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It’s a curiously Pakistani problem, and even when it isn’t, there’s still the issue of such pitches masking the brittle nature of a batting line-up in transition

Danyal Rasool10-Dec-2022He’s bowled 18 overs, this Jack Leach. He’s got one wicket for 70. Saud, meanwhile, has looked supremely comfortable in the middle. How many wickets did our man Abrar Ahmed have when he’d bowled 18 overs? Can’t remember exactly, but it was a lot more than one. We’ll check later, but for now let’s enjoy this overwhelming show of batting dominance.Better up that scoring rate, though, Saud. You’re 59 off 104. We didn’t have much to do this summer, so we watched the way England bat. We couldn’t quite believe it, so we made sure we watched it up close in Pindi. And now we find this sort of scoring rate dull.Boom! Did you see the way he chipped that over the offside? His use of the feet against this supposedly brilliant spinner who somehow has 99 Test wickets? How did we never notice how harmless he is? Saud’s going to do this again, you know. Look, there he goes!Related

• Chronicle of a collapse foretold – Pakistan's meltdown in Multan

• 'It's more than I felt I'll ever achieve' – Leach elated on reaching 100 Test wickets

• Mark Wood feels the ache of satisfaction after providing the speed that England need

• Babar Azam on Saud Shakeel dismissal: 'We felt the ball had been grounded'

• Mark Wood makes the difference as England seal the series in 26-run thriller

The length was shorter this time, maybe this Leach bloke has a trick or two up his sleeve. Anyway, James Anderson’s running after it. He’s never getting there, he’s Pakistan probably wasn’t even a democracy yet when he made his debut. Oh, wait, he’s got there and caught it?Well, at least Rizzy ‘s still there, even if his intent is as reliable as a New Year’s resolution by the time February rolls around. Come on, Rizzy . We’ve defended you when people say you’re conservative but 6 off 41 balls? By 41 balls, the English start thinking about some chap named Gilbert Jessop. If I never hear about him again, it won’t be a moment too soon.Now we’re talking! Did you see that skip down the pitch, that caress back down the pitch, as sleek and powerful as an Italian racecar? But what’s this Leach gone and done? He’s turned a ball, beaten the edge, and cleaned Rizzy up? It seems to happen a lot to him now, doesn’t it?

