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Whitecaps advance to the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final and gain respect in Mexico.

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• Cruz Azul and Tigres face each to determine second finalist (Aggregate 1–1)
• Whitecaps aim to become first Canadian Team to win the Champions Cup
• Sorensen's team visit Real Salt Lake City this weekend

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Vancouver Whitecaps made a powerful statement in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, becoming the tournament’s first finalist after eliminating Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami with a dominant 5–1 aggregate victory in the semifinals. Led by head coach Jesper Sorensen, the Canadian side now awaits the winner of Thursday’s all-Mexican semifinal between Cruz Azul and Tigres.

  The performance didn’t go unnoticed in Mexico, where media and pundits praised the Whitecaps for their consistency across both legs. With their strong showing, many analysts warned that neither Cruz Azul nor Tigres can afford to underestimate the MLS side in the final.

  Former Mexican international and analyst Ricardo Peláez acknowledged the strength of Liga MX clubs but cautioned against complacency.

  “Anyone who thinks Cruz Azul or Tigres already has the title in the bag is wrong. This final will be tight,” said Peláez. “The Whitecaps are solid in every line, and they showed real character against Miami.”

  His colleague from ESPN, Héctor Huerta, added that while Liga MX teams often benefit from home-field advantage, MLS sides tend to struggle on the road — a key factor in knockout tournaments.

  “Just look at what happened in the final between Pachuca and Columbus Crew — Tuzos ran right through them,” Huerta said. “Playing in Mexico changes everything.”

  Meanwhile, attention remains fixed on Inter Miami and their underwhelming exit, which reignited debates about the team’s long-term strategy and dependency on Messi. Former striker and current Fox Sports analyst Rafael Márquez Lugo didn’t hold back.

  “Without Messi, Inter Miami wouldn’t even exist,” he said. “Is this a project to win or just to sell shirts? You bring in the best player in the world, but surround him with an aging team — that’s not how you build a champion.”

  Christian “Chaco” Giménez, former Mexico international and father of Santiago Giménez, echoed that view, calling out the flawed roster construction.

  “Inter defends poorly – that’s their biggest weakness,” he said. “Vancouver could’ve finished them off earlier. They built the squad around Messi the wrong way. The Whitecaps are more balanced, more complete.”

  He also addressed the disproportionate criticism directed at the Argentine star.

  “People attack Messi just because of who he is, but if you really know football, Inter Miami reached its ceiling — and it wasn’t enough. This team wasn’t built to compete seriously.”

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Jesper Sorensen and his Vancouver Whitecaps have been the talk of this year's tournament. In the Round of 16, they stunned Monterrey — featuring Spanish star Sergio Ramos — and followed it up with a dramatic last-minute winner against Pumas in the quarterfinals. Both times, they sealed the series on the road, in tough Mexican stadiums.

  Last night, they delivered another masterclass, this time at Chase Stadium, eliminating none other than Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami with a confident and commanding performance.

  Remarkably, the Whitecaps have closed out every knockout round away from home — a rare feat in this competition — earning them growing respect from fans and analysts alike in Mexico.

  Now, only one question remains: can they finish the job and lift the Champions Cup as the first Canadian club to ever do it?

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  With their convincing semifinal win over Inter Miami, the Vancouver Whitecaps have become just the third Canadian team in history to reach the final of the Concacaf Champions Cup — following in the footsteps of Montreal Impact (2015) and Toronto FC (2018). Both of those previous finalists fell short, with Montreal losing to Club América and Toronto falling to Chivas in a dramatic penalty shootout.

  Now, Vancouver will look to break new ground by becoming the first-ever Canadian club to win the tournament. The last MLS side to claim the CONCACAF title was Seattle Sounders in 2022, when they defeated Mexico’s Pumas UNAM in the final.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WHITECAPS?

  Sorensen’s squad isn’t just excelling on the international stage — they’re also proving to be the hottest team in Major League Soccer. In addition to securing their spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final, the Vancouver Whitecaps currently sit atop the Western Conference standings. They’ll return to league action this weekend with a home clash against Real Salt Lake, aiming to extend their strong run of form across all competitions.

Tottenham Hotspur have made contact with intermediaries as they eye a late January move for one “remarkably” fast defender, with manager Ange Postecoglou arguably in need of more centre-back options.

Spurs urged to sign new centre-back before deadline day

As the Lilywhites wait for Mathys Tel’s decision over join them, after agreeing a fee with Bayern Munich (Fabrizio Romano), technical director Johan Lange and the Spurs recruitment team remain hard at work on other potential incomings.

Lange travels for January talks as Tottenham push to sign "strong" £40m ace

The Dane has held in-person negotiations.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jan 30, 2025

Tottenham have apparently guaranteed Bayern a £50 million payment for Tel’s signature before the end of this January window, coming as good news for supporters who could see the highly-rated Frenchman bolster Postecoglou’s attacking options.

