Category Uncategorized

Work is already underway to improve Celtic’s squad in the upcoming summer transfer window as they go in search of a fifth successive Scottish Premiership title next term.

The Hoops secured their fourth league title in as many seasons with a 5-0 win over Dundee United at the end of last month, whilst they also have a chance to complete a domestic treble with an SFA Cup final clash with Aberdeen.

Brendan Rodgers has already sealed one new signing for the summer in the form of Kieran Tierney, who will officially return to Celtic when his contract at Arsenal expires at the end of June.

Kieran Tierney's current market value

At the time of writing (11/05/2025), the Scotland international is valued at a whopping £8.5m by Transfermarkt, which suggests that the Hoops have landed a bargain by signing him on a free transfer.

As you can see in the graphic above, Tierney was sold for a staggering £25m after his terrific first spell at Parkhead after coming through the academy, as he joined Arsenal in the summer of 2019.

This shows that the Scottish giants have played a blinder with the experienced left-back because they sold him for a huge transfer fee and are now signing him back for nothing, whilst he is still valuable, albeit not as valuable as he once was.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Celtic, though, have developed their own full-back who is now worth just as much as Tierney, after they signed him for a fee of just £3.5m back in 2023, in the form of Alistair Johnston.

Alistair Johnston's soaring market value

The Hoops swooped to sign the defender from CF Montreal for a fee of £3.5m in the January transfer window at the start of 2023 to bolster Ange Postecoglou’s options at right-back.

Johnston has been a regular starter at right-back when fit and available for Celtic since his move, and has proven himself to be an excellent performer at Premiership level by combining solid defensive work with outstanding attacking contributions.

The Canada international has the strength and positioning to win the majority of his physical duels to stop opposition wingers, whilst also having the drive and stamina to constantly bomb down the flank to deliver high-quality balls into the box.

Appearances

32

30

Goals

1

4

Big chances created

11

15

Assists

5

9

Duel success rate

58%

56%

Clean sheets

11

12

As you can see in the table above, Johnston has been a star for the Hoops in his two full Premiership seasons in Glasgow, creating 26 ‘big chances’ in 62 matches.

This has helped his market value to soar way above the £3.5m that the club initially paid for his services at the start of 2023. At the time of writing, the Celtic sensation is valued at £8.5m by Transfermarkt, which means that his value has soared by £5m in a little over two years at Parkhead.

Johnston, whose work ethic was dubbed “phenomenal” by Rodgers, is now worth as much as Tierney, who was once sold for £25m, and is a highly-valuable asset for the club, thanks to the brilliant performances that he has put in on the pitch.

Celtic could sign a perfect £7m Jota replacement this summer

Celtic may be in the market for a new winger after they lost Jota to a long-term injury.

ByDan Emery May 5, 2025

Therefore, Celtic have hit the jackpot with the Canadian defender because he is an excellent player and a star who could be sold for a profit in the future, given that his value has soared during his time in Scotland so far.

Aston Villa are now “closing in” on a personal terms agreement with a “decisive” attacker, and they are confident they will be able to get a deal done, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Villa's Champions League hopes take hit

Villa were handed a major setback in their pursuit of the Champions League places on Tuesday night, falling to a late 2-1 defeat against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, in what could prove to be a real six-pointer.

That said, the Villans had been victorious in their five previous Premier League outings, having kicked on in the second half of the season, with the likes of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford making a difference since arriving on loan.

Performances suggest Unai Emery doesn’t need to introduce too many new faces to his squad this summer, but there may be a desire to bring in a new striker, having sold Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr at a late stage in the January transfer window.

Emery is also eager to bring in a new midfielder, with the manager said to be a fan of Athletic Bilbao maestro Oihan Sancet, who has been in fantastic form this season, netting 15 goals in La Liga.

Sancet could be capable of making an instant impact at Villa Park, but an up-and-coming prospect has also been identified as a target in midfield, namely Rosenborg’s Sverre Nypan, who could be available for a fee of around £12.5m this summer amid Monchi’s trip to Norway over the weekend.

Romano has dropped a new update on Aston Villa’s pursuit of Nypan, taking to X to state they are “closing in on the agreement” over personal terms, with just the final details left to be sorted.

Talks with Rosenborg are set to follow, in order to strike an agreement on a transfer fee, and Villa are “confident” they will be able to get a deal over the line.

Romano: Aston Villa star club are "happy" with could leave for right offer

He’s future at Villa Park isn’t guaranteed.

