Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has been filmed angrily shoving a fan after Cameroon's shock World Cup qualifying defeat to Cape Verde.
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As the Alexander Isak saga continues to evolve, Liverpool have now reportedly set their sights on beating Everton to one of their top targets in an unexpected hijack.
Having already spent close to ÂŁ300m to welcome the likes of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez, the idea that Liverpool could now break the British transfer record for a second time to sign Isak seems absurd. But Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes are not done with their statement summer, as they look to spend FSG’s riches at long last.
The question that rival fans will be asking is, how exactly can Liverpool afford such a blockbuster summer? The likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle have had run ins with profit and sustainability in the past, so why are those at Anfield in a position to spend before completing significant sales?
The answer, however, is far simpler than the question. This summer has been a long time coming for those at Anfield. Across the last five seasons, Liverpool’s net spend has been ÂŁ200m less than Tottenham Hotspur and they’ve even spent less than West Ham United.
In that time, they won the Premier League, an FA Cup, two Carabao Cups and reached the Champions League final.
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Tom Cunningham
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Now, using that success, and smart sales in that same period, Liverpool are enjoying their biggest-ever transfer window. With that said, even after a potential deal to sign Isak, those at Anfield could reportedly look to get one over on Merseyside rivals Everton this summer.
As reported by Caught Offside, Liverpool are now plotting a shock hijack to sign Douglas Luiz ahead of Everton this summer. The Toffees have already reportedly launched an opening offer to sign the Brazilian, but the Reds’ presence could yet scupper their plans.
The former Aston Villa man looks destined to leave Juventus after his pre-season no-show and a return to the Premier League seems inevitable at this stage.
|
Stats comparison (via FBref) |
Douglas Luiz 23/24 |
Ryan Gravenberch 24/25 |
|---|---|---|
|
Minutes |
2,993 |
3,160 |
|
Progressive Passes |
168 |
181 |
|
Tackles Won |
38 |
35 |
|
Ball Recoveries |
184 |
193 |
Although it’s Liverpool’s attack that could steal the biggest headlines for its strength in depth next season, Arne Slot could also enjoy similar quality in the No.6 role by welcoming Luiz.
At his best in his final season at Aston Villa, the Brazilian put up incredibly similar numbers to Ryan Gravenberch, who unexpectedly became one of Liverpool’s most important players last season.
A player who Villa’s sporting director, Monchi, described as “strong”, Luiz would finally hand Gravenberch some much-needed backup and Slot the chance to hand the Dutchman a much-needed rest at times.
Celtic still have plenty of time left to dip into the market to improve their squad for the 2024/26 campaign before the summer transfer window closes at the start of next month.
Brendan Rodgers has made no secret of his desire to add more quality to his options across the park in the coming weeks, particularly in the attacking areas of the pitch.
Speaking earlier this month, the Northern Irish head coach said: “The squad will hopefully look again different come the end of the window.
“I think it’s very clear. We need to improve in the front end of the pitch. The attacking department has always, and always will be, the strengths of my teams. We’ve lost important players in that area, and we need to replace players in that area.”
As you can see in the post above, Rodgers confirmed back in May that Portuguese winger Jota is set to be out of action for up to nine months with a knee injury.
This means that Celtic supporters may not see the former Benfica starlet out on the pitch in green and white again until January or February of next year.
The Scottish Premiership champions need to sign another left-sided attacker before the window slams shut to ‘replace’ Jota, because he could be out for more than half of the season.
Celtic’s rather drab 1-0 win over St Mirren, decided by a deflected strike from Luke McCowan, highlighted the need for attacking reinforcements to come through the door in the weeks to come.
Rodgers would surely have loved to have had Jota available to bring off the bench, or start, to add some attacking quality in the final third, after the winger delivered four goals and two assists in seven league starts in the second half of last season.
|
24/25 Premiership |
Jota (per 90) |
Percentile rank vs wingers |
|---|---|---|
|
Goals |
0.63 |
Top 6% |
|
xG |
0.48 |
Top 8% |
|
Assists |
0.32 |
Top 17% |
|
xA |
0.37 |
Top 8% |
|
Chances created |
1.89 |
Top 25% |
|
Stats via FotMob |
||
As you can see in the table above, Jota hit the ground running in the Premiership after his return to Glasgow from Rennes in January, ranking highly among his positional peers as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the left flank.
The Portuguese star is a winger who has the ability to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis, which is why his injury came as such a big blow for the Hoops and Rodgers, and why he has to be replaced.
Daizen Maeda is currently the only fit and available senior left winger in the first-team squad, and James Forrest, 34, was the only winger of any description on the bench at all against St Mirren.
