Jurgen Klopp could be plotting a bid for Carlos Soler as he aims to strengthen his Liverpool squad ahead of next season.
What’s the word?
According to Spanish newspaper Sport (via Sport Witness), the Reds are among the clubs linked with the 25-year-old as they join Barcelona in the chase for the midfielder.
It was claimed earlier this week that the Catalan giants had reached an agreement to sign Soler, which was quickly rejected by Valencia, and his future destination is yet unknown.
The report by Sport has claimed that Soler is upset with his manager Jose Bordalas, and this could be good news for Klopp.
Klopp could find a new Thiago in Soler
With Klopp always aiming to strengthen his squad, regardless of whether or not players are at the peak of their powers, it makes sense to find young hungry talents who want to make a name for themselves in England.
Soler’s market value is currently £45m, but with his contract expiring at the end of next season, Liverpool could grab themselves a “bargain” signing which will only bolster the squad.
The 25-year-old could well be Klopp’s new Thiago, with the two Spaniards displaying similar characteristics. Both play predominantly in the centre of midfield, although Soler appears to be more of a goalscoring threat than Thiago, scoring 11 goals this season compared to just one for the 30-year-old Reds maestro.
The Liverpool player does appear to hold the advantage in terms of passing, completing nearly double the number of passes compared to his younger compatriot (1,174 to 559), although this is a skill where Soler may well improve.
There seems little doubt that the player who former Valencia star Curro Torres recently described as the “complete midfielder” has the necessary skillset to follow in the steps of Thiago at Liverpool and maybe even go on to be even better than the 30-year-old if he too joins Klopp’s Anfield revolution.
AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano claims Liverpool are in talks to sign “extraordinary” £83m machine, Klopp would love him…
Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch now expects Liam Cooper to be fit for Sunday’s trip to Arsenal.
The lowdown
Leeds travel to North London in desperate need of points, with Everton’s victory over Chelsea last weekend leaving them just two points above the drop zone.
Whites captain Cooper missed last weekend’s 4-0 defeat against Manchester City after suffering an injury in the warm-up.
It had only been a month since he returned to action following a long-term hamstring injury.
Injury expert and Sky Sports contributor Ben Dinnery had listed Cooper as ‘ruled out’ on his Premier Injuries website.
The injury list at Elland Road already includes Tyler Roberts, Patrick Bamford, Adam Forshaw, Stuart Dallas and Crysencio Summerville.
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The latest
BBC Sport journalist Adam Pope relayed an update on Cooper’s fitness ahead of the visit to The Emirates, in quite the twist from Dinnery’s update.
“JM believes Cooper will play at Arsenal on Sunday,” he wrote.
The verdict
Robbie Keane summed up Cooper’s importance to Leeds when news of his injury broke. He described the 30-year-old’s presence as ‘massive’ and hailed him as an ‘instrumental’ in a strong run of defensive form that had seen Marsch’s side concede just once in three games.
You could certainly argue that they missed him, falling to a heavy loss and giving up 3.01 xG against City. He also ranks in Leeds’ top two (among outfielders) for interceptions, clearances and accurate long passes per game.
Their chances of pulling off an upset against the Champions-League chasing hosts might have just improved.
In other news, Leeds are eyeing this Europa League finalist.
A big update has emerged on Newcastle United and their chances of signing Ismaila Sarr from fellow Premier League side Watford.
What’s the talk?
Journalist Jacque Talbot has claimed that PIF have been handed the opportunity to land the Senegalese phenomenon at the end of the season.
He Tweeted: “Exc: Newcastle have been offered Watford’s Ismaila Sarr. Representatives met with club in London. Told his side would want about £40m. Deal makes sense but striker and centre-back (right-sided) are nufc priority.”
Watford are 12 points adrift of safety with four games left to play and this means that they will be relegated from the top flight this weekend if they fail to win and/or Burnley pick up any points. They are set for a drop down to the Championship and it appears as if they are now planning for life beyond Sarr.
Fans will be buzzing
The Newcastle faithful will surely be buzzing with this claim as Sarr would be an exciting addition to the squad this summer.
It remains to be seen whether or not the price is a final valuation, as relegation could change how much Watford are able to demand for him, and this means that it is difficult to judge whether or not he would be worth the money Newcastle would have to pay.
In terms of what he offers on the pitch, Sarr is a direct, young, winger with potential. He has produced five goals and two assists in 20 starts for the struggling Hornets in the top flight, after managing five goals and four assists in the division two years ago.
