Category Uncategorized

Celtic reportedly fluffed the chance to signing Poland sensation Robert Lewandowski over a decade ago, with the Parkhead outfit no doubt having been left to rue that notable blunder on the Barcelona hotshot.

The suggestion is that agent Raymond Sparkes offered the then-youngster to the Old Firm giants back in 2009, with the Hoops having the chance to land the centre-forward from Lech Poznan for a reported fee of just €1.75m (£1.5m).

As it proved, the Glasgow side did not heed that recommendation as the Warsaw-born ace would go on to join Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund a year later, albeit with Sparkes himself seemingly admitting to some of the blame for that missed opportunity:

“I said to Celtic: “I’ve found a striker you should be looking at. But I probably talked myself out of a deal because I also said to them I didn’t think he justified that kind of fee so early in his career.”

Those at Celtic Park have since been forced to watch the “goal-scoring monster” – as described by Arielle Castillo – go on to emerge as a leading figure in European football since then, with the now veteran ace having plundered a truly staggering haul of 527 club career goals in total.

That includes a simply eye-watering stint at former club Bayern Munich in which the 6 foot 1 machine scored 344 times and registered 72 assists in just 375 games, while notably beating a record set by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after scoring 81 times in just his first 100 Champions League games.

Now at Camp Nou – where he has 18 goals in just 19 games for the La Liga giants – the 34-year-old is a truly prolific and potent attacking threat, having also showcased that talent on the World Cup stage in recent weeks.

While Poland crashed out in the round of 16 at the hands of holders France, following a Kylian Mbappe-inspired victory, Lewandowski scored twice in his four outings in the competition, including in the vital group stage win over Saudi Arabia.

That outing also saw the £346k-per-week maestro lay on an assist as well as complete four of his six dribbles in what was an all-round centre-forward display, having unsurprisingly received a match rating of 7.9, as per Sofascore.

The striker’s subsequent, consolation strike from the penalty spot against Les Bleus ensured that he now has 78 goals in 138 games for his country at senior level, moving him ahead of Brazilian legend Pele into tenth place in the list of all-time top-scorers in international history.

To think that Celtic could well have landed such a talent – who is now said to be worth roughly £52m according to CIES Football Observatory – for a mere bargain price all those years ago will no doubt sting somewhat for both the club and its supporters.

Of course, few could have predicted the career that the Pole would go on to have, although it will still seemingly smart as far as the Bhoys are concerned.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Raphael Guerreiro to Elland Road.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Fussball Transfers (via Sport Witness), who claim that Victor Orta has shown a recent interest in the Borussia Dortmund left-back ahead of launching a potential move for the 28-year-old in either the January transfer window or next summer, when it seems as if the defender will be available to sign on a free transfer.

Indeed, a further report by the same publication claimed that the Whites have ‘recently put out feelers’ for the Portugal international. It is also suggested that Guerreiro himself has ruled out the possibility of signing a new deal with the Bundesliga club – something which will come as a huge boost to Orta considering the player’s £22m asking price last summer.

Would be an unreal signing

While Guerreiro’s form for Dortmund in recent years is undoubtedly more than enough to convince Orta to launch a move for the 28-year-old in January, considering just how impressive the full-back has been in Qatar so far this winter, it is undeniable that the Portugal sensation’s signing would be an unreal deal for the Spaniard to pull off next month.

Indeed, over his three outings at the World Cup so far, the £17.5m-rated talent has played a key role in helping his country reach the quarter-finals of the competition. He has scored one goal, registered two assists and created one big chance for his team, in addition to taking 0.7 shots, making 1.7 key passes and completing 0.7 dribbles (at a success rate of 100%) per game.

The £58k-per-week defender has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making one interception and one tackle and winning 2.7 duels (62% success rate) per match. He has also found a team-mate with an average of one long ball, played 2.7 chipped passes and completed 37.7 passes (90% success rate) per fixture.

These returns have seen the “unreal” 28-year-old average a simply sensational Sofascore match rating of 7.37, not only ranking him as Fernando Santos’ fourth-best performer in the tournament but also as the joint 33rd-best player in the 2022 World Cup as a whole.

