Despite already spending big this summer, Chelsea are now reportedly dreaming of signing a Premier League rival who Cole Palmer already knows well.
Chelsea still pushing in Xavi Simons pursuit
As ever, Chelsea’s spending is far from over in the summer transfer window. With Jorrel Hato signed and delivered, the Blues have instantly turned their focus back towards attacking reinforcements and, more specifically, Xavi Simons. The RB Leipzig midfielder could be on his way out of the German club this summer, and it is Chelsea who are reportedly advancing towards his signature.
The former Barcelona talent isn’t the only one on Chelsea’s list, either. As Fabrizio Romano claimed, Alejandro Garnacho is also on their shortlist of targets in a separate deal to Simons. As things stand, those at Stamford Bridge could yet land a double swoop to complete an impressive attacking overhaul this summer.
Garnacho, in particular, is destined to be on the move if the right offer arrives this summer. Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim told reporters when asked about the Argentine recently: “Garnacho is a really talented boy, but sometimes things don’t work out. You cannot explain specifically what it is.
“But I have the feeling that Garnacho wants a different thing with a different leadership. And I can understand that. It’s not a problem. Sometimes you adapt to one guy, you have the connection.
“Other times, you want a new challenge. We try to make everything okay to all the parts, to the club, to the coach and to the players. It’s a natural thing in football.”
That said, as much as they may be on their shortlist, neither Garnacho or Simons sit at the very top of Chelsea’s dream wishlist this summer. Instead, another Premier League rival has taken that place.
Chelsea dreaming of signing Rogers
According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Chelsea are now dreaming of signing Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa this summer and have increased their interest despite the midfielder’s £80m price tag.
The deal won’t be an easy one to negotiate, either, thanks to Villa’s reluctance to sell one of their most important players. But there’s no denying that an £80m sale would instantly relieve any PSR strain that they’re still dealing with.
Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers
The Blues’ dream signing likely sits near the top of Palmer’s wishlist too. The Chelsea star is, of course, close with Rogers from their time together at Manchester City and even stole what is now his infamous celebration from the Aston Villa midfielder.
A player who Glenn Hoddle dubbed “excellent”, Rogers is capable of taking Chelsea from top four hopefuls to shock title contenders, but it remains to be seen whether Aston Villa will sell their star man this summer.
You would do incredibly well to find any Chelsea supporters, or supporters of any club, who do not think that the club hit the jackpot with Cole Palmer.
The Blues reportedly paid an initial fee of £40m to sign the attacking midfielder from Manchester City in the summer of 2023, and he has been a rip-roaring success at Stamford Bridge.
Since making the move to London two years ago, the England international has racked up 43 goals and 29 assists in 97 appearances in all competitions for the club.
The left-footed star, who won the Conference League with the Blues last season, has scored a staggering 37 goals in the Premier League in his two seasons with Chelsea to date.
Palmer is well on his way to being recognised as one of the best number ten, or attacking midfield, players the club have had in modern history, at least.
However, he still has a way to go to overtake some of the other established names in that role, such as Italian icon Gianfranco Zola, who the current Chelsea star knew through FIFA.
Why Gianfranco Zola is a Chelsea legend
Last year, Palmer admitted that he did not know too much about the former Blues midfielder, but knew that he was a good player because he had an icon card on FIFA.
Whilst Zola may be an icon in FIFA, or EAFC as it is now called, he is a legend at Stamford Bridge because of what he achieved during his time at the club.
The diminutive star joined the Blues from Parma in the summer of 1996 and spent seven years in London, racking up two FA Cups, a League Cup, a Community Shield, and the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
In 2003, Chelsea ran a poll to find out who their supporters felt was the best player in the club’s history, and Zola won it with a landslide 60% of the votes, which shows how highly fans rated him at the time.
Whilst the likes of John Terry, Didier Drogba, and Eden Hazard, among others, have passed through the club since then, this shows that the Italian maestro is still a Chelsea legend from that era.
