All posts by h716a5.icu

Hibernian have endured somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde approach to the 2023/24 season so far. In the Premiership, they have lost their opening two matches and currently sit second bottom in the league standings.

They have made progress to the quarter-finals of the League Cup however, while they are still in Europe, made even more remarkable considering they suffered a humiliating defeat to Andorran minnows Inter Club d’Escaldes during the first leg of the Europa Conference League second qualifying round.

They have since gone on to win that tie before sending Swiss side Luzern packing following a stunning 5-3 aggregate victory to set up an all-British tie against Aston Villa.

What is the latest Hibs team news vs Aston Villa?

The Easter Road outfit defeated Raith Rovers in the last 16 of the League Cup on Sunday having rested a few first-team regulars, although they could be without summer signing Dylan Levitt, who sustained an ankle injury against Luzern last week.

He watched the tie against Raith from the stands, and it appears as though the Villa match could come too soon for the youngster.

Another summer signing, Dylan Vente also suffered an injury scare, being caught with a high boot which resulted in Raith defender Liam Dick being sent off, yet assistant manager Adam Owen stated he will be available for the European tie.

He said:

“Dylan should be fine. It was a nice welcome to Scottish football! He got it right on the nose; they just couldn’t stop the bleed outside on the pitch but they stopped it in the changing room. He should be fine.”

Lee Johnson must therefore start him against the Premier League outfit if he has any ambitions of securing group-stage football.

Will Dylan Vente start vs Aston Villa?

The £700k arrival from Dutch side Roda JC has enjoyed an impressive start at Hibs, scoring twice in four appearances, including the winner against Raith, and it looks as though Johnson has invested wisely since Kevin Nisbet departed the club earlier this summer.

Before he joined Hibs, Vente had netted 56 times across 83 matches whilst grabbing 13 assists too, and it was evident that his goal-scoring abilities would allow him to thrive in Scotland.

He certainly gave the supporters a glimpse of his talents during the home tie against Luzern, receiving a Sofascore rating of 8/10 for a performance which included a goal and an assist along with making one key pass and winning five of his eight duels, including two out of three aerial efforts.

He is clearly a nuisance in front of goal and offers a solid physical presence which could certainly get under the skin of Villa defender Pau Torres.

The Spaniard has won just 33% of his ground duels during his two appearances for the club so far, and he has been dribbled past once per game, suggesting that Vente could have a decent chance of winning the physical battle between the pair on Wednesday evening.

Hibs face an uphill battle to get a result, never mind actually qualify. With the 5 foot 11 machine leading their attack, however, Johnson knows his side have a chance, albeit a small one.

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have a history that goes back a long way. Football FanCast has everything you need to know about the fixture as the two teams prepare to meet in the Premier League.

While the form book is still taking shape, it is difficult to tell how each side comes into this fixture. United were rather fortunate to escape from their opening fixture against Wolves with three points.

Meanwhile, Spurs had to settle for a point against Brentford in their first match under new management.

Tottenham vs Man United: What's their head-to-head record?

Tottenham and United have met in 199 matches in their history, making their upcoming clash in north London number 200. It's a massive number of matches, of course, dating back to 1898.

In fact, Spurs have never faced anyone as often as they've faced United. But that doesn't mean it's their most successful fixture. United have won almost half of their 199 competitive meetings, with Spurs only just edging out the number of draws.

This fixture unquestionably belongs to the Red Devils.

Tottenham wins: 53 Draws: 51 Man United wins: 95 Tottenham vs Man United: What's their record at Spurs?

97 of the 199 fixtures have come in north London and it's certainly where Tottenham have had most of their luck. They've won 35 of them – nearly twice as many as they've managed at Old Trafford.

There have been 34 draws, too, leaving United with the spoils in the remaining fixtures. That's a positive record for Spurs, then, and few teams can boast that against United in their history.

Tottenham wins: 35 Draws: 34 Man United wins: 28 Tottenham vs Man United: What's their record at Old Trafford?

