Antonio Conte has dropped an update on the current condition of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Oliver Skipp.
What’s the latest?
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Spurs’ meeting with Leicester City on Sunday afternoon (via football.london), the Italian manager revealed that the 21-year-old’s surgery on his pubis injury went well, and that the England U21 international will be returning to first-team training this summer.
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Regarding Skipp’s injury, the 52-year-old said: “I have spoken with the doctors and they said to me that the surgery was OK, it went well. For sure, Oliver will be ready for pre-season, for next season.
“It’s a pity because don’t forget that we lost two players in Skipp and Tanganga from January. We don’t have two reliable players like them and for sure it’s not good for me to manage the situation. This squad is not so deep so to lose two players that for us we’re talking about important players; it’s not good news.”
Supporters will be buzzing
Considering the sheer amount of potential Skipp quite clearly possesses, the news that the midfielder’s surgery appears to have gone well is undoubtedly fantastic for everyone involved with Tottenham, not to mention being something that will leave supporters buzzing.
Indeed, despite his tender age, the £18m-rated talent has already made 51 appearances for the first-team, with the youngster looking to have been a particularly important part of Conte’s long-term plans in north London – featuring in all but one of the 14 fixtures in which he was available for selection following the Italian’s arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
As such, while it is undoubtedly a huge blow to have lost the services of the £50k-per-week starlet for the remainder of their 2021/22 campaign, with it looking as if Skipp is in line to make a full recovery well before next season kick-offs, Conte and supporters can look forward to seeing the continued development of one of their most exciting young talents in the not too distant future.
AND in other news: “Eyeing move…”: Journo drops big Spurs transfer claim, he’s a “young Paul Gascoigne”
Manchester United have been in contact over the 2026 signing of a “supertalent” ahead of Premier League rivals Liverpool.
Man Utd’s midfield search after update on Casemiro contract
The Red Devils and Ruben Amorim look set to be on the hunt for a midfield refresh in the New Year, with Casemiro’s contract set to expire in 2026.
The Red Devils hold an option to extend the Brazilian’s stay by an additional year, but that may not happen, with Amorim and INEOS seemingly clashing behind the scenes in regards to Casemiro.
Amorim thinks he is still needed at Old Trafford, whereas executives are asking for a wage cut instead of triggering the extension option until 2027, something which Casemiro, the top earner at Man Utd, is unlikely to accept.
1
Casemiro
£350,000
£18,200,000
2
Bruno Fernandes
£300,000
£15,600,000
3
Matthijs de Ligt
£195,000
£10,140,000
4
Harry Maguire
£190,000
£9,880,000
5
Matheus Cunha
£180,000
£9,360,000
United arguably need midfield additions even if Casemiro remains in Manchester, especially with Kobbie Mainoo down the pecking order and Manuel Ugarte likewise falling out of favour under Amorim.
Man Utd chief makes contact for Smit
According to CaughtOffside, Man Utd have made their first move to sign AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit.
Christopher Vivell, United’s director of recruitment, is the one who has reached out over an Old Trafford move, with the Red Devils looking to get ahead of Liverpool in the race for the £25m midfielder.
“Everyone at AZ is aware that Smit is likely to attract offers, and they’re open now to letting him go for the right price next summer.
“£25m is the figure I’m hearing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a deal ends up initially being agreed in January to then go through in the summer.
“Christopher Vivell has been internally discussing Smit for some time now, and he’s also contacted the player to sound him out about a move.”
Hailed as a “supertalent” in the past by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Smit has already reached 50 senior appearances for AZ Alkmaar and is catching the eye in the Netherlands.
Former Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has even compared the 19-year-old to Pedri, who is arguably the best midfielder in the world right now.
“I almost regret mentioning his name again [Pedri], but he’s a guy who plays in the same position. The way he turns away from his opponent, the way he scans the area, his two-footedness… I saw that in Pedri too. If he gets half his career, we’ll be very happy in the Netherlands.”
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Capable of playing in defensive or advanced midfield alongside his regular box-to-box role, Smit looks like he’ll be one to watch in 2026.
Man Utd now very keen on signing "amazing" midfielder likened to N'Golo Kante
Leeds United’s start to the 2025/26 Premier League season has been impressive. The Whites have begun strongly in their return to the top flight, after two seasons in the Championship.
Of course, their promotion campaign last term was one of complete dominance under Daniel Farke.