2002/03
38
14
7
2001/02
35
3
4
2000/01
36
9
4
1999/00
33
4
2
1998/99
37
13
4
1997/98
27
8
3
1996/97
23
8
3
Zola ended his time at the club with a return of 80 goals and 44 assists in 312 appearances in all competitions, which shows that Palmer still has a way to go to catch up with his legacy.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are now reportedly eyeing up a move to sign another attacking midfielder who is even more similar to Zola than Palmer is.
Chelsea ready to bid for Bundesliga star
According to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Chelsea are still “working” on a deal to sign RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Xavi Simons this summer.
The reporter claims that there is a “strong feeling” that a transfer will go through before the summer window slams shut at the start of September.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Plettenberg adds that the Blues are “ready to submit an official bid” for the Netherlands international, although there is no mention of how much the offer is going to be worth.
He reveals that a verbal agreement is almost in place, but the Conference League champions need to offload some more players before they go through with a deal.
Leipzig are reportedly looking for a fee in the region of £61m in order to sanction an exit for the Dutch playmaker, who could be Zola 2.0 at Stamford Bridge next season.
Why Chelsea should sign Xavi Simons
The Blues should push to get this deal done because the Bundesliga star could come in as Enzo Maresca’s own version of Zola, as a diminutive number ten who offers goals, assists, and flair.
RB Leipzig'sXaviSimonsreacts after the match
Whilst Palmer is undoubtedly a phenomenal footballer, he is somewhat unorthodox at times due to his lanky frame. That is not a bad thing, as the numbers speak for themselves, but Simons may be more of an aesthetic like-for-like for Zola in a Chelsea shirt.
The 5 foot 10 magician, who was described as a “superstar” by analyst Ben Mattinson, is a joy to watch with the way that he can dribble and move with the ball at his feet, effortlessly drifting past opposition players, as shown in the clip below.
As well as being an enjoyable player to watch, Simons is also an effective operator at the top end of the pitch, as he has proven himself to be adept at scoring and creating goals.
In the last two seasons, the Dutch sensation has racked up 21 goals and 21 assists in all competitions for Leipzig, which shows that he can offer plenty of quality in the final third.
xG
5.11
Top 4%
xG on target
8.19
Top 2%
Goals
10
Top 1%
xA
5.98
Top 6%
Chances created
51
Top 7%
Assists
7
Top 5%
Successful dribbles
33
Top 4%
Touches in opposition’s box
88
Top 3%
As you can see in the table above, Simons ranked highly among his positional peers in the Bundesliga last season in a host of key attacking metrics, as a goalscorer, a creator, and as a dribbler.
These statistics suggest that the 22-year-old starlet has the potential to be an incredibly exciting and effective attacking midfielder, possibly playing alongside Palmer in the team, for Chelsea if they are able to get a deal over the line for him.
Palmer and Simons could be a joy to watch alongside each other as two attacking midfielders who have both proven that they can score and assist goals on a regular basis at the top level, which is why this could be a brilliant signing for Chelsea.
That is on top of the Dutchman potentially giving the older Blues supporters flashbacks of Zola with his similarities to the former Italian star, due to his diminutive style of play, height, and technical elegance.
