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Aston Villa are plotting a move for Borussia Dortmund striker Karim Adeyemi this summer and hope to beat Chelsea and Juventus to his signature.

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• Aston Villa looking to bring in new forward to replace Diaby
• Villans been one of Europe's top spenders this summer
• Chelsea and Juventus also interested in BVB man

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Following the departure of Moussa Diaby to Al-Ittihad this week, Aston Villa are in the market for a new forward and are targeting Borussia Dortmund speedster Karim Adeyemi, according to the Daily Mail. Chelsea and Juventus are also said to be interested in the Swiss international.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Signing Adeyemi would be a massive coup for Unai Emery and they can afford to splash the cash having raised over £100 million (€118m/$128m) in player sales this summer. After losing Diaby and Douglas Luiz, the Premier League club need to bring in players of a similar quality if they are to compete for a Champions League spot again in 2024-25.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Dortmund's versatile forward scored five goals and recorded two assists in 34 appearances across all competitions last season. He had a major chance in the Champions League final against Real Madrid but could not convert in a moment that would have likely inflated his price in the transfer market.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ADEYEMI AND VILLA?

  With Chelsea and Juventus also sniffing around the 22-year-old, Villa may have to move fast to secure a deal. Adeyemi has been with Dortmund for their pre-season tour but will be ready to go should anything be agreed with one of the three interested clubs.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou thinks a "huge talent" is perfect for Spurs, which is what he's allegedly told a website's sources in private.

Spurs set mission to sign new winger for Ange

The Lilywhites are reportedly very eager to sign a new wide player this summer.

Tottenham could move for £43m star in "one of the biggest transfer stories"

Spurs threaten to derail Arsenal and Chelsea’s plans.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 11, 2024

It is believed Spurs are keen to bring in a new wide player as their "major" summer signing, with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze and Wolves winger Pedro Neto rumoured to be among the options attracting their interest.

Postecoglou currently has Son Heung-min, Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski, Timo Werner, Bryan Gil and Manor Solomon as wingers in his Spurs squad, but doubts surround the futures of the latter pair.

Dan Kilpatrick recently claimed that Solomon could leave Tottenham if they sign two attackers, which is very much a "possibility" according to the journalist, while Gil is regularly tipped to leave this summer.

Neto is perhaps one of the most exciting names to be linked, with the Portuguese enjoying quite a campaign under Gary O'Neil. Indeed, he's nearly into double figures for league assists and stands out as one of England's most in-form wingers right now.

"He’s better than [Timo] Werner. He’s better than [Brennan] Johnson. He’s better than [Giovani] Lo Celso," said pundit Paul Robinson to Tottenham News on their links to Neto.

"You could argue that he’d probably play ahead of Kulusevski. He wouldn’t play ahead of Sonny [Heung-min] or Richarlison as a striker but he is that next-level player and if Spurs are to go on and are to back Ange then to bring in a player like Neto would be a huge statement."

Also called a "huge talent" by Alan Shearer, there is little denying that he would add a different dimension to Spurs' attack.

Postecoglou privately tells sources that Neto is perfect for Tottenham

According to TEAMtalk, that sentiment is well and truly echoed by Spurs' head coach. Indeed, it is believed Postecoglou has privately told sources that £60m Neto would be a great fit for Tottenham and is said to "love" the 24-year-old.

However, the presence of other top-flight sides in the race for Neto threatens to price the Lilywhites out of a bidding war.

"He has been absolutely incredible for the six or seven weeks I have been here," said O'Neil on Neto last year.

"I am really pleased with where Pedro is at. He has given absolutely everything and showed a big moment of quality [at Luton] which sums up how he has been for me for the last six weeks."

"His work rate, the way he trains, playing within the shape and structure and taking information on board. He is incredibly talented and physically very gifted as well."

Two USWNT stars feature in GOAL's best XI after the first round at Paris 2024 was completed, with two Ballon d'Or winners grabbing spots in midfield

Despite only kicking-off a week ago, the 2024 Olympic women's football tournament is already ready for the quarter-final stage, with juggernauts like Spain, the United States, Germany, Brazil and France continuing in search of a gold medal when those ties take place on Saturday, August 3.