By
Barney Lane

Apr 22, 2025

"Decisive" Nypan is one for the future

The Norwegian is yet to prove himself outside his home country, so it is unclear how quickly he would be able to adapt to life in the Premier League, but his performances for Rosenborg have been very promising.

The 18-year-old is particularly impressive in an attacking sense, picking up 14 goals and 11 assists in 63 appearances for the Norwegian club, while he has also received praise for his playmaking abilities from freelance scout Ben Mattinson.

Nypan is showing very promising signs in Norway, so it is exciting news that Villa could be set to win the race for his signature, despite being linked to some of the Premier League’s top clubs earlier this season.

It’s fair to say Chelsea are underperforming in Enzo Maresca’s system at the moment, but having reached the Conference League semi-finals while sitting inside the Premier League’s top qualification zone, it’s all to fight for over the business weeks of the campaign.

Finishing inside the top five should provide a route into next year’s Champions League, and with the Blues sat in seventh place, four points behind Manchester City, it’s crucial that Fulham are beaten at Craven Cottage this afternoon.

The problem, of course, is that Chelsea haven’t won any of their past nine domestic matches on the road, with the Cottagers losing only four of their 16 matches at home in the top flight this term.

20/04/25

Fulham (A)

9th

04/05/25

Liverpool (H)

1st

11/05/25

Newcastle (A)

3rd

16/05/25

Man United (H)

14th

25/05/25

Nott’m Forest (H)

4th

Maresca fielded a surprisingly strong line-up against Legia Warsaw on Thursday, losing 2-1 on the evening but prevailing on aggregate.

It won’t be easy, but the Blues simply have to see themselves over the line in this one.

Chelsea team news

Maresca confirmed during his pre-match press conference that Romeo Lavia is available for selection after returning from injury and should be involved.

Wesley Fofana, Marc Guiu and Omari Kellyman remain long-term absentees, while Mykhaylo Mudryk is still unavailable.

Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke were benched for the quarter-final tie, but Jadon Sancho did pick up an assist for Marc Cucurella’s goal and may fancy another shot at the wide flank against a stable Fulham defence.

Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo were both excluded from the matchday squad on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s fixture, and with both ready and raring, Maresca may want to make a bold move and drop Cole Palmer for the second time in four Premier League matches.

Why Maresca could drop Palmer

It’s been 15 matches across all competitions since Palmer last found the back of the net. Unquestionably, he’s one of Europe’s superlative attacking midfielders, but equally, he’s well below his best at the moment.

Last season, the 22-year-old was untouchable, matchless in his breezy, Midas touch style in front of goal. Now, he cuts a frustrated figure as chances go begging and fluency looks absent.

The sun will shine again on the England international, who Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher declared “the best player in the Premier League” back in October, having started the term with such panache. Still, he’s got 14 goals and nine assists across 31 appearances, hardly a tally to be sniffed at.

Palmer has maintained an impressive creative level in the Premier League, still showcasing those arresting attributes that have earned him such lofty acclaim.

As per Sofascore, the rangy midfielder averages 2.5 key passes per league game (more than last year’s 2.1 averages per game), winning 56% of his ground duels and creating 20 big chances besides.

However, there’s another playmaking gem who could be unleashed in a fresh role later today. With Lavia combining so well with Caicedo in the early knockings of the season, Maresca may well look to shake things up here.

How Maresca could replace Palmer

It could do Palmer some good to take a seat against Marco Silva’s Fulham, fuelling him to make a positive impact when introduced in the second half.

Chelsea don’t have an abundance of central attacking midfielders, and while Neto could play the role well off Jackson’s back, it’s Fernandez who should be allowed to shift forwards into Palmer’s realm.

Fernandez has been through the emotions since becoming English football’s most expensive player of all time in February 2023, leaving Benfica in a deal worth £107m. He was regarded as a “superstar” by journalist Roy Nemer, and is beginning to prove such praise despite his team’s struggles.

The 24-year-old has come on leaps and bounds with his timing and movement in the danger area, bounding into space and using his feet or head to fire home.

Principally from a deeper-lying role, this is quite impressive, especially when doubling that with the fact that he’s one of the Premier League’s most creative players right now.

To add context to this: during March, no player across England’s top division created more big chances than Fernandez’s eight, the Argentine thriving in his influential central berth.

As per FBref, the 5 foot 10 midfielder ranks among the top 14% of midfielders in the Premier League this season for goal involvements, the top 8% for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for passes attempted and the top 11% for progressive passes per 90.