Sancho 2.0: Chelsea now "pushing" to sign "electric" £40m star after Hato
A theme of regeneration and renewal is gripping English white-ball cricket at present, even if – on the early evidence of their T20I series with Australia – England’s rebooted team remains a work in progress. Down on the south coast, however, where one of the stories of the summer has been unfolding, Sussex have already shown how quickly teams can flourish when the right culture is put in place.Barely 18 months ago, Sussex were perceived as a club in crisis. Whether it was a conveyor-belt of departures at player, coach and executive level alike, or a grim first-class haul of three wins (and 19 defeats) in as many seasons, there was little cause for cheer among the deckchair-dwellers of Hove.Now, however, the mood has been transformed. Sussex are riding high at the top of the County Championship’s second tier, with promotion firmly in their own hands, and the confidence that has given to a young, pared-back squad has rubbed off on their T20 Blast campaign too. A solid second-place finish in the South Group, and a rousing quarter-final win over Lancashire, propelled them to Finals Day for the first time in three seasons. And now, as Paul Farbrace, the club’s head coach put it, Sussex aren’t just off for “a nice weekend in Birmingham”.Related
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“Yes, we’re delighted to be here, but we haven’t come to make the numbers up,” Farbrace said. “It’s very English to talk about, ‘oh, it’d be nice to do okay’ … we’re here to win the tournament, and we’ve got to win two more games to do that. If we don’t, and somebody beats us, well, good luck to them. They’ll have deserved to have won it. But we’re definitely here to win.”The current mood around the club is, quite literally, infectious. “We started well in the Championship, so that had a knock-on effect into the T20 side,” Farbrace said. “And then, when we went back from T20, we won the two Championship games in the middle. So the belief is there among the players, and there’s an expectation to win.”It’s a common theme among this year’s Finals Day attendees. With the exception of Gloucestershire, whose surge into the last four came at just the right time, the three other teams still in contention have enjoyed stellar seasons across formats. Surrey are still on course for a third consecutive County Championship title, despite Thursday’s thrilling loss to their closest rivals Somerset, who are themselves eyeing a rare treble, with the Metro Bank final against Glamorgan to come next week.”Sometimes you can say, well, we haven’t quite got the squad, so we can only compete in one format. No, you can compete in both,” Farbrace said. “And the expectation isn’t just about our first-team performances. The commercial team, the people in the office, the groundstaff … everybody is excited by the progress the team’s making. It makes their jobs a damn sight easier because they’re not getting stick from people that they might have done two years ago.”Sussex’s turnaround in fortunes isn’t just down to luck, however. From the moment of Farbrace’s arrival in February 2023, the club focused on red-ball cricket as a means to shore up their basic discipline, but, after a season of steady improvement under Ravi Bopara, the appointment of Tymal Mills as T20 captain has gone on to turbo-charge their ambitions in the Blast.”There’s been a lot more role clarity, there’s been a lot more clear thinking, and clear planning,” Farbrace added. “We’ve got the right people in the right places, which is no disrespect to Ravi, because he scored an awful lot of runs and took a lot of wickets. But the addition of Dan Hughes [as overseas player] has been absolutely outstanding, and the non-selection of Ollie Robinson for England has helped us enormously.”But Millsy’s done a fantastic job on and off the field as captain. I think every game we’ve gone into, we’ve been exceptionally well prepared because of the work he did in the winter with Luke Dunning, our analyst, and James [Kirtley, T20 coach] … what needed to improve, the collation of all the stats, and talking to every player about what their game looked like, and where they needed to get to.”Mills, now 32, knows of what he speaks. In 2018, he played under Luke Wright as a key member of the last Sussex side to reach the Blast final, and though they lost on that occasion to Worcestershire, that team is still recalled as one of the greatest in the format’s history – featuring luminaries such as Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan and Rashid Khan, not to mention a young Phil Salt, England’s current (stand-in) T20I captain.”That team we had five or six years ago was an awesome team, and we turned up to every game expecting to win, because of the players we had on paper,” Mills said. “But it dissipated quite quickly, and it probably wasn’t a viable way of running a club the size of Sussex, with probably six or seven players only playing T20 cricket.”Daniel Hughes is currently the Blast’s leading run-scorer•Getty Images