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Those two dismissals might have been very different in style, but they represented something of a sliding doors moment, coming as they did in the space of four overs as the smoggy Multan morning gave way to watery winter sunshine. As Pakistan crept into the ascendancy, Saud Shakeel went after a ball he didn’t get to the pitch of and had no control over. Mohammad Rizwan, meanwhile, had played two attacking shots in 42 balls, and Leach had to vary little as he probed with the length ball, searching for the extra grip to beat Rizwan’s bat.They would herald a collapse that saw Pakistan lose seven wickets for 37 runs – more to a slew of inexplicable shots than anything spectacular the bowlers did – thrusting England into an ascendancy they are unlikely to relinquish.In a way that’s amusingly specific to this cricket team, Pakistan somehow find themselves in a situation where they prepare too many flat pitches, and yet also collapse in a heap on them. In the last nine months alone, this side have been rolled over for 148 on a pitch in Karachi on which Australia had managed 556 for 9 declared, collapsed in Lahore from 248 for 3 to 268, and then lost all ten wickets, after being 77 for no loss, on the final day of that game to cede the series to Australia. A similar collapse followed against Sri Lanka on the final day in Galle, where Pakistan succumbed from the relative comfort of 176 of 2 to fold well before stumps for 261. In Rawalpindi earlier this week, on a wicket so moribund the Pakistan head coach Saqlain Mushtaq called it “very flat” and the PCB chairman Ramiz Raja termed it “embarrassing”, Pakistan capitulated spectacularly after tea, losing their final five wickets for nine runs.Multan might have been watching this – Pakistan’s latest hit in an album no one asked for – in the flesh for the first time, but by now it’s become something of a familiar sight. Azhar Ali’s dropping, a decision made on the eve of this second Test, demonstrated Pakistan’s recognition that a problem needs solving, but the strength of an omission invariably hinges on its replacement. That is why Asad Shafiq’s departure was more easily smoothed over. Fawad Alam came in, showed he belonged – and, ironically, might have been the ideal batter to have in the middle order on a spinning track such as this. Azhar’s batting shoes, after all, are giant ones to fill, and his replacement Mohammad Nawaz isn’t really geared to filling them anyway.Rizwan might be like a student in class whose grades you needn’t worry about, but concerns are beginning to surface on that front too. The panoply of issues that plague Pakistan’s Test side mean the wicketkeeper’s form isn’t the most pressing, but in his previous 20 innings, he’s only managed two scores in excess of 50, and averages 22.88 across his last nine.Just as damagingly, some of the more benign pitches have masked the scent of decay in a batting line-up experiencing its greatest transition since MisYou collectively walked away. Imam-ul-Haq, despite his average of 54.75 over the past year, remains unproven at this level, with little evidence to suggest dropping him for Abid Ali in 2019 wasn’t the right call – and that average is propped up by two legendarily poor pitches in Rawalpindi, without which it drops to the mid 20s.Abdullah Shafique’s inexperience adds another variable to a batting line-up that’s increasingly fluid, while the middle order duo of Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha is tasked with carrying a workload recently borne by Azhar, Shafiq and Fawad. It’s easy to recall Pakistan’s struggles when Misbah and Younis stepped away, and Pakistan will be disquieted by the reminder that Azhar and Shafiq, the princes of Pakistan’s middle order, didn’t quite step up to replace them as had been originally hoped. And unlike Azhar and Shafiq, there are no princes this time; the line of succession is suddenly barren.As England tot up a significant lead, it’s impossible not to feel the fourth-innings target they set has already broached the territory of the insurmountable. And on days like today in Multan, it’s perhaps easier to laugh at it all rather than worry about it.

In three months’ time begins the road to the ODI World Cup in India and Gill might already be on it

Sidharth Monga23-Aug-20223:01

Takeaways: Gill and Axar’s steady progress in ODIs

The last three runs felt like they would take forever to get. A heart-stopping lbw appeal where a faint inside edge saved him but his partner Ishan Kishan ran himself out. Then an inside edge that missed the stumps and brought him a single. Then Deepak Hooda got out to a beauty from Brad Evans. The hundred finally came up serenely with a single through the covers, in the third ODI.Sweet relief for Shubman Gill, but not as though he was getting desperate for it. In fact, he sent back his good bat when he reached 50 in order to ration it. The remaining 80 runs came with a bat that was a little less special although in the 90s Gill did get conscious that he had been there twice before in international cricket without actually getting to a hundred.Related