Joined in the last eight by Japan, Colombia and Canada, the first knockout round has a fantastic line up, featuring eight nations packed with wonderful talent and quality all over the pitch. Each can boast players in exciting form, too, off the back of a group stage with plenty of top performers.

So, who have been the stars of the tournament so far? GOAL picks its team of the Olympic group stage…

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  GK: Lorena (Brazil)

  There were a number of impressive goalkeepers in the group stage, with Nigeria's Chiamaka Nnadozie incredibly unlucky to be going home early after her wonderful efforts, while Anna Leat pulled off some top-class saves despite New Zealand being up against it in Group A. However, it's Lorena of Brazil who gets the nod in this XI.

  No goalkeeper had a bigger positive difference between their goals conceded and expected goals against during the first three matchdays, with the Selecao's No.1 picking the ball out of her net just four times despite the statistics suggesting she should have done so on more than six occasions. The 27-year-old racked up the fourth-highest save percentage of starting goalkeepers too, making more saves than any of the three above her, and kept out a penalty against Japan.

  Lorena's group stage was a genuine highlight reel and Brazil will hope that she can keep that up as it prepares for a tough test against hosts France in the quarter-finals.

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  RB: Giulia Gwinn (Germany)

  After a devastating second ACL tear in just over two years forced her to miss last year's World Cup, it's been a delight to see Giulia Gwinn thriving at this Olympic Games. Her performance against Australia in Germany's opening game was superb, as she and Jule Brand ran riot down the right. When that wasn't happening, Gwinn was delivering deadly set-pieces, two of which were turned into assists in the 3-0 win.

  Things didn't go to plan quite as much for Germany in its second game, against the U.S., but don't let that take away from Gwinn's beautiful strike which levelled the scores early in that encounter. She then closed the group stage out with a solid display in victory over Zambia, with only two players creating more chances than the full-back in the opening round.

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  CB: Naomi Girma (United States)

  While statistics are great to further emphasize just how good certain players are, it feels like they don't quite do Naomi Girma's performances at this Olympics justice. To understand what makes the 24-year-old so special, it's easier just to focus on her during games, to watch how intelligent her positioning is, how she prevents dangerous situations from developing without a hugely eye-catching intervention and to understand the significance of her role in this team.

  That is both out of possession and also when the USWNT has the ball, as her passing is real top quality and her decision-making is excellent, too. It's remarkable to think that she is still so young and, as a result, can grow so much yet as she gains more experience. Girma is already a world-class talent and is showing that on this big stage.

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  CB: Vanessa Gilles (Canada)

  When Canada was deducted six points midway through the group stage, it was assumed by many that the reigning Olympic champion was going to be knocked out early. Yet, against all odds, the 2020 gold medalist is still here – and Vanessa Gilles is a huge reason why.

  Canada's record of three wins from three games comes from a collective team effort and real mental resilience throughout the incredible noise around it in France, but Gilles absolutely deserves singling out after scoring two huge goals to earn six of those nine points.

  It was 12 minutes into stoppage-time when she showed the composure of a centerforward, not a centerback, to slot home the winner against France, and she backed that up on Wednesday with a brilliant header that secured three points over Colombia, in a must-win game. Winning just short of 70 percent of her duels, Gilles has certainly done her work on the other side of the ball, too.

Liverpool have been no strangers to cashing in on players for big money as they have sold several first-team stars for significant fees over the years.

The likes of Christian Benteke and Mamadou Sakho were sold at the perfect time for big fees after being squad options for the Reds, rather than important players.

However, the Premier League giants have also sold key operators in the past, including Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling, who joined Barcelona and Manchester City, respectively, after lighting up the pitch at Anfield with their attacking quality.

The most money Liverpool have ever received for one player in their history, though, was when they sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in January 2018.

In fact, it was a British transfer record at the time of the deal, and was cited as one of the most expensive deals in football history, which speaks to how gigantic the move was.

However, if you adjust for the inflation of transfer fees in football over the subsequent years, Liverpool's sale of Fernando Torres to Chelsea seven years earlier was, relatively, worth more to the club.

How much Liverpool sold Philippe Coutinho for

The BBC reported that Barcelona paid an initial fee of £105m to sign the Brazil international, with 'realistic' add-ons that could take it up to a staggering £142m.

It was significantly more than the £75m deal that the Spanish giants had agreed with Liverpool to sign Uruguay international Suarez back in the summer of 2014.

