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The summer transfer window brought with it something of a midfield overhaul for Celtic and Brendan Rodgers, with the Northern Irishman seeking ways to plug the gaping hole left behind by Matt O’Riley.

Out went the Denmark international – and to a lesser extent, Tomoki Iwata – with the Hoops moving to fill that sizeable, creative void by snapping up Arne Engels, Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan.

In the case of McCowan, the 26-year-old was plucked from Dundee on a bargain £1m deal, having since gone on to score twice in the Premiership for his new club, despite being restricted to just two league starts thus far.

As with the case of the likes of Ryan Christie and Stuart Armstrong before him – the pair arriving from Inverness and Dundee United, respectively – recruiting young talents from within Scottish football is often a good route to success, with it looking as if the Old Firm side are hoping to continue that trend with a move for Motherwell’s rising star, Lennon Miller.

Celtic's pursuit of Lennon Miller

In truth, links to the 18-year-old sensation have become rather inevitable amid his sparkling form in recent times at Fir Park, with the teenager already boasting four goals and three assists in 18 appearances this season.

That impact for his current side has even seen Miller take on the captain’s armband in recent weeks despite his relative youth, with a senior call-up to the Scotland squad no doubt in the pipeline.

Amid that stunning rise, the Daily Mail have reported that both Celtic and rivals Rangers are likely to make a move for the playmaker in January, albeit with neither side having yet made an approach.

Lennon Miller’s Premiership stats (24/25)
11 games (11 starts)
2 goals
3 assists
5 ‘big chances’ created
2.1 key passes*
73% pass accuracy*
1.5 tackles*
1.5 interceptions*
6.5 balls recovered*
50% total duels won*
16x possession lost*
Stats via Sofascore (*per game)

The suggestion is that Well will demand a fee of at least £4m, thus eclipsing their record £3m sale of David Turnbull to Parkhead back in the summer of 2020.

That £4m fee could ultimately prove a bargain on the basis of Miller’s current form, yet might Celtic save themselves the outlay by looking to promote from within instead, rather than getting embroiled in any sort of transfer tug-of-war – with Premier League side Liverpool also lurking.

Celtic's potential answer to Lennon Miller

The common theme for Celtic in recent times has been for their brightest young talents to move on elsewhere before making a real impression at senior level.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

The most notable recent examples are, of course, Ben Doak and Rocco Vata – who joined Liverpool and Watford, respectively – although further cases also occurred with the loss of Leo Hjelde to Leeds United, as well as Daniel Kelly’s summer move to Millwall.

In the case of Kelly, in particular, the promising midfielder turned down what was said to be a “lucrative” contract offer from the Celtic board, with fears growing that a similar scenario could occur with prolific striker, Daniel Cummings, who has netted 20 goals this season.

Thankfully for Rodgers and co, the future of young Francis Turley has at least been secured after he signed a new four-year deal earlier this year, with the 18-year-old midfielder offering a potential alternative to splashing the cash on Miller.

Of course, Turley’s involvement on the senior stage has been limited after making just a solitary, late cameo against St Mirren earlier in the campaign, although he has caught the eye in the academy ranks, after scoring three times and registering one assist in just four UEFA Youth League outings in 2024/25.

The Northern Ireland youth international has certainly captured the attention of his manager and compatriot, with Rodgers outlining just how “impressed” he has been with the young maestro following his senior bow against the Saints:

As the former Leicester City boss outlined, putting pressure on Turley at such a young age could be foolish, yet what would it say to further block his route to game time by signing a fellow teenager in Miller?

There must undoubtedly be frustration brewing at the constant drain of young talent – such as Doak, Vata and Kelly et al – but at some stage, greater faith needs to be placed in an academy asset at first-team level.

Not since the days of Kieran Tierney – who was eventually sold for a handsome £25m fee – has an in-house prospect truly cemented a starting role for themselves.

That maybe speaks to the quality of those produced – as well as the pressure to keep winning, rather than having the time to blood youngsters – but the next step for Celtic must surely be to properly promote from within.

Of course, Motherwell’s Miller is a diamond worth chasing, but would it hurt to give a figure like Turley a chance to prove himself instead?