They’ve already picked up eight points this season, which, according to Understat, is actually below the number of expected points. That tally sits at 9.96xPTS, which places the West Yorkshire outfit 10th in the table for that specific metric.
After a big summer transfer window, this Leeds side has a new look, with a few of their integral player from the Championship success struggling to get into the side this term.
The Leeds promotion stars who can’t get into team
It might be strange to see a couple of players from Farke’s dominant side last season, now struggling to get any sort of regular gametime this term. One of those is midfielder Ao Tanaka, who was a key cog in the middle of the park in 2024/25.
Yet, the Japanese international simply can’t get a look in, with Farke’s midfield signings of Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach preferred.
Last season, he played 43 times in the Championship, chipping in with seven goal involvements. So far this term, he’s only played 181 minutes of top-flight football.
Midfielder Tanaka is not the only player who falls into this category. Centre-forward Joel Piroe was a key player for Farke last season, scoring 19 times in 43 games, backing up his 13 goals from the season before.
He even bagged four goals in a single game against Stoke City.
After signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, however, Piroe simply can’t get a look in. He’s played fewer minutes in the top flight than Tanaka, racking up 147 across just three appearances this season.
He hasn’t scored yet, either.
There is one Leeds player who has played even fewer minutes this season, despite an important role in the 2024/25 campaign.
Why Leeds need to sell the "best in the league"
The start to the new season has shown that Farke is not afraid to make some big calls and replace the players who were so integral last season. You could call it a lack of loyalty, although it is a decision that is proving to be correct so far.
Another player who falls into the same category is goalkeeper Illan Meslier. Once described by Farke as “the best goalkeeper in the league,” he’s now fallen down the pecking order and can’t get into the Whites’ starting lineup.
Last term, the 25-year-old was, for much of the season, Leeds’ first-choice shot-stopper. He played the first 39 games of the season, but for the last seven, he was dropped from the side, following a string of mistakes.
That included his remarkable error against Sunderland.
It was not just that moment against the Black Cats, but “numerous monumental errors,” that cost him his place, according to Jonathan Buchan, BBC Radio Leeds Sports Editor.
As a result, Meslier has not played a single minute this season.
There are stats that back up this poor form on display from the goalkeeper, who was born in Lorient. For example, last season he averaged minus 3.11 goals prevented, meaning he conceded three extra goals than he should have.
Goals conceded
0.7
27
Saves made
1.7
65
Long balls completed
98
2.5
Goals prevented
-0.08
-3.11
Perhaps it is time for Leeds to move on from the Frenchman. He is the second choice behind Karl Darlow at the moment, and when summer signing Lucas Perri returns, it is surely safe to assume he will become Farke’s third choice.
It is a sad fall from grace for a goalkeeper once so highly rated by Farke. Yet, with the number of mistakes made by Meslier over the last 12 months in particular, it is understandable why he has been dropped, especially in the pressure cooker of the Premier League.
Their answer to Saka: Leeds now have "one of England's best prospects"
Leeds United have a teen star in their academy who could emerge as their own Bukayo Saka-type player.
As they look to get back to winning ways in the Premier League against Nottingham Forest this weekend, one Newcastle United star has received impressive praise from a club legend.
Howe previews "big" Nottingham Forest clash
So far, it’s been a good week for Eddie Howe and Newcastle. The Magpies netted four in a convincing victory against Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League and must now take that goalscoring form into the Premier League having so far scored just six goals in six league games.
Howe didn’t shy away from the importance of Nottingham Forest’s visit, either, whilst also taking the time to praise Ange Postecoglou as the Australian aims to turn things around following a tough start in the Midlands.
The Newcastle boss also confirmed the extent of Tino Livramento’s injury. Whilst the fullback thankfully avoided an ACL tear, he will miss the next eight weeks on the sidelines.
Howe told reporters: “He went to see a specialist, the scan initially looked better than we thought it was. The specialist confirmed it is an 8-week injury, which is a blow for us with the number of games we have in that period. It is a ligament injury and it will take time to recover.”
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The Magpies could spend big again…
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Although he’ll be without Livramento, there are still positives for the Newcastle boss ahead of this weekend. Nick Woltemade continued his strong start against USG by netting on his Champions League debut and another star player also enjoyed his best performance to earn praise from Alan Shearer.
