da fezbet： Glasgow Rangers now know their opponents in the last-16 of the Europa League following the draw on Friday afternoon.

da bwin： Fenerbahce will stand between the Ibrox side and a spot in the competition’s quarter-finals as José Mourinho travels to Scotland.

It promises to be a thrilling tie, and with the Gers playing the second leg at home, they hold the advantage as they seek a berth in the last eight.

The competition marks the only chance of winning any silverware in what has been a depressing campaign, recently culminating in the embarrassing Scottish Cup defeat to Queen’s Park a couple of weeks ago.

The Premiership title race is all but over, as Celtic are currently 13 points clear with just 12 games remaining as they close in on their fourth league crown in a row.

Philippe Clement will be lucky to be in a job next season, especially if the reported takeover by the 49ers goes through in the next couple of months.

This weekend, the Light Blues take on St Mirren at Ibrox, but they could trail top spot by 16 points by the time they kick-off.

Rangers team news against St Mirren

Rangers still have a few players out injured, notably in defence. Indeed, Dujon Sterling and Neraysho Kasanwirjo will likely be missing for the next few weeks.

Danilo has been missing for a few weeks due to suffering a shoulder injury against Aberdeen in January, but he could be back sooner rather than later.

“Danilo trained all week but still without contact, he will be back in normal contact training next week.” Said Clement prior to the Hearts clash last weekend.

The St Mirren game will perhaps come too soon for him to start, but a few minutes towards the end of the clash could be beneficial.

Aside from this, Clement appears to have a strong squad to choose from ahead of the domestic clash.

Chalkboard

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Could he make a change or two from the 3-1 win last weekend, however? Especially as Hamza Igamane failed to demonstrate his true qualities against the Jambos.

Hamza Igamane has been poor recently for Rangers

Between December 1 and January 15, Igamane scored ten goals while chipping in with another two assists as he emerged as a key player for Clement throughout the festive season.

Since his goal against Aberdeen last month, the Moroccan has failed to score in any of the club’s previous six matches.

Igamane has arguably been one of the few bright sparks of an otherwise horrendous campaign and the club stands to rake in a significant profit on the centre-forward.

Following the Europa League game against Tottenham Hotspur in December, it was reported that Everton had sent scouts to monitor the former AS FAR player.

These links with the Toffees continued into the winter transfer window, but the Gers were certainly reluctant to sell one of their newfound prized assets, placing a staggering £25m price tag on his head to deter any clubs from making a move.

Against Hearts last week, he showed some nice touches, but has the recent transfer speculation gone to his head? Since the window closed, he hasn’t quite been at his best.

He completed just 58% of his passes against the Tynecastle side, while failing to get a shot on target and winning just six of his 12 ground duels throughout the game.

Could Clement drop him for the tie against St Mirren, restoring Cyriel Dessers to the starting XI instead?

Cyriel Dessers could start against St Mirren

The season before arriving at Ibrox, Dessers scored ten goals in all competitions, including six in Serie A, and this impressed Michael Beale.

Journalist Josh Bunting hailed the striker towards the end of that season, saying: “Cyriel Dessers has been an excellent signing for Cremonese, can honestly look back at the end of the season and said he’s tried in everything in his power to keep them up. He’s scored again as they lead against Empoli at the break. Just so awkward to play against with his strength.”

Not many of the Ibrox faithful would agree that he has been an excellent signing for Rangers. Yes, his goalscoring record is certainly impressive, netting 40 goals in 93 appearances, which works out as a goal every 2.3 games.

Add in 15 assists and it is clear the statistics appear solid. Performance-wise, however, Dessers has struggled. Last term, he missed a staggering 27 big chances in the Premiership.

He may be strong on the ball and willing to create chances for others, but Dessers simply lacks that clinical nature in front of goal.

He has scored against Manchester United this season with a well-taken effort, but recently, the Nigerian striker has been forced to watch from the bench due to Igamane’s form.