Celtic could ease Idah injury blow by unleashing 18-goal academy star

The Celtic academy sensation has been in phenomenal form for the B team.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 12, 2024

England battle hard on second day but flaws in attack come home to roost

Andrew Miller25-Mar-2022West Indies 232 for 8 (da Silva 54*, Roach 25*) lead England 204 (Mahmood 49, Leach 41*, Seales 3-40) by 28 runsSome 13,000km lie between Lahore and St George’s, and a similar distance would appear to lie between the teams that have been taking part in their respective Test-series deciders. If Pat Cummins’ Australians have just demonstrated, in their hard-fought series victory over Pakistan, that a side blessed with great bowlers can transcend any conditions, then England and West Indies would appear to be hostages to a less palatable truth.On the face of it, the decisive third Test in Grenada could scarcely be more intricately poised. By the close of the second day’s play, West Indies’ lower order had chiselled out a precious lead of 28, and every extra run looks set to be vital on a two-paced surface that promises awkward times ahead in even the most nominal of fourth-innings chases.And yet, the evidence of the first two innings has been revealing. Two flawed teams, battling their own insecurities with bat and ball alike, with each facet of their play winning out at alternate moments, with the implacable obstinacy of a pushmepullyou.On the first day, England collapsed in seaming conditions to 114 for 9, before their tenth-wicket pair cashed in on the softer old ball to ease to a serene 90-run stand. And on the second, West Indies staged a near-replica of their own – a collapse of seven for 78, either side of lunch, as Chris Woakes dragged his length back and with it, fleetingly, his reputation in overseas conditions, then a late-evening revival with Joshua Da Silva’s diligent 54 not out to the fore, as West Indies’ eighth and ninth wickets racked up 104 series-tilting runs.And by the close, England were huffing and puffing as if they were back in Antigua or Barbados – including with the second new ball, which came and went in six anodyne overs with as little malice as the first. And in the contest’s final analysis, the combined analysis of 72 for 0 that West Indies have been able to pick off while those balls have been at their hardest may yet prove to be pivotal. For whatever else England may have achieved in the name of their red-ball reset, finding an answer to their toothlessness up top is not one of them.That said, the most successful of England’s bowlers in the innings to date is that man Woakes, although his current analysis of 20-6-48-3 – already among his best in 20 overseas Tests – tells only a fraction of his story. Prior to this series, West Indies’ openers, Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell hadn’t made a half-century stand on home soil since England’s last visit to the Caribbean in 2019 – and they’ve never yet made a century stand in 35 attempts, the most by a top-order pair in Test history.They have, however, now racked up three fifty stands in as many Tests this series, including this latest effort – a disarmingly serene alliance of 50 that, in following directly on from Jack Leach’s and Saqib Mahmood’s casual progress on the first evening, appeared to confirm that the spice of the first morning had long since been and gone.Chris Woakes had Jason Holder caught for a duck•Getty ImagesBut just as had been the case with their guileless first innings in Antigua, Woakes and Craig Overton were culpable in floating the ball up too full and wide for a cracked surface that demanded the ball be driven into the deck to extract the uneven bounce, and both men were all too easily thwarted as England’s first-innings 204 was made to look grossly inadequate.But then Ben Stokes, inevitably, showed the way with a back-of-a-length shin-botherer to dislodge Brathwaite for his lowest score of the series, and one over later, Campbell got in a tangle to a fearsome visor-smasher from Overton. He carried on after a mandatory concussion test, but the success of that length was an indication of the threat that awaited if England were willing to test the facilities.Sure enough, Mahmood was the next to drag his own length back to pin Shamarh Brooks in front of leg stump, and then, six balls later and in the penultimate over of the session, Overton’s aggression into Campbell’s body paid dividends, as he scuffed an attempted pull down the leg side, and was sent on his way after a review.It was a sign of lengths to come, and straight after lunch, it was Woakes’ turn to drag it back, in more ways than one. Just when it seemed that his unquestioned good-eggery was finally going to run out of caveats in overseas conditions, he came hurtling in for his second spell with spirit and threat renewed.His first breakthrough came via a startling change-up in pace, as he fired in a cross-seam bouncer to the obdurate Nkrumah Bonner, who flapped with his gloves as the ball skidded through lower than anticipated, and Ben Foakes scooped the deflection to confirm West Indies’ panic at 82 for 4.Three balls later, and it was all hands to the pump for a floundering batting line-up. Woakes fired in another short ball to the imposing Jason Holder, whose response was his third unworthy shot in as many innings – a spiralling top-edged pull to Jonny Bairstow at square leg, and in the space of a single over, Woakes had doubled his series wickets tally, and halved his average, from 88.50 and climbing to the mid-40s.Suddenly his tail was up and his luck had turned. Two overs later, Jermaine Blackwood – who had already survived a rare drop on 14 by Foakes off Mahmood – hacked a flashy cut past the diving Overton at gully for four, only to fall to his very next ball, as Woakes fired in the fuller length, and extracted an umpire’s call lbw with the batter pinned in front of leg stump.But Kyle Mayers, in the earliest sign that England’s threat was transient, took it upon himself to inject some impetus into a stalled innings. First he bludgeoned Woakes out of the attack with a pre-meditated pull for six over midwicket, then he twice climbed into Overton with unconventional hacks in front of square for boundaries before deflecting Jack Leach to third man after his belated introduction for the 43rd over.Related