He caught the eye in the Championship last season as Watford finished second in the table. The attacker found the back of the net 13 times and registered four assists as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.21. This, along with his statistics in the Premier League, suggests that he has the potential to be a big threat at the top end of the pitch for the Magpies if they can get the best out of him.
At the age of 24, he has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop. Eddie Howe can work with him to make the most of his talent and that is an exciting prospect for the supporters, given the promising signs Sarr has shown in the top-flight for Watford in recent years.
AND in other news, “NUFC want..”: Mark Douglas drops big Darsley Park transfer claim that’ll delight Howe…
David Moyes has delivered a positive injury update on the fitness of West Ham centre-back Issa Diop ahead of the Premier League clash with Arsenal on Sunday.
The Lowdown: Twist in the tale
The 25-year-old was originally ruled out for the season after sustaining a serious ankle injury in the Hammers’ 1-1 draw against Burnley earlier this month, which came as a huge blow considering the fact that the Irons have reached the semi-finals of the Europa League and were already without Angelo Ogbonna long-term.
However, in an exciting new twist, the Scottish manager has now revealed that the defender could potentially make a return to action before the end of the campaign, adding to the good news in the defensive department after Kurt Zouma returned to the fray on Thursday night.
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The Latest: An outside chance
During his pre-match press conference ahead of the meeting with Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, Moyes announced that Diop is making some great progress and still has hope of a comeback prior to the end of May.
The boss said: “Issa is making a really good recovery and there’s always an outside chance he’ll be back before the end of the season.
“We were worried and didn’t think he would be, but we think there is a good chance that he could be. But we can’t confirm that at this moment.”
The Verdict: No need to rush
Whether the Frenchman gets declared fit in time to play again or not, there would be no point in rushing a return as this could cause an unnecessary setback that could affect his rehabilitation in the long term.
The £10.8m-rated ace has made 26 appearances in all competitions for West Ham this term, scoring one goal and providing one assist during that time and winning 1.5 of his duels on average per 90 minutes, via WhoScored.
For now, it’s much more important that the club look after him and prepare him ready for the start of the 2022/23 season, when Diop will hopefully be able to come back into contention and help his London outfit push for a place in the top six.
In other news… West Ham are said to be eyeing a move for a 5 foot 8 maestro this summer.
Glasgow Rangers made two huge decisions on Monday as they announced that both CEO Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell had been removed from their posts at Ibrox.
Chairman Andrew Cavenagh revealed to Sky Sports, in the post below, that the Gers need different people in those two leadership positions moving forward in order for the club to be successful.
The Rangers chief was careful not to throw mud at Stewart and Thelwell for their work at Ibrox, but suggested that it was down to their performance in their respective roles, as he stated that they still aligned with the overarching project.
Given that Russell Martin’s tenure lasted 17 matches and several summer signings do not look up to scratch, it is hard to disagree with the club’s decision to part ways with both of them, particularly Thelwell.
Looking at the list of summer signings in the graphic above, it is easier to pick out the players who have flopped or struggled than it is to pick out the successes from the summer transfer window.
The summer signing that Thelwell may go on to be infamous at Ibrox for is Youssef Chermiti, as he arrived from his former club Everton in a big-money deal.
Why Rangers should not have signed Youssef Chermiti
To preface this, supporters and those at the club will, of course, be hoping that the Portugal U21 international goes on to prove everyone wrong and becomes a consistent goalscorer for the Light Blues.
However, at this moment in time, it looks like a deal that the Scottish giants should not have done, particularly for the reported money that was involved in the move.
Thelwell signed Chermiti for Everton from Sporting in a deal worth up to £15m in the summer of 2023, but he did not score a single competitive goal for the Toffees in two years during his time in England.
Then, after moving to Rangers in April, the sporting director signed the centre-forward for a second time, splashing £8m to bring him to Ibrox, in the most expensive Gers deal since Tore Andre Flo joined for £12m in 2000.
It is fair for supporters to expect a player to make an immediate impact in Glasgow when signed for that kind of money, as Chermiti is the club’s most expensive player in 25 years, but that has not been the case.
The former Everton marksman has scored one goal in 13 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues, per Sofascore, which shows that the forward has failed to deliver much in the way of quality in the final third.
Starts
4
xG
1.29
Goals
0
Big chances missed
4
Big chances created
0
Assists
0
Pass accuracy
59%
Duel success rate
35%
As you can see in the table above, Chermiti has been incredibly underwhelming in the Europa League so far this season, failing to score from 1.29 xG after starting all four of his appearances in the competition.
