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Celtic continued their 100% start to the Scottish Premiership season with a seventh win in seven matches against Ross County on Sunday afternoon.

The Hoops travelled away from Glasgow to take on Don Cowie’s side in the final match before the October international break and claimed all three points with a 2-1 win.

Brendan Rodgers’ men were made to work hard for their victory, though, as the home side battled hard and went into the half-time break with a 1-0 lead.

A handball from Liam Scales provided Ross County with a chance to take the lead and Ronan Vale found the bottom corner at the second attempt, after Kasper Schmeichel had come off his line to save the first effort.

Alistair Johnston then found the equaliser in the second half by inadvertently deflecting Callum McGregor’s stand-bound effort into the back of the net.

The Canada international was then heavily involved in the match-winning goal with a perfect through ball to Nicolas Kuhn, who drove forward and found the bottom corner.

One player who did struggle on the pitch for Celtic from the start, though, was central midfielder Reo Hatate, who was selected alongside Arne Engels and Callum McGregor.

Reo Hatate's performance against Ross County

The Japan international was brought back into the starting line-up for Paulo Bernardo, after the devastating 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in Germany on Tuesday night.

It was an opportunity for the right-footed maestro to showcase the best of his abilities and show Rodgers that he deserves to start week-in-week-out for the Hoops, rather than to be dipped in and out of the XI.

The central midfielder was loose with his use of the ball as Celtic attempted to break down a stubborn Ross County defence, completing 78% of his attempted passes and losing possession eight times from 47 touches.

Hatate also failed to offer a goalscoring threat from midfield with one shot, that was off target, in his 61 minutes on the pitch for the Scottish giants, as he was subbed off with the team 1-0 down.

The 26-year-old midfielder struggled defensively, losing all three of his aerial duels and failing to make a single tackle, interception or block, and that may have been why the manager decided to withdraw him from the match with 30 minutes or so to go.

It turned out to be an inspired decision by the head coach, as his side went on to win the match 2-1, and the ex-Liverpool boss must brutally bin Hatate from the starting XI next time out in order to unleash the player who replaced him – Luke McCowan.

Why Luke McCowan should be unleashed

The former Dundee man is yet to start a match for Celtic in any competition since his move to the club on deadline day on a permanent deal.

He has strengthened his case to finally make the starting XI, however, with a strong performance off the bench to help the team to all three points against Ross County.

During Sky Sports’ live coverage of the match, Chris Sutton lauded McCowan for how “sharp” he looked and stated that the Celtic substitutes, whilst speaking about the midfielder specifically, made a “massive difference”.

Minutes played

29

Pass accuracy

88%

Key passes

1

Duels won

4/5

Dribbles completed

1/1

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish dynamo was impressive in possession, completing 88% of his passes and creating one chance, whilst also being dominant off the ball.

In fact, he used both his strength and his quality on the ball to win a vital free-kick in the build-up to Kuhn’s winner, plucking a ball out of the sky before forcing two defenders to foul him by using his body well.

McCowan has caught the eye in his last three appearances off the bench for the Hoops, with one goal, two key passes, and seven out of nine duels won.

The 26-year-old star, who scored ten goals and created nine ‘big chances’ in 37 league games for Dundee last season, should now be rewarded for his fine cameos with his start for the club, in the hope that he can bring dynamism, strength, and offensive quality to the middle of the park for Rodgers.

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Ditching Hatate from the starting XI to bring in McCowan, with Callum McGregor and Arne Engels keeping their places, would then mean that Paulo Bernardo, perhaps unfortunately, remains on the bench.

Paulo Bernardo's start to the season

The Portugal U21 international came on alongside McCowan in the 61st minute on Sunday and was slightly sloppy with his use of the ball, completing just 73% of his attempted passes.

He lost possession a whopping 14 times in just 29 minutes on the pitch and only won one duel, which shows that the Scotsman was the more impressive of the two midfield substitutes – due to both his play in and out of possession.

Bernardo was dropped from the starting line-up after his dismal showing in the first half against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League in the previous match.

The 22-year-old ace was withdrawn at half-time in Germany after the hosts had scored five goals without the midfielder managing a single tackle, interception, block, or clearance for his side.

