أثار قرار احتساب ركلة جزاء لصالح إنتر ميلان أمام برشلونة، في إياب نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، جدًلا واسعًا، خاصة بعد تدخل المدافع باو كوبارسي على لاوتارو مارتينيز، والذي أسفر عن الهدف الثاني للنيراتزوري.
وخرج برشلونة من نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا بعد مباراتين مثيرتين أمام إنتر ميلان انتهتا بفوز الفريق الإيطالي بنتيجة 7-6
المدير الحالي لتطوير كرة القدم العالمية في الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”، آرسين فينجر، انتقد القرار بشدة، معتبرًا أن الخطأ لم يكن يستحق ركلة جزاء، ومشيرًا إلى أن استخدام تقنية الفيديو بالحركة البطيئة أسهم في تضليل الحكم.
اقرأ أيضًا.. أراوخو ينفعل على صحفي بعد خروج برشلونة من دوري أبطال أوروبا.. ويوجه اتهامًا إلى الحكم
وقال فينجر في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية بعد نهاية المباراة: “أنا تمامًا ضد هذا النوع من ركلات الجزاء، وأيضا ضد استخدام تقنية الـ VAR بالحركة البطيئة”.
وأضاف: “عند مشاهدة اللقطة بالسرعة الطبيعية، يبدو الأمر وكأنه تدخل قوي على الكرة”.
وتابع: “انظر إلى ما يفعله لاوتارو مارتينيز، هو يعلم أنه لن يسجل، فمال بجسده نحو كوبارسي، هو يبحث عن ركلة جزاء”.
وأتم فينجر: “في رأيي، الحكم لم يتخذ القرار الصحيح، انظر من الذي وصل إلى الكرة أوًلا، هذا ما يهمني كوبارسي لعب على الكرة أولا، أما الباقي فقد فعله لاوتارو”.
O técnico Paulo Sousa terá mais um desfalque importante para o duelo do Flamengo contra a Universidad Católica, desta quinta-feira, às 19h (horário de Brasília), válido pela terceira rodada do Grupo H da Copa Libertadores. Trata-se do zagueiro David Luiz, que foi liberado para resolver questões pessoais e não viaja com o elenco para Santiago, no Chile.
RelacionadasFlamengoCom Bruno Henrique, Flamengo divulga a lista de relacionados para o duelo contra a Universidad CatólicaFlamengo27/04/2022BrasileirãoFlamengo estuda ‘inverter’ rodadas com o Botafogo e jogar clássico no Nilton SantosBrasileirão26/04/2022FlamengoEm dia dedicado à posição, Flamengo lança nova camisa de goleirosFlamengo26/04/2022
– O atleta David Luiz foi liberado pela direção para resolver questões pessoais – informou o clube carioca.
+ Confira e simule a tabela da Copa Libertadores 2022
Além de David Luiz, Matheuzinho, Ayrton Lucas e Rodrigo Caio também desfalcarão o Rubro-Negro. Ambos seguem em fase final de transição física e não viajarão com o grupo. Dessa forma, o zagueiro Pablo, que estreou bem na derrota para o Athletico-PR, deve seguir entre os titulares da defesa rubro-negra.
O Flamengo soma seis pontos em dois jogos e segue na liderança do Grupo H da Copa Libertadores. Contudo, o time não estufou a rede nos últimos dois jogos pelo Brasileirão e busca se recuperar para seguir na ponta da tabela. O Talleres, da Argentina, também tem seis pontos, porém com um jogo a mais.
+Jorge Jesus chega ao Rio para Desfile das Campeãs, confirma contato com o Fenerbahçe e diz que acompanha o Flamengo
Adversário do Flamengo, nesta quinta, a Universidad Católica soma três pontos e vem de um triunfo em casa. A equipe tenta mais uma vitória para encostar nos dois adversários.
O atleta David Luiz foi liberado pela direção para resolver questões pessoais. #CRF
Manchester City are now set to submit a £34m offer for a defender, according to journalist Andre Hernan.