• Serene Gill strengthens his case as India's back-up opener in ODIs

• Gill's 130 trumps Raza's heroic 115 as rattled India make it 3-0

Hard as it is to believe but at the age of 22, a maiden international hundred for Gill has been a long time coming. It is a testament to Gill’s skill and potential that it has seemed to observers that it has been too long to get to three figures even though it has been just 11 Tests (where he is yet to get the role he is best suited for: middle order) and nine ODIs. He is after all a batter who left Virat Kohli in awe: “I was not even 10% as good as he is at this age.”Almost every time he has played an ODI, though, Gill has looked like he can get one. This one has brought him his second-consecutive Player-of-the-Series award. The quality of bowling he has faced is what it is but there are early unmistakable trends in how Gill has batted.Just like with Kohli, 50 overs is the format that comes the most naturally to Gill. So it is fitting that his first international century has come in an ODI. He is a traditionalist in that he seeks to eliminate risk from his batting. As he told the host broadcaster, “I was just trying to minimise the dot-ball percentage. If you look at my innings, I didn’t try to hit the ball. I just tried to time and tried to pick the gaps as much as possible.”This risk aversion sometimes keeps him from realising his potential in T20 cricket, but Gill is not your typical top-order batter who will score hundreds at an even pace in ODIs. Even in T20s, his least strong format, Gill doesn’t let spinners bowl. In ODIs, his strike rate in the middle overs is 112.22 as opposed to just 85.95 in the powerplay.Shubman Gill thoroughly enjoyed himself out in the middle•AFP/Getty ImagesIf Gill keeps this up against better attacks – there’s every indication he will albeit at a lesser frequency – he will just be the natural evolution of the India ODI run machine: similar efficiency with added dynamism. As Axar Patel said at the post-match press conference, Gill sweeps, reverse-sweeps and doesn’t mind the odd big hit in the middle overs.”The way he plays, ones and twos keep coming,” Axar said of Gill. “He doesn’t play many dot balls. That is his biggest positive. He keeps taking ones and twos and then converts the bad balls into boundaries. He plays spin very well. When there are five fielders in the circle in the middle overs, he uses sweep and reverse-sweep well to keep getting boundaries.”Zimbabwe’s attack might not be the toughest India will face but the conditions were not the easiest. Early-morning starts in this series have given the chasing teams a huge advantage. India won all three tosses and decided to challenge themselves by batting first in the dead rubber.Just take a look at what happened at the other end. Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, and Ishan Kishan all struggled to time the ball because of the moisture-induced tackiness in the pitch. While Gill scored 130 off 97 balls, the other batters managed just 149 in 204 balls.In three months’ time begins the road to the ODI World Cup in India. Gill might already be on it.

Friday features a jam-packed slate of Major League Baseball action, and there are plenty of ways to bet in the prop market with so many teams playing. 

I’ve narrowed down my picks for Friday’s slate to just three, with two starting pitchers and one red-hot hitter getting the nod. 

The game of the night on Friday is likely between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge may need to have a big game after Juan Soto exited Thursday night’s contest with left forearm discomfort. 

Judge is one of the three players I’m targeting tonight, so let’s dive into the picks for June 7: 

Best MLB Prop Bets for Friday, June 7

• Chris Sale to Record a Win (-110)
• Aaron Judge OVER 0.5 Walks (-125)
• Griffin Canning UNDER 4.5 Strikeouts (-125)

Chris Sale to Record a Win (-110)

Atlanta Braves lefty Chris Sale is coming off a rough outing to open June, allowing eight earned runs in four innings against the A’s, but I think he’s due for a bounce-back showing against the Washington Nationals on Friday.

Sale was terrific in May, allowing just two earned runs across five starts (32.0 innings of work), so I’m not reading too much into his clunker to start June.

The Braves are 8-3 in Sale’s 11 starts this season, and he’s earned the decision in every win, posting an 8-1 record. Prior to his last outing, Sale had earned the win in seven consecutive starts.

Rather than laying the price on the Braves moneyline, I like taking Sale to earn the win against a Washington team that struggles against left-handed pitching, ranking 27th in MLB in OPS.

Aaron Judge OVER 0.5 Walks (-125)

Judge and Soto have been the best duo in baseball this season, but if Soto misses this game – or extended time – Judge may see less pitches to hit going forward.

As it is, Judge has drawn at least one walk in five straight games, and he’s racked 52 total walks in 64 games so far in 2024. 

Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto doesn’t walk a ton of hitters (just 14 in 12 starts), but I can’t imagine he’ll look to attack Judge every at bat with Soto likely out of the lineup on Friday. 

Judge has been great at drawing walks and getting on base for years, so I’ll gladly take him at this price on Friday. 

Griffin Canning UNDER 4.5 Strikeouts (-125)

Los Angeles Angels starter Griffin Canning has a tough matchup on Friday, as he’s taking on the Houston Astros, who strikeout a league-low 6.83 times per game this season.

Canning has cleared 4.5 strikeouts in just four of his 12 outings in 2024, and he struck out just two Houston batters across five innings in his first outing against the Stros this season. 

Overall, Canning ranks in just the 13th percentile in strikeout percentage this season, so I don’t see him racking up a huge number on this prop against the least strikeout prone offense in the league.

One of the most outspoken critics of the national setup is Hugo Sánchez – arguably the greatest Mexican to ever play in Europe, a five-time Pichichi winner with Real Madrid. The legendary striker believes that Mexican federation leaders have halted the country’s football growth by withdrawing from Copa América and Copa Libertadores competitions.

