With the January transfer window now open, Chelsea once again have the chance to splash the cash in another attempt to solve their problems. The Blues attempted to do exactly that in the summer, of course, but as the Premier League table shows, they failed to find the right reinforcements in the previous window, at least for the short term. At the halfway mark and with a season to turn around, Mauricio Pochettino and co must get things right this time around.
With that said, the London giants have reportedly put together a transfer plan to land a player that Todd Boehly dreams of signing this month and one who could really solve Chelsea's biggest problem.
Chelsea transfer news
Whilst Nicolas Jackson has hardly set the world alight at Stamford Bridge this season, his AFCON departure will still frustrate Pochettino, who could be forced to turn to the likes of Armando Broja as the fixtures continue to come thick and fast in England's top flight.
Chelsea rumoured striker targets for January
Latest update
Claudio Echeverri
19th December
Santiago Gimenez
18th December
Dusan Vlahovic
15th December
Lautaro Martinez
1st January
Artem Dovbyk
31st December
If not Broja, then the Blues could yet find a new option to lead the line in both Jackson's absence and the long-term to finally put an end to their striker woes. That new option is unlikely to be the striker Boehly dreams of signing though, as per reports.
Simon Phillips describes on his Substack that is is impossible for Chelsea to sign Napoli star Victor Osimhen this month to put an end to Boehly's dream.
The Blues were at least given hope, however, with the London club hatching a plan to go back in for the Nigerian during the summer window. Then, they could activate his hefty release clause of around £120m ahead of fellow admirers Real Madrid, having had time to manouvre around FFP with a few sales by that point.
Osimhen, who has just signed a new contract in Italy, could be set to make a Premier League switch and perhaps become Chelsea's ultimate solution under Pochettino, but not until the end of the campaign.
"Complete" Osimhen would put an end to Chelsea's striker problems
Chelsea fans are often left holding their breath when it comes to big-money signings these days, waiting to see whether they rise to stardom or join a growing list of transfer flops. And whilst they'd naturally have similar nerves over Osimhen due to his price tag, they needn't. The Napoli forward has such a price tag for a good reason and would be a major upgrade on Jackson, be it this month or during the summer. Osimhen's stats this season more than back up his more clinical nature too.
Player
Starts
Goals
Expected Goals
Shots on Target
Victor Osimhen
11
7
6.7
12
Nicolas Jackson
16
7
10.6
17
Osimhen has already earned the approval of Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola too, who told Sky Sports when comparing the Nigerian to Didier Drogba: "But Didier didn’t dive. That’s because Didier was too strong to dive! I see a lot of similarities but it’s unfair to compare players from different eras. They both play with a lot of physicality and they are both very good with scoring, taking their opportunities. He’s a very complete player. He’s got a good reference going forward, he can link up play and he’s devastating in the air. He’s a pest to defenders."
The jury is still out for Chelsea's summer transfer window, with Mauricio Pochettino's business proving to be a mixed bag so far, though there are plenty of positives.
Certain variables, like the long-term injury inflicted upon Christopher Nkunku in pre-season, make it difficult to form a convincing opinion – but the Frenchman's past exploits in the Bundesliga certainly tantalise a successful career to come.
Nicolas Jackson's performances have certainly left much to be admired, with the Senegalese striker largely struggling in front of goal and despite scoring seven this term, three of those did come when Tottenham Hotspur were reduced to nine men.
Club-record signing Moises Caicedo, meanwhile, has shown glimpses of why he was regarded as one of the best-holding midfielders in the league and set the Blues back a staggering £115m, but the 22-year-old still needs to add more consistency to his performances in order to repay that price tag.
By contrast, Cole Palmer has been sensational and is comfortably one of the most admired young players in the Premier League having taken to life at Stamford Bridge like a duck to water.
Although it is hard to disagree that Palmer hasn't been a resounding success, Chelsea have struggled as a whole and following a disappointing 4-1 defeat against Newcastle United on Saturday, the west London outfit are already 12 points behind fourth-place Aston Villa.
Pochettino's young squad have a mountain to climb and if they are to stand any chance of launching a challenge on their European aspirations, they will need to continue to add first-class quality to the squad, with Victor Boniface the latest player to enter the narrative.