The 21-year-old striker’s dismal form for the club so far suggests that Thelwell made a mistake when he signed the forward for £8m, because he has not made the kind of impact that Rangers should expect from such an expensive signing.
Chermiti, though, is not the only one of the summer signings you could argue that Thelwell should not have signed because of their performances in the 2025/26 campaign.
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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
The former Rangers sporting director swooped to bring in Jayden Meghoma on loan from Brentford to bolster Russell Martin’s full-back options, as the ex-Gers boss had worked with the youngster during their time together at Southampton.
Why Rangers should not have signed Jayden Meghoma
During the summer window, Thelwell decided to cash in on the two senior left-back options at Ibrox, selling Jefte to Palmeiras and Ridvan Yilmaz to Besiktas.
Whilst those respective sales were not horrendous decisions in isolation, this issue is that Meghoma was the only signing brought in to replace those two senior players.
4 Lads Had A Dream covered Ally McCoist’s claim that Rangers have “downgraded” across the pitch since last season, and referenced Meghoma in comparison to Jefte as one of the areas in which the team have failed to improve.
It is not the 19-year-old defender’s fault that he has been brought in to be a first-choice option for a team that is expected to win consistently and compete on the European stage, when his experience last season was playing 12 matches on loan at Preston in the English Championship.
Meghoma, unfortunately, does not look ready to be a first-choice left-back at this level at the moment, as evidenced by his statistics in comparison to Jefte’s at Scottish Premiership level.
Appearances
33
9
Key passes per game
1.0
0.7
Assists
4
1
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.3
3.3
Clearances per game
2.9
1.3
Duels won per game
5.5
4.0
Aerial duel success rate
57%
25%
Error led to shot or goal
1
2
As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian defender’s performances in the league last season were far more impressive than what the English teenager has produced in the division this term, offensively and defensively.
These statistics back up the claim that Rangers have “downgraded” by selling Jefte to sign Meghoma on loan, which adds more fuel to the fire surrounding the criticism of Thelwell’s summer recruitment.
Like Chermiti, it seems like Meghoma has been signed to fill a role that he is not ready to fill at this point in his development. They are both young players who have time to develop and improve, but neither of them look ready to be key players for Danny Rohl in the present.
Therefore, the signing of Meghoma was one of Thelwell’s worst clangers of the summer, alongside Chermiti, because he has failed to adequately replace Jefte at left-back, and it remains to be seen if either of them will end up being good enough this season.
Thelwell signing is a bigger waste of time than Chermiti & Miovski at Rangers
This Glasgow Rangers flop is a bigger waste of time this season than both Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti.
Aston Villa are now racing Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United for the signature of an “electric” Premier League star, who has made a very impressive start to the campaign.
Villa join race for new forward amid lack of goals
It would be fair to say Unai Emery’s side fell below their usual lofty standards at the beginning of the Premier League season, with the 3-0 home defeat against Crystal Palace likely to be particularly concerning, but they have since managed to get back on track.
Indeed, the Villans have won their last two matches in all competitions, most recently picking up their first league victory of the campaign courtesy of a fantastic second-half display against Fulham, which culminated in a 3-1 win.
Emery will be relieved his side are finally starting to look better in front of goal, but after failing to score in their opening four league matches of the season, the manager may still be worried about his side’s lack of firepower.
As such, according to a report from The Boot Room, Aston Villa have now joined the race for AFC Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, but there could be fierce competition for the Ghanaian’s signature, and it may take a huge fee to get a deal done.
Tottenham, Man United and Manchester City are also named as potential suitors for Semenyo, who was valued at £70m back in the summer transfer window, amid links with Spurs.
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Transfer expert Graeme Bailey also makes it clear that a winter exit is very unlikely to be on the cards, saying: “As it stands, Bournemouth are intent on making progress this summer and that means no sales.
“They have lost the likes of Huijsen, Kerkez and Zabarnyi in recent months and they are insistent Semenyo won’t be following them through the exit doors in January.”
"Electric" Semenyo has made flying start to the season
It is no surprise that Bournemouth are reluctant to sanction a January departure, given just how well the 25-year-old has performed in the early stages of the new season, being dubbed “electric” by broadcaster Kris Temple.
The Cherries are currently sixth in the Premier League table, and the Ghana international has been paramount to their success, receiving Bournemouth’s Player of the Month and Goal of the Month award for August.
