All posts by h716a5.icu

Agreement between Malaysia Cricket and landowners runs down after 18 years, with both parties involved in tariff disputes in recent years

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2022Kinrara Academy Oval, Malaysia’s premier cricket ground, will host its last games this June as Malaysia Cricket (MC)’s agreement with the landowners runs down after 18 years. Over the past few years, the two parties had disputes over tariffs and the matter went to court, with the ruling earlier this year in favour of the landowners.MC said in a statement that the outstanding payments had been made, and an “amicable settlement” had been arrived at ahead of the ground’s curtain call.To sign off, the ground will host the ICC Under-19 Women’s Asia Qualifiers – a pathway tournament to the inaugural Women’s U-19 World Cup – from June 1 to 10, and then the Asian Cricket Council’s Women’s T20 Asia Cup from June 15 to 25. In between the two international events, MC’s domestic members have been invited to play a T10 Curtain Call Championship Masters from June 10 to 12. MC will vacate Kinrara on June 30.”We are pleased to announce that Malaysian Cricket has reached an amicable settlement with Perumahan Kinrara Berhad. By the settlement, Malaysian Cricket has fulfilled its obligation to pay Perumahan Kinrara Berhad,” MC’s statement, signed by president Mohammed Iqbal Ali Kassim Ali, read.”We place on record that Malaysian Cricket is truly grateful to the Kinrara Landowners for affording us this property the past eighteen years, giving us the ability to work the ground, bringing it to that of an international standard. At present, Kinrara Oval is one of two grounds with ODI status in South East Asia. The other ground being Bayuemas Oval.”Kinrara Oval has played host to numerous international and national tournaments – majestic and Iconic, it was ‘Home of Malaysian Cricket’. Given the history and legacy tied to cricket at Kinrara Oval, sentiments are strong and the reason for which the cricket fraternity had hoped to stay on. Nonetheless, we bow out gracefully, with gratitude, taking with us some of the best cricket memories.”Kinrara Academy Oval came together in 2003 with a team from New Zealand working on the turf and square, and the BCCI contributing USD 465,000 towards the floodlights. Since then, the ground has hosted ten men’s ODIs, 18 men’s T20Is, six Women’s ODIs, 25 Women’s T20Is and 25 youth ODIs.Some of the highest-profile games here came in the ground’s early years: a men’s tri-series in September 2006 featuring West Indies, Australia and India, in which Sachin Tendulkar topped the runs charts with 222 runs at 74, including an unbeaten 141. Then, in March 2008, Virat Kohli’s India Under-19 team won the World Cup at Kinrara.MC’s statement said the board will now “utilise YSD-UKM Oval – the ground at University Kebangsaan Malaysia – Selangor Turf Club, and Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar (KTJ), albeit work is needed to [elevate] the standard of the grounds. Moving forward, we are confident of finding a permanent ground to call our own”.An earlier statement from MC, from March 31 this year, had said of its dispute with the landowners: “Our position was that as a non-profit organisation and the national sporting association, with Kinrara Oval as the home of cricket in Malaysia, we strongly believe that the Majlis Bandaraya Subang Jaya (MBSJ) tariff for assessment should have been based on sports and recreation instead of commercial rate.”It was for this reason we had disputed the tariff and were taken to court, on which the judgement came against us.”

Burnley winger Luca Koleosho could snub the USMNT as he has reportedly been asked to join the Italy national team as an injury replacement.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Koleosho is being considered for Italy call-upWas born in the USA and represented them at youth levelsCould join Italy squad as last-minute injury replacementFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Luca Koleosho's long-awaited Italy national team call-up might be on the horizon, as (h/t Football Italia) have reported that head coach Luciano Spalletti has asked the Burnley winger to be on stand-by and fly out for the Nations League quarter-finals against Germany. Indeed, he called even be added to the squad, should an injury replacement be required for Lazio captain Mattia Zaccagni.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

A call-up to the Italy national team would be a significant setback for the USMNT, who would've undoubtedly benefitted from Koleosho representing them in the future.