Chelsea transfer news – Victor Boniface
Whilst a move for long-term target Victor Osimhen would be possible in January, Napoli value their prize possession at a staggering £120m.
Considering Chelsea paid £115m for Caicedo in the summer, UEFA's financial fair play regulations would be breathing down their necks if they were to shell out a three-figure sum on one player for the third transfer window running.
Victor Osimhen
With Osimhen seemingly unattainable in the winter, Calciomercato – as relayed by the Hard Tackle – state that the Blues have identified Osimhen's countryman, Victor Boniface, as a potential target.
The Bayer Leverkusen striker, who has scored 11 goals and supplied six assists in all competitions this term, could provide the Blues with a long-term solution to their prolificacy having struggled with strikers of late.
Victor Boniface
Since Didier Drogba left in 2015, and arguably Diego Costa departed in 2017, Blues fans have been waiting for a prolific forward and Boniface – as demonstrated by the above scoring exploits – could be the answer to that glaring problem.
With a value of €50m (£43m), according to the CIES Football Observatory, the 22-year-old would be an attainable target, unlike Osimhen, and boasts similar attributes that were readily associated with Drogba in his heyday, namely his strength to shrug off defenders, his explosive pace and world-class finishing.
Victor Boniface's style of play
Ever since cutting his teeth in the game at Real Sapphire in his homeland, Boniface has been touted for greatness and has been lauded as "amazing" by former Nigerian superstar, Jay-Jay Okocha.
He made his breakthrough in the European game at Norwegian giants Bodo/Glimt, where he posted a respectful 23 goals and eight assists in 66 games between 2019 and 2022.
After earning a move to Belgian side Union Saint-Galloise in the summer of 2022, the goals continued to flow, hauling an impressive 17 strikes and 12 assists in 55 competitive appearances for Union, including a hat-trick on his debut in a UEFA Champions League qualifying game against Klaksvik.
Since switching to Leverkusen in the summer, he's continued showing that red-hot form in the Bundesliga and such performances have seen him earn a description of a "defenders nightmare" by scout Antonio Mango due to his ability as an all-round centre forward.
Compared to one of the greatest strikers of this generation, Robert Lewandowski, by the Bundesliga official website, Boniface is adept at using both feet, physically powerful, strong in the air and surprisingly silky with the ball at his feet, whilst sharing his clever movement and ability to lose his marker with the Polish superstar.
Victor Boniface's statistics this season
As alluded to previously, Boniface has been in scintillating form this term with seven goals and five assists in the Bundesliga as Xabi Alonso's swashbuckling side sit at the top of the table.
Through his immense scoring power and incredible all-round attributes, Boniface has posted similar attacking metrics to the likes of world-class talents, Kylian Mbappe, Lewandowski and Romelu Lukaku in the past year, as per FBref.
Victor Boniface statistics per 90 in the past year
Statistics
Value / Percentile rank
Non-penalty xG
0.78 / top 1%
Shots total
4.98 / top 1%
Assists
0.45 / top 1%
Successful take-ons
2.89 / top 1%
Progressive carries
3.11 / top 4%
Touches (Att pen)
7.02 / top 5%
Shot creating actions
3.34 / top 10%
All stats via FBref
The above table depicts where Boniface ranks among his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues and considering he places within the top 1% for non-penalty xG, total shots, assists and successful take-ons, the Nigerian superstar is transforming into an unstoppable machine who is matching, if not, bettering the best strikers on the planet.
It only further fuels Chelsea's interest, with Pochettino and co undoubtedly taking note of his quick integration to life on German shores; given how successful one fellow African turned out to be in west London, it might be an auspicious road to go down.
Chelsea's next Drogba
In the Jose Mourinho era, Drogba established himself as one of the most prolific strikers on the planet and fired Chelsea to consecutive Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006.
After signing from Marseille for £8m in 2004, the Ivory Coast machine scored an eye-watering 164 goals and served 88 assists on a platter for his Blues teammates as he wreaked havoc, with Mourinho lauding him as "unstoppable".
