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The January transfer window has been officially open for business for a week and Celtic are yet to make their first signing of the month to bolster their squad.

It has been a terrific and almost faultless campaign for the Hoops to date, as they have only lost two games across all competitions and have already won a trophy.

The Scottish giants won the League Cup, beating Rangers on penalties at Hampden Park last month, and are on course to qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Celtic have, however, still been linked with players who could come in to bolster their options in the squad ahead of the second half of the season, as Brendan Rodgers looks to build the best team possible.

Burnley captain Josh Brownhill, Brondby centre-forward Mathias Kvistgaarden, and Norway U21 international Sondre Orjasaeter are just a few of the players to have been linked with a possible move to Parkhead in the January transfer window so far.

Another star who could be on his way to Glasgow this month is former Celtic star Kieran Tierney, who has found himself out of favour at Arsenal.

Why Kieran Tierney would be a good signing

It has been reported that the Hoops are hoping to sign the Scotland international on loan from the Gunners in January, before signing him on a permanent deal at the end of his contract with the Premier League giants in the summer.

Tierney has only made one appearance in all competitions for Arsenal so far this season and could revive his career by returning to the place where it all started, at Parkhead.

The Scottish left-back began his career with Celtic and was the first-choice in his position throughout Rodgers’ first spell with the club, between 2016 and 2019.

As you can see in the graphic above, Tierney racked up 170 appearances for the Hoops in all competitions and provided a fantastic threat from the left-back position, with 45 goal contributions in that time.

This suggests that the 27-year-old star could come in to provide a strong attacking presence down the left flank for the Hoops in the second half of the season, or in the 2025/26 campaign if they have to wait until the summer to land his services.

However, the elephant in the room is that Tierney has suffered from plenty of injury issues over the years. Since the start of the 2018/19 campaign, the full-back has missed at least 17 matches through injury every single season.

This means that bringing the experienced ace in could be a bit of a risk for Celtic as there is no guarantee that he will remain fit enough to be a regular starter.

With this in mind, there is another former Hoops star who could come in as an even bigger signing for the club this month, and that is Portuguese forward Jota.

Jota's current transfer situation

The exciting dynamo joined Rennes on a permanent switch from Al Ittihad in the summer transfer window and is already been touted with an exit from the Ligue 1 side.

Besiktas are reportedly preparing an offer to take the winger on loan until the end of the season to provide him with regular football in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.

Jota has only started three of his nine Ligue 1 appearances for Rennes this term so far, which shows that he has found game time hard to come by in France.

Whilst Celtic have not been directly linked with a move for the attacker, Ross McCormack recently said that there has been “talk” of Jota and Tierney both returning to Parkhead on the Open Goal podcast.

Whether or not a deal is viable for the Scottish Premiership champions or if Rodgers would want to sign the winger, who only played for Ange Postecoglou in Glasgow, remains to be seen, however.

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If there is a chance for Celtic to bring the talented forward back to Paradise, whether that is on loan or on a permanent basis, the club should push to get a deal over the line because he could be an even bigger signing than Tierney this month.

Why Celtic should sign Jota

The 25-year-old star is a winger who has proven his ability to provide goals and assists on a regular basis in Scottish football, having caught the eye in his two years with the club under Postecoglou.

Goals win games and the Portuguese whiz is a player who can consistently score and create goals for the Hoops to help them win games week-in-week-out. In fact, Joao Tralhao, who coached Jota at Benfica, once stated that the attacker took Celtic to “another level” and described him as a “truly amazing” talent.

In his first season with the Scottish giants, the talented gem racked up ten goals and ten assists in 25 starts for the club in the Premiership, which shows that he provided a huge threat at the top end of the pitch from a left wing position.

Jota followed that up with an even better return in front of goal in the 2022/23 Premiership campaign for Celtic, which earned him his big move to Al Ittihad in the summer of 2023.

Appearances

33

Goals

11

Assists

11

Big chances created

13

Key passes per game

1.9

As you can see in the table above, Jota contributed with a staggering 22 direct goal contributions in 33 appearances in the Scottish top-flight, taking his total to 32 goals and assists in two league seasons with the Hoops.

