انتقد أحمد شوبير، الإعلامي بقناة النادي الأهلي، تصريحات وتصرفات إسلام شكري رئيس قطاع الناشئين بنادي بيراميدز، بعد أزمة فريق الشباب أمام الأهلي التي ألغيت مساء الإثنين، بعد احتجاج من مسؤولي بيراميدز على احتساب ركلة جزاء لصالح المارد الأحمر.
وشهدت مباراة الأهلي وبيراميدز في بطولة الجمهورية، حالة من الجدل بعد اعتراض مسؤولو نادي بيراميدز على احتساب الحكم ركلة جزاء لصالح الأهلي، وتم إلغاء اللقاء.
طالع | بيراميدز يوضح تفاصيل أزمة مباراة فريق الشباب أمام الأهلي
وقال شوبير خلال تصريحات عبر قناة الأهلي لبرنامج “حارس الأهلي”: “مباراة الأهلي وبيراميدز للناشئين، بعد ثلاث دقائق، الحكم أعطى ضربة جزاء للنادي الأهلي، بصرف النظر عن صحتها من عدمها، في مباراة الناشئين لا يوجد فار، دكة بيراميدز دخلت الملعب، ودكة النادي الأهلي ليس لها علاقة”.
وأضاف: “الكابتن وليد سليمان ليس له علاقة بالأمر لا من قريب ولا من بعيد، كل الناس اللي دخلت كلها خاصة بنادي بيراميدز”.
وتابع: “الكابتن إسلام شكري قال إن كابتن وليد سليمان دخل معي، اعترضنا على الحكم، أنا أقول له مين يعترض على الحكم يا كابتن إسلام؟ الكابتن وليد سليمان هيدخل يعترض على الحكم وهو حسب ركلة جزاء لمصلحة فريقة؟ (يعني إزاي؟ الأمر عامل إزاي؟)”.
وواصل: “لاعبو بيراميدز لم يكن لديهم أي مشكلة في استكمال المباراة، حتى الإداريين، الحكم قام بطرد كابتن إسلام شكري، وقال له: “اتفضل يا كابتن بره”، فقال له: “لا، أنا مش طالع””.
وزاد شوبير: “شكري رفض تماماً الخروج، هي كل القصة رفض تام للخروج، وكأننا بنلعب في دورة رمضانية مثلاً، أو بنلعب في مباراة في الشارع، طبعاً هذا أمر لا يليق”.
واستطرد: “الحكم انتظر الوقت المسموح وأطلق صافرة نهاية المباراة، والأهلي عمل إثبات حالة، لكن الحقيقة وأنا أتحدث اليوم مع أحد المسؤولين في نادي بيراميدز قال: “بنرفض تماماً هذا الأمر، إحنا الحمد لله بنكون شعبية، وأمورنا بقت أفضل وأحسن، الحمد لله الناس شافت إن نادي بيراميدز ماشي بشكل جيد، ولن نسمح لأحد – أياً كان – إنه يبوّظ لنا الصورة اللي إحنا فيها”.
وأتم شوبير: “المسؤول في بيراميدز قال نحن نعيش أزهى عصورنا، وحصلنا على بطولة إفريقيا والسوبر الإفريقي، لا نريد أي شيء يعكر لنا هذا الشكل، بالطبع الأمور هتخضع لتحقيقات، ثم في النهاية تكون هناك قرارات رادعة بإذن الله”.
Manchester United made an approach to sign a “brilliant” player, but they were too late, with bitter rivals Liverpool winning the race for his signature.
Man Utd's summer signings under question after poor start
Despite a 3-2 victory over Burnley last time out offering some respite, Man United have undoubtedly made a poor start to the new campaign, having infamously been knocked out of the EFL Cup by League Two side Grimsby Town at the second-round stage.
As such, there are some justified concerns about some of the Red Devils’ summer acquisitions, not least Benjamin Sesko, who is yet to make his mark, having mainly been utlised as a substitute, and failed to open his goal-scoring account.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskoreacts
However, Sesko believes he will soon find his feet once he adjusts to the Premier League, recently saying: “The level of the matches is certainly much higher, the players and teammates are also at a higher level,”
“After all, English football is at the highest level in the world of football.
“But I am very much looking forward to the coming period, also because I am getting better and faster in every training session, and I am also progressing in my football mentality every day.”