Comparing Dessers and Igamae this season (Premiership only)

Metric

Dessers

Igamane

Goals

8

9

Assists

2

1

Big chances created

2

5

Touches per game

15

33.6

Total duels won per game

1.9

3.9

Shots on target per game

0.8

1

He entered the pitch with 20 minutes to go against Hearts and looked lively. The player had a goal chalked off for offside, while he succeeded with one dribble, completed 100% of his passes and took 12 touches.

Journalist Cameron Willis gave Dessers a match rating of 7/10 for his cameo display, praising his hold-up play while also lauding how effective the centre-forward had been in the build-up to the crucial third goal.

Giving Igamane a rest this weekend by unleashing Dessers for his first start since the start of the month could be a possibility.

If so, he should be ready to take his chance, especially as Danilo looks close to a return to full fitness.

Is he the man to lead Rangers into their potentially new era under the 49ers? Probably not, but at this moment in time, Dessers could score a few between now and the end of the season.

The league title is out of reach, but if he performs in Europe, perhaps another excellent run in the competition could be on the cards.

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da cassino online： Manchester United and INEOS are now willing to spend significant money on a “dominant” £33 million ace, according to a recent report.

Man Utd transfer news

da winzada777： Despite the summer transfer window not opening for a few months, the Red Devils continue to be linked with potential new faces – it is expected to be a busy period for the club as they look to move the deadwood on and bring in fresh, hungry players who suit Ruben Amorim’s style.

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It could be said that, given how the season has gone for United, there are multiple positions that Amorim and INEOS want to strengthen this summer. It looks as though Geovany Quenda could be the first signing of the summer, as the 17-year-old has now agreed personal terms with United.

Ben Jacobs revealed this week that the Premier League side were progressing in talks to sign Quenda from Sporting CP, but they want to make a deal at £33 million while the Portuguese side want £50 million, meaning a compromise will be needed.

Quenda is obviously someone that Amorim knows well and while that is an exciting addition for United, they will also be keen on strengthening a forward line that has lacked goals this season. The Red Devils have been linked with many forwards in recent weeks, with Youssef En-Nesyri the latest to be of interest to United.

United are monitoring the Fenerbahçe striker after being linked with the player in previous transfer windows. En-Nesyri is impressing in Turkey, scoring 15 goals in 22 Süper Lig games.

Man Utd willing to spend big on £33m Real Madrid playmaker

As United potentially close in on a deal for Quenda, they are also looking at signing another young talent, as according to a report from Spain, Man United have shown a strong interest in signing Arda Güler from Real Madrid and are willing to spend big to secure a transfer.

The 19-year-old joined Madrid in the summer of 2023 and, despite his struggles in Spain, United are willing to offer him a route out of the Spanish capital, as he continues to struggle for regular minutes.

It is said that Real Madrid will have to make a decision about the player’s future, as his quality is unquestionable, it is just a lack of minutes that could mean he leaves the club. The summer transfer window is expected to be significant in deciding his future.

Arda Guler’s Real Madrid stats

Apps

40

Goals

9

Assists

5

Guler’s price-tag is said to be around the £33 million mark, which is probably lower than United would have expected. However, his lack of game time means he hasn’t really caught the eye while in Spain. This season, he has played 27 games in all competitions, but only nine have come as starts.

Guler has been praised by many players and managers in recent times, with Montenegro manager Robert Prosinecki labelling Guler as a “dominant” player: “His IQ is at a high level. He is a very dominant player with the ball. He always thinks about attacking.”

da betway： Rangers legend Ally McCoist has been left stunned by the mention of a potential permanent manager at Ibrox, given his track record in the game.

Rangers searching for permanent manager

da mrbet： Barry Ferguson is currently in interim charge of the Gers, which has proven to be a popular appointment with many supporters, even though there are doubts over his lack of experience managing at this level.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that the 47-year-old could still be given the role permanently if he impresses enough between now and the end of the season, helped by the fact that he is “already well-backed by the Ibrox crowd thanks to his previous spell as Rangers’ club captain.”

Steven Gerrard also continues to be mentioned as a possible dream appointment for likely new owners 49ers Enterprises, as they edge towards sealing their takeover of the club. The Liverpool legend won the Scottish Premiership title during his first stint there, and may like the idea of making a return.