The Reds played a masterclass with Coutinho as they signed him from Italian side Inter for a fee of £8.5m in January 2013 and went on to make a huge profit on him five years later.

During his time at Anfield, the Brazilian magician showcased his quality at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the Premier League.

Coutinho racked up 54 goals and 45 assists in 201 appearances for the club in all competitions, which included 41 goals and 37 assists in 152 top-flight outings.

He hit the ground running with three goals and seven assists in 13 Premier League appearances during the second half of the 2012/13 campaign, and never looked back.

As you can see in the table above, Coutinho consistently offered quality at the top end of the pitch from an attacking midfield position, particularly towards the end of his career at Anfield.

A return of 20 goals and 13 assists in his last 45 appearances across the 2016/17 and 2017/18 Premier League campaigns combined works out as as direct goal contribution every 1.36 games on average.

His phenomenal form across those seasons convinced Barcelona to splash out a mega fee to secure his services ahead of the second half of the 2017/18 term, and that remains the most expensive deal in Liverpool history.

However, Torres' move to Chelsea in January 2011 would be worth even more than Coutinho's huge transfer to the Camp Nou in the present day.

How much Chelsea's deal for Fernando Torres would be worth in 2024

Per Totally Money, the Blues splashed out a huge fee of £52.6m to sign the Spain international from Liverpool ahead of the second half of the 2010/11 campaign.

If you adjust for inflation in football transfer fees over the subsequent years, per Totally Money's index, that deal would be worth a mind-boggling £144.9m in the current day – £2.9m more than the total package Barcelona agreed for Coutinho.

Torres, who was signed from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2007, enjoyed a terrific time at Anfield as he showcased his goalscoring prowess in the Premier League over several years.

His first season in England was a roaring success. The Spanish marksman plundered a staggering 33 goals and five assists in 46 appearances, which included 24 goals in 33 Premier League games.

Torres ended his career on Merseyside with a return of 81 goals and 20 assists in 142 outings in all competitions, which is a return of one direct goal contribution every 1.41 clashes on average.

He was a terrific striker for the club and earned Liverpool a huge payday when Chelsea swooped in for a fee that would be worth £144.9m – and more than Coutinho's record sale – in the current day, which shows that they struck gold with that deal.

The 6 foot 1 number nine's form at Stamford Bridge after moving on from Anfield suggests that the Reds also hit the jackpot with the timing of the sale.

Fernando Torres' struggles at Chelsea

The World Cup and European Championship winner with Spain failed to translate his goalscoring exploits for Liverpool over to his time with the Blues.

Torres endured a rough start to life in London with a return of one goal and two assists in 18 appearances across the Premier League and the Champions League during the second half of the 2010/11 campaign.

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish forward never hit double figures for goals or assist in a single league season for Chelsea in four attempts, including three full campaigns.

His 24-goal Premier League season in his first year with Liverpool was nothing but a distant memory, as the big-money flop struggled in front of goal throughout his time with the Blues.

Torres ended his career at Stamford Bridge with a return of 45 goals and 35 assists in 172 appearances in all competitions, which is one goal or assist every 2.15 games on average.

These statistics show that the former Reds star, who did win the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012, flopped in London as his form dipped after Liverpool raked in a staggering fee for his services.

Overall, the Merseyside-based outfit struck gold by selling Torres when they did, due to the gigantic amount of money they received and the striker's declining form after the move.

Benfica reportedly have a plan to pip Aston Villa and Barcelona to signing former player Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid.

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• Felix not played for Atletico since 2022
• Linked with Barcelona and Aston Villa
• Benfica prepared to wait for ex-player

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Felix has been looking for an exit from Atletico Madrid for nearly two years after falling out with manager Diego Simeone. Now, according to , Benfica hope to bring the 24-year-old back to the club where he began his career. However, Aston Villa are interested in recruiting him, as are Barcelona – where he spent last season on loan.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The report adds Benfica can't afford to pay the £28 million ($35m) for 50 per cent of the Portuguese international's transfer fee. However, if nobody signs Felix by August 30, the Portuguese giants will try to sign him on loan with an option to buy.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  add that Benfica could raise funds for a Felix deal by selling Napoli target David Neres for just over £25m ($33m). Despite selling Joao Neves for £60m ($76m) to Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica's finances are still, seemingly, quite tight.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  With just a few weeks left of the transfer window, it remains to be seen where former Chelsea loanee Felix will end up this season. It seems, however, that he has no future at Atletico – five years after he signed for £113m ($144m) from Benfica.