Man City keen on multiple January signings
Pep Guardiola is tasked with rebuilding the Man City defence, with it recently being revealed that captain Kyle Walker wants to leave the club, having been left out of the squad for the 8-0 demolition of Salford City.
The Sky Blues are particularly keen on a new centre-back, having a £33.5m bid accepted for Lens’ Abdukodir Khusanov, and the deal is now nearing completion.
Guardiola is keen to make multiple additions this month, with progress being made for Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, whereas Palmeiras’ defensive gem Vitor Reis is another key target.
After Marmoush: Man City chase £70m ace who's "very similar to Bellingham"
After Omar Marmoush, Manchester City are looking to further raid Eintracht Frankfurt for a highly-rated midfielder compared to Jude Bellingham.
ByBen Gray Jan 10, 2025
City’s opening bid for Reis was knocked back by the Brazilian club, but they remain undeterred, with journalist Ben Jacobs revealing they are optimistic about being able to get a deal over the line.
As such, Man City have taken immediate action to try and get a deal done, with journalist Andre Hernan taking to X to provide an update on the transfer pursuit, saying: “I heard from a negotiation source who says this was just a first offer and that it will increase in the coming days.”
The journalist states the Sky Blues’ initial offer for the defender was considered too low, but they are willing to make an offer of €40m (£34m) to get a deal over the line. Palmeiras are said to be in “no rush” to finalise the move, indicating that a deal may not be possible until later in the January transfer window.
Reis could be a long-term success at Man City
The 19-year-old is already making a name for himself in his home country, having made 18 appearances in the Brazilian Serie A this season, and his defensive talents have been on show for all to see.
Over the past year, the Brazilian has averaged 1.87 tackles per 90, placing him in the 81st percentile compared to his positional peers, while an average of 3.08 aerials won per 90 ranks him in the 82nd percentile.
Vitor Reis for Palmeiras
Of course, given that he is still a teenager, it may take time for Reis to get to a level where he’s capable of being a consistent starter for Guardiola’s side, but there are signs that he could soon be ready to make the step-up.
Members of the Brazilian media have lauded the starlet as a “monster”, while journalist Bence Bocsak has hailed him for his passing ability, which could make him a perfect fit in a Guardiola system.
£34m is a lot to spend on a teenager, but Reis is showing signs he could be capable of going right to the very top.
Visitors labour to goalless point in a dour game at Old Trafford
Manchester City drew 0-0 with Manchester United in a dour stalemate at Old Trafford.
City had plenty of the ball but little to show for it, with Omar Marmoush going closest when he crashed an effort straight at Andre Onana in the second half.
The results leaves Pep Guardiola's side fifth in the Premier League with seven matches to play.
GOAL rates City's players from Old Trafford…
AFP
Goalkeeper & Defence
Ederson (6/10):
Had virtually nothing to do but dealt with anything that came his way perfectly well.
Matheus Nunes (6/10):
Did a decent job out of position, providing City with plenty of energy from right-back, but lacked the quality to make a real difference going forwards.
Ruben Dias (5/10):
Picked up a booking inside 60 minutes of the match and had to tread carefully from there but managed to escape any further scares.
Josko Gvardiol (6/10):
Looks accomplished in a central role and played a good part in a comfortable team display, from a defensive point of view.
Nico O'Reilly (6/10):
A midfielder by trade, O'Reilly looks confident at left-back and provides City with the legs they lack elsewhere. Rarely used his pace in the wide areas but still an accomplished performance.
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Midfield
Mateo Kovacic (5/10):
Kept possession well enough but was one of those guilty of playing the match at too slow a pace.
Ilkay Gundogan (5/10):
Another who did not catch the eye as City's slow midfield play and lack of progressive quality caused a stalemate.
Bernardo Silva (6/10):
Tried his best to influence the game despite lacking the dynamism he has showed over the years. Booked inside the first minute of the second half still does a good tactical job for the team, picking and choosing the opportunities to drift wide or tuck inside.