Shearer blown away by "unbelievable" Elanga trait
Full of praise for Newcastle after they eased past USG, Shearer revealed that he’s been blown away by Elanga’s pace. The former Nottingham Forest star picked up the Man of the Match award after picking up an assist and running his UCL opponents ragged with his electric speed.
The Newcastle legend revealed his shock at just how quick Elanga looked in midweek, saying on The Rest Is Football podcast: “He’s rapid, isn’t he? I mean, oh my God, he’s like incredibly quick. It’s unbelievable how quick he is.”
It’s not the first time that the Swede’s speed has been on full show, either. Just last season, Elanga clocked the third-quickest run time and was only behind Matheus Nunes and Micky van de Ven.
In what has been an excellent week for Newcastle’s summer signing, he’d love nothing more than to cap things off by scoring his first goal for the club against his former side this weekend. A place on the scoresheet would truly get him up and running at St James’ Park.
In an attempt to bolster the attacking midfield department, Tottenham Hotspur completed the signing of talented youngster Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig.
The hierarchy forked out a staggering £52m for his signature, a figure that made him the fourth-highest addition in their history – being one of five players to join the club for £50m or more.
At just 22, he’s seen as an immediate and long-term solution to the issue in such an area, already showcasing his quality in his first handful of Premier League appearances.
Simons has already notched an assist for the Lilywhites, teeing up Pape Matar Sarr from a set piece in the 3-0 triumph against local rivals West Ham United.
However, a deal for the youngster may not have been completed, especially if they had agreed another deal for a player who was previously on their radar.
Eberechi Eze’s proposed move to Spurs this summer
After missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White, Spurs turned their attention to fellow English star Eberechi Eze in an attempt to improve the options at Thomas Frank’s disposal in forward areas.
At one stage, a deal appeared extremely likely to be completed, with the player himself in advanced talks over a switch to join the Lilywhites and move across the capital from Crystal Palace.
However, despite a £60m fee being mooted, a deal would rapidly crumble in front of the supporters’ very eyes – with such a failure undoubtedly being a disappointment given the previous failures.
Eze would instead make a move to join Spurs’ North London rivals Arsenal in a deal totalling £67.5m including add-ons – further adding pain to the fans after missing out on his signature.
The Englishman’s announcement video with the Gunners threw shade on his failed move to join Frank’s side, claiming that he always wanted to join the Arsenal after previously playing for them as a youngster.
However, alongside the deal to land Simons instead, the club already have another talent on their books who could emulate the former Palace star’s success in the Premier League.
The Spurs star who’d be their very own Eze
Spurs’ academy setup has allowed for numerous top-level talents to emerge over the last couple of years – potentially saving them millions of pounds in the years ahead.
Mikey Moore was a player who took advantage of the injury crisis last campaign, subsequently making 19 appearances for the first-team across all competitions.
The teenager even scored his first senior goal in the Europa League victory over Elfsborg, showcasing the talent and potential he possesses to become a key member of the squad in the years ahead.
He’s not alone in having huge potential in North London, with midfielder George Abbott another star who could become a key man under Frank during his tenure.
The 20-year-old joined the club at the age of just seven, spending a decade at youth level before penning his first senior contract with his boyhood club at 17.
Abbott enjoyed his first taste of senior action last campaign, racking up 44 appearances on loan at League Two outfit Notts County – scoring six and registering seven assists.
Such performances led to one County analyst dubbing the youngster as “incredible” – even winning the EFL’s Goal of the Season for his effort against Accrington Stanley.
He would return to North London for pre-season, even starring in some of the fitness tests conducted by the first-team – further showcasing his remarkable talents despite his tender age.
Abbott is currently spending the 2025/26 season on loan at League One side Wycombe Wanderers, even scoring his first goal of the season against Northampton Town on Saturday afternoon.
Games played
44
Goals & assists
13
Pass accuracy
87%
Chances created
1.2
Fouls won
1.3
Tackles won
1.6
Interceptions made
1.7
Recoveries made
5.2
Such a stint is similar to Eze, with the now Arsenal talent previously spending time on loan at the same club before making a name for himself in England’s top-flight.
There’s no denying that Abbott has a long way to go before reaching such levels, but the comparisons are there for all to see, with the midfielder needing to continue on his current development path.
If he can continue starring like he has done in recent years, the sky will be the limit for the 20-year-old talent, potentially having a key role to play in Frank’s potential success.