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  Sánchez blames executives, not the players

  Mexico’s recent struggles with the senior team and the U20 squad’s elimination from the World Cup at the hands of Argentina have once again exposed the deep-rooted crisis in Mexican football. For Hugo Sánchez – regarded as the greatest player in the nation’s history – the blame lies not on the pitch but in the boardroom.

  “The focus is wrong. It’s not about the coach or the players; it’s about those who run the federation and the national team,” Sánchez said on ESPN. “The executives have made bad decisions, as they often do in Mexican football. We were competing at a high level when we played in Copa Libertadores, Copa América, and Copa Sudamericana. But they decided to step away, and that’s when our level started to drop.”

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  Return to South American competitions?

  Mexico’s absence from South American competitions has stretched nearly a decade. The last time Liga MX clubs participated in the Copa Libertadores was in 2016, when Pumas, Toluca, and Puebla represented the country. Chivas and San Luis were the last Mexican sides to play in the Copa Sudamericana, back in 2008.

  Since then, Liga MX and MLS have joined forces in regional tournaments under CONCACAF's umbrella, competing in events such as the Champions Cup and the Leagues Cup – a move that, while financially successful, has also limited Mexican clubs’ exposure to South America’s highest level of competition.

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  No longer among top teams in Americas

  The former Real Madrid striker believes El Tri is no longer among the 10 best national teams in the Americas. He also questioned head coach Javier Aguirre’s confidence and the team’s mentality ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which Mexico will co-host alongside the United States and Canada.

  “The team doesn’t look convinced,” Sánchez added. “Aguirre seems unsure, and that insecurity shows on the pitch.”

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  What comes next?

  Despite the criticism, Mexico still has time to adjust before the World Cup. Following Tuesday’s friendly against Ecuador in Guadalajara, El Tri will face Paraguay and Uruguay in November, with potential high-profile clashes against France and Portugal in March, and a match against Argentina in June.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is prepared to sell an “important” player who “goes under the radar”, with the Gunners looking to recuperate much-needed funds after a summer of serious spending.

Mikel Arteta’s side are widely expected to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title with Liverpool after splashing north of £250 million on eight key arrivals in Kepa, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapie.

There’s been promising signs from a few of them already, perhaps most notably Madueke, who has showcased real improvement since joining Arsenal at both club and international level.

The former Chelsea star has already been tipped to end Gabriel Martinelli’s career in north London, amid uncertainty over the Brazilian’s long-term future.

Martinelli is attracting interest from AC Milan and a move in January is very much possible, according to reports, but the Gunners value him at around £60 million and suitors were only willing to go up to £40 million in the summer (CaughtOffside).

Arsenal could be set for major changes in the wide area following the arrival of Madueke and Eberechi Eze, who’s primarily viewed as a central playmaker but can operate on the wing.

Alongside Martinelli, Belgian winger Leandro Trossard has been linked with a move elsewhere, even after he put pen to paper on a non-extended new contract with improved salary terms.

The 30-year-old is a wonderful impact player on his day, but Arsenal are running out of time to make any money back off the winger’s sale as his deal expires in 2027, and reports last week even suggested that Besiktas held out-of-window talks to sign Trossard in a potential £19 million move.

While this ultimately didn’t go anywhere, ex-Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown says that Trossard’s exit is still likely in January or next summer.

Arsenal prepared to sell Leandro Trossard as replacement mooted

Speaking to Football Insider, Brown states he’s “heard” that Arsenal are prepared to sell Trossard if the right offer comes in — despite him being an “important” member of the squad.

During his time in N5, Trossard has scored some big goals at crucial times, and fired home an impressive 16 in all competitions across 2023/2024 in what was his best season at the Emirates to date — including four in the Champions League.

Trossard also racked up eight goals and eight assists in the Premier League alone last term, so while he’s not one of the mainstays on Arteta’s team sheet, the attacker could still have a significant role to play before Berta finally decides they have to sell.