There have been 100 instances of this fixture at Old Trafford and, unsurprisingly, the figures swing in United's favour. Quite dramatically, actually.

They've won 67 of them – almost four times as often as Spurs do in Manchester. It's one that very rarely ends in a draw, either, with only 16 throughout the history of this tie.

So while things are quite mixed at Spurs, you can feel pretty confident when predicting a home win for United.

Man United wins: 67 Draws: 15 Tottenham wins: 18 Tottenham vs Man United: What's their record on neutral grounds?

Spurs and United have met twice at Wembley Stadium and in two different competitions. The first came in 2009 as the two competed in the EFL Cup final.

The game went through 120 minutes before heading to penalties, where United triumphed 4-1 to win the trophy. They'd then meet again nine years later in an FA Cup semi-final – albeit when Spurs were using Wembley as their temporary home.

Nevertheless, United once again came out on top, though within normal time on this occasion. Dele Alli had Spurs in front, but Alexis Sanchez and Ander Herrera scored in a 2-1 win.

Tottenham vs Man United: What's their Premier League record?

Spurs and United have met on 62 occasions since the start of the Premier League – and it won't surprise anyone to learn that the latter have been utterly dominant in that span.

United have won 39 of these fixtures, losing only 10. There have only been 13 draws, in fact.

Boosting those numbers is the fact that United didn't lose to Spurs from 2001 through 2012. It's one of the most dominant runs in Premier League history – Spurs managed only five points against them in that span.

Tottenham vs Man United: Which team has the most goals?

Well, it's United, as you may have guessed. They've scored 319 goals in 199 games, with Spurs replying with only 259.

Though, Spurs hold a sizeable lead in their home games. They've scored 156, having conceded 124 to United when the fixture takes place in north London. That's not quite as impressive as United's own home record, however.

That reads as such: 100 games, 190 goals, 100 conceded. United are nearly outscoring Spurs 2:1 in Old Trafford fixtures, then – and that's even with their 6-1 defeat a few years ago.

Tottenham vs Man United: What happened in last season's fixtures?

United won the first meeting last season. It took place at Old Trafford and ended up being a fairly routine result for the Red Devils. Fred put them 1-0 up just after half-time before Bruno Fernandes finished to make it 2-0 on 69 minutes. It finished that way to give United the three points.

Things weren't so straightforward at Spurs, however. Jadon Sancho had United 1-0 up after only seven minutes and Marcus Rashford sent them into the break 2-0 up with a goal on 44 minutes.

However, Spurs hit back 10 minutes after the restart through Pedro Porro. That set the stage for Son Heung-min to equalise on 79 minutes and split the points with United.

Tottenham vs Man United: What is Marcus Rashford's record?

Rashford typically does well in this one. He's faced Spurs 14 times in his career so far, with 13 coming in the Premier League. He's managed five goals against them in that span, all of which came in the top flight.

Only Leicester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have conceded to Rashford more often than Spurs. Combined with his eight wins, this is a fixture that usually leaves him happy.

Read more about Rashford's record vs Spurs HERE…

Tottenham vs Man United: What is Son Heung-min's record?

Son has faced United 17 times in his career, though two of those did come while he was at Bayer Leverkusen. He played two Champions League group-stage ties against them – losing both, but registering an assist in one.

Things haven't been too much better in the Premier League. There have been 14 meetings with United, where Son has lost eight of them. He's only won four of his 17 meetings, actually – not a fine record.

But Son does have four goals and an assist against the Red Devils for Spurs. Encouragingly, they've all come in his last six Premier League fixtures against United, while he scored in the most recent meeting.

Tottenham vs Man United: What is Tottenham's biggest win?

Tottenham's record win over United is, as you might have guessed, 6-1. Though, you may not have known that they've done this twice against the Red Devils.

The first occurrence was all the way back in 1932 when both teams played in the Second Division. Spurs won 6-1 at home in a game that wasn't nearly as high-profile as their later effort.