Didier Drogba
At the peak of his powers, Drogba certainly proved the special one correct by plundering 29 goals and supplying 13 assists in the 2009/10 Premier League campaign before capping a first spell at Stamford Bridge in the best way possible by scoring in the winning penalty to lift the Champions League against Bayern Munich in 2012.
Whilst remaining at Leverkusen is an attractive proposition currently given they are battling with Bayern for the Bundesliga title, if Boniface has aspirations of cementing his legacy as one of the best strikers in the world, he should take the plunge and move to Chelsea.
As Drogba found out, there's no better way to achieve the above than unleashing his scoring powers in the Premier League.
Arsenal are once again seeking the ultimate silverware in the form of the Premier League title. The Gunners came ever so close throughout the last campaign, but were eventually denied by the winning machine of Manchester City on their way to picking up an historic treble. This time around, those in North London will hope that their victory over the champions at The Emirates will go a long way in their claim for top spot come May. Meanwhile, the January transfer window could also play a part.
If Arsenal can add some final reinforcements to Mikel Arteta's side, then they may well become a force strong enough to outperform Pep Guardiola's outfit. Arteta is seemingly well aware of that too, having reportedly requested one particular January signing.
Arsenal transfer news
After sealing their return to Champions League action last season, Arsenal could have easily sat back and settled for European qualification once more. Instead, however, they made a statement in the summer by beating City to the signature of Declan Rice, whilst also welcoming Kai Havertz from Chelsea. Rice has particularly slotted straight in and became a vital player under Arteta, who has reportedly requested a repeat of Arsenal's midfield recruitment for the January transfer window.
According to Sport in Spain, Arteta has asked Arsenal to sign Ruben Neves from Al-Hilal in January in a new wish. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder left the Midlands club in favour of a move to Saudi Arabia during the summer, but could now get an instant return to England's top flight. The Gunners could reportedly welcome Neves as a replacement for Thomas Partey, who has struggled with injuries and a lack of game time this season, with Arteta insisting on a move. Arsenal know all about his quality too, given that two of Neves' Premier League goals came against the Gunners.
They will reportedly have to fend off interest from Newcastle United in pursuit of the midfielder's signature, though the Premier League could vote to block players moving between associated clubs on loan, which could rule out a move to the Magpies for Neves in January.
Arteta wants to sign "complete" Neves
It's easy to forget just how talented Neves is after he swapped the Premier League for the Saudi Pro League during the summer, but this is still a player who appears to be able to compete at the highest level. For a side in Arsenal's position, adding the Portugal international to their side could make all the difference in their hunt for silverware. Neves' stats in the Premier League certainly show that he is ready to replace Partey.
Player
Goals
Assists
Tackles Won
Interceptions
Ruben Neves
6
1
43
50
Thomas Partey
3
0
40
28
Former manager Julen Lopetegui was also full of praise for the midfielder last season, saying:
"All of my decisions are difficult for me, but I prefer to always have all the players ready. It’s very good news for us that Ruben is coming. Of course, Ruben is a very important player for us and now he is ready to play. It is good news for us, for sure. He is a very good player, a very complete player and important for the dressing room and on the pitch.”
Celtic have had a mixed start to the 2023/24 campaign after they decided to bring Brendan Rodgers back to Glasgow after Ange Postecoglou's departure over the summer.
The Hoops were hit with a blow as their former manager opted to part ways with the club in order to join Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur at the end of last season.
Postecoglou secured the domestic treble last season and that achievement is already out of the question for the Scottish giants this time around as the Bhoys lost 1-0 to Kilmarnock in the League Cup.
Celtic are also bottom of their Champions League group with zero wins and three defeats in their opening four matches – competing against Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid, and Lazio.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.
They are, however, top of the Scottish Premiership and are yet to lose a game in the league, with a record of 11 wins and two draws in 13 outings.
Rodgers added nine new signings to his squad over the summer as Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Odin Thiago Holm, Marco Tilio, Hyun-jun Yang, Nat Phillips, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Maik Nawrocki, Paulo Bernardo, and Luis Palma were all brought in to bolster the side.
The upcoming January transfer window will provide the Northern Irish head coach with an opportunity to make more additions, and the Hoops have been touted with an interest in a Premiership midfielder.