In December 2023, NFL legend and Burnley co-owner JJ Watt spoke about convincing the 20-year-old to represent the country he was born in while speaking on the podcast: "Everybody, the brightest experts in the world – all the people on Twitter, who obviously know better than anybody else – have told me that you should play for America. My pitch to him would be to think about how incredible and how special it would be to play for your home country, to represent your home country and to do something special and to help shepherd that next wave in of what could be.

"With the Olympics and the World Cup coming to our country over the next five years or so, there are going to be some incredibly exciting times in American football coming up and you can help to be a catalyst for even more growth in the game. Wouldn’t it just be fun! Every international break, you are where you want to be."

DID YOU KNOW?

Koleosho has represented United States at U15 level, thereafter switching allegiances to feature for the Italy U19, U20, and U21 teams. He could be called up by Spalletti for the second leg against Germany on Sunday, although Roberto Piccoli or Tommaso Baldanzi could also be brought in as the Italy coach weighs up his options.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR LUCA KOLEOSHO?

Should Koleosho be called up for international duty, he could be in line to make his debut for the Azzurri on Sunday. Following the international break, Burnley will welcome Bristol City on March 29, with the Clarets currently third on the Championship table, just two points behind Leeds United and Sheffield United.

Arsenal are set to pip Chelsea and Barcelona in the transfer race to signing Athletic Club star Nico Williams.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Arsenal favourites to sign WilliamsSet to beat Chelsea and Barca in transfer raceReady to match Williams' current wages at Athletic ClubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

The Spanish sensation has been linked with a move away from Athletic Club next summer with several European giants like Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona waiting in the queue to sign the player. now reports that the Gunners are leading the pursuit for Williams ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

AdvertisementAFPTHE EXPLANATION

The report claims that the north London club are in a financially healthier position than Chelsea and Barcelona, which gives them the edge in the race. Williams currently earns €200,385 per week and Arsenal are reportedly ready to offer him £200,000 per week on a five-year deal. The Premier League giants are set to free up significant wage space in their squad in the summer as Kieran Tierney (£110,000 per week), Thomas Partey (£200,000 per week), and Jorginho (£110,000 per week) are all set to depart.

DID YOU KNOW?

Both the Catalan club and the Blues need to tread more carefully. Barcelona have faced issues with registering some of their existing squad members due to La Liga's strict salary cap while the west Londoners are dealing with their Financial Fair Play concerns after spending heavily on player transfers.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR NICO WILLIAMS?

The 22-year-old is currently in the Spain squad and was on target in the 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in the first leg of their Nations League quarter-final fixture. He will next feature La Roja on Sunday in the second instalment.

If you had asked an Arsenal fan what the team needed to improve a year ago, they probably would have said a new striker.

If you were to ask that same question to a fan today, they would almost certainly say the same thing.

Mikel Arteta has helped transform Arsenal into one of the best teams in England over the last few years, but since Pierre Emerick Aubameyang left the club in 2022, he hasn’t been able to sign a prolific number nine.

However, that could be about to change as recent reports have linked the club with someone who could be the perfect upgrade on Kai Havertz.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in signing Brighton & Hove Albion forward Joao Pedro.

Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that Liverpool and Manchester City are keen to sign the Brazilian, while Chelsea have also shown interest.

Interestingly, while the Seagulls have set an asking price of €70m – £58m – for the striker, the report has revealed that the North Londoners are ‘planning to make an offer of around €55-65 million’, which converts to between £46m and £54m.

It will be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Pedro’s ability, it is one worth pursuing, especially as he could be an upgrade on Havertz.

How Pedro compares to Havertz

So, should Arsenal be successful in their pursuit of Pedro and get him for around the £54m mark, it seems incredibly unlikely that he’d come in to sit on the bench.

Therefore, the Brighton ace would be in direct competition with Havertz for a place in the starting lineup, but which one comes out ahead?

Well, regarding their raw output this season, it’s a little complicated, as the German has scored ten goals and provided two assists compared to the Brazilian’s four goals and three assists.

However, the “fantastic” Seagulls ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has produced his haul in just ten appearances, equating to a goal involvement every 1.42 games.

In comparison, the former Chelsea man has produced his goal involvements in 23 appearances, resulting in a significantly less impressive average of one every 1.91 games.