As such, considering the world-class talent that Guerreiro has showcased in Qatar, the argument that the left-back would be an unreal signing for Orta to get over the line in January is indeed an extremely easy one to make. The Dortmund defender is evidently not just one of the best players in his position, but he currently ranks as one of the best in world football.

Julen Lopetegui was confirmed as Wolves’ new manager late last week and the Spaniard could get the Old Gold back to their best by unleashing Toti.

The 56-year-old manager, who will take charge of his first Wolves game after the World Cup break, has a huge job on his hands if he wants to be a success at Molineux, as his new side sit 19th in the Premier League following their 3-2 defeat against Brighton at the weekend.

After Wolves were so defensively strong last season, with only the top four conceding fewer, the Midlands outfit have been a shambles at the back so far this season, shipping 22 goals in the Premier League, including seven in their last two home fixtures.

One explanation behind this was Bruno Lage’s decision to switch from a five-at-the-back formation to a four-at-the-back formation, as well as allowing club captain Conor Coady to join Everton on loan.

This left the Old Gold incredibly short of centre-back options, which was emphasised under the Portuguese manager earlier in the season when Ruben Neves was deployed in defence after Nathan Collins’ sending-off against Manchester City.

Steve Davis opted to call upon Toti for the games against Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, and while he struggled at Stamford Bridge, he earned an impressive 7.18 rating and a clean sheet against Steve Cooper’s side, helping the Old Gold to just their second win of the Premier League season.

The young centre-back’s average rating of 6.67 in the top flight actually ranks him as the second-best performer at Wolves so far this term, so it is peculiar that he hasn’t seen any more minutes after that Forest win.

While Collins and Max Kilman is the strongest partnership as a two, Lopetegui might consider playing Toti alongside them in a back five, if he wants to make Wolves more defensively secure.

The 23-year-old, who was described as a “top player” by his Wolves teammate Max Kilman, has made just seven appearances in his time with the Old Gold but could be in line for a more regular role if he can impress his new manager.

While the goalscoring issues were still there last season, Wolves looked far more comfortable when playing three centre-backs, while they also enjoyed success with that formation under Nuno Espirito Santo, finishing seventh in their first season back in the top flight after promotion.

Therefore, when Lopetegui takes charge of his first game after the World Cup break, he should consider unleashing Toti alongside Kilman and Collins at the back.

Glasgow Rangers are set to compete for a place in the semi-finals of the League Cup tonight as they host Dundee FC at Ibrox under the lights.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst was appointed as the Light Blues’ manager after the team had been knocked out of the competition by Hibernian, thanks to a hat-trick from Martin Boyle, last season and he now has the chance to win the trophy this term.

The Dutch head coach led his team to the final of the Europa League and won the SFA Cup in the 2021/22 campaign, which shows that he has a knack for managing in knockout matches.

Rangers come up against Championship side Dundee FC and the manager may look to rotate his side in order to avoid burnout whilst handing opportunities to players on the fringes of the squad, given that the match is against lower-league opposition.

One player who must finally be unleashed from the start is academy central midfielder Charlie McCann. Malik Tillman, who scored a wonder goal against Motherwell at the weekend, should be rested for this game – ahead of Premiership and Champions League clashes – and the Northern Ireland international should come in to replace him.

The former Manchester United man has not started a game since the 2-1 win over Dundee United on the 17th of September and was an unused substitute in the recent success over Motherwell.

He played 14 minutes off the bench in the last round of the League Cup against Queen of the South and picked up an assist in the 3-1 win, which provides an insight into the quality he can provide from midfield.

During pre-season, journalist Josh Bunting heaped praise on the youngster by Tweeting: “Charlie McCann is a quality player for Rangers, a real natural number 8 who must be knocking on the first team door. His goal today was stunning but his all round play is very sharp. Has a nice pass selection, always wants to get on the ball and make something happen.”

He has made plenty of things happen since the start of the competitive season as he has racked up two assists in eight appearances for Rangers at youth and senior level, including three goals in four Lowland League outings.