Man Utd now plan to smash transfer record for £100m "powerhouse" in 2026
United are gearing up to make a huge bid for one of their prime targets next year.
ByDominic Lund Sep 3, 2025
The jury is still out on the Slovenian, but it has recently been revealed that Man United could’ve signed a different striker, who has made a flying start to life in the Premier League.
Indeed, according to a report from The Athletic, Man United made a late approach to sign Hugo Ekitike before his transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt to Liverpool, but the wheels were already in motion for a move to Anfield.
As such, United’s bitter rivals ultimately came out on top in the race for Ekitike’s signature, and he has since gone on to impress for Arne Slot’s side, although there are signs the Slovenia international could soon be capable of making a similar impact.
How Sesko's goal-scoring record compares to Ekitike's
The Frenchman, who is widely reported to earn £200k-a-week, has scored three goals in his first four games for Liverpool, with Jamie Carragher lauding the 23-year-old for the “brilliant” start he’s made to life in England.
However, Sesko actually had a slightly better goals-per-game record in the Bundesliga during his time with RB Leipzig, averaging 0.42, compared to 0.40 from Liverpool’s summer signing.
Player
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Benjamin Sesko
64
27
7
Hugo Ekitike
47
19
10
Carragher and Roy Keane also agreed that it is “too early to tell” whether Sesko will be a success, given that he is yet to be given a proper run of games, so he should not be judged properly until after the international break.
O meio-campista Nikolas se tornou o primeiro jogador investigado na Operação Penalidade Máxima a ser condenado no âmbito esportivo. Em julgamento realizado nesta segunda-feira (22), o TJD-RS definiu que o atleta do Novo Hamburgo ficará de fora dos gramados por 720 dias (dois anos) e terá de pagar uma multa de R$ 80 mil.
O jogador cometeu propositalmente um pênalti em partida contra o Esportivo, em Bento Gonçalves. De acordo com o relator, este caso era grave e não permitia que Nikolas recebesse a pena mínima, de 360 dias. Os demais auditores do TJD-RS compartilharam a visão. O atleta ainda pode recorrer ao plenário da casa. O valor da multa foi estipulado em R$ 80 mil por ser a mesma quantia que ele receberia da quadrilha que organizou a manipulação de resultados.
+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!
+Julgamento de atleta no TJD-RS é adiado; entenda o motivo!
O jogador ou qualquer representante não compareceram para sua defesa. Os auditores também se queixaram do Novo Hamburgo não enviar representantes. O clube terá de arcar com multa do mesmo valor por omissão.
Os integrantes do TJD-RS não se limitaram a avaliar as conversas entre Nikolas e os apostadores, que anteciparam pagamento de R$ 5 mil e prometeram R$ 80 mil caso a infração fosse cometida. Houve análise do lance e citações quanto à narração do jogo.
– Aqui é papo de home (sic). Se eu falei que eu vou fazer, eu vou fazer, entendeu? Eu sabia que ia entrar no jogo, então não tinha erro – disse Nikolas a um dos apostadores em mensagem interceptada pelo MP-GO.
Também era aguardado o julgamento de Jarro Pedroso, do Internacional-SM. Porém, o atleta pediu o adiamento ao TJD, para elaborar melhor sua defesa e foi atendido.
ENTENDA O CASO
A investigação sobre suspeita de manipulação de resultados teve início em novembro do ano passado. O mandatário do Vila Nova, Jorge Hugo Bravo, descobriu que jogadores do clube vinham sendo aliciados por um grupo de apostadores antes da partida contra o Sport pela Série B. O dirigente juntou provas da tentativa de manipulação e procurou os promotores que combatem o crime organizado no estado.
Oficial da Polícia Militar, Jorge Hugo Bravo descobriu que o atleta Marcos Vinícius Alves Barreira, apelidado de Romário, tinha sido aliciado. Como o jogador não foi escalado, tentou induzir algum companheiro de time a levar um cartão vermelho ou cometer um pênalti no seu lugar. O valor combinado, segundo depoimento de Romário, era de R$ 150 mil, com uma “entrada” de R$ 10 mil, conforme vídeo de seu depoimento divulgado no programa dominical “Fantástico”, da Rede Globo. Entre os vídeos,há ameaças de um integrante do esquema ao zagueiro Eduardo Bauermann, do Santos.
