All posts by h716a5.icu

Having avoided relegation from the Premier League in dramatic circumstances this past season, plenty of transfer activity is expected at Everton in the coming months.

The latest name to be linked with a move to Goodison Park is talented Sunderland winger Jack Clarke, who scored nine goals and provided 11 assists for the Black Cats in the regular season as they narrowly missed out on promotion to the top flight.

According to The i, Everton are one of a number of Premier League clubs – along with Crystal Palace, Brentford and newly-promoted Burnley – who are tempted to hand over £15m to land the 22-year-old.

Who is Jack Clarke?

It is little wonder Sunderland are facing a battle to keep hold of Clarke on the back of his hugely efficient 2022-23 campaign, one in which the Leeds United academy product directly contributed to 20 goals in 45 regular-season matches – only seven others can boast a higher return.

The £14k-per-week Clarke also ranked second in the division for progressive carries (183), which measures moves that carry the ball at least ten yards towards the opposition's goal, behind only Viktor Gyokeres (198).

The England U20 international has truly kick-started his career across a season-and-a-half at the Stadium of Light, having initially joined on a short-term loan from Tottenham, where he was restricted to just three appearances across three seasons.

It did not take Clarke long to win over Sunderland supporters after signing permanently on a four-year deal last July, with his two-assists-and-a-goal showing in August's 3-0 win over Rotherham United a true sign of what was to come.

"Honestly unreal," football reporter Josh Bunting said of that performance. "He's been incredible so far this season. He's been head and shoulders the best player on the pitch. Stunning performance."

Where would Jack Clarke fit in at Everton?

Everton are not exactly short on players in wide areas, but the Toffees' squad is in desperate need of freshening up, and they could do a lot worse than bringing in a hungry player no doubt looking to prove himself at the highest level.

There is a case to be made that Everton supporters have already seen a player similar to Clarke up close in recent years, with Gerard Deulofeu another skilful ball carrier who was capable of playing out wide or through the middle.

Deulofeu has averaged 0.26 assists per 90 minutes across his career, which is almost identical to Clarke (0.22). The pair are also very alike in other aspects of their attacking game, such as goal-creating actions (0.49 compared to 0.40) and successful take-ons (50% compared to 47%).

While Deulofeu is hardly remembered as a player who truly lit up the Premier League, scoring just eight in 75 for Everton, his performances earned him a return to Barcelona, albeit for just half of the 2017-18 season.

Clarke will be hoping for a similarly bright future, and in the Toffees, he may well be given a similar platform as Deulofeu to further kick on and show Tottenham were wrong to let him go.

As Clarke's agent Ian Harte told The i, "every player has a price". At a reported £15m, that is surely a fee worth paying for an Everton side in desperate need of change.

Guyana Amazon Warriors and USA fast bowler Ali Khan has suffered a setback in his recovery from a left hamstring injury sustained last month and is now in doubt for WCL Division Four

Peter Della Penna in Los Angeles28-Oct-2016USA fast bowler Ali Khan is likely to miss at least the first two games of ICC WCL Division Four and could be out for the entire tournament after he re-injured his left hamstring in a USA training session earlier this week in Los Angeles. The Guyana Amazon Warriors pacer is an integral part of USA’s bowling plans but USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake tried to remain optimistic about Ali’s possibility to play a part in the tournament.”Ali Khan is one of the best that we have and he actually has the capacity to change a game on his own so we are really looking forward for him to get 100% fit and play for us,” Dassanayake told ESPNcricinfo. “Right now, he is around 80%, still need some more work to be done. I’m not sure about the first day whether he is going to be ready but I’m going to make sure that he’s going to be ready for the last three games where the crucial time comes in this tournament. Right now the target is for him to be ready for next Tuesday.”Ali initially suffered a left hamstring strain on September 20 at a USA national camp in Indianapolis which caused him to miss the Auty Cup against Canada earlier this month. According to a team source, Ali was 100% fit on arrival in Los Angeles on October 23 and bowled six overs without any problems at the start of the team’s training session on Monday. However, it was while running in to begin this second spell, after cooling down, that he re-injured the leg and pulled up.Dassanayake had initially planned to play Ali in USA’s warm-up match against a Southern California Cricket Association on Tuesday as a means of proving his match fitness after missing the Auty Cup. However, that plan was scratched on Monday and the tentative plan is for Ali to sit out USA’s first two games against Bermuda and Italy on October 29 and 30. A rest day follows on Monday before USA’s third match against Oman on November 1.According to a team source, an option has been discussed to possibly give Ali a cortisone injection in an effort to aid his recovery but that is seen as a last resort. Southern California medium-pacer Hammad Shahid, who took Ali’s spot for the Auty Cup and turned in figures of 2 for 36 and 1 for 18 in a combined 18 overs against Canada, is in line to be called up to the USA squad for Division Four if Ali is not passed fit by Monday night on the eve of the Oman match.”If he has to go beyond the Oman game, then we have to make that decision but I’m hopeful,” Dassanayake said. “He was doing some rehab stuff for the last three or four days and now our physio is here. Everything is pretty decently organised and we are putting that effort for him to get better. I’m confident that he’ll be ready for that game but if not, then still we have to make a decision around Monday night.”