The 20-year-old dynamo has the ability to provide a spark in the final third by bursting forward from a central midfield position to score a goal or create a chance, much like Tillman did against Motherwell on Sunday.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst must finally unleash the youngster from the start to see if he can stake a claim for a regular place in the team moving forward, as he has the potential to develop into a top player if he can regularly contribute with goals and assists for the first-team.

Sunderland have created many cult heroes since the turn of the century, but arguably one of their greatest-ever players was signed just before in 1997.

Having just been relegated to the Championship after a miserable campaign under Peter Reid, he moved to the transfer market to try and bolster his squad in the hopes of making their stay in the second division as short as possible.

Although it did take a couple of years, in 1999 they absolutely demolished the league on their way back to the Premier League.

It was then when this aforementioned signing truly began to shine, as Kevin Phillips became a Black Cats hero.

In their first season back in the Premier League they managed to fly up to a seventh-placed finish, no doubt aided by the goalscoring exploits of the £325k marksman.

He became the first Sunderland player since Brian Clough in the early 1960s to score 30 goals in a season. This campaign saw him become still the only Englishman to ever win the European Golden Shoe.

They would maintain the same position the season following, where he would again notch 14 Premier League goals in another solid campaign.

Instantly he was lauded on Wearside as one of the greatest goal-scorer in their modern era, and despite his growing pedigree, stuck around at the Stadium of Light despite their diminishing finishes.

It only took until their relegation in 2003 that he finally left, revealing that he had twice attempted to depart already.

He exited renowned across the area as a “legend”, which is what his former club dubbed him on their Twitter account.

Despite having a strong start, Tony Mowbray will be wishing he had a player of his ilk up front for him now, especially given the ever-growing absence of Ellis Simms.

They have scored just 19 goals in their 15 Championship matches, but with Phillips up front, he would surely propel that number and their 13th-placed league position too.

He would be perfect for the current side, as he was arguably one of the greatest players the club has ever seen. Supporters would relish the opportunity to see him in action just one more time.

Leeds United may need to loan Joe Gelhardt out in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Adam Pope, with the BBC Sport journalist stating his belief on a recent episode of the Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet podcast that, following the arrival of Wilfried Gnonto this summer, the 20-year-old has slipped down Jesse Marsch’s attacking pecking order, before suggesting that a loan move this winter could be the best option for the centre-forward.

Regarding the England U21’s current situation at Elland Road, Pope said: “Well where does it leave Gelhardt at the moment? Because he’s either on the bench or obviously started at Brentford and it didn’t turn out great for him that day.

“But whilst others are scoring loads in the U21s, like your [Mateo] Josephs, your [Sonny] Perkins, Gnonto’s the name at the moment. Where’s it leaving him? If it continues like this does that lead to him maybe going out on loan in January? You don’t want to lose him at any point, do you?”

Big call

Considering just how exciting a prospect Gelhardt undoubtedly is, should the 20-year-old indeed be behind Gnonto in the Whites pecking order this season, Marsch simply must make a big call on the striker in January by sending him out on loan, an eventuality that would have looked extremely unlikely before the season got underway.

Indeed, the £9m-rated talent was arguably Leeds’ brightest spark in an otherwise bleak 2021/22 campaign, with the youngster often making a major impact from the bench last time out, scoring two goals and registering four assists over his 20 Premier League appearances – with only five of these outings coming from the off.

Furthermore, according to FBref, the £16.5k-per-week attacker also ranks in the top 9% of forwards in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for dribbles completed per 90, in addition to the top 19% for progressive carries, the top 19% for assists, the top 25% for progressive passes, the top 29% for shots and the top 37% for non-penalty xG over the last 365 days.

These returns clearly demonstrate that, despite his limited game time, the 20-year-old is an extremely effective option in the final third, with Gelhardt excelling in his progression of the ball, being more than capable of creating chances for his teammates and frequently taking up dangerous positions in front of goal, which creates goalscoring opportunities of his own.