What about their underlying numbers then? Who comes out on top when we look under the hood?

Surprisingly, it’s the “insane” former Watford star, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, who comes out ahead, and by a country mile at that.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.54

0.54

Actual Non-Penalty G+As

0.93

0.47

Progressive Passes

3.73

2.97

Progressive Carries

3.60

1.55

Shots

2.39

2.36

Shots on Target

0.93

0.88

Goals per Shot

0.22

0.14

Goals per Shot on Target

0.57

0.38

Key Passes

1.47

0.81

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.73

0.47

Shot-Creating Actions

2.78

2.36

Goal-Creating Actions

0.53

0.14

Successful Take-Ons

1.73

0.41

For example, the 23-year-old emerges victorious in every relevant metric, including but not limited to non-penalty expected and actual goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, shot and shots on target, goals per shot and shot on target and shot and goal-creating actions, all per 90.

Ultimately, while Havertz is a great player and has been a useful signing for Arsenal, Pedro’s statistics are far, far more impressive, and in a weaker side, so Arteta and Co should do what they can to sign the Brazilian striker as soon as possible.

Arteta might've found Arsenal's new Xhaka in gem who's a "different beast"

The incredibly promising youngster could be a star for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 13, 2024

Sunrisers did well to recover from 99 for 6, but their total of 157 wasn’t nearly enough

Hemant Brar22-May-20223:04

Should Sunrisers have tried out a few more players?

Punjab Kings ended their season on a high note, registering a thumping five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the dead rubber at the Wankhede Stadium.Bhuvneshwar Kumar, captaining Sunrisers in the absence of Kane Williamson, decided to bat first after winning the toss but Harpreet Brar dented them by picking up the wickets of Rahul Tripathi, Abhishek Sharma and Aiden Markram. At 99 for 6 after 16 overs, it looked like Sunrisers might even struggle to reach 150 but Romario Shepherd and Washington Sundar ransacked 58 off the last four overs to lift them to a respectable total.Kings batted in the fifth gear throughout their innings. A flying start from Jonny Bairstow meant they raced away to 62 for 1 by the end of the powerplay. In the last ten overs, they needed only 61. Liam Livingstone’s unbeaten 49 off 22 balls, studded with two fours and five sixes, ensured they needed no more than 31 balls to knock off those runs.Sunrisers’ sedate start
On a used pitch, Sunrisers openers Priyam Garg and Abhishek struggled to force the pace even against the new ball. After only nine runs came off the first two overs, Garg tried to flick Kagiso Rabada through midwicket but ended up closing the bat face early, and Mayank Agarwal gobbled up the leading edge at mid-off. By the end of four overs, Sunrisers were 24 for 1. The sixth over, bowled by Nathan Ellis, though produced 11 runs, with Tripathi picking up a six and Abhishek a four.Liam Livingstone was at his belligerent best against the high pace of Umran Malik•BCCIBrar’s three-four dents Sunrisers
Abhishek welcomed Brar into the attack by pulling his second ball over deep midwicket for a six. But Brar struck back in his next over when Tripathi swept one straight to short fine leg. Soon after, Brar snared Abhishek too. The batter tried to launch a fuller delivery over long-on but failed to clear a leaping Livingstone.If those two wickets were the result of the batter trying to take him on, the third was a left-arm spinner’s delight. Brar pitched one on a good length to Markram and beat the outside edge with turn and bounce. Jitesh Sharma whipped the bails off to find the off-balanced batter out of his crease.Shepherd, Washington lift Sunrisers
Both Shepherd and Washington had started slowly – at one stage, Shepherd was on 1 off five balls and Washington 3 off seven. But the floodgates opened in the 17th over, with the duo taking 17 off Ellis with the help of two fours and a six. In the next over, Washington hit Rabada for a six and a four before the bowler gifted five wides. In all, 19 came off that over.The final over, bowled by Ellis, was the most eventful. Shepherd hit the first ball for a six over long-on before Ellis dismissed Washington and Suchith off consecutive deliveries. On the last ball, Bhuvneshwar tried to sneak in a bye but was run out at the keeper’s end. Ellis, however, had overstepped, which meant there was still one ball left. Umran Malik lost his off stump on the free hit but collected a bye, just making his ground at the bowler’s end.Kings tee off
Bairstow seemed to have come out with the intent of hitting every ball to the boundary line. In the first two overs, he hit five fours, albeit two of them came via edges. But he soon ran out of luck. He tried to hit Fazalhaq Farooqi across the line but missed the length ball and lost his off stump.Shahrukh Khan was promoted to No. 3. On the second ball he faced, he pulled Bhuvneshwar over deep midwicket before clipping Farooqi for four in the next over.Shikhar Dhawan had crawled to 12 off 11 balls but now he too joined in, jumping out of his crease against J Suchith and hitting him over deep midwicket for back-to-back sixes.Livingstone finishes it off in a hurry
Shahrukh tried to take on Malik as well. He drilled his first ball down the ground for four but holed out to a back-pedalling mid-on two balls later. Agarwal came in at No. 4 and straightaway copped a blow to his rib cage, courtesy of a 144kph lifter from Malik. His painful stay came to an end in the next over when he pulled Washington straight to deep midwicket.That brought Livingstone to the crease. He started by pulling Washington into the deep-midwicket stands before thumping Malik for successive sixes. At the other end, Dhawan was struggling for timing and eventually fell to Farooqi for a 32-ball 39.Incoming Jitesh Sharma started in a similar manner to Livingstone. Off his first five balls, he hit three fours and a six. However, he didn’t last long and Suchith had him caught at long-on.At the end of 14 overs, Kings needed 25 off 36 balls. But Livingstone was in a hurry, and was helped in equal measure by Sunrisers’ sloppy fielding. He hit Shepherd for two sixes and two fours in a 23-run 15th over to all but seal the game.