Mjallby AIF, based in a small fishing village, have achieved an incredible feat as they secured their first-ever Swedish league title with a 2-0 win over Goteborg on Sunday. Mjallby made history with three games to spare as they now lead second-placed Hammarby by 11 points. The club have secured an outstanding 20 wins in 27 league games and have lost just once.

• Leicester-esque achievement from Mjallby

  Mjallby AIF come from a small southern fishing village Hallevik, which has a population of just 1,500. With a 2-0 win over Goteborg on Monday night, the club wrote an unthinkable underdog story as they secured their first-ever Swedish top division title. In the process, they have also secured a berth in the 2026-27 Champions League (second qualifying round) for the first time in their history. Mjallby's achievement is drawing comparisons to what Leicester City achieved in the 2015-16 season when they won the Premier League, beating a 5000-1 odds. Also, it has to be noted that when the Foxes did the unthinkable in England a decade ago, Mjallby were struggling in Sweden's third tier. 

  The current era in Sweden has been mostly dominated by Malmo, who won in eight out of the last 12 editions of the Allsvenskan. However, Mjallby have broken that recent dominance, managing to do so on a budget estimated to be around 15 per cent of Malmo's.

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  How have rivals described Mjallby's historic season?

  Kim Hellberg, head coach of Hammarby, who have been Mjallby's closest rival in the 2025 campaign and are poised to finish as runners-up, spoke highly of the new champions.

  "Mjallby are a really good side," he said. "They’ve been absolutely fantastic, they've exceeded all expectations. It's also a team that has got an exceptional amount out of what they've created. If you look at the underlying numbers, they've been overperforming quite a lot."

• Who are the key figures behind Mjallby's success?

  Firstly, Mjallby's head coach Anders Torstensson has to be named who has played a key role in club's historic success. 59-year-old Torstensson is assisted by Karl Marius Aksum, a tactics guru who has a PHD in 'visual perception in football'. The club have sold several of their youth players and reinvested the money judiciously for fresh signings, strictly based on data-based recruitment. This has resulted in the club signing Gambian attacker Abdoulie Manneh. 

  Another key figure in their dressing is 23-year-old goalkeeper Noel Tornqvist who has had exceptional campaign with the now Swedish champions. Mjallby conceded only 17 goals throughout the season and much of that credit goes to the Swedish custodian. Tornqvist was so good at his job that he attracted interest from Como boss Cesc Fabregas, who signed the goalkeeper in the summer but loaned him back for the remainder of 2025. Tornqvist will soon head to Italy to play in Serie A from January following the conclusion of the Swedish campaign. He has also earned a call up to the national team after Sweden's long-serving No.1 Robin Olsen announced his international retirement.

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  Mjallby's achievement a silver lining amid Sweden national team's crisis

  While Mjallby's historic title win will inspire clubs across the globe, the Sweden national team's performance is at an all-time low. They are on the verge of failing to qualify for the expande 48-strong World Cup after taking just one point from their first four matches. Most recently they lost back-to-back games in the October international break against Switzerland and Kosovo. The losses meant that only a miracle can help them secure a berth in the World Cup next year.

  Sweden took steps to remedy that by sacking head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson. The Dane became Sweden's first-ever foreign coach in February 2024 but his reign lasted less than two years as he was relieved of his duties last Tuesday, a day after Sweden suffered that embarrassing loss against Kosovo.

  Both of Sweden's star forwards, Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak, featured in the October clashes but the high profile Premier League pair failed miserably in front of goal. Sweden next face Switzerland and Slovenia in their final two group fixtures in November. If they win those last two matches, they will at least stand a chance to progress to the World Cup play-offs next month. 

West Ham United have made an offer for an “outstanding” midfielder, who is now keen on a move to a new Premier League club.

West Ham's midfield criticised amid slow start

There was some respite before the international break, with West Ham picking up a 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest at The City Ground, but the 3-0 defeat at home against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday underlined the fact that many problems still remain.

One of the Hammers’ main issues is their midfield, as pointed out by journalist and fan writer James Jones, who said: “It has been painfully clear that Potter’s side lacks pace, creativity and physicality in the middle of the park. A combination of James Ward-Prowse, Tomas Soucek and Guido Rodriguez does not equal a top quality midfield at this level.”