West Indies keep it real on not-quite-perfect day

Leach, Mahmood find tenth-wicket fight to halt West Indies rampage

Tenth-wicket tenacity makes a mockery of England's familiar failings

West Indies name unchanged squad for third Test against England

Root praises England progress as Kraigg Brathwaite takes pride in resilience

Once again, it was Stokes – discomforted, not for the first time, by his long-standing knee injury – who rejoined the attack to end Mayers’ threatening stay on 28. There was perhaps a hint of reverse swing at play as he bent a full ball into middle stump, and Mahmood at mid-on swallowed a comfortable chip.But from 128 for 7, Da Silva and Alzarri Joseph guided their side to tea before setting themselves to chip off the remaining deficit of 70. At first Joseph was the more proactive of the partners, including another mashed six off Woakes, whose short ball was suddenly lacking its previous zip – and as England’s desperation for a breakthrough became more apparent, so too did their use of their remaining reviews, all of them burned in hope rather than expectation.In the end, it was pilot error that downed Joseph to end a key stand of 49, as he charged once more at Overton – a forgiveable tactic with the new ball looming – and under-edged to the tumbling Foakes for 28. But Roach, West Indies’ senior pro, was in no mood to give his innings away so tamely. He held his own to the close as Da Silva brought up a gutsy fifty from 143 balls in the fading light. It was the first of the match, and it’s not done yet.

Manchester City return to action after the international break in the Premier League on Saturday evening as they prepare to welcome Tottenham Hotspur to The Etihad.

The Cityzens are looking to end a run of four straight defeats in all competitions, one of which came at the hands of Spurs in the League Cup.

Pep Guardiola’s side also lost their last two Premier League matches, to Bournemouth and Brighton, and were beaten 4-1 by Sporting in the Champions League.

The Spanish head coach may want to see more from his superstar striker, Erling Haaland, who has been far from at his best for the club in recent weeks.

He has scored five goals and failed to provide an assist in his last nine games in all competitions for City, with two goals in his last six Premier League matches.

This comes after the Norway international had plundered a staggering ten goals in his first five appearances in the division this season, which illustrates his drop-off in form.

The prolific marksman has been a huge success since his move to The Etihad from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022 for a reported fee of £51m.

Erling Haaland's goal record for Manchester City

In just over two seasons with City, the 24-year-old sensation has scored a mind-blowing 105 goals and provided 14 assists in 114 appearances in all competitions.

Haaland has scored 75 goals in 77 matches in the Premier League, to date, and made history as the quickest player to reach 50 goals in the division’s history, doing so in just 48 outings.

His first season with City, after his big-money move from Dortmund, was nothing short of extraordinary as Guardiola’s side secured the treble, winning the Champions League, the Premier League, and the FA Cup.

Haaland produced 52 goals and nine assists in 53 appearances in all competitions in the 2022/23 campaign, including 12 goals in 11 Champions League clashes.

Starts

33

xG

28.66

Goals

36

Conversion rate

29%

Assists

8

As you can see in the table above, the Norwegian star had a sensational debut year in the top-flight with a return of 44 direct goal contributions in 33 starts.

All of these statistics illustrate how incredible Haaland has been for City in recent years and why it is so important for Guardiola to get him back to his best in the coming weeks.

However, it remains to be seen how long he will remain a Cityzens player for, amid reported interest from Real Madrid, and the club may have already sold their long-term replacement for the former Dortmund man in Liam Delap.

Why Manchester City sold Liam Delap

In the summer transfer window earlier this year, Manchester City decided to cash in on the son of Rory Delap. They sold him to newly-promoted Ipswich Town for a reported fee of £15m with £5m in potential add-ons.

Whilst it was never officially revealed why they decided to make that call, City may have moved the 21-year-old centre-forward on after an unspectacular season in the Championship with Hull City.

The England U21 international spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan with the Tigers and only managed a return of eight goals and two assists in 31 appearances in the second tier, which was far from a prolific return.

That came after the young marksman had scored four goals in 37 matches for Preston North End and Stoke City combined on loan in the previous Championship season.

U18

17

11

7

Youth League

2

0

0

U23

36

35

9

First-team

6

1

0

As you can see in the table above, those loans in the second tier came after his incredibly prolific time at academy level with the Manchester City youth teams.