This is why the Hoops must dip into the market to sign a player who can fill the gap left by Jota’s injury, to ensure that Rodgers is not left without adequate resources out wide until next year.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
TEAMtalk recently reported that Brondby winger Clement Bischoff has emerged as a key target for Celtic, as they plan to bring in two more wingers before the end of the window.
The outlet claimed that the Danish youngster is available for a fee of around ÂŁ6.3m, but that they could also face competition from Sunderland and Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Celtic should push to win the race for the 19-year-old talent’s signature this summer because they could finally replace the injured Jota by bringing him to Parkhead.
Bischoff could be the perfect signing to fill the specific need of this signing. He is a young player who may not expect to start every single game straight away, at the age of 19, which means that Jota’s return from injury may not cause problems in the squad.
Whereas, having Jota, Maeda, and another senior left-sided attacker who wants to start every week could cause problems and leave Rodgers in a difficult situation.
This means that Bischoff could fit the bill perfectly by coming in to play important minutes in the first half of the season, before moving to more of a back-up role when the Portuguese forward is back, learning from him to aid his own development.
The teenage whiz, who was described as a “flamboyant” and “technical dribbler” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has also shown enough quality in his time with Brondby to suggest that he can provide quality to Celtic straight away.
Extraordinarily, Bischoff has already created 24 chances and five ‘big chances’ in six games in all competitions in the 2025/26 campaign for the Danish side, playing on the left of a front three.
|
24/25 Superliga |
Clement Bischoff |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
29 |
|
Goals |
2 |
|
Big chances created |
9 |
|
Key passes per game |
1.5 |
|
Assists |
3 |
|
Dribbles completed per game |
1.6 |
|
Dribble success rate |
52% |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
As you can see in the table above, the teenager only managed two goals and three assists at league level for Brondby last season, but all of his starts came as a left wing-back.
The Danish side have utilised him as a winger, instead of as a wing-back, at the start of this season and he has already produced one goal and one assist in three Superliga games.
This shows that he can provide more quality offensively when used on the wing, but it also shows that he is a versatile player who could be used in other positions down the left by Rodgers when needed.
Therefore, Bischoff could be a brilliant addition to the Celtic squad as a quality and versatile young player who could make an instant impact, whilst also having the potential to complement Jota when he is back fit and available.
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Celtic could help to unlock Adam Idah’s full potential by signing this reported transfer target.
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By
Dan Emery
Aug 7, 2025
Barcelona will kick off their Champions League campaign against Newcastle at St James’ Park on Thursday with injuries clouding preparations. Lamine Yamal is ruled out, but coach Hansi Flick is placing his faith in Marcus Rashford to step up. With Frenkie de Jong and Gavi’s fitness also under scrutiny, the Blaugrana enter the competition looking to improve on last season’s heartbreak.
Tottenham Hotspur are now willing to make a huge offer for an “incredible” ÂŁ80m forward, who is now “keen” on a move to north London this summer, it has been revealed.
Son Heung-min made the extremely difficult decision to leave Tottenham this summer, making the move to LAFC, and the South Korean has gotten off to a fantastic start in the MLS, recently picking up his first assist.
It was arguably the right time to cash-in on Son, given that the Spurs legend is now 33-years-old, and Brennan Johnson has proven he could be up to the task of being the long-term replacement at left-wing, scoring against Burnley on Saturday afternoon.
However, with Son leaving, and James Maddison set to miss the majority of the campaign due to an ACL injury, Thomas Frank is light on options in attacking areas, and remains keen on adding another winger to his squad.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Savinho’s agents are trying to get a move to north London over the line, and there has now been a new update on Tottenham’s pursuit of the Manchester City winger.
According to a report from Spain, Spurs are now willing to make a new offer for the Brazilian, having already had a ÂŁ60m bid knocked back, and there is a feeling that a deal could be possible.
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While City are keen to keep hold of the winger, they could be tempted to cash-in if an ‘irresistible’ offer arrives, with Pep Guardiola’s side valuing the 21-year-old at the ÂŁ70m – ÂŁ80m mark.
Fabrizio Romano has also revealed the youngster is “keen” on a move to north London, with talks still ongoing.
It is little wonder Man City are hesitant to sell the young winger, given that he is held in very high regard by Guardiola, who waxed lyrical about the forward after impressing against Leicester City last season.
The City boss said: “He’s a guy who can play on both sides, today he finally scored a goal. He has an incredible ability and quality he’s proven in that period.”
The Brazil international is also fantastic at dribbling and providing assists, indicating that he could be the ideal option to replace Son at left-wing.
|
Statistic |
Average per 90 (past year) |
|
Progressive carries |
6.61 (97th percentile) |
|
Successful take-ons |
2.69 (94th percentile) |
|
Assists |
0.35 (88th percentile) |
The only thing that Savinho needs to improve is his end product, having averaged just 0.08 non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, despite an xG of 0.25 per 90, and if the starlet is able to rectify that aspect of his game, he could be a fantastic signing for Tottenham.