A investigação apontou que houve manipulações em jogos das Séries A e B do Brasileirão de 2022 e em partidas de Estaduais. O grupo pagava para que jogadores fizessem determinadas ações, como receber cartões amarelo e vermelho ou cometer pênaltis. Em paralelo, os integrantes apostavam em sites do ramo que esses lances ocorreriam durante os jogos e conseguiam lucros.
Há estimativas de que o grupo “investiu” R$ 8430,00 e somou ganhos de R$ 730.616,00. O MP-GO continuará a apurar o caso e não descarta que ocorreram manipulações de resultados em outros jogos de futebol. A Operação Penalidade Máxima está em sua segunda fase.
Leeds United had a problem between the posts last season. First-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier had an inconsistent campaign, despite keeping 21 clean sheets and conceding just 27 goals in 39 Championship games. As per Sofascore, he had a save percentage of 70.1%.
However, he made constant errors throughout the season. One of those came against Sunderland, where he failed to catch a ball slowly bouncing towards him in the penalty box, allowing the ball to shoot through his hands and into the back of the net. Former Leeds player Aidy White told BBC Radio Leeds that his old club have “got to drop” the Frenchman.
Leeds United's IllanMeslier
So, it might not come as a surprise that Daniel Farke’s side are after a new goalkeeper this summer, with a couple of names seemingly on their shortlist.
Leeds target new goalkeeper
So, it seems the Whites are definitely in the market for a new shot stopper this summer. After some poor mistakes from Meslier last term, Farke appears to want a new number one. According to a recent report from TEAMTalk, Yahia Fofana of Ligue 1 side Angers is an option.
However, he is not the only goalkeeper from the French top flight that Leeds are targeting. The same report suggests that the Yorkshire side’s number one target is Lyon’s Brazilian shot-stopper Lucas Perri. He has been described as a ‘prime target’ for the Whites.
TEAMTalk clarify that ‘contact has been made’ with the Brazilian’s camp already, having ‘caught the attention of Leeds’ recruitment team’ after impressing for Lyon. A fee of around £20m could be enough to secure his services this summer.
Why Perri would be a good signing
27-year-old Perri got a big move to Europe back in 2024, after impressing in the Brazilian top flight, most recently with Botafogo. He has since gone on to perform well in a Lyon shirt, which seems to have certainly piqued Leeds’ interest.
Last term for Les Gones, Perri, who was born in Valinhos, just outside of Sao Paulo, made 45 appearances across all competitions in 2024/25. In that time, he conceded 60 goals and kept 13 clean sheets.
Looking at Ligue 1 specifically, his numbers are impressive. He played 33 top-flight games, conceding 44 times and keeping ten clean sheets. Football analyst Ben Mattinson described him as “one of the best” in his position when he was at Botafogo, and it is not hard to see why, looking at those numbers.
Of course, Leeds have a good history when it comes to buying Brazilian talents from Ligue 1. Former winger Raphinha, who is now tearing things up in La Liga with Barcelona, is “ahead” in the race for the Ballon d’Or, according to the legendary Thierry Henry.
Leeds fans will never forget the contributions he put in at Elland Road before his move to Barca. In two seasons at the club, he scored 17 goals and grabbed 12 assists.
That included one last vital goal, a penalty away to Brentford in his final game for the club, which helped Leeds stay in the Premier League.
The Elland Road faithful would surely love to find the second coming of Raphinha in Perri. The track record of newly-promoted clubs staying in the top flight is not good recently, with all six sides going straight back down in the last two years.
However, the stats from Squawka suggest he is a goalkeeper who can help keep them in the Premier League. Perri had a 72.5% save percentage, higher than Meslier’s last season, and averaged 3.6 saves per 90 minutes in 2024/25.
Perrin key stats in 2024/25 Ligue 1 season
Stat
Total
Per 90 mins
Save percentage
72.5%
72.5%
Clean sheets
10
0.4
Long passes completed
122
3.7
Goals conceded
44
1.4
Saves made
116
3.6
Stats from Squawka
Raphinha was the hero for Leeds at one end of the pitch during his spell at the club. If Farke’s side can secure the services of another Brazilian star from Ligue 1 in Perri, perhaps he could have the same impact as his countryman at the other end.