In a star-studded Adidas event at the BMO Stadium, the Inter Miami superstar crossed paths with other celebrities including the NFL star

Messi relives World Cup glory at Adidas-sponsored eventNFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes joins the celebrationEvent showcases cross-sport camaraderie and global appeal of footballGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Lionel Messi, currently playing for Inter Miami, was reunited with the FIFA World Cup trophy during an Adidas-sponsored event at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The gathering, which coincided with the unveiling of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, saw Messi joined by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, creating a unique crossover of football and American football icons. The event also featured other stars, including former football legends Alessandro Del Piero and Jürgen Klinsmann, two men who have won the World Cup in the past, as well as FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The reunion with the World Cup trophy comes as part of a global tour, attracting football enthusiasts eager to see the coveted prize. For Messi, it was a chance to relive the emotions of his triumph in Qatar, where he led Argentina to victory in one of the most thrilling finals in World Cup history. The event also served as a precursor to the upcoming 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It also is the second publically-known time he's met Mahomes, with the first being a hilarious encounter.

Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, events like these will likely become more frequent, building excitement and anticipation for the tournament. For Messi, the focus returns to his season with Inter Miami, as face LAFC on April 3 in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals.

Captain Shakib Al Hasan top-scored with 51 in visitors’ score of 103, as six batters fell for a duck