Of course, Tottenham went to Old Trafford and won 6-1 in October 2020. United actually took the lead in that one – Bruno Fernandes scored after just two minutes from the penalty spot. Then Spurs went a bit mad.

They were 2-1 up inside eight minutes thanks to goals from Tanguy Ndombele and Son. Harry Kane then scored with 30 minutes on the clock and Son found another seven minutes after that.

The second half was a little more mellow – Spurs only scored twice more. Serge Aurier bagged one before Kane got himself a second to complete the scoring.

Tottenham vs Man United: What is United's biggest win?

Again, we're split between two results here. United have never managed a win as big as Spurs' 6-1 scoreline, but have won by four goals in this fixture on three occasions.

The first came in 1965 in what was the first truly legendary United team. George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law all featured in a 5-1 win – Charlton opened the scoring and Law scored twice.

The next occasion came in 2002 as United won 4-0. David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy each bagged a brace in a dominant win at Old Trafford.

United also won 4-0 away at Spurs back in 2007. Once again, it was down to a legendary side, with Cristiano Ronaldo opening the scoring and Nemanja Vidic adding a second before goals from Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs rounded off a big win.

Tottenham vs Man United: What are the recent results?

Things have been all United across the last five meetings. The most recent match – happening in late April – finished 2-2, however, with Spurs hitting back after falling behind 2-0.

The other fixture last season was a 2-0 home win for United, though, and that was the last of a string of four back-to-back wins for the Old Trafford side.

The previous season saw a 3-2 win for United at home and a dominant 3-0 win away at Spurs. Before that, they'd won 3-1 at Spurs – though that was the same season that they lost 6-1 at home to Tottenham.

What is interesting, though, is that game is the only time Spurs have beaten United at home since 2018. It's usually a happy hunting ground for United, or at least has been as of late.

Tottenham vs Man United: When is it?

Tottenham host United on Saturday 19th August at 5.30pm UK time. As always, it's one of the most notable fixtures of the Premier League season and one where both teams have a lot to prove.

Spurs go into it having undergone big summer changes. Ange Postecoglou will want to generate some early momentum if he's to turn things around at Tottenham.

Of course, he'll have to do it all without Harry Kane following his departure to Bayern Munich, while there is a fresh feel to the team given ex-captain Hugo Lloris has also left, while the likes of Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison made their debuts last weekend.

United still very much have Erik ten Hag as boss, but they've still made some big changes. They, too, changed their long-time goalkeeper as David de Gea left and André Onana has come in.

Mason Mount is another big-money signing, while Rasmus Hojlund will hopefully be the striker they've been searching for once he reaches full fitness.

Both teams have the top four in their sights this season and can send an early message in the race with a win in this one. It promises, as ever, to be an intriguing clash.

Marco Marais earned himself a slice of cricketing history at East London last week, by crashing his way to the fastest first-class triple-century

Firdose Moonda01-Dec-2017Border batsman Marco Marais earned himself a slice of cricketing history at East London last week, by crashing his way to the fastest first-class triple-century, for Border against Eastern Province.”I don’t think anyone actually thinks they are going to get 300,” Marais told after making an unbeaten 300 off 191 balls. “Before the season started I was targeting over 500 first-class runs and I have already passed that, so now I am going to have to make new goals for myself for the rest of the season.”Not only did Marais achieve a career-first triple-century but he broke a record that has stood for 96 years. Australia’s Charles Macartney’s triple-hundred came off 221 balls against Nottinghamshire in 1921. He went on to finish on 345.Marais may well have surpassed Macartney’s score at Buffalo Park but Border called time on his innings as soon he reached the triple-century. They declared on 512 for 4, bowled their provincial rivals Eastern Province out for 212 and were 66 for 2 in response.Though the match was not won, Marais will claim a personal victory after an innings which featured 35 fours and 13 sixes and featured a record fifth-wicket stand of 428. He hopes the innings can provide a stepping stone to break into the Warriors franchise side.

