Arsenal are flying at the moment.

Mikel Arteta’s thumping 4-1 win in the North London Derby on Sunday has seen them go six points clear of second-place Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table and seven points clear of Manchester City.

It was an incredible team performance from the North Londoners, but even so, Eberechi Eze stood out, scoring the first hat-trick in the competition since Alan Sunderland in 1978.

The former Crystal Palace star has been an excellent signing for Arsenal, and now the club are being linked with someone who’d be a dream teammate for him.

Arsenal target dream teammate for Eze

Arsenal may have spent big in the summer, but perhaps due to them being in a great position domestically and in Europe, they are already being linked with some huge players ahead of the winter window.

Transfer Focus

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

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Juventus’ sensationally talented Kenan Yıldız, for example, has been touted for an £88m move to the Emirates, as has the £120m Elliot Anderson.

However, the North Londoners are also looking at another goalscoring centre-forward, someone who’d be a dream signing for Eze.

At least, that is according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which claims Arsenal are one of several teams interested in Samu Aghehowa.

In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that the Gunners are among the sides leading the race for his signature, even if Tottenham Hotspur are just marginally ahead.

However, on top of the competition, one of the hurdles the Premier League leaders will have to overcome to secure the Spaniard’s signature is the fact that it could take around €90m – £79m – to convince Porto to let him go.

Even so, given Samu’s ability, potential and goal record, this is a deal Arsenal should be fighting for, especially as he could be a dream signing for Eze.

Why Samu would be a dream signing for Eze

Now, while it is most certainly simplistic, it is also true that the primary reason Samu would be a dream signing for Eze, and by extension Arsenal, is the fact that he’s an output machine.

After all, whether he’s playing on the wing or in the ten, the former Crystal Palace star will want whoever is playing down the middle to be someone who can reliably score goals and even provide assists for him at times.

Fortunately, that sounds a lot like the Spaniard.

For example, in 44 appearances across all competitions last season, totalling 3,370 minutes, the 21-year-old racked up an impressive tally of 27 goals and three assists.

That comes out to a staggering average of a goal involvement every 1.46 games, or every 112.33 minutes.

Samu’s recent form

Season

24/25

25/26

Appearances

44

16

Minutes

3,370′

809′

Goals

27

6

Assists

3

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.68

0.43

Minutes per Goal Involvement

112.33′

115.57′

Stats via Sofascore

He’s showing no signs of that being a hot streak either, as so far this season, the monstrous forward has chalked up six goals and one assist in 16 appearances, totalling 809 minutes.

In other words, he is currently averaging a goal involvement every 2.28 games, or more crucially, every 115.57 minutes.

On top of being a forward who’d be able to reliably finish the chances created for him, the former Atletico Madrid gem is also a battering ram of a player.

Standing at 6 foot 4, the four-capped international, whom journalist Zach Lowy described as “one of the best STs in Europe,” is not someone who’d struggle with the physical nature of the Premier League.

If anything, he’d thrive in it and be able to use his impressive stature to bully opposition defenders and create opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Finally, despite being such an imposing figure, he has demonstrated an impressive level of agility and movement through a few seriously impressive strikes.

Ultimately, while the fee is high, Samu is a goalscoring machine who would not only improve Arteta’s squad but also potentially help Eze’s goal and assist tallies explode.

Therefore, Arsenal should do what they can to sign him in January, before another side, like Spurs, gets to him first.

Related Forget Eze: Arsenal's "cult hero" is becoming Arteta's new Odegaard instead

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 25, 2025

تحدث خليل بن يوسف، المدير الفني لفريق كايزر تشيفز، عن التعادل مع الزمالك في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات بكأس الكونفدرالية.

وقال بن يوسف في تصريحات عبر قناة “الحياة”: “قبل أسبوع عشنا نفس الظروف تقريبًا في مصر، مباراتنا مع المصري البورسعيدي كنا متعادلين 1-1، كنا مسيطرين على المباراة، وفي الدقائق الأخيرة هفوة فردية من المدافع اسقبلنا الهدف الثاني، وخسرنا”.