This suggests that he could return to Celtic to be a consistent match-winner for Rodgers if he can get back to his best, whereas Tierney would be a solid defensive option who could sometimes contribute at the top end of the pitch.

He has also only missed 24 matches through injury since the start of the 2019/20 campaign and this suggests that there is a greater chance that the forward would be available week-in-week-out in comparison to the Scottish left-back.

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ByDan Emery Jan 7, 2025

Therefore, Celtic could land an even bigger signing than Tierney by bringing Jota back to Parkhead, because he could be a huge threat in the final third and reliable from a fitness perspective.

The EFL Cup has always been the first major piece of silverware on offer during the English football campaign, and although it may play second fiddle to the FA Cup, it is still a competition teams are eager to win.

In recent years, the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool have dominated, but who has won the competition the most? We’ve taken a look at the clubs who have won the League Cup more than once since its inception in 1961.

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Club

Titles won

Liverpool

10

Manchester City

8

Manchester United

6

Chelsea

5

Aston Villa

5

Tottenham Hotspur

4

Nottingham Forest

4

Leicester City

3

Birmingham City

2

Arsenal

2

Norwich City

2

Wolves

2

12 Wolves 2 titles

Starting the countdown is Wolverhampton Wanderers, who won both League Cup finals they have played in. The first came in 1974 against Manchester City, defeating them 2-1 after a late winner from John Richards.

Six years later in 1980, the Old Gold were once again Wembley winners, this time against European champions Nottingham Forest, with Andy Gray scoring the winner against Brian Clough’s side.

11 Norwich City 2 titles

Norwich City have also won two League Cup titles, the first of which came in 1962 when the finals were played across two legs. The Canaries faced Rochdale and won 4-0 on aggregate.

Defeats in the 1973 and 1975 finals followed before winning their second League Cup in 1985, beating Sunderland 1-0 at Wembley thanks to a goal from Gordon Chisholm.

10 Arsenal 2 titles

Many may have expected Arsenal to have more than two League Cup titles to their name, and they could have if not for the six final defeats they have suffered in the competition.

Their two triumphs came in 1987 and 1993, both of which were 2-1 wins at Wembley over Liverpool and Sheffield Wednesday respectively. They last reached the final in 2018, losing 3-0 to Man City.

9 Birmingham City 2 titles

Almost 50 years passed between Birmingham City’s two League Cup wins, with the first coming in 1963 against rivals Aston Villa. The Blues ran out 3-1 winners across two legs, with the damage done in the first leg at St Andrew’s.

In 2011, Birmingham famously beat Arsenal after a dramatic late goal from substitute Obafemi Martins, who pounced on a mix-up between Gunners goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and defender Laurent Koscielny to steal the cup for the Blues.

8 Leicester City 3 titles

Leicester City are currently the only side to have three League Cup titles on their honours board, the first of which was won in 1964 against Stoke City.

In 1997, a replay was required for the Foxes to get the better of Middlesbrough at Hillsborough, with Steve Claridge netting an extra-time winner. Three years later in 2000, Leicester lifted the trophy again in what was the last final at the old Wembley, beating First Division side Tranmere Rovers 2-1 after a double from captain Matt Elliott.

7 Nottingham Forest 4 titles

Nottingham Forest have won four League Cups, with the Reds winning back-to-back titles on two separate occasions under Brian Clough.

The first League Cup double came in 1978 and 1979 around the time of their European glory, beating Liverpool 1-0 after a replay and Southampton 3-2. They repeated the trick in 1989 and 1990, defeating Luton Town and Oldham Athletic in Wembley finals.

6 Tottenham Hotspur 4 titles

Tottenham Hotspur have also lifted the League Cup on four occasions, beating Aston Villa 2-0 in 1971 and Norwich City 1-0 in 1973. More than 25 years passed before their next triumph in 1999 and their most recent major honour came back in 2008.

Since that win, Spurs have tasted League Cup final defeat on three occasions – to Manchester United in 2009, Chelsea in 2015 and Manchester City in 2021.