For just £20m, this could be a fantastic addition for Leeds. The “undervalued” talent – as described by Mattinson – would represent an upgrade on Meslier and could be a key part in their survival.
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Glasgow Rangers supporters were able to see a number of their new signings in competitive action for the first time against Panathinaikos at Ibrox on Tuesday night.
Emmanuel Fernandez was an unused substitute and Thelo Aasgaard missed the match through injury, but Max Aarons, Joe Rothwell, Djeidi Gassama, and Nasser Djiga all made their debuts for the Scottish Premiership giants.
Russell Martin’s side secured a 2-0 win in front of their home supporters to take a strong lead over to Greece next week, and new signing Gassama introduced himself with a bang by scoring the second goal shortly after coming off the bench in the second half.
The former Sheffield Wednesday forward brilliantly cut inside from the left flank to rifle a shot into the back of the net from range, and fans will hope that that goal is the first of many.
Whilst the likes of Gassama and Findlay Curtis caught the eye with their goals, there were also some Rangers players who struggled against Panathinaikos.
Kieran Dowell was one of those strugglers under the lights at Ibrox on Tuesday night, and it remains to be seen if he has a future in Glasgow beyond this summer.
Why Rangers should sell Kieran Dowell
The Scottish Sun reported earlier this month that the English attacking midfielder is one of a number of players who the club are looking to cash in on before the end of the transfer window.
Dowell spent the second half of the 2024/25 campaign on loan with Birmingham City in League One in England, after it was deemed that he was not good enough for the Gers squad in January, but he is now back in Glasgow and has been utilised by Martin.
The Rangers head coach opted to select Dowell as a starter against Panathinaikos on Tuesday, but the left-footed dud’s performance did not reward Martin for his faith in the former Norwich man.
A theme of the midfielder’s career at Ibrox to date has been a lack of conviction in the final third to really influence matches with goals and assists, which was the case once again.
Vs Panathinaikos
Kieran Dowell
Minutes played
75
Shots on target
0
Big chances missed
1
Key passes
0
Big chances created
0
Duels won
5/7
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Dowell failed to create any chances for his teammates and did not work the keeper with any shots in 75 minutes of action on the pitch for the Light Blues.
The 27-year-old flop has only scored two goals and produced two assists in 33 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants to date, which shows that he rarely makes a difference in front of goal as an attacking midfielder or right winger.
Dowell has simply not done enough in a Rangers shirt to suggest that he should have a long-term future as a regular under Martin, and his performance on Tuesday did not change that.
This is why the club should be looking to move on from him this summer, and they could take a big step towards doing so by signing a replacement for him in the form of Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.
Why Rangers should sign Jesurun Rak-Sakyi
Earlier this month, it was reported that Martin is pushing the club to secure a loan deal for Crystal Palace youngster Jesurun Rak-Sakyi this summer.
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The Gers boss wanted to sign the English winger during his time in charge of both Swansea and Southampton, but failed, and is hoping that this will be the third time lucky in a loan swoop for the forward, who is valued at £10m by the Premier League side.
Rangers could finally replace Dowell and ensure that they can afford to move on from him this summer by signing Rak-Sakyi to be the left-footed right winger in the team this season.
The English dud operated as a right-sided attacker against Panathinaikos, in the role that Vaclav Cerny played during his time on loan at Ibrox next season, and the Palace youngster would be an ideal signing to come in and play in that position.
He is a left-footed winger who likes to cut inside onto his favoured foot to make things happen at the top end of the pitch, as both a scorer and a creator of goals for his side.
The 22-year-old wing wizard racked up an eye-catching haul of 15 goals and nine assists for Charlton in the 2022/23 campaign, along with seven goals and two assists in all competitions for Sheffield United last term.
24/25 Championship per 90
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi
Percentile rank vs wingers
xG
0.32
Top 13%
Goals
0.36
Top 11%
xA
0.18
Top 22%
Assists
0.10
Bottom 46%
Chances created
1.51
Top 31%
Dribbles completed
2.44
Top 7%
Touches in the opposition box
7.69
Top 2%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, the Palace loanee shone in the final third in the Championship for the Blades, ranking highly among his positional peers in a host of key attacking metrics, as he scored goals and created chances at an impressive rate.