طالع.. الزمالك يشكو حكم مباراة كايزر تشيفز ويطالب بضرورة تطبيق تقنية الـVar

وتابع: “تقريبًا نفس الوضعية اليوم، آخر دقيقة تقريبًا، دقيقة 95، خطأ من الحارس، الذي للأمانة أدى مباراة أكثر من ممتازة، حتى الخطأ يحدث، استفدنا من هذا الخطأ وتعادلنا في الدقيقة 95، والتعادل أكثر من عادل في هذه المباراة”.

واستكمل: “للأمانة، التشكيل الذي توقعناه كان نفسه باستثناء الحارس، كنا متوقعين أن يكون محمد عواد في حراسة المرمى، إلا أننا تفاجأنا عندما جاءت ورقة المباراة بالتغيير، وتصورنا أنه تغيير للإصابة أو اضطراري، لأنه للأمانة لا أحد يستطيع أن يشكك في المستوى الفني للحارس عواد”.

وأضاف: “تفاجأنا بتغيير الحارس، وفي الحركات الإحمائية كان يلف على الملعب وإن شاء الله إذا كانت إصابة، فلتكن خفيفة، هذه أمور داخلية، وبما أنه قرار فني، أكيد هناك أفكار وأسباب لاختيار المدرب لهذه القرارات”.

وتابع: “الزمالك، لا أحد يستطيع أن يشكك في المستوى الفني للنادي أو مستوى اللاعبين، إلا أنه للأمانة في الفترة الأخيرة، هناك تذبذب في المردود ونتائج الفريق”.

وأوضح: “بالنسبة لتشكيل الزمالك، تقريبًا 4-3-3 كانت موجودة في كل المباريات باستثناء النهائي ضد الأهلي، نتوقع أنهم لعبوا 4-2-3-1، العناصر نفسها، باستثناء بنتايج اللاعب المغربي الذي له دور مهم في الفريق وكان عائدًا من الإصابة”.

وأضاف: “هناك عناصر فردية في الخط الهجومي قادرة على إحداث الفارق في أي لحظة، لاعب الرواق الأيمن بيزيرا، والمهاجم سيف الجزيري، وشيكو بانزا، هؤلاء اللاعبون في وضعية فردية يمكن أن يحدثوا الفارق في أي لحظة ووسط الميدان ممتاز، رغم أن إصابة دونجا أثرت قليلًا”.

واستكمل: “تقريبًا، الخطة التي وضعناها في المباراة كانت كيفية منع الزمالك من استغلال نقاط القوة، وهي الكرات في العمق وخاصة الثلاثة محاور، ومنع الكرة من الوصول إليهم”.

وأشار: “توجه الزمالك للعب الكرات المباشرة على المهاجم وانتظار الكرات الثانية، ونتوقع أننا فشلنا في بداية المباراة في الدقائق العشرين الأولى”.

واسترسل: “بعد عشر دقائق، إصابة أولى لأحسن لاعب في الفريق، سيرينو، وقبلها بأربع دقائق، إصابة الظهير الأيسر، بالإضافة للمردود التحكيمي”

وأوضح: “أحيانًا ترى تدخلات خشنة من لاعبي الزمالك دون تدخل الحكم بالبطاقات وبهذه الحالة خسرنا لاعبين بسبب التدخلات العنيفة، تقريبًا بعد 20 دقيقة لعب، كنا منهزمين 1-0، واكتفينا بالتغييرات المتاحة، والمستوى الفني والبدني لنادي الزمالك كان واضحًا في مباراة زيسكو يونايتد، والشوط الثاني كان صعبًا جدًا من الناحية البدنية”.

وأشار: “إذا نظرنا للإحصائيات في الشوط الثاني، نسبة امتلاك الكرة كانت تقريبًا 70% لنادي كايزر تشيفز مقابل 30% لنادي الزمالك، صحيح استحوذنا على الكرة، لكن بدون فعالية هجومية واضحة وتقريبًا، الثقافة الكروية والخبث الكروي لدينا في شمال إفريقيا، كيف ندير المباراة، تقريبًا كل دقيقتين كان لاعب من الزمالك يسقط على الأرض، مرة الحارس، مرة سيف، مرة الوسط، كل مرة لاعب”.