However, despite Micky van de Ven’s return to the team and Cristian Romero being back in training, you can make a serious case that the north Londoners should at least attempt to sign central defensive cover before the window shuts in four days time.

Van de Ven, Romero and Ben Davies’ absences from the side in recent months forced teenager Archie Gray into an unfamiliar role, partnering Radu Dragusin at the heart of Postecoglou’s defence, and the Australian will be keen to not be left so short in that area during the second half of 24/25.

Spurs have been urged to sign a fresh defender before the clock runs out, and many were linked in the build up to January.

A rumoured option under consideration by Lange is AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori, with the Englishman ticking many boxes as a homegrown player and one who possesses plenty of experience at the highest level.

Tottenham are considering a bid for Tomori, according to some reports, and Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari says that the 27-year-old remains in their thinking.

Tottenham reach out to agents over signing Fikayo Tomori in January

Longari, via X, claims that Tottenham have probed intermediaries to gauge Tomori’s availability – with the £25 million ace one of many potential San Siro exits as we approach the final days of this window.

The former Chelsea defender started his career at Milan in impressive fashion, earning call-ups to the England squad, but his place in the starting eleven has been less guaranteed this campaign.

This could hand Spurs an opportunity to tempt him with a move back to the Premier League, and his sheer pace could suit Postecoglou’s high-line down to the ground.

“He is remarkably quick, but the way he comes out and closes down people and spaces is tremendous to see,” said Rio Ferdinand on TNT Sports. “He is a student of the game, he is intelligent, he will keep on growing.”

Liverpool have never struggled for stylish attacking players. The Anfield side’s long and storied history is paved with the toil of so many free-scoring forwards.

From Ian Rush to Robbie Fowler to Luis Suarez to Mohamed Salah, the Reds have been treated to some of the very best. Salah is the current superstar, scoring against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday evening to take his bloated tally to 237 – with 106 assists besides – across 383 Liverpool appearances.

Described as a “Premier League legend” by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher earlier in the 2024/25 campaign, the Egyptian is supercharging Arne Slot’s campaign, chasing down titles across all four fronts.

Slot wields a dynamic and talented strikeforce, but Salah is the cream of the crop. Conversely, Darwin Nunez is still struggling to live up to the club-record price tag,

Darwin Nunez's season in numbers

Liverpool signed Nunez before the 2022/23 season for a record fee rising to £85m, but he has failed to provide Anfield with the attacking edge that they needed.

Luckily, it hasn’t detracted from the overall success of Liverpool’s frontline, but with just six goals across all competitions this season and confirmed interest from Saudi Arabian suitors throughout the January transfer window, time may well be running out for the Uruguay international to leave an indelible mark on English football.

He’s flattered to deceive for much of his Premier League career. As per Sofascore, Nunez has missed a staggering 50 big chances in the division since signing for Liverpool, having only scored 24 goals.

But the durability. The commitment to the cause. Nunez blanked against Spurs as Liverpool stepped into the Carabao Cup final but he was highly effective, bringing it all together and dancing in the face of adversity.

He’s got a part to play, alright. However, when taking Nunez’s exorbitant transfer fee into account, it would take a brazen supporter to argue that he’s lived up to his predecessor’s plate at number nine.

Roberto Firmino – like Nunez, in a sense – was never the most prolific of centre-forwards, but he was in his own stratosphere when it came to magic and influence, the linchpin that made Jurgen Klopp’s team fire at full throttle.

The 33-year-old’s into his second year in the Saudi Pro League, but he’s still got it.

How Bobby Firmino has got on since leaving Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp was once asked what advice he would give to someone seeking to build a great team. His response? “Built it around Bobby Firmino.”

Sadio Mane and the inevitable Salah operated as first-class assassins, but Firmino was the cement, the connector. Liverpool’s attacking conduit blended silky movement and passing with one of the sharpest minds in the game to establish an incredible level of offensive fluency. It bred hordes of silverware.

Klopp didn’t actually bring Firmino to Merseyside himself, the former Brazil international joining from German club Hoffenheim in a £29m deal back in June 2015, months before Brendan Rodgers’ dismissal and the ensuing whirlwind of events that would change Liverpool’s direction.

Mane once hailed Firmino as a “special player” but that scarcely scratches the surface of a truly unique skill set. The Brazilian’s name is etched into the club’s history book.

He left Anfield at the end of his contract in July 2023, leaving for £0, and has since plied his trade with Al-Ahli, captaining the Gulf-based side.

He might be at the twilight end of his distinguished career, but Firmino is still proving himself as an effective forward, having posted nine goals and five assists for Al-Ahli this season, comfortably ahead of