But now, as a rare single-format squad member, he will arrive at Hove, as Farbrace puts it, “chomping at the bit” to get stuck into the competition, and making sure everyone is ready to raise their game.”The club rightly had to shift focus towards Championship cricket, but once I’d put myself forward for the captaincy, it wasn’t with the aim to solidify, it was to win,” Mills added. “And a lot of our players have surprised themselves with how good they could be in T20 cricket.”It is a game that you can’t just turn up and play, and hope to do well. Maybe 15 years ago, you could see how you go and have a laugh. But T20 is proper business now, and if you want to be good at it and you want to be successful at it, you’ve got to put in time, and you’ve got to put in effort, and you’ve got to think about it.”So that’s something that I think we’ve changed now at the club, especially with our batters, who have started to scratch the surface of what they can do in T20 cricket. The club’s in a good place, because the boys have started really well in the four-day stuff, so we had a lot of players scoring runs, taking wickets, winning games. That puts you in a good place, and you haven’t got half your squad who are out of form and nicking off, and not confident or comfortable with their technique.”One disappointment for Sussex is that they will be denied the chance to deploy one of the modern greats of T20 cricket during Finals Day, with Archer tied up on international duty. It’s a situation that Mills decried as “stupid” in the wake of their quarter-final win, but as Kirtley acknowledged, his absence isn’t exactly a novelty for the club.”Jofra is a world-class act and, realistically, he can’t be replaced,” he said. “But for 14 games, we played without him and qualified. So, it’s actually far easier to plan not to have him, and when he does play, it’s a bonus.”We also lost Danny Lamb, who was doing the workload up the hill at Hove… no one can replace those shoes. But, we’ve played some really good cricket, and different individuals putting their hand up at various times, and I expect them to do the same tomorrow.”Kirtley singled out Hughes for particular praise, not simply for his competition-leading haul of 595 runs at 42.50, but also for his calmness off the field and the manner in which he has helped to nurture other key performers such as Harrison Ward, his opening partner. And similarly, with Mills and Robinson providing the wise heads in the bowling attack, the team’s belief comes with some justifiably solid foundations.”You want to come to Finals Day, and the younger players will want to have a bit more of this,” he said. “Some of them have only just turned 20. This is what it’s about. These experiences of big days out can only bode well for Sussex in the future.”
Khurram Shahzad’s six-for had Pakistan on top, but they couldn’t capitalise on the opposition being 26 for 6
Ashish Pant01-Sep-2024
Litton Das’s century was his second in an away Test•AFP/Getty Images
In a comeback story for the ages, Litton Das’ sublime 138 backed up by Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s confident 78 helped Bangladesh bounce back from the depths of 26 for 6 to post 262 and keep Pakistan’s first-innings lead to a mere 12 runs in the second Test in Rawalpindi.This was Litton’s fourth Test century and his first in more than two years. He was also ably supported by No. 10 Hasan Mahmud, who hung around for a ninth-wicket partnership that frustrated Pakistan for 149 balls, on top of adding 69 valuable runs as Bangladesh closed in on parity. In the end, the visitors fell a mere 12 short.Bangladesh’s remarkable turnaround continued with the ball too with Hasan picking up two wickets in 10 balls. Pakistan, at 9 for 2, could only wonder what if having begun the third day’s play so well. Khurram Shahzad had set the tone, picking up his first Test-match five-for. He finished with 6 for 90, having ripped through the Bangladesh top order in a fiery spell of 4 for 15 in the first hour of the day. But Mehidy and Litton added 165 runs for the seventh wicket to herald the visitors’ fight back. Then there was more rearguard action in the final session.Resuming at 193 for 8 after tea, Litton and Mahmud stalled the Pakistan bowlers for more than two hours. Litton farmed most of the strike as he declined singles and only gave Mahmud a handful of balls to face. Mahmud showed solid defensive technique, playing his part in Litton reaching his century. The wicketkeeper-batter, who overcame severe cramps in the second session, reached the milestone with a delicate dab past backward point.Pakistan finally grabbed the last two wickets when Litton, trying to take on Salman Ali Agha, mistimed his shot for once and holed out at long-on. Two balls later No. 11 Nahid Rana shouldered arms to a straight ball and was give out lbw. Apart from Shahzad, Hamza and Salman also chipped in with two wickets apiece.Khurram Shahzad picked up his first five-for in Test cricket•Associated Press