However, not all of his performances have been disappointing in the season so far. In fact, Bernardo has shown plenty of promise with his displays in the Premiership thus far.

Appearances

6

Starts

3

Goals

1

Big chances created

3

Key passes per game

2.0

Assists

1

As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese talent has created three ‘big chances’ in three starts in the division, to go along with one goal.

Despite his strong statistics from the games prior to these last two outings, Rodgers must now hand McCowan his first chance to impress from the start and ditch Hatate from the starting XI in the process, when Celtic come back from the latest international break.

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Some one-on-one sessions with South Australia sports psychologist David Steventon over the last 12 months have helped McGrath simplify her game

AAP22-Oct-2021

Tahlia McGrath is in career-best form•Getty Images

Tahlia McGrath credits her meteoric rise to being the form allrounder of Australian women’s cricket partly to her sports psychologist.Player of the series against India earlier this month, McGrath has started the WBBL with a bang in Adelaide Strikers’ unbeaten start to the tournament. But the 25-year-old is the first to admit she’s had to learn that you can’t put an old head on young shoulders.An Australian debutant at 21 in the 2017 Ashes, McGrath managed just one international between that series and the start of this summer. She has made the most of her recall through injuries, averaging 79 with the bat against India while also taking four wickets.That came before scores of 42 and 50 not out for Strikers, as well as 3 for 17 in the opening game against Sydney Thunder. It’s made her a near-certain pick for the Ashes, despite the impending returns of Rachael Haynes, Jess Jonassen Megan Schutt.”It’s taken me a while and it’s been a frustrating journey with lots of little glimpses and starts, but not consistent enough,” McGrath said. “But it’s just been simplifying how I go about my cricket.”I’ve matured a lot as a batter and learned how to construct my innings a lot better, especially in T20 cricket. That’s literally keeping it as simple as possible, playing to my strengths and not over-complicating things which I have fallen into the trap of before.”McGrath said her biggest change had come from sitting down with South Australia’s sports psychologist David Steventon over the past 12 months.”Initially I was a bit hesitant, thinking I’m not sure how much I can get a benefit out of that,” McGrath said. “But he did a few group sessions with us, I liked what he said and had a few one-on-one sessions and it’s gone from there.”Cricket is such a mental game that I thought why not tap into that aspect of it? So much we can get caught up in our own minds and especially when we are batting, over-complicating things.”It’s part of what she believes has helped make her more patient and willing to time her run with the bat.”In the past, I took unnecessary risks early…I was getting too caught up in hitting boundaries,” McGrath said. “It’s just been about trying to get into my innings before I go to the next gear. I’m more mature and learning how to structure my innings a lot better in T20 cricket now.”

In dire need of reinforcements following such a disappointing start to the season, Dougie Freedman is now reportedly plotting a move to sign an attacking addition for Crystal Palace.

Crystal Palace transfer news

Those at Selhurst Park had a mixed summer transfer window. Whilst they managed to welcome the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Maxence Lacroix, they were only able to fund those deals after both Michael Olise and Joachim Andersen swapped South London for Bayern Munich and Fulham respectively.

And so far, Oliver Glasner’s side have felt that impact in full, having failed to win once in their opening seven Premier League games.

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Their latest defeat came at the hands of league-leaders Liverpool, who battled past the Eagles to win 1-0 and pile the pressure on winless Palace and manager Glasner.

Sitting on just three points and inside the relegation zone, it’s certainly not been the opening that the former Eintracht Frankfurt boss would have wanted after such an excellent start to his tenure in the second-half of last season. But things could yet change with the help of the transfer window in 2025.

According to GiveMeSport, sporting director Dougie Freedman is now plotting a move to sign Dario Osorio from Midtjylland after Crystal Palace officials were impressed by the Chilean right-winger.

That said, the South London side aren’t the only ones interested, with both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United reportedly eyeing moves for the 20-year-old who has earned comparisons with Angel Di Maria.

In a move that could replace Olise once and for all, Palace would be making quite the statement by also beating both Spurs and Manchester United to Osorio’s signature. A man in-demand, Osorio will be one to watch when 2025 arrives.