Bad light brought the first ODI to an excruciating end with Hong Kong needing 18 to win off 12 balls with six wickets in hand when the match was called off

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Sep-2016
Match called off due to bad light
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHong Kong’s Ehsan Khan became the 23rd man to strike with his first ball in ODIs•Hong Kong CricketBad light brought the first ODI between Scotland and Hong Kong at the Grange in Edinburgh to an excruciating end with Hong Kong needing 18 to win off 12 balls with six wickets in hand when the match was called off. Hong Kong had played 18 overs. If this were a T20, Duckworth-Lewis would have kicked in at this point to decide a winner. But this was an ODI, and both sides needed to have played a minimum of 20 overs for that to happen.With rain delaying the start by five-and-a-half hours, the match had first been reduced to 21 overs a side. Another spell of rain 4.2 overs into the Scotland innings, after Hong Kong had sent the home side in, caused a further reduction to 20 overs a side. This was effectively a T20 game, but not quite.Chasing 154, Hong Kong began briskly, thanks to a 26-ball 43 from Nizakat Khan. They slipped to 64 for 2 in the ninth over after Con de Lange, the left-arm spinner, dismissed both openers in quick succession. Babar Hayat and Anshuman Rath then put on 62 in 8.2 overs for the third wicket, leaving 28 needed off the last 22 balls. Both fell in the 17th over, bowled by Mark Watt, with the aggressive Rath run out. Ehsan Khan, on 2, and Tanwir Afzal, on 7, were at the crease when the umpires decided the light was insufficient for play to go on.”It was the right decision to come off the field but the decision should have been made six overs prior as it was significantly dark then,” Hong Kong coach Simon Cook said. “And that was further away from a result when neither team could claim to be unhappy.”The umpires asked our batters if they could see the ball and our guys said it was tough and then Scotland were told they couldn’t bowl fast bowlers. So towards the end they could just bowl slow to have a shot at getting in to contention and once we hit a boundary and a few singles they brought the fast bowler on. The umpires handled the game brilliantly other than that but they held on for a decision too long with the light.”Scotland’s innings was given a firm foundation by Kyle Coetzer, who struck 53 off 30 balls, with six fours and two sixes, before he became the debutant Ehsan’s second victim. The offspinner had earlier struck with his first ball in ODIs when he dismissed the opener Craig Wallace at the start of the fourth over.Scotland, 96 for 1 after a 58-run second-wicket stand between Coetzer and Calum MacLeod, slumped to 102 for 5. De Lange’s unbeaten run-a-ball 26 stilled the tumble of wickets, but the collapse took all the momentum out of the Scotland innings. Having scored 99 in the first ten overs of their innings, they only managed to add 54 in the last ten.The two sides are scheduled to meet again for the second ODI in Edinburgh on Saturday.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is ready to raid the transfer market for a 'top level' striker this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Aston Villa?

Aston Villa have been linked with several forward players as the forthcoming transfer window draws closer, as they look to complement the example set by Ollie Watkins in 2022/23, who bagged 16 goals and six assists from 40 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

The Telegraph reported earlier this month that Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic and Barcelona attacker Ferran Torres are both on the radar at Villa Park. Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney is said to be another target in the left-back area.

According to The Mirror, the Villans have also 'registered an interest' in Wolverhampton Wanderers ace Hwang Hee-chan; however, they face competition from Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Roma for his signature.

Real Madrid man Marco Asensio has been mooted with a high-profile switch to Villa Park. Emery is eyeing some 'ambitious' summer arrivals and the 27-year-old could join on a free transfer due to his contract being set to expire at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones believes that bringing in a striker will be a top priority for Emery at Villa Park in the off-season.