Earlier, the Bangladesh top order seemed clueless against the Pakistan pair of Shahzad and Mir Hamza. They struck six times in 34 balls in the first hour, swinging the new ball through hoops, but more importantly sticking to their lines.Hamza created the opportunities, but it was Shahzad who got the wickets, picking three in five deliveries. His plan was quite simple. Target Bangladesh’s left-handers from around the wicket and always keep the stumps in play. It worked magnificently.Shahzad had Zakir Hasan flicking uppishly with Abrar Ahmed taking a simple catch around the short midwicket area. In his next over, he cleaned up Shadman Islam, the opener walking right across his stumps but failing to account for Shahzad’s swing. Three balls later, it was Najmul Hossain Shanto’s turn to walk back, playing all around a full ball to find his middle stump rattled.Hamza then had Mominul Haque caught off the first ball of the ninth over. It was a meek dismissal, with the batter chipping a full-length ball to mid-on with the Bangladesh score reading 20 for 4. That soon became 26 for 5 when Hamza got a length ball to nibble away ever so late with first-Test hero Mushfiqur Rahim only managing a thin edge through to Mohammad Rizwan. Shahzad then trapped Shakib Al Hasan, who played down the wrong line to be adjudged lbw. Shakib reviewed, but to no avail.Mehidy Hasan Miraz added a fifty to the five-for he’s already taken in this game•Associated Press
At 26 for 6, Bangladesh’s lowest Test total of 43 looked in danger. But Mehidy and Litton shepherded them past that hurdle and many more. With the sheen off the ball, and the Khurram-Hamza pair out of the attack, the two batters dug in and took Bangladesh to lunch without further damage.Litton went the aggressive route after the break. Still trailing Pakistan by 199 runs, he came down particularly hard on Shahzad, taking him for two fours in three balls in the third over of the session, before smashing him for three fours on the bounce in the next. Bangladesh scored 40 runs in the first six overs after lunch. Litton and Mehidy brought up the 100-run stand for the seventh wicket soon after which also saw them avoid the follow-on that was reduced to a margin of 150 as the opening day was washed out.Litton reached his fifty with a clip towards deep backward square leg while Mehidy also did not take much time to reach his eighth Test half-century. Pakistan were not helped by fast bowler Mohammad Ali leaving the field, feeling unwell.When Shahzad decided to go short, Litton and Mehidy took him on with the pull shot and had decent success with it. Litton clubbed the fast bowler over deep square leg while Mehidy got inside the line and achieved the same result over long leg. Having gone for just 15 off his first seven overs, Shahzad went for 58 from his next six. But he managed to make a comeback.He foxed Mehidy with a fuller ball which he lobbed back to the bowler. That gave Shahzad his five-wicket haul and he quickly added another one, trapping Taskin Ahmed right in front of the stumps which signalled the tea interval.Pakistan would have hoped of a swift end to the innings post the break but Mahmud and Litton were having none of it.
With Jaka Bijol officially signed and delivered, Leeds United have now reportedly turned their focus towards a second defensive addition in the form of a £38m La Liga ace.
Jaka Bijol completes Leeds move
It took some time but Bijol is finally a Leeds player. The defender has arrived from Udinese for a reported £15m and becomes the Whites’ second signing of the summer after Lukas Nmecha.
After putting pen to paper to make his move official, Bijol told Leeds’ official media channels: “This is a big day for me, for my family and I’m happy to be here. Maybe the biggest one of my career so far, but I’m ready for it.
“I work for it and that’s why I’m here, because it’s a big challenge for everyone. It’s a big challenge for me, for the club, and we’re getting ready for it together. I think the club and myself are ready for the Premier League.
“I can promise that I will give everything, that I will give everything in every training as well to be ready for the first game of the season and then just go from there.”
Bijol may be the second arrival of Leeds’ summer but he looks unlikely to be the last. The 49ers look set to back the Yorkshire club as they prepare for their return to the Premier League, with names such as Oscar Gloukh now threatening the steal the headlines. The talented attacker would instantly be one to watch in England’s top flight, there’s no doubting that.
The Red Bull Salzburg man isn’t the only one on Leeds’ radar, however. Reports are now even suggesting that they’ve turned their attention towards another defensive addition after already welcoming a central defender in the form of Bijol.
