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An update has emerged on Celtic and the possibility of Wilfred Ndidi arriving at Parkhead in the summer transfer window…

What’s the latest on Wilfred Ndidi to Celtic?

According to Football Scotland, the Nigerian international is not a ‘serious’ target for the Scottish Premiership side ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The report claims that the club are not actively pursuing a deal to sign the Leicester City enforcer, who worked with Brendan Rodgers during their time together in England, despite having been linked with an interest in acquiring his services.

It states, however, that the Glasgow giants are in the market to bring a defensive midfielder to Paradise before the deadline, as they had been working on targets prior to Ange Postecoglou’s departure.

The Daily Record recently reported that the club have been scouting Gwangju stopper Ho-yeon Jeong and the youngster could be an alternative to the now-Championship star.

Would Ho-yeon Jeong be a good signing for Celtic?

Rodgers could forget all about Ndidi by securing a swoop for the 22-year-old enforcer as his form in 2022 indicates that the talent is there for him to be an excellent signing.

Gwangju earned promotion from K League 2 last year and Jeong played a significant role in their success with his impressive displays across the middle of the park.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.94 across 36 appearances and offered quality on both sides of the game.

The 22-year-old showcased his defensive attributes with 4.9 duels won per game with a success rate of 54%.

Ndidi, on the other hand, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.75 in 27 Premier League matches for Leicester last season, and came out on top in 4.1 battles per outing with a success rate of 55%.

These statistics suggest that the "elite player" – as described by journalist John Bennett – and the South Korean battler could offer a similar level of defensive protection, along with efficiency, in front of the back four if he can translate his form over to Scotland.

However, the £75k-per-week Foxes powerhouse is not as adept in possession. Ndidi created 0.1 chances per game and completed 84% of his attempted passes for his club last term.

Meanwhile, Jeong averaged 0.8 key passes per outing and registered a pass completion rate of 88% in 2022, which suggests that the Gwangju tank would be able to provide his teammates with more opportunities in front of goal while also being more reliable with the ball at his feet.

It is difficult to compare their statistics to any of the current Celtic squad as Postecoglou's 4-3-3 system did not employ a defensive midfielder, while Rodgers' preferred 4-2-3-1 set-up could have a specialist number six in one of the two deep-lying positions in the middle of the park.

The Hoops are in the market for a holding player in midfield to fill that role and Jeong could be an exceptional alternative to Ndidi based on his performances for Gwangju last season.

Leeds United remain on the search for a new manager after the club decided to part ways with Sam Allardyce following their relegation from the Premier League.

The Telegraph recently reported that former Norwich City head coach Daniel Farke is on their shortlist to replace the former England boss. The German chief left Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

He is a proven Championship winner who could come in and provide the Whites with the lift they need to secure an automatic promotion straight back to the top-flight.

Farke won the second tier in both 2018/19 and 2020/21 and amassed a staggering 57 wins and 191 points combined to help the Canaries back to the big time, with the second one coming off the back of a relegation from the Premier League in 2019/20.

Would Daniel Farke be a success at Leeds?

The 46-year-old head coach could be a success at Elland Road as the club currently have a player who could be his next version of Norwich legend Teemu Pukki in Georginio Rutter.

During Farke's two title-winning campaigns with the Yellows, the Finland international plundered an eye-catching 55 goals and 14 assists in 84 appearances.

The experienced centre-forward led the promotion charge for the German chief with his astonishing ability in front of goal, which was aided by the 33-year-old's intelligent movement to run off the shoulder of defenders and race onto through balls.

Rutter, who failed to score in 11 Premier League matches for Leeds, has not showcased the same prolific form in England as of yet but the 21-year-old has the potential to be Farke's next Pukki.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously hailed the "powerful" French striker's "great" movement of the ball and his "blistering pace", whilst he described the former Rennes starlet as "clinical" in front of goal.

The £36m club-record signing has previously displayed his quality at the top end of the pitch. During the 2021/22 campaign, Rutter scored eight goals from seven expected goals (xG) for Hoffenheim, which shows that the exciting youngster outperformed the level of chances that were being sent his way.

Therefore, Farke could unearth the £70k-per-week dynamo's full potential at Leeds as the promising centre-forward has a similar style of play to Pukki – as they both use their excellent movement and speed to generate openings in front of goal – and the head coach has proven himself capable of designing a system to get the best out of that type of striker.