5 Aston Villa 5 titles

Aston Villa were the first-ever winners of the League Cup, overcoming a 2-0 defeat in the first leg of the 1961 final against Rotherham United to prevail 3-2 aggregate winners.

The Villans then defeated Norwich City 1-0 in 1975 and required two replays in 1977 to get the better of Everton. After no wins in the 1980s, Villa won two more League Cups in 1994 and 1996, defeating Manchester United and Leeds United at Wembley.

Villa have twice had the chance to secure a sixth title but lost in the 2010 and 2020 finals to Manchester United and Manchester City.

4 Chelsea 5 titles

The second team on five League Cup triumphs are Chelsea, who have suffered Wembley heartbreak on three occasions since 2019, two of which were penalty shootout defeats.

The Blues first ran out as winners of the competition back in 1965 against Leicester City and won it again in 1998 with a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough.

Since the turn of the millennium, Stamford Bridge has added three more League Cups to their trophy cabinet, defeating Liverpool in 2005 and Arsenal in 2007 at the Millennium Stadium before winning at Wembley again in 2015 against Spurs.

3 Manchester United 6 titles

Five of Manchester United’s six League Cup wins have come in the last 20 years, with their only triumph before then coming back in 1992 under Sir Alex Ferguson after a Brian McClair goal was the difference against Nottingham Forest.

The Red Devils and Ferguson then added three more League Cup titles between 2006 and 2010, defeating Wigan Athletic, Tottenham and Aston Villa.

Jose Mourinho won Man Utd’s fifth League Cup in 2017 before Erik ten Hag claimed the club’s sixth in 2023 against Newcastle United.

Whilst Brendan Rodgers’ side continue to push on, Premier League scouts have reportedly been keeping a close eye on one Celtic gem as part of a five-club chase for his signature.

Celtic transfer news

Sitting top of the Scottish Premiership once again, Celtic’s toughest tests often arrive in the form of Champions League clashes, and that was no different against Club Brugge. Following Cameron Carter-Vickers’ calamitous own goal, which will no doubt be shown for years to come, the responsibility fell the way of Daizen Maeda to equalise in superb fashion on the hour mark.

Escaping with a point, the Bhoys must now turn their attention back towards domestic action and perhaps even the January transfer window, given that we are now just over a month away from the winter window swinging open.

When that does arrive, Celtic’s first task may well be to keep hold of Nicolas Kuhn amid reported Premier League interest, before they look to do the same in the case of a future star.

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Daniel Cummings is now at the centre of a five-club chase after Premier League scouts were sent to watch as he scored the winning goal against Club Brugge in the UEFA Youth League.

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As things stand, the young goalscorer is out of contract in the summer and could leave the Scottish giants for a cross-border compensation of just €310,000 (£250,000). Attracting interest from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fulham, Ipswich Town, Sunderland and Burnley, Celtic face quite the battle to keep hold of the in-form Cummings, who is still just 18 years old and potentially ready for first-team minutes.

"Resilient" Cummings is not a player Celtic want to lose

With 22 goals in 20 games, it’s fair to say that Cummings is taring it up at youth level. If ever a player was on the brink of breaking into senior football, a case could be made that it’s the young Scotsman. Whether Celtic offer their young forward that chance remains to be seen, however, and with a number of clubs reportedly interested in his signature, Cummings may not wait around to find out.

Earning plenty of praise, the teenager was described as “skillful” and “resilient” by The Young Team, who scout Scotland’s next top talents. Amid such impressive form too, it’s difficult to argue with that description.

So, although some will be focused on the future of players such as Kuhn, Cummings is also one that Celtic should be desperate to keep hold of, given how he’s impressed in the current campaign.

Ruben Amorim received his first setback as Manchester United boss last night, losing 2-0 against Arsenal at the Emirates.

Goals from Jurrien Timber and William Saliba secured all three points for the hosts, putting an end to the Red Devils’ three-game unbeaten run under the new management.