That follows on from a very impressive 2024-25 campaign, during which the winger picked up 11 goals and six assists in the Premier League, helping his side surpass expectations and finish ninth.
There is every indication that Semenyo could be a success at Villa Park, but Aston Villa are well-known to be struggling PSR-wise, which means forking out the potential £70m asking price could be an issue.
When it comes to producing top-quality players, it’s hard to think of many Premier League teams with a better track record than Arsenal.
On top of numbers, Hale End has also produced a string of players who look destined for the very top of the game.
However, for every player who does make it to the pinnacle of the sport, there are plenty who fall by the wayside.
Unfortunately, that has been the case for one such talent, who was at one point compared to Phil Foden.
Arsenal's Hale End hotstreak
It would be fair to say that this current run of Hale Enders making it into the Arsenal team truly started with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.
Granted, the latter was eventually sold, but his impact in the two and a bit years he was fit under Arteta cannot be overstated, and well, when it comes to the former, what else is there to say?
The regular England international has only just turned 24 and has already made 266 appearances for the club, in which he’s scored 71 goals and provided 71 assists.
The next two academy graduates to make an impact at the club were Ethan Nwaneri and Myles-Lewis Skelly.
The former became the youngest player in Premier League history in 2022 and ended last season with an impressive tally of nine goals and two assists in just 37 appearances.
Lewis-Skelly, however, arguably made an even bigger impact, cementing himself as the manager’s first-choice left-back for some time and scoring on his debut for the senior national team.
Finally, the latest uber-talented teen to make their way out of Hale End looks to be Max Dowman, who has impressed every time he’s made it onto the pitch since his debut in pre-season.
However, a few years ago, many would have expected another name on this list, a player who was compared to Foden.
The Hale Ender compared to Foden
So, to be compared to a player as talented as Foden, the Arsenal youngster must have been looked at as a special prospect.
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While it seems a long time ago now, that is exactly how people perceived Charlie Patino.
For example, in October 2021, Jack Wilshere, who knows a thing or two about being a wonderkid, told the press that the youngster was “going to make a name for himself in the future” and that he was “one who everyone at the training ground is talking about.”
On top of that, scout Brian Stappleton claimed that fellow Arsenal scout Sean O’Connor told him Patino was “the best player who has ever walked through the doors at Hale End.”
Then came the comparison to the Man City star, which stemmed from his attacking ability during his time at youth level and was then highlighted in an article by the Times’ Gary Jacob.
All the excitement around the youngster came to a head when he scored on his competitive debut for the club in a Carabao Cup game against Sunderland in October 2021.
However, as we now know, all the hype around him and the comparisons to players like Foden were soon to be proven to be overblown, as two underwhelming loans to Blackpool and Swansea City began to cast doubt over his true potential.
Team
Blackpool
Swansea
Appearances
37
35
Goals
3
4
Assists
4
4
Goal Involvements per Match
0.18
0.22
Moreover, his representatives then told the club that he wanted to leave for more guaranteed game time, but after two middling years in the Championship, there was very little interest in his services.
Eventually, with little other option, the North Londoners agreed to sell the Hale Ender to Segunda División side Deportivo La Coruna for £1m, where he made just eight appearances last season.
However, while he didn’t live up to the expectations placed upon him, there is reason to be hopeful that the youngster can still have a successful career, as so far this season, he has six appearances for the Spanish outfit.
Ultimately, Arsenal have produced exciting talent after exciting talent from Hale End over the last few years, but Patino just wasn’t quite at the level required to become one of those who made it in North London.
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Leeds United have now made an offer for an “outstanding” £68k-a-week midfielder, who could be in line to join alongside Habib Diarra, according to a reporter.
Leeds set sights on new midfielder
The Whites are looking to strengthen their squad in a number of key areas this summer, in a bid to avoid an instant return to the Championship, and they are particularly keen to strengthen in the middle of the park, with Strasbourg’s Habib Diarra now of interest.
Indeed, Leeds have now submitted an opening bid of around £22m for Diarra, which the French club are yet to respond to, as they wait to see whether any other clubs are willing to come to the negotiating table with a higher offer.
The Strasbourg ace is not the only midfielder on the shortlist, however, with Daniel Farke’s side also identifying targets from the Premier League, Championship and La Liga, indicating just how keen the manager is to bolster his midfield options this summer.
Target
Current club
Potential cost
Yves Bissouma
Tottenham Hotspur
£25m
Shea Charles
Southampton
Unknown
Christantus Uche
Getafe
£21m
A move for Bissouma could make perfect sense, given the Malian’s vast experience in the top flight, making 191 appearances in the competition, but Farke’s side have also turned their attention towards a former Champions League winner.
