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Croatian journalist Izak Ante Sucic has provided an update on Celtic’s pursuit of right-back Josip Juranovic.

The Lowdown: ‘One step away’

The Hoops have been linked with the Legia Warsaw full-back for a number of weeks now, with a move for Aurelio Buta now looking unlikely due to Royal Antwerp’s demands.

Sucic claimed on Wednesday morning that a move to Parkhead for Juranovic was ‘one step away’ following Warsaw’s Champions League qualifying defeat, with a fee thought to be in the region of €3m.

He’s now provided an update on the situation after being quizzed by a Celtic fan.

The Latest: Juranovic update

Sucic responded to a Hoops supporter on Twitter who asked if a move for Juranovic was a ‘done deal’.

He replied, revealing a transfer still isn’t over the line, however, there was positive news with the journalist saying ‘everything seems to be just fine’.

“Juranovic is still not done deal, work in progress. Right now, everything seems to be just fine. We’ll have to wait and see.”

The Verdict: Couto or Juranovic?

Ange Postecoglou admitted on Thursday he is still on the hunt for new signings at Celtic Park, with a right-back thought to be on his list.

Manchester City right-back Yan Couto was apparently at Parkhead for the Europa League qualifier against Jablonec, so it could be a case of one or the other.

Couto has been linked with a season-long loan move, whereas links to Juranovic have touted permanent transfer fees, so it’ll be interesting to see who the club decide to pursue more.

In other news: Celtic ace’s representatives ‘mightily unimpressed’ with Hoops; now ‘on his way’ out of Parkhead. 

A new name has emerged in Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of a new creative influence…

What’s the word?

According to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna, the North London side have made contact with Bordeaux over a potential move for attacking midfielder Yacine Adli.

Back in May, AC Milan submitted a €12m (£10m) bid for the 21-year-old but the Ligue 1 outfit are seeking more money.

It’s thought that arch-rivals Arsenal, as well as French champions Lille, are also interested in signing Adli before this month’s transfer deadline, which is merely three weeks away.

Ndombele replacement

It’s no wonder Fabio Paratici and Nuno Santo’s next priority following the arrival of Cristian Romero is adding some much-needed creativity to midfield as they relied too heavily on the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son last season.

Indeed, the lethal frontline duo topped the charts for goals, assists and key passes per game. Son and Kane scored 40 of their 68 league goals, whilst no other player still remaining at the club managed to create more than 0.9 key chances each outing, via WhoScored.

It was right-back Serge Aurier who ranked behind the pair. Not Giovani Lo Celso (0.8). Not Dele Alli (0.6). Not even Tanguy Ndombele (0.4).

You’d imagine a move for Adli would seriously hinder the prospects of one of the trio, perhaps the latter after a new bombshell was dropped on his future this week.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-team-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, gossip and much more!”]

The Frenchman has not featured under Nuno throughout pre-season and, as revealed by The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare, he’s not injured. It’s been a selection-related issue and as a result, he is now considering his future in North London.

Considering he cost a club-record £55m fee, Ndombele has been quite a disappointment. There have been glimpses of his gifted technical ability but it has been far and few between for someone so expensive and as such, it’s not a huge shock that he could be looking for a move away.

Adli would be an interesting successor.

He enjoyed a breakthrough year in Ligue 1 last term, recording two goals and five assists in 25 starts for Bordeaux, where he ranked first for creativity, averaging 1.5 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

That was ahead of ex-Newcastle maestro Hatem Ben Arfa and is a return that would’ve seen him rank second in the Spurs squad last season.

It’s no wonder Adli has been dubbed a “great talent” and compared as a “similar” type of player to former Spurs playmaker Christian Eriksen by football scout Jacek Kulig, so if the North Londoners want someone to pull the strings in the no.10 role, then the 21-year-old is surely a very viable candidate.

Meanwhile, Arsenal legend Robert Pires is a keen admirer too. “He’s a talented player. I know him,” he said, via Tribal Football. “He has very good quality, he’s very fast with the ball.”

Valued at €15m (£12m) by CIES Football Observatory, Adli could be a very cost-effective and low-risk successor to Ndombele, who has flattered to deceive throughout his Spurs career.

Paratici must look to sanction a move for the Bordeaux gem before the end of the month.