However, the next couple of days will be where the 39-year-old earns his praise, needing an immediate reaction to prevent another loss under his guidance.

United host Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Saturday night, looking to claim another Premier League win to strengthen their top-four ambitions come the end of May.

It will be intriguing to see what starting lineup Amorim will utilise in the fixture, given his selection against Mikel Arteta’s side in North London last night.

Amorim’s squad selection against Arsenal

Squad rotation is always going to be on a manager’s mind, especially in 2024, given the bonkers fixture congestion that often looks clubs in the eye.

European football, along with various cup competitions and the Premier League, gives a challenge of balance to Amorim, but it’s something that may be required for success.

Let’s not forget that the 39-year-old is still getting to grips with his new squad after his appointment within the last few weeks, needing to evaluate his squad ahead of the January transfer window.

The former Portuguese international made six changes for the clash with Arsenal last night, handing recalls to the likes of Mason Mount, Tyrell Malacia and Rasmus Hojlund.

It may have come as a surprise dropping Joshua Zirkzee and Marcus Rashford after the pair both scored a double in the 4-0 win over Everton at the weekend.

It was a decision that came back to bite the United boss, failing to create any real clear-cut opportunities in the final third, only registering two shots on target during the entire match.

However, it was one other call that caught the eye, replicating the mistakes made by former boss Erik ten Hag during his own reign at Old Trafford.

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Expand Collapse Amorim repeated one of Ten Hag’s mistakes against Arsenal

Amad Diallo has been sensational under Amorim in recent matches, registering three assists in just two league matches since taking over at the end of last month.

However, the 39-year-old decided to drop the talented youngster, opting for a more pragmatic defensive approach, with Malacia coming into the side and Dalot switching to a more natural right-sided role.

Amad was brought on at the break, but in a wing-back role, rather than his more usual attacking position, unable to have a real positive impact within the final third.

The Ivorian only managed 21 touches in the entire second half and completed six passes – losing possession seven times and failing to register a single effort on goal – showcasing his lack of impact in attacking areas.

Amad Diallo’s stats for United against Arsenal

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

45

Touches

21

Passes completed

6/12 (50%)

Possession lost

7x

Shots taken

0

Fouls committed

1

Stats via SofaScore

However, with the Red Devils 2-0 down, Amorim turned to Brazilian winger Antony to potentially make a difference – a bold decision given his lack of tangible impact since his £86m transfer.

The 24-year-old has only scored 12 times in his 88 appearances in the North West, which has seen him fall down the pecking order in recent times.

Ten Hag’s persistence in utilising the former Ajax in forward areas undoubtedly contributed to his dismissal, opting to select him in front of Amad during his tenure in Manchester.

The new United boss simply can’t afford to fall for the same trap, with his lack of impact off the bench demonstrating he can’t be seen as a valuable option to provide the goods in 2024 and beyond.

Diallo’s recent record has shown that he’s more than capable of being a success – able to create opportunities for his teammates, which in turn increases their chances of claiming all three points.

Going forward, he can’t afford to use the Brazilian ahead of the Ivorian, otherwise he will struggle to match his ambitions of taking the club to the next level – potentially seeing him suffer the same fate as the Dutchman.

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Arsenal have received a fine more than three times higher than standard for surrounding Michael Oliver after he sent off Myles Lewis-Skelly at Wolves.

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Arsenal punished for surrounding Michael Oliver at WolvesFine is three times higher than standard Initial decision was overturnedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Arsenal have been fined £65,000 for their players' furious reaction to Oliver's decision to award Lewis-Skelly a red card for a foul on Matt Doherty, with nine of them remonstrating with the referee. The VAR Darren England upheld the decision, but the 18-year-old's ban was eventually overturned.

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The decision caused an uproar, with referee Oliver the victim of death threats to him and his family in the subsequent days. Though Lewis-Skelly's ban was withdrawn, Arsenal's on-field reaction has still landed the club in trouble and they admitted the charge of failing to ensure their players did not behave in an improper manner at Molineux.