That is according to Turkish reporter Fırat Günayer, who states Leeds have now made an offer for Besiktas midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with the former Liverpool man now willing to leave the Süper Lig side this summer.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for Besiktas.
A further report goes into more detail about Oxlade-Chamberlain’s future at Besiktas, revealing the Turkish club are now willing to sanction a departure, given his £68k-a-week wages, potentially opening the door for a move to Elland Road.
"Outstanding" Oxlade-Chamberlain has top-level experience
Leeds may need to bring in players with Premier League experience if they are to avoid the drop next season, and the 31-year-old has that in droves, making 235 appearances in the competition, during which time he collected 20 goals and 24 assists.
Jurgen Klopp also lavished his former player with praise during their time working together at Anfield, with the German saying: “Ox is an outstanding player, an outstanding player, was always and will always be.”
Sky Sports: Leeds now make approach for £17m striker who's keen on PL move
The Whites have made contact to sign a 25-year-old, with bringing in a new striker now a priority.
1 ByDominic Lund Jun 10, 2025
Perhaps the most memorable moment from the Englishman’s time at Anfield was when he found the back of the net with a remarkable strike against Manchester City in the 2017-18 Champions League quarter-final.
That said, Oxlade Chamberlain has been in Turkey since the 2023-24 season, which suggests his best days may be behind him, and the central midfielder’s huge wages may also pose a problem for Leeds.
Manchester City are headed to the Club World Cup and expect to bring in a proven Premier League operator to strengthen their ranks before the tournament commences, according to David Ornstein.
Manchester City close to landing double midfield deal
With Kevin De Bruyne moving on to a new challenge elsewhere, Manchester City have wasted no time in finding a replacement for the Belgian icon and look set to wrap up a double deal in midfield before they jet out to the United States.
Pep Guardiola is closing in on AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders and Lyon star Rayan Cherki. The latter is set to arrive for a fee of £34 million after Florian Wirtz opted to move from Bayer Leverkusen to reigning champions Liverpool.
Olympique Lyonnais' RayanCherkiin action with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim's Kevin Akpoguma
In the case of Reijnders, the final details of a transfer worth £50 million involving the Netherlands international are being ironed out before he officially links up with his new teammates at the Etihad Stadium.
Legendary defensive midfielder Rodri is also back after injury, creating a new-look engine room to take the Premier League by storm next term as the Citizens aim to reclaim the title.
Cementing what he wants his midfield to look like after a period of instability, Guardiola is also set to offer Rodri a new Manchester City contract to stave off interest from heavyweights Real Madrid – that could be worth £300,000 per week.
Man City now in contact for £29m DM who is Switzerland's "greatest talent"
City have stepped up their pursuit of a new midfielder, who just won a Player of the Season award.
ByDominic Lund May 28, 2025
Pressing on in their hunt for reinforcements, City are now closing in on another addition elsewhere on the pitch to equip themselves ahead of their Club World Cup endeavours.
Man City expect to sign Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers
Taking to social media platform X, reputable journalist Ornstein has reported all parties involved – from both clubs to the player’s camp – ‘expect’ a deal to be done that would see Rayan Ait-Nouri arrive at the Etihad Stadium from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
There is still work to be done before a final agreement can be reached, but they appear to be in pole position to land their main left-back target relatively quickly.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' RayanAit-Nouriin action
Labelled “incredible” by Gary O’Neil, Ait-Nouri has registered five goals and seven assists in 41 appearances across all competition for Wolves this campaign.
Creating 24 chances on Premier League duty this term, the Algeria international provided a regular threat in forward areas for the Old Gold as they managed to secure their top-flight status.
Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake have both shouldered the left-back burden at Manchester City, though bringing in a natural in that position could gift Guardiola the added bonus of being able to move one of them to a central role once all paperwork is completed.
Deemed to be worth around £51 million on the market, signing Ait-Nouri appears to be a shrewd addition by the Citizens ahead of the new campaign.
Celtic ended their season on Saturday and the attention will now turn to the summer transfer window and what they need to improve the squad to go again next term.
The Hoops already know that they might have to bolster their options out wide after Portuguese winger Jota suffered an injury that is set to keep him out for a large chunk of the 2025/26 campaign.
He was forced off with a knee injury during the first half of the 5-0 win over Dundee United and is now set for between six and nine months on the sidelines with a cruciate ligament injury.