300* in 1 session and a half special knock Marco Marais #forthelads #whoisthisguy #EpvBears pic.twitter.com/UuzsQI5zl1

— somila seyibokwe (@seyibokwe) November 23, 2017

“I really hope someone sits up and takes notice. I think every semi-pro player dreams of playing at the next level, which is franchise cricket, and I would love to play in it,” Marais said.The franchise are currently engaged in the Ram Slam 20-over tournament, where they sit at the bottom of the table with only one win from six matches. Their woes would well call for someone with Marais’ confidence, especially as his approach appears to be based on self-belief.”I was striking the ball so well,” he said. “I decided that I was just going to go hard at them and it came off in the end.”Marais’ coach Frank Plaatjes said he had “never seen anything,” like the innings before and believes there is more to come from the 24-year old. “I have always said Marco is a special player, I knew something was on the cards because he has been playing so well, but we didn’t expect 300 to be honest,” Plaatjes said.Marais is currently in action for Border against Northern Cape in Kimberley, where they are struggling. Border were bowled out for 115 in their first innings and Marais made just 5. He currently sits second on the three-day cup run charts.

Manchester United will now turn to signing a defender or two before the transfer window slams shut in just three weeks.

Erik ten Hag has already signed Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund, giving his team a new look spine, yet the focus now turns to defensive reinforcements.

Benjamin Pavard has been strongly linked, however, could it be a deal for Jean-Clair Todibo that will be the priority for Ten Hag over the coming days?

How much will Jean-Clair Todibo cost Man United?

According to The Athletic, United are looking at defensive reinforcements and Todibo, along with Pavard, are top of the list.

The Nice defender has been tracked by scouts at the Red Devils, and he could cost as little as €30m (£26m) this summer, representing excellent value.

Read the latest Man United news HERE…

The need for another centre-back has heightened due to the fact that Harry Maguire is edging closer to securing a move to West Ham United following four years at Old Trafford.

Todibo’s former club, Barcelona, have also been offered the chance to sign the Frenchman during the transfer window, yet it appears as though United are in the ascendancy with regard to a potential swoop.

Could Jean-Clair Todibo improve Manchester United?

The 23-year-old has already played in Ligue 1, La Liga, and the Bundesliga across his short career so far, yet it is at Nice where he has made the biggest impression.

He has racked up 103 appearances over just three seasons and the Frenchman has also been likened to a World Cup-winning United centre-back – Raphael Varane.

Writing in his Substack column, Jonathan Johnson said: 'I do think there is the potential that Todibo makes that kind of Man United move in the near future and if the Manchester club do get him, I think there are some similarities with Raphael Varane in many ways.'

It certainly isn’t a bad comparison considering just how impressive Varane has been over the previous decade. The 30-year-old has won a plethora of honours, including four Champions League titles, three Spanish titles with Real Madrid and steering France to glory at the 2018 World Cup.

Indeed, WhoScored lists concentration as being a major strength for both Todibo and Varane and it’s evident that the younger defender could be an ideal heir to the former Madrid player in the coming years.

Additionally, the former Barcelona starlet has actually registered a higher pass completion rate (88.5% to 86.3%) than Varane, while also winning a higher percentage of challenges (73.2% to 41.2%) and winning more tackles (48 to nine) indicating that he was not only a reliable passer, but strong in the challenge and looked to win the ball back as often as possible.

When compared to positional peers across the top five European leagues, Todibo also ranked in the top 15% for progressive passes per 90, and in the top 10% for tackles and successful take-ons per 90, suggesting that his forward-thinking approach would be an ideal fit for Ten Hag’s tactical system.

Varane missed a total of 32 games across his first two seasons at United and given that he will turn 31 towards the end of the forthcoming campaign, Ten Hag must be eyeing up someone who could turn into a perfect heir.

The Nice gem has shades of Varane about him and over the previous 12 months, he has certainly proven his worth on the continent.