Jones said: "Aston Villa can't just rely on Ollie Watkins. He's gone dry over the last five or six games before scoring against Brighton & Hove Albion. For where Emery wants to get to, he can't really afford for that to happen throughout the course of next season.

"We know that definitely a number nine is on his wish list and I do expect him to bring in a top level striker."

Do Aston Villa need to bring in another striker?

It would be wise for Aston Villa to add to their forward line as they will face the exciting burden of juggling domestic and European football next term, having secured Europa Conference League qualification on the final day of the Premier League season.

Of course, Watkins has been in free-scoring form for the Villans this season; however, there isn't much in the way of natural number nines beyond him at the club.

Jhon Duran is on the books at Villa Park, though has yet to register his first strike for the West Midlands outfit from 12 appearances and has been billed as 'one for the future' by journalist Pete O'Rourke in an interview with GIVEMESPORT.

Aston Villa will have aspirations of going one better next campaign and competing higher up the table, which will likely be achieved by conducting some savvy business in the transfer market under Emery.

Tottenham Hotspur should target Brendan Rodgers as their next manager following another setback in their search, former striker Darren Bent has claimed.

What's the latest on Spurs' manager search?

The club were dealt a blow as talks broke down with Feyenoord manager Arne Slot, and there appears to be no easy solution in sight to replace Antonio Conte, who was dismissed over two months ago.

There have now been links with Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou, but former Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has now been mooted for the vacant role in North London.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Bent claimed that Rodgers' experience in the Premier League could make him the ideal manager to help make Spurs competitive.

"For me, he'd be perfect. He plays attacking football, I get that it sometimes goes a bit stale towards the end, which I understand, but look what he did in his pomp at Leicester, back-to-back fifth-place finishes," he stated.

"Yes, maybe he should have got fourth, but fifth with Leicester, winning the FA Cup in the manner in which they did, he nearly won the league at Liverpool, I know it was about the Gerrard slip but it was close.

"He's done great things at Celtic, I really like watching these teams play, so I don't understand why he's not been approached by Tottenham."

Should Spurs move for Rodgers?

Spurs encountered problems negotiating with Feyenoord over Slot, and they may face issues convincing clubs to part ways with their current head coaches.

Rodgers is currently a free agent, having been dismissed from his role at Leicester earlier on this season, and he is reportedly interested in the role.

His experience has seen him manage at both ends of the table, having competed for the title with Liverpool and helped take Leicester to Europe and FA Cup glory.

He helped nurture attacking talents at his previous clubs, with the likes of Jamie Vardy, James Maddison, Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge thriving under the Northern Irishman.

His time at Celtic saw him establish a period of dominance in Scotland with the Hoops, winning seven domestic trophies in a three-year spell.

He could be a perfect fit for Spurs, and with plenty of issues to contend with, such as the uncertain future of Harry Kane, someone with his pedigree and experience could help iron out the problems at the club.

Axed Test opener Joe Burns has been named in the Australia A squad to play a pair of four-day matches against India A in Brisbane next month