Delap showcased Haaland-esque potential with his 46 goals and 16 assists in 53 games at U18 and U23 level combined, but did not translate that kind of form to his time at senior level with Preston, Stoke, or Hull.

His failure to score goals on a regular basis in the Championship may, therefore, have been why Guardiola decided to part ways with the striker in the summer, despite also selling Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid.

Liam Delap's form this season

The 21-year-old star’s form since moving to Ipswich suggests that his departure was a mistake and that City may have already sold their long-term replacement for Haaland, if he moves on to another club in the future.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Delap has hit the ground running in the Premier League, despite playing for a team that has won one game so far, with a return of six goals in 11 matches.

Whilst that is not outstanding by Manchester City or Haaland’s standards it may be just as impressive, if not more so, than what the Norway international has done this term, given the xG shown for both players in the graphic above.

Delap has been incredibly efficient and ruthless in front of goal with the limited chances that have come his way, and starred against Man City’s next opponents with a goal and an assist against Spurs in his last league game.

Such has been the quality of his performances in the Premier League for the Tractor Boys, Caught Offside recently reported that Manchester City – alongside the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle – are interested in signing the £33m-rated star.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig claimed that the forward has a “huge future” in the Premier League, and hailed the “complete” number nine’s “powerful” finishing, which has been on display for Ipswich this term.

At the age of 21, Delap still has plenty of time left to develop and improve and has already shown potential to be a fantastic centre-forward in the top-flight if he can build on his performances for the Tractor Boys.

His form at youth level for Manchester City shows that he has the knack for scoring goals on a regular basis and if he can kick on and reach those heights in senior football, Guardiola may regret cashing in on his next Haaland.

Man City now watching "elite" £51m Rodri replacement who rejected Liverpool

He stole plenty of headlines in the summer…

ByTom Cunningham Nov 17, 2024

A twist has emerged regarding Leeds United’s pursuit of free agent Cheikhou Kouyate, according to a fresh update from journalist Adam Pope.

Reports say Leeds agree Kouyate deal

We may be in between the summer and January transfer windows currently, but that doesn’t mean a big Whites rumour isn’t doing the rounds.

According to recent claims, Leeds had agreed a deal to sign free agent Kouyate, who was most recently at Nottingham Forest, prior to leaving the Premier League side at the end of last season.

The 34-year-old is said to have completed a medical at the Championship club, coming in and adding a huge amount of experience and quality in the middle of the park just when needed.

While it has looked as though Kouyate is on the verge of ending his stint as a free agent and becoming a Leeds player, bolstering their promotion push in the process, a new update has offered a twist on the matter.

Twist emerges regarding Kouyate to Leeds

Taking to X on Saturday, Pope claimed that Kouyate’s move to Leeds is still in the balance, suggesting that things aren’t quite as far along as they first appeared of a deal being agreed.

This may frustrate Leeds supporters, considering it looked as though a deal for Kouyate had been agreed and Daniel Farke had acquired the services of a proven top-level footballer.

Last year, Steve Cooper heaped praise on the veteran midfielder during their time together at Forest, saying of him: “He’s in contention to start. Cheikhou has great experience in the Premier League and he’s a big voice in the dressing room. He’s a fantastic character, a great guy, very happy, but very committed as well. He’s a real man’s man in terms of leadership.”

With Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu both out with relatively long-term injuries for Leeds currently, it is paramount that they bring in a midfielder who can help fill the void in front of the defence to rival Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell. The injured pair are both key men and failing to replace them could have a hugely detrimental impact on their promotion hopes.

Granted, Kouyate is now arguably past the absolute peak of his powers, considering he is 34 years of age, but there is no reason why he can’t still do a good job in the Championship, having been playing Premier League football earlier this year.

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He’s impressed…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 11, 2024

He has made 291 appearances in the top flight, which says so much about his quality and consistently, while 92 caps for Senegal is also eye-catching, showing that he has been a vital player for his country over many years. Hopefully, a deal will be struck with Leeds, even if it is only on a short-term basis.

The year hasn’t been ideal for Sri Lanka in terms of World Cup preparations. Three of their premier white-ball batters have been handed year-long suspensions, and another is just feeling his way back from injury. But head coach Mickey Arthur believes his side is coming together nicely, even if the batting remains a work in progress.”I think the good thing with squad we’ve got at the moment is that we can be flexible, we can certainly be flexible in terms of how we set our team up,” Arthur, speaking a day ahead of his team’s flight out to Oman for the T20 World Cup first round, said. Sri Lanka have to slug it out with seven other teams to get to the main competition, featuring the top-eight teams and four qualifiers.Related