Getty Images Sport
Attack
Phil Foden (4/10):
Subbed off before the hour mark having failed to make any kind of impact on the game. Lacks all of the confidence that saw him win Premier League player of the season a year ago, with his twinkle toes generally taking him down blind alleys rather than creating.
Kevin De Bruyne (4/10):
Not a memorable final Manchester derby appearance for De Bruyne, who could not find his usual quality to create as a false nine.
Omar Marmoush (6/10):
Was at least willing and able to try and make things happen, forcing Onana into a good save from a ferocious strike and looking to be dynamic. The game was too poor to give him a chance of really making anything happen from his inside left position, though.
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Subs & Manager
Jeremy Doku (5/10):
The game seemed to be crying out for some pace and width but Doku struggled to make any impact.
Jack Grealish (5/10):
Also had minimal influence after getting another run out in a central position.
Rico Lewis (5/10):
Did fine after slotting in at left-back.
Pep Guardiola (4/10):
Fielded a team full of players who prefer the ball to feet and lack pace, resulting in a laboured performance. Is still showing lots of faith in his heroes from the last few years who have had disappointing campaigns.
Hoping to extend an extraordinary season into the second-half of the campaign, Nottingham Forest have reportedly set their sights on their first January arrival in the form of a versatile midfield reinforcement.
Nottingham Forest transfer news
Those at the City Ground rarely get things wrong on the transfer front these days and have been reaping the rewards as a result, with the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga proving to be shrewd acquisitions. They will not want to simply be a flash in the pan, however. Instead, now that they find themselves competing for a place in the Premier League’s top four, they’ll be desperate to seal shock Champions League qualification.
Nottingham Forest and Marinakis now tracking £50m star with PSG and Bayern
Nottingham Forest are interested in signing a winger but face a transfer battle to secure his signature.
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By
Brett Worthington
Dec 17, 2024
The January transfer window could yet solidify their attempts to achieve exactly that too. Reports have already mentioned names such as Manfred Ugalde ahead of the winter window in what would see yet another goalscorer join up with Nuno Espirito Santo’s free-scoring side.
Perhaps thinking about long-term replacements for the ageing Chris Wood, Ugalde could be an ideal candidate. But before they can focus on the future of their frontline, another potential reinforcement is threatening to steal the headlines.
According to Africa Foot via Sport Witness, Nottingham Forest are now racing to sign El Hadji Malick Diouf from Slavia Prague in January. The 20-year-old left midfielder can also play at left-back and at centre-back in a trait that could see Forest kill two birds with one stone when it comes to adding crucial depth to Espirito Santo’s side.
Facing competition from Premier League rivals Brentford, it remains to be seen just how much it will take for Forest or, indeed, the Bees to lure Slavia Prague into a sale in either the January transfer window or this coming summer. At such a young age though, Diouf is one to watch no matter who secures his signature in 2025.
"Quick" Diouf could compete with Ola Aina
Whilst Diouf may struggle to instantly earn a place in Espirito Santo’s impressive starting side, he would at least provide depth and competition behind Ola Aina at left-back as well as Hudson-Odoi further ahead and behind Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic in central defence should Forest fall short on options in that department.
Just where Diouf’s best position is the key question that remains. The numbers would suggest that, even if he is to feature at left-back, Forest would have to expect a modern-day full-back capable of making an attacking impact, given that the 20-year-old has scored six goals and assisted a further three for Slavia Prague so far this season.
An interesting player, it’s no surprise that Crystal Palace fan account Eagle-Eyed Football were quick to praise Diouf when those at Selhurst Park were linked to the versatile star in November. Praising Diouf for his “solid” defensive ability, it could now be Forest who benefit the most.
Manchester United have made another approach to sign a fresh face to bolster their midfield ranks as they look to turn their poor form under Ruben Amorim around, according to a new report.