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2016Axed Test opener Joe Burns has been named in the Australia A squad to play a pair of four-day matches against India A in Brisbane next month. Burns played the first two Tests of the recent series in Sri Lanka but was dropped for the final match, and might find it hard to squeeze back in for the start of the home summer given that his replacement Shaun Marsh scored a century in Colombo.Burns will captain Australia A in the second match and will be vice-captain to Peter Handscomb for the first game. He will be joined in the team for the second of the two games by fellow Test squad members Jon Holland, who made his debut in Sri Lanka, and fast bowler Jackson Bird, who did not play a Test on the tour.Victoria opener Travis Dean has been named in the squad for both matches after a remarkable debut summer in which he scored a century in each innings of his Sheffield Shield debut – the first man in history to achieve that feat – and another in the final. Back in May, Dean had been named in the expanded squad for this winter’s Australia A games, but he is yet to play.Three men from outside that initial squad have been named for these two matches: Tasmania batsman Beau Webster, and the Western Australia pair of fast bowler David Moody and allrounder Hilton Cartwright. Webster, 22, scored the first two first-class hundreds of his career during the 2015-16 summer and finished with 494 runs at 32.93 in the Sheffield Shield.Moody, 21, the nephew of former Australia player Tom Moody, picked up 18 Shield wickets at 46.44 last season. His Zimbabwe-born state team-mate Cartwright, 24, made 409 runs at 68.16 in last season’s Shield competition, including his maiden hundred, and also picked up eight wickets at 27.75 with his medium-pacers.”David Moody and Hilton Cartwright were not previously named in the wider Australia A squad, but due to call-ups to the national side, they now have an opportunity to impress in the final matches of the series,” national selector Rod Marsh said. “Joe Burns will join both matches to give him further opportunity, and also have the chance to play a leadership role as vice-captain in the first match, then captain of the second.”Peter Handscomb proved himself in Australia A’s victory over South Africa A in the longer format and will benefit from having a further leadership role in the first match before returning to Victoria to refresh ahead of the domestic season.”The final two matches of the series provides us a good chance to view other upcoming talent that we firmly believe deserve their selection and have the potential to be next in line to play at a national level. Those not named in these squads, who previously played in the four-day and one-day matches will now return to their states to allow for time to refresh ahead of the Matador Cup.”The two matches against India A will be played at Allan Border Field, starting on September 8 and September 15 respectively.Squad for first match Peter Handscomb (capt), Joe Burns (vice-capt), Cameron Bancroft, Travis Dean, David Moody, Kane Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Swepson, Beau Webster, Sam Whiteman, Daniel Worrall.Squad for second match Joe Burns (capt), Kurtis Patterson (vice-capt), Jackson Bird, Hilton Cartwright, Travis Dean, Sam Heazlett, Jon Holland, David Moody, Kane Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Beau Webster, Sam Whiteman.

Leeds United were seemingly extremely close to the signing of Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven last summer before a deal fell through at the final hurdle.

What happened between Leeds and Cody Gakpo?

Then-director of football Victor Orta even flew to the Netherlands to conclude a deal for the 24-year-old attacker, with former manager Jesse Marsch later expressing his frustration as the deal was, in his words, 99.9% done.

He would go on to enjoy a superb start to the season with the Dutch giants, notching a remarkable nine goals and 12 assists in just 14 Eredivisie games, leading to a phenomenal 8.50 average rating from WhoScored for his performances.

His form at the World Cup in Qatar, where he managed another three goals in five appearances for the Netherlands, would only serve to increase his reputation further, and it seemed clear at this point that Leeds had missed out on a gem, and they'd have no chance of returning for him in the January transfer window.

In the end, the Netherlands international would make a move to the Premier League, joining international teammate Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool in a £35m deal, with the exciting young forward only adding to Leeds' pain when he grabbed a goal and an assist in the 6-1 demolition at Elland Road earlier this year.

Would Gakpo have been better than Bamford?

Although Leeds' defensive issues are perhaps the main reason they find themselves in the relegation places once again with only two games left to play, as no Premier League side has conceded more this season, fingers will surely have to be pointed at Patrick Bamford after his recent misses in front of goal.

The one-time England international spurned a glorious chance to win the game in the draw against Leicester City, while his tame penalty prevented Leeds from going 2-0 up against Newcastle United last weekend.

Bamford has just four goals and two assists in 27 Premier League appearances this season, which is 5.77 fewer than expected, which shows just how unreliable he has been in front of goal. He has looked every bit like a shadow of himself, having pocketed a whopping 17 goals during the Whites' first season back in the big time.

Gakpo, meanwhile, has overperformed by 0.4 on his expected goals ratio (xG) to hit six goals in just 19 appearances for Liverpool, which suggests that he would have been a big success as a regular in Leeds' team throughout the season.

The former PSV dynamo, who was described as "constantly threatening" by De Telegraaf journalist Valentijn Driessen during his time in the Eredivisie, has featured as a striker for Jurgen Klopp's side and for the Netherlands, which suggests that he could have replaced Bamford as the starting striker in Elland Road.

If Leeds do succumb to relegation this season, then fans will no doubt be wondering why Orta couldn't get the deal for Gakpo over the line, as the statistics show that he could have been a far better option for the Yorkshire outfit in attack.

It'll surely serve as one of his most disappointing blunders throughout his controversial tenure at Elland Road.