"Great" Osorio could finally replace Olise

Whilst Ismaila Sarr was supposed to take up the responsibility of replacing Olise’s quality, it remains to be seen whether the former Watford star will rediscover his best form at Selhurst Park, leaving the door ajar for Osorio. So far this season, the young winger has only shown glimpses of what he’s capable of, with three goals and one assist in 16 appearances, but last season’s numbers highlighted what he’s capable of at his best.

With nine goals and two assists in 16 appearances last season, Osorio attracted plenty of interest which has only continued into the current campaign. So much so that Midtjylland chief Ove Pederson was forced to speak about the interest, saying via TeamTalk in the summer: “You will understand that we cannot comment on possible offers for our players.

“We cannot advance anything. Simply put, this is not the way we work. I can only tell you that Dario Osorio is a great player and has had a great season.”

Battling some of the Premier League’s top sides, Crystal Palace will be desperate to win the race to sign Osorio and perhaps finally find their replacement for Olise when 2025 arrives.

India, who anyway brought a replacement team to Sri Lanka, were further severely hamstrung by nine of their players having to go into isolation. They had Bhuvneshwar Kumar – a bowler who bats a bit – as high as No. 6, because they had only five recognised batters available to them. And yet, they almost defended 132, their spinners – Rahul Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakravarthy – stymying Sri Lanka’s chase through the middle overs.Sri Lanka eventually stumbled over the line to record their first T20 victory in six matches, with Dhananjaya de Silva holding the innings together with 40 not out off 34 balls. He hit the winning run with just two balls to spare, and with Sri Lanka down to their last serious batting pair.Related

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A thigh-high full toss turns the match Sri Lanka’s way
When a squall blew through the ground at the end of the 18th over of Sri Lanka’s innings, the hosts still needed 20 to win and were three runs behind the DLS par score. They desperately needed boundaries, but had managed only one in the previous three overs. The third ball of the 19th over – bowled by Kumar – was a hit-me ball, however. India had been contending with dew already, but the few minutes of rain had made the outfield even greasier, and the ball likely difficult to grip. Chamika Karunaratne thumped the full-toss into the stands beyond wide long-on, bringing the equation down to 12 off 9 balls, and Sri Lanka did not need to hit another boundary, running twos and singles until the target was reached.India spin themselves back into the game
Although Sri Lanka did not quite get ahead of the required rate early on, the middle-overs period in which various batters floundered against the spinners put India in serious contention to defend their total. Not a single boundary was hit in a 27-ball stretch between the ninth and 14th overs. Sri Lanka struggled with Chakravarthy’s variety in particular – the bowler returned figures of 1 for 18 from his four overs. Through the course of this boundary-less stretch, Yadav dismissed Dasun Shanaka and Minod Bhanuka. He finished with 2 for 30 from his four.Dhananjaya de Silva and Chamika Karunaratne celebrate Sri Lanka’s win•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images

de Silva produces a slow burn innings
Not known to be a natural hitter, de Silva would reveal after the match that the role handed to him by the coaching staff was to ensure he held one end down and batted as long as possible. He struck only one six (off Kuldeep) and a four in his knock, but ran six twos, and played out only eight dot balls.Sri Lanka cycle through their bowlers in the early overs
Although it is India who were forced to field an XI with more bowlers than they would have liked, Sri Lanka were the side intent on showcasing their bowling depth, right out of the gate. Captain Shanaka had eight different bowlers delivering the first nine overs – Dushmantha Chameera, Karunaratne, Akila Dhananjaya, Isuru Udana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shanaka, Ramesh Mendis and de Silva all coming to the bowling crease.The idea, clearly, was to prevent India’s batters from settling. Although the ploy did not yield many wickets, with only Ruturaj Gaikwad falling during this period, Sri Lanka were successful in keeping a lid on the scoring. India scored only 54 runs in those nine overs. Shikhar Dhawan was particularly modest, as he ambled to 28 off his first 32 balls. When he was eventually out in the 13th over, his strike rate had only marginally improved – he’d soaked up 42 balls for his 40.A shortened India batting lineup fails to explode at the death
With Suryakumar Yadav, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey and Ishan Kishan all unavailable due to being put in isolation, India had only five recognised batters to choose from. So although they had lost only two wickets at the end of the 15th over, the lack of firepower through the middle was a major concern (this may also likely be why Dhawan and co. batted so conservatively early on). With the likes of Hasaranga and Chameera bowling reasonably well on a slow surface, India mustered only 38 off the last 30 balls. Their last boundary came from Devdutt Padikkal, in the 16th over. Padikkal was out next ball. Batting at No. 6, Kumar, who is by no means an allrounder, had to face 11 deliveries, from which he hit 13.