Leeds make formal approach to sign Natan
According to Estadio Deportivo, as relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds have now made a formal approach to sign Natan de Souza from Real Betis. The central defender has just made his loan move permanent in Spain but could already be on the move again amid interest from those at Elland Road and Lazio.
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Reports have claimed that Betis have already rejected a proposal worth as much as €27m (£23m) from an unnamed club to sell their defender and instead value Natan at a hefty €45m (£38m) this summer. Whether Leeds are willing to reach that figure will be the big question as their pursuit continues.
Minutes
2,175
2,963
Progressive Passes
52
98
Tackles Won
24
25
Ball Recoveries
75
101
Keeping up with Bijol in a number of areas, albeit whilst failing to outperform the new Leeds star, Natan could yet form an impressive partnership with the former Udinese man at Elland Road.
The 24-year-old won’t come cheap but if Leeds are to stay afloat at the first time of asking back in the Premier League then the 49ers must be prepared to spend big.
Celtic completed their first signing of the summer transfer window last week when they confirmed the arrival of Kieran Tierney from Arsenal on a free transfer.
The Scotland international will officially link up with his new teammates when his deal with the Premier League giants expires at the end of this month.
Tierney is not going to be the last signing to walk through the doors at Parkhead this summer, though, as the Hoops are reportedly closing in on the signing of Sweden international Benjamin Nygren.
Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph claims that the club are close to agreeing a deal worth around £2m with FC Nordsjaelland to sign the right-sided attacker.
This means that the Scottish Premiership champions are set to dip into the Danish market, having raided England, France, Germany, Scotland, Belgium, and Spain.
One country the club have not done much business in since Brendan Rodgers returned to Parkhead is Japan, which is where they snapped Daizen Maeda up from.
Celtic have hit gold with Daizen Maeda
The Hoops swooped to sign the Japanese forward from J1 League outfit Yokohama F. Marinos in January 2022 on an initial loan deal, which was then made permanent that summer.
Maeda had scored 26 goals in 70 matches for Yokohama F. Marinos before his move to Scotland, but he was unproven in European football and it was a gamble by Ange Postecoglou to bring him to Glasgow.
It is one that has paid off big time for Celtic, though, as the Japan international has developed into a star at Parkhead, and could be sold for big money this summer.
The 27-year-old is coming off the back of his best season in the Premiership for the Scottish giants, having previously offered a decent threat in front of goal in the league in his first two-and-a-half years.
Appearances
16
35
28
34
Goals
6
8
6
16
Conversion rate
18%
21%
13%
28%
Big chances created
5
6
5
10
Assists
5
5
3
10
As you can see in the table above, scored more than twice as many goals and produced twice as many assists as he did in the 2023/24 campaign.
This has led to reported interest from Liverpool, Arsenal, and Leeds United, with a £25m price tag placed on his head, which shows that Celtic have hit the jackpot with Maeda, because he is now an incredibly valuable asset and star performer.
The Scottish giants have not made a signing from Japan since they made Tomoki Iwata’s loan permanent in the summer of 2023, but they are now reportedly eyeing up a new addition from the J1 League.
Celtic eyeing deal for Japanese defender
According to Celtic Way writer Stephen McGowan, Celtic are working on a deal to sign Albirex Niigata centre-back Hayato Inamura in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Hoops are interested in signing the 23-year-old defender to bolster their options at the back, as he provides versatility with his ability to play as a centre-back or as a left-back.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
McGowan’s article adds that Nygren is ‘on the brink’ of signing for the Premiership champions, and that Fulham’s Callum Osmand and Aberdeen’s Ross Doohan are also set to join to bolster Rodgers’ options across the park.
Inamura could be another signing on top of those potential deals, in what Celtic Way journalist Ryan McGinlay described as a “surprise move” for the “versatile stopper”.
If the Hoops can get a transfer for the Japanese centre-back over the line in the coming weeks, then the 23-year-old star could be a Maeda repeat for the club.