Should he get to the levels of Eze, it would once again highlight the impact of the club’s academy setup – with Abbott the next in a long line of stars to emerge out of the youth setup.
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Tottenham Hotspur may have made a mistake in allowing one former talent to depart the club for free.
One of the biggest priorities for Arsenal this summer is to sign a new centre forward with Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko both touted.
Yet, the Gunners must also bolster their options out wide where Bukayo Saka could do with added assistance on the right wing. Upgrades on Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, the scorers of ten goals apiece last term, could also be upgraded.
Andrea Berta has reportedly been looking at whole host of options with Premier League trio Anthony Gordon, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers all reportedly on their radar.
However, reports over the last 48 hours have suggested that Noni Madueke is now a very realistic option for Arsenal in the transfer window.
How Arsenal could strengthen out wide
The ever-reliable David Ornstein revealed to his followers on Saturday afternoon that Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Madueke.
Club-to-club talks are yet to take place but the Gunners have clearly not done a lot of work on the player side.
Chelsea are now expecting a bid from the Gunners in the forthcoming days, according to Sky Sports.
Capable of playing on the right or the left, the England international would add solid cover along the Arsenal attack, but truth be told, they can surely do better than this.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Well, one option is Real Madrid’s Rodrygo. They have flirted with making a move for the Brazilian for most of the window and according to prior reports, positive talks have been held regarding a move.
Reports from Spain a few days ago suggested that Arsenal were prepared to put a whopping £78m on the table to prise the winger away from the Spanish capital and it’s now been revealed that he actually fancies a move.
According to Gunners insider, Hand of Arsenal, intermediaries working with clubs in Saudi Arabia have been told that “in no uncertain terms that Rodrygo’s preference is to move to the Premier League.”
The report goes on to reveal that Arsenal is the Brazil star’s “absolute priority” if a deal can be struck with Madrid.
How Rodrygo compares to Noni Madueke
There are understandable concerns from Arsenal supporters that Madueke would be another dud Chelsea player they’ve signed.
However, he does have immense talent. The winger scored a Premier League hat-trick in 2024/25 and despite the wealth of riches available to Enzo Maresca in attack, the England international still started 27 games in the top-flight.
Yet, he’s not Rodrygo, is he? The Brazil “superstar”, as he’s been dubbed by former teammate Luka Modric, has a history of scoring plenty of goals in Spain and the best campaign of his career came back in 2022/23, when he found the net on 19 occasions.
He may have only scored six times in LaLiga throughout the last campaign but he found the net 14 times across all competitions. He also supplied 11 assists to rubberstamp his threat as a creator too.
Madueke, on the other hand, only scored 11 goals in all competitions and registered just five assists. Already, we can see that Rodrygo produces better output. But, where else does the 24-year-old Madrista thrive?
Goals per game
0.24
0.25
Assists per game
0.11
0.20
Shots *
3.54
2.52
Key passes *
1.42
2.29
Progressive passes *
3.05
5.05
Shot-creating actions *
3.50
4.95
Successful take-ons *
1.99
2.29
Progressive carries
6.81
5.28
Carries
28.4
41.5
Touches
43.4
62.6
Well, in 80% of the metrics analysed, it’s the Madrid sensation who comes out on top. Not only does he produce more goals and assists per game, but he’s just overall a much greater threat in the final third of the pitch.
Madueke does trump him for progressive carries, but that aside, there are some big wins for Arsenal’s £78m target, perhaps most notably in a creative sense, where he registered more progressive passes, shot-creating actions and key passes.
Yes, Arsenal had problems scoring goals last term but with Saka out injured, they also lacked a bit of creativity. After all, no one in the Premier League came close to matching his level of output in that regard.
Saka produced the highest number of expected assists per 90 minutes last term (0.52) in the entire division, more than even Mo Salah, who produced 0.48.
So, with Rodrygo looking a lot more like the complete package when compared to Madueke, he must be Arsenal’s biggest priority once they’ve got a striker over the line.
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It’s now less than three weeks until Aston Villa’s pre-season schedule begins.
The Claret and Blue Army will take on neighbours Walsall at the Bescot on Wednesday 16 July, before heading to Germany where they’ll face Hansa Rostock at Ostseestadion.