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Soucek, in particular, struggled in the thrashing at home against Tottenham, being shown a straight red card early in the second half, which arguably emphasised the importance of Graham Potter bringing in a new central midfielder during the January transfer window.

According to a report from Africa Foot, there could be an opportunity to do exactly that, with it being revealed West Ham have made an offer for Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma, who has now expressed his desire to remain in the Premier League.

Having suffered a knee injury, Bissouma has been ruled out until October and is set to remain in north London until the January transfer window, and there is no shortage of interest in the midfielder’s signature, with the likes of Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Chelsea also making proposals.

Spurs are open to cashing-in on the central midfielder, who has previously been valued at £14m, but the north Londoners would prefer to sell him to a foreign club, with Chicago Fire, Galatasaray Spor Kulübü, Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe and Lyon keen.

"Outstanding" Bissouma could be upgrade on Soucek defensively

There is no denying that Soucek has had a difficult start to the campaign, being dismissed against Spurs last time out, while also recording a 6.1 SofaScore match rating against Chelsea, the second-lowest figure of any outfield player.

As such, it could be worth bringing in an upgrade on the Czechia international, and there are signs the Tottenham ace could be exactly that, at least from a defensive point of view, given his ball-winning and passing abilities.

The Mali international is also vastly experienced at Premier League level, having been lauded as “outstanding” by Statman Dave during his time with Brighton & Hove Albion.

There may be some concerns over the signing of Bissouma, having fallen out of favour under Thomas Frank, but he clearly has the talent to be a success at the London Stadium if his attitude is right.

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has no regrets after being sent off for his wild celebration following his side’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool, saying the emotion of the affair meant that his dismissal was “worth it”. The Blues boss was given his marching orders after running down the touchline to join in the euphoria at Stamford Bridge after Estevao Willian’s dramatic late winner.

• Maresca hugged his players after Estevao sent Stamford Bridge into raptures

  Facing the possibility of going four Premier League games without a victory, teenager Estevao popped up with a crucial winner in Chelsea’s last-gasp triumph over Liverpool on Saturday, 4 October. The Brazil international scored his first league goal for the club as he prodded home at the back post in the fifth minute of added time. And the goal sparked incredible scenes of jubilation in west London with manager Maresca getting caught up in the moment as he hugged his players near the corner flag.

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  Italian received his marching orders for a second bookable offence

  And as a result of sprinting down the touchline to celebrate with his players in front of the delighted Chelsea faithful, Maresca was sent off by referee Anthony Taylor for his second bookable offence of the evening. And now the Italian will serve a suspension when Chelsea travel to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, 18 October, following the resumption of the Premier League after the international break.

• Maresca does not regret letting his emotions get the better of him

  But when speaking at the Trento Sports Festival, Maresca refused to be self-critical for letting his emotions get the better of him, insisting his celebration was an “instinctive” reaction to Chelsea securing a rare, late victory under his stewardship.

  In quotes carried by Maresca told the festival: “It was a huge emotion (against Liverpool). It's my second season at Chelsea and it was the first time we won at home in the last minute. The sending-off? (I’ve said) many times, football is passion, instinct. I probably didn't have time to think. It was an instinctive reaction, but I think it was worth it.”

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  Coach keen to follow in footsteps of other Italian managers at Chelsea

  Maresca also opened up about the pressure of managing Chelsea, a club who won every major honour available to them under Roman Abramovich before Todd Boehly reshaped the club after his takeover in 2022. Following in the footsteps of compatriots Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte, Roberto Di Matteo, Gianluca Vialli, Claudio Ranieri and Maurizio Sarri, Maresca says it was a huge relief to not become the only Italian to fail to lead Chelsea to silverware by lifting both the Conference League and the Club World Cup last season.

  “It's one of the most important clubs in the world,” Maresca continued. “In the last three or four years, for various reasons, it (Chelsea) has struggled. Having brought the club back to a great level is a great satisfaction. When I signed for Chelsea, I felt a bit of pressure of being the only Italian not to win here, but fortunately, that hasn't been the case.”