Why Inamura could be a Maeda repeat for Celtic
As aforementioned, Celtic hit the jackpot with Maeda as they snapped him up from the J1 League and provided him with a platform to develop into a £25m-rated asset thanks to his performances in recent seasons.
The Hoops could strike gold from the J1 League one again by signing Inamura this summer, because he is an exciting young defensive talent who could come in to improve the manager’s options at the back.
Celtic manager BrendanRodgersbefore the match
Inamura is a left-footed centre-back, who can also play left-back, and this means that he would arrive at Parkhead to compete with Liam Scales and Auston Trusty for a starting berth in the team next to Cameron Carter-Vickers.
His performances in the J1 League during the 2025 campaign so far suggest that he has the potential to come in as an upgrade on Celtic’s two current options in that position.
Appearances
13
26
22
Tackles + interceptions*
1.7
1.9
2.3
Ball recoveries*
5.4
3.9
3.3
Clearances*
5.1
4.8
4.0
Error led to shot/goal
1
1
5
Penalties committed
0
1
0
As you can see in the table above, Inamura could make more defensive interventions per game for the Hoops, with far more clearances and recoveries than the Hoops duo.
He could also be more reliable as a defender. The Japanese titan has only made one error that has led to a shot, goal, or penalty in 25 J1 League games in his career, whilst Trusty, for example, made five such errors in just 22 league outings in the 2024/25 campaign.
Therefore, Inamura could come in as an upgrade on Scales and Trusty in the left-sided centre-back position by offering more quality defensively, and fewer big errors, which also may be why the club are eyeing up a deal to bring him to Glasgow.
If he can translate his J1 League form over to the Premiership, the 23-year-old enforcer could be a regular starter next to Carter-Vickers and establish himself as a star for the Hoops, which would make him a Maeda repeat as another successful signing from the Japanese market.
He's for sale: Celtic feel they can seal bargain deal to sign PL player
Celtic are looking to improve their options in the middle of the park this summer.
Glasgow Rangers’ 2024/25 is over following their Europa League defeat in midweek to Athletic Club at the quarter-final stage.
Having been knocked out of the Scottish Cup in February, plus the fact Celtic are runaway leaders of the Premiership, the final five league games will be dead rubbers for the Ibrox side.
Ally McCoist speaking to Barry Ferguson for TNT Sports.
While Philippe Clement was to blame for many reasons, the transfer activity, both in the summer and winter windows, has a lot to answer for regarding the club’s dismal campaign.
Out of all the arrivals to join the club this season, only a few have gained pass marks. Robin Propper could have made that list, yet he has endured a poor season.
Robin Propper's dismal season in numbers
The Dutch defender had played over 100 times for FC Twente, even captaining the side, before making the move to Ibrox last summer.
On the surface, it looked as though he could be a solid signing, especially given his age and the experience gained over his career.
Fast-forward nine months, and it couldn’t have gone any worse. Propper has failed to truly acclimatise to the physical nature of Scottish football, being regularly outpaced and outfought by opposition defenders. As he admitted himself, he “maybe underestimated” the quality of the Premiership.
In Europe, the centre-back has won just 44% of his aerial duels while losing possession 6.7 times per game, and overall, he hasn’t been the best of signings.
Robin Propper’s stats for Rangers this season
Metric (per 90)
Premiership
Europa League
Accurate passes
58.6
30.3
Tackles
1.6
0.8
Total duels won
5.6
2.5
Interceptions
0.9
1
Possession lost
8.7
6.7
Via Sofascore
Despite this, Propper – who was sent off against Athletic in the first-leg stalemate – may not even be the worst defensive signing Clement made this term. That honour could go to Rafael Fernandes, who, with every passing week, looks an extremely strange signing.
How Rafael Fernandes has performed for Rangers
A few winter arrivals were expected by the Ibrox faithful, but only Rafael Fernandes made the move to Rangers, much to the disappointment of the supporters.