Sergio Busquets has announced he will retire at the end of the 2025 MLS season, prompting an outpouring of emotion from the football world. Former rival and Spain teammate Sergio Ramos paid tribute to the Barcelona legend, calling him “one of the most brilliant midfielders” he ever played alongside.
After a summer of waiting for the Premier League to return, that was not the performance Chelsea fans were hoping to see this afternoon.
Instead of playing the high-energy, exciting and effective football they did in pre-season, Enzo Maresca’s side looked lethargic and largely out of ideas against Crystal Palace.
Moreover, if it wasn’t for VAR stepping in and ruling out Eberechi Eze’s free-kick, the West Londoners could have started their campaign with a loss.
Unsurprisingly, there were lacklustre performances pretty much across the board for the hosts, but two really stood out to us, including Cole Palmer.
Following his brilliant performances at the Club World Cup and the time he has had since then to better understand his new teammates, we were expecting a great performance from Palmer today.
Performance in Numbers
Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get one, and instead, the Englishman looked unsure of what to do for the vast majority of the encounter.
Now, the former Manchester City prospect did not make any huge mistakes to cost his side the game, but he didn’t have any positive impact on proceedings either and, as he’s unquestionably the Blues’ best player, that is a massive problem.
We weren’t the only ones disappointed by his performance, either, as the Standard’s Dom Smith awarded him a rather generous 6/10 match rating at full-time.
We say generous, as on top of failing the eye-test today, the midfield maestro’s statistics make for some unpleasant reading.
|
Palmer’s game in numbers |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes |
96′ |
|
Expected Goals |
0.21 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Expected Assists |
0.03 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Touches |
48 |
|
Passing Accuracy |
26/33 (79%) |
|
Key Passes |
1 |
|
Crosses (Accurate) |
4 (0) |
|
Long Balls (Accurate) |
2 (1) |
|
Shots on Target |
0 |
|
Lost Possession |
14 |
|
Dribbles (Successful) |
1 (0) |
|
All Stats via Sofascore |
|
For example, in his 96 underwhelming minutes, he amassed a combined expected goals and assists tally of just 0.24, played just one key pass, misplaced 100% of his crosses, didn’t take a single shot on target, failed in 100% of his dribbles and lost three of four ground duels.
In all, it was a bad first showing of the season from Palmer, although one of his teammates was even worse.
Unfortunately for Maresca and Co, there were several starters who could take this spot, but for our money, Joao Pedro has it.
Like Palmer, the Brazilian forward came into the game off a sensational pre-season with the Blues, but looked an entirely different player against the Eagles.
In fact, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star was so disappointing that it was easy to forget he was even playing in the first place, which is not how you want your league debut for your new side described.
It might sound harsh, but once again, we are not alone in this opinion as Smith gave the 23-year-old a 5/10 match rating, writing that he was ‘frustrated by centre-backs Marc Guehi and Chris Richards’.
Unsurprisingly, the RibeirĂŁo Preto-born poacher’s statistics from the game more than demonstrate just how underwhelming a performance it was.
|
Pedro’s game in numbers |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes |
73′ |
|
Expected Goals |
0.30 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Expected Assists |
0.02 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Shots on Target |
0 |
|
Dribbles (Successful) |
2 (0) |
|
Touches |
23 |
|
Passing Accuracy |
10/12 (83%) |
|
Key Passes |
0 |
|
Long Balls (Accurate) |
1 (0) |
|
Ground Duels (Won) |
4 (1) |
|
Aerial Duels (Won) |
5 (2) |
|
Lost Possession |
7 |
|
All Stats via Sofascore |
|
In 73 minutes of inaction, he registered a combined expected goals and assists figure of 0.32, had no shots on target, failed in 100% of his dribbles, took just 23 touches – 19 fewer than Robert Sanchez – lost six of nine duels, lost the ball seven times and completed just ten passes.
Ultimately, it was not a performance to remember from Pedro today, but thankfully, it’s just the first game, and if pre-season is anything to go by, he’ll eventually come good and potentially form a dangerous partnership with Palmer.
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Emilio Galantini
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Manchester United have secured their first signing of the summer, agreeing a pre-contract deal for highly-rated Colombian midfielder Cristian Orozco, who will officially join in July after he has turned 18. The club have also handed a trial to Senegal U17 captain Mouhamed Dabo, signalling their intent to reshape midfield options for both the present and future.
Alvaro Negredo has blasted Manchester United's approach towards ÂŁ74 million ($99.5m) striker Benjamin Sesko, warning them that expecting him to win games on his own is unfair and will only hinder his development. The Slovenian forward has been under the microscope since his big-money arrival from RB Leipzig this summer, but he has struggled to deliver the goals expected of him.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been crystal clear on his desire for the club to bring in reinforcements at the top end of the pitch before the end of the summer transfer window.