Kevin Muscat is another potential option for the Gers, with the Australian currently in charge of Chinese side Shanghai Port. Another former Ibrox player, he could be a more experienced option than Ferguson.

McCoist stunned by Rangers manager suggestion

Speaking live on talkSPORT’s breakfast show on Monday [via Glasgow World], McCoist reacted to the idea of Rafa Benitez managing Rangers in shock, after Jeff Stelling read out the suggestion of the Spaniard moving to Glasgow: “I’m a bit speechless. You’ve beat me with that. The only thing he would need, the same as (Ruben) Amorim at Manchester United, is a better squad of players to deal with at this moment of time.”

Meanwhile, Stelling then continued to go into further depth about why the former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss could be the ideal pick to arrive at Ibrox this summer: “He’s got loads of experience, he’s got European experience, top level experience, and he is available.”

Benitez is a manager with genuine pedigree, so it is understandable why McCoist was “speechless” at the idea of Rangers snapping him up as their next boss.

The Spaniard famously won the Champions League with Liverpool back in 2005, beating a star-studded AC Milan side in a memorable final, and he even won the Europa League with Chelsea in 2013, despite being unpopular with many of their supporters because of his Anfield past.

A shrewd tactician with so much experience, Benitez could help bridge the gap between Rangers and Celtic, and if he is backed by the 49ers in the summer transfer window, he could bring in players who are perfectly suited to his style of play.

Whether the 64-year-old is a target remains to be seen, but there are clear merits to the Gers at least trying their luck, and he may like the idea of managing another huge British club.

Rafa Benitez’s managerial career

Matches

Points per game

Celta Vigo

33

1.09

Everton

22

1.14

DL Pro

38

1.16

Newcastle United

146

1.48

Real Madrid

25

2.24

Napoli

112

1.87

Chelsea

48

1.96

Inter Milan

25

1.68

Liverpool

350

1.90

Valencia

160

1.91

Tenerife

46

1.74

Extremadura

92

1.45

Osasuna

2

0.50

Real Valladolid

23

0.61

He is a proven winner who makes teams hard to beat, and while someone like Gerrard is 20 years his junior, going with the more trophy-laden choice could make the most sense.

da leao： The Championship has seen some brilliant youngsters over the years, from Jude Bellingham coming through at Birmingham City to Archie Gray’s breakthrough campaign at Leeds United.

da pixbet： The second tier once again has a plethora of young talents on show, some of whom are plying their trade on loan at clubs in the Championship. Others are permanent members of teams in the division, and here at Football FanCast, we’ve looked at 15 of the most exciting Championship youngsters aged 21 or younger at the time of writing.

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Posts 1 1 Jobe Bellingham Sunderland

Looking to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Jobe Bellingham has been making a name for himself at Sunderland in recent years.

Still just 19 years of age, Bellingham swapped Birmingham for Sunderland in 2023, and the attacking midfielder isn’t far away from making 100 appearances for the Black Cats.

To reach that figure, Sunderland may need to be promoted in 2024/25, as this season could be Bellingham’s last in the Championship with Premier League sides previously circling.

2 Chris Rigg Sunderland

Another extremely exciting young Sunderland midfielder catching the eye is Chris Rigg, who will turn 18 in June.

Coming through the Black Cats’ academy, he is attracting serious interest from Manchester United as a result of his starring displays in red and white, with the Red Devils looking to build for the future under INEOS.

Rigg has made already made more than 50 senior Sunderland appearances before his 18th birthday and looks destined for the top.

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Posts 1 3 Tom Fellows West Brom

An exciting right-winger who could go on to play for England is Tom Fellows of West Brom, who has turned into something of an assists machine during the 2024/25 season.

He already had 10 Championship assists before the turn of the year and was wanted by Everton in January as a result. Should West Brom fail to win promotion, Fellows could be a wanted man once again.

4 Shea Charles Sheffield Wednesday

Midfielder Shea Charles signed for Southampton in the Championship in 2023 and helped the Saints win promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

However, the following year, Charles was loaned back to the second tier with Sheffield Wednesday and has been making a big impact at Hillsborough, so much so that rivals Sheffield United were looking at a move in January.