Associated Press17-Jun-2022Stumps Bangladesh gained another share of an unwanted record on Thursday when six players were out for ducks in their paltry first innings of 103 on the first day of the first Test against West Indies. Of the seven instances in which there have been six ducks in a Test innings, Bangladesh now are responsible for three, including in the first innings of their previous Test against Sri Lanka last month.Bangladesh owed almost half their first innings total to captain Shakib Al Hasan, who made 51. Veteran opener Tamim Iqbal made 29 and Litton Das made 12 as the only other players to reach double figures in a depleted batting lineup. The innings lasted only 32.5 overs.The West Indies fast bowlers were outstanding on a brown first day pitch, which occasionally provided uneven bounce. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite called for the heavy roller between innings and West Indies comfortably reached 95 for 2 by stumps. Braithwaite was 42 not out and Nkrumah Bonner was on 12.After West Indies opted to bowl at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Jayden Seales took 3 for 33 from 10 overs while Alzarri Joseph returned the same figures from 8.5 for a career-best haul. Kemar Roach, who passed the fitness test a day before, began the decline of the Bangladesh innings with two early wickets and finished with 2 for 21, while Kyle Mayers took 2 for 10 from five overs.”It was a pretty tough pitch to bowl on in terms of finding a length,” Roach said. “It was very slow at the beginning so obviously you want to be a bit fuller. There were some rough patches there and some ridges and such that we wanted to hit as much as we can.”I think we did that pretty well. Shakib batted well for his 50 but overall the bowling group did a pretty good job today.”Roach said the toss was “very important.””It’s always best to bowl here in Antigua with the movement, the lateral, sideways stuff. To bowl well and bowl them out after lunch is fantastic.”Bangladesh always faced an uphill task, coming into the match after a home series loss to Sri Lanka. They were in trouble from the start, when they lost Mahmudul Hasan Joy for a duck on the second ball of the day, bowled by Roach, before Najmul Hossain Shanto fell without scoring in Roach’s second over.Mominul Haque also fell for a duck when Bangladesh were on 16 in the sixth over. Tamim and Litton provided some brief resistance before Tamim was out with the total 41 for 4, having batted for just over an hour.Shakib reached his half century, with little support, from 64 balls with six fours and a six. He was out with the total 103, caught in the deep by Roach off Joseph’s bowling. The innings ended shortly after lunch.Braithwaite and John Campbell put on 44 for West Indies’ first wicket before Campbell was out for 24 and Raymon Reifer fell for 11 to leave the hosts 72 for 2. Braithwaite anchored the innings and allowed West Indies to reach stumps within sight of a first innings lead.

January will be a huge month for Aston Villa. Not only do the Midlands club have some vital fixtures in both the Premier League and the Champions League, but they are also seemingly set to strengthen their squad in the winter transfer window.

Indeed, the boost that a new signing may be able to give them could certainly be helpful for the Villans. Unai Emery’s side are currently ninth in the Premier League, five points behind fourth-place Nottingham Forest. Villa will be hoping for some early momentum in 2025 to push them up the table.

Already, they have been linked with someone who could add a lot of firepower to their squad, Donyell Malen.

Aston's Villa chase for Donyell Malen

One of, if not the first transfer offers from a Premier League club this winter comes from Villa, who bid for Borussia Dortmund star Malen earlier this week.

According to the highly reputable David Ornstein, the Dutchman has been subject to a bid of £14.9m, plus add-ons, from the Premier League side.

If the Midlands club were able to bring Malen to Villa Park, it would certainly be an impressive piece of business. He has a strong record for Dortmund, having played 131 times for the German giants, scoring 39 goals and grabbing 20 assists.

Unfortunately, one of the attacker’s best contributions for the former Champions League winners came in a losing cause in that very competition. He scored and assisted both of Dortmund’s goals in a 5-2 defeat away to Real Madrid, initially giving the visitors a shock 2-0 lead in the Santiago Bernabeu.

Should Emery’s side be able to add the versatile attacker to their squad, it would be a return to England for the 25-year-old. Malen previously spent time in Arsenal’s academy but never made a first-team appearance for the Gunners.

A potential addition of Malen might not be the only signing early in the window for Villa. They are also linked with a Premier League star who would actually be returning to the club.

Aston Villa could sign former academy star

The player in question here is Carney Chukwuemeka. According to a report from Football Insider earlier this week, the Villans are ‘very interested’ in resigning the creative midfielder who could cost around £40m from Chelsea. The Blues paid £20m for the Villa academy graduate back in 2022.

At the time of Chukwuemeka’s sale, Emery was not actually Villa manager; Steven Gerrard was in charge back then. He had limited opportunities during his first stint at Villa Park, making just 16 appearances over two seasons, grabbing one assist which came against Norwich City.

Sadly, the young midfielder has not really been given a chance at Stamford Bridge either, despite their investment in his talent. He has played just 32 games in the famous Blue shirt, scoring twice and grabbing an assist.

The 21-year-old could be the dream upgrade on Villans attacker Leon Bailey if he rejoins his former club. The Jamaican has been poor so far this term, failing to find the back of the net and grabbing three assists in 22 games in all competitions.