Celtic transfer news – Lennon Miller
According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, the Scottish giants are one of a number of teams eyeing up a possible swoop to sign Motherwell starlet Lennon Miller.
The outlet named both Celtic and Rangers among the group of clubs keeping tabs on the teenage talent's development, as they track his progress ahead of a potential move for him further down the line.
However, they are not alone in their interest as the Scottish gem has a host of Premier League outfits looking at his performances this season.
It is stated that Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford, Aston Villa, West Ham United, and Brighton & Hove Albion have also been sending scouts to watch him on a regular basis this term.
There is no mention of how much it would cost to secure te 17-year-old prospect's services or whether or not Motherwell are even prepared to entertain any offers for him during the upcoming January transfer window.
If there is a deal to be had, though, it could be a difficult one for Celtic to complete if they face competition from multiple Premier League sides, who can offer football in a major European league, whilst the Hoops may not have any European football to offer if they finish bottom of their Champions League group and crash out of Europe entirely.
However, Rodgers could secure his next version of his former Leicester City defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi if he is able to win the race for the Motherwell star's signature.
Celtic were touted with an interest in the Nigeria international after the Foxes were relegated from the Premier League but a move did not materialise, after the Northern Irish tactician worked with him in England for a number of years.
Ndidi's form for Leicester under Rodgers
The towering ace made 138 appearances across five seasons for Rodgers during their time together at Leicester, as he excellently anchored the midfield throughout that spell.
Ndidi proved himself to be a superb defensive midfielder who is able to consistently cut out opposition attacks in order to stop his own goalkeeper from being troubled, whilst also being able to create more chances for his own side to make things happen at the right end of the pitch.
In their last full season together, which was during the 2021/22 campaign, the 26-year-old titan made 5.4 tackles and interceptions per game across 19 Premier League matches. He won 54% of his duels that term and was dribbled past 1.7 times per match by his opponents.
Leicester midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.
Ndidi followed that up with 3.7 tackles and interceptions per outing for Leicester last season, along with a duel success rate of 55% and only being dribbled past once per clash on average, across 27 league games.
The right-footed dynamo ranked within at least the top 6% of his positional peers at Premier League level last term for tackles, interceptions, and clearances respectively per 90, which illustrates how impressive his defending was a midfielder.
These statistics show that Rodgers had a terrific defensive presence in the middle of the park at the King Power and Miller could come in to provide a similar set of skills if Celtic are able to snap him up at the start of 2024, or during the summer transfer window at the end of the season.
Lennon Miller's season in numbers
The 17-year-old talent, who was once hailed as "fantastic" by manager Steven Hammell, has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign with Motherwell.
In spite of his age and lack of experience, Miller has established himself as a dominant force in midfield for his club and is now a regular starter.
The teenage whiz has started nine of his side's Premiership outings so far this season after four appearances and one start in the Scottish top-flight last term.
His defensive qualities have been on full display as the Hoops target has made an eye-catching 3.6 tackles and interceptions along with 7.7 ball recoveries per game. He has also only been dribbled past once per match on average, which shows that the young gem is stopping opposition players far more often than they are getting the better of him.
Miller, at the age of just 17, has won an outstanding 71% of his duels – including 79% of his aerial battles – in the league this season, which shows that he is already physically prepared to compete at first-team level.
The Motherwell battler, who does not turn 18 until next season, has also produced one goal and one assist in five League Cup appearances this term.
Looking at his statistics during the 2023/24 campaign, the impressive teenager could be Rodgers' next Ndidi as he has the physicality and the defensive awareness to consistently cut out and stop opposition attacks to help his side at both ends of the pitch, just as the Nigerian gem did for him at Leicester.
Nottingham Forest are open to selling one of their out of favour players on a permanent basis next year, according to a reliable journalist.
Nottingham Forest player sales
The Reds sanctioned the permanent sales of Brennan Johnson, Sam Surridge, Braian Ojeda, Mohamed Drager, Jack Colback, Cafu, Jordan Smith, Giulian Biancone and Steve Cook over the summer, but there were also plenty of stars to leave temporarily.
The City Ground outfit sanctioned loans for 12 players, including the likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Lewis O’Brien and Emmanuel Dennis, and another squad member who was sent out on the road for the remainder of the season was none other than Gustavo Scarpa.