WHAT THE FA SAID

Journalist James Benge posted that the fine was over three times higher than is usual for this type of case, with the FA justifying their decision by referring to "previous proven charges on its disciplinary record", "the very high number of players involved", "the unacceptable protracted time the incident took to unfold" and "the relatively forceful nature of the protestations".

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arsenal remain in the hunt for their first Premier League title in 21 years, sitting seven points behind leaders Liverpool with 13 matches to play. They are also in the last 16 of the Champions League, with youngster Lewis-Skelly playing a major part.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has smashed a Premier League record for Liverpool that was previously held by legendary Reds captain Steven Gerrard.

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Flying bull-back made his Reds debut in 2016Contract at Anfield running down towards free agencyScrubbed entry from ex-captain in history booksFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Merseyside native Gerrard stepped out of the Anfield academy system to take in 710 appearances for the club over 17 seasons. Having made his debut as a starry-eyed 18-year-old, it comes to no surprise to find that he was the youngest player to reach 250 top-flight outings for Liverpool.

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Gerrard achieved that feat at the age of 26 years and 200 days. It was always going to take something special to erase that entry from the history books, but Alexander-Arnold has eclipsed the efforts of his fellow home-grown star.

DID YOU KNOW?

At the age of 26 years and 132 days, buccaneering right-back Alexander-Arnold took in his 250th Premier League appearance for Liverpool when making their starting XI for a home date with Wolves. His first came against Middlesbrough on December 14, 2016.

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WHAT NEXT?

Alexander-Arnold is closing in on 350 total appearances for Liverpool, but he may not have many more left in him. That is because his contract continues to run down, with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid as a free agent continuing to be speculated on.

Sheffield Wednesday are believed to be in talks with a “very interesting” player over signing a new deal at the club, according to a new update from reliable journalist Joe Crann.

Sheffield Wednesday find form after poor run

It has been an up-and-down start to the season for the Owls, who started the campaign on fire with a 4-0 win at home to Plymouth Argyle, only to go on an alarming poor run of form that suggested another relegation battle could be on the cards in 2024/25.

Thankfully, Wednesday have turned things around in recent weeks, winning 3-2 at home to West Brom, who were top of the Championship table at the time, and they have only lost one of their last six outings in the league, winning three of them.

Next up for Danny Rohl’s side is a home clash with Watford on Saturday afternoon, as the Owls look to improve on their current 13th-place position and edge closer to the playoff positions.

Wednesday aren’t without injury problems heading into the game, with Akin Famewo a long-term absentee, but they are still primed to pick up another good result, showing that they are more likely to be promotion candidates than relegation fodder.

Sheffield Wednesday ace in talks over new deal

According to the reliable Crann on X, Sheffield Wednesday are in talks with youngster Sean Fusire over signing a contract extension at Hillsborough: “Understand that SWFC are currently in contract talks with promising midfielder, Sean Fusire, as they look to try and make sure he doesn’t reach the end of his deal – that expires in June.”

Fusire may not be a fixture in the Owls’ team by any means, not yet featuring for a minute of Championship action this season, but tying down talented young players to new deals can be as important as bringing in more high-profile signings.

The 19-year-old has six first-team appearances to his name for Wednesday to date, while Rohl has praised him in the past, saying: “I think we have two players from the academy, Rio [Shipston] and Sean [Fusire]. I think Sean impressed in the last two weeks.

“Good skills. Could be very interesting to see him in the six or eight. Against Salzburg, we tried to play him as a winger, but against Brighton he played as a 6/8 and it was good to see.”

It won’t be easy for Fusire to become a key man, considering the midfield quality that the Owls possess, not least the continually impressive Barry Bannan, but the fact that the club seem keen to tie him down to an extension suggests that they expect plenty from him in the future.

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Eventually, a successor to Bannan will need to be found, and fresh blood will generally need to be added to Rohl’s team, and it could be that the Championship outfit see their teenage ace as a big player in the middle of the park moving forward.

Leeds United went into the international break off the back of a 2-2 draw with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in their ninth Championship game of the season.

The Whites, who host Sheffield United at Elland Road in their return to action on Friday night, were denied of two points in the 97th minute after a howler from Illan Meslier.