Manchester United struggling under Amorim
Despite the arrival of Amorim in November, things have not improved for United so far this season. Though they battled to a 2-2 draw with Premier League leaders Liverpool in their most recent outing, the point stretched their winless run to five games, having lost the previous four.
It also means that Amorim has won just two of his opening nine Premier League games, and he opened the door to potential relegation with his side currently just nine points clear of the drop zone in 13th place, the lowest they have ever been at this stage of a campaign.
“I think that it is a possibility. We have to be clear with our fans”, the new Red Devils head coach explained. “It is a really difficult moment, one of the more difficult moments in the history of Manchester United and we have to address it with honesty.”
One of the biggest problems has been in central midfield, where both Casemiro and Christian Eriksen are the wrong side of their peak and lack the energy required for Amorim’s high-press 3-4-2-1 system.
The pairing of Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte appears to provide a solution to this, with the younger duo working well in tandem against Liverpool and Mainoo’s introduction proving a key turning point in the defeat to Newcastle the game before. However, the club undoubtedly needs more investment in that area, and now they could have identified their man.
Manchester United make new approach for Wolves midfielder
That comes as a fresh report from TEAMtalk claims that Manchester United have once again asked Wolves for details over a potential move to sign Joao Gomes in the upcoming transfer windows.
The Red Devils have held a long-term interest in the Brazilian no.8, having chased him before they ultimately opted to sign Ugarte over the summer.
That interest clearly remains, and with Wolves currently battling relegation the club could be sniffing a potential bargain at Molineux. Described by Football Analyst Ben Mattinson as a “serious player”, Gomes still has three and a half years left to run on his £30,000 a week deal in the Midlands, but is unlikely to stick around should the Old Gold find themselves in England’s second tier.
Premier League 24/25 stats
Joao Gomes
Manuel Ugarte
Casemiro
Kobbie Mainoo
Appearances
19
14
14
14
Goals and Assists
3
0
1
0
Pass Accuracy
84.2%
90.4%
79.3%
86.6%
Tackles and interceptions per 90
4.19
5.73
5.05
4.02
Yellow Cards
6
5
1
5
However, any deal is unlikely to happen this winter, with the report claiming that Wolves are “not open to considering selling him this transfer window” save for “a huge offer”, something that Manchester United are unlikely to be able to put together given their well-documented financial issues.
Should he become available this summer, Manchester United are unlikely to be the only side keen to sign him, but he could prove a massive upgrade on their current options in midfield and offer some more much-needed energy to Ruben Amorim’s ranks.
Four more balls and Australia would have had a resounding victory
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2022Rain has left Australia four balls short of a resounding victory over Pakistan in their final T20I before the Commonwealth Games after Jess Jonassen bagged 4 for 17 in Bready.Pakistan limped to 94 for 8 from their 20 overs with captain Bismah Maroof holding the innings together with 32 not out. Australia’s openers Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy cruised to 28 without loss but rain fell with just four balls left in the 5th over and never relented, leaving the game four balls short of a minimum five overs for each side. Had the four balls been bowled Australia would have won easily under the Duckworth-Lewis method.The match was initially delayed due to wet weather. Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat and made a decent start reaching 21 without loss in the 5th over before Ash Gardner struck. Iram Javed was cleaned bowled as she tried to give room to cut from off stump. It sparked a collapse with Pakistan losing 4 for 21 in 30 balls.Omaima Sohail holed out off the last ball of the powerplay, slog sweeping Jonassen straight to deep midwicket. Nicola Carey chimed in with two wickets as Pakistan slumped to 42 for 4 before Bismah and Aliya Riaz steadied briefly with a near run-a-ball 30-run stand.Ashleigh Gardner framed beneath stormy Irish skies•Getty ImagesBut a horror mix-up ended the partnership with 27 balls left in the innings. Bismah worked a ball through square leg and the pair pushed for two only to see Megan Schutt pounce running in from the deep. But Schutt over-ran the ball which caused the batters to start running for a second only to realise it was too tight. Schutt raced back, gathered and fired leaving Aliya Riaz stranded.Jonassen picked up three wickets in the final over and conceded just three singles. Jonassen was delighted to pick up four wickets in her second game back after missing the first two matches due to Covid.”I was a bit disappointed in the first game,” Jonassen said. “Even though I took a couple of wickets I felt like I bowled pretty ordinary. I felt a little bit rusty and struggled to find some rhythm. But today was a different story. I definitely felt like I was back to bowling really good areas and executing the plans that I wanted to and yeah, to come away with a few wickets at the end of that it’s obviously really nice. It’s good for the confidence leading into the Comm Games.”Pakistan’s bowling innings started disastrously with Mooney caught at short fine off a no-ball from Diana Baig. Mooney and Alyssa Healy barely took a risk from there striking just two boundaries before the rain arrived to end proceedings and cost Australia’s some valuable time in the middle in their last match before the Commonwealth Games.”It was obviously disappointing not to get a result today with the rain,” Jonassen said. “I think as a bowling group, we’re pretty pleased with the effort we put in from the previous games, we were wanting to tighten up our areas and own our lengths. And I thought we did that today. It was a really good last hit out. Just a shame that the batters couldn’t get their time out in the middle today.”
