoops' options in the Scottish Premiership and Champions League this season, but Crystal Palace, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen are also thought to be in the mix.

Celtic could also look for reinforcements at the heart of their defence this week, with Sheffield United centre-back Auston Trusty continuing to be looked at as a strong option. He is a two-time capped USA international, and could give Rodgers the extra depth that he may crave in a key area of the pitch.

Celtic reach agreement over loan move

Taking to X, Romano claimed that Celtic are set to complete the loan signing of Barcelona youngster Alex Valle, having signed an extension with the La Liga side. Another update from the reporter also says a medical is scheduled on Monday, although he confirms there will be no buy option included.

Not a huge amount may be known about Valle, given his age and lack of experience, but there should always be an element of excitement when any Barca player is linked with joining the Hoops. The 20-year-old is yet to make an appearance for the senior side, but he has enjoyed 22 outings for their B team, and won a combined tally of 17 caps for Spain at Under-19 and Under-18 level.

A left-back by trade, Valle could increase the competition for places at Celtic, not only putting pressure on Greg Taylor for minutes, but also ensuring that Rodgers has the depth to rotate his squad effectively, giving them the best possible chance of success across all competitions this season.

As for the player himself, he could see this as a wonderful opportunity to experience a different league and culture, allowing him to grow as a footballer over the next 12 months, prior to returning to Barcelona as a more rounded player.

Rodgers must brutally drop Celtic man who had fewer touches than Schmeichel

The Hoops attacker did not enjoy a successful afternoon against St Mirren on Sunday.

1 ByDan Emery Aug 25, 2024

That means the Hoops should hopefully be bringing in a player who is hungry to keep improving, which can only help them, showing his current employers that his contract extension is fully merited.