Fast bowler hopes for more opportunities with seamer-friendly ball after five-wicket haul

Firdose Moonda10-Jun-2021

Lungi Ngidi claimed five wickets as West Indies were routed for 97•AFP/Getty Images

Lungi Ngidi hopes to have more opportunity to bowl with the Dukes ball after it helped him earn his second Test five-for in St Lucia. Ngidi, who took 6 for 39 against India on debut in January 2018, rated the Dukes ball as more seamer-friendly than the Kookaburra, used in South Africa, or India’s SG, because of the way it behaves.”I prefer the Dukes ball. It stays harder and moves around a lot more,” Ngidi said after the first day’s play. “The Kookaburra ball tends to get a bit soft and once it gets soft, it doesn’t really swing and you try to look for reverse swing. The SG gets scuffed up really quick and it’s a really hard ball to maintain. But the Dukes ball is really a test of skill. Once you can get the wrist position right and hone in on your area, you can be very successful with this ball. Having bowled with it now, I hope I bowl with it for many, many years.”Ngidi had never used the Dukes ball in a Test match before, having not played any Tests in England or in the Caribbean before this tour. He did have access to it when practising in South Africa and said the training group was “trying everything to control that ball,” and showed off the results of their persistence inside two sessions on the first day.South Africa dismissed West Indies for 97, for their second sub-100 total since 2004, through a combination of aggression and discipline that Ngidi explained could be difficult to get right in favourable conditions. “You can get carried away, especially when it’s nipping around and swinging like that,” he said.In the morning session, South Africa were anything but over-excited by conditions. While Kagiso Rabada and Ngidi kept the brakes on West Indies, Anrich Nortje tore through the top order. “My role definition has been very clear – it’s been to make sure I keep one end quiet. We do have some really quick bowlers and a lot of batsmen were struggling with them so for me to give them nothing was part of the plan,” Ngidi said.Related

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His morning’s work was seven overs for 10 runs and he returned after lunch to take five wickets for nine runs, having changed ends in between whiles. “I felt more comfortable from the other end and my rhythm clicked,” he said. “It’s been a work in progress. I had to work very hard in the gym, on fitness, and the most important thing was the skill side of things and being able to swing the ball away from batters.”Ngidi celebrated his second five-for with an emotional gesture to the heavens and then settled in to watch West Indies’ enjoy some, albeit not the same, success. Teenage debutant Jayden Seales, playing in just his second first-class match, took 3 for 34 and Ngidi was particularly impressed with his performance. “I was keeping a close eye on him. His seam presentation is what I tried to do when we were bowling,” Ngidi said. “He has got a great wrist behind the ball, a very clean action and it seems like he can run in all day, so he is a danger. It’s a very exciting future for the West Indies with him in the line-up.”South Africa will hope it’s not too exciting, just yet. Their lead of 31 is still some way behind what Ngidi thinks could be match-winning, especially on a surface that will continue to suit the quicks. “On this wicket you are never really in. Maybe a lead of 150-200, we’ll take that,” he said. “But it’s still moving around a bit so any lead we can get, we will take as bowlers.”

An 11-year-old Ajax youngster wowed fans at the Johan Cruyff arena as he completed 2,424 kick-ups ahead of the club's clash with Telstar.

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• Chaiat completes 2,424 kick-ups
• Ajax beat Telstar 2-0
• Ajax sit second in Eredivisie

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Zinedine Chaiat received a standing ovation from the Ajax first-team squad and supporters as he completed his kick-ups on the pitch ahead of the Dutch Cup game. He managed to do his kick-ups for so long that the kick-off almost had to be delayed. Ajax went on to win the game 2-0 and proceed to the next stage of the competition.