• T20 World Cup: Sri Lanka add Dananjaya, Kumara, Binura and Nissanka to squad

• Jayawardene to join SL support staff during T20 WC qualifiers

• Sandakan, Nissanka among five additions to SL squad

“I’ve been watching the IPL very intently because we’re going to be playing on the same wickets [during the World Cup]. Looking at the conditions, we’ll probably go two seamers and two spinners, and then our allrounders, and potentially another part time spinner from our top-order batsman. But we are flexible enough – if the wickets dry out considerably – to go with three out-and-out spinners.”Sri Lanka begin their T20 World Cup campaign on October 18 with the first of three qualifying games – against Namibia, Ireland and the Netherlands – but prior to that, they square off in two T20s against Oman on October 7 and 9. The team will also have two warm-up games, against Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea, on October 12 and 14.While the calibre of the competition in these games might not be as high as what Sri Lanka re likely to face if they make it to the World Cup proper, at this point, simply playing some competitive cricket is arguably the most important thing. Especially in terms of getting the batting in gear.”That [the batting] is an area we’ve worked extremely hard on over the past nine days. We’ve had three practice games, we’ve had some skill sessions to prepare players to sweep, we identified where and how we want our players to play. We’ve almost scripted a game,” Arthur said. “I think if our batting clicks it’ll give us a really good chance, because I think our bowling attack is very good and our fielding standards have improved dramatically.”We’ve been very clear in what we want our players to do in terms of our match practice, and then we’ve gone to nets after that, reviewed it and practiced it. So, I’m really comfortable now that we have got better at it. But it’s certainly a work in progress. There’s no magic wand here.”One of key areas being looked at has been Sri Lanka’s running between the wickets. In a team lacking big-hitters, Arthur believes an ability to limit dot balls would be crucial in being able to set and chase imposing totals. “That’s something I’ve been working on for the last nine months with our group,” he said. “It’s easy to stand and try and hit boundaries, but having the ability to deflect a ball into a gap off a good ball is a real art. That’s the real art of batsmanship. So, we’ve done a lot of drills during this phase, and we’ve harped on that.”That said, in Chamika Karunaratne, Sri Lanka do have one player capable of clearing the boundary comfortably – as showcased numerous times in the recent home series against South Africa. In a squad that allows for a lot of flexibility, Karunaratne would likely play a key role in helping up the tempo for the side when necessary.Mickey Arthur gives his final decision during a nets session•PA Images via Getty Images

“He will have a floating role,” Arthur said. “What we’ve done over the last couple of training sessions and practice games is that we’ve given clear identification as to at what stage each player comes to the wicket, and what’s the skill set required for that particular stage of the game.”So he clearly fits in there. We want to get him probably overs 15-20, so that him, Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga sort of fix that berth for us.”However, without the suspended top-order trio of Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella, much of the batting responsibility would have to be shouldered by Kusal Perera, himself on his way back from injury.”That [the suspensions] was a massive blow for us. You’re talking about three of your top-five batters in the white-ball format there. That was a bitter pill to swallow for sure. You suddenly got back to square one in terms of your planning again,” Arthur said. “It was really disappointing, but it led us to find the likes of Charith Asalanka, who has come on beautifully, Kamindu Mendis, who’s playing beautifully, Pathum Nissanka probably got another opportunity again. It’s allowed Dinesh Chandimal to come back into the mix. Bhanuka Rajapaksa to come back into the mix. So out of that adversity it’s allowed opportunities to other players.”As for Perera, Arthur confirmed that the former skipper had been taking part in the intra-squad matches over the past few days and shown “absolutely no signs of injury” – though the plan was still to ease him back in to the side. “He has been working unbelievably hard with the physio. He batted today, he went out and setup the innings beautifully with young Pathum Nissanka. He played an exceptional innings and showed absolutely no signs of any injury. We’ll still take it slow with him, because he’s one of our major players.”We’ll have him in tip-top condition come the first game on the 18th. But how do we use him in the coming games? Perhaps he plays two out of four.”

Arsenal might have won heading into the October international break, but Mikel Arteta’s side didn’t make it easy for themselves against a spirited Southampton side who remain second-bottom in the Premier League table.

Cameron Archer stunned the hosts before the hour mark by putting winless Southampton ahead, but Arsenal’s resolve rose swiftly to the fore as Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli turned the tide.

There was one man in particular who deserved the plaudits above his peers. Bukayo Saka proved that he is very much a part of Europe’s elite players with another statement showing against the Saints.

Bukayo Saka's performance v Southampton

Saka’s goal and two assists have taken his seasonal tally up to ten goal contributions from as many matches, and his talismanic aura could hold sway as the Gunners look to chase down the Premier League title.