Unai Emery’s team will then head stateside for a three-game series, facing Eintracht Frankfurt in Louisville and then a pair of MLS outfits, namely St. Louis City and Nashville, before returning to the Midlands for a meeting with Roma.
Before any of that, will President of Football Operations, Monchi, land any new signings?
Aston Villa targeting new attackers
As outlined by Jacob Tanswell and Gregg Evans of the Athletic, Aston Villa are in serious danger of breaching the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules, having recorded losses of £195m over the last two seasons.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
This predicament forced them to sell, namely losing Jhon Durán back in January when Saudi came calling.
Al-Nassr paid a reported fee of £71m over the winter, with Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford arriving to replace him, albeit it’s unclear if either will be returning, following the expiration of their loans.
With Rashford certainly the less likely of the two to be back in claret and blue, John Townley of Birmingham Live is reporting that the Villans are targeting a move to sign Jesús Rodríguez.
He adds that the Real Betis winger is ‘attracting widespread interest from across Europe’, namely from RB Leipzig, Como and others.
Nevertheless, Villa are purportedly ‘confident’ of convincing Rodríguez that linking up with Emery ‘would best support his development’, with a report by Spanish outlet Marca stating that 19 year old has a €35m (around £30m) release clause.
Why Jesús Rodríguez is a bigger talent than Marcus Rashford
As alluded to earlier, it seems very unlikely that Rashford will be returning to Villa next season, despite a generally successful loan spell, in which he scored four goals and registered six assists in 17 appearances across all competitions.
Manchester United’s reported £40m price tag is seemingly putting off all potential suitors, hence why Jamie Jackson of the Guardian is reporting that Barcelona would be interested in taking Rashford on loan, but cannot sanction a permanent deal.
Thus, the Villans have seemingly turned their attention to Rodríguez, so let’s compare the duo.
Appearances
32
17
Minutes
1,739
940
Goals
3
4
Assists
2
6
Shots
1.6
1.6
Chances Created
0.6
1.7
Take-ons completed
3.1
1.7
Take-on success %
47%
34%
Touches
53
47.5
Touches in the box
6.4
5.6
As the table outlines, while Rashford’s raw data, goals and assists are better, Rodríguez’s underlying numbers are more impressive, while the pair are stylistically very different.
Rashford is about end-product, while the Spanish teenager is much more of a dribbler, as underlined by his higher take-on statistics, as well as the fact he registered more touches, both in the opposition’s penalty area and in general.
John Menzies of Football España documents how the 19-year-old enjoyed a ‘breakout season’ at Betis, making his senior debut against Gévora in the Copa del Rey as recently as last Halloween.
By the end of the campaign, he had established himself as a key figure in Manuel Pellegrini’s team, starting 15 La Liga matches from 1 December onwards, as well as four matches during the Conference League knockout stages, on target during the quarter-final victory over Jagiellonia Białystok, en route to the final in Wrocław.
This summer, Rodríguez has been away at the U21 European Championships, starting and netting against Italy in Trnava, before Santi Denia’s side were dumped out by England in the quarter-finals last weekend.
Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labels him an “explosive winger”, asserting that his best attributes are his “acceleration, dribbling and work rate”.
Real Betis'JesusRodriguezcelebrates scoring their second goal
Meantime, Luke Petty of Breaking the Lines believes the teenager is ‘already an outstanding asset’ thanks to his high-quality dribbling and ‘exceptional athleticism’, which allows him to cover ground easily, leaving him in the 99th percentile when it comes to regaining the ball via pressing, according to Statsbomb.
Thus, it is clear that Rodríguez is a highly talented youngster, perhaps even more so than Rashford, meaning he would be an excellent addition for cash-strapped Villa.
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Everton have been strongly linked with a move for Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker, but another Premier League player is also seen as an option.
Everton make contact over Walker signing
The Blues are looking to seal the high-profile signing of Walker this summer, with the 35-year-old allowed to leave City after a legendary stint there that has seen him win six Premier League titles.
Walker may not be the player of old, but that’s not to say that he doesn’t still have plenty to offer, and Everton would see him as an upgrade on the departing Ashley Young, as well as a player with a winning mentality and a huge amount of experience at the top level.
The fact that David Moyes has reportedly approved the transfer can only be a good thing, too, with the manager needing to have a big say in any transfer business that happens at the club this summer.
For now, it looks as though Walker may complete a move to Everton, even though there is also interest from other clubs, but different targets also need to be looked at in case the move doesn’t happen. Now, a new name has now been thrown into the hat as a potential addition for the Merseysiders.