With Raphael Varane's future still in doubt and his contract set to expire in the summer of 2025, Manchester United have reportedly made contact to secure a long-term replacement in the coming months.

Man United transfer news

It seems Sir Jim Ratcliffe certainly isn't messing around, with links to the likes of Ivan Toney, Donyell Malen and Bologna's Jhon Lucumi already emerging ahead of the summer transfer window. Toney would particularly be a statement signing, given the interest in the Brentford striker elsewhere in the Premier League, but it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils can put forward a convincing pitch to the England international.

When it comes to departures, meanwhile, United are reportedly ready to show Christian Eriksen the door with the Dane now behind Kobbie Mainoo in Erik ten Hag's pecking order. The 18-year-old has been quite the revelation and has for now eliminated the need for United to search for another central midfielder this summer.

Man Utd make first move for bargain Varane replacement in summer deal

Varane’s future remains uncertain…

By
Tom Cunningham

Mar 29, 2024

Young players could be the way forward for those at Old Trafford, too. The Red Devils have a lot of work to do, but players like Mainoo emerging is certainly a good start. And joining him could yet be Aaron Anselmino to improve that good start even further.

According to Ole via Sport Witness, Manchester United have made contact to sign Anselmino from Boca Juniors this summer. The 18-year-old centre-back has reportedly reiterated his desire to stay put at the Argentine club, but United have persisted with their interest alongside Italian giants Milan.

It's no shock that the Premier League heavyweights are interested in a deal, given that Anselmino's release clause currently sits at just €18.5m (£15.8m). With Varane set to leave in summer 2025 at the latest, United need to start thinking about long-term replacements, which is where Anselmino should come in at Old Trafford.

"Dominant" Anselmino is one for the future

It speaks volumes about just how talented Anselmino is that he's already made seven appearances for the Boca Juniors first-team, playing as both a defensive midfielder and central defender in the two appearances that he's made so far this season, only adding to his reputation.

At 18 years old, the Argentine is only set to get better, and for less than £16m, United would be getting themselves a bargain deal before his valuation rises. Signing Anselmino would also represent the direction in which Ratcliffe is attempting to head towards when it comes to incomings.

Ratcliffe said (via Fabrizio Romano): "Mbappé to Man United? I’d try to find the next Mbappé rather than spend a fortune trying to buy success. It’s not that clever to sign Mbappé now, it’s more challenging to find the next Mbappé, next Bellingham or next Roy Keane."

What's more, Anselmino is certainly rated despite his age, with Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig posting on X:

Whilst he will take some convincing thanks to his desire to stay put at Boca Juniors as things stand, United should push on and try everything possible to land a future star in Anselmino.

It was a tournament to remember for the U.S., Marta and Germany, but concerns arose for others including Canada

When the dust settles on the 2024 Olympic women's football tournament, it will surely go down as one to remember. That will be both for the right reasons, such as the unexpectedness of the United States women's national team's quick success under Emma Hayes and the near-fairytale farewell of Brazil icon Marta, and for the wrong reasons, with the drone scandal surrounding Canada Soccer certainly the big story there.

Despite the relentless schedule and gorgeous, but exhausting, sunshine in France, it was a tournament that entertained and threw up plenty of memorable matches, with Australia's ridiculous 6-5 win over Zambia unlikely to be forgotten quickly and Brazil's 4-2 victory over Spain surely the biggest shock of them all.

And among it all were the incredible individual stories: the rollercoaster of emotions that Marta went through as she represented her nation at a major tournament for the final time and the heart-warming comeback of Mallory Swanson, who was the USWNT's match-winner in Paris after enduring injury hell in 2023.

GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from Paris 2024…

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  WINNER: Emma Hayes

  There was, of course, some expectation around Emma Hayes and her United States women's national team coming into the Olympic Games. This is a four-time world champion and a team that had won four gold medals at this tournament in the past. But there were not many predicting that the U.S. would stand on the top of the podium on Saturday, which is exactly what it did after a 1-0 win over Brazil.