The Brazilian attacking midfielder put pen to paper at Olympiacos until the end of the current campaign, but with no option or obligation to buy included in the agreement that was arranged by the two parties before the previous transfer deadline, he’s set to return to the Premier League and indeed the Midlands.
Steve Cooper’s 29-year-old still has just under another three years remaining on his deal after only joining the club at the start of this year from Palmeiras (Transfermarkt – Scarpa profile), but with the manager having no plans to utilise him in his long-term project, he looks set to depart for good in 2024.
Nottingham Forest happy to let go of Gustavo Scarpa
Taking to X, Bruno Andrade revealed that Nottingham Forest are open to selling Scarpa next year, and chiefs have already set their price range for any interested parties.
“Nottingham Forest asks for between 5 and 6 million euros [£4-5m] to release Gustavo Scarpa permanently – the value of the negotiation between clubs does not include, for example, the player's salary.”
Olympiacos' loan midfielderGustavo Scarpa.
Gustavo Scarpa's underwhelming impact
First of all, Scarpa currently pockets £61k-per-week on loan (Olympiacos salaries), which would make him the fourth-highest earner on the books at Nottingham Forest, so chiefs need to remove him from the wage bill as soon as possible considering that he’s failed to make an impact since putting pen to paper in January.
Divock Origi
£120k
Callum Hudson-Odoi
£80k
Felipe
£80k
Morgan Gibbs-White
£80k
Chris Wood
£80k
Ibrahim Sangare
£75k
Serge Aurier
£50k (Data via Capology)
The Campinas native has so far made ten appearances respectively for his parent and loan club yet has recorded zero goals and assists, so even when he is handed the opportunity to prove what he’s capable of, he hasn’t been able to showcase his talents to either manager.
Last season, Scarpa ranked as Cooper’s 27th overall best-performing player out of 33 squad members (WhoScored – Nottingham Forest statistics), so deciding to sanction his permanent sale would be completely the right decision because the extra cash could be put towards generating funds to bring in new signings, more importantly ones who would be an upgrade in Cooper's squad.
Dominic Sibley made more than the entire Leicestershire team as Warwickshire’s steady tread towards the Division Two title remained unabated
ECB Reporters Network10-Sep-2018
Dom Sibley works to the leg side•Getty Images
ScorecardDominic Sibley’s century, his second of the season, helped Warwickshire establish a dominant position after bowling injury-hit Leicestershire out for just 100 on the first day of their Specsavers Division Two county championship match at the Fischer County Ground.Sibley, who took just 49 balls to reach his half-century, during which he hit Leicestershire triallist Usman Arshad for four consecutive boundaries, was made to work rather harder thereafter, needing a further 107 deliveries to reach three figures. By the time of his dismissal shortly before the close, however, the league leaders already led by 90 with seven first innings wickets in hand.With five first-team seam bowlers out injured, Leicestershire gave a first-class debut to academy graduate David Sayer, and a trial opportunity to former Yorkshire and Durham seamer Arshad, with 20-year-old Ben Mike making only his second first-team appearance.A green tinged pitch and cloudy skies saw Warwickshire captain Jeetan Patel exercise the away team’s right to bowl first, and Keith Barker quickly picked up the wicket of Foxes’ opener Harry Dearden, the young left-hander thin-edging an out-swinger to wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose.Colin Ackermann may have been slightly unfortunate to be given out leg before to Barker, the ball hitting him well above the knee roll, but there was no doubt at all about Paul Horton’s dismissal soon afterwards, Chris Woakes removing the opener’s middle stump with a ball that seamed back in and took the inside edge.In the circumstances Leicestershire could have done without any self-inflicted wounds of the sort inflicted by Neil Dexter, who in looking to get off the mark gave his partner Mark Cosgrove no chance of getting home. The Australian had given up as Woakes, in his follow-through, picked up and hit the stumps with his throw..Ateeq Javid, formerly of Warwickshire, left a delivery from Barker that trimmed his off bail, Dexter pushed indecisively at a swinging delivery from Woakes to edge a catch behind, and Olly Stone was too quick for Ned Eckersley.Arshad gave Woakes a simple catch at extra cover off Stone, with the only bright spot for Leicestershire the batting of young all-rounder Mike, until his attempt to pull a short delivery from Stone was top-edged into the hands of Chris Wright at long leg.Wright himself picked up the final Leicestershire wicket, bowling debutant David Sayer.Leicestershire’s problems continued when they came out to bowl, with Sibley and fellow opener Will Rhodes taking full advantage of some loose bowling from the inexperienced members of the Foxes’ seam attack to compile a partnership of 123 before Rhodes was given out leg before to a full, swinging delivery in the first over after tea.Ian Bell came and went quickly, leg before to Mohammad Abbas, but Jonathan Trott joined Sibley to build another partnership before Sibley went leg before to the persevering Mike just before the close.