They had taken the lead earlier in the match, thanks to goals from Joel Piroe and Junior Firpo, after the hosts had gone in front through Chris Rigg.

It was Piroe’s fourth goal of the season for the West Yorkshire outfit, making him the team’s top scorer so far, but there is one former Leeds player who has outscored him this season – Rafa Mujica.

Rafa Mujica's form this season

The Spaniard currently plays for Al-Sadd in Qatar and has enjoyed a phenomenal start to the season with his new club, having joined them from Arouca in the summer transfer window.

Mujica, formerly of Leeds, has produced five goals and three assists in six appearances in the Stars League so far this term, which is more than one goal contribution every game on average.

Appearances

6

9

Sofascore rating

7.43

6.84

Goals

5

4

Pass accuracy

81%

68%

Duels won per game

2.5

1.1

As you can see in the table above, he has outscored Piroe and been more reliable in duels and with the ball at his feet, despite playing fewer matches at league level.

Leeds will surely rue selling the young striker to Las Palmas in the summer of 2021, as his career has gone from strength to strength since his exit from Elland Road.

Rafa Mujica's soaring market value

Mujica joined the Whites from Barcelona B in the summer of 2019 but he did not make a single appearance for the English side, heading out on various loans, before they decided to part ways with him two years later – with his Transfermarkt value sitting at €300k (£251k) at the time.

After one season with Las Palmas, Portuguese side Arouca swooped to sign the striker, who was hailed as “magnificent” by former boss Pepe Mel, ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and the centre-forward flourished in Liga Portugal.

The 25-year-old star fired in 14 goals in 32 appearances during his debut season with the club, before a staggering return of 23 goals and four assists in 34 outings during his second campaign.

His exceptional form last season attracted attention from Al-Sadd and the Stars League outfit swooped in to secure his services for a reported fee of €10m (£8.4m).

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That means that his value soared from just £251k to a whopping £8.4m within the space of three years, thanks to his superb goalscoring exploits in Portugal.

Now, Mujica continues to shine in front of goal in Qatar and is currently outperforming Piroe, and therefore every other Leeds player, as a goalscorer this term.

This is why Leeds will surely rue their decision to move him from Elland Road before they gave him a chance to showcase his talent for their first-team.

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The Whites star’s confidence will surely be boosted by his efforts for Spain.

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IPL COO Hemang Amin has informed franchises that players who had been replaced in the tournament’s first leg can be brought back

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Aug-2021

Whether Delhi Capitals will reinstate Shreyas Iyer as the team captain remains to be seen•BCCI

Shreyas Iyer and T Natarajan are fit for action again, and are eligible for a return for the remainder of IPL 2021 as the BCCI has allowed franchises to bring back players they had lost because of injuries – or had replaced for personal reasons – in the first part of the competition.Earlier this week, the IPL’s chief operating officer Hemang Amin had told the franchises that the deadline for submitting the list of replacement players would be August 20: “If in case any player who was injured or unavailable during the India leg of IPL 2021 and is now fit or available then the franchise which had taken a replacement player [due to] such previous unavailability, will need to elect [either] one of them.”Amin has explained that the players who had been brought in as replacements but were not going to be retained for the second leg would be put into the IPL’s registered pool of players. But if the original player is released, then he will not be part of the registered pool.Related