  There were a few reasons for that. First, because this team is little over 12 months removed from its worst performance at a Women's World Cup in history, when it lost in the last 16. Second of all was the experience lost since that doomed campaign Down Under, with the likes of Kelley O'Hara, Julie Ertz, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe – plus Becky Sauerbrunn – absent this time around, leaving a young group with only a few names that have been there and done it on the biggest stages. But perhaps most significant of all was that Hayes only took over this team in late May and therefore had just nine weeks to work with it before the Games began.

  That she managed to guide the group to this incredible success, then, should not be overlooked or underrated just because she is a top coach. It's a fantastic achievement by the staff and the players and it certainly bodes well for the future.

  "I'm so excited about what we can do together," Hayes said on Saturday, closing out her post-match press conference. "It's been 75 days baby!" With that, she dropped the microphone on the table and went off to celebrate. Given this start, it's hard not to think she and her players will be doing plenty of that in the years to come.

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  LOSER: Canada Soccer

  Though Canada exited in the quarter-finals, its 'spygate' scandal remained the story of tournament and is one that will rumble on for weeks and months to come. That the players were able to persevere and reach the knockout stages despite all the noise on the outside, and despite a six-point deduction in the group-stage, was pretty incredible, especially if what Canada Soccer is saying is indeed found to be true, in that the players themselves were totally unaware of the drones used for spying on opponents and did not participate in any unethical behavior.

  What unfolds from here, as the federation begins its investigation, is going to be fascinating and something that everyone across the sport keeps an eye on. With head coach Bev Priestman banned for a year by FIFA, it's likely that a new appointment will be made, while other members of staff could well follow her out of the exit door. When Canada Soccer's findings are released, there could be further repercussions and external punishment, too, particularly because there are incidents related to the men's side as well as the women's.

  Canada came into this Olympic tournament with all eyes on it because it was the reigning Olympic champion, a team set to begin a intriguing title defense. It left it under a cloud, with Canada Soccer, just over a year on from a funding controversy that almost prompted its players to go on strike, once again in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

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  WINNER: Marta

  Saturday's defeat to the USWNT in the Olympic gold medal match was not the fairytale ending that Marta dreamed of. The iconic forward announced earlier this year that 2024 will see the end of her in a Brazil shirt, making this her final Olympics, her final major tournament and one of the final times we will see her in the colors of her country. She wanted to win gold and clinch a first major international title for the Selecao. "It's now or never," she said with a laugh and a big smile before departing for France last month. In the end, Brazil came incredibly close, but left with silver.

  It was the fourth runners-up medal in the career of the player widely regarded as the greatest of all time, following Olympic silvers in 2004 and 2008, plus a World Cup final defeat in 2007. Yet, though there were elements to Saturday's game that made it a disappointment for Marta, it's hard to feel like the tournament as a whole was an underwhelming farewell.

  After all, no one expected Brazil to reach this final. This is a team that suffered a group-stage exit at last summer's World Cup, is on a new journey with a new coach and has a really young squad. But Marta has been banging the drum for this next generation for a while now. The quality coming through for the Selecao is why she feels comfortable stepping away from the international stage – and the reasons for her confidence were there for all to see at Paris 2024.

  Brazil had not been to a major international final for 16 years and Marta signed off by helping them return to that stage and making them dream again. It wasn't the perfect send-off – but it was the next best thing.

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  LOSER: Tony Gustavsson

  That Tony Gustavsson's final match in charge of Australia was a desperate defeat to the United States that saw centerback Alanna Kennedy thrown up top, and go within a whisker of scoring a tournament-saving brace, was both fitting and far-from-fitting. It was the former because this was an Olympics characterized by the Matildas' inability to cope without Sam Kerr, the Chelsea star having ruptured her ACL in January. But it was the latter because this team showed just 12 months ago, in Gustavsson's finest achievement as head coach, that it was a group capable of adapting and overcoming a setback even as great as that.

  That was at the 2023 Women's World Cup, when the co-host powered its way to the semi-finals despite not getting Kerr back until that last-four clash with England. It was a monumental feat to reach that stage, both because of its impact on the domestic game and because it was something Australia had never achieved before.