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  Ajax have improved this season compared to their last campaign in which they only just managed to squeeze into the Europa League qualifying stage after finishing fifth in the Eredivisie. They currently sit in second in the domestic league, although cut adrift from leaders PSV, and look on course for a return to the Champions League next season. They are also 11th in the Europa League group stage and on course to reach the knockout rounds.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR AJAX?

  Ajax take on Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday afternoon before resting over the Christmas break. They will return to action in January against RKC Waalwijk in the Eredivisie, hoping to pounce on any PSV slip-up.

Chelsea have surpassed expectation and find themselves second ahead of the crunch clash with Tottenham – it's time to start believing

If you had told most Premier League followers before a ball was kicked this season that Chelsea would be second in the table when December rolled around, they probably would have laughed in your face. But four months into the 2024-25 campaign, that is the unlikely reality.

Under new head coach Enzo Maresca, the Blues have gone quietly about their work, developing as a team and building momentum by only suffering defeat in two league games against big-hitters Manchester City and Liverpool.

Unbeaten in the league since visiting Anfield in October, a run of three-straight victories has seen the west Londoners soar to second place ahead of a date with London rivals Tottenham on Sunday. Their form has led to one question repeatedly being asked of Maresca in his press conferences and post-match interviews: are Chelsea in the title race?

Getty Images Sport'Chelsea are back'

Unexpected as it may be, the positivity around Chelsea right now is palpable. The full-time whistle in Wednesday night's thumping victory over the 10-men of Southampton at St Mary's was greeted with chants of 'We've got our Chelsea back' from the away end – perhaps the biggest endorsement yet of Maresca's work as the club finally pulls clear of the darkest period in its modern history.

"It was a very good feeling [hearing the chants] especially because you can see they are happy," the Italian said afterwards. "It’s our target. We work every day to keep them happy. Tonight it was a very good feeling, especially the one where they say 'Chelsea is back'. This is important.

"The results help a lot, and calm down the noise around the club. It’s a good feeling to see the fans happy after the last two years when many things happened. You can see now the feeling from them is good."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGoal machines

The five strikes they rattled in against their sorry opponents on the south coast quietly propelled the Blues into second in the Premier League, ahead of London rivals Arsenal – the side widely considered to be best placed to challenge Liverpool for the title – on goal difference

Indeed, Chelsea's free-scoring attack has been the backbone of their unexpected success this season; their current goals-per-game ratio of 2.6 (57 goals in 22 games) is the highest in the club's entire history, while they set a record at St Mary's with their xG (expected goals) total of 5.29 – the highest of any away side since records began in 2008-09.

Of course, this should arguably come as little surprise given an attacking arsenal that includes the likes of Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix, as well as plenty more, but no-one could have predicted that things would go so well and gel so swiftly under Maresca.

The Blues could even afford to leave their second-highest league scorer, Jackson, on the bench throughout at Southampton, in a testament to their overall firepower.

AFP'We are not ready'

As Maresca says, there is a growing sense that 'Chelsea are back', emerging as an attacking force, playing an attractive brand of football and challenging right at the top of the table. But are they in the title race?

Their head coach was unequivocal in his response as he fielded that question yet again before facing Tottenham on Sunday: "We are very happy for the fans, absolutely because they deserve to live this moment. They can dream. We are very happy. We work every day to also make them happy and proud of the players. I've said many times, I don't think we are there or ready to compete with Arsenal, Liverpool and City."

He had previously said: "The good thing is we are improving. Soon, hopefully, we can be there. For sure, we need to improve many things. We can attack better, we can defend better, but for me, what we need is that you need to live moments to get better."

How 'soon', only time will tell, but as Chelsea continue to grow – or regrow in confidence and stature, it will be interesting to see whether the manager's stance shifts. For now, it's clear he wants to protect his young squad from heightened expectation.

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Getty Images SportLong-term goals

Behind closed doors, it seems Maresca's feelings are shared by the club's leadership. It has been reported that the Chelsea hierarchy have no plans to review the targets they set at the beginning of the season, which were to challenge for a top-four place and show progress from last season with a new-and-improved style of play – boxes that are currently being ticked.

The players, too, are not getting ahead of themselves. Palmer was typically impudent when asked why the Blues couldn't be considered title contenders following the win over Villa, rolling his eyes and saying: "Nah, it's too early, man. We're just starting this season so we're just playing."