This means that the attacker, who rejoined the Hoops from Rennes on a permanent deal in January, could miss most or all of the first half of next season.
Jota had produced four goals and two assists in seven starts in the Scottish Premiership prior to his injury blow, which illustrates the kind of quality that Brendan Rodgers has lost because of this news.
Celtic may, therefore, be in the market for a new winger in the summer transfer window, which officially opens for business next month, and one forward who is of interest to the club is Sondre Orjasaeter.
Why Sondre Orjasaeter could be a good signing for Celtic
Writing for Sky Sports on Saturday, journalist Anthony Joseph claimed that the club could go back in with a move for the Sarpsborg star this summer.
The reporter added that the Premiership champions had multiple bids turned down for the Norway youth international, before they eventually signed Jota from Rennes.
67HailHail reported during that window that the Hoops had an offer of £4.4m turned down for the 21-year-old starlet because the Norwegian side were holding out for a fee of £7m.
£7m is a significant amount of cash to splash on a young talent who has not proven himself outside of his own country, but his form for Sarpsborg does suggest that the potential is there for him to be an exciting signing for Celtic.
Appearances
28
7
Goals
5
1
Big chances missed
5
2
Big chances created
12
7
Key passes per game
1.9
2.0
Assists
5
2
Dribbles completed per game
2.4
2.7
As you can see in the table above, Orjasaeter has provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals, mainly the latter, in the Eliteserien since the start of last year, which is why he could be an excellent signing to fill the void left by Jota’s injury.
However, the £7m price tag could be a sticking point, particularly with Jota due to return at some point next season, and that is why they could look to an alternative option to forget about Orjasaeter.
Celtic could return for Belgian star
In the aforementioned article for Sky Sports, Anthony Joseph also reported that Royal Antwerp attacker Michel-Ange Balikwisha has been a long-term transfer target for Celtic.
The journalist added that the 24-year-old wizard has been highly recommended to the club by their scouts, who have been impressed by his performances in Belgium.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Joseph claimed that the Scottish giants could go in with a swoop for the Pro League star in the upcoming summer transfer window, and he could come cheaper than Orjasaeter would.
The Scottish Sun reported in April that the impressive winger is currently valued at £5m by Royal Antwerp, which means that he could be £2m cheaper than the Norwegian whizkid.
With this in mind, Rodgers could forget all about Orjasaeter and save the club £2m in transfer fees by pushing for the board to sign Balikwisha as an emergency replacement for Jota this summer.
Why Celtic should sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha
As per UEFA, Belgium is currently ranked the eighth best European league based on the coefficient rankings, three places above Norway in 11th. This suggests that the standard in Belgium, at least among the top clubs, is better than the standard in Norway.
You could, therefore, put more weight behind Balikwisha’s performances in the Pro League than Orjasaeter’s in the Eliteserien when judging how effective they could be at making an impact at Celtic, particularly in the Champions League, next season.
Michel-Ange Balikwisha for Royal Antwerp.
Whilst the Norwegian starlet has caught the eye with six goals and seven assists in his last 35 Eliteserien games for Sarpsborg, the Belgian ace has delivered similar levels of quality whilst playing in a more challenging league.
One scout, Emir, on X, described the £5m-rated star as a winger who “wins games on his own” and a “no-brainer” signing for top teams because he is ready to take the step to the next level.
Balikwisha’s performances in the Pro League suggest that he is a player who can be a difference-maker in the final third to win matches for his side, with goals and assists.
Starts
27
11
xG
6.46
2.26
Goals
7
4
Big chances created
6
7
Key passes per game
1.5
1.6
Assists
5
3
As you can see in the table above, the Belgian gem has produced 11 goals and ‘big chances’ created in 11 starts in the Pro League this season since returning from injury, which speaks to the kind of quality he can provide at the top end of the pitch.
Balikwisha, who is a right-footed left-winger, has also outperformed his xG in each of the last two seasons in the Belgian top-flight, which shows that he can be an effective and efficient finisher in front of goal.
The Celtic target also produced one goal and one assist in two Champions League qualifiers to help his side qualify for the group stage in the 2023/24 campaign, before scoring one goal in five matches in the group stage.
This shows that, unlike Orjasaeter, he also has experience on the top stage of European football, which could be useful ahead of Celtic’s qualifiers for the competition later this year.
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Therefore, Rodgers must urge Celtic to forget about Orjasaeter by signing Balikwisha, who could provide more quality and experience whilst costing £2m less this summer.