Shakib Al Hasan and the rest of his team have to pull their act together in Potchefstroom if they are to avoid returning home empty-handed

The Preview by Mohammad Isam28-Oct-2017Big pictureAfter four weeks of mostly woeful cricket, Bangladesh finally showed some fight in the first T20I although they still lost the game by 20 runs. South Africa were thankful that some of their fringe performers came to the fore, notably their fast bowlers, and for the late impetus provided by Farhaan Behardien.In an ironic twist, Bangladesh had hit more boundaries (21) than South Africa (20) on Thursday, but Andile Phehlukwayo, Robbie Frylinck, Dane Paterson and Beuran Hendricks managed to offset that by stringing together a lot of dot balls – 52 in total. An inexperienced bowling attack came under fire but did quite well to withstand it.Bangladesh’s spinners performed just as well, especially Mehidy Hasan, who was instrumental in ensuring South Africa were kept to under 200. The skill he showed to dismiss a rampaging AB de Villiers, refusing him the room to free the arms, or the length to get under the ball should give Bangladesh some hope. But they need their batsmen to step up, especially the seniors. Otherwise they run the risk of returning home empty handed.Form guideSouth Africa: WLWLW
Bangladesh: LWLLL
Dane Paterson sends one down•AFPIn the spotlightRobbie Frylinck’s two wickets in his international debut should have come as a relief, having made his debut at the age of 33. One of them was Shakib Al Hasan’s who had just struck him for two fours. South Africa would be hoping Frylinck keeps his nerve if similar situations arise in the second game.Soumya Sarkar finally showed some spark on this tour of South Africa, although some may argue he has come to the party far too late. Still through his quickfire 47, the opener showed why Bangladesh’s team management trusts him so much.Team newsSouth Africa may keep their winning combination going, but considering they had earmarked the T20Is as a means to test the mettle of their fringe players, wicketkeeper Mangaliso Mosehle, fast bowler Dwaine Pretorius and left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi might still make the XI.South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk)/ Mangaliso Mosehle, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 AB de Villiers, 4 JP Duminy (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Robbie Frylinck, 9 Dane Paterson/ Dwaine Pretorius, 10 Beuran Hendricks, 11 Aaron Phangiso/ Tabraiz ShamsiLiton Das or Nasir Hossain is likely to play after the BCB president Nazmul Hassan said they are likely to add an extra batsman to the line-up on Friday.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Imrul Kayes, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah 7 Nasir Hossain/Taskin Ahmed, 8 Mehidy Hasan, 9 Mohammad Saifuddin, 10 Shafiul Islam, 11 Rubel HossainPitch and conditionsThe first Test was held in Potchefstroom, which produced a lot of runs but also afforded a bit of turn. Conditions are expected to be similar for the T20I, with weather being forecast as dry.Stats and trivia Farhaan Behardien hasn’t been dismissed in his last three innings against Bangladesh, though he has made only 76 runs. This will be the first T20 international held in Potchefstroom.

Alex Hales and Jos Buttler will find out next week whether they will be needed for Ashes tour or will be taking up their T20 franchise deals