The issues continue to mount for Manchester United boss, Erik ten Hag, with the upcoming Premier League clash with Brentford already looking like something of a must-win game, amid the club's wretched run of form of late.
The Red Devils have now lost six of their opening ten games in all competitions this season following the midweek defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League, with the hosts' defensive shortcomings having been laid bare at Old Trafford as they simply wilted in the closing stages.
A particular issue that was exposed in that 3-2 defeat was the use of Sofyan Amrabat as a makeshift left-back in the absence of Sergio Reguilon – with the likes of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia also sidelined – as the 27-year-old summer signing 'did not look a natural' in that role, according to Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.
Sofyan Amrabat
Having been signed primarily to feature in central midfield, the on-loan Fiorentina man seemingly needs to revert back to his usual role to be afforded the chance to properly impress in his new surroundings, with club captain Bruno Fernandes another who could also benefit from a tactical tweak.
How did Bruno Fernandes perform against Galatasaray?
As Luckhurst stated on Twitter on Tuesday night, the Portugal international was seemingly "at his worst" up against the Turkish outfit, having seemingly been "trying too hard" to make things happen for his side as they slumped to yet another loss.
Also described as "particularly poor" by Luckhurst, the 29-year-old was unable to impact proceedings too greatly after being shifted out onto the right flank in order to accommodate the likes of Mason Mount and Hannibal Mejbri.
Bruno Fernandes
Moved away from his usual number ten berth, the "creative machine" – as described by Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne – was unable to dictate the game as he would have liked, giving away the ball on 27 occasions and making just two key passes.
The former Sporting CP ace also squandered an early chance following fine work from Rasmus Hojlund down the left flank, setting the tone for the abject display that was to follow from the experienced playmaker.
Should Bruno Fernandes play on the right wing?
There's no denying that on occasions the use of the £240k-per-week star in that wide berth can pay off, with Fernandes notably netting a stunning volley in the win over newly-promoted Burnley a few weeks ago.
Even in that 1-0 win, however, the versatile asset 'did little' up until making the breakthrough, as per Luckhurst, with Ten Hag seemingly needing his talisman and skipper to be more involved if United are to stop the rot sooner rather than later.
That strike away at Turf Moor has indicated that Fernandes will do a job at times off the right, yet why should such a vital figure – who created the most big chances in the league last term – be shifted out of position for relatively untested options, like Mejbri and Mount?
With the latter man having previously played on the wing for former club Chelsea – and with Anthony having made his return from his recent absence – there should be no need for Fernandes to be shunted from the centre moving forward.
Having been a standout figure for the club over the last three years or so – recording 122 goal involvements in 194 games – the one-time Udinese maestro deserves to be in his rightful place as the man pulling the strings as the link between the midfield and attack.
Na noite da próxima sexta-feira (6), o Náutico joga em casa diante do Avaí pela primeira rodada válida pelo returno da Série B querendo encarar a oportunidade como fazendo parte de uma mudança profunda do clube.
Precisando se oxigenar diante da campanha que o coloca na 17ª posição com 19 unidades conquistadas, nessa semana a equipe de Pernambuco apresentou o novo executivo, Fernando Leite, que falou justamente na linha de uma nova postura:
-A análise foi essa, de observar. Já estamos trabalhando diariamente aqui, os treinos durante a semana já foram diferentes, os jogadores entenderam o que a gente veio fazer aqui, a comissão técnica que nós temos é de altíssima qualidade e o que tenho a dizer é que, a partir de agora, os torcedores, os jogadores, a comissão e a impressa vão ver um novo Náutico dentro de campo batalhando, lutando e brigando por cada minuto dentro de campo, porque é isso que temos que fazer durante a competição.