These statistics suggest that Rak-Sakyi, who was once dubbed “remarkable” by Roy Hodgson, has the potential and quality to come in and offer far more than Dowell has in the final third for the Gers, given that he scored more goals for Sheffield United last season than the English dud has managed in two seasons at Ibrox.
Put simply, Rangers need more goal contributions from the right wing position, given the lack of quality that Dowell offers in that role, and that is why they should be pushing to bring Rak-Sakyi in to replace him.
That would then free up the space in the squad, with the likes of Gassama and Aasgaard also coming in the door, to allow the club to move on from the former Norwich and Everton man without worrying about how it affects the depth of the squad for the 2025/26 campaign.
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Needing 393 to beat Lancashire and keep their hopes of winning their first Vitality County Championship title alive, Somerset ended the third day’s play at Emirates Old Trafford on 204 for 6, still 189 runs short of their target.Should they succeed in their now deeply improbable task, Somerset will take their battle with Surrey into the final week of the season. However, defeat would relegate Lancashire, who will also be playing Division Two cricket next season regardless of their own results if Nottinghamshire take ten points from their final match at home to Warwickshire, who would also need five points from that game.From yesterday’s play, Luke Wells made 130 in Lancashire’s second-innings total of 398 but Archie Vaughan responded with 68 to give his side some hope of mounting what would be the highest fourth-innings run-chase against Lancashire.Those hopes were greatly diminished when George Balderson removed both Vaughan and Tom Kohler-Cadmore after tea but Kacey Aldridge and James Rew looked set to ensure Somerset suffered no further losses. Alas, Aldridge was caught by Matty Hurst off Luke Wells for 19 when there were only four balls left in the day’s play.In a slightly extended morning session, Lancashire added exactly 100 runs for the loss of their last three wickets. Wells and George Balderson went about their business carefully in the first hour, adding just 36 runs to their side’s overnight score of 298 for 7.However, a thick-edged three to third man off Aldridge took Wells to his second hundred of the season. He had faced 196 balls, hit 12 fours and a six and had batted with a fluency that made one wonder why he had struggled for so much of the season.Wells and Balderson had taken their partnership to 135, thereby setting a new eighth-wicket partnership for Lancashire against Somerset, before Wells was leg before wicket for 130 when attempting to reverse-sweep Jack Leach.Tom Bailey was also leg before to Leach for a single and the innings ended when Balderson was bowled by Brett Randell for 47. Leach finished with 3 for 57 and Randell took 3 for 71.Somerset’s pursuit of 393 began atrociously when Andy Umeed charged down the wicket to Bailey’s second ball, tried to drive it through the covers and had his off stump knocked out of the ground.But that misjudgement was followed by a fine 105-run partnership for the second wicket between Vaughan and Tom Lammonby, a stand that was only ended when Lammonby played over the top of a full-length ball from Wells and was bowled for 49.By then, though, Vaughan had reached his maiden first-class fifty off 84 balls but the afternoon session still ended badly for Somerset when Tom Abell was leg before wicket to Anderson Phillip for five.Nine overs into the evening session, Vaughan was caught at slip by George Bell for 68 to leave his side on 146 for 4 and the same combination accounted for Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who made 23 before edging a lifter to slip.However, in the first gloomy conditions of the game, Aldridge and Rew successfully defied Lancashire’s attack until Wells struck that final crucial blow. Balderson has so far taken 2 for 33 from 14 overs.
Leeds United will be looking to offload some deadwood ahead of venturing back up to the Premier League.
Indeed, Daniel Farke will know he needs everyone singing off the same hymn sheet to be a success in such a daunting division, meaning personnel such as Illan Meslier and Maximilian Wober could soon be on the chopping block, following Junior Firpo – who headed for Real Betis – out of the exit door.
Leeds United's IllanMeslierreacts
Patrick Bamford could also be another reserve figure that the German is tempted to part ways with this summer.
But, if the injury-prone 31-year-old was to stay put, he might well be a valuable option for the Whites still, based on his flashes of brilliance in the Premier League previously.
Bamford's previous form in the Premier League
The long-standing Leeds servant did let the entire 24/25 campaign pass him by without scoring a single strike, but he has displayed signs of his class in the big time before.
Bamford has netted all but one of his 24 top-flight strikes donning Leeds white, with the wonderfully taken goal above one of three strikes he managed against Aston Villa to bag a Premier League hat-trick all the way back in 2020.