وقال: “إذا فهمنا من بعد الوقت الإضافي، كان 8 دقائق، ولو أن 8 دقائق بالنسبة لنا لا تكفي، للأمانة لم نلعب أكثر من 30 دقيقة في الشوط الثاني، وهذا من حق نادي الزمالك لمجاراة النسق البدني والتعب، وكان فائزًا 1-0، بما أن قوانين اللعبة تسمح بذلك، لكن كما قلت، الحكم كان متسامحًا، نلعب خمس دقائق ونتوقف”.

وأضاف: “بخصوص أحقية الزمالك في ركلة جزاء لم أشاهد المباراة بعد، وكانت بعيدة عنا قليلاً، يمكن أن نتوقع أنها ضربة جزاء، لكن بنفس الوضع، الهدف الذي سجله الزمالك كانت تسبقه مخالفة على المهاجم”.

وأتم: “الفريقان اعترضا على الحكم، وشاهدنا مباراة الأهلي مع الجيش الملكي ومباراة الأخير مع يانج أفريكانز، الفريقان تعرضا للظلم من التحكيم، اليوم نفس الشيء، الهدف الأول كان مسبوقًا بمخالفة، والجميع يعرف أن التحكيم في القارة الإفريقية ليس جيدًا”.

Prabhsimran Singh’s 68-ball 102 was backed up by half-centuries from captain Shreyas Iyer and Riyan Parag as India A chased down 317 to clinch the three-match unofficial ODI series against Australia A 2-1 in Kanpur.India A were placed comfortably on 262 for 3 in the 35th over during their chase, but they lost five for 39 to lose grip. Vipraj Nigam and Arshdeep Singh then took them over the line, adding an unbroken 21 for the ninth wicket and helping India A win the decider by two wickets.Prabhsimran had set the tone for the victory by adding 83 for the first wicket with Abhishek Sharma in just 11.2 overs. Abhishek and Tilak Varma fell in quick succession but Prabhsimran continued to bat aggressively. He struck eight fours and seven sixes before falling to legspinner Tanveer Sangha in the 20th over.Iyer and Parag launched from the platform Prabhsimran had set, adding 117 off 92 balls for the fourth wicket. While Iyer hit 62 off 58 balls, his second fifty-plus score in three one-dayers ahead of the Australia tour, Parag smashed 62 off 55.However, Sangha dismissed both batters in successive overs, bringing Australia A back into the game. Sangha proceeded to remove allrounder Nishant Sindhu before Todd Murphy struck twice in two balls, sending back Ayush Badoni and Harshit Rana in the 42nd over. Nigam (24*) and Arshdeep (7*), though, ensured that India A closed out the chase with 24 balls to spare.Earlier, Arshdeep and Rana had Australia A in trouble, reducing them to 44 for 4. While Arshdeep removed openers Mackenzie Harvey and Jake Fraser-McGurk, Rana dismissed Harry Dixon and Lachlan Hearne. Cooper Connolly’s 49-ball 64 then resurrected Australia A’s innings, but the hosts found themselves in trouble again at 135 for 6 in 21 overs.Captain Jack Edwards and Liam Scott then added a 152-run stand off 123 balls for the seventh wicket to take Australia A forward. Some useful runs down the order helped Australia cross 300 before they were bowled out for 316 in 49.1 overs. Arshdeep and Harshit picked up three wickets apiece for India A.

A Manchester City star who Pep Guardiola recently called “incredible” now wants to leave in the January transfer window, and a Premier League club have emerged as potential suitors.

Man City could be rocked by multiple departures this winter

The January transfer window is now less than a month away, but Guardiola has insisted it is “too early” to start thinking about potential additions to the squad, with a busy month ahead, as his side look to keep the pressure on Arsenal in the Premier League title race.