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has dismissed former Dolphins coach Lance Klusner’s complaint over his sacking from the franchise in February this year

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2016The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has dismissed former Dolphins coach Lance Klusener’s referral over his sacking from the franchise in February, when the season’s fixtures had not been completed.The CCMA is an independent dispute resolution body, not a court of law. It looks at, among other things, unfair dismissals.Klusener had sought arbitration after his contract was not renewed, but the CCMA has now ruled in the favour of Dolphins.”In the Award, the CCMA found that Klusener had failed to discharge the onus of proving a legitimate expectation of renewal of the contract existed at the time of the non-renewal,” a Dolphins release said.Dolphins went trophy-less in the 2015-16 season, finishing fifth out of six teams in both the first-class and the one-day cricket, although they reached the final of the 20-over competition.”When the team failed to match the expectations of the franchise and for that matter the public and fans, any expectation Klusener may have had of renewal, would have diminished,” the release added.Rajesh Behari, acting CEO of Dolphins, welcomed CCMA’s move and looked ahead to the upcoming season.”It is relief to have this matter now resolved, and we can focus all our energies on the upcoming season,” he said. “The squad is energised and enthusiastic, and we are encouraged by the pre-season preparations. The conclusion of the CCMA matter involving Lance Klusener now clears the way for everyone at KwaZulu-Natal Cricket to commit all our energies into the new season.”Grant Morgan had been announced as Dolphins’ new full-time coach in May.

The second day in Galle brought 21 wickets as Sri Lanka tightened their grip on the series. Rangana Herath claimed a hat-trick and Australia were bowled out for 106, their lowest ever total against Sri Lanka

The Report by Brydon Coverdale05-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe second day in Galle finished as it started: with Steven Smith at the crease facing Dilruwan Perera. Australia would take that result if it meant a captain’s innings, a double-century to drag his side back into the series. The reality was a world away from that, for in between Perera had taken five wickets and scored a half-century, Rangana Herath had claimed a hat-trick, 21 wickets had tumbled, and Australia had collapsed to their lowest ever Test total against Sri Lanka.This was the day on which Sri Lanka made certain that they would lift the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy for the first time. It was not yet struck in 1999, the only other occasion on which they beat Australia in a series. Indeed, that was the only other occasion on which they beat Australia in a Test. In the first 33 years of Test cricket between the two countries, Sri Lanka won just a single game. They will now do so twice in a fortnight.Australia were set 413 for victory, which would be the third-highest successful chase in Test history. Gettable, perhaps, for an in-form batting unit on a pitch to their liking, if everything fell their way. But this Australian outfit was demolished in the first innings for 106, on a turning surface against a quality spin attack. Australia have as much chance of winning this Test as they do of winning Olympic gold in baseball. And no, baseball is no longer on the Olympic roster.By stumps, Australia were already 25 for 3 in their chase. Joe Burns had driven a catch to cover off Herath in the first over. Nightwatchman Nathan Lyon had poked a catch to silly point off Perera. And next ball, Usman Khawaja had watched an arm ball from Perera crash into his stumps. Dazed and confused, Khawaja offered no shot. His dismissal was emblematic of the day: Australia had no clue whether each ball from a Sri Lanka spinner would turn or not.And so at the close of play, Smith walked off on 1, with David Warner on 22, and a Sri Lankan victory inside three days appeared all but certain. The afternoon consisted largely of Sri Lanka’s batsmen frustrating Australia, growing their lead and humiliating their visitors further. Herath and Perera, who tormented Australia with the ball at either end of the day, scored nearly as many runs between them as Australia did in the first innings.The story of this day was the first session, in which Australia lost eight wickets for 52 runs. The cricket felt like it was played in fast-forward and at times the action was so comical that the Benny Hill theme would have been appropriate. The pitch was turning, but it was far from a poor surface. But it was as if Australia’s batsmen had never seen spinners before. They simply wondered at this mysterious slow form of bowling.Sri Lanka’s spinners attacked the stumps and built persistent pressure. Herath turned some and skidded others on. So did Perera. Lakshan Sandakan didn’t, but that was only because all the work was done already. Such was the annihilation that he came on only to collect the final wicket, and finished with 1 for 0 from two deliveries.Resuming at 54 for 2, Australia failed to survive even 20 overs of the day’s play. Australia’s 106 was their lowest total ever against Sri Lanka, and their lowest total in Asia for nearly 12 years, since they were skittled on a Mumbai dustbowl for 93 back in 2004. Herath finished with 4 for 35 and Perera with 4 for 29.Khawaja fell in the third over of the day when he missed an arm ball from Perera and was bowled for 11 – at least he played at this one – and Smith departed next over when he played back and tried to cut a slider from Herath. He too was bowled. So much for the “play straight” mantra Australia had tried to instil on this tour.Then came Herath’s hat-trick: Adam Voges drove on the up to cover, Peter Nevill was trapped lbw by another slider, and Mitchell Starc completed the trio when he leaned forward and was hit on the pad first ball. Starc was given not out but Angelo Mathews asked for a review, out of nothing but hope. He was as surprised as anyone that the not-out decision was overturned.Only one other Sri Lankan had ever taken a Test hat-trick: Nuwan Zoysa, who achieved the feat against Zimbabwe in Harare in 1999-2000. Herath’s wickets left Australia at 80 for 7 and in serious danger of failing to reach triple figures. In fact, they still needed two runs to avoid the follow-on, which appeared by no means a certainty.They did scrape past that mark but soon Lyon was caught in close off Perera and Josh Hazlewood edged to slip off the same bowler. Mitchell Marsh, at the other end while so much carnage was unfolding around him, slammed a couple of sixes to push the score past 100, but was caught at long-off when he tried for another off Sandakan’s second ball.Sri Lanka lost three wickets of their own before lunch – 11 wickets fell in the session – but already their lead was healthy. Perhaps their only concern at the moment is the consistent failure of their openers, for again Kaushal Silva and Dimuth Karunaratne failed to reach double figures. Karunaratne was the first of six wickets for Mitchell Starc, who deserves commendation for his hard work, gaining rewards through reverse swing, speed and persistence.Starc finished with match figures of 11 for 94, the finest by any Australian in Sri Lanka, and second only to Mohammad Asif for visiting fast bowlers in the country. Not since Geoff Dymock claimed 12 against India in Kanpur in 1979 had an Australian fast bowler been so successful in a Test match in Asia.But where Sri Lanka’s spinners were important, Australia’s were impotent. Out of desperation, Lyon resorted to bowling legbreaks as Sri Lanka’s innings wore on, and Jon Holland was treated with the disdain Sri Lanka’s batsmen might dish up to a bowler Holland. Eventually Australia bowled the Sri Lankans out for 237. The figure was almost irrelevant, though a complete Sri Lankan capitulation might almost have made a game of it.Instead, Kusal Perera contributed 35, Mathews scored a brisk 47, Dilruwan Perera compiled 64, Herath chipped in with 26, and Dhananjaya de Silva managed 34. It was enough to set Australia 400 plus. It was enough, after Australia’s morning collapse, to decide the series.