It is fair to say that the deadline day of the summer transfer window at the start of this month did not go exactly to plan for Celtic and Brendan Rodgers.

The Hoops wanted to make several additions to their forward line heading into the day, and allowed Adam Idah to sign for Swansea City on a permanent deal.

Sebastian Tounekti arrived from Hammarby on a permanent deal to add to the manager’s options on the right wing, but they did not land a striker or a right winger.

Celtic were reportedly interested in a deal to sign Jesurun Rak-Sakyi on loan from Crystal Palace, only for him to remain at Selhurst Park. Meanwhile, the club made a £10m offer to sign Kasper Dolberg from Anderlecht, but lost the race for his signature to Dutch giants Ajax.

Missing out on those deals meant that the Scottish Premiership giants had to dip into the free agent market to tempt Kelechi Iheanacho into a reunion with Rodgers at Parkhead, having worked with him at Leicester City in England.

Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not the former Manchester City centre-forward will be a success in Glasgow, it was a blow for the Hoops to miss out on Dolberg.

Why missing out on Kasper Dolberg was a blow for Celtic

Missing out on a deal to sign the Denmark international from Anderlecht on deadline day was a big blow for Celtic because he could have been the main number nine for the club this season.

As aforementioned, Idah’s move to Swansea left the Hoops in need of a new centre-forward. Dolberg’s form in Belgium in recent seasons suggests that he could have been the perfect replacement.

The new Ajax signing scored 44 goals in 96 appearances in all competitions for Anderlecht, per Transfermarkt, and started the current campaign with a return of five goals in nine games.

Dolberg’s output in the Belgian Pro League in the 2024/25 campaign in comparison to Idah’s in the Premiership, in particular, illustrates the gulf in class between the two.

As you can see in the table above, the 27-year-old marksman could have arrived at Parkhead as a big upgrade on the Ireland international to provide Rodgers with a lethal and reliable centre-forward option this season.

Instead, Celtic have had to take a gamble on Kelechi Iheanacho, who scored four goals in 26 matches in all competitions last season for Sevilla and Middlesbrough combined, per Sofascore.

Therefore, Celtic’s failure to get a deal over the line for Dolberg on deadline day last week was, ultimately, a big blow because of his quality and because of the gamble they have had to make as a result of that failure.

The club’s options in the number nine position could have looked a lot different, though, because they once had a striker on trial who is now worth more than £20m more than the £10m they bid on Dolberg.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Brighton & Hove Albion centre-forward Evan Ferguson, who is currently loan at Roma, previously revealed that he had trials with the Scottish giants in his younger days.

Celtic missed out on Evan Ferguson

When asked last October if Celtic had tried to sign him in recent seasons, the striker said: “No, nothing. I went on a few trials when I was younger.”

The young marksman played for St. Kevins Boys and Bohemians in Ireland before his move to Brighton’s academy in 2021, but it is unclear as to when he went on trials with the Hoops, whether it was just before his move to Brighton or before his move to Bohemians.

Either way, Celtic will rue the fact that they missed out on bringing him over to Glasgow, whether it was their decision or his, because he is now a top striker prospect who is an incredibly valuable asset.

Ferguson scored 18 goals in 39 matches for Brighton at U21 level, per Transfermarkt, before being thrust into first-team action at the age of 17. He was valued at just £519k by Transfermarkt when he made that step up.

The Ireland international has scored 17 goals in 80 first-team matches for Brighton, but he may not get a chance to add to that tally because Roma reportedly have an option to sign him on a permanent basis for a fee of roughly £35m, which shows how much his value has soared in recent years.

Ferguson, who scored against Hungary for Ireland last weekend, scored two goals in two games for his country during the current international break, but is still looking for his first competitive goal for Roma.

As you can see in the table above, the 20-year-old marksman’s finishing quality in the Premier League for Brighton suggests that he will score goals for the Italian side if they provide him with enough chances.