Bangladesh were keen to turn their fortunes around in their tour of the West Indies after losing the Tests and T20Is convincingly, according to Tamim Iqbal who oversaw the ODI side’s march to a 2-0 lead in the series. The visitors put together a nine-wicket win in the second game against West Indies, their biggest win in terms of balls remaining.Tamim said the team was reeling from the absences of Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Yasir Ali, but they spurred them on bring about their fifth successive ODI series win. Shakib and Mushfiqur skipped the series due to personal reasons while Yasir has a back injury. Bangladesh also missed allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin who couldn’t recover from a back injury ahead of the series.Related
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“The confidence falters when three players from your best XI are missing,” Tamim said after the match. “But the boys didn’t allow the team to miss them. Everyone was hungry to win. We wanted to take something from the tour, particularly after the T20 series. It is not about me, but the other fifteen. I think we got this result due to the players’ desire.”Every win is special for us, regardless of whether we are playing Australia, England, New Zealand or Zimbabwe. We have to work hard to get to centuries or five-wicket hauls. We should celebrate the wins, because at this level, nobody gifts you anything. You have to fight for everything.”Bangladesh decided to field first in both games, giving them a significant advantage on the Providence Stadium pitches that aided the spinners. The visitors dropped Taskin Ahmed to make room for Mosaddek Hossain, the spin-bowling allrounder, as they expected more help for spinners ahead of the second game.”These are very difficult wickets,” Tamim said. “Worse than Mirpur. You don’t know which delivery will get you out on these wickets. We had scores of 149 and 108, so I don’t want to judge anyone on these wickets.”We knew that we needed one more spinner when we looked at the pitch yesterday [Tuesday]. We also thought it might be worth having an extra batsman. You can lose back-to-back wickets on this wicket. The ball spins too much. It was a totally tactical decision. Taskin was very unfortunate to miss out; he had been bowling well.”Mosaddek Hossain came in as the extra spinner and took the wicket of Kyle Mayers•AFP via Getty Images
To counter the spin themselves, Tamim took Litton Das’ advice to tweak Bangladesh’s batting line-up. It meant breaking the Tamim-Litton opening partnership, Bangladesh’s most frequent pair in the last five years.”Opening with [Najmul Hossain] Shanto was a brilliant call by Litton,” Tamim revealed. “Towards the end of the West Indies innings, he told me how about I go out to open with Shanto. I thought he made a wonderful call. It would have been really difficult for right-handers in the middle.”Shanto and I thought that we can do without scoring runs. When the left-arm spinners finish all their overs, they still have to bowl 30 overs. We had a 48-run partnership but here it is worth a 100-run stand.”Now the captain believes it is the turn of those in the bench to get their opportunities. It would mean Anamul Haque, Ebadot Hossain and Taskin getting to replace one batter and possibly the pace bowlers Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam.”The most important thing is to test our bench strength,” Tamim said. “We don’t do it often in the Bangladesh team. You can’t do that when points are involved but being 2-0 up in this series allows us to see those who have been traveling with us for many months.”I think it is completely fine for me to miss a match. If we don’t test our bench strength now, then when will we do it?”