Charles was recalled by Southampton but then loaned back to Wednesday midway through the 2024/25 campaign.

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Posts 5 Wilfried Gnonto Leeds United

Wilfried Gnonto made an impact in the Premier League after signing for Leeds United as a teenager back in 2022, when he was already an Italy international.

Now 21 years of age, Gnonto has made more than 100 appearances for the Whites and is into double figures for goal contributions in 2024/25.

6 Ben Doak Middlesbrough

On loan from Liverpool, Ben Doak has impressed in what is his first full season playing senior football at Middlesbrough under Michael Carrick.

The winger has been a regular at the Riverside on the right-hand side, and like Gnonto, he is also into double figures for goal contributions.

Liverpool will surely be enjoying what they have seen from the 19-year-old in the Championship.

7 Luca Koleosho Burnley

Luca Koleosho swapped Espanyol for Burnley in 2023 and was part of the side that suffered relegation from the top flight last season.

He did show his quality in glimpses and scored an early-season winner at Leeds United this term.

Still just 20 years of age, Koleosho can play on either wing and appears to be an exciting attacker at Turf Moor.

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Posts 8 Callum Doyle Norwich City

Manchester City full-back Callum Doyle is now into his fourth EFL loan spell away from the Etihad, and appears to be going from strength to strength as he looks to become a Premier League regular.

After spells with Sunderland, Coventry City and Leicester City, Doyle is now with Norwich City and has been a regular at left-back at Carrow Road under Johannes Hoff Thorup.

9 Ollie Arblaster Sheffield United

He may be sidelined through injury at this moment in time, but Sheffield United midfielder Ollie Arblaster appears to have a hugely bright future ahead of him.

The Blades ace came through the club’s academy and was a regular under Chris Wilder, making 12 Premier League appearances last season. Arblaster even captained United multiple times in 2024/25 before suffering a serious injury.

10 Alfie Gilchrist Sheffield United

The Blades also have an exciting young defender on their books for 2024/25 in Alfie Gilchrist, winning the race to secure his services on loan from Chelsea last summer.

Since then, Gilchrist has been a regular at right-back at Bramall Lane in what has been his first full season as an ever-present figure at senior level.

Whether or not his long-term future is at Stamford Bridge remains to be seen, though.

da 888casino： It’s crunch time for Tottenham Hotspur and Ange Postecoglou in the Europa League.

da dobrowin： The North Londoners put in one of their worst displays of the season away to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League last week and will have to seriously up their game to overturn the Dutch side’s 1-0 lead.

Unfortunately, there were poor performances across the pitch for the visitors in Alkmaar and then more of the same at home to Bournemouth in the Premier League a few days later.

So, Postecoglou must make a number of bold changes to the side that picked up just a point on the weekend, including the removal of Pedro Porro from the starting lineup.

Porro's fall from grace

When Tottenham completed the signing of Porro on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy in February 2023, there was some justifiable excitement from fans, as in just 26 appearances for Sporting CP that season, he had scored three goals and provided 11 assists.

Impressively, despite the significant jump in quality between the two divisions, the Spanish dynamo continued his good form in the Premier League that season and ended the campaign with three goals and three assists in just 15 games.

The following year brought much of the same in terms of attacking quality, as in 37 appearances, the Don Benito-born star scored four goals and provided seven assists, but concerns over his defensive abilities were starting to creep in, with mistakes in games against Newcastle United and Fulham as a couple of examples.

This season has been significantly worse, though, and not even the fact that he’s produced nine goal involvements in 40 games can help his case.

For example, against Ipswich Town, he was so comically poor at the back that journalist Mitch Fretton described his performance as a “horror show,” then against Arsenal in January, Spurs content creator Seb Martin described his showing as like a “nightmare.”

Finally, it was another “terrible” showing, per Spurs content creator Jaco, from the former Sporting star over the weekend, as he managed to lose the ball a staggering 27 times, which more than justified the 3/10 match rating dished out by Daily Express journalist Tom Parsons.

Overall, while Porro is undoubtedly a threat going forward, he’s a total liability at the back, and in a must-win tie like tonight’s, Postecoglou must ensure he’s nowhere near the starting lineup.