Andrew McGlashan22-Sep-2017England’s white-ball captain Eoin Morgan has said that he would prefer those players on the fringes of the Test side, but also with T20 deals in leagues around the world, to earn a place on the Ashes tour rather than take up their franchise roles.The Ashes squad will be named next Wednesday and a handful of players in the one-day squad currently on duty against West Indies could be in the mix to fill vacant slots. Heading the list are Alex Hales and Jos Buttler who both have Test experience but have since drifted down the pecking order since their initial runs in the team.Hales and Buttler have T20 contracts secured for November and December – Hales in South Africa’s Global T20 and Buttler in the BPL – but while there has been a push, led by director of England cricket Andrew Strauss, for England’s white-ball cricketers to play more T20 around the world, Morgan could only see one choice as the route they should aim for.”I’d like to see them play in an Ashes series,” he said. “Ashes and World Cups are the pinnacle of our careers so to see guys playing in that format and doing well would boost confidence massively. They have a huge amount of ability in all three formats and if an opportunity presented itself in an Ashes series as opposed to a T20 league, I’d say take the Ashes every time.”If Buttler was to travel to Australia it would be in the back-up keeper role to Jonny Bairstow – although Surrey’s Ben Foakes is currently favoured for that position – while Hales’ name has been floated among those who could push for a spare batting role since his move into the middle order in Nottinghamshire’s Championship team. Steven Finn, who has signed for Pretoria Mavericks in the GLT20, also made a late bid for an Ashes call with 8 for 79 against Lancashire this week. He could come into contention after the injury to Toby Roland-Jones.Hales’ previous spell in the Test team was as an opener in 2016 and it ended after the Pakistan series last summer when he opted out of the tour of Bangladesh, although was likely to be dropped anyway. He scored a double-century in the Championship against Derbyshire last month which, allied to a stellar white-ball season, prompted debate about a Test recall. However, such a move would still come based on a small sample size of seven four-day matches and, besides his 218, he has made 206 runs in eight Championship innings.If performances in one-day cricket are going to be noted in the selection debate then Hales (and Buttler) have one more match, at Bristol on Sunday, to make a statement before the selectors meet to finalise the Ashes party.”I think if I was in Alex’s position I’d just do as much as I can and see if I was selected,” Morgan said. “I think it’s nice he has an alternative plan so it’s not the be-all and end-all for him to be selected for the Ashes. It takes a little bit of the weight off his shoulders. But certainly in the form he’s shown throughout this summer he’s got to be one of the most in-form batsmen in county cricket at the moment.”However, while Morgan is hoping for the best for his team-mates when it comes to Ashes selection, the proximity will have no bearing on the sides selected for the remainder of the one-day series against West Indies, with the captain ruling out standing down the likes of Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Joe Root or Bairstow.”We want to play the best team to win a particular game,” he said. “We feel, given that they will have the whole of October off, we’ve planned for this from the lead-in to the Champions Trophy when they were rested for the South Africa T20 series. We feel the back-end of the Australia tour, the T20 tri-series, could be the opportunity when we’ll look at guys being rested.”

Nottingham Forest are set to make a new bid for Rosario Central striker Alejo Veliz, who has informed his current club he wants to leave this summer, according to reports from Argentina.

What's the latest Nottingham Forest transfer news?

Forest are in hot pursuit of a new striker, having recently been linked with a swoop for Strasbourg's Habib Diallo, with Steve Cooper making the 28-year-old, who is valued at around £20m, one of his "top priorities".

The manager does have some other attacking targets in mind, with reports circulating that a deal for Alexis Sanchez was in the offing, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has recently quashed those rumours, saying:

"Nottingham Forest never had any talk or conversation with Alexis Sanchez — no negotiations taking place at this stage despite reports. Forest remain focused on Dean Henderson and Ismail Jakobs deals."

Veliz has also emerged as a transfer target for the Reds, with recent reports detailing they have "initiated contacts" with Rosario Central over a move to the Premier League, although he is also attracting interest from European giants AC Milan.

Forest have now taken the next steps in their pursuit of the forward, with a new offer set to be made, having had a bid of £7.8m rejected last weekend, as Rosario Central are looking to hold out for an offer close to his release clause of £11.7m (Argentine media, via Sport Witness).

There is no mention of the fee the Tricky Trees are willing to offer, but they have been handed a potential boost, as the 19-year-old has informed his current club he wants to leave this summer.

The Argentine side are aware they cannot keep rejecting offers, and they are willing to facilitate a move, but they are set to request that the youngster returns to the club on loan until the end of the year.

Who is Alejo Veliz?

The Argentinian starlet has burst onto the scene with Rosario Central over the past two seasons, but his 2023 campaign was by far his most prolific, scoring a total of 11 goals in 23 Liga Professional appearances.

At international level, the centre-forward has also looked very impressive, scoring three goals in four games at the U20 World Cup, showcasing that he could soon make a push for the first team and earn his first international cap.