Further still, FBref also rank the England youth starlet in the top 1% of forwards for pressures per 90, as well as the top 10% for tackles, the top 26% for interceptions, the top 30% for blocks and the top 36% for clearances over the past 12 months – statistics that would appear to make him something of a perfect fit for an attacker in Marsch’s counter-pressing setup.

Leeds Live journalist Beren Cross is also in no doubt about the youngster’s ability, stating on the Orta Know Better podcast last year: “I’m sure we’ll find out in the years ahead, but Gelhardt may well be the best bit of business the club has done in the last 20 years, if not ever because he just looks absolutely outrageous – very, very good player.”

As such, considering just how impressive a talent Gelhardt clearly is, should Marsch indeed believe that the striker will not receive a great deal of game time this season – having been left out of the 20-man squad to face Aston Villa on Sunday – the 48-year-old simply must send the 20-year-old out on loan in January, as the former Wigan Athletic starlet is being wasted on the fringes.

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones’ latest injury setback has been described as ‘devastating’ by former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Paddy Kenny.

The Lowdown: Jones suffers injury setback

The Reds have been hurt badly by injuries to midfielders this season, with Thiago and Naby Keita arguably the most high-profile of those absentees.

One who has perhaps gone more under the radar is Jones, with the 21-year-old yet to play a single minute of Premier League action so far in 2022/23.

The Liverpool academy product has suffered a recurrence of a leg problem which has kept him out this season, with an extended spell on the sidelines now expected.

The Latest: Kenny laments Jones injury blow

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny voiced his concerns for the Englishman after this setback and amid his lack of playing time.

The 44-year-old said:

“The latest injury is a devastating new blow for Curtis Jones. He will know that he could have missed a golden opportunity to establish himself.

“Liverpool have been decimated in midfield, with [Naby] Keita, [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain out all season, [Jordan] Henderson out with a hamstring injury and Thiago only just back. But, after the international break, Klopp will not be short of options, and the new signing Arthur will be up to speed.”Look how Harvey Elliott has established himself while all those senior stars have been injured. He has probably been Liverpool’s best midfielder this season.”Jones is also a big talent, but it won’t be easy getting in that side now with everyone fit. Fabinho and Thiago are the main men, and everyone else has to fit around them.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“398089″]

The Verdict: Stop-start career

Jones is a gifted young footballer with a potentially big future, having sporadically shown glimpses of his talent in big games, but at the moment his Liverpool career simply can’t get any momentum.

[freshpress-poll id=“399042″]

Some lengthy injuries have prevented him from being considered a regular starter and he is now in danger of falling behind both Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho in the midfield pecking order, given how impressively those two have performed of late.

Once Jones returns to fitness, he must seize his opportunity and remain injury-free for a long period, or else talk over his long-term value to Liverpool could emerge.

Aston Villa will ‘definitely’ look to sign a new centre-back between now and the end of the summer transfer window, according to transfer window reporter Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Centre-back issue

Steven Gerrard’s side have made an unsatisfactory start to their Premier League season, losing two of their opening three games and conceding six goals in that time.

For that reason, centre-back has been an area of concern in 2022/23, with Tyrone Mings left out initially before regaining his place and Diego Carlos then suffering a devastating achilles injury.

With the new man now out for an extended period, Gerrard has just Calum Chambers, Ezri Konsa and Mings to call upon, making a new addition in that area an absolute necessity.

The Latest: Expert makes fresh claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, The Express journalist Taylor has eased fan fears about the situation, saying Johan Lange and NSWE will ‘definitely’ need to make a move before September 1:

“I know they’ve got Chambers, who in fairness is not a bad backup, but given the length of Carlos’ injury, I think they will have to look at potential ones and I definitely think they will have to bring someone in.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Having a solid defence is always the perfect foundation to build on for any team and there is no doubt that Villa could do with reinforcements there this season.

Doubts remain over how much Gerrard rates Mings, having taken the captaincy away from him, while Konsa’s form has also flattered to deceive, with journalist Ashley Preece slamming his performance against Crystal Palace last weekend.