This means that Leeds could end up with their own version of the prolific Championship marksman by appointing the former Norwich boss to help Rutter find his feet on the pitch.

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim has brushed aside suggestions that the one-off Test has historic relevance, saying that their focus is on putting up a strong performance against a good team instead

Mohammad Isam01-Feb-2017Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim has brushed aside the portrayal of their maiden Test in India next week as a “historic” one, saying that he feels it is more important to treat the game as an opportunity to show Bangladesh’s measure in world cricket. He also hopes that a good performance in the one-off game will prompt the BCCI to invite them frequently.The team leaves Dhaka on February 2, to play a two-day practice match against India A and the Test in Hyderabad, which will be Bangladesh’s first in India since gaining ICC Full Member status in 2000. Interestingly, it was the BCCI’s push that was vital in their ascent from Associate Member, and India played against them in their inaugural Test on November 10, 2000. India toured Bangladesh four more times to play Tests thereafter.”I’m a little surprised, I don’t believe that this is a historic Test,” Mushfiqur said. “Take for example when we play against Zimbabwe. The pressure is more because if we lose against them then there is nothing more shameful than that. I will say that it is better that we are going there now and not five years ago.”We want to tell world cricket what we can do in India. I don’t think about how many years later we are going to play in India. We want to play in such a way that India invites again and again. This to me is just another Test match.”Mushfiqur, who has returned to the Test squad after missing Bangladesh’s last game in New Zealand due to a finger injury, said that he hopes the team puts together a collective performance. Bangladesh lost both Tests in New Zealand but gave the home side some tough sessions.”I hope that the recent performers will hold on to their form and put together a team performance. And to those who haven’t done well in the recent past, you have a chance to give a good account of yourself.”A team effort will give us a good result. They have a strong squad, and are always really good in their home conditions. We want to do well against them over five days, and not just two or three days,” he said.Mushfiqur said Bangladesh’s squad is balanced, with four pace bowlers and three specialist spinners and depth in the batting department.The return of Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur himself means that Bangladesh have their full batting strength back. Soumya Sarkar and Imrul are likely to be in competition for the role of Tamim Iqbal’s opening partner, while Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan and Sabbir Rahman will be expected to make runs in the middle order.”No matter what conditions they offer, we have a balanced side. We have enough pacers and spinners and depth in batting.”I think our batsmen will have a challenge in their hands against their world-class attack. As a bowling unit we are inexperienced, but one or two bowlers did do well in New Zealand. If we can perform as a team we can do well against any other good team.”

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in making a move for Sporting CP sensation, Manuel Ugarte, albeit with the Lilywhites set to face stern competition for the midfielder's signature.

What's the latest on Ugarte to Tottenham?

According to journalist Rudy Galetti, the north London outfit are seemingly set to rival both Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea in the battle for the 22-year-old, with the Uruguayan international believed to have a €60m (£53m) release clause in his existing deal in Lisbon.

Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider stated: "Manuel #Ugarte update. #Chelsea had the first contacts with #SportingCP and continue to push for him; #PSG – still interested – have to solve the topic of the coach before;

#Tottenham in the race, but – to date – their internal situation is quite complicated."

That 'complicated' situation may well be that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is yet to name a permanent successor to Antonio Conte, despite having sacked the Italian at the end of March.

Who is Manuel Ugarte?

The promising midfielder has been a real standout figure for Ruben Amorim's side in recent times, with the 6-foot ace having been hailed as a "warrior" by talent scout Jacek Kulig amid his eye-catching form.

Lauded by journalist Raj Chohan as an "in-house" replacement for ex-teammate Joao Palhinha – who starred for Fulham this season after finishing top of the pile for tackles made – the emerging gem is evidently a truly monstrous midfield presence, offering the ability to provide an effective screen in front of the back four.

If Levy was to secure Ugarte's services ahead of next season, the Montevideo native could potentially represent something of an upgrade on current Spurs man, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, due to the younger man's superior ball-winning prowess.

That difference in quality between the pair is showcased by the fact that the Sporting star averaged a mammoth 3.9 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game in the Primeira Liga in 2022/23, with Hojbjerg, by contrast, only averaging 1.6 and 1.4 for those same two metrics, respectively, in that time.