With the north Londoners being held to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, following City’s 3-2 victory against Leeds United on Saturday, there is now a five-point gap, and the games are coming thick and fast, with Guardiola’s side set to play seven games this month, including a trip to Fulham tonight.

In truth, there are signs that some additions could be needed this winter, given that the Blues arguably aren’t the side they once were, having only managed to scrape past Leeds, after suffering back-to-back defeats against Newcastle United and Bayer Leverkusen.

However, Man City could also be rocked by a couple of departures, according to a report from The Daily Mail, which states James Trafford wants out just five months after moving to the Etihad Stadium, while fellow goalkeeper Stefan Ortega is also open to a move.

Trafford was originally told he would be joining as the new first-choice goalkeeper, but the former Burnley man has found game time hard to come by recently, with Gianluigi Donnarumma emerging as the preferred option between the sticks.

The 23-year-old’s chances of going to the World Cup with England are under threat, with Thomas Tuchel only willing to take players receiving regular minutes, which means a January move would make sense, and Newcastle United are expected to make an approach.

"Incredible" Trafford needs to be playing consistently

Guardiola recently made it clear he is a big fan of the Englishman, saying: “With Trafford, I see the training sessions and for a long time I haven’t seen a goalkeeper as good as James. We have two incredible keepers.”

Man City exploring move to sign £65m Premier League star alongside Anderson

The Citizens are looking for an edge in the Premier League title race and could now strike to land their man.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Dec 1, 2025

Having equalled the record for clean sheets in a single season in English football during 2024-25, it is little wonder the £50k-a-week shot-stopper is eager to be playing consistently, particularly considering his chances of going to the World Cup are in jeopardy.

Guardiola’s side are in safe hands, with Donnarumma making a solid start to life at City, keeping six clean sheets in all competitions, while also ranking highly across some key metrics for goalkeepers over the past year.

Letting Trafford leave could be risky, given that the goalkeeper could be a quality back-up option for Donnarumma if the Italian were to get injured, but the Englishman is simply too good to play second fiddle, and City shouldn’t stand in his way this January.

Taylor Walls absolutely lost it on Sunday.

The Tampa Bay Rays shortstop was ejected in the ninth inning of his team's 1-0 loss to the Houston Astros after a back-and-forth with home plate umpire Nic Lentz.

Walls stepped to the plate to face Astros closer Josh Hader with one out in the top of the ninth and the first pitch he saw was an 84 mph slider that wound up low and away.

Lentz called it a strike. Walls couldn't believe it, and stepped out of the batters box and said something to the 35-year-old umpire. He wasn't satisfied with the response, so he then tapped his helmet, giving a mock request to challenge the call in the ABS system MLB has yet to implement. Lentz ejected him for it.

Walls went nuts after learning he was ejected and had to be held back by several coaches, before escaping and running back to get into Lentz's face.

Video is below.

That was a terrible call by Lentz, but Walls couldn't have been surprised by the ejection. Tapping his helmet was a clear joking request for a challenge, which could easily be seen as showing up the umpire.

Christopher Morel replaced Walls to finish the at bat and struck out. Hader then struck out Junior Caminero to end the game.

New York Yankees star Giancarlo Stanton continues to work out as he aims to return from elbow tendinitis that caused him to sit out during spring training and the entire regular season so far.

While the Yankees slugger is on the 60-day injured list and is doing everything he can to get back, manager Aaron Boone wouldn't commit to a timeline despite giving an update on Stanton's progression.

"Today was just a workout day. I think he was doing baseball activities [but not live at-bats] today. He's probably headed up here but I don't know the next step if it's a rehab assignment or what. Hopefully we'll have that in the next 24 hours."

When asked if Stanton could skip a rehab assignment entirely, Boone didn't commit either way.

"I don't want to speak too soon. We'll see."

The Yankees would certainly welcome Stanton's return to the lineup. He hit .233 last season, but hit 27 home runs to go along with 72 RBI in the middle of New York's batting order.