AND in other news, Paratici must now ruthlessly axe Spurs’ £18m-rated “liability”, he’s a “huge problem”…

Leeds United are in advanced talks with Celtic for defender Leo Hjelde, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Hjelde’s Celtic career

The Hoops brought Hjelde to Parkhead back in 2019 from Rosenborg on a three-year deal.

Now 17 years of age, the centre-back, who can also play at left-back, is into the final 12 months of his Celtic contract.

Hjelde joined Ross County on loan in January and made 12 senior appearances for the club, with the Norwegian still waiting for his senior Hoops debut.

The teenager featured under Ange Postecoglou on Saturday against West Ham, coming on in the second half, but it seems as if his days in Glasgow are numbered.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-10/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider, who were informed by a Leeds source, ran a story on Hjelde on Saturday morning.

They claimed that the Whites are in advanced talks to sign Hjelde, with discussions progressing well.

Hjelde has been offered a Leeds contract and is ‘very keen’ to make the move to Elland Road.

The Verdict: A big blow

Celtic appear to be building for the future with four of their summer signings under the age of 21 in Liam Shaw, Joey Dawson, Osaze Urhoghide and Liel Abada, so losing Hjelde to Leeds could be a big blow going forward.

The Hoops may have seen Hjelde as a key part of their future, with former Ross County manager John Hughes tipping the teenager to become the next Virgil van Dijk.

It seems as if they may have to plan for their future without Hjelde, though, going off the latest reports.

In other news: Celtic now offered fee more than Dembele’s for Edouard. 

Shoaib Akhtar, who this week was issued an ultimatum by the PCB, has now been included in a preliminary 20-man squad for next month’s Canada Cup Four Nation Twenty20 tournament

Cricinfo staff18-Sep-2008
Shoaib Akhtar has been included in a provisional Twenty20 squad for the four-nation series in Canada © AFP
Shoaib Akhtar, who was issued an ultimatum by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has now been included in a preliminary 20-man squad for next month’s Canada Cup Four Nation Twenty20 tournament. It was earlier reported that Shoaib would not be eligible to play in Canada after he was left out of Islamabad’s squad for the upcoming National Twenty20 tournament, but the , a local daily, said the selectors have included his name for Canadian visa purposes.”The fine is purely a legal matter which is being sorted out,” PCB’s chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi told PTI. “But we want Shoaib to play in the Twenty20 championship so that the selectors can judge his form and fitness.”The PCB also sought advice from the Lahore High Court on whether it can allow Shoaib to return to competitive cricket even if he delays paying the outstanding fine, but his lawyers have reportedly assured the board that the issue will be resolved soon. Bilal Minto, Shoaib’s lawyer, said: “There is no problem with paying the fine but we feel that since the case is in court we can wait for the court to reach a decision and than if it says pay the fine we will pay it. It is not a real issue.”The squad is expected to be trimmed to 15 for the Toronto series, which runs from October 10-13. Pakistan will leave for Canada on October 8.Meanwhile Shoaib Malik, Pakistan’s captain, said he and his team-mates were keen to play international cricket given the drought in the country. “We haven’t played any competitive cricket in the last several weeks and are itching to get back into action. The National Twenty20 Cup will provide us an excellent opportunity to regain our form and rhythm before the four-nation event. Twenty20 is a very unpredictable format and you can’t take any opposition for granted.”Pakistan’s last international series was the Asia Cup at home earlier this summer. They were supposed to host the ICC Champions Trophy in September but the tournament was postponed due to security concerns.

Lee Carseldine is in line for his first first-class appearance in five years after Queensland reacted strongly to last week’s three-day loss to Victoria. The Bulls have added four men to their Sheffield Shield squad to take on Western Australia in Perth s