It was also Ugarte who ranked first in the Champions League for average tackles made per game (4.8), while the former Famalicao ace also appears a more composed presence on the ball as he recorded an average pass accuracy rate of 92% in the Portuguese top-flight, in contrast to just 89% for Tottenham's Danish asset.

The latter man has also been criticised for his lack of impact at N17 of late, with talkSPORT pundit Perry Groves stating that the 27-year-old – and teammate Oliver Skipp – are "like a double appendix" as they "don't do anything in the centre of midfield".

Those struggles have contributed to Tottenham's overall woes this term – having missed out on European qualification – hence the need to land an upgrade such as Ugarte ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

From the moment Port of Spain woke up to 2.15pm, when any hope of a resumption of play evaporated, no rain fell at Queen’s Park Oval. Yet not a single ball was bowled

The Report by Sidharth Monga19-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Port of Rain: There was little rain but the wet outfield accounted for the whole second day’s play•AFPFrom the moment Port of Spain woke up to 2.15pm, when any hope of a resumption of play evaporated, no rain fell at Queen’s Park Oval. Yet not a single ball was bowled despite the sun beating down on the ground till 2pm.The umpires came out for inspection after inspection after inspection, but didn’t find the outfield to be fit for play. There was no super sopper to assist the ground staff nor was the whole ground covered when it rained. The eventual downpour at 2.15pm, 15 minutes before yet another inspection, accounted for any remaining hopes.With only 22 overs possible on the first two days, with forecast not great for the rest of the Test and given the facilities available at Queen’s Park Oval, only an unbelievable three days could produce a result. India needed to win this Test to retain their No. 1 Test ranking and not lose it to Pakistan. West Indies were 62 for 2 after 22 overs, all bowled in the first session on the first morning.

Scottish champions Celtic are a club famed for their production of young talent, having churned out notable key figures from the academy ranks throughout their illustrious history, stretching back to the Lisbon Lions right through to the more modern examples of James Forrest and Callum McGregor.

It does appear that current boss Ange Postecoglou is keen to continue that tradition of promoting from within, with the 57-year-old having tipped a handful of youngsters – including promising left-back Matthew Anderson – to go on to make their mark in the senior ranks, having stated back in January:

"Over the course of the next six to 12 months they’ll start beginning to make an impact at first-team level. I really believe that."

Just a matter of months on from that statement, the Greek-Aussie's prophecy has already come to fruition, with Rocco Vata, in particular, having become a more prominent member of the first-team squad of late.

The highly-coveted 18-year-old – who has attracted significant interest from clubs across Europe – has now featured off the bench in three of the last four Scottish Premiership games, having previously been described by talent scout Jacek Kulig as a player who has an "exciting future ahead".

The Republic of Ireland youth international is the latest example that there is a pathway between the youth ranks and the first-team for those who are deserving of a promotion, with the hope being that others will begin to follow in his footsteps.

There has, of course, already been a debut outing for Ben Summers in recent weeks, although the midfielder is not the only talent who could well emulate Vata in the near future, with young Adam Brooks having the potential to be the club's next sensation.

Who is Celtic's Adam Brooks?

The teenage starlet is among those who are still waiting for a first-team bow, although the versatile asset – who can feature in an attacking midfield role or as a centre-forward – can hardly have done much more to stake his claim following what has been a scintillating campaign for the club's 'B' team.

The 19-year-old dynamo has so far scored 15 goals and provided two assists in just 26 games across all fronts this season, notably bagging a standout haul of 13 goals in only 19 Lowland League appearances.

It would appear that the Scotland youth international is continuing the standout form that he showcased last term, having been praised for his impactful performances by youth coach Darren O'Dea, who stated back in January 2022:

"Adam is one at the minute that’s in really good form, he’s scoring goals, he’s created a lot of goals, he’s trained particularly well. But he’s also developing the other side to his game."

The free-scoring talent may be hoping to emerge as a possible competitor to the likes of Oh Hyeon-gyu and Kyogo Furuhashi in a central role, with O'Dea having suggested the latter man is a perfect example for young Brooks to follow:

"And for Adam, someone like Kyogo is who he should be watching all the time. As much as Kyogo is known for how sensational he is in possession, he’s as good out of possession."