It is unclear whether Cooper is targeting the Rosario Central star as someone to immediately come into the first-team setup at the City Ground, however he is showing all the signs that he could be ready to make the step-up to the Premier League.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has described the marksman as a "complete forward", while also praising him for his aerial prowess, finishing and movement, also likening him to former Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raul Jimenez.

The striker only averaged 0.5 key passes per game in the 2023 campaign, ranking him ninth in the Rosario Central squad, which indicates he is an out-and-out striker, whose main focus is goals.

That is by no means a bad thing, as Forest are in need of some extra firepower in attack, scoring just 38 league goals last season, and Veliz could be a fantastic long-term addition to the squad.

Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond and the rest of the board have backed Brendan Rodgers in the summer transfer window so far.

Who have Celtic signed this summer?

The Hoops chiefs have splashed the cash to bring in five new signings for the Northern Irish tactician, who returned to the club last month to replace Ange Postecoglou after the Australian manager's move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Australia international Marco Tilio and Norwegian midfielder Odin Thiago Holm were his first two additions and they have since been joined by South Korean duo Hyeok-kyu Kwon and Hyun-jun Yang, alongside Polish central defender Maik Nawrocki.

Whilst there is still just over a month to go until the deadline passes, Rodgers could potentially avoid the need to dip into the market for further reinforcements by utilising the academy set-up.

One player who has caught the eye with his performances for the B-team of later is versatile attacker Bruno Davidson, who could be a dream heir to Daizen Maeda at Parkhead.

How many goals did Bruno Davidson score last season?

The 19-year-old talent scored a respectable six goals in 26 Lowland League matches for the Hoops academy side during the 2022/23 campaign.

He racked up six goals and six assists in 29 domestic outings and has scored once in two league games so far this season for the B-team.

This means that the exciting wizard has recorded a direct goal contribution once every 2.38 domestic clashes on average since the start of last term.

His form caught the eye in Canada last year as journalist Joshua Kloke claimed he was "causing some buzz" due to his dual eligibility to play for the North American side. Despite this, he has only been called up by Scotland at U17 level so far.

The teenage maestro is also yet to be handed his first-team bow by the Bhoys to date and has not been given an opportunity to showcase his talent on the professional stage.

Maeda, who can play anywhere across the front three, produced 11 goals and seven assists in 49 competitive games for Celtic last season, which included eight strikes and five assists in 31 Scottish Premiership outings.

The Japan international was directly involved in a goal every 2.72 appearances on average for the Hoops. He is not a prolific scorer or consistent creator but is able to chip in at the top end of the pitch on a semi-regular basis.

Davidson, who has been deployed on both flanks and through the middle as a number ten, has showcased similar qualities as a versatile winger for the B-team, as shown by his aforementioned statistics.

Of course, there is no guarantee that he will be able to translate his form over to a first-team setting but the potential is there for him to take the next step if Rodgers offers an opportunity.

Davidson's emergence as a senior option would alleviate the need for the club to go into the market to splash out millions on a new attacker, which is why using the academy to unearth talent can be a cost-effective and pleasing way of adding to the squad for supporters who want to see homegrown players flourish.

Centurion Rachel Priest and captain Heather Knight shared the highest stand in the KSL’s brief history