Cricinfo staff27-Oct-2008
Clinton Perren could be included for his first Sheffield Shield match of the season © Getty Images
Lee Carseldine is in line for his first first-class appearance in five years after Queensland reacted strongly to last week’s three-day loss to Victoria. The Bulls have added four men to their Sheffield Shield squad to take on Western Australia in Perth starting on Friday.Clinton Perren has been named for his first Sheffield Shield game of the season after making a solid start to the one-day campaign. Ben Laughlin, the fast bowler, and the clean-striking batsman Nathan Reardon have also been rewarded for their strong limited-overs form.The promotion of the batsman Carseldine, 32, would complete a remarkable comeback after his career appeared to be over due to a serious back injury that resulted in him having a titanium disc inserted in his spine. Carseldine made his return to the FR Cup last season and having posted his first one-day century earlier this month, he is a chance to replace Martin Love in the four-day team.Love will miss the match with a groin injury and there are also doubts over the fitness of the allrounder Ashley Noffke, who did not play the Bulls’ FR Cup game on Sunday due to back soreness. Noffke has been named in the 13-man squad and will travel with the team to Perth but a decision on his fitness will not be made until shortly before the game.Grant Sullivan, the fast bowler, was unavailable so he could be at home for the birth of his first child. The legspinner Daniel Doran was omitted as Queensland continued their trend of giving him limited opportunities to bowl.Shane Warne said earlier this year he was frustrated at the way state captains in Australia, particularly in Queensland, handled their slow men. Chris Simpson, an offspinning allrounder, has taken the reins of the Bulls this summer but little has changed after Doran batted at No. 11 and did not bowl at all in the season opener before he was given only ten overs as the sixth bowler in last week’s match.Squad Ryan Broad, James Hopes, Clinton Perren, Andrew Symonds, Greg Moller, Lee Carseldine, Chris Simpson (capt), Nathan Reardon, Ashley Noffke, Chris Hartley (wk), Ryan Harris, Chris Swan, Ben Laughlin.

Paul Collingwood is relieved to be named in England’s squad of 13 for the Edgbaston Test, but he wants to return to the XI

Cricinfo staff28-Jul-2008
Paul Collingwood: “I don’t know if I’m competing with Steve Harmison for a place but I’m as delighted for him that he’s back as I am for myself” © Getty Images
Paul Collingwood is relieved to be named in England’s squad of 13 for the Edgbaston Test, but he wants to return to the XI after being dropped to make way for Andrew Flintoff. A run of poor scores and Flintoff’s return to full fitness hurried Collingwood’s exit in Headingley, one he reckons as the worst moment of his career.”I worried about what this meant for me when I was left out of Headingley and it was without doubt the biggest disappointment of my career,” Collingwood told the . “The only thing that comes close to it was when I was left out of the second Test in Pakistan [in 2005] and I worried whether I would ever make it as a Test player. Thankfully, then I got back in when Straussy [Andrew Strauss] went home for the birth of his child and now I’ve got the chance to get back straight away now.”Collingwood’s Test sack came less than a month after he was banned for four limited-overs matches. He was penalised after England failed to bowl their overs in the required time, but he drew more flak for the controversial run-out of Grant Elliott. Collingwood chose to not withdraw an appeal after Elliott failed to make his crease after colliding with Ryan Sidebottom.”It’s nice to be involved immediately again but my priority now is to make the final XI,” he said. “After all that’s happened this year I just want to get things back on track now. It’s been a very difficult season for me but hopefully it will be a season of two halves and the better half starts now.”I just want this to be the spark, the catalyst, whatever word you want to choose, to get me going again. It’s been the worse year of my career but once you have got over the hurt you look at it and realise that hope is just around the corner.”I think you could see from my face when I was told I was out what it meant to me but to be honest I’m glad I was so hurt because it proved to me that I still have the passion and want to play for England as much as ever. I’d been in the team for 30-odd Tests and it was hard to get my head round that I wasn’t in the team any more. “Collingwood returned to county duties with Durham since his England omission, and scored a quickfire 78, including six sixes, in their Pro40 win over Middlesex. However, he failed to take his side past eventual champions Middlesex in the Twenty20 Cup semi-final on Saturday. His Durham team-mate, Steve Harmison, also earned a recall to the England squad, and both might be competing for a place depending on the combination England choose to adopt: either six batsman or five bowlers.”I don’t know if I’m competing with Steve Harmison for a place but I’m as delighted for him that he’s back as I am for myself,” he said. “The key thing for Harmy is that he’s as hungry as ever to play for England, the ambition is really there after all he’s been through.”He could have settled for a quieter life with Durham, but he really wants to play for England, like me, and every time I have been back to Durham people have said to me ‘you wouldn’t believe how fast Harmy is bowling’,” Collingwood said. “I think he’s benefited from a break but I hope my break is restricted to one game and I’m back in the team for Wednesday.”Harmison himself is eager to get back into the Test fold. “I’m not naïve – I know if I play the spotlight will be on me. I know people will be watching my every move and waiting with bated breath when I run up to bowl my first ball,” Harmison said. “I know that it is going to be tough and I know that I am going to be nervous. I know that after what happened at Headingley last week, the pressure will be on England and on me and the level of expectation will be high. And I know I have a point to prove, that I can still bowl at the highest level and take wickets for my country against a fine batting side.”But I would rather be going to Edgbaston, putting myself to the test and dealing with all those issues, than not. I’d rather be playing in front of 20,000 than 2000 at Trent Bridge. With all due respect to my Durham team-mates, I’d rather be playing for England.”Harmison was left out of England’s Test XI after an lacklustre effort in Hamilton, and has been ignored for subsequent Tests. He forced his way back with 40 wickets at 23.10 in the County Championship this season.Geoff Miller, England’s national selector, was impressed with Harmison’s domestic performances. “People are now saying he is in a better place than he was, and he now looks like the bowler he was a couple of years ago when he was striking fear into opposition batsmen,” Miller told the Miller also shut out talk of the return being premature. “There’s no risk at all. We wouldn’t have put him in if we thought there was a risk,” he said. “We talk to all the players regularly and I have watched him bowl this year and talked to him myself.”