There is the sense that everyone is pulling in the same direction: aim for those pre-season targets and take every game as it comes with a view to longer-term success. The head coach believes Chelsea are set for a period of domination.

"I still think what I said to the owners and the sporting directors the first time I met them: because of the age [profiles of the players], because of how good the squad is…for me, Chelsea, in the next five to 10 years will be one of the teams or the team that is going to dominate English football," he said recently.

The Hurricanes captain announced her retirement from the competition after securing the club’s first title

AAP14-Dec-2025

Elyse Villani smiles during the closing stages of the WBBL final•Getty Images

Former Australia international Elyse Villani has walked away from the WBBL in fairytale fashion after leading Hobart Hurricanes to their first title.Hurricanes now hold the BBL and WBBL trophies after Villani’s chargers romped to an eight-wicket win over Perth Scorchers in front of a 5000-strong home crowd at Bellerive Oval on Saturday.The 36-year-old, who has played 99 games for Australia, revealed post-match it was her last WBBL game.”It’s a fairytale ending and in elite sport it’s very rare to have that,” she said. “It has been playing on the back of my mind this season and I was hoping this could be the way it finished.”I was 80% sure this was the way it was going to go to retire after the game, but as soon as we won, I knew this was the moment.”Villani has played all 11 WBBL seasons, at Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars before Hurricanes, and finished runner-up three times. She joined Hurricanes for the 2022-23 competition, after the team had finished in last spot three of the previous five seasons. They’ve since built their roster and only dropped two games this year.”Sometimes you can have a really good list and feel the pressure of that list,” Villani said. “But what this group has done really well is that at different points in the season different people performed.”Villani said she would continue to play for Tasmania in the 50-over format and would move to an off-field role with Hurricanes.Hobart Hurricanes players erupt in the dugout•Getty Images

“Cricket has been something that has been a big part of my life and something I’ll miss a lot but at the same time you can’t sort of live this dream forever,” she said.Hurricanes kept Perth to 137 for 5 before opener Lizelle Lee turned on the jets with an unbeaten 77 from just 44 deliveries.”I play a high-risk game. Sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn’t. I don’t think it has sunk in yet,” Lee said.Lee’s knock, which included 10 fours and four sixes, came 11 months after Mitch Owen bludgeoned 108 on the same ground to deliver Hurricanes their first BBL trophy.”They’ve won it and they’ve set an example. It was great to do the same,” Lee said.Scorchers coach Becky Grundy was disappointed her side didn’t put their best foot forward but said she was proud of their fight to get to the decider.”We would have taken this at the start of the tournament, to be in a final. Unfortunately not to be. They outplayed us,” she said.

Leeds United are preparing a bid for a "very intelligent" player who is seen as Glen Kamara's replacement at Elland Road, according to a new transfer claim.

Kamara set to leave Leeds

The Whites are once again getting ready for another season in the Championship, as they look to go one better than last season's playoff final heartbreak, sealing a return to the Premier League in the process.

It looks as though Kamara won't be a part of Daniel Farke's plans at Leeds, however, with the midfielder expected to seal a move to Ligue 1 side Rennes. The Championship club are believed to have sanctioned the transfer, as the Finn brings an end to his time there, just one year after arriving from Rangers.

When it comes to incoming transfer news, Sheffield United defender Jayden Bogle has been linked with a summer switch to the Whites. He is viewed as someone who could help make up for the loss of Archie Gray to Tottenham, improving the full-back options at Farke's disposal.

Meanwhile, St. Pauli centre-back Eric Smith has been earmarked as a potential replacement for former captain Liam Cooper, who departed Elland Road after his contract expired earlier in the summer. Now, a new update has emerged regarding a replacement for Kamara, in what could be an exciting piece of business.

Leeds prepare bid for "very intelligent" midfielder

According to Planet Sport, Leeds are readying a fresh offer for Tottenham midfielder Oliver Skipp, as they look to snap him up and fill the void left by Kamara in the middle of the park. It is reported that Skipp could move to Leeds on loan with a view to a permanent deal, should Spurs bring in a replacement.