Porro’s Spurs record

Appearances

94

Minutes

7788′

Goals

9

Assists

17

Goal Involvements per Match

0.27

Minutes per Goal Involvement

299.53′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

The Spurs star who should take Porro's place

When it comes to replacing Porro at right-back for tonight’s must-win game, there are two options: move Djed Spence from left-back or start Archie Gray.

For our money, the best option in this situation would be the latter, and there are a couple of reasons for that.

The first has nothing to do with the youngster himself, but doing so means the manager can play Spence on the left instead of Udogie, who, like the Spaniard, has come in for more than his fair share of criticism over defensive fragilities this term.

The second reason is that even though he is a natural midfielder by trade, the “future £100m” star, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has more than proven himself as an able defender this season, whether at centre-back or full-back.

For example, he has made seven appearances at right-back and five on the left under Postecoglou, and more crucially, he has started every game of the Europa League campaign thus far and, aside from last week, has looked solid throughout.

Gray’s positional versatility

Position

Appearances

Centre-Back

19

Right-Back

7

Left-Back

5

Defensive Midfield

2

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Finally, according to FBref, he sits in the top 1% of full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, for medium passes complete and shots blocked, the top 2% for carries and the top 4% for progressive passing distance per 90, which for someone playing out of position is not too bad at all.

Ultimately, Porro has been a consistent liability at the back for Tottenham this season, so for a must-win game like this, Postecoglou must keep Spence on the pitch and bring Gray on at right-back.

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da 888casino： Manchester City are ready to make a serious attempt to sign a Premier League star this summer who has an admirer in Pep Guardiola.

Man City transfer rumours as Pep plans for summer

da stake casino： It hasn’t exactly been a season to remember after four successive top flight titles, however, City can still win silverware before the end of the season in the FA Cup.

A rare January signing blitz was carried out by those on the blue side of Manchester, with forward Omar Marmoush the biggest arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt.

There were also additions in midfield and in defence, and ahead of the 2025/26 season, there could be more incomings with some departures likely.

Man City’s January signings

From

Fee

Omar Marmoush

Eintracht Frankfurt

€75m

Nico Gonzalez

FC Porto

€60m

Abdukodir Khusanov

Lens

€40m

Vitor Reis

Palmeiras

€37m

Juma Bah

Real Valladolid

€6m

Kevin De Bruyne is out of contract and is thought to be close to a move to the MLS, whereas a bid could be accepted for Jack Grealish. Bernardo Silva has also agreed personal terms with PSG, so midfield reinforcements could be on the to-do list.

There have been claims that Man City have already agreed to sign Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton, but another Premier League midfield is of interest to the Sky Blues.

Man City willing to make £70m bid to sign Bruno Guimaraes

According to a report from Spain, Man City are ready to firm up their interest in Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes by making a £70m offer which is being led by Guardiola.

The Brazilian midfielder has been linked with a move to the Etihad in the past and is once again being eyed by the Citizens, who see Guimaraes partnering Rodri.

The possibility of a move materialising will depend on Newcastle’s attempts to qualify for Europe, and if the Magpies fail to make the Champions League, a transfer could be on the cards.

Guimaraes is seen as an ideal fit for Guardiola, who believes the Newcastle star will fit perfectly into his plans. The 27-year-old has been at St James’ Park since 2022 and is under contract for another three years. He’s captained Newcastle in all 28 of their Premier League games this season and was praised by Guardiola last year.

“He is an exceptional holding midfielder. He is aggressive, with the ball or without the ball,” said Guardiola on Guimaraes.

“At set pieces, he’s aggressive and is a real, complete holding midfielder since being at Lyon and now at a club who want to grow up and up. I’m sure he’s part of the project for the next years. Definitely.”

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However, 12 months on, and it looks as if City will try again in an attempt to take Guimaraes from Tyneside, so it could be a situation to keep an eye on.

da esport bet： While there is a strong chance that this season is another that ends without any silverware, Arsenal have an exceptionally talented squad.

da winzada777： When fit, Bukayo Saka is one of the most dangerous wingers in world football, and now, in Ethan Nwaneri, he has a genuine understudy who looks like he could reach the same level a few years from now.