ECB Reporters Network20-Aug-2017Rachel Priest struck a powerful century•Getty ImagesCenturion Rachel Priest and captain Heather Knight led Western Storm to a record-breaking Kia Super League win over Yorkshire Diamonds at York as they chased down 161 to win by 10 wickets with three overs to spare.New Zealander Priest led the way with some fearsome hitting, albeit taking advantage of a bit of luck along the way as the Diamonds spilt a couple of boundary chances.She finished with 106 not out off 65 balls and Knight unbeaten on 48 off 38. The pair shared the highest stand in two seasons of the KSL.A second win from three matches puts Storm level on eight points with the Diamonds in third place with a game in hand in the race to reach Finals Day.Home captain Lauren Winfield, batting in her home city, had earlier posted 58 off 44 balls as England’s World Cup winning hero Anya Shrubsole returned to action following a side injury with 1 for 30 from four overs.Despite the early loss of Sri Lankan Chamari Atapattu, run out by a direct hit at the non-striker’s end from Stefanie Taylor from mid-on, the Diamonds got off to a healthy as another Kiwi Sophie Devine cut loose with 41.Devine hit offspinner Claire Nicholas for two big sixes over long-on and midwicket as the score reached 55 for 1 after five.Devine played on trying to hoist Shrubsole to leg with 75 on the board in the eighth over before Winfield, happy to take few risks, reached 50 off 38 balls in the 16th over as the score reached 132 for 3.The Diamonds then lost four wickets for 19 in the last three overs, the first of which was Winfield bowled by a Davies slower ball, to slip from 141 for 3.Hollie Armitage then dropped a couple of catches at long-on, with Priest on 25 being the most costly.Her 39-ball fifty included two sixes over long-on, the second off compatriot Devine’s first ball in the tenth over as Storm reached halfway at 81 without loss. Fours and sixes continued to come at ease as Yorkshire’s heads dropped.Priest reached her century off 64 balls, the second in KSL history, with 13 fours and three sixes with the penultimate ball of the match.Storm’s next fixture is against Surrey at the Oval on Wednesday, while Yorkshire’s final game comes against Southern Vipers at Arundel on Saturday.

Manchester City may find it hard to top last season’s incredible treble success, yet Pep Guardiola is not sitting still ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

With a Champions League title to defend and the chance to stamp their authority as one of the finest-ever club teams in England, City are seemingly interested in signing Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella.

Are Man City interested in Nicolo Barella?

According to 90min, Guardiola has done work on Barella ahead of a potential move as he looks to bolster his midfield options.

The Italian could cost the club around £69m, per reports in Italy, and a potential switch comes amid the uncertainty surrounding the future of Bernando Silva.

Silva informed Guardiola that he wanted to leave City once the 2022/23 season had finished and with Paris Saint-Germain keen on luring him to France, it certainly appears as though the Spaniard is preparing for life without him.

Will Bernando Silva leave Man City this summer?

Despite this reported interest from PSG, Guardiola has made it clear he wishes to keep the Portuguese star at the Etihad, particularly with the departure of Ilkay Gundogan already this summer.

If he digs his heels in over a move away, however, the club might have no choice but to sell him and this is where a move for Barella would come into play.

The 26-year-old is hitting his peak years and enjoyed a fruitful campaign for Inter Milan, registering 19 goal contributions – nine goals and ten assists – from a central midfield slot as he won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana along with reaching the Champions League final.

The eventual 1-0 defeat to City may well have been an audition for Barella and his eye for goal has no doubt grabbed Guardiola’s attention.

How good is Nicola Barella?

He has been lauded as a “genius” by journalist Mike Piellucci previously and there is no doubt the midfielder is going from strength to strength, and not just in goal-scoring terms either.

In Serie A, Barella ranked third in the Inter squad for key passes per game (1.6), while also topping the pile for successful dribbles per game (1.1), demonstrating that not only did he exude his creative juices and create chances for others, but his ability to motor past defenders is also particularly impressive.

In contrast, Silva managed just 0.9 key passes per game for City in the Premier League, ranking him sixth in their squad, while completing just 0.8 successful dribbles per game too, suggesting that Barella would be a more than adequate heir to the 28-year-old should he leave Manchester this summer.

The Italian also registered more non-penalty goals (0.22 to 0.2) and progressive passes (6.62 to 5.37) per 90 than Silva across the previous 365 days, certainly underlining his vast attacking qualities.

There is still plenty of time left in the current transfer window and Silva may well end up staying at the club. Guardiola has clearly been preparing for his departure by looking at Barella and the former Barcelona boss could take the Inter gem to the next level should he move to England.