Para o Avaí, apesar da campanha que o credita a se aproximar do G4 (tem 26 pontos, cinco atrás do Juventude, e está em nono lugar), o momento é de seguir observando o mercado na busca de novas peças. Não à toa, segundo o jornalista Rodrigo Faraco, já existe um acerto para as chegadas do lateral-direito Edilson e do atacante Rodrigão.
O confronto em questão acontecerá no Estádio dos Aflitos, em Recife, à partir das 19h15.
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Rangers are on the lookout for a new manager to replace Michael Beale after his sacking, and one of the individuals in question is apparently keen on taking the job.
Why did Rangers sack Michael Beale?
It has been an underwhelming start to the season by the Gers, who went into the new campaign hoping to narrow the gap on rivals Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. Instead, the gulf in quality arguably appears to have become greater, with Beale struggling to convince since taking charge ten months ago.
On Saturday afternoon, Rangers were beaten 3-1 at home to Aberdeen, in what was arguably the worst result of 2023/24 to date, and it ended up being fatal for Beale, who was relieved of his duties on Sunday evening.
It isn't exactly a huge shock to anyone of a Gers persuasion, however, with the pressure mounting on the 43-year-old by the week, and the team arguably no longer performing for him.
Now, it is absolutely vital that Rangers absolutely nail their next appointment in the Ibrox hot seat, and numerous names have already been thrown into the hat, including former Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter.
Rangers head coach Michael Beale.
Which manager is keen on taking Rangers job?
According to talkSPORT on X, Yokohama F. Marinos manager Kevin Muscat is "interested" in becoming Rangers' new manager, as he continues to impress in Japan:
"BREAKING: Kevin Muscat would be interested in speaking to Rangers about becoming their new manager. Muscat is among the contenders to replace the sacked Michael Beale. – talkSPORT sources understand."
This could be an intriguing appointment by Rangers, with Muscat someone whose reputation appears to be growing all the time, having won one league title with his current side in 2021/22, not to mention securing A-League glory with Melbourne Victory during his time there in 2017/18.
Muscat has even been lauded by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, with the legendary Spaniard once hailing him and his style of play at Yokohama: “I say wow. I watched Yokohama and I like what I see. Maybe because we are in the same football group – the City Football Group – they are doing a very good job."
Granted, Muscat hasn't yet proven himself in European football, which could be considered a slight drawback, given the arguable step up in quality in expectation levels on the continent, but if Rangers see him as a strong candidate, they should be trusted in their decision-making, even if Beale didn't work out.
The Australian is known for adopting a 4-3-3 formation as his preferred system, which suggests that he would like to bring attacking football to Ibrox, and that is something that is likely to appeal to supporters.
Results are the most important thing, though, which is a big part of the reason why Beale had to be replaced, so Muscat should only be thought of a genuine option if those high up at the club feel he could be a real difference-maker.
He has shown his winning mentality at two different clubs already, however, and the fact that he is drawing praise from perhaps the world's greatest manager is certainly cause for consideration.
Celtic have seen a number of talented players pass through their academy system over the years and have several graduates in their current first-team set-up.
Callum McGregor is the club captain, having come through the youth sides at Parkhead, and is a regular starter in central midfield for Brendan Rodgers, whilst Anthony Ralston and Stephen Walsh have also emerged as squad options for the Scottish giants in recent years.
Celtic's most valuable former academy players:
Player
Market value (via Transfermarkt)
Aaron Hickey
£21.5m
Kieran Tierney
£21.5m
Callum McGregor
£7.3m
Jack Hendry
£2.5m
Ben Doak
£2.5m
Their success with youth players is not a new thing for the Hoops, however, as they have been able to bring through talented prospects for many, many, years.
One young prodigy who the club ended up striking gold with was winger Aiden McGeady as he enjoyed a terrific time with the Bhoys after making the breakthrough at senior level.
Who gave McGeady his Celtic debut?