In the middle of the park, an inform Martin Odegaard can be near enough unplayable while Declan Rice continues to run games from central or defensive midfield.

Finally, the team’s strongest area, the defence, is bursting with world-class talent, but without a doubt, the jewel in the crown is William Saliba, and based on recent reports, the club are now looking to sign someone who could be the next version of the Frenchman.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several teams interested in signing Ajax defender Jorrel Hato.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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In fact, alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Liverpool are all preparing to make an offer for the youngster this summer.

How much the defender might cost is not mentioned in the report, but his final price tag varies dramatically, with some stories claiming he could be available for as little as £25m, while others suggest he’d cost around £40m.

It could be a complicated and potentially costly transfer to get over the line for Arsenal, but given Hato’s impressive ability and immense potential, one well worth pursuing, especially if he can be the next Saliba.

Why Hato could be the next Saliba

Now, we know that comparing a young defender who can thrive as a full-back or centre-back still playing in the Eredivisie to someone like Saliba, who is considered to be one of the best centre-backs in the business and has proven himself in the Premier League, might sound absurd.

Nevertheless, there are some key similarities between the pair.

The first is that, like the Frenchman before he joined Arsenal in 2019, there is an awful lot of hype, excitement and expectation about what Hato could develop into in the coming years.

For example, respected football analyst Ben Mattinson has described the teenager as an “exceptional athlete” who has “the potential to be an elite lockdown full-back”, while U23 scout Antonio Mango simply described the defender as an “insane” prospect and talent scout Jacek Kulig went a step further, dubbing him “one of the most talented CBs of his generation in Europe.”

On top of that, the Rotterdam-born gem has also been named in ninth place, ahead of Archie Gray, on GOAL’s 2025 NXGN list, which looks at the most exciting young players born on or after January 1st 2006.

Hato’s senior record

Appearances

103

Starts

94

Minutes

8457′

Goals

4

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.12

Minutes per Goal Involvement

650.53′

Points per Game

1.86

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, this belief that the Dutchman is going to be something special is why the Gunners are set to have some serious competition for his signature this summer, as they did when both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur tried to sign Saliba before they got their hands on him.

Finally, if the North Londoners were able to get their hands on the Ajax star this summer, then like the Frenchman in 2019, he’d be making the big move before he was even 20, as he’ll still be a teenager until March 7th next year.

Ultimately, Arsenal already have a sensationally talented defence, with Saliba at the heart of it, and while it could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, they’d only be making it even better by signing Hato at the end of the season.

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da jogodeouro： Celtic found themselves on the receiving end of a loss in the Scottish Premiership for the second time in their last three matches on Sunday afternoon.

da supremo： The Hoops were beaten 1-0 by bottom-of-the-league St. Johnstone in a shock result at McDiarmid Park, as they conceded to Daniels Balodis after just four minutes.

It was an incredibly frustrating afternoon for Brendan Rodgers and his side because they had 26 efforts on goal and created two ‘big chances’, but failed to find the back of the net a single time.

The Premiership leaders did not convert the quality opportunities that they fashioned throughout the match, as their star attackers did not step up to showcase the best of their abilities.

Daizen Maeda, who has scored 30 goals and provided nine assists in all competitions so far this season, only had 19 touches of the ball and two of Celtic’s 26 shots, whilst he did not create a single chance for his teammates during his time on the pitch.

Rodgers has some difficult decisions to make ahead of the clash with Kilmarnock at Parkhead next weekend, and one star who must be ruthlessly ditched from the team is winger Nicolas Kuhn.

Why Nicolas Kuhn should be dropped

The German forward was withdrawn from the action as part of a double substitution at half-time after a frustrating first half of action on the right wing.

Kuhn has left himself in a position where supporters and the management team expect big things from him because of his form earlier in the campaign, having racked up 18 goals and 14 assists in all competitions.

He established himself as a star performer for the Scottish giants and that is why it is so noticeable when he is not at his best, because the team suffers as a result of his lack of impact.