The 22-year-old defender signed on an initial six-month loan deal, having the option to make it permanent, but given how little he has featured, this shouldn’t be exercised.
Rafael Fernandes
Indeed, the youngster has played a total of 91 competitive minutes for the Gers spread across four appearances.
His first start for the club came against Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup, and it soon turned into a disaster. He lasted only 60 minutes as the Light Blues suffered a shock defeat.
Since then, Fernandes has started only one more game – against Aberdeen last week – and it doesn’t look like he will feature much in the closing weeks.
Across his three league outings, Fernandes won just 25% of his total duels contested, along with committing one foul per game and making zero tackles each match.
He hasn’t exactly had many chances to make an impact at the club, but even when he has been on the pitch, Fernandes hasn’t done himself many favours, that’s for sure.
It was a weird signing in the first place, and when the season finishes, Rangers should say thanks before allowing him to return to Lille.
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Patrick Dorgu has become a key player at Manchester United since his January move from Lecce. The Dane, who cost the Red Devils £25m up front, has already played ten times for his new club this term, although he did miss three games due to suspension.
The 20-year-old is yet to score or assist for the first time in a United shirt. However, he did win a penalty, which Bruno Fernandes converted in the Europa League Round of 16 against Real Sociedad, showing just how deadly he can be.
With that being said, it has not all been smooth sailing for the wing-back. Aside from his red card, he was recently rotated out of the team for United’s 4-1 loss away to Newcastle United, with Harry Amass stepping into his shoes.
Amass’ full debut for United
For a football fan, there probably aren’t many better birthday presents than making your professional debut, and for Man United, nonetheless. Well, that was the case for Amass, who made a substitute appearance away to Leicester City in the Premier League on his 18th birthday.
Just weeks later, the youngster, who was born in London and played for Watford’s academy originally, made his first start in the top flight. The youngster was selected to start ahead of Dorgu at left wing-back.
Indeed, it was an impressive showing from Amass, as the stats on Sofascore reflect. The 18-year-old had 31 touches of the ball, completed 85% of his passes and won two duels. He certainly performed well.
That was certainly a sentiment that football statistician Statman Dave seemed to agree with. He was full of praise for Amass, explaining that he “didn’t look out of place in senior football” at St James’ Park last weekend.
There is certainly no worry about squad depth for the Red Devils at left-wing back, with the emergence of Amass and the signing of Dorgu. Incredibly, they are adding to that depth over the summer with another new signing.
United’s latest left wing-back signing
One of the continents where big European clubs tend to find hidden gem players is South America. Well, United may have pulled off a masterclass of their own in that sense, with the signing of youngster Diego Leon.
In the middle of January, it was confirmed by BBC Sport that the 18-year-old undertook a medical at United’s Carrington training ground. The reported fee is £6m, with the left-back set to join in the summer.
Now, United are not just signing a player without first-team experience who could one day break into the fold at Old Trafford. No, Leon has actually had years of experience at first-team level for Paraguayan side Cerro Porteno.
He has already played 26 times for the club over the past couple of years, and has even managed three goals in that time, from left-back. His 2092 minutes so far equate to 23 full 90-minute games, showing his importance to the Cerro Porteno side.
In fact, his underlying stats via Sofascore from his time in professional football so far are impressive. For example, Leon played nine key passes last term, and five this season, as well as making 45 tackles and interceptions in 2024, and 11 in 2025.
Minutes
1643
450
Key passes
9
5
Pass accuracy
71.5%
76.8%
Tackles and interceptions
45
11
Aerial duels won
21
11
One person who rates the youngster highly is football analyst Ben Mattinson. Discussing Leon in December 2024, just one month before his United medical, the analyst said he “runs like a steam train”, highlighting the physicality he will bring to Old Trafford.
Leon certainly seems like a player United fans can get excited about. The 18-year-old will bring first-team experience with him to the Premier League, and he clearly has final-third flair. He could be the perfect player for Amoirm to add to his wing-back options.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
Both Amass and Dorgu may well need to watch out…
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