Indeed, the signing of Chukwuemeka could see Emery have the perfect replacement for the winger. That is clear to see when comparing the stats of the Chelsea man over his career and Villa’s number 31 this season.

It is worth noting that the sample size for this comparison is the same. As per FBref, Chukwuemeka averages 4.3 progressive passes and 0.6 goal-creating actions per game throughout his career. Comparatively, this season Bailey has completed just 2.93 progressive passes and averages 0.43 goal-creating actions each game.

Full 90s

10

9.2

Progressive passes

4.3

2.93

Key passes

1.4

1.41

Carries into final third

2.5

1.85

Ball recoveries

5

4.57

Goal-creating actions

0.60

0.43

Villa fans could see a dangerous partnership form between Chukwuemeka and Malen. With the 21-year-old’s ability to create chances, and the Dutchman’s goalscoring talents, they could become a formidable duo.

The Villans already know their academy graduate is a “superstar in the making”, as football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him. If he rejoins the club, they will be hoping he can get back to his best and uncover all of that potential.

Aston Villa could save millions by unleashing teen who's outscoring Rogers

Unai Emery will love the look of this Aston Villa starlet.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 1, 2025

The January transfer window officially opened for business last week and there have already been plenty of rumours around Celtic’s potential moves, inwards and out.

A return to Parkhead for Kieran Tierney is the most tangible incoming rumour to date, with reports that the club are expected to sign the Scotland international on loan from Arsenal this month, before his contract at The Emirates expires at the end of the season.

The Premier League full-back is not the only player who has been linked with a move to Glasgow before the end of the window, however, as the Hoops are also reportedly keen on Burnley captain Josh Brownhill, who is another star heading into the final months of his deal.

Brendan Rodgers has also been linked with an interest in reuniting with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, whom he worked with at Leicester City, as he has struggled for game time with Chelsea this season.

There could also be movement on the way out of Parkhead as the Celtic boss may look to move players on from the club in order to make room for new signings to come in and bolster the team.

One player who has been touted with an exit from the Scottish Premiership champions before the end of the January transfer window is Luis Palma, who has attracted interest from elsewhere.

Latest on Luis Palma's future

According to a recent report from Honduran outlet Diez, as relayed by The Scottish Sun, Celtic have already rejected two offers from unnamed clubs for the left winger this month.

Transfer Focus

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

It was claimed that the Hoops are hoping to keep hold of the Honduras international until the end of the season, despite him having started one of his six league appearances, unless a suitable offer comes in that can change their mind on his short-term future.

The outlet added that the Scottish giants would want to recoup a fee in the region of £3m, which they paid to sign him from Aris in the summer of 2023, to allow him to leave.

Whilst the original report from Diez did not name any of the interested parties, The Scottish Sun mentioned that Genoa, Atlanta United, and Orlando City have interest in a permanent deal for the winger, whilst Rayo Vallecano are hoping to sign him on loan.

It has previously been reported that Celtic would only allow Palma to move on from Parkhead in the January transfer window if they can bring in players in his position, so as not to leave Rodgers short in that area of the pitch heading into the second half of the season.

With this in mind, the Hoops should swoop for one of their reported targets to allow the Northern Irish boss to sanction a transfer for the winger, amid plenty of interest in him, before the end of the window.

Celtic's interest in £8.5m forward

At the start of December, Football Insider reported that Celtic have set their sights on a swoop for versatile Brondby forward Mathias Kvistgaarden in January, as they look to add to their current options at the top end of the pitch.

The report claimed that the Bhoys are keeping tabs on the Danish star’s progress with his current club and are interested in a deal to bring him to Parkhead to bolster Rodgers’ squad ahead of the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.

It was revealed that the Celtic manager wants to add further strength in depth to help insure his team against injuries, with the Premiership, the SFA Cup, and the Champions League still to play for in the months to come.

Football Insider added, though, that the Scottish side are prepared to wait until the end of the season to strike a deal for him if they cannot get a transfer over the line before February’s deadline.

This interest in Kvistgaarden is nothing new, however, as the Hoops were linked with an interest in the Denmark U21 international in the summer transfer window, at which point the youngster was said to be valued at around £8.5m.