Nicolas Kuhn

Vs St Johnstone

24/25 Premiership (per game)

Goals + assists

0

0.67

Shots

2

1.8

Shots on target

0

0.8

Key passes

1

1.7

Big chances created

0

0.4

Pass success rate

72%

76%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Kuhn has averaged a goal or an assist more often than not, and a shot on target more often than not, in the Premiership this season, but he managed neither against St. Johnstone.

Put simply, more is expected of the former Rapid Vienna star than he showed in the 1-0 defeat on Sunday, which is why it was a disappointing display and why the manager must, now, drop him for the clash with Kilmarnock.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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Rodgers does have plenty of options at his disposal to make alterations to the starting line-up, and one possible replacement for Kuhn would be Hyun-jun Yang.

Hyun-jun Yang's improvement at Celtic

The South Korean whiz joined on a permanent deal from Gangwon in the summer of 2023 and endured a difficult first season with the Scottish giants.

Yang ended the 2023/24 campaign with a tally of just one goal and three assists in 31 appearances in all competitions, as he failed to offer much of a threat at the top end of the pitch.

Given that paltry return in front of goal, it would not have been a surprise to have seen the forward moved on from Parkhead in the summer transfer window last year. Instead of leaving, though, the 22-year-old ace stayed to fight for a place in the squad, and has earned one.

Hyun-jun Yang (Premiership)

23/24

24/25

Appearances

24

20

Starts

10

8

Goals

1

4

Conversion rate

5%

27%

Pass accuracy

81%

86%

Assists

3

3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Yang has been as creative as he was in the Premiership last season, but has offered far more of a threat as a goalscorer for the Hoops.

The South Korea international has racked up five goals and six assists in 30 matches in all competitions, which means that the winger has provided five more goals and three more assists than he did last term.

Despite that obvious improvement from Yang in the final third, it is Adam Idah who should be brought in to replace Kuhn in the starting line-up next weekend.

Why Adam Idah must be unleashed

The Ireland international should come in to start ahead of the German winger, with Maeda moving out wide on the left and Jota moving over to the right, to play as the number nine.

Idah’s pace and power was on full display in the defeat to St. Johnstone after he came off the bench to throw his hat in the ring to start next time out with a strong showing.

The Irish marksman should have had an assist for an equalising goal when he brilliantly burst down the right channel and produced an inch-perfect cross for James Forrest, who fired his shot down the middle of the goal to be blocked by the goalkeeper.

Idah, who won five of his six duels, ended his 29 minutes on the pitch with one dribble completed, two chances created, one ‘big chance’ created, five shots, and one shot on target.

These statistics show that the former Norwich City centre-forward, whose talent was once dubbed “incredible” by Rodgers, made an impact off the bench on Sunday, which is why he should now be brought in to show what he can do from the start against Kilmarnock.

The 24-year-old attacker, who has scored 14 goals in all competitions, has scored eight goals and created six ‘big chances’ in 15 starts in the Premiership so far this term.

Idah’s finishing has not always been good enough, with 13 ‘big chances’ missed, but he causes opposition defenders problems with his pace and power, as he did off the bench against St. Johnstone, which is why Rodgers must bring him into the XI next weekend.

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It is now down to the former Liverpool and Leicester boss to ruthlessly ditch Kuhn from the team to unleash Idah, whilst moving Maeda back out to the wing.

da aviator aposta： Manchester United have reportedly submitted an offer to Barcelona for one of their remarkable defenders, according to a new transfer update.

Man Utd looking to save season in Europa League as Ratcliffe eyes signings

da blaze casino： The Red Devils are on course to finish in the bottom half of the Premier League, with Ruben Amorim’s side losing 1-0 to Nottingham Forest last time out.

Also unable to defend their FA Cup crown, United’s only chance of silverware is in the Europa League, where they will take on Lyon in the quarter-finals over the next two weeks.

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Should they defeat the Ligue 1 side, Man Utd will then take on Rangers on Athletic Club in the semi-finals, and if they make it to Bilbao, Tottenham Frankfurt, Bodo/Glimt or Lazio would await.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS look set to shake things up at Old Trafford over the summer, with at least 10 Man Utd players on more than £1.8m a week on course to be moved on over the coming months.