The aim for the £600-p/w teen will be to make the step up over the coming weeks if Postecoglou's men are able to swiftly wrap up the title, with the case of Vata having shown that the Celtic boss is willing to give opportunities to the club's sparkling youngsters.

Australia’s stand-in coach Justin Langer was full of praise for David Warner’s newfound professionalism and focus, after he steered Australia home against West Indies with an unbeaten fifty

Daniel Brettig07-Jun-2016So single-minded a Test cricketer was Justin Langer that team-mates have often spoken of the almost monastic fanaticism with which he pursued team and individual success for Australia. So it was telling that he spoke with enormous admiration for the cricketer David Warner has become, epitomised by his busy intensity in Australia’s victory in their tri-series opener against West Indies.The past week in New York and Guyana has been the first time Langer was able to get a look at Warner up close since he resigned as Australia’s assistant coach to take up the head coach role with Western Australia in November 2012. At that point, Warner’s performances were strong enough, but he was on a spiral of bad behaviour that led to his suspension from part of the 2013 Ashes tour for throwing a punch at Joe Root in a Birmingham nightclub.Three years on, Langer speaks of Warner in the same way as he does about former team-mates and close friends Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden – an unlikely scenario in the past, and a measure of how far the teetotal and focused Warner has come. This applied not only to the national team, but also to his work for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, where Warner played a large part in securing the trophy for his side.”I just admire David Warner so much, it’s not just his performances on the field but his actions off the field,” Langer said ahead of Australia’s second match against South Africa on Tuesday. “He’d probably be the first to admit that a few years ago he was pretty hard to manage; he liked to do things his way. But really he looks super-focused at the moment. He’s super-fit, you see his running between the wickets, he’s an elite athlete now and that takes great discipline.”He’s been rewarded for that, he’s been rewarded for his discipline and he should be really proud of the fact he has become a great role model for our young Australian cricketers and cricketers around the world. He’s become so fit and disciplined in what he’s doing and he’s so consistent, that’s what great players do. I really respect David Warner’s career, but I really respect his last year or so, because you can really tell, like a lot of great players do, there’s a trigger moment where he really switched on and he’s now cashing in on that.”Expanding on this theme, Langer said he was delighted by the Australian players’ willingness to adapt to foreign conditions without so much as a warm-up match, a mindset vital for bigger battles ahead, notably next year’s Champions Trophy in England.”What I feel is it’s a fantastic team of young men,” Langer said. “There’s no trouble-makers. They’re all really good blokes. They all work hard, they’re all hungry. We had two things [to focus on before the match against the West Indies]; the first was to adapt and the second was to look after each other. We all get on well, we’ve got good camaraderie and they’re really good people.”I was nervous, particularly about some of those big fast bowlers coming back. They’re all fit and they’ve got some bowling under their belts, but not match practice. I always get nervous when we don’t have match practice. Having said that, I thought one of our main themes was being able to adapt. We’ve got a different coaching staff, we’re in a different country, we’re playing on different wickets. Our main theme was adapting to the conditions and we did that very well.”Looking after each other is a lot easier – I always maintain – when you have that good camaraderie in the group. It’s like the glue that keeps things together when you’re under pressure. I like coming into a team that gets on well and everyone’s good mates.”Langer, never one to take the game or success for granted, was aware South Africa could well be in a fighting mood following their opening defeat to West Indies. Warner’s professionalism and the team’s good spirit should only help Australia’s cause as they seek to notch up another win.

Last night the Champions League well and truly delivered.Manchester City battered Leipzig 7-0 with Erling Haaland scoring a remarkable five-goal haul at the Etihad.That took him to 39 goals for the season in 36 matches with the Norwegian breaking a record in the process.The attacker broke the Citizens’ single-season scoring record, but there were headlines elsewhere.In the other game on the night Inter Milan drew 0-0 with Porto. That doesn’t exactly sound like a thriller, right? Well, think again.It was a game of high stakes with the Italian giants taking a slender 1-0 lead into the second leg.However, the game was nearly forced into extra time in the dying embers when a chaotic last couple of minutes played out.Deep into injury time, Porto had a shot cleared off the line before two opportunities fell the way of striker Mehdi Taremi in the same phase of play.The Iranian first hit the post before seconds later from the follow up cross, he saw a header rattle the cross bar after beating the goalkeeper all ends up.He slumped to the deck in disbelief at what had just played out, with misfortune striking the hosts in a quite frankly unbelievable way.