Speaking earlier this month, the Hoops head coach said: “The squad will hopefully look again different come the end of the window.
“I think it’s very clear. We need to improve in the front end of the pitch. The attacking department has always, and always will be, the strengths of my teams. We’ve lost important players in that area, and we need to replace players in that area.”
There is still just over a week left to go before the summer transfer window slams shut, which means that there is still time for the board to get Rodgers the player he wants to improve the team.
The former Liverpool boss handed opportunities to some of his new signings, including Shin Yamada and Hayato Inamura, in the 3-0 win over Livingston in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.
And it was one of the club’s summer signings who caught the eye with a brilliant performance for the Scottish giants, as Benjamin Nygren excelled.
The Sweden international showcased his versatility against Livingston by playing out on the right wing after featuring in central midfield in his first few outings for the Hoops.
Nygren, who was signed from Nordsjaelland in the summer, offers Rodgers the flexibility to move him between roles in-game and from game-to-game when needed, which is a useful asset to have within a squad when facing injuries or in-game situations.
The left-footed whiz also offers quality in front of goal. A return of 16 goals in 32 games for his former club last season suggested that he would provide a threat in the final third for Celtic, but you can never be too sure about how a player will adapt to Scottish football.
After an underwhelming debut against St Mirren, as he got his feet under the table at Parkhead, Nygren impresed with a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win over Aberdeen in his second appearance.
|
Vs Livingston |
Benjamin Nygren |
|---|---|
|
Minutes |
90 |
|
Sofascore rating |
9.9 |
|
Shots |
5 |
|
Goals |
2 |
|
Key passes |
3 |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
|
Dribbles completed |
2/5 |
|
Long passes completed |
5/5 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
As you can see in the table above, the Celtic star was immense against Livingston in his latest outing, on the right wing, with two goals in the 3-0 win, including one thumping finish into the top corner with his ‘weak’ foot.
It is fair to say, with three goals and one assist in three league games, that Nygren has hit the ground running as an impressive offensive force for Rodgers.
Now, Celtic could find another forward who has the ability to hit the ground running at Parkhead as they reportedly close in on another attacking signing.
According to journalist Sacha Tavolieiri, Royal Antwerp winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha has decided to sign for Celtic before the end of the summer transfer window.
The reporter claims that the Hoops have reached an agreement on personal terms with the Belgian forward, who is now set to complete a move to Scotland in the coming days.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Tavolieri claims that Balikwisha had a meeting with Celtic officials this week and was convinced by the project that was laid out to him, which has led to his decision to make the move to Parkhead.
This comes after The Celtic Way recently reported that the Premiership champions had agreed a ÂŁ4.5m deal with Royal Antwerp to sign the Belgian forward to bolster the squad.
The last hurdle to clear before a transfer could be completed after agreeing a fee was to convince the player to make the switch, and it appears as though the Hoops have cleared it.
At the age of 24, Balikwisha is set to arrive in Glasgow as he heads into the prime years of his career as a winger. He is not a young and inexperienced forward who needs time to develop, and he is not a veteran whose best days are past him.
This means that the 24-year-old star could come in to hit the ground running as an immediate starter and star-quality operator out wide for Rodgers, much like Nygren has.
The versatile attacker, who can play on either flank or in central midfield, has scored one goal and created four chances in four games in the Pro League so far this season, per Sofascore.
This comes after an injury-disrupted 2024/25 campaign led to him registering four goals and three assists in 16 outings in the top-flight last term, which shows that he can provide quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
That is further backed up by his performances in the Pro League for Royal Antwerp in the 2023/24 campaign when he was fit for the majority of the campaign.
|
23/24 Pro League |
Michel-Ange Balikwisha |
|---|---|
|
Starts |
27 |
|
xG |
6.46 |
|
Goals |
7 |
|
Big chances created |
6 |
|
Key passes per game |
1.5 |
|
Assists |
5 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
As you can see in the table above, the ÂŁ4.5m-rated star caught the eye with his contributions as both a scorer and a creator, outperforming his xG and averaging 1.5 chances created per game.
Balikwisha, who was described as a “creative” talent by analyst Will Glavin, is a direct winger who wants to make things happen at the top end of the pitch, by taking shots and playing passes and crosses into the final third to create chances for his teammates.
He could get supporters off their seats and excited by his play at the top end of the pitch, with his form in the Pro League suggesting that he has the potential to be a Nygren repeat for Rodgers.
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By
Dan Emery
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Balikwisha is set to arrive in his prime, ready to perform, and could hit the ground running as an immediate star for the Scottish giants heading into the rest of the season.