That will allow room for new signings, and by the looks of things, attack is an area where Amorim wants to improve.

Man Utd’s next 5 fixtures

Date

Man Utd vs Man City

April 6

Lyon vs Man Utd

April 10

Newcastle vs Man Utd

April 13

Man Utd vs Lyon

April 17

Man Utd vs Wolves

April 20

The club have been linked with numerous players ahead of the 2025.26 season, with contact made for Lyon attacker Rayan Cherki. Hugo Ekitike and Lorenzo Lucca have been identified as striker targets, and now, a new defender is of interest to the Red Devils.

Man Utd make £40m+ offer to sign Barcelona star Balde

According to a report from Spain, Man Utd have made an offer of €50m (£41.7m) to sign Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde.

The report says that Balde’s progress under Hansi Flick has been ‘remarkable’, and that has caught the eye of the Red Devils, who only recently signed Patrick Dorgu from Lecce.

Man Utd’s bid hasn’t been enough to tempt Barcelona, who have already rejected the proposal presented by INEOS and have made Balde not for sale.

The 21-year-old, who has the same agency as Leny Yoro, is a product of Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy and has been a regular this season under Flick.

Balde was also previously hailed by former boss Xavi Hernandez, who was amazed by the full-back when he was a teenager.

“I have seen that they did a lot of individual marking and Balde can generate superiorities inside and out. It never ceases to amaze me that an 18-year-old boy is at this level. He has a lot of confidence and personality, he has a great physical condition and he’s going to give us a lot.”

It’ll be interesting to see where United turn to now in regards to looking at new full-backs to rival Diogo Dalot and Dorgu, as it seems a move for Balde is off the cards.

da bet7： Arsenal have held talks to sign a once-marquee forward “in recent days”, and he was likely impressed by Mikel Arteta’s side last night as they hammered Real Madrid 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Arsenal beat Real Madrid 3-0 in hugely important Champions League win

da bet sport： Arsenal wowed on-lookers with a stunning victory over the European champions on Tuesday evening, courtesy of two sublime free-kicks from club-record signing Declan Rice and a brilliant Mikel Merino finish.

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Eduardo Camavinga was also sent off in the dying minutes of the game and the France international is set to miss their return leg in Spain as a result, compounding Real’s misery in what was a real night to forget for the La Liga heavyweights.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

April 23rd

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

It was a statement performance by the Gunners, who put Real to the sword and placed one foot in the Champions League semi-final draw, but history shows they cannot take the second leg at the Bernabeu lightly, as Carlo Ancelotti’s men have sparked unlikely comebacks in previous seasons.

“I’m very proud, we had a very complete and big performance collectively, and you need that in the organisation and what we had to do to dominate the game and to create Madrid problems,” said Arteta after Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Real.

“This night is about all two factors, one is the atmosphere that we created 15 minutes before kick-off is something I haven’t seen before, so playing with that energy, with that commitment, with your crowd makes a huge difference. And then magic moments, individual moments that decide all matches and the first two goals of Declan sums up the night.”

Following last night’s display, Arsenal’s odds of winning the tournament have increased dramatically, and supporters will be hopeful they can put Real to bed and go on to make history by winning their first-ever Champions League title.

An impressive run in Europe would also do wonders to attract key summer transfer targets, with new sporting director Andrea Berta already working on potential Arsenal signings for next season.

Arsenal hold "fresh" Leroy Sane talks "in recent days"

As things stand, the north Londoners still have a chance of signing former Man City forward and Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane on a Bosman deal.

The Germany international, who once commanded a £137 million price tag when he was at Eastlands, could leave for nothing if his contract is allowed to expire on June 30th, but Bayern remain at work to tie him down.

That is according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, who also says Arsenal have held “fresh talks” with Sane “in recent days”.

The 29-year-old has 11 goals and five assists to his name in all competitions this season, adding to his overall total of 59 strikes and 54 assists since joining the Bavarians, and he’s a proven big-game player.

There is little denying Sane would be an excellent alternative to Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side, but much will hinder on Bayern’s attempts to wrap up a new deal.