Is this to be the end of the second, much shorter Martin O’Neill-era at Celtic?

The interim manager has himself confirmed that Sunday’s clash with Hibernian at Easter Road is likely to be the final match of his return, ahead of Wilfried Nancy’s arrival in Glasgow, having done pretty well, winning five of six fixtures.

On Thursday, O’Neill guided the Hoops to their first European away win in four years, beating Feyenoord 3-1 at De Kuip in the Europa League.

Fair to say, Yang Hyun-jun was a surprise starter in Rotterdam, but he scored the all-important equaliser, firing into a tiny gap between goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther and the post, having been spectacularly set up by Reo Hatate.

Despite this contribution, should Yang be back on the bench in Edinburgh on Sunday, with O’Neill instead starting an attacker reminiscent of one forgotten star.

Latest on Jota's Celtic return

Given everything that has happened since, Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation, protests against the board, defeat in a Scottish Cup Final on penalties, Champions League elimination and so much more, the excitement that surrounded Jota’s return has been completely forgotten.

During his first stint at the club, the Portuguese winger scored 28 goals in 83 appearances, becoming an undisputed fans’ favourite, before being sold to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad for £25m, which remains the club’s joint-record outgoing transfer.

After enduring a miserable time in the Middle East, followed by a brief stint at Stade Rennais in Ligue 1, Jota returned home in January, marking his second Celtic debut with this goal against Motherwell at Fir Park.

He would also net against Dundee United, Aberdeen, Hearts and then St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup semi-finals at Hampden on Easter Sunday so, despite clearly lacking some match sharpness, it was just like having the old Jota back, as if he’d never been away.

However, at Tannadice in April, on a day of celebration as the Celts mathematically secured the Premiership title, Jota ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, so has been on the sidelines since.

Then-manager Rodgers said at the time he expected the winger to be sidelined for six to nine months, and it’s been seven, or 217 days to be exact, so Celtic supporters should be optimistic of seeing their star attacker soon, possibly in time for the visit of Rangers on 3 January.

For now, which player who possesses a similar “x factor” to Jota should O’Neill start in Leith come Sunday lunchtime?

Celtic star Martin O'Neill must start against Hibs

While many of Celtic’s summer signings have underwhelmed or made little impact to date, looking at you Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Shin Yamada and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, the same cannot be said of Sebastian Tounekti.

After a drawn-out negotiation process with Hammarby, Celtic would not do things any other way, the Tunisian international arrived on deadline day for a reported fee of £5.2m, which could turn out to be an excellent piece of business.

The 23-year-old has only scored twice in hoops to date, netting against Partick Thistle at Firhill and Falkirk at home, but has looked generally excellent, with his talent clear to see.

Following his first appearance against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park, then-manager Rodgers heralded his “brilliant debut”, adding “he’s fast, he’s dynamic, and can beat a player… he’s a real Celtic winger.”

Meantime, Anders Lindberg of Fotboll Sthlm stated “he has a little bit of the X Factor”, impressed by the attacker’s “showmanship”.

Well, these all sound like qualities one could use to describe Jota, so let’s assess how the duo compare to one another.

As the table documents, in a near-identical number of minutes, Tounekti’s Premiership statistics this season, when compared to those of Jota earlier in the year, are remarkably similar.

The Portuguese player has been more productive in the final third, scoring more goals, registering more assists and mustering more shots.

However, the Tunisian had created more chances, completed more passes and a greater number of take-ons, with the duo’s dribbling numbers uncannily alike.

Once Jota is back fit, it’ll be frightening for opponents to see these two lining up together.

In the meantime, Tounekti is clearly Celtic’s most dangerous available winger, having proved this far more consistently than Yang, so as O’Neill seeks to sign off with a victory over Hibs, it should be a no-brainer who he starts at Easter Road.

​​​​​​​

Nancy will love him: Celtic may have another Callum McGregor in the making

Ahead of Wilfried Nancy’s arrival as the new Celtic manager, did their “outstanding” youngster show he could be the new Callum McGregor vs Feyenoord?