Worcestershire “disappointed” by loss of star allrounder as rivals swoop
Matt Roller30-Jun-2022
Ed Barnard appeals for a wicket•Getty Images
Warwickshire have ticked off their first major transfer target of the season by completing the signing of Ed Barnard, the Worcestershire allrounder, on a three-year deal.The defending county champions have had an underwhelming red-ball season, drawing five of their first eight games to find themselves sixth in the Championship, and while they are top of the North Group in the T20 Blast, they are looking to strengthen over the winter.Barnard, 26, replaces the retired Tim Bresnan as a seam-bowling allrounder who will play across formats and help to balance the side, while Warwickshire are also expected to complete the signings of Moeen Ali and Saqib Mahmood in the coming weeks to add further star quality to their squad.Related
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Barnard is Worcestershire’s leading red-ball run-scorer this season and is on course for his best-ever Championship season, leading Paul Farbrace, Warwickshire’s director of cricket, to describe him as “a huge signing for the club”.”We believe Ed will bring an extra dimension to our team and he is someone that we have always been impressed by and admired over recent years,” Farbrace said. “The coaches are incredibly excited to help aid his development and with the potential he possesses, Ed can reach the higher echelons of the game.”Barnard said: “I’m extremely excited to join Warwickshire and I feel it’s a really big opportunity for me. My ambition is to play at the highest level and I am determined to win trophies with the Bears, play franchise cricket and be selected for England.”I will be forever thankful to everyone involved with Worcestershire from back in my academy time to the present day. I’ve been very fortunate to have had the opportunities to represent this terrific club and develop into the cricketer I am today.”Barnard won the Blast with Worcestershire in 2018•Getty Images
Worcestershire described Barnard’s departure after his 15-year association with the club as “very disappointing” and confirmed in a statement that they had offered him a new contract which he had turned down.”It’s obviously disappointing for our club, but we wish Ed well for the future,” Alex Gidman, their head coach, said. “He has made significant progress in the last few years at Worcestershire and has become an integral part of our team in all formats.”Ed wants to finish the season very well with us, and we look forward to enjoying our last few months with him before he moves on.”A handful of Warwickshire players including Adam Hose, Dom Sibley and Olly Stone are out of contract at the end of 2022, with all three understood to be considering their futures at the club.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will surely be delighted with the impressive performance level of his team throughout the 2024/25 campaign so far.
The Hoops remain unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership, top of the table by 14 points, with 16 wins from 18 matches ahead of the Old Firm clash with Rangers on this afternoon.
They have also already won the League Cup, beating their Glasgow rivals on penalties in the final at Hampden Park, after they failed to secure the trophy last season.
The team’s fantastic form across all competitions this term, however, has not stopped Rodgers from wanting to add new players to the squad during the January transfer window, which officially opened for business earlier this week.
Celtic’s manager is reportedly seeking a reunion with Scotland international Kieran Tierney, with the club said to be eyeing up a pre-contract agreement to sign him in the summer on a free transfer from Arsenal – the side that signed him from the Hoops in 2019.
The Gunners left-back is one of many stars who consistently performed for Rodgers during his first spell in charge at Parkhead, and another one of those players was midfielder Tom Rogic.
Tom Rogic's form for Brendan Rodgers
The Northern Irish head coach spent just under three years in Glasgow during his first stint at the club between the summer of 2016 and early 2019, before his move to Leicester City.
In that time, Rogic made 105 appearances for Rodgers in the middle of the park, which places him within the top ten for appearances as a Celtic player for the manager – with Tierney, Callum McGregor, and James Forrest included in the nine spots ahead of him.
Former Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic.