Former Celtic head coach Martin O'Neill handed the teenage forward his first-team bow towards the end of the 2003/04 campaign and placed his faith in the talented youngster.
The Northern Irish boss had clearly seen enough from the skillful whiz in training and in academy matches to suggest that he would be able to make the step up to playing professional football and was proven to be right.
McGeady scored one goal in four Scottish Premiership appearances at the end of that season as he burst onto the scene and showcased his potential to be a star for the club.
How many appearances did McGeady make for Celtic?
The Ireland international went on to play 223 matches for the Hoops in all competitions after the exciting wizard managed to establish himself as a first-team regular.
He scored nine goals and assisted eight across 49 Premiership games across the 2005/06 and 2006/07 campaigns, to go along with zero goal contributions in six Champions League clashes.
Former Celtic forward Aiden McGeady.
These statistics show that the Irish winger was a semi-regular contributor at the top end of the pitch throughout his first two full seasons as a senior option for the Scottish giants.
McGeady then caught the eye with a stunning return of seven goals and 17 assists in 36 Premiership outings during the 2007/08 term, which means that he was directly involved in a goal every 1.5 matches on average.
The assist machine also scored his first Champions League goal and registered two assists in eight appearances in Europe's premier cup competition that season.
His form, unfortunately, dipped during the following campaign as McGeady only contributed with three goals and six assists in 29 Premiership games, which may have been a concern at the time as there was no guarantee that he would be able to get back to his previous levels.
However, the academy graduate followed that up with an outstanding seven goals and 14 assists in 35 league matches throughout the 2009/10 season, which is an average of one goal involvement every 1.67 outings.
In total, McGeady produced 35 goals and 48 assists in all competitions for Celtic after coming through the academy system under O'Neill.
Former Celtic winger Aiden McGeady.
He showcased his ability to make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis as a match-winner and game-changer for the Scottish giants and the former Hoops boss deserves great credit for unearthing him.
Placing faith in an academy player to come into the senior team takes courage from a manager and in different circumstances McGeady may have ended up moving on after not being given an opportunity by a different head coach, which is why O'Neill deserves plaudits for his work with the Irish ace.
How much did Celtic sell McGeady for?
The Bhoys eventually opted to cash in on the talented maestro in the summer of 2010 for a club-record £9.5m fee to Russian outfit Spartak Moscow.
In fact, that transfer made him the most expensive sale in the history of Scottish football at the time, which is a record currently held by former Celtic stars Kieran Tierney and Jota – who both departed for reported fees of £25m to Arsenal and Al Ittihad respectively.
This shows that O'Neill hit the jackpot for Celtic with McGeady as he played a critical role in turning a player who cost the club £0, as he came through their academy system, into the most expensive player in the club's history in 2010.
Neil Lennon, who was the manager of the Hoops at the time of the sale, hailed McGeady as one of the game's "entertainers" and he was one of the greats in that respect, which is backed up by the fact that the talented magician has his own skill move 'the McGeady spin' named after him.
Where is McGeady now?
The 37-year-old winger currently plays for Ayr United in the second tier of Scottish football after enjoying a strong career in Russia and England before his return to Scotland.
McGeady racked up 13 goals and 28 assists in 93 games for Spartak and earned himself a transfer to Premier League side Everton in 2013.
His time with the Toffees did not go to plan, as he scored once in 43 matches, but the creative maestro ended up with Sunderland, where he was able to thrive.
Former Sunderland winger Aiden McGeady.
The experienced forward produced 36 goals and 35 assists in 150 appearances for the Black Cats during his spell at the Stadium of Light before his move back to Scottish football with Hibernian in the summer of 2022.
McGeady, who also scored five goals in 92 games for Ireland at senior level, was never able to replicate his outstanding 17-assist league season for Celtic but did manage 14 assists for Sunderland during the 2020/21 League One campaign.
Overall, there is little doubt that the Hoops played a blinder with the Irish hotshot as they raked in a club-record fee and benefitted from his terrific performances on the pitch for a number of years after unearthing him from the academy set-up for £0.
Rodgers will now be hoping that the next McGeady is currently in the youth team and on the verge of being ready to make their first-team breakthrough over the years to come.