Liverpool have been linked with Villarreal winger Samu Chukwueze as Jurgen Klopp looks to strengthen his attacking options ahead of the upcoming campaign.

What’s the story?

The Reds are reportedly among several Premier League sides lining up a move for the highly-rated 22-year-old, according to Spanish publication La Razon.

However, the report claims that Chukwueze’s release clause of €80 million (£69m) is said to be a stumbling block for the English teams, although Everton are thought to be showing the most interest.

Bye-Bye Shaqiri

Klopp’s charges suffered a hugely disappointing 2020/21 campaign marred by a severe injury crisis at centre-back. However, Liverpool’s struggling forward line also contributed to their below-par performances.

While Mohamed Salah continued to put the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino fell victim to a significant drop-off in form.

The normally dependable duo were well below their best throughout last term, and their backups, Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri failed to adequately replace them when called upon.

Adding extra strength in depth across the front three is thought to be high up on Klopp’s priority list this summer, and adding Chukwueze to the Anfield outfit’s ranks would provide a significant boost to the German tactician’s ranks.

Although the Nigeria international’s statistics leave room for improvement, having bagged just 17 goals and provided only 17 assists in 119 appearances for Villarreal, his overall performances have been impressive.

Former Barcelona and Chelsea striker Samuel Eto’o has previously lauded the youngster after being impressed by the pacey forward’s potential.

“He is an incredible player who is growing in leaps and bounds,” said Eto’o, adding that improving his end product is Chukwueze’s next challenge.

“He is a quality player, and he needs to score more goals, but he has the quality and ability to be more than just a goal-scoring forward. Once he gets all of that he will be top.”

With Shaqiri heavily linked with an imminent exit, Chukwueze could be the ideal replacement, and director of football Michael Edwards must sanction a swoop over the coming months.

While his £69m buyout clause could prove to be a significant stumbling block, Edwards is a notoriously tough negotiator, and picking him up for a discounted price would be a very good piece of business.

And, in other news…Time’s up: Klopp must ruthlessly axe £10m LFC flop this summer, he’s not good enough 

Dale Steyn capped off a great season in Test cricket by sweeping all the major honours at the South Africa Cricket Awards