Everton eyeing "underappreciated" Walker alternative
According to The Guardian‘s Jamie Jackson and Will Unwin, Everton are also interested in signing Fulham right-back Kenny Tete, should they decide not to strike a deal with Walker.
The 29-year-old will be a free agent at the end of this month, with his deal at Craven Cottage expiring, and he is mentioned as an option for the Blues, as are West Ham’s Vladimir Coufal and Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters.
Tete, a 14-cap Netherlands international, may not be as renowned or as explosive a player as Walker, but he is six years younger and could be an astute signing by Everton, having been lauded by pundit Robbie Mustoe for his “unsung” style of play.
“I just love the way they defend as well. Kenny Tete I think is often another one who is underappreciated. He doesn’t half do a good job, he’s a good defender, steady on the ball, I think he’s a fan favourite and he was missed last year, I think it was last year that he was out for a while. I just made a quick note about him, he was one of those unsung guys at a club that is really important to the way they defend.”
Appearances
22
15
Starts
21
9
Minutes played
1779
967
Clearances per game
2.8
0.7
Tackles per game
2.5
1.1
Interceptions per game
1.5
0.2
Aerial duel wins per game
1.2
0.6
Goals
0
0
Assists
2
0
Tete has always been a steady performer for Fulham, averaging 2.8 clearances and 2.5 tackles per game in the Premier League last season, and he could be a solid addition for Everton.
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Everton are looking to sign a striker or two this summer
Celtic have already completed their first signing of the summer transfer window, which opened for business on Sunday, by agreeing to bring Kieran Tierney back to Parkhead.
The Scotland international will officially return to the club at the end of this month, upon the expiry of his contract at Arsenal, to be Brendan Rodgers’ left-back for the 2025/26 campaign and beyond.
Tierney, as you can see in the graphic above, won five Scottish Premiership titles during his first stint in Paradise after coming up through the academy system, before being sold to Arsenal for £25m in the summer of 2019.
Six years later and the Scottish full-back is returning to the club on a free transfer to bolster the Northern Irish head coach’s options at the back next term.
Tierney is not the only former Celtic full-back sold for big money who is on the move this summer, though, as Jeremie Frimpong has signed for Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported fee of £29.5m.
How Celtic hit the jackpot with Jeremie Frimpong
The Hoops hit the jackpot with the full-back when they snapped him up from Premier League giants Manchester City for a very modest fee of £300k in the summer of 2019, a few months after Rodgers left to join Leicester City.
Celtic were willing to take a gamble on a player who had not played a minute of senior football up to that point, as he had been playing
U23 and U18 football for City.
Former Celtic defender Jeremie Frimpong.
Because of his lack of senior experience, there was no way for the club to know how he would adapt to playing regular first-team football in Scotland, which is why it was a risk to bring him in as a right-back option.
However, he hit the ground running for the Hoops, winning the domestic treble in the 2019/20 campaign, with a fantastic debut season as a senior player.
Frimpong stayed at Celtic for another six months, playing 22 times in the 2020/21 Premiership season, before signing for Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth up to £11.5m at the start of 2021.
This shows that the club hit the jackpot with the defender because they were willing to take a gamble on an inexperienced young full-back from England for a modest fee, and went on to make a huge profit on the defender.
Frimpong then went on to provide 30 goals and 44 assists in 194 appearances for Leverkusen in all competitions before his big-money move to Liverpool this summer.
The Scottish giants are now reportedly eyeing up a move for the full-back who could follow in the Netherlands international’s footsteps at Parkhead.
Celtic eyeing move for English full-back
According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign left-back Harley Mills from English League One side Peterborough United in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Posh are currently mulling over an approach from Premier League side Fulham, who have offered £1m for the teenage defender, which shows that there is competition for his signature.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It states that Celtic have joined the race for the League One full-back because Rodgers wants to bring in competition in the left-back position for Tierney, who is poised to return to Parkhead on a free transfer from Arsenal at the end of the month.
Greg Taylor is out of contract and currently due to move on from the Scottish giants this summer, whilst Jeffrey Schlupp’s loan deal has expired, which has left Tierney as the only left-back contracted to the Hoops heading into next season.