  Given it backed up the Matildas reaching the last four of the Olympics in Japan three years ago, expectations were high going into Paris 2024 and rightly so, as the progress made under Gustavsson had been impressive. However, under-par individual performances and a lack of conviction from the coach led to a shock group-stage exit that, sadly, doesn't best represent the success of the Swede's time in charge Down Under.

The Norwegian is ahead of schedule in his mission to out-score the two greats of the modern game after a refreshing summer away from the game

Earlier this year, Erling Haaland was asked whether he would have to wait for Lionel Messi to retire for him to start winning the Ballon d'Or and The FIFA Best awards. The Norwegian was unsure, but was happy to hail Messi as the greatest player of all time.

Messi has won eight Ballons d'Or and even when he does retire, he might be impossible to overhaul. Messi looks set to be the standard bearer long after he hangs up his boots, as does five-time Golden Ball winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

But just a few days ago, Pep Guardiola was happy to put Haaland on the same pedestal as the two players who are largely regarded as the best players of the 21st century, albeit with an important caveat.

Haaland had just scored the first goal of City's Premier League campaign, just as he did in the previous two seasons, with Chelsea the victims this time. It was the Norwegian's 91st goal in 100 games at City, and Guardiola gave that moment to shower him with the highest praise of all.

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  On their level

  "He has the numbers for Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who controlled the last decade, 15 years, absolutely everything," Guardiola said of his No.9. "In terms of numbers, it is that level. So, I don't know how he does it, but in 100 games scoring 91 goals is something in the Premier League. In this country, it is unbelievable."

  Coaches have long been wary about comparing players to Messi or Ronaldo, but Guardiola is perfectly qualified to do so. He oversaw Messi's rise at Barcelona and came up against Ronaldo on numerous occasions in La Liga, the Champions League and the Premier League.

  This not a moment of hubris either from the Catalan. He was spot-on in comparing Haaland to Messi and Ronaldo.

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  Time on his hands

  Haaland might never catch Messi and Ronaldo in terms of Ballon d'Or awards, especially if Kylian Mbappe has anything to do with it. But in terms of goals scored, he is on their level. In fact, he is actually ahead of them for his age.

  Messi is the all-time scorer in Europe's top five leagues on 496 goals, with Ronaldo just behind him on 495. Haaland is on 122, but he has time on his hands. The Norwegian turned 24 in July. Ronaldo left Manchester United to move to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia when he was 37, while Messi departed Paris Saint-Germain for Inter Miami when he had just turned 36.

  Haaland, then, has one-quarter of the goals of Messi and Ronaldo amassed and 12 years to make up the ground.

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  Ahead of schedule

  He is on track to catch the pair, and is even slightly ahead of schedule. Taking out the goal he scored against Chelsea, Haaland had scored 152 league goals by his 24th birthday. But if we are to discount Messi and Ronaldo's goals in the Saudi Pro League and MLS, we must also discount Haaland's 14 goals in the Norwegian top flight for Molde and his 17 in the Austrian Bundesliga with Red Bull Salzburg.

  That still leaves him with 121 goals by his 24th birthday. Messi, by comparison, had 119 goals in La Liga at the same stage. Ronaldo, who had only played for Sporting CP and Manchester United at this point, was on 77 Premier League goals.

  Haaland's goal record for his age is also way better than the other great strikers of the 21st century. Robert Lewandowski was on just 30 Bundesliga goals when he was 24, while Harry Kane was on 78 in the Premier League. If the career paths of Haaland's contemporaries are anything to go by, the Norwegian is just approaching his peak – and that is a frightening prospect indeed.

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  Only Mbappe to rival him

  The only player with more goals in Europe's top-five leagues by the age of 24 is Kylian Mbappe, who had 135 goals in his first seven seasons in Ligue 1, first with Monaco and then with PSG. It should be noted, though, that France is mostly regarded as being the weakest of the 'Big Five'.

  The season before Mbappe moved to PSG, Edinson Cavani had scored 35 goals. while previous to that, Zlatan Ibrahimovic had hit 38. Comparatively, before Haaland scored a record-breaking 36 goals in the Premier League in 2022-23, the previous highest count in a 38-game season was 32, scored by Mohamed Salah in 2017-18.

  Haaland took Premier League scoring to unprecedented heights, breaking a 28-year-long record when he beat Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole's tally of 34 goals in a single campaign, back when there were 42 games per season.

Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers has shown a willingness to offer academy players an opportunity to shine during the 2023/24 campaign so far.

Daniel Kelly and Rocco Vata, who have both scored for the senior side this season, have been given chances to showcase their quality in the first-team.

Not every talented youth player gets that chance, or feels that they will get that chance, though, and that was the case with former academy gem Aaron Hickey, who left for nothing and has since gone on to forge a fantastic career for himself.

The Scottish defender is now playing Premier League football and has a higher current market value than Danish Celtic star Matt O'Riley at the time of writing (05/04/2024), which shows that the club had a howler with him.

Why Aaron Hickey left Celtic

Per the man himself, Hickey spent four years in the Celtic academy, having joined from Hearts as a kid, and was then offered a professional contract by the club.

However, the versatile full-back claimed that he was not playing much within the youth team setup and that convinced him to look for a move elsewhere due to his limited opportunites in Glasgow, which is when a return to Hearts materialised.

He made the free transfer move to the Jam Tarts in the summer of 2018 and went on to make three first-team appearances for the club during the 2018/19 campaign.

As you can see in the table above, Hickey played his first spell of regular football in the Scottish Premiership during the 2019/20 campaign and that earned him a transfer to Serie A side Bologna in the summer of 2020.

He spent two years in Italy – scoring five goals in 48 appearances for the club – before his switch to Premier League side Brentford ahead of the 2022/23 season.

How much Aaron Hickey is worth now

As per Transfermarkt, the 21-year-old starlet is currently worth a staggering €30m (£25.7m), having been signed by the Bees for a reported £14m almost two years ago.

Meanwhile, O'Riley, who has produced an eye-catching 12 goals and 16 assists in 40 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops this season, is valued at €13m (£11.2m) by Transfermarkt.

This means that the Brentford star is currently worth more than twice as much as the Denmark international, who was the subject of a £10m bid from Leeds United last summer.

Hickey, who has been described as a "future star" by scout Jacek Kulig, has only played nine times in the Premier League this season, having missed 23 games with a hamstring injury, but did feature in 26 top-flight matches last term.

The Scotland international showcased his physicality at right-back with a duel success rate of 55% in those clashes, which shows that he won the majority of his battles at the back.

Ultimately, Hickey is a highly-valuable – given his market value in comparison to one of Celtic's star performers – asset who still has plenty of time to grow and develop, at the age of 21.

The Hoops, therefore, had a howler with the talented youngster as their academy coaches seemingly did not see his potential during his time at Parkhead, given that he decided to leave due to a lack of game time at youth level.

Those coaches may now look back on that with regret, as Celtic missed out on a terrific player who could have been a big asset for the Scottish giants.

Manchester United have confirmed the signing of midfielder Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain.

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Article continues below

Article continues below

• United confirm Ugarte signing
• Uruguay international boosts midfield
• Leaves PSG after just one season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United had been pursuing the Uruguay international throughout the summer but getting a deal over the line proved troublesome as negotiations with the French side dragged on. However, the two teams reportedly came to an agreement over a £51 million ($60m) deal earlier this week, freeing up Ugarte to finalise the transfer on the final day of the window.

  Ugarte has signed a contract that runs until 2029 with an option to extend for a further 12 months, the English club confirmed.

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• WHAT UGARTE SAID

  “It is an incredible feeling to join a club of this magnitude; one that is admired all around the world," the player told the club's website. "The project that the football leadership discussed with me is extremely exciting; Manchester United is an ambitious club and I am an ambitious player.

  "The passion of supporters is something that is very important to me; I know how incredible United fans are and I cannot wait to experience Old Trafford. I’m someone who is so determined to succeed; I will sacrifice and give everything for my teammates. Together we will fight to win trophies and reach the level where this club needs to be."

• Imago
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Premier League side were looking to bolster Erik ten Hag's midfield options, having already strengthened in defence with the arrivals of Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Noussair Mazraoui, and enhanced the attack by signing Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ugarte, 23, joined PSG from Portuguese side Sporting CP last summer but was unable to establish himself as a regular starter under coach Luis Enrique. He started 21 of the 25 Ligue 1 games in which he featured and the French champions went on to sign Joao Neves from Benfica in a big-money deal, clearing the way for Ugarte to be sold.