Bukayo Saka’s Performance v Southampton
Match Stats	#
Minutes played	90
Goals	1
Assists	2
Touches	72
Accurate passes	35/39 (90%)
Key passes	7
Dribbles (completed)	2 (0)
Tackles	1
Total duels (won)	13 (3)
Stats via Sofascore

It was an efficient display. Though, perhaps that is cutting it a little short: Saka produced a masterclass in playmaking to keep his side apace with Manchester City and just a single point behind first-placed Liverpool – with the Reds coming to the Emirates later this month.

The England international was the fulcrum of all that was good for the hosts, turning the game on its head and ensuring that his strikers were effectively served before turning to get his own name on the scoresheet to seal the victory.

It’s a good thing that the England international was in top form because not all of his peers were. Indeed, Gabriel Jesus flattered to deceive in north London, and must now be dropped.

Gabriel Jesus must now be dropped

Jesus has endured a tough start to the season, only playing 19 minutes of football across four cameos in the Premier League before Arteta handed him a role from the opening against Southampton. The centre-forward was hooked on the hour mark with the scores level, which says it all.

As per Sofascore, the 27-year-old mustered up only three wayward shots and completed nine passes. His 20 touches accentuated the marginal role that he played, with even shot-stopper David Raya taking more – 27 in total – despite the visitors having struggled for purchase in their attacking third, holding 41% of possession.

Football.london’s Kaya Kaynak was not impressed either. He branded Jesus with a 5/10 match rating after failing to play his part. Jesus was handed a glorious opportunity to stake his claim, and candidly, he did anything but.

He wrote: “Given the chance to impress up top and struggled to really grab it. Movement in the box did not trouble Southampton and didn’t manage an effort on target in the game. Looks a little low on confidence right now.”

With Martinelli and Leandro Trossard both starting the fixture on the bench, it’s clear that there are plenty of options to make Arsenal purr that do not call for Jesus’ starting presence.

It’s a harsh truth, but Arteta’s system simply isn’t at its zenith with the Brazilian at the spearhead, and with everything on the line this season, tough calls are needed.

Not just Mudryk: Arsenal wanted to sign £46m star but got Trossard instead

The Gunners made the right choice in January 2023.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 4, 2024

Celtic’s perfect start to the 2024/25 campaign continued with a thumping 6-0 victory over St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.

The Hoops have now won all six of their games in the top-flight and are yet to concede a goal, with Kasper Schmeichel on six clean sheets in six appearances for the club in the league since his move from Anderlecht in the summer transfer window.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have also won both of their League Cup ties and their one outing in the Champions League, which means that they have won all nine of their games in all competitions.

Their impressive record may face the toughest test yet, however, as they face Borussia Dortmund away from home in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Rodgers will need his best players to step up to the mark and shine against the Bundesliga giants to record a tenth straight win in all competitions this season.

One star who has hit the ground running and emerged as one of the club’s best players since his move to Parkhead in the summer transfer window is central midfielder Arne Engels.

Arne Engels' fast start to life at Celtic

The Scottish giants swooped to sign the 21-year-old starlet from Augsburg last month and the Belgium international has been an instant success at Paradise.

Celtic splashed out a club-record transfer fee of £11m to sign the Bundesliga gem and this shows how much faith they had in the young ace, as they were willing to smash their transfer record to bring him to Scotland.

There was no guarantee that Engels would hit the ground running this season, however, as the midfielder only started 13 of his 32 appearances in the Bundesliga last term, which means that he did not arrive at Parkhead having been a regular starter for his former club.

The midfield whiz has very quickly shown, though, that he is more than good enough to play week-in-week-out for Celtic in the Premiership.

Engels has already produced two goals and two assists in five appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, including a goal and an assist on his Champions League debut – for the club and in his career – against Slovan earlier this month.

Appearances

3

Sofascore rating

7.43

Goals

1

Big chances created

1

Dribble success rate

100%

Duel success rate

60%

As you can see in the table above, the £11m-rated ace has been a terrific operator in the middle of the park for Rodgers with his contributions in and out of possession.

Engels, who also made a whopping six tackles against Slovan, has won the majority of his physical duels and this shows that he has quickly adapted to the physicality of the Scottish game, despite his young age.

The Belgian sensation has been one of the stars of the show for Celtic but there is another gem in the squad who is fast becoming the club’s best player over the former Bundesliga maestro – Liam Scales.

Liam Scales' performance against St Johnstone

The Ireland international once again lined up in the heart of the defence against St Johnstone on Saturday and produced another fantastic display at the back.

He was tasked with playing alongside another left-footed centre-back, in Auston Trusty, due to Cameron Carter-Vickers’ absence through injury, and maintained his impressive performance level that he has had all season.