Clearly, he has the properties to play a more advanced role, and Maresca’s not afraid to give him a shot. Four times already in 2024/25, Fernandez has featured as the number ten, scoring one goal and registering one assist.

He’s not one to shirk away from defensive responsibilities either, winning 4.4 duels and recovering 4.3 balls per game so far. Fielding him ahead of Caicedo and Lavia might compact Chelsea’s midfield while retaining the playmaking spark that Palmer provides with such aplomb, even when things aren’t going his way.

It bears testament to Chelsea’s strength in depth that such a scenario is even a possibility, and it might just be one that Maresca wants to enforce to keep his players on their toes and take Palmer out of the firing line.

Guehi upgrade: Chelsea in advanced talks to sign "world-class" PL talent

Chelsea can forget about Marc Guehi, with a move seemingly heading in the right direction for one star.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 19, 2025

The opening batter from New Zealand lit up the opening day of the tournament in the USA

Sampath Bandarupalli13-Jun-202519 – Sixes Finn Allen smashed during his 151-run knock for San Francisco Unicorns against Washington Freedom in the opening game of MLC 2025. He broke the record for most sixes hit in a T20 match, bettering the joint-record previously held by Chris Gayle (vs Dhaka Dynamites in 2017) and Sahil Chauhan (vs Cyprus in 2024), who hit 18 sixes each.49 – Balls Allen took to complete his 150 in Oakland. It is now the fastest 150 in T20s, bettering the record held by Dewald Brevis, who got to his 150 off 52 balls when he scored 162 against Knights in 2022 in South Africa’s domestic T20s.134 – Runs Allen scored off boundaries, including the 114 coming through the 19 sixes he hit. Only three men have scored more runs through boundaries in a T20 innings than Allen.28 – Total sixes by Unicorns in their innings, the second-most by any team in a T20 match, behind the 37 by Baroda against Sikkim last December in India’s domestic T20s. The Unicorns batters hit at least one six in 16 of the 20 overs in their innings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd151 – Allen’s score against Freedom is now the highest individual score in MLC. The previous highest was 137* by Nicholas Pooran against Seattle Orcas in the 2023 final before the league acquired T20 status.34 – Balls Allen needed to bring up his hundred, the second-fastest in a T20 franchise league, behind Gayle’s 30-ball effort against Pune Warriors in IPL 2013. The previous fastest hundred in MLC came off 40 balls by Pooran in the 2023 final (before the T20 status).269 for 5 – Unicorns’ total against Freedom is by far the highest in MLC. They also became the first team to breach the 250-run mark in a T20 match in the USA, as the previous highest was 245 for 6 by West Indies against India in 2016 in Lauderhill.

He will always be associated with this team, a team that has created its brand and its identity around him

Matt Roller27-Apr-2023Walking along Cubbon Road in Bengaluru at six o’clock on Wednesday evening, I had a stray thought. Is this what Naples was like in the time of Diego Maradona?Everyone in front of me has the same thing written on the back of their shirt: 18 VIRAT. Every ten metres I walk, someone else is trying to sell me a cheap replica of a Royal Challengers Bangalore jersey, each and every one emblazoned with the same print.If it was not already clear who the 40,000 fans at the Chinnaswamy Stadium had come to see, it was confirmed by his emergence for the warm-ups. As he walked on to the outfield, Virat Kohli’s face popped up on the big screen, and the crowd came to life.Related

Chinnaswamy treat – the joy of Virat Kohli vs Jofra Archer

Eight balls, 28 to get, and Kohli does a Kohli – it was just meant to be

Kohli on RCB's loss to KKR: 'That's what you call a freebie'