Rodgers must, now, push for the board to finally seal a deal to bring the Danish dynamo to Parkhead before the end of this window, because his arrival could allow the manager to sanction an exit for Palma.

Why Celtic should sign Mathias Kvistgaarden

The 22-year-old forward is a versatile attacker who could provide the Celtic manager with another option in all three of his frontline forward roles, as he can play through the middle as a centre-forward or on either flank as a winger.

Interestingly, Kvistgaarden has scored five goals and provided one assist in ten matches as a left winger in his career to date, which suggests that he can provide a strong attacking presence in that role – despite it not being his natural position.

With Daizen Maeda the first-choice on the left flank ahead of Palma, Celtic do not need to sign a guaranteed starter on the left to sanction an exit for the Honduras international.

Signing Kvistgaarden, who could predominantly be used as a centre-forward, would allow the club to move the former Aris ace on this month, because they would then have a quality option who could be utilised in that position if Maeda needs to be dropped or rested.

The Brondby dynamo, who has been described as “absolutely sensational” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has been in fantastic form in the Danish top-flight this season, which suggests that he has the ability to step in and offer Rodgers a quality option through the middle or out wide.

Starts

12

Goals

10

Big chances missed

6

Conversion rate

26%

Assists

4

As you can see in the table above, Kvistgaarden has provided a regular threat at the top end of the pitch with a staggering 14 goals and assists in 12 starts in the Superliga.

Meanwhile, Kyogo Furuhashi has scored eight goals and missed 15 ‘big chances’ in 19 Premiership matches, which suggests that the £8.5m-rated star could come in as an upgrade on the Japanese dud if he can translate his form over to Scottish football.

5 players who could leave Celtic this January

There could be a clearout at Parkhead this month…

ByBarney Lane Jan 4, 2025

Therefore, Kvistgaarden could be a terrific signing for Celtic because he could offer versatility that would allow Rodgers to sanction a sale for Palma and quality that could improve the team in the centre-forward position.

The owner acknowledged that Chivas fans frequently question him about the club’s finances

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Most recently won the Clausura 2017Since then rival América has won 4 titlesTeam in 11th place in the standings with 16 pointsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Since taking control of Chivas in 2019 after the death of his father Jorge Vergara, Amaury Vergara has navigated through years of criticism and questions about his commitment to the team. The lack of results, titles, and leadership in the squad have marked Amaury's management as the club’s owner.

And the recent treble won by their fierce rival, América, hasn't helped the executive’s reputation.

In response to the criticism regarding club's finances, Vergara said that investments have been focused on the club’s youth academy:

"Many criticize my management, saying that I don't invest. I believe they haven’t noticed all we’ve invested in the academy. We’ve remodeled Verde Valle, the Gigantera, and we've sent youth players to international tournaments. So, a lot of money that was lost or 'given to other teams' is now being invested in our own academy to develop our own players," he said in an interview with El Informador.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Miguel Domínguez, Hugo Camberos, Raúl Rangel and Mateo Chávez are players who came through the Chivas academy and are currently part of the first team. However, it seems distant that El Rebaño will return to the top ranks of Liga MX and contend for a title any time soon.

Chivas is not in their best moment. After the departure of Óscar García as coach and the arrival of Gerardo Espinoza, the team was eliminated from the Champions Cup by América. In Liga MX, they sit in 11th place with 16 points.

In his effort to maintain the tradition of 100 percent Mexican players, Vergara has watched as the greatness of the team, which his father saved when he acquired it in 2002, continues to fade away.

AFPWHAT AMAURY VERGARA SAID

"It is very important that whoever is at Chivas understands what Chivas is, what it means to the people, and the size of the shield we have. It’s a team with extremely high demands. They can’t come here to just relax and not make an effort," he assured.

Vergara explained that Chivas is a high-performance team with high expectations, "and knowing that these are the qualities needed for the first team, we know that the young players we prepare in the academy have to be ready for that challenge, and who better than us to do it."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CHIVAS?

The team led by Gerardo Espinoza will visit Rayados this Saturday in Matchday 14 of the Clausura 2025. Chivas has not won in their last four matches, increasing the pressure on both Espinoza and Vergara.