Of course, it would be extremely bold to expect the 31-year-old to recapture his Premier League best, especially as a goalless season under Farke’s wing is still so fresh.
Yet, he could still be utilised as an impact option off the bench if necessary, with the four goals he bagged the last time he was at the intimidating level, coming about from just 18 starts.
Whilst the veteran still has some credit left in his bank, this other attacker has been stuck on the periphery at Elland Road for some time now without ever looking likely to redeem himself, with a loan exit this summer looking to be nailed on.
The Leeds star who is worse than Bamford
Leeds supporters will always possess a soft spot for Bamford, considering he has two Championship titles under his belt now with the West Yorkshire outfit, away from his favourable output of 60 strikes when at the peak of his powers.
In the curious case of Joe Gelhardt, however, his excellent displays at Elland Road have been even more fleeting than the 31-year-old’s, with the Liverpool-born forward last powering home a strike for the club way back in August of 2023 against Shrewsbury Town. Bamford, on the other hand, last scored in April of 2024 when Farke’s men were hunting down promotion.
24/25
3
0
0
23/24
13
1
0
22/23
19
0
3
21/22
22
2
4
That goal against the Shrews didn’t even come about in league action either, meaning Gelhardt hasn’t actually fired home a meaningful strike in the bread and butter of league football for Leeds since the 21/22 season.
The 23-year-old did amass a promising collection of five goals last season out on loan with Hull City, but Farke will hold zero confidence in Gelhardt being able to transition to Premier League life smoothly. Whereas, with Bamford, he will at least have some crumbs of comfort on his side that he can compete, even if it’s from a bit-part role.
Leeds forward Joe Gelhardt.
Therefore, instead of killing the 23-year-old’s confidence even more, Leeds will likely loan Gelhardt back out to the Championship, with journalist Graeme Bailey revealing that Wrexham and Birmingham City are interested in the out-of-sorts striker’s services.
The reporter claims that the Premier League side have told the forward that he is free to move on from Elland Road this summer, which has attracted interest from the second tier.
It will be intriguing to see what happens past this next step for Gelhardt, with Jamie Carragher once branding the former England U20 international as a “special” when he was making a name for himself in the senior side while Jamie Redknapp suggested he was “really exciting.”
Now, his future at Elland Road is arguably on even more unstable ground than Bamford’s, even as Farke begins to eye up some fresh stars up top to help Leeds adjust back to their unnerving new level.
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Leeds United could be about to land themselves a top-level Premier League talent.
Brendan Rodgers has had to oversee a lot of change on the left side of his Celtic squad, at left-back in particular, during the summer transfer window so far.
The Hoops have already added one new left-back to the team in the form of Kieran Tierney, who has returned to Parkhead on a free transfer from Premier League giants Arsenal, six years on from his initial move to the Gunners from Glasgow.
Tierney, who won five Scottish Premiership titles during his first spell at the club after coming through the academy, will be aiming to nail down a position as the first-choice left-back at Celtic once again.
The Scotland international looks set to replace compatriot Greg Taylor, who is leaving the Scottish giants this summer upon the expiry of his contract.
Fabrizio Romano, as shown in the post above, recently confirmed that the full-back has agreed a deal to sign for Greek side PAOK ahead of next season.
Another left-back who has moved on from Parkhead this summer is Jeffrey Schlupp, who spent the second half of the season on loan from Crystal Palace, and the club must now avoid a permanent deal for him.
Why Celtic should not sign Jeffrey Schlupp
The Eagles confirmed at the end of May that the left-back would not be getting a new contract at Selhurst Park, which means that he will be available on a free transfer.
Schlupp made 14 appearances, starting eight of those games, in the Premiership and the Champions League for the Hoops, and his best performance for the club came in the second leg of their Champions League play-off clash with Bayern Munich.
Minutes
90
Clearances
9
Blocks
1
Interceptions
5
Tackles
6
Dribbled past
1x
Ground duels won
7/8
Aerial duels won
1/2
As you can see in the table above, the Palace loanee was incredibly dominant defensively up against the mercurial Michael Olise on the right wing for Bayern, winning the majority of his duels and making 11 tackles and interceptions, whilst being dribbled past just once.
Despite that impressive showing from the Ghana international, Celtic also have to plan for the future and signing a 32-year-old, who turns 33 in December, on a permanent multi-year contract may not be the best move that they can make this summer.