By
Ben Gray

Nov 29, 2025

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has now dropped a fresh injury update on Cole Palmer ahead of the tough Champions League clash against Barcelona on Tuesday night.

The Blues are gearing up for a difficult fixture in mid-week, taking on reigning La Liga champions Barca in their fifth Champions League fixture this season, and Maresca’s side will be aiming to put things right after only being able to muster up a 1-1 draw against Qarabag last time out.

However, the west Londoners have been struggling on the injury front for quite some time, which will be a concern for the manager, with the likes of Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia and Palmer still sidelined, missing the 2-0 victory against Burnley at the weekend.

The Italian will no doubt be frustrated the England international has missed large parts of the campaign, having said back in January: “His team-mates see him as a top player so at the moment when we have some difficulties and we are looking for the closest one to help us, we need Cole to step forward in that moment.

“In that moment, in the second-half against Wolves, he showed his team-mate he is a leader inside the pitch.”

However, there has now been a promising update on the 23-year-old’s injury ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Barcelona…

Enzo Maresca drops injury update on Cole Palmer

As relayed by Football London, Maresca has now confirmed Palmer has already returned to training, saying: “Yeah, we don’t know when, but for sure, it will be soon. He is already on the pitch, touching the ball and the feeling is good.”

The 45-year-old stopped short of confirming whether the £130k-a-week star will be available for the tough test against Barca, but a swift return appears to be on the cards, which will be welcome news, heading into a tricky run of fixtures.

Chelsea’s upcoming fixtures

Date

Barcelona (h)

November 25th

Arsenal (h)

November 30th

Leeds United (a)

December 3rd

AFC Bournemouth (a)

December 6th

Atalanta (a)

December 9th

The Blues may have an outside chance of winning the Premier League title, having moved into second place courtesy of the victory at Turf Moor, and they could make a major statement by defeating league leaders Arsenal at Stamford Bridge this Sunday.

However, Maresca will need his best players available if Chelsea are to stand any chance of beating the Gunners, and the former Manchester City man is certainly in that category, having contributed 45 goals and 29 assists in 101 appearances since moving to west London.

Palmer will also be eager to receive consistent game time to ensure he is on the plane to the World Cup with England, having proven his ability to deliver in big games by scoring against Spain in the final of Euro 2024.

Chelsea have Palmer 2.0 with a "left foot made of gold" Chelsea have Palmer 2.0 with a "left foot made of gold" & it's not Estevao

The promising talent could be the perfect solution to Chelsea’s Cole Palmer problem.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 22, 2025

Sky Sports reported on Monday that Celtic are closing in on the appointment of Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy as their successor to Brendan Rodgers in the dugout at Parkhead.

The Hoops are poised to make the French tactician their new permanent manager, which will end Martin O’Neill’s time in interim charge after he takes the next two matches.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, it will not be long before the incoming head coach will have the chance to bring his own players in to bolster the squad.

Celtic set to make move for new centre-forward

According to The Scottish Sun, Nancy is set to make a move for Columbus Crew centre-forward Wessam Abou Ali as one of his first transfer targets in January to add to his options at the top end of the pitch.

Transfer Focus

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

The report claims that the incoming Celtic manager views the Palestine international as a ‘perfect goalscoring machine’ and wants to reunite with him at Parkhead ahead of the second half of the 2025/26 campaign.

It adds, though, that Columbus Crew and Nancy only signed him in July from Egyptian giants Al Ahly for £5.7m, which means that the Hoops will have to pay a fee in excess of that as he has only been with the American side for a matter of months.

If the Scottish Premiership champions can seal a £6m+ deal for the MLS sensation in the January transfer window, it could end Johnny Kenny’s career at Parkhead.

How Abou Ali could end Kenny's Celtic career

Kenny has scored four goals in five matches under O’Neill, which is an impressive return, but he was subbed off at half-time in the 1-0 win over St Mirren in the Premiership last weekend.