Former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker compared him to Manchester City striker Erling Haaland during the 2023/24 campaign, saying: “I do see a hint of Haaland about him, his stature, his movement, his youth and stuff like that.”

That was an incredibly high praise from Lineker, a former striker himself, and it came off the back of Ferguson scoring six goals in the Premier League as a teenage centre-forward, which is partly why he is such a valuable young player, because he has proven himself in a major European league.

Now, he is worth £35m, £25m more than the £10m that Celtic were willing to pay for Dolberg, and the Hoops could do with a talented striker like him in their current squad after their deadline day woes.

Brown 2.0: Celtic have their next number 8 in the making & it's not Nygren

Celtic may have their next Scott Brown in the making and it is not Benjamin Nygren.

By
Dan Emery

Sep 6, 2025

Wayne Rooney has delivered a damning assessment of Florian Wirtz, claiming that the £116 million ($156m) star “damages” Liverpool. The German playmaker was acquired by the Reds, in what was a British record transfer at the time, to provide more creativity for the reigning Premier League champions. He has endured a slow start to life in English football, with questions already being asked of his place in Arne Slot’s strongest starting XI.

• Wirtz's early Liverpool record: No goals or assists

  Wirtz surprisingly dropped to the bench for Liverpool’s first Merseyside derby of the season against neighbours Everton and has been subbed off in every one of his starts for the Reds in all competitions, with little impact being made. He is still waiting on a first goal and assist after eight appearances.

  Expectations were high when the 22-year-old made his way to Liverpool, with a talismanic role being taken up with Bayer Leverkusen – a side he helped to Bundesliga title glory in 2024 and registered 34 goals for across his last two seasons in Germany. Time is still on his side when it comes to making a decisive contribution at Anfield. He is no longer the most expensive player in Britain, so does not have to contend with that added pressure, as club colleague Alexander Isak inherited that standing when completing a £125m ($168m) switch from Newcastle.

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  Rooney's assessment: Is Wirtz right for Liverpool?

  Amid questions of where Wirtz fits into the bigger picture at Anfield, with Slot blessed with plenty of alternative options in the midfield department, former Manchester United and Everton star Rooney has suggested that the highly-rated German actually makes Liverpool weaker.

  The ex-England captain told podcast: “It's been tough for him. I don't think there's any denying that. He's played OK. When you sign so many players like Liverpool have – Liverpool don't normally do this but they've signed basically a whole new frontline, and then you've got [Mohamed] Salah there as well – they're all competing and they all want to do well. Wirtz is probably the one who's not doing as well, but he's got so much ability.

  "I don't see where he gets into the team. I think it was a lot of money. I think Wirtz actually damages the balance of Liverpool and how they play. He's a top player and I'm sure he will get better – but he's had a slow start and I think there's no denying that.

  “I've seen players come into this league and it takes time. It's not the price tag. It's not the player or his ability. I don't see where he fits into what Liverpool do in that system. Is he a third midfield player? For me, no, he's more of an attacking player. So if I have to choose between him and [Dominik] Szoboszlai, then I choose Szoboszlai.”

• Difficulties settling in England: Wirtz admission

  Wirtz has admitted to enduring difficulties settling in new surroundings, telling Sky Deutschland of that process: “Of course I would have liked to have scored a goal or collected a few points. But no matter what anyone says, I'm staying cool. I don't want to constantly hear ‘give it time, give it time’. Instead, I simply try to do it better each time than before.

  “Sometimes there are just phases where things aren't going well for you. I haven't had that very often in my career. Once I get through it – that might be harsh, because I'm not playing badly, I just haven't got the points (goals and assists) yet – it will come at some point, and then everything will be fine.”

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  Next up for Wirtz: Liverpool face Champions League test

  Wirtz’s next opportunity to impress, potentially opening his account on the goal contribution front along the way, could come in a Champions League clash with Galatasaray on Tuesday. Liverpool are readying themselves for a European fixture in the most hostile of atmospheres. Trips to Istanbul are never easy, but the Reds need their expensive German playmaker to start delivering on the grandest of stages as there is only so long that they can wait for a missing spark to be found.