Celtic have already secured the Scottish Premiership title for the 2023/24 campaign and can complete a domestic treble if they beat Inverness in the cup final at the start of next month.

Despite their dominance of football in Scotland, Ange Postecoglou could use the upcoming summer transfer window to increase the quality and depth of his squad.

The Hoops were knocked out of the Champions League in the group phase and the boss may want to build a roster that is capable of competing domestically and in Europe next term.

Blick recently reported that Celtic are one of a number of teams interested in a deal to sign FC Luzern central midfielder Ardon Jashari this summer and the youngster is a player who has the potential to be a future star for the club.

Who is Ardon Jashari?

The 20-year-old gem is a Switzerland international who could form a dream partnership with current Hoops midfielder Reo Hatate in the years to come.

Jashari, who could cost up to €8m (£7m), has shown promise with his impressive performances in the Swiss top-flight and could be a joy to watch at Parkhead next term.

The left-footed maestro has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.95 in the Super League across 32 appearances and made 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game.

He has proven himself to be a reliable performer who can win the ball back for his side on a consistent basis, whilst his 59% success rate in duels also shows that the battler is a dominant player in the middle of the park.

Hatate, meanwhile, has only made 1.5 tackles and interceptions per match in the Premiership and is not as defensive-minded as Jashari.

However, the Japan international is able to impact games at the top end of the pitch.

He has scored five goals and assisted a further eight across 30 appearances, whilst the Luzern star has only been directly involved in four goals this term, and this shows that the Japan magician regularly makes important contributions in the final third.

This also indicates that the Swiss enforcer, who was once hailed as an "orchestrator" by scout Jacek Kulig, could perfectly complement the 25-year-old machine as his defensive presence in midfield could allow the Celtic ace to thrive going forward.

Jashari could be the anchor of Postecoglou's midfield and sweep up ahead of the back line in order to provide the likes of Hatate and Matt O'Riley with the freedom they need to punish opposition teams with their quality on the ball.

At the ages of 20 and 25 respectively, the pair could also be Celtic's dream midfield pairing for many years to come and grow and develop whilst dominating games at Parkhead, which is why the club must swoop for the Luzern prospect this summer.