This illustrates how much faith the Hoops boss had in him, as he was a regular fixture in the team during those three years, to perform week-in-week-out across all competitions.
Rogic, who left the club in the summer of 2022 and retired a year later, was a left-footed central or attacking midfielder who looked to impact matches by stepping up with goals and assists for his team.
Appearances
37
41
35
Goals
12
8
5
Assists
6
9
6
As you can see in the table above, the Australia international made a consistent impact in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals throughout Rodgers’ time at the club.
Rogic was a proven performer who could be relied upon to step up at the top end of the pitch, and the manager found his new version of him in Matt O’Riley, who scored 18 goals and provided 13 assists in the league, last season.
The Danish wizard, of course, left to join Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer and Rodgers is back on the search for another left-footed magician to light up his midfield, with reported interest in a Rogic-esque midfielder from the Premier League.
Celtic's interest in Premier League ace
It was recently reported by The Boot Room that Celtic are one of a host of teams interested in a swoop to sign Manchester City central midfielder James McAtee in the January transfer window.
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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The report claimed that the Hoops have made enquiries about a potential swoop to sign the left-footed star, although it is unclear if it is for a permanent or loan move, but they are set to face stiff competition from plenty of clubs across Europe.
Brentford, Atalanta, Fiorentina, Bologna, Fulham, West Ham, and Nottingham Forest are just a few of the many sides eyeing up a deal to snap up the England U21 international for the second half of the campaign.
Manchester City'sJamesMcAteecelebrates after the match
The Boot Room added that Pep Guardiola would prefer to keep hold of the young talent to bolster the depth of his squad, but the Spanish head coach will also not stand in McAtee’s way if the player decides that a move away from The Etihad is the best option for him.
This means that it could be a difficult deal for Celtic to complete for a multitude of reasons, as they will need to convince Manchester City and McAtee to agree to the move, whilst also fending off interest from numerous teams across Europe’s major leagues.
Why James McAtee could be Tom Rogic 2.0
The Hoops should push hard to win the race for his services because he could arrive at Parkhead as Rogic 2.0 for Rodgers in the second half of the season.
Like the former Celtic star, McAtee is a left-footed midfielder who can play in a central or attacking role and has the quality to make an impact at the top end of the pitch by providing goals and assists from the middle of the park.
He has not started any of his three Premier League appearances for Manchester City so far this season, but has scored four goals and provided one assist in four caps for England at U21 level this term.
McAtee, who was described as “special” by Guardiola, also produced three goals and three assists in 20 starts in the English top-flight, whilst on loan with Sheffield United, in the 2023/24 campaign, which speaks to his attacking potential.
His best form at the top end of the pitch, however, came during his loan with the Blades in the 2022/23 Championship season, as the young dynamo scored nine goals and created six ‘big chances’ in 21 starts in the second tier of English football.
Non-penalty goals
0.43
Top 1%
Expected Assisted Goals
0.20
Top 7%
Shot-creating actions
3.41
Top 18%
Progressive carries
3.89
Top 7%
Successful take-ons
1.85
Top 1%
As you can see in the table above, McAtee ranked incredibly highly among Championship midfielders that term as a scorer and a creator of goals, as well as being a threat in transition with his dribbling skills.
The midfield star’s performances made former Sheffield United forward Carl Asaba compare him to Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, telling the Football Heaven podcast: “He’s like Odegaard. You play him in midfield so he’s defending for you, he’s another body for them to try and navigate away from but he likes the ball 30 yards out because he can go past you like you’re not there.”
Manchester City's JamesMcAteeduring the warm up before the match
At the age of 22, the Manchester City outcast still has plenty of potential left to fulfill and a loan to Celtic in the second half of the season could help him to find his rhythm by playing in a dominant team that would allow him to flourish as an attacker, as Rogic did during his time under Rodgers.
Rodgers can drop Taylor with Jota-esque Celtic deal for "top-notch" ace
Celtic could move on from Greg Taylor by securing this in-house deal in January.