Therefore, supporters should be happy to read that the Hoops are reportedly closing in on the signing of an alternative target who could be an even better signing than Schlupp.
Celtic schedule medical to complete new signing
According to Sponichi, Celtic are closing in on a deal to sign Albirex Niigata defender Hayato Inamura to bolster their options at the back ahead of next season.
The report claims that the left-footed star’s last match for his club was the 4-0 defeat to Machida on Sunday, as he played 90 minutes as a centre-back in the loss.
Transfer Focus
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It adds that the two clubs have already reached an agreement in principle over a transfer for the 23-year-old talent, and that a move will officially go through in the coming week.
Sponichi reveals that the Japanese defender will travel to Scotland at the start of the coming week to undergo a medical with the Hoops before putting pen to paper on a permanent switch to Glasgow.
Celtic managerBrendanRodgerscelebrates after winning the League Cup
This means that Celtic are set to sign the versatile Niigata ace in the coming days, with a medical scheduled and a fee agreed, and he could come in as an even better signing than Schlupp.
Why Inamura will be a better signing than Schlupp for Celtic
As aforementioned, the former Palace loanee turns 33 later this year and would only come in as a stop-gap signing to provide cover in the short term, which is also what he did during his loan spell.
Schlupp would not be a signing with a view to the future because, at his age, he is unlikely to develop much further, if at all, and does not have the potential to grow into being the first-choice after Tierney’s second spell comes to an end.
Inamura, however, is nine years younger than the Ghana international and, therefore, has far more time on his hands to develop and improve as a player during his time in Glasgow.
He is five years younger than Tierney and could, therefore, eventually be his successor if he kicks on and improves at Celtic, whilst initially coming in as a back-up option.
Inamura is usually deployed as a centre-back by Niigata, but Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph noted that he can also play as a left-back. His statistics in the J1 League this season also suggest that he would be well-suited to playing that role for the Hoops.
Assists
0.07
Top 8%
Pass accuracy
87%
Top 29%
Accurate long passes
5.75
Top 5%
Long pass accuracy
47%
Top 19%
Chances created
0.42
Top 18%
Cross accuracy
50%
Top 15%
As you can see in the table above, the soon-to-be Celtic signing ranks incredibly highly among his positional peers in a host of possession-based metrics, which speaks to his ability on the ball.
His ability to successfully complete crosses at an impressive rate and to consistently create chances for his teammates from a centre-back position suggests that he could be well-suited to playing as a left-back for the Hoops, which would allow him to showcase his in-possession qualities.
Celtic manager BrendanRodgersbefore the match
Inamura, who analyst Rio Nakagawara claimed has “fantastic ball progression” as a passer and carrier, appears to have the technical qualities to thrive in Glasgow.
His positional flexibility also makes him an attractive target, as he can play at centre-back or left-back, and that is another reason why he would be an even better signing than Schlupp, who was not a central defensive option for Rodgers.
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Overall, signing Inamura seems to make more sense for the Premiership champions because of his age profile, his positional flexibility, and his quality on the ball.
Heading into their away tie with Newcastle United on Sunday, Chelsea were deep in some pretty impressive form in the Premier League.
The Blues were five league games unbeaten heading into his one – which included a stunning 3-1 victory being picked up against Arne Slot’s title-winning Liverpool – but all that positive energy came crashing down at St James’ Park as Eddie Howe’s Magpies ran out comfortable 2-0 victors.
Chelsea’s task on the day was made a lot harder by a clueless first-half red card, but there would have still been a lot to moan about from Enzo Maresca’s perspective at the full-time whistle, irrespective of his side having to play all of the second 45 minutes a man light.
Chelsea's biggest underperformers at St James' Park
Before touching on the rash red card, the likes of Noni Madueke struggled to ever get going in attack for the visitors.
Whilst Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak busted a gut for the Toon cause up top, Madueke was timid and limp in approach, seen in the 23-year-old failing to a register a single effort on Nick Pope’s goal during his forgettable 45-minute stint, as well as losing all four of his contested duels.
Noni Madueke for Chelsea
Romeo Lavia would last far longer on the St James’ turf, but he wouldn’t be deserving of any praise himself come full-time either, with his lackadaisical approach early on gifting the ball to Newcastle to take the lead via Sandro Tonali.