Cricinfo staff18-Jun-2008
Dale Steyn was named South Africa’s Cricketer of the Year © Getty Images
Dale Steyn capped off a great season in Test cricket by sweeping all the major honours at the South Africa Cricket Awards on Tuesday night.Steyn won all the four awards he was nominated for which included SA Cricketer of the Year, Test Player of the Year, SA Players’ Player of the Year and the SuperSport Fans’ Cricketer of the Year.Graeme Smith, the South African captain, was named One-Day Cricketer of the Year, while allrounder Albie Morkel, who had a successful IPL season with the Chennai Super Kings, bagged the International Pro20 Cricketer of the Year award. Cri-Zelda Brits, the South African women’s captain who is set to lead her side to a tour of England in July, was named Women’s Player of the Year.Steyn played 12 Tests last season, with only five of them at home, and picked up 78 wickets at 16.24. He got two ten-wicket match hauls in consecutive Tests against New Zealand and rounded off the season with 15 wickets in three Tests in India.In his four previous seasons Steyn picked up only 42 wickets from 11 Tests but that was because he spent long periods out of the side with injury. Among South Africa’s other fast bowlers, Makhaya Ntini is second behind Steyn in the wicket-taking list with 30, while Jacques Kallis has seven – from 12 Tests each.There were six different individual winners in the domestic category with Cape Cobras’ Charl Langeveldt named Standard Bank Pro20 Cricketer of the Year and Monde Zondeki, the SuperSport Series Cricketer of the Year.Johann Louw, the Dolphins’ medium-pacer, won the most- valuable-player award after his superb performances with the ball in all three competitions. It was 29-year-old Louw’s best season in South Africa, in which he took 41 wickets at 18.31 in the SuperSport Series, 24 wickets at 14.62 in the MTN Domestic Championship and 12 wickets at 15.16 in the Standard Bank Pro20 competition.Wayne Parnell was named the Under-19 Player of the Year after he led the side to the World Cup final in Malaysia in February.

West Brom have reportedly agreed new contracts with Owen Windsor, Toby King and Zak Delaney, according to The Express and Star’s Joseph Masi. 

What’s the story?

West Brom would have been facing a nervy couple of months, as they looked to tie down some of their younger players to new contracts ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Windsor, King and Delaney have all played their part for the club’s academy teams in recent seasons, and it appears as though they’ve made a good impression on key members of staff at the Hawthorns.

All of the players were out of contract at the end of the 2020/21 season, and the club have now reportedly agreed new deals with the trio, and it’ll be interesting to see what the future has in store for them in the coming months.

It will have been a no-brainer for the Baggies

It’ll be pleasing to see for West Brom’s supporters to see them tie down some of their upcoming talents to new contracts, as they could potentially have an important role to play with the senior side in the near future.

The Baggies endured a frustrating league campaign last term, as they were relegated from the Premier League, whilst under the management of Sam Allardyce.

But West Brom will fancy their chances of winning promotion back into the top-flight at the first time of asking, under the watchful eye of newly-appointed boss Valerien Ismael, who opted to leave Barnsley in favour of a move to the Hawthorns this summer.

In previous seasons, we saw some of West Brom’s promising young talents given a chance to feature in the senior squad, with the likes of Jonathan Leko and Rekeem Harper being just some of those to play a part for the club over the years.

With Ismael showing that he’s willing to give younger players a chance whilst at Barnsley, you’d be foolish to rule out the newly-appointed West Brom boss doing exactly the same whilst with the Baggies this term.

Even if they’re not to be a regular starters this season, King, Delaney and Windsor will all fancy their chances of forcing their way into Ismael’s plans in the coming months, and it will have been a no-brainer for West Brom to offer the trio new deals this summer.

It’s exactly why fans will be buzzing with Masi’s latest news.

Some Manchester City fans are far from happy with comments from Raheem Sterling on his struggles at the Etihad Stadium.

The 26-year-old is currently away on international duty with England at Euro 2020 and he has been one of the players of the tournament. As the Three Lions have progressed to the semi-finals, the winger has scored three goals and provided one assist (uefa.com) as he has kept the trust of manager Gareth Southgate.

His form at City was not fantastic last term – he received criticism from some supporters and, although he  scored 14 goals and provided 12 assists (Transfermarkt), he failed to match his showings from previous seasons.

Speaking to ITV prior to England’s quarter-final clash with Ukraine last night, the £81m-valued Sterling (Transfermarkt) said that a lot of people do not understand what goes on behind closed doors when discussing City.

He remarked: “I’ve been performing for Man City for the last three/four seasons, putting in great numbers, winning loads of trophies. A lot of people don’t understand what goes on behind closed doors, there’s a lot more to football than just a matchday.”

The comments were shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and they attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on what Sterling had to say.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the comments from Sterling

“Time to sell.”

Credit: @MajunAtlas

“Leave”

Credit: @Taguero_10

“You’re making things worse -_-“

Credit: @MohammedMezough

“Cheers son’s crying”

Credit: @ZinnySZN

“How dare he says that!!Sell him!!!”

Credit: @tymcfcV2

“Stop missing easy chances and a lot of people will understand”

Credit: @Gabi9Goal

In other news, these Man City fans were also angry with Kevin de Bruyne’s comments.