The Ireland international has been playing as the main number nine due to an injury to first-choice number nine Kelechi Iheanacho, who is on his way back in the coming weeks.

This suggests that the arrival of a big-money centre-forward signing could put him third in the pecking order, behind Abou Ali and Iheanacho, when they are all fit and available, which may make him consider his short-term future in Glasgow.

Kenny has shown, with five goals this season, that he can be a capable goalscorer at this level. This means that he could find another club where he can play regularly and score goals consistently, if that does not continue at Parkhead.

Abou Ali has scored three goals in five matches for Nancy in the MLS for Columbus Crew since his move in the summer, after he scored three goals in three games at the Club World Cup.

2025/26

6 goals

5 goals

2024/25

15 goals

6 goals

2023/24

19 goals

13 goals

2022/23

10 goals

5 goals

As you can see in the table above, the Palestine international has outscored Kenny in each of the last four seasons in all competitions, which suggests that he would be a much better option for Nancy to call upon up front for Celtic.

Abou Ali was described as a “clinical” and “proven” goalscorer by Columbus Crew General Manager Issa Tall, and his statistics suggest that was an accurate description of his qualities.

The 26-year-old scored three goals from 0.75 xG in the MLS in the 2025 campaign and bagged three goals without missing a single ‘big chance’ at the Club World Cup, per Sofascore, which shows that he is a lethal finisher.

Therefore, the Columbus Crew centre-forward could be a fantastic signing who could lead the line impressively for the Hoops, whilst also potentially ending Kenny’s career at the club, as falling down the pecking order may force him to reconsider his future.

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1 ByDan Emery Nov 25, 2025

One of Sheffield’s own is now in the running to buy Sheffield Wednesday, according to reports, after taking a key step ahead of the December 5 deadline.

Sheffield United merger rejected

The Owls have reportedly set a soft deadline of December 5 to find a new owner and narrow their search down. So far, they’ve not been short on candidates. Several potential buyers have shown proof of funds worth £50m and some have even been shown around the club’s facilities.

The biggest headline so far has arrived courtesy of Sheffield United, however. Wednesday’s rivals reportedly enquired about buying the club and were keen to merge the two Steel City rivals together in controversial fashion.

Unsurprisingly, any talks of that merger taking place have been shut down almost as quickly as they started gathering pace. Sheffield Wednesday, like many others, are keen to keep the derby alive and kicking instead, which is set to see them turn to other candidates.

Just who wins the bidding war is the big question. Former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is reportedly among the interested parties, as is John McEvoy.

Many were quick to criticise Ashley at Newcastle in the past, but it’s worth noting that he cleared all of the Magpies’ debt. Financially speaking, he would arguably be a wise option.

Alas, it’s not just Ashley in the running. New names are now beginning to emerge and that includes Sheffield’s own Ryan Howsam. The Staysure founder has been based in Dubai in recent years, but could yet return to his home town to save his local club.

Who is Sheffield Wednesday takeover candidate Ryan Howsam?

So, is Howsam the man for the job? His impressive portfolio, which includes Avanti, PayingTooMuch, The Rock Group and several digital travel investments, certainly suggests that he’s got the funds to complete a takeover, but it would be his first venture into football.

The prospective owner has reportedly been given access to the club’s data in a key step towards potentially buying the club. He also recently told This is Money when asked about a return to England: “I would come back to the UK in a heartbeat if the environment was right.”

Related Sheffield Wednesday now braced for imminent "concrete" takeover bid

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Posts ByTom Cunningham Nov 14, 2025

It would be fairly fitting for a Sheffield-born candidate to complete the takeover, but administrators would need to ignore their hearts and ensure that Howsam is the right man for the job.

Compared to someone like Ashley, Howsam is far from experienced in the world of football and the Owls simply need to steady the ship. It must also be noted that it may yet be neither of those options who emerge as frontrunners to buy the club.

With time ticking by before the December 5 deadline, Sheffield Wednesday must assess every possible option before making their final decision.

Mike Ashley position clear as Sheffield Wednesday takeover reaches final candidates