Barcelona captain Sergi Roberto has added to Xavi's injury problems ahead of Tuesday's crunch Champions League tie with Napoli.
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Roberto unlikely to start against NapoliMidfielder lacking match sharpnessClub only has three midfielders availableWHAT HAPPENED?
Roberto had been tipped to start in midfield against Napoli as Barca are without Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Gavi due to injury. However, according to Mundo Deportivo, the plan will not be actualized when the Blaugrana take the field on Tuesday evening due to the Spaniard lacking match sharpness. The situation means Xavi only has three fit senior midfielders available in Ilkay Gundogan, Oriol Romeu and Fermin Lopez.
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Barcelona have struggled all season long with fitness problems, particularly in midfield. The club has only seen four players avoid any injuries so far this season in the form of Ilkay Gundogan, Oriol Romeu, Fermin Lopez and Inaki Pena.
Only recently, the club suffered a double injury blow when they lost De Jong and Pedri in the first half of their clash against Athletic Club at San Mames.
Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?
Roberto received the green light from the medical team before the first leg against Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, however, the 32-year-old hasn't actually featured yet due to a lack of sharpness.
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WHAT NEXT FOR ROBERTO?
The lack of match sharpness may force academy graduate to stay on the bench at least for the start of the game on Tuesday, March 12. However, Xavi may look to bring on the experienced midfielder in the clash in the second half depending on the context of the game.
Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 campaign after three years at the top table of English football.
The Whites were promoted under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020 and stayed up under the Argentine boss and then Jesse Marsch. However, a combination of Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Sam Allardyce failed to keep them up last term.
An instant return to the top-flight is now on the agenda for the Yorkshire-based outfit and German boss Daniel Farke has been brought in to secure it.
The impressive tactician won two Championship titles during his time with Norwich City earlier in his career and is now looking for a third promotion to the Premier League.
Points
94
97
Goals for
93
75
Goals against
57
36
Games won
27
29
Farke's Championship title-winning seasons with Norwich (via Sky Sports):
However, his squad was dealt a number of blows as the likes of Tyler Adams, Rodrigo, Max Wober, Robin Koch, Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, and Marc Roca moved on either permanently or out on loan.
One decision that the German head coach made that may come back to haunt him, though, is the one to loan out talented young midfielder Sam Greenwood, who has outscored Wilfried Gnonto, Dan James, and Jaidon Anthony this season.
Why Leeds could lose Greenwood permanently
The Whites could lose the ex-Arsenal prospect on a permanent deal at the end of the 2023/24 campaign as they included a purchase option within his loan deal with Middlesbrough.
It was recently reported by The Athletic that Boro negotiated an option to sign Greenwood for £1.5m during next summer's transfer window if they decide the fit is right by that point.
This means that, essentially, Farke and Leeds have little say in what happens with the midfield technician next year as his current club have the chance to snap him up permanently if they want to.
Leeds United forward Sam Greenwood.
If Middlesbrough do decide that they want to activate that £1.5m buyout clause and the Whites do not want to lose him then they would need to convince the player to turn down the opportunity to return to Teesside.
This could be a difficult task when you consider that Leeds were willing to sanction a possible permanent exit for him last summer and decided that he was not ready for their first-team.
Greenwood has been shown faith by Boro and may, therefore, prefer a switch to Michael Carrick's side over coming back to Elland Road if it comes down to it next summer.
Sam Greenwood's statistics this season
The 21-year-old whiz, who former Leeds ace Noel Whelan hailed for his "immense" ability, endured a slow start to life at Middlesbrough as his first four appearances for the club came as a substitute in the Championship.
However, he has since broken into the starting XI and has started each of their last four league matches, which has allowed him to showcase his quality out wide.
Greenwood has been deployed on the left of an attacking midfield trio behind the main centre-forward and has caught the eye with his recent attacking contributions.
The right-footed wizard has scored two goals in four starts, both of which came within the last three games, and the latest of those came in their 2-1 win over Norwich City on Tuesday night.
He produced a fantastic display against the Canaries earlier this week with a Sofascore rating of 7.7, which was the highest score of any player for either side.
The English dynamo scored the opening goal for Boro as he arrived in the right place at the right time to finish from close range after Norwich gave possession away on the opposite side of the pitch.
Greenwood also won seven of his 12 duels and completed all three of his attempted dribbles. These statistics show that the talented gem offered strength out of possession and helped to carry his team up the pitch with his dribbling quality.
To the latter point, the former Sunderland academy ace has completed 15 progressive carries in his last four matches for Boro and this shows that, alongside a goal threat, the Leeds loanee can provide value in transition.
Farke may now be looking at the gem's recent performances and wondering whether or not it was a mistake to part ways with the 21-year-old ace, particularly when he looks at how his current wing options have performed in front of goal.
Wilfried Gnonto's statistics this season
Gnonto has scored one goal in six Championship starts, with one further appearance off the bench, throughout the 2023/24 campaign so far.
The Italy international was brought back into the starting XI against Stoke on Wednesday night and failed to make the most of his opportunity to shine. He failed to provide a single shot on target, completed dribble, or chance created for his teammates in 70 minutes on the pitch.
Leeds forward Wilfried Gnonto.
Chances have not been particularly hard to come by for the 19-year-old whiz as he has already missed two 'big chances' and taken 1.6 shots per game, which suggests that his current return of one goal has been an underperformance.
Whereas, Greenwood has taken 1.3 shots per match and has not missed a single 'big chance' in front of goal to go along with his two league strikes.
Gnonto is not the only Leeds forward who has been outperformed in front of goal by the Boro star, though, as Anthony and James have also only scored one goal each in the league so far this season. The latter has, at least, provided four assists but the Bournemouth loanee is yet to register a single assist.
Meanwhile, Ian Poveda, Patrick Bamford, and Joe Gelhardt were all kept around to be part of the squad and have combined for zero goals and zero assists in 15 league appearances between them.
These statistics suggest that Leeds could have benefitted from keeping the 5 foot 11 dynamo as part of their squad to bolster their attacking options out wide.
The Whites have not had a steady stream of goals from those positions, outside of Crysencio Summerville's four strikes, and this was illustrated on Wednesday as Anthony and Gnonto started out wide and failed to make an impact in the final third as Farke's men lost 1-0 to Leeds.
Glasgow Rangers are currently attempting to land their next head coach to take on the job at Ibrox after Michael Beale was relieved of his duties earlier this month.
The Scottish giants are in the market for a new manager after the English tactician failed to bring tangible success over the course of his tenure at the club.
Rangers are already seven points adrift of the top of the Scottish Premiership table and failed to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League under their former boss.
Matches
Five
Wins
Two
Draws
Two
Losses
One
Whoever chairman John Bennett and chief executive James Bisgrove decide to hire will arrive with an uphill task to get the Light Blues back on track in order to compete for major honours this season.
They will also have a job on their hands to unlock or get the best out of the numerous signings who have struggled so far; including Belgian striker Cyriel Dessers.
What's the latest on Philippe Clement to Rangers?
Nieuwsblad recently reported that the Gers have made a contract offer to former Club Brugge tactician Philippe Clement and he could rock Ibrox by unlocking the summer signing's goalscoring potential.
The Glasgow outfit are said to have sent their proposal to the out-of-contract manager and he is now in 'pole position' to become Beale's eventual replacement before the end of the international break.
The report from Nieuwsblad also claimed that the Belgian tinkerer is expected to turn down the opportunity to go to the Saudi Pro League with Al Shabab, despite talks with the team last week.
Would Clement be a good appointment?
On paper, the 49-year-old boss has the potential to be an excellent appointment by Bisgrove and Bennett if he can translate his success in Belgium over to Scottish football.
Clement won an impressive three league titles in three seasons between the 2018/19 and 2020/21 campaigns with Genk and Club Brugge and has lifted four Pro League trophies throughout his managerial career in total.
The former Monaco chief also has an impressive record in qualifying matches for European competitions, which is where Beale struggled earlier this season for the Gers.
Former Monaco boss Philippe Clement.
He has won nine and lost one of his 12 qualifiers, for the Champions League and the Europa League combined, and this shows that the Belgian mastermind knows what it takes to be successful at that level.
These statistics suggest that Clement could come in as a big upgrade on Beale, who has not won a single trophy throughout his managerial career to date and has no track record of being able to coach a winning side.
The 4-4-2 tactician has, on the other hand, showcased his ability to win league titles and achieve relative success in Europe at multiple clubs, with titles in charge of both Genk and Brugge.
Therefore, Clement could be a fantastic appoint by the Scottish giants if he accepts the offer that is reportedly on the table from the club.
Getting the best out of Dessers could be one of the first priorities for the 49-year-old boss if he does take charge of the Gers, as the striker has struggled this season.
How much did Rangers pay for Dessers?
The Scottish giants reportedly agreed a deal worth £4.5m to sign the Belgian centre-forward from Italian side Cremonese after they were relegated from the Serie A last season.
They brought him in off the back of a fairly underwhelming season in the top-flight of football in Italy as his side failed to avoid the drop-down to Serie B.
Former Cremonese striker Cyriel Dessers.
Dessers produced six goals and two assists in 26 league appearances for the club throughout the campaign and missed five 'big chances' in total.
The Nigeria international's lack of physicality was also a concern as opposition players got the better of him in 70% of his duels and 75% of his aerial contests, which suggests that the experienced forward was too weak for the Serie A.
How many goals has Dessers scored this season?
Dessers' lack of consistent quality at the top end of the pitch has carried over into the current campaign as he has only scored three goals in 15 appearances for the Gers.
His Scottish Premiership form has been a particular cause for concern. The 28-year-old marksman has produced one goal and zero assists in eight league outings for the Light Blues and lost a staggering 81% of his duels on the ground in that time, as per Sofascore.
Rangers forward Cyriel Dessers.
Three of his six goal contributions for the club came in his four Champions League qualifying appearances earlier this season, which included one goal and two assists.
What's next for Dessers?
Journalist Dean Jones claimed, in August, that Dessers could go on to become a "cult hero" for Rangers if he is able to turn his form around over the months or years to come.
Clement could, therefore, rock Ibrox and impress supporters by fulfilling this prediction and helping the ex-Genk striker find his feet at this level.
He favours a 4-4-2 system and this means that Dessers could play alongside another forward and thrive away from being the main focal point for the side, which the Nigerian flop has clearly struggled with as he does not have the physicality to consistently compete and win duels against defenders.
Playing as part of a front two could allow him to focus solely on his movement off the ball to find the space to score and create goals.
His form for Feyenoord during the 2021/22 campaign suggests that the quality is there for him to turn his fortunes around at Ibrox if Clement's system can get the best out of him.
Dessers produced a sensational ten goals and one assist in seven Europa Conference League starts and managed nine goals in nine Eredivisie starts for the Dutch side, as per Sofascore.
No Rangers striker managed more than 14 league goals for the Gers last term and the ex-Cremonese forward's goal record for Feyenoord suggests that the forward, who also scored 29 goals in 40 matches for NAC Breda earlier in his career, could be a lethal scorer for the Scottish giants if he can get back to those levels.
Therefore, Clement could get supporters at Ibrox rocking with joy if they start to see the 6 foot 1 finisher firing in the goals on a regular basis in a 4-4-2 set-up.
Shai Hope’s blistering 88 powered Tridents to 185, before Reifer snared five wickets, including three in his last over, as Barbados opened their CPL campaign with a win
The Report by Peter Della Penna13-Aug-2018Raymon Reifer prepares to bowl•Randy Brookes/CPL T20/Getty ImagesAfter missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, Barbados Tridents got their CPL 2018 campaign off to a winning start by easily defending the highest-ever CPL total made in Guyana, in a 30-run win over the Amazon Warriors. At a ground where the average first-innings score in the CPL has been 126, Tridents overcame a shaky start of 11 for 2 to post 185 for 4, following a brilliant 88 off 45 balls by Shai Hope, before Raymon Reifer’s five-wicket haul derailed the Amazon Warriors chase.Tri-dented in the PowerplayTridents’ opening combo of Martin Guptill and Dwayne Smith were both dismissed in the first two overs, and there was little to indicate that a record total was imminent. Rayad Emrit emulated his Trinidad pal Dwayne Bravo’s incredible effort 24 hours earlier, with a one-handed catch to claim Guptill at mid-off. Smith fell at the end of the next over, driving Chris Green’s offspin to extra cover, and Tridents were reduced to 11 for 2 in two overs.Hope-ful partnershipHope and Steven Smith came together to steer the Tridents back into the match with a 105-run stand for the third wicket. Smith played the classy shots early, including a delightful straight drive off Green for four, to keep the scoreboard moving. However, the partnership could have been halved had Hope been runout on 31, with the score 64 for 2, in the last ball of the ninth over. Smith turned down a run to backward point as Hope hared from the non-striker’s end, but Sherfane Rutherford’s rushed throw missed the stumps after Hope had given up getting back in.The 24-year-old turned belligerent at the end of the 11th over, heaving Imran Tahir against the turn over long-on and straight down the ground for consecutive sixes. It spurred Smith to come out of his shell at the start of the 12th over, guiding a pair of cuts behind point for four off Keemo Paul, as Tridents produced 20 runs in a four-ball sequence across the two overs. Hope ended the 12th over by gliding two to third man to bring up a 30-ball half-century. He then took Sohail Tanvir apart for two sixes over long-on and a four through extra cover in the 13th over to bring up the 100-run partnership, putting Tridents in a commanding position with seven overs left.Pooran powerThe departure of Smith, who played around a straight ball from Tahir, allowed Hope to take the innings into high gear with Nicholas Pooran. Hope’s six assault continued off Paul in the 18th, driving over the extra cover boundary for the shot of the innings. But he fell two balls later, just 12 short of what would have been his maiden CPL ton.Pooran took the opportunity to remind everyone of his devastating ball-striking ability by swatting 21 runs off the final over, bowled by Paul, to put the chase out of reach for the host side. He began with a flat six over long-off, before collecting a scampered two. The third ball was smashed magnificently into the second-tier over long-off, and nearly landed on the roof. It took him to 38, six more than his best innings from a lackluster 2017 campaign. A helicopter whip for six over long-on two balls later showed Pooran’s style to match his strength, and he finished unbeaten on 45 off 27 balls.Reifer madnessDespite the fall of Chadwick Walton at the end of the second over, the Warriors had progressed confidently to reach 40 for 1 in the fifth over of the chase, when Reifer started to ruin the host side’s pursuit with his canny left-arm medium pace. Extra bounce resulted in a top-edged pull by Luke Ronchi that landed in Ashley Nurse’s hands at midwicket, before Shimron Hetmyer fell next ball, yanking Reifer to one of the two men out on the boundary during the Powerplay, Guptill covering good ground at deep midwicket to put Reifer on a hat-trick.Rutherford joined captain Shoaib Malik for an 84-run stand as Warriors kept themselves in the hunt. Legspinner Imran Khan didn’t bowl a single over on the night, with dew making it difficult for spinners to grip the ball. But Tridents captain Jason Holder’s gamble to bring back Nurse to bowl offspin in the 16th over paid off. One ball after Malik smashed him for six over long-on, the Guyana captain misjudged the length while trying to guide Nurse with an open face to third man, and wound up chopping onto his stumps for 38.As the required run rate continued to climb following Malik’s departure, Reifer exploited the breach with three wickets in the 19th to kill off the chase. With 39 required off the last two overs to win, Green scythed a Reifer full toss behind point for four, but perished off the next ball, with a tame drive to Holder at extra cover. Jason Mohammed sliced Reifer to the cover sweeper two balls later, before a slower bouncer next ball to Rutherford resulted in a gloved catch to Pooran to put Reifer on a hat-trick for the second time in the night. Reifer once again didn’t get the hat-trick, Paul this time punching a full toss down the ground for a single, but the efforts were enough to bag the Man-of-the-Match award.
The incident occurred in the vicinity of a Chennai Super Kings fielder, prompting the intervention of the police in CSK’s first home match in nearly three years
Deivarayan Muthu in Chennai10-Apr-2018A group of spectators flung a pair of shoes at the edge of the boundary at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in the vicinity of Chennai Super Kings players, prompting the intervention of police in CSK’s first home match in nearly three years. The incident happened in the eighth over of the game against Kolkata Knight Riders, after which the concerned spectators were evicted from the ground and, as per reports, taken into custody.The incident followed calls, in the lead up to the game, for people to protest over the hosting of IPL games in Chennai. Several local political parties and fringe groups had called for a boycott of the IPL matches in Chennai till the lengthy Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu and neighbouring state Karnataka is resolved. While there was no confirmation that the shoe-throwing incident was directly related to this issue, it was expected to be the likely cause.The group was carrying flags, which are not permitted inside the venue, and flung the shoes near Ravindra Jadeja, who was posted at the long-on boundary, and Faf du Plessis, who was seemingly carrying drinks for team-mates. CSK officials and the police subsequently intervened and diffused the tension.Hours before the start of the match, there were protests on Wallajah Road near the MA Chidambaram Stadium, albeit amid beefed-up security. Later, the toss was delayed by 13 minutes; match officials reportedly arrived late at the venue due to heavy traffic around the stadium, but play began on time.
Starc misses out on hat-trick but South Africa’s resistance lasts 22 balls on the fifth and final day at Durban
The Report by Brydon Coverdale05-Mar-20182:47
Holding: Markram will get better and better
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMitchell Starc missed out on a hat-trick but Australia had little trouble in wrapping up a 118-run win on the fifth morning in Durban, where they took a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. Bad light had halted Australia’s march to victory on the fourth evening with just one wicket required, so it was possible that it could have taken just a single ball to end the game on day five. In the end, it took 22 deliveries.Josh Hazlewood confirmed the result by trapping Quinton de Kock lbw for 83 in the fourth over of the day, as South Africa were dismissed for 298. Morne Morkel finished not out on 3. Starc had been denied the chance to bowl for a hat-trick late on day four after he bowled Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada with what became his last two balls of the day, as the umpires declared that the light was sufficient only for spin bowling. He instead bowled for his hat-trick with the first ball of the fifth day and rapped de Kock on the pads, but the ball was sliding down leg.The result gives Australia a good start as they aim to maintain their remarkable record of having not lost a Test series in South Africa since readmission. The teams now move on to Port Elizabeth for the second Test, which begins on Friday.
حقق الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك فوزًا مهمًا على حرس الحدود بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين، في المباراة التي أقيمت اليوم الخميس ضمن منافسات الجولة الثامنة من الدوري المصري الممتاز.
افتتح أحمد سيد “زيزو” التسجيل للزمالك في الدقيقة 12، بعد تمريرات رائعة بين محمد شحاتة وعمر جابر، ليضعها زيزو في الشباك وسط دفاع حرس الحدود.
طالع.. مدرب هامبورج السابق: الزمالك فاوضني.. وأريد العمل في مصر
لكن حرس الحدود تعادل في الدقيقة 25 عن طريق محمد أشرف روقا، الذي سجل هدف التعادل من ركلة جزاء احتسبها حكم اللقاء ضد أحمد فتوح بعد لمسة يد.
ثم أضاف مصطفى شلبي الهدف الثاني للزمالك في الدقيقة 36 بعد تمريرة متقنة من محمد شحاتة، لينفرد بالمرمى ويسجل هدفًا رائعًا.
وفي الدقيقة السادسة من الوقت بدل الضائع في الشوط الأول، نجح زيزو في تسجيل الهدف الثالث للزمالك من ركلة جزاء سددها بقوة على يمين حارس حرس الحدود.
وفي الدقيقة 86، قلص حرس الحدود الفارق بإحراز الهدف الثاني من ركلة جزاء نفذها محمود ممدوح ببراعة على يمين محمد عواد.
وبهذا الفوز، رفع الزمالك رصيده إلى 17 نقطة، ليصعد إلى المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، بفارق نقطة واحدة عن الأهلي المتصدر في حين تجمد رصيد حرس الحدود عند 6 نقاط، ليظل في المركز السادس عشر. رجل مباراة الزمالك وحرس الحدود اليوم
وحصل محمد شحاتة، لاعب وسط فريق الزمالك على جائزة أفضل لاعب في مباراة حرس الحدود.
Nottingham Forest are now plotting the statement signing of a £30m forward, who is also being targeted by La Liga giants Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Forest looking to win race for Barca and Atletico target
It is a clear indication of how far Forest have come that they are now shopping in the same talent pool as the likes of Barcelona and Atletico, but it has been far from an ideal start to the new Premier League campaign.
The Tricky Trees have won just one of their first five league games, and suffered a shock defeat against Swansea City in the third round of the EFL Cup, which was an early setback for new manager Ange Postecoglou.
Under the helm of former manager Nuno, the Europa League side strengthened considerably in the summer transfer window, particularly in attacking areas, and Dan Ndoye has made a promising start, with two goal contributions to his name in the Premier League.
However, Evangelos Marinakis was unable to secure deals for all of his major targets, missing out on former SC Braga winger Roger Fernandes on deadline day, despite entering advanced talks.
There has since been an encouraging new update on Nottingham Forest’s interest in Fernandes, however, with a report from TEAMtalk reporting they are still plotting a statement signing of the winger, despite his £30m move to Al-Ittihad.
The 19-year-old is attracting serious interest, even though he only recently moved to Saudi Arabia, with the likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid also thought to be keen, although neither of the La Liga giants have made an approach thus far.
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Interest from the Premier League is particularly strong, with the Tricky Trees constantly observing the youngster, even since Ange’s appointment, as there is a belief he could boost their chances of qualifying for Europe once again.
"1v1 specialist" Fernandes could be difference-maker for Forest
It has to be said, it would be very strange if the Portuguese winger were to leave Al-Ittihad so soon after joining, having not even made his debut, but the starlet clearly has the ability to succeed at Forest, given his exploits in a Braga shirt.
Speaking just under two years ago, scout Ben Mattinson said: “Roger Fernandes is another player I love at Braga. 1v1 specialist with great whipped cross on him. A creative, unselfish winger. Also his maturity for only 17 is crazy, you can tell why he’s played so much already.”
The ex-Braga star amassed 12 goals and 16 assists in 91 appearances for the Portuguese club, which is an impressive return for a teenager, and indicates he could be capable of making the step-up to the Premier League.
Forest appear to be well-stocked in attacking areas, having signed Omari Hutchinson, Dilane Bakwa and Ndoye in the summer, but Fernandes is an exciting young player, and the rival interest from Barcelona and Atletico speaks volumes.
Celtic are brilliant at signing and developing young players before selling them on for profit on the future, as evidenced by the stars they have sold over the years.
As recently as January, the Scottish Premiership champions raked in a reported fee of £10m for Japan international centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi from Rennes, yet he does not even place within the top sales in the club’s history.
Kieran Tierney
£25m
Matt O’Riley
£25m
Jota
£25m
Moussa Dembele
£20m
Odsonne Edouard
£18.5m
Kristoffer Ajer
£13.5m
Virgil van Dijk
£13m
As you can see in the table above, the likes of Jota, Matt O’Riley, and Kieran Tierney have all been sold for more than twice as much, the latest of which was O’Riley’s move to Brighton last summer.
Two of those players are also now back at Parkhead. Jota returned to Glasgow from Rennes on a permanent deal in January, whilst Tierney has joined on a free transfer from Arsenal, six years on from his move to the Premier League.
These are some of the top examples of players who have thrived in the Premiership for Celtic before making the club millions by moving elsewhere, and a great example of their brilliant recruitment work is central defender Kristoffer Ajer.
Celtic hit the jackpot with Kristoffer Ajer
In February 2016, the Scottish giants paid a reported fee of just £650k to sign the centre-back after a trial spell at Parkhead from Norwegian side Start.
The Hoops identified the young defender as a promising talent at the age of just 17, and were patient with him before they introduced the starlet to the first-team.
Former Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer.
Ajer spent time in the academy, playing youth league football, before being sent out on loan to Kilmarnock in the Premiership, before his emergence as a senior option for Celtic in the 2017/18 campaign.
The towering youngster then went on to score seven goals and provide seven assists in 176 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops before his exit in the summer of 2021.
February 2016
£650k reported fee
February 2017
£680k
August 2018
£1m
August 2019
£2.5m
January 2021
£3.4m
June 2021
£6m
July 2021
£13.5m reported fee
As you can see in the table above, Ajer’s market value soared way beyond the initial £650k that the Hoops reportedly paid Start to sign him as a 17-year-old.
In the summer of 2021, Premier League side Brentford reportedly paid a fee of £13.5m to sign the centre-back, breaking their own transfer record, which represented a huge profit for Celtic.
This shows that the Scottish giants hit the jackpot with the young defender as they identified his potential at an incredibly young age and went on to benefit from it with performances on the pitch and a huge fee when he left.
Celtic enquire about deal for teenage star
Celtic could find their next version of Kristoffer Ajer this summer amid reported interest in another 17-year-old centre-back prospect to bolster their squad.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to Mozzart Sport, as relayed by B92, Celtic are interested in a deal to sign Red Star Belgrade central defender Veljko Milosavljević in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Hoops have already made an enquiry about the 17-year-old starlet, and made an offer of £5m that was turned down by the Serbian outfit.
It adds that two teams from England are also eyeing up the young centre-back, but they have yet to make any official bids for his services as of yet.
Red Star Belgrade are said to want more than £5m that Celtic put on the table for the teenage titan, although the report does not mention exactly how much they would want for him.
Why Celtic should sign Veljko Milosavljević
The Hoops should sign the Serbian youngster before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September because he has the potential to be Ajer 2.0 at Parkhead.
Whilst he would not arrive for a cheap fee of £650k, given that they have already had an offer of £5m turned down for him, the Red Star talent would arrive as another teenage centre-back with the potential to develop and improve, therefore growing in value in the future.
Former Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer.
Despite not turning 18 till this weekend, the Celtic target has already played 19 first-team matches for the Serbian giants, and established himself as a regular in the league in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.
Milosavljević initially caught the eye in the Serbian youth league, winning 11.8 duels per game across eight starts in the division, before being made a permanent member of Vladan Milojevic’s first-team squad.
Appearances
14
Starts
11
Pass accuracy
90%
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.2
Dribbled past per game
0.2x
Error led to shot
0
Error led to goal
0
Penalties committed
0
As you can see in the table above, the teenage talent started 11 of his 14 outings for the Superliga champions, as the centre-back showed that he could compete in a team that was chasing the league title.
Milosavljević, who scout Gianni Bellasi described as a “physically imposing” defender, proved himself to be a reliable option at the back, despite his inexperience, with zero errors that led to shots, goals, or penalties.
That is particularly impressive when you consider that Liam Scales made two such errors and Auston Trusty made five such errors in the Premiership for Celtic this season, in a title-winning side for Brendan Rodgers.
This shows that it is not easy to play a lot of games without making costly mistakes as a centre-back in a dominant team, given the nature of how much they look to play out from the back, but the Serbian star has shown promise in that respect.
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Therefore, Milosavljević could follow in Ajer’s footsteps at Parkhead if Celtic sign him this summer because he is a 17-year-old centre-back talent who has shown that he has the qualities to be a reliable figure at the back if he can adapt to Scottish football.
Of course, there are no guarantees in football and there is no telling exactly how he will develop, but his career to date suggests that the potential is there for him to be an exciting signing for the Hoops.
Premier League clubs have often been known to splash the cash like there’s no tomorrow – even during the mid-season transfer window. January deals have a reputation of their own for requiring inflated transfer fees, chiefly down to the short turnarounds required to bid, sell and replace players before the deadline arrives.
The money has gone bonkers in recent years, with the English top flight’s biggest January moves all taking place in the past decade.
Whether selling or buying, English clubs have been able to exchange funds freely despite the looming threats of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations and the Premier League’s Profit & Sustainability Rules, which both purport to limit the amount of spending by even the richest in the land.
But who have been the Premier League’s most expensive winter movers? Here are the top 12 January window deals…
#
Player
Date
Left
Joined
Fee
Philippe Coutinho
Jan 2018
Liverpool
Barcelona
Enzo Fernández
Feb 2023
Benfica
Chelsea
Mykhailo Mudryk
Jan 2023
Shakhtar Donetsk
Chelsea
Virgil van Dijk
Jan 2018
Southampton
Liverpool
Jhon Duran
Jan 2025
Aston Villa
Al-Nassr
Bruno Fernandes
Jan 2020
Sporting CP
Manchester United
Omar Marmoush
Jan 2025
Eintracht Frankfurt
Manchester City
Oscar
Jan 2017
Chelsea
Shanghai Port
Christian Pulisic
Jan 2019
Borussia Dortmund
Chelsea
Aymeric Laporte
Jan 2018
Athletic Bilbao
Manchester City
Diego Costa
Jan 2018
Chelsea
Atletico Madrid
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Jan 2018
Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal
12 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Arsenal £56m from Borussia Dortmund, 2018
Arsenal outlaid a whopping £56m to sign Borussia Dortmund’s prolific frontman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the 2018 January transfer window.
The north Londoners had only just signed Alexandre Lacazette the previous summer for a club-record £46.6m but Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was clearly keen to add further firepower to his ranks.
Aubameyang enjoyed a fruitful four-year spell with Arsenal, netting just shy of a century of goals across 163 appearances, though his time did come to a sour ending.
Arsenal released a statement just weeks before he would eventually leave for Barcelona, which read: “Following his latest disciplinary breach last week, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will no longer be our club captain, and will not be considered for selection for Wednesday’s match against West Ham United.
“We expect all our players, particularly our captain, to work to the rules and standards we have all set and agreed.”
11 Diego Costa to Atletico Madrid £57m from Chelsea, 2018
Diego Costa completed a mega-money move away from Stamford Bridge in favour of a move back to former club Atletico Madrid in January 2018.
After netting 20 league goals during the 2016/17 campaign, helping Chelsea to win their sixth Premier League title, Costa was frozen out over the summer.
Atleti’s transfer ban meant they couldn’t sign the Spaniard until the new year, but he eventually made his long-awaited second debut for the Madrid-based club on 3rd January 2018, scoring in a Copa del Rey last-16 tie against Lleida Esportiu.
The forward endured a difficult second spell with Los Colchoneros, managing a league-best of five goals, before cancelling his contract six months early in January 2021 due to personal reasons.
10 Aymeric Laporte to Manchester City £57m from Athletic Bilbao, 2018
Manchester City broke their transfer record to sign the classy left-footed centre-half in January 2018, paying Athletic Bilbao £57m.
Aymeric Laporte quickly established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League during his trophy-laden spell in England but ultimately lost his place in Pep Guardiola’s side towards the end, to the surprise of many.
Manuel Akanji’s arrival from Dortmund in 2022 appeared to be the turning point for Laporte’s City career, with the Switzerland international often the preferred defender in Guardiola’s system.
And that led to an exit in the summer just gone, signing for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr – where Cristiano Ronaldo resides – in a deal worth £23.6m.
Nonetheless, City fans will remember his time at the Etihad fondly.
9 Christian Pulisic to Chelsea £58m from Borussia Dortmund, 2019
Chelsea forked out £58m to sign then-20-year-old Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund in January 2019.
The west Londoners loaned him back to the German outfit for the remainder of the season and he ended the campaign with seven goals and six assists across 30 appearances.
Whilst he did have his moments, his spell as a whole at Stamford Bridge was rather underwhelming, netting 26 times across 145 outings.
Having made just eight league starts last term, Pulisic’s Chelsea days looked numbered, and so it turned out to be, as he completed a permanent move to AC Milan in the summer.
#
Player
Left
Joined
Transfer fee
1
Christian Pulisic
Borussia Dortmund
Chelsea
£58m
2
Folarin Balogun
Arsenal
Monaco
£35m
3
Brendan Aaronson
Red Bull Salzburg
Leeds United
£24.8m
4
Tyler Adams
RB Leipzig
Leeds United
£20m
5
Sergino Dest
Ajax
Barcelona
£19m
8 Oscar to Shanghai Port £60m from Chelsea, 2017
Eyebrows were raised when Oscar departed Europe for the Chinese Super League in 2017, having just won the Premier League title earlier that year.
The Brazilian playmaker completed a colossal £60m move to Shanghai SIPG, now known as Shanghai Port, which at the time ranked as the seventh-highest transfer fee in history.
Oscar, speaking in 2017, gave his reasoning for leaving Chelsea: “When I made the decision to come here, I was thinking more of my family than of my career. I had other very good offers from big teams in Europe. But I thought a little more of my family, and after that – I am still young – I can return.”
It had been claimed he would earn £400,000 a week.
7 Omar Marmoush to Manchester City £63m from Eintracht Frankfurt, 2025
Manchester City went big on signing a challenger for Erling Haaland’s starting spot by bringing in Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt.
After dazzling in the first half of the 2024/25 season in Germany, Marmoush made the move to the Premier League after the clubs agreed on a £63m package, with £4m of that fee in add-ons.
He became the biggest Premier League incoming that winter and was one of four mid-season City arrivals.
6 Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United £47m (potentially rising to £67.7m) from Sporting CP, 2020
Manchester United landed the signature of Bruno Fernandes in 2020 for an initial fee worth £47m that could rise to £67.7m with add-ons.
The Portugal international has been a revelation for the Red Devils and is widely regarded as their best player, having scored 69 goals whilst laying on 59 assists across 207 appearances.
Erik ten Hag appointed the 29-year-old club captain at the start of the season, evincing just how highly thought of he is around Carrington.
Fernandes penned a new deal in 2022, keeping him at Old Trafford until 2026, with the option of a further year.
5 Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr £71m from Aston Villa, 2025
Al Nassr's JhonDuranreacts
The biggest deal of the January 2025 winter window from a Premier League perspective was Jhon Duran’s exit from Aston Villa as he joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.
The Colombian linked up with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia after an eye-watering £71m move – not bad for an £18m move from two years prior.
4 Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool £75m from Southampton, 2018
Virgil van Dijk became the world’s most expensive defender when he completed a £75m move to Liverpool in January 2018.
The towering Dutch defender quickly established himself as one of the best players across the continent and even finished runner-up to Lionel Messi in the 2019 Ballon d’Or rankings.
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He was a central figure in Liverpool’s first Premier League title triumph during the 2019/20 season and famously went a reported 50 games without being dribbled past.
Previous Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson departed the Merseysiders in the summer and Van Dijk assumed the armband, evidencing his glowing status around the changing room.
The 64-cap Netherlands international has already cemented himself in conversations regarding the best centre-back in Premier League history.
3 Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea £89m from Shakhtar Donetsk, 2023
Chelsea continued their heavy spending under new owner Todd Boehly when they shelled out £89m for Shakhtar Donetsk’s rising star Mykhailo Mudryk earlier this year.
The fleet-footed wide player is still in the early stages of his Premier League career, but many would admit, perhaps including himself, that it’s been a pretty disappointing start to life in west London.
Mudryk has found the net just twice in 31 outings and looks to be pretty bereft of confidence, though, he has looked a real threat at times.
The 2001-born Ukraine international is still a fledgling professional footballer and has plenty of time to develop under the experienced wings of Mauricio Pochettino, so only time will tell how successful of signing he’ll be.
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