The Englishman was initially almost part of the deal that saw Gray head to Spurs, but that failed to materialise, and the Whites still want him at Elland Road ahead of next season.

Skipp could feel like a statement signing for Leeds, considering he has been playing for a huge Premier League club for a number of years now, picking up 77 appearances in England's top flight and making a total of 106 outings for the north London side to date. He has also been lauded by former academy coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst, who has said of him:

“Skipp was always one of the strongest in the group. He had great technical skills, was very intelligent and has a really high football IQ, and a generally high IQ as well. He’s a very clever young man. He definitely stood out and worked really hard."

While the £40,000-a-week midfielder may arguably not be at the level required to be starting for Spurs every week, he could be one of the standout midfielders in the Championship at Leeds, not only proving to be an upgrade on Kamara, but playing a big role in Farke's side getting back into the Premier League.

He's better than Roberts: Leeds set to launch move for "quality" ace

Leeds United will have other targets in mind away from trying to get Connor Roberts back.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jul 15, 2024

An industrious presence who is also neat and tidy in possession, the 23-year-old worked under Farke at Norwich and has so much to offer, and his 91.7% pass completion rate in the league last season sums up his technical expertise.

علق خوان لابورتا رئيس نادي برشلونة الإسباني، على النجاح في تسجيل داني أولمو وباو فيكتور في قائمة النادي الكتالوني فيما تبقى من الموسم الحالي.

وقدم برشلونة طعنًا إلى المجلس الأعلى للرياضة يوم الثلاثاء 7 يناير، لتسجيل الثنائي أولمو وفيكتور، بعد رفض رابطة الليجا والاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم.

وأكد المجلس في بيانه قبول الإجراء الاحترازي لبرشلونة لتسجيل أولمو وفيكتور، لكن بصفة مؤقتة حتى يتم الفصل نهائيًا في الطعن الذي قدمه النادي واللاعبان.

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وفاز برشلونة ببطولة كأس السوبر الإسباني، الأحد الماضي على حساب ريال مدريد بخماسية مقابل هدفين في المملكة العربية السعودية.

خوان لابورتا في مؤتمر صحفي اليوم، قال: “قدمنا وثائقنا قبل نهاية العام، ضمن المهلة التي حصلنا عليها، طلبوا منا وثائق إضافية في أيام 29 و30 و31 ديسمبر”.

وأضاف: “سلمنا جميع الوثائق في 1 يناير، لكن الرابطة والاتحاد أكدا أن اللوائح أصبحت قديمة، وفي اليوم الثالث أكملنا الوثائق من أجل موازنة قواعد اللعب المالي النظيف”.

وأشار: “كنا ملتزمين للغاية، وبالتالي المجلس الأعلى للرياضة عندما أصدر قراره العاجل، لأنه رأى أن برشلونة غير مخطئ”.

وأردف: “عندما سجلنا أولمو في بداية الموسم، كان بسبب إصابة كريستنسن، لكننا كنا نخطط لذلك بموجب العقد الموقع مع شركة الملابس، لأنه يتضمن مكافأة توقيع تنعش خزينة النادي”.

وشدد: “هناك من اصطفوا مع من أراد أن يضر برشلونة، وسائل الإعلام المعادية والأشخاص الذين حاولوا أن يستمتعوا بزعزعة استقرار برشلونة وموقفنا المتأزم. الآن يظهرون جميعًا أمامكم”.

واستكمل: “البعض توقع أنني سأستقيل بسبب قرار الرابطة أو الاتحاد، لكنكم لا تعرفونني جيدًا. لن أستسلم بسهولة، أنا محبط من بعض الأشخاص بالفعل، لكنني سأظل أدافع عن برشلونة دائمًا”.

وواصل: “نحن نبني ملعبًا جديدًا. ليس مجرد تجديد كما يرى البعض، سنعود إليه في أقرب وقت وسيكون منفذا جديدا لكي يستفيد منه النادي ماليًا”.

واختتم: “في ظل ما يحدث، نستمتع بفريق ملتزم ومدربًا استثنائيًا، ولاعبين من الأكاديمية، وعمل رائع من المدير الرياضي ديكو. الذين سمحوا لنا بأمسية استثنائية في جدة عندما توجنا ببطولة السوبر”.