To confound the Portuguese outfit’s misery, they then had winger, Pepe, sent off for a second bookable offence after a rather nasty tackle.

It was a moment that drew plenty of reaction on social media, the best of which can be found below.

Transfer expert Dean Jones says that Newcastle United target Conor Gallagher would prefer to stay closer to London should he leave Chelsea this summer.

The Lowdown: Strong interest

Newcastle reportedly made an enquiry to take Gallagher on loan late on in the January transfer window, but Chelsea did not want to negotiate.

However, it is claimed that a potential deal could be revisited in the summer, should the St. James’ Park outfit come up with a suitable cash offer.

The Latest: Gallagher blow

Writing in his column for GiveMeSport, Jones says that Gallagher would prefer to stay as close to London as possible, should he leave Stamford Bridge this summer.

He describes the update as a potential ‘blow to Newcastle’, with reports that the central midfielder could even end up signing a contract extension.

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The Verdict: Move on

It sounds like Gallagher would not be particularly keen on a move to the North East, and so the Tynesiders need to swiftly move on to other targets.

Hailed as a ‘monster’ by football content creator and Crystal Palace supporter Tom Dutton, the Englishman showed what he is capable of in a loan spell at Selhurst Park, where he managed Player of the Season award.

Still only 23, Gallagher has plenty of potential, and could play more regularly at the Magpies than the bit-part role he is now used to at Chelsea.

Nonetheless, it is imperative that the Toon bring a new midfielder in, with Jonjo Shelvey allowed to move on and both Matt Ritchie and Matty Longstaff out of contract this summer.

Leeds United have been handed a boost after learning that one of their players could feature for his country tonight despite an injury scare, according to a reliable journalist.

Leeds injury news

The Whites currently have Stuart Dallas on the sidelines with a longer-term injury as it stands, whereas Sam Byram who, despite being out with a hamstring problem, is expected to return to domestic action early next month so it won't be too long before he's back in contention.

On a season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur, Djed Spence is another who has recently been in the treatment room and he remains a doubt ahead of Friday evening’s game vs Rotherham United in the Championship, but there has been some more positive news regarding another senior squad member.

During last Thursday’s 7-0 victory over San Marino, Wilfried Gnonto was forced off the pitch for Italy’s U21s whilst holding his thigh which will have caused initial concern among supporters because it looked like he had sustained a problem.

Daniel Farke’s left-winger first put pen to paper last summer from FC Zurich and he’s since gone on to make a total of 39 senior appearances to date (Transfermarkt – Gnonto stats), and if the following update is to be believed, the 20-year-old luckily shouldn't have to wait long to make his 40th outing despite his scare.

Wilfried Gnonto available for Italy

Taking to X on Monday, Leeds reporter for The Yorkshire Evening Post, Joe Donnohue, stated that Gnonto has seemingly avoided a serious injury and could feature for Italy’s U21s vs Ireland this evening.

He wrote: “Understand Gnonto has remained with the Italy squad and could feature tomorrow night. Appears the 20 y/o has escaped any sort of significant damage and should be available for #LUFC this weekend, all being well.”

Leeds handed huge boost over Gnonto

Whilst Gnonto has only started six games this season in the Championship (WhoScored – Gnonto stats), Leeds will know that he’s still capable of performing at a high standard, therefore, it will come as a massive boost for Farke to know that he hasn't suffered a serious injury.

The Verbania native has posted 10 goal contributions (five goals and the same number of assists) in 39 first-team appearances following his arrival, posing a threat to the opposition’s defence regardless of whether the end product isn’t always there.

The Elland Road outfit’s £20k-per-week earner (Leeds salaries), currently ranks in the 99th percentile for progressive carries (FBRef – Gnonto stats), highlighting his desire to push his team as high up the pitch as possible by using his pace to dribble past his marker.

Gnonto’s versatility to operate everywhere across the frontline and also in three roles in the midfield is another attribute that makes him a “nightmare” for defenders to deal with, according to football talent scout Jacek Kulig, so the fact that he isn’t set for a spell on the sidelines is a big plus for the club in West Yorkshire.