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Iyer, the designated Delhi Capitals captain, was ruled out of the IPL, which started in April, after he dislocated a shoulder in March while fielding during the ODI series against England in Pune. Rishabh Pant took over the captaincy following the update. But Iyer has since been passed fit to play, and it is understood that Iyer, along with Capitals’ assistant coach Pravin Amre and trainer Rajnikanth Sivagnanam, arrived in Dubai on Saturday and will join the rest of the contingent next weekend after serving the mandatory week-long quarantine. Capitals are yet to announce whether Iyer will take the leadership duties back from Pant.Under Iyer, Capitals made the IPL playoffs in 2019 and in 2020, finishing runners-up the last time. This season, too, they have started well, leading the points table with six wins and two losses in eight matches.As for Natarajan, his return should come as a shot in the arm for Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are currently bottom of the table with just one win in seven matches this season. Natarajan had been hampered by a sore knee and was forced to abort the IPL in late April and undergo surgery subsequently.Several players, including the Australian trio of Mitchell Marsh, Josh Hazlewood and Josh Philippe, had skipped the IPL this year to manage their workloads, as well as deal with the stress of living in bio-bubbles because of the Covid-19 pandemic.The second half of the IPL – of 31 matches – will be played in the UAE between September 19 and October 15.List of replacements during the India leg of the 2021 IPL
Kolkata Knight Riders: Gurkeerat Singh replaced Rinku SinghChennai Super Kings: Jason Behrendorff replaced Josh HazlewoodSunrisers Hyderabad: Jason Roy replaced Mitchell MarshRajasthan Royals: Gerald Coetzee replaced Liam LivingstoneRoyal Challengers Bangalore: Scott Kuggeleijn replaced Kane Richardson, Finn Allen replaced Josh PhillipeDelhi Capitals: Anirudh Joshi replaced Shreyas Iyer

Ipswich Town are seemingly hard at work behind the scenes extending contracts to some of their promotion heroes.

Ipswich Town searching for first Premier League win

Kieran McKenna and those at Portman Road were extremely productive during the summer transfer window, bringing in 12 new players after winning promotion to the Premier League.

Ipswich Town’s new signings summer 2024

Player

Fee (as per Transfermarkt)

Omari Hutchinson

€23.5m

Jacob Greaves

€21.5m

Liam Delap

€17.85m

Jack Clarke

€17.7m

Dara O’Shea

€14.2m

Sammie Szmodics

€10.6m

Arijanet Muric

€9.55m

Chiedoze Ogbene

€9.5m

Conor Townsend

€590k

Jens Cajuste

Loan

Kalvin Phillips

Loan

Ben Johnson

Free

However, the club are still awaiting their first victory back in the top flight, losing two and drawing two of their opening four fixtures. There have been promising signs and McKenna will be hoping that Ipswich’s first league win is just around the corner, with an away trip to Southampton and home clash against Aston Villa the remaining games for September.

However, away from the pitch, the club have secured new deals for winger Wes Burns and goalkeeper Christian Walton, who recently joined Sam Morsy in extending their Portman Road stays. Now, they could be joined by some more promotion heroes.

McKenna shares exciting Ipswich Town contract update

Stuart Watson, chief writer for The East Anglian Daily Times, relayed some exciting comments from McKenna in recent days regarding talks over more new contracts. The Tractor Boys boss said he thinks “conversations” are ongoing when it comes to more players signing new deals, reflecting on deals for Burns and Walton in the process.

“It’s very important we keep a good core of players who have been a really, really important part of the journey over the last couple of years. As we grow and develop now as a football club, and as we bring new players in, those players who have been part of the journey are going to help with integration both on and off the pitch.

“These players have been a big part of the culture that has been built at the training ground. Christian, in his role in the goalkeeper department, is very much an example of that. Wes has produced performances that we hoped for and expected in the Premier League – he had a really good start against Liverpool – and also he is a positive and popular character around the training ground. Both have important roles to play.

“We want to keep that balance this season of players who have been with us and having new players we think can help us and add to us. I think where we’ve ended up at the end of the transfer window is a good balance and pretty much where we wanted to be.

“Getting that blend right is how we want to build and develop the squad. Those two boys signing contracts is a pretty good sign of the model that we want to follow. I think there are conversations ongoing with some others in terms of them receiving and committing to new contracts.”

Related Ipswich Town now eyeing move to sign "fantastic" £200k-p/w ace for McKenna

It would be another statement addition for the newly-promoted side.

Posts 1 ByBen Browning Sep 16, 2024

Some of the promotion heroes who the club could be speaking to are Leif Davis, Luke Woolfenden, Axel Tuanzebe and Cameron Burgess, who are all out of contract at the end of the campaign, although Ipswich have an option to extend Davis’ by a further 12 months.