A fourth option to provide stiff competition for Chambers, Mings and Konsa is much-needed, or Gerrard could continue to see his side leaking goals at an alarming rate.

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Celtic defender Josip Juranovic this summer, according to the Daily Mail. 

The lowdown: Career so far

Signed from Legia Warszawa for £2.7million last summer, Juranovic enjoyed a stellar start to life in Scotland under Ange Postecoglou.

The 26-year-old Croatia international made 26 top flight appearances as Celtic became Scottish champions and he was also part of the side that lifted the Scottish League Cup.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-updates-5/” title=”Latest Man Utd updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Following a successful first campaign north of the border, Juranovic reportedly became a target for Atletico Madrid earlier in the window and now it seems as though Manchester United like what they see…

The latest: ‘On the radar’

While much of the attention this week is on Adrien Rabiot, The Daily Mail report that the 20-cap Croatia star is ‘on the radar’ for a host of top European clubs, including the Red Devils.

It’s claimed that Juranovic ‘is a target’ for the Old Trafford outfit as Erik ten Hag looks to bolster the defensive options at his disposal.

The report also states that Chelsea are admirers of the man hailed as ‘quality’ by positional rival Anthony Ralston, whilst Celtic are likely to demand ‘in excess of £15million’ for the right-back.

The verdict: Shrewd move

Ultimately, the capture of Aaron Wan-Bissaka hasn’t materialised as planned and Diogo Dalot has also proven to be all too inconsistent to act as a mainstay at the elite level, leaving room for a reliable option in what has become a key position in the modern game, particularly in an attacking sense.

Last season, Juranovic scored six times and provided four assists in 44 appearances across all competitions, earning a 7.21 Sofascore rating whilst winning 3.0 duels, making 1.5 clearances and 1.3 key passes on average per game – showcasing impressive attacking and defensive acumen.

Capable of operating as a conventional right-back, left-back, centrally and even in more advanced areas, the Croatian would be a superb addition to Ten Hag’s ranks and one the Manchester United hierarchy should be pushing to add to bring to Carrington as swiftly as possible.

With UEFA Champions League football on the table at Celtic Park, United may have to use other methods to lure Juranovic to Manchester, something that is proving difficult with Frenkie de Jong and Rabiot currently.

Nottingham Forest’s Omar Richards will miss the first few weeks of the Premier League season, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Richards’ injury

Earlier this month, it was announced that Forest had completed the signing of the 24-year-old left-back from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in a deal worth £10m.

Following his arrival at the City Ground, Richards failed to feature in the side’s pre-season campaign.

As per BBC Sport, manager Steve Cooper revealed that his new signing had suffered a leg injury that will keep him on the sidelines for an extended period.

Cooper ruled out the possibility of a broken leg, but there are fears that the defender has suffered a hairline fracture.

The Latest: Dinnery’s claim

Dinnery believes that Richards’ injury may be the result of the increased workload at his new club.

Speaking with Football Insider, the injury expert claimed:

“I’m reading between the lines in terms of the timeline.

“The stress fracture is something that can happen after a big change, an increase in volume and intensity in training. These are all risk factors, particularly with the tibia because there’s a lot of weight going through it.

“He is a young lad who hasn’t had a lot of minutes in recent seasons. He wanted to come and prove himself. When you’re coming from a club with such prestige, there is added expectation.

“In hindsight, maybe they could have done some things a little bit different. Then again, it could just be one of those things.

“It’s a nightmare for him and difficult for Forest, especially given that their squad is already stretched. It’s going to hit them hard to not have him available at least for the first several game weeks.”

The Verdict: Big loss

When looking at Richards’ underlying stats, it is clear to see how big of a loss his injury will be to Cooper’s Forest side.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the left-back ranks in the 99th percentile for pressures and tackles, and in the 98th percentile for pass completion rate, dribbles completed and progressive passes received.

With Cooper currently preparing for his team’s Premier League opener against Newcastle next Saturday, Richards’ injury will knock his plans when it comes to choosing his starting XI.