The former Aberdeen loanee provided a dominant and composed presence to help Celtic to their sixth straight clean sheet in the Premiership.

Ground duels won

1/3

3/4

Aerial duels won

4/5

11/11

Tackles + interceptions

2

3

Clearances

1

2

Passes completed

102

98

As you can see in the table above, Scales won 14 of his 15 duels to dominate the St Johnstone attackers and completed a similar number of passes to his centre-back partner, who did not have anywhere near as much joy in his defensive duels.

This was not a one-off performance from the Irish colossus, however, as his performances throughout the Premiership season so far have been superb to watch, and he is proving himself to be the best player in the squad this season.

Liam Scales' performances this season

The 26-year-old monster has started all six of the club’s league matches and played every single minute, as the Hoops have kept six clean sheets.

He has brilliantly protected Schmeichel between the sticks with his dominant defensive displays to keep the ball away from the Danish shot-stopper.

Scales has won 71% of his ground duels and 76% of his aerial battles in the Premiership, which shows that opposition attackers have found it incredibly difficult to get the better of him in physical contests.

The Irish brute has also made 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game and has remained composed in possession of the ball, with a pass success rate of 93%.

These statistics show that Scales has been pivotal to the club’s sensational clean sheet record, as his defensive dominance, his tackles and interceptions, and his reliability on the ball, have all helped to keep opposition teams away from the Celtic goal.

Sofascore rating

8.1

Duels won

9/13

Tackles

5

Clearances

3

Goals

1

As you can see in the table above, the Irishman also caught the eye in his performance against Slovan in the Champions League at Parkhead earlier this month.

The central defender opened the scoring with a thumping header from Engels’ corner and went on to provide defensive stability with nine duels and five tackles won throughout the match.

Scales has proven his quality in the Premiership and in Europe already this season and has shown himself to be a key figure at the back for Rodgers, and arguably his best player.

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Stars like Engels, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Nicolas Kuhn only get to do what they do in the final third because of the platform that Scales’ defensive dominance provides them with, which is why you could argue that he is fast becoming the team’s best player.

As a club, Arsenal haven’t always had the best of records when it comes to the transfer market.

The North Londoners have spent their fair share of money on players who were never worth their initial price tags, like Nicolas Pepe, simply not good enough, like Shkrodan Mustafi, and while he was a loan signing, they also brought in a player with a broken back in Kim Kallstrom.

However, in the last few years, under the leadership of Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar, the Gunners have become shrewd operators in the market and, as a whole, have seen their signings work out.

For example, one of their additions last season, who received plenty of criticism early on, has since become one of the most essential starters in the team.

David Raya's first season

Yes, the player in question is Spanish goalkeeper David Raya, who was a surprise loan signing last summer, and we say surprise as going into that window, there was minimal discussion about Arsenal needing a new number one to replace fan favourite Aaron Ramsdale between the sticks.

In fact, many in the fanbase and media believed it was an utterly unnecessary addition to the team at the time, so both Arteta and the former Brentford ace came in for plenty of criticism and scrutiny.For example, former Manchester City and Newcastle United keeper Shay Given claimed that it looked like the manager was “signing a problem” at the time.

It was a mixed start to life in the team for the Barcelona-born shot-stopper as well, as even though he made a stunning save against Spurs in just his third appearance, he didn’t look entirely comfortable early on in the season and made some relatively high-profile and costly errors in the games away to Chelsea and Newcastle United.

In fact, despite finding his feet in the second half of the campaign, former professional and pundit Gary Neville found another way to criticise the 29-year-old, as he described his kicking in the 0-0 draw away to City as “terrible”, which, given the final result, felt quite nitpicky.

However, despite the outside noise and the occasional errors, Arteta could see what Raya brought to the team and stood by him, and after the start of this season, it just looks like another thing he’s got right.

Raya this season

Unsurprisingly, Raya has started all four of Arsenal’s games this season, and to say he’s been sensational would be downplaying it.

For example, he made a fantastic reaction save to keep the Gunners in the lead against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the club’s opening match.

The 29-year-old then took things a step further and kept this team in the game against Aston Villa by pulling off the save of the month to deny Ollie Watkins what looked to be a guaranteed goal.

He made five saves and won 100% of his duels against the Seagulls. Then, against Spurs on Sunday, he remained alert to the danger throughout the 95 minutes of action, and when he was called upon, he made several brilliant stops, and as fans have now become accustomed to, was a monster in the air.

Overall, the “outstanding” international, as data analyst Ben Mattinson has dubbed him, has firmly established himself as one of the most important players in the Arsenal squad and has become utterly undroppable.

Appearances

45

Clean Sheets

23

Goals Conceded

32

Goals Conceded per Game

0.71

Points per Game

2.20

Ultimately, the questions surrounding Raya’s signing last summer weren’t crazy at the time, but in the year since, they have been made to look so, and once again, Arteta has been proven right.

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Sri Lanka batsman Avishka Fernando has been ruled out of the ODIs against England with a grade two tear to his quadriceps. Fernando had picked up the injury while fielding in the second T20I, in Cardiff, and had not played in the third match in Southampton.The injury is particularly disappointing for Fernando, because this had been his first tour with the national team since the start of the pandemic. Earlier this year, he had missed out on limited-overs squads to West Indies and Bangladesh because he had failed fitness tests.Although Fernando would have likely been in the first-choice XI, Sri Lanka have several batsmen capable of playing in the top three in his place. Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Oshada Fernando and Pathum Nissanka have all batted in the top three in the past (Nissanka mainly for his domestic teams).Fernando’s absence, however, does weaken Sri Lanka ahead of an already daunting assignment. Not only are Sri Lanka ranked ninth in ODIs while England are fourth (as well as the format’s World Champions), they have also lost six of their last eight completed ODIs against England.Sri Lanka were also easily whitewashed in the three-match T20I series that concluded on Saturday.

Over the last few years, Arsenal have been transformed from a bit of a joke into serious and consistent title challengers.

Much of this dramatic change is due to Mikel Arteta's management and somewhat unorthodox leadership style, although another reason the club have become a real force again has been the players signed by the Spaniard and Sporting Director Edu Gaspar.

For example, the pair welcomed stars like Ben White, Gabriel, Declan Rice, and even club captain Martin Odegaard, who are now essential members of the first team.

However, there is another star that Arteta signed in recent years who is worth even more than the mercurial Norwegian.

Odegaard's Arsenal career

Arsenal first signed Odegaard on a six-month loan in January 2021, and while he certainly showed glimpses of quality during his time at the club, a return of two goals and two assists in 20 appearances wasn't mind-blowing, and perhaps masked his real quality somewhat.

Nevertheless, Arteta and Co had clearly seen enough during this period and opted to sign him on a permanent deal from Real Madrid that August for a fee in the region of £30m with £4m worth of add-ons, which, based on his performances since, may well have been activated.

In his first full campaign with the club, the then-22-year-old upped his game, ending the season with seven goals and five assists in 40 appearances. The next couple of years would see the Drammen-born dynamo show the world just how talented he really is.

Appearances

156

Goals

35

Assists

25

Goal Involvements per Match

0.38

For example, in 22/23, the 59-capped international scored a remarkable 15 goals from midfield in 45 appearances and provided seven assists, while last season, he scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists in 48 games for the club.

It would be fair to say that, given his output and the fact that he's now the club's captain, the fee paid by Arsenal just over three years ago was a bargain, especially as Odegaard is now worth around €74m, according to Football Transfers, which is about £62m.

However, even at this new price, the Norwegian international is worth considerably less than another one of Arteta's recent signings.

Kai Havertz's valuation in 2024

Yes, the signing in question is none other than Kai Havertz, who cost Arsenal £65m to get out of Chelsea last summer.

Now, the move itself was something of a surprise, as in the campaign prior, the German international had flattered to deceive in West London, ending the season with just nine goals and one assist in 47 appearances for the Blues, but while others were confused by the transfer, Arteta clearly saw something in the then 24-year-old, and after his first year in North London, the Spaniard was spot on.

However, to be completely honest, the former Bayer Leverkusen ace endured a campaign of two halves last season, one which saw him struggle in midfield and another that saw him thrive up top.

For example, in the 32 appearances he made in midfield, the German international scored just six goals, equating to an underwhelming average of a goal involvement once every 5.33 games.

However, in the 18 appearances he made as a centre-forward, the "sensational" talent, as dubbed by Arteta, scored eight goals and provided seven assists, meaning he maintained a seriously impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.20 games.

Appearances

51

18

Goals

14

8

Assists

7

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.41

0.83

Moreover, in the three matches he has played this season, the 25-year-old has already scored two goals and provided one assist, suggesting that his great form in the number nine position last season was no fluke.

This incredible turnaround, combined with his relatively young age and lengthy contract, has seen his valuation soar, with Football Transfers now pricing the Arsenal ace at around €94m, which is about £79m, or £17m more than his captain.

Ultimately, the Gunners are lucky to have both Odegaard and Havertz in their team at the moment, and while both are incredibly important to Arteta's vision, the latter is currently more of a goal threat, and his new valuation reflects that.

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