Moreover, the usually electric Cole Palmer once again failed to spark into life with possession squandered a hefty 14 times, but the elephant in the room that remains is Nicolas Jackson’s hot-headed dismissal.
Jackson would brainlessly connect with Newcastle defender Sven Botman using his elbow, meaning the ex-Villarreal centre-forward will now be suspended for the rest of the season.
This could be the last time Chelsea fans see the 23-year-old lead the line for the Blues in the Premier League, therefore, with the pantomime villain very much turning into Stamford Bridge’s next Kai Havertz.
Chelsea's next Havertz
Much like Jackson now, Chelsea fans would regularly lament the amount of missed chances Havertz would spurn for their team when he was still on the books of the West London outfit.
Kai Havertz
That is the case despite the German popping up with 32 strikes overall – which included the now Arsenal man scoring a winner in a Champions League final.
Despite that, he would still infuriate the Stamford Bridge masses with his consistent wastefulness, seen in him missing a colossal 14 big chances in Premier League action during his final Blues season.
Games played
30
35
Goals scored
10
14
Assists
5
5
Big chances missed
19
24
Goal conversion %
13%
18%
Big chances created
6
8
Jackson has actually bagged a promising 29 strikes in total for Maresca’s men over two seasons, yet – much like Havertz – he gets regularly under the skin of the restless Chelsea fanbase with his off performances, seen in him missing a mammoth 19 big chances during the 2024/25 campaign.
Therefore, his hot-headedness away at Newcastle could be the final straw that sees Jackson – the club’s new Havertz-like scapegoat – moved on.
London Evening Standard journalist Dom Smith suggested that the £32m signing ‘ruined’ his side’s chances of a big win, handing him a dismal 2/10 post-match rating.
But, it shouldn’t be completely ruled out that the 23-year-old goes on to be a success elsewhere, with Havertz showing in flashes for Arsenal – as per his 29-goal haul from 85 appearances for Mikel Arteta’s men – that a damaging experience for the Blues isn’t the be-all-and-end-all.
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Chelsea lost 2-0 away at Newcastle United to hand the Toon an advantage in the ongoing Champions League race.
Chelsea have now submitted a £47m offer for a “world-class” goalkeeper, and talks are expected to move quickly in the coming weeks, according to a report.
Maresca and Chelsea's goalkeeper problem
After a poor showing in the 2-1 UEFA Conference League defeat against Legia Warsaw, the Blues have responded with back-to-back victories, most recently picking up a 1-0 victory against Everton at Stamford Bridge, securing their third Premier League clean sheet of the month.
Robert Sanchez has returned to the starting XI in the Premier League, and the recent defensive showings have been much-improved, but the mistakes the Spaniard made earlier in the campaign are likely to be in the back of Enzo Maresca’s mind.
Sanchez has made five errors leading to goal in the Premier League, the joint-highest number of any player in the division, meaning there have been widespread suggestions that Maresca could look to bring in a replacement in the summer.
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AC Milan’s Mike Maignan is one goalkeeper of interest, with the west Londoners making contact over a potential deal earlier this month, while they are also in the race for Angers shot-stopper Yahia Fofana, who has been recommended by Didier Drogba.
However, it appears as though a different goalkeeper could be one of Chelsea’s key targets, with a report from Spain revealing they have now submitted a €55m (£47m) offer for Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel.
Kobel’s performances for Dortmund have attracted the attention of a number of European clubs, but the Blues are the most interested party, and talks over the deal are expected to move quickly over the next few weeks.
The 27-year-old has made it clear he wants to play for an elite club, which means a move to Stamford Bridge could be of great appeal, should they manage to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
"World-class" Kobel could be Sanchez upgrade
The 6 foot 5 colossus is clearly very highly regarded by his current employers, with Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl lauding him as “world-class”, while he also impressed scout Ben Mattinson in the semi-finals of the 2024 Champions League.
The Swiss shot-stopper’s top-level experience is likely to be appealing to Chelsea, while he has also received plaudits for his ability in possession of the ball, which could be crucial, given Maresca’s passing style of play.
While the Blues have started to pick up more clean sheets recently, Sanchez’s howlers earlier in the campaign indicate it is the right decision to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer, and it is exciting news that the move for Kobel is now gaining traction.