Mills has been identified as a player who could come in to provide back-up in that position initially, as a replacement for Taylor, and he could now come through the door this summer as Frimpong 2.0 if Rodgers signs him.
Why Celtic should sign Harley Mills
Firstly, it is worth reinforcing that the 19-year-old talent would only be a second-choice at left-back in the 2025/26 campaign to start with, because Tierney will be the go-to option given what he achieved in his first spell at Parkhead.
This means that there will not be a lot of pressure on Mills to perform straight away, as was the case when Frimpong arrived from Manchester City’s academy, and that is backed up by a potential fee of £1m, which is not a mind-blowing amount of money to spend on a squad option.
He would, therefore, be given time to adapt and adjust to senior football in Scotland, as the young left-back does not have a wealth of experience as a first-team player under his belt.
Mills, who was hailed as “outstanding” by youth coach Jamal Campbell-Ryce, has played 20 times for Peterborough, including 12 appearances in League One, but did catch the eye at Wembley in the final of the EFL Trophy.
The English star scored a phenomenal free-kick in a 2-0 win over Birmingham City for his side, and that capped off what was an excellent campaign for the Posh academy graduate in that competition.
Appearances
6
Sofascore rating
7.25
Goals
2
Key passes per game
1.2
Big chances created
1
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.2
Duel success rate
67%
As you can see in the table above, Mills showcased his quality in and out of possession across six appearances in the EFL Trophy, winning the majority of his duels with opposition attackers whilst also scoring two goals and creating one ‘big chance’ for his teammates.
He only started eight games in League One, averaging 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game and winning 62% of his duels, but his form in that cup competition shows the kind of potential he has as a left-back.
Mills has shown potential as a strong defender, who can win his duels at an efficient rate, and as an attacking force with his quality as a scorer and a creator of goals, which suggests that he is worth gambling on for a fee of £1m.
Like Frimpong, he could be a low-risk full-back signing from English football who could go on to be worth millions more in the future if things go well for him in Glasgow.
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The 2001 FA Cup final was one of the main reasons Michael Owen won the Ballon d’Or, but one Arsenal player was so good in that game he left Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard stunned.
Liverpool beat Arsenal 2-1 in 2001 FA Cup final
Liverpool won an iconic treble in the 2000-01 season, as they were crowned League Cup champions, won the UEFA Cup (renamed UEFA Europa League) and overcame Arsenal in the FA Cup at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
The victory over the Gunners is mainly remembered for the performance of Owen, who was crowned the best player in the world later that year at the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Appearances
55
Goals
31
Assists
8
Trophies
FA Cup, UEFA Cup, League Cup
The Gunners largely dominated the match however, mainly thanks to their midfield of Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira, Gilles Grimandi and Freddie Ljungberg. Ljungberg eventually broke the deadlock about 20 minutes from full time, and the legendary Thierry Henry even missed a chance to make it 2-0 shortly after, which he would soon come to regret.
With less than ten minutes to go, Owen pounced on a poor clearance to equalise. Five minutes later the comeback was complete, as the striker raced past Tony Adams and Lee Dixon before firing a brilliant finish beyond David Seaman.
Owen was unsurprisingly named Man of the Match, but Jamie Carragher has since revealed that such was Arsenal’s dominance, the performance of Vieira left a young Gerrard shocked, so much so he still talked about it for years afterwards.
Vieira was "as good as anything we have seen"
Speaking in 2014, Carragher namede Vieira in his XI of best foreign players in Premier League history, and revealed the Liverpool squad were stunned by how good he was at the Millennium Stadium.
Vieira made 405 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 32 goals and winning seven major trophies, including three Premier League titles.
Gerrard later confirmed his admiration for Gunners legend, saying ahead of their meeting as the managers of Aston Villa and Crystal Palace respectively: “He’s a man I have a lot of admiration and respect for, first and foremost as a player.
Patrick Vieira in pictures
“I had many battles against Patrick, some highs, some lows. He was certainly a player you could really go and compete against. You could kick him, fight him, compete against him and he’d shake your hand after the game.
“He was a top, top footballer and one of the toughest battles I ever faced in terms of being a player, and I expect the same to be the case from the side. I know he’s a winner.”
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And the Liverpool star obviously learned a thing or two from their encounter in the final, as he actually boasts a positive head to head record in matches against Vieira, winning seven, drawing three and losing five.
There is no doubt that the pair were the heartbeat of their clubs and two of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history.