I had witnessed the same love for Kohli during the previous Sunday afternoon’s game, a hard-fought victory over Rajasthan Royals. After his dismissal, pinned lbw first ball by Trent Boult, the ground fell silent. The TV broadcast cut to an older woman in the stands, who put her hand on her head then turned to her neighbour in utter disbelief.But all was forgotten by the time he was patrolling the long-on boundary, temporarily back as RCB’s captain, with Faf du Plessis managing an injury. Kohli blew a kiss to the crowd, towards the executive box where his wife Anushka Sharma was sitting; the big-screen, slow-motion replay drew a louder cheer than the catch itself.Having witnessed Sunday’s game behind the insulated glass of the press box, I moved to the stands on Wednesday night to hear the crowd at full throttle. The Chinnaswamy is an old, enclosed, concrete stadium with remarkable acoustics; it seems to amplify the noise created by its crowd, which is invariably a sell-out for IPL games.As Wanindu Hasaranga bowled the fifth over of Kolkata Knight Riders’ innings, Kohli positioned himself at mid-off. After each delivery, as he walked back towards the edge of the ring, the lower tier of C Stand cheered as one, hoping beyond hope that he would acknowledge them. He only touched the ball once, but was still the centre of attention.’18 VIRAT’: Who wouldn’t want it?•Associated PressThe PA announcer knows who is in charge of this city, and plays up to it. In the previous over, he had declared to the fans that it was time for an apotheosis: “When I say ‘King’, you say ‘Kohli’!” he instructed, and so they did. It is a remarkable status for anyone to even begin to live up to.But Kohli is RCB, and RCB is Kohli. He is the only player to have featured for the same franchise in all 16 IPL seasons, playing in all but four of their 235 IPL matches. He was here as a 19-year-old boy on the competition’s opening night, playing for the same team against the same opposition, and he is still here now as a 34-year-old man. He will always be associated with this team, a team that has created its brand and its identity around him.When Kohli gave up the RCB captaincy 18 months ago, he appeared to unilaterally and indefinitely extend his contract with the franchise: “I will only play for RCB until my retirement,” he had said in a statement. Nobody batted an eyelid. As if they would ever dare to let him leave?He is front and centre of every sponsorship photoshoot, his face plastered on every billboard in the surrounding area. Kohli is not only a cricketer, but also a brand: you can buy suitcases, tyres, wellness supplements, orthodontic aligners and air-conditioning units which come with his seal of approval, and are reminded to do so every time you switch on your television.So when Kohli came out to bat alongside du Plessis, a 201-run target in their sights, there was a sense that this was why everyone was here. KKR’s innings had felt like a necessary inconvenience, a support act to warm the crowd up before the main event.As he has throughout this season, Kohli started positively. He slashed the first ball he faced to deep third for four, and after hitting Suyash Sharma for back-to-back fours at the start of the fifth over, he had raced to 30 off 15 balls with five boundaries, strutting around the crease with a characteristic swagger.Silence enveloped the ground after Virat Kohli was given out against KKR•Associated PressIn doing so, Kohli set a new record for the most runs by a T20 batter at a single venue. The landmark went largely unnoticed, but was fitting: along with MS Dhoni playing for Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk, and Rohit Sharma representing Mumbai Indians at Wankhede, Kohli playing for RCB at Chinnaswamy is one of this league’s iconic combinations.But after the soft dismissals of du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell, the two other superstars in this RCB batting line-up, Kohli was almost on his own. There were few qualms about his now-characteristic slowdown against spin; given the circumstances, it seemed their only chance of hauling down this target was for Kohli to bat deep into the innings.When Shahbaz Ahmed, Mahipal Lomror and Suyash Prabhudessai’s names were read out, they hardly drew a response. The contrast in reception for RCB’s big three and the rest of their middle order emphasised the over reliance on a select few that this franchise has always faced, one reflected in their supporters’ adoration of their established stars but apparent ambivalence towards their young players.Lomror provided an effective foil. He dominated a 55-run stand with Kohli for the fourth wicket, hitting 34 off 18 balls before he was caught on the rope, falling just short in an attempt to strike back-to-back sixes off Varun Chakravarthy.Kohli’s method – trying to build a partnership to attack at the death after losing three early wickets – left the game in his hands. And when, on 54, he swung Andre Russell out towards midwicket after a lull, there was a brief moment when he seemed to have got enough power into his pull shot to clear the ropes.He hadn’t. Venkatesh Iyer dived forward and clung on to a difficult catch, and the game was as good as done. Silence enveloped the ground as the TV umpire confirmed that Iyer’s catch was clean. Kohli trudged off, taking a realistic chance of a third consecutive victory with him.Forty-five minutes later, Kohli was in front of the cameras again, sending his team a rocket after a sloppy performance in the field. As he spoke, Cubbon Road was full of people again. They traipsed towards the metro station or hailed auto rickshaws, having witnessed a defeat that must have been all too familiar for supporters of a franchise who have always fallen just short.But those same supporters had witnessed a hero in the flesh, cutting and pulling, living and breathing. And in three weeks’ time, when RCB return home after five consecutive away games, there is no doubt that the road will be filled with shirts emblazoned with ’18 VIRAT’ on their backs once more.

Take this quiz to find out

Sreshth Shah and Gaurav Sundararaman26-Feb-2021