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Celtic have got off to the start you'd expect from a side aiming for a third consecutive Scottish Premiership title, remaining unbeaten and sitting top of the league once more. Their victory in the first Old Firm derby of the season against Rangers before the international break established their dominance once more, and they have since picked up where they left off.

Brendan Rodgers hasn't missed a beat in the Scottish Premiership, as he looks to make it a second stint to remember at Celtic Park. The additions that he made during the summer transfer window will certainly help his pursuit of success, too, with one particular arrival earning plenty of praise from journalist Dean Jones.

What has Dean Jones said?

In total, Celtic spent a reported €22m (£19m) on reinforcements during the summer, welcoming ten fresh faces, from Nat Phillips to Luis Palma. So far, that spending looks set to pay off, with the Scottish giants already four points clear of Rangers at the top of the league.

One particular signing has impressed many around Celtic Park, however, and that's Thiago Holm. The 20-year-old arrived for a reported €3m (£2m) from Norwegian side Valerenga, and has been the subject of praise from Jones ever since.

Jones told GiveMeSport: "It feels like this could be a big opportunity for him. He's got massive potential. I think one of the things that Celtic are crying out for at the moment is players with confidence. So, I think this moment would have come at a good time, not just for him but for Rodgers.

"Rodgers seems in no doubt about the player’s ability, and he'll want him to be a big part of his team going forward. But I'm sure that one of his big reservations is in terms of consistency and ability to maintain standards across the duration of an entire game. So, this is part of the process, a stepping stone. Getting his first Norway cap is a brilliant sign, and I think Celtic are onto a good thing with him.”

With that said, it will be interesting to see whether the youngster will get an opportunity from the start for Celtic in the coming weeks, as he looks to make his full debut in the Scottish Premiership.

How has Thiago Holm performed this season?

So far this season, Holm has made four appearances for Rodgers' side, making just one start, which unfortunately came in Celtic's shock Scottish Cup exit at the hands of Kilmarnock.

Still so young, the sky is the limit for the Norwegian, who will only get better with even more opportunities to impress. The fact that he recently earned his first Norway cap suggests that Holm is a player ready to burst into life, and potentially become an important member of the squad for both club and country.

If Celtic can get the best out of him, then he could go down as one of the deals of the summer transfer window in Scotland, considering the small fee that they paid and the potential that the young midfielder has.

Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has suggested that trophies "mean more" to his team than their domestic rivals Manchester City.

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• Reds fighting City for Premier League title
• Alexander-Arnold hailed rivals as team 'built to win'
• But says trophies 'mean more' to Liverpool

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool are competing with City for the Premier League and FA Cup trophies this season as the Reds hope to stop Pep Guardiola's side from defending two of the three titles they claimed in 2022-23. Anfield hero Alexander-Arnold admits his side face a daunting task in dethroning the European and English champions, but says that his side will enjoy the success more than their rivals.

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  WHAT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD SAID

  He told : "It's tough. We're up against a machine that's built to win – that's the simplest way to describe City and their organisation. Looking back on this era, although they've won more titles than us and have probably been more successful, our trophies will mean more to us and our fanbase because of the situations at both clubs, financially. How both clubs have built their teams and the manner in which we've done it, probably means more to our fans."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Liverpool and City will go head to head on Sunday in a clash that may prove decisive in the fight for the Premier League title. Alexander-Arnold's side sit just one point above the reigning champions going into the game, while Arsenal are a point further adrift of the leaders.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  Before the weekend's showdown, City will take on Copenhagen in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, a day before Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool meet Sparta Prague in the Europa League last 16.

ESPN pundit Ale Moreno has tipped one Tottenham Hotspur starlet to play a crucial role for Ange Postecoglou as he previews today's Liverpool clash.

Tottenham vs Liverpool

Spurs play host to fellow high-flyers Liverpool in a mouth-watering clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this afternoon, as both sides go into it on a very rich run of form. Postecoglou's men are yet to taste defeat; having clinched four wins and two draws from their opening six Premier League games.

Victories over Bournemouth, Man United, Burnley and Sheffield United highlight Spurs' new-found ruthlessness in front of goal, as each of the aforementioned sides failed to stop Tottenham scoring two goals or more. In fact, the Lilywhites are yet to score less than a two in a game this season, having also sealed 2-2 draws against Brentford and, most recently, north London rivals Arsenal.

Captain Son Heung-min ensured Spurs fought back from a one-goal deficit twice, with Postecoglou absolutely hailing his side for going toe-to-toe with Mikel Arteta's title hopefuls in their own back-yard.

"They’ve come through that, going toe to toe with a top side," said Postecoglou.

"There's a real will and desire to become the team we want to be, which includes making sure that you're disciplined and you're buying into the team ethos and we had a really young team out there. Vic, that's his first derby, Destiny, van de Ven, Pape Matar Sarr, Brennan, they're all in their early twenties, Porro, even Kulusevski is only 23, so it was a young team but just super proud of the experienced players we did have in there.

"Romero was outstanding, Bissouma has been brilliant all year, Maddison, and Sonny was just on a different level, not just his goals, although they were outstanding, but his work rate, his work ethic was incredible."

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool also come into the contest unbeaten and second behind last season's treble-winners Man City. On paper, this could be viewed by some as Postecoglou's toughest test in the dugout so far.

Tottenham vs Liverpool prediction

ESPN pundit Moreno, speaking to the broadcast giant, says one area of the pitch could be crucial for Spurs if they're to halt Klopp in his tracks. Central midfield is certainly one to keep an eye on, with Moreno suggesting Spurs starlet Pape Matar Sarr will play a crucial role alongside the in-form Yves Bissouma.

“There’s an element of they’re open not only when they attack, they’re open defensively and open to transition, that can be an asset for Liverpool," said Moreno.

"If I’m looking at Spurs, while it’s easy to pick out Maddison, Son or Kulusevski, for them to be successful in this match, the work of Bissouma and Sarr has to be on point. They have to be organised enough to realise they have to be the ones to stop the transition, to protect the backline and know there are moments when they join in the attack."

Sarr, despite being outcasted by Antonio Conte last season, has gone on to become a mainstay under Postecoglou – and it appears the sky may well be the limit for him.

If there was any positivity left surrounding Arsenal’s domestic campaign heading into this weekend, then there certainly isn’t anymore.

Mikel Arteta’s side had a real chance to close the gap on Liverpool atop the Premier League by beating West Ham United on Saturday afternoon, but instead, they capitulated and fell to a 1-0 defeat.

It was one of the Gunners’ worst performances of the season, and while injuries certainly played a part in that, those on the pitch were dire.

There were poor performances across the board from the hosts, but Martin Odegaard once again stood out for all the wrong reasons, and the manager must be regretting his decision to sell someone who’s now outperforming him in the league.

Odegaard's dismal campaign

At the end of last season, Odegaard was named the club’s Player of the Year for the second campaign on the bounce, and there was a real sense that he might be able to finally lead the club over the line this year.

Unfortunately, the incredible midfielder of the last two campaigns has simply not turned up this year.

While his ankle sprain has likely played a significant role in his poor form, he’s been back fit for long enough now and continues to disappoint.

In all, the Norwegian international has racked up a rather paltry haul of two goals and three assists in 18 league games this season, totalling 1469 minutes, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 3.6 games, but also every 293.8 minutes.

Moreover, his overall tally of three goals and six assists in 27 games isn’t much better, especially when he’s supposed to be the team’s main creative force in the middle of the park.

Worse yet, there has been a feeling among some fans that he’s gone missing in big games this season, with the defeat on the weekend another case of that.

For example, football.london’s Tom Canton gave him a 4/10 match rating at full-time and wrote that the 26-year-old ‘simply didn’t’ stand up as the leader on the pitch.

In all, while he has shown himself to be an incredibly talented footballer in seasons prior, Odegaard has simply not been good enough this year.

That is a situation made all the more frustrating by the fact that a former Arsenal player sold by Arteta is outperforming the former Real Madrid wonderkid in the Premier League this season.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

The former Arsenal star outperforming Odegaard this season

On top of not making a single permanent attacking addition to the team over the summer, Arsenal decided to sell several players who could make a difference in the middle and final thirds, including Emile Smith Rowe.

The Hale End graduate was a firm favourite at the Emirates, but after missing a lot of game time through injury and then losing his place in the team, the club decided to sell him to Fulham for a pretty decent fee of around £27m without add-ons.

However, while the money certainly wasn’t bad, we reckon Arteta and Co would much rather have the player back at the moment, as while he hasn’t been world-class this season, he has been undeniably effective for the Cottagers, and as things stand is comfortably outperforming Odegaard in the Premier League.

For example, the 24-year-old “difference-maker,” as dubbed by Mesut Özil, has scored five goals and provided two assists in 24 games this season, totalling just 1589 minutes.

That means the Croydon-born ace has averaged a goal involvement every 3.42 games, or every 227 games, which, for a team like Fulham, who are fighting outside the European places at the moment, is really quite impressive.

Moreover, when he is on the pitch at the moment, you’d be hard-pressed to find a fan who’d accuse him of disappearing or hiding.

Ultimately, Odegaard is an undeniably talented footballer and may well get back to his very best next year, but this season, he has been underwhelming at best, so we can’t help but imagine Arsenal massively regret the decision to sell Smith Rowe in the summer.

Ayto can redeem Arsenal's dreadful January by signing £150m "nightmare"

Jason Ayto has some making up to do after an awful winter transfer window at Arsenal.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Feb 24, 2025

Manchester United will reportedly have to part with a record-equalling transfer fee if they want to prise Jarrad Branthwaite away from Everton.

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• Red Devils linked with commanding centre-half
• Toffees will not sell without a fight
• Price tag could match that of Maguire from 2019

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 21-year-old defender, who has been included in the latest England squad, is said to have been identified as a top target by those at Old Trafford. A summer approach may be in the pipeline, with the Toffees needing to part with prized assets in order to help balance the books on Merseyside.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Branthwaite would be a shrewd long-term addition for United, but he will not come cheap. His stock has soared this season after making a Premier League breakthrough on the back of a productive loan spell at Eredivisie giants PSV in 2022-23.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  According to , Branthwaite’s price tag now stands at £80 million ($102m). If a deal were to be done at that figure, then the highly-rated centre-half would join current United star Harry Maguire as the most expensive defender in world football.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Everton are said to be using the sale of Wesley Fofana to Chelsea as a marker in any Branthwaite negotiations, with the Frenchman having left Leicester for £75m ($96m) in 2022. It remains to be seen whether United are prepared to dig that deep for another piece of defensive steel.

Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag has admitted that match-winner Amad Diallo deserves more playing time than he has had this season.

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• Amad scored last-minute winner in FA Cup
• Has made just four appearances this season
• Ten Hag admits he deserves to play more

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Ivory Coast international came off the bench to score a late extra-time winner for United as they beat Liverpool 4-3 in the FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday. It was just his fourth appearance in all competitions this season as the Red Devils manager rued the injury issues that have deprived him of a place in the team.

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  WHAT TEN HAG SAID

  He told reporters: "I'm so happy for him. He is one of the players with a huge setback this season, a bad injury, returning from it, but returning to a team where there is a lot of competition for his position. He does not always get the time to play he deserves by his training performances but then he is coming on, then he shows his contribution, scoring a goal. But we know he can do it, we know he has the key moments where he can decide a game. I am very pleased he got the winner. But we had another sub, Antony, who scores an equaliser, he is also in a problematic situation but you see he is fighting as well, he wants to contribute as well. I'm very happy with the bench today."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Amad missed the first few months of the 2023-24 campaign due to a knee injury and did not make his first senior appearance until the end of December. He then had to wait until late-February for his next appearances, coming off the bench in games against Fulham and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League and FA Cup, respectively.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR AMAD?

  The winger, who was sent off in for taking his shirt off as he celebrated his late goal, will hope to be rewarded with more minutes on the field as United continue their fight to finish in a Champions League spot this season.

Manchester City have entered a transitional period under Pep Guardiola and more landmark squad changes could be set to occur at the Etihad Stadium.

Man City look to avoid rare trophyless season under Guardiola

Nobody would’ve thought Guardiola could be staring at a trophyless season off the back of his side’s fourth successive Premier League title in 2023/24.

However, the prospect is becoming a more realistic eventuality following the Citizens’ Champions League elimination at the hands of Real Madrid a matter of days ago.

Currently, Manchester City are one of the chasing pack for a place in the competition again via league finish rather than challenging for the title, while they were also dumped out of the EFL Cup away to Tottenham Hotspur last October.

Incredibly, the FA Cup is all now that stands between Guardiola and a first campaign without a trophy to his name since 2016/17. Plymouth Argyle await next weekend with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

Transitional has become the buzzword at the Etihad amid the highs and lows of recent months. Manchester City’s January signings Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov have helped to raise spirits among supporters, but they will take time to fully adhere to Guardiola’s relentless demands on the pitch.

In contrast, it has perhaps been those within the squad that haven’t hit the heights this season who illustrate more than most that change is afoot at the reigning champions.

Eras do indeed come to an end, but Manchester City supporters will be torn on the prospect of a winning machine being taken apart piece by piece, especially when it comes to key players who could be set for a new challenge.

Kevin De Bruyne closing in on headline Manchester City exit

According to The Boot Room, Manchester City icon Kevin De Bruyne is close to finalising terms over a move to San Diego FC and talks are ‘progressing’ with his long-term future at the Etihad uncertain.

The Belgium international has claimed 14 major honours at the club and delivered some of the greatest moments in their modern history, with 105 goals and 173 assists in 405 appearances across all competitions.

Man City now poised to chase "great" £100m ace in blockbuster summer deal

He could replace Kevin De Bruyne…

By
Tom Cunningham

Feb 22, 2025

De Bruyne earns £400,000 per week (£20.8 million per year) on the books at Manchester City. Nevertheless, he is wanted to fill one of San Diego’s three Designated Player slots and the Major League Soccer outfit lead in the race to secure his services despite strong admiration from Saudi Pro League clubs.

His compatriot Charles De Ketelaere has been earmarked as a potential replacement in the event of an emotional departure. Despite his exciting profile, the man he could succeed is someone there simply wouldn’t be a direct replacement for at the Etihad.

Nevertheless, there is a need for fresh blood at Manchester City, especially if they were to lose a player of De Bruyne’s calibre over the next few months.

Chelsea have experienced plenty of ups and downs over the past few years, which is expected after winning the Champions League in 2021.

The Blues have had the pleasure of witnessing some of the world's best players come through the doors at Stamford Bridge.

In recent times, however, the club have orchestrated some of their worst exchanges of the Premier League era, shelling out extortionate amounts of money on supposedly world-class talent.

While the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Kepa Arrizabalaga steal the headlines in that regard, the arrival of Tiemoue Bakayoko is firmly up there on the list of bad buys.

When did Chelsea sign Tiemoue Bakayoko?

Following the close of the 2016/17 Premier League season, Antonio Conte had just experienced the jubilation of winning England's top title and was provided with a war chest of funds to continue delivering success.

The Italian decided to splash the cash across the pitch, coming across some top talent but also failing to hit the sweet spot in equal measure.

The acquisitions of Olivier Giroud from Arsenal and Antonio Rudiger from Real Madrid represented the former of the two, having gone on to have prosperous careers in west London.

On the other hand, Conte's spending took a turn for the worse with the record £58m signing of Alvaro Morata, Italian right-back Davide Zappacosta, central midfielder Ross Barkley and defensive midfielder Bakayoko.

Bakayoko, who was snapped up from Monaco for £40m, was one of the talents who arrived with high hopes after becoming a crucial cog in Monaco's Ligue 1 title-winning campaign, alongside Fabinho, Bernardo Silva and Kylian Mbappe.

How much did Tiemoue Bakayoko cost Chelsea?

Chelsea have become accustomed to acquiring talents that are a drain on the club's resources and Bakayoko was no different.

Initially, it looked as though the Frenchman was going to form a strong partnership with the exceptional N'Golo Kante in the engine room, although it quickly became apparent that Bakayoko wasn't up to speed with the pace of the Premier League.

Instead of focusing on his responsibility on the pitch, he came out and made a bold claim about his French teammate in an attempt to deflect the attention away from his own poor performance.

In a bitter response about being left out of the French squad, he said: ‘I feel [Adrien] Rabiot, Kante, [Blaise] Matuidi, [Corentin] Tolisso are not better than me. I respect the coach’s decision and I also respect the players who were called up – they are talented, some are friends of mine."

Despite making an arrogant claim about Kante, in particular, Bakayoko failed to use that arrogance as fuel on the pitch, featuring 43 times in his debut season but only managing to muster up six goal contributions.

Remarkably, Bakayoko was on the books of Chelsea for six years till his departure this summer to Lorient and earned £110k-per-week, as per Spotrac.

As a result of the conditions of his multiple loan moves, it meant the Blues were fortunately very rarely ever paying him the full package throughout that half a dozen years, but when you consider the sole full year he was at the club, it was a transfer that cost around £46m, without bonuses taken into consideration. Such a deal means he abysmally cost £15m per goal and £8m for every yellow card.

The 6 foot 2 dud failed to ever made the grade in London and during his time at AC Milan in 2018, Bakayoko earned mixed reviews for his performances.

Whilst sections of the Italian media brandished him as a "disaster", his manager at the time, Grenaro Gattuso, remarkably likened him to former Chelsea star Marcel Desailly for the role he played in their comeback victory over Parma.

Gattuso said: "With my assistant we said he reminds us of [Marcel] Desailly, even if maybe Bakayoko is even more technical."

To describe Bakayoko as technically better than the Chelsea legend beggars belief considering how his career at Stamford Bridge unravelled into a nightmare.

Dani Alves will reportedly spend the weekend in jail after failing to come up with the €1 million bail sum amid an appeal over his rape conviction.

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• Alves to spend weekend in prison
• Failed to come up with €1m bail sum
• Awaits result of rape conviction appeal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Barcelona full-back was found guilty of sexual assault and sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison, before a Spanish court ruled the 40-year-old would be conditionally released after serving more than a year of his sentence. The ex-defender was granted bail on Wednesday but according to ESPN, after he failed to come up with the money (£858,055/$1.08m), he will remain behind bars for the time being.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The report adds that Neymar's father said neither he nor his son would help with Alves' bail. Neymar Sr confirmed he has helped the ex-Paris Saint-Germain man with money since his arrest but said that was before his sexual assault at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022 was confirmed. Alves reportedly hopes to have the money ready by Monday or Tuesday.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  ESPN state for Alves to be released, he has to hand over his Brazilian and Spanish passports, on top of posting bail, and he cannot leave Spain. Incidentally, the Barcelona resident cannot go within 1,000 metres of the victim, nor try to communicate with her, and he must make weekly check-ins at the courthouse.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The victim's lawyer, Ester Garcia, called the decision to grant Alves bail as a "scandalous" decision, saying it was "justice for the rich" – while confirming she will appeal the result. Alves will now await the result of an appeal to his rape conviction.

Liverpool have been in fine form this season and Jurgen Klopp will be delighted with the resurgence after last year's issues, with cautious optimism that a title charge can be mounted over the coming months.

The Premier League giants wiped away the stain of last season's sapped midfield and replaced the central ranks with some exciting additions, but there is work still to be done and Klopp appears to have his sights set on further improvements in the winter transfer window.

Liverpool transfer targets for January

As relayed by This Is Anfield, Fluminense midfielder Andre has hinted at a January transfer after being made to wait in the summer, claiming that his manager has promised he can leave after the Brasileiro Serie A season's culmination.

Andre confessed recently that he rejected Liverpool in the summer after promising his homeland outfit to fight for success in the Copa Libertadores, having reached the final against Boca Juniors, which will be played on November 4th.

Regardless, the Brasileiro Serie A season finishes in December and the Reds will then have the perfect opportunity to seal a swoop for an exciting talent.

Valued at £34m by his side, Liverpool have already demonstrated willingness to pay such sums to secure midfielders of prodigious potential, with Ryan Gravenberch joining from Bayern Munich for £34m in August, and Andre could now be next in line.

Andre's best qualities

Andre, aged 22, has played his entire career with Fluminense and has chalked up 160 appearances across all competitions, posting four goals and three assists, praised for his "combative" skill by reporter Neil Jones.

The two-cap Brazil international has been at the heart of his side's exploits this season and has been immense in the league, playing 24 matches, remarkably completing 95% of his passes, averaging 0.8 key passes from his deep-lying role and making two tackles and 7.8 ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore, also winning 62% of his ground duels.

As per FBref, the midfielder ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across divisions similar to the Brasileiro Serie A for pass completion and passes attempted, while also ranking among the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90, highlighting his immense ball-playing ability and robustness.

He is a tenacious, tough-tackling menace on the pitch and a "leader" within his squad, as was claimed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and he would be a brilliant addition to a Liverpool side lacking a starring specialist No. 6.

Fabinho was sold in the summer and Wataru Endo was brought in as a replacement, joining from Stuttgart for £16m, but he is not quite at the requisite level to star unwaveringly in the first team and Klopp will be eager to bring in a first-class addition.

Starting berth unlikely for eager Endo

Endo is swiftly becoming a bit of a cult hero on Merseyside, and if Klopp constructs a silver-laden crescendo to this rebuilding season then the Japan star could be etched into the club's lore in the same way that Divock Origi is heralded.

Only several days ago Endo deftly guided Trent Alexander-Arnold's curling delivery into Toulouse's goal in the Europa League to to reclaim the lead for the hosts after 30 minutes.

Speaking after the game, The Athletic's James Pearce wrote that he "kicks on impressively", acclimatising to life in such a high-octane and demanding system, but having yet to receive another start in the Premier League since his first, against Newcastle United.

It does seem that his opportunities in the top flight will be limited and restricted to scant moments of need when others have fallen to injuries and suspension, but he will at least play a prominent role across cup competitions.

That being said, with the possible arrival of Andre in January, Klopp could unearth a No. 6 worthy of a place in the biggest moments, and it would unfortunately hammer Endo down the pecking order.

Chances will come his way for the duration of his Anfield career, but the 30-year-old is not going to secure a regular starting berth in the crucial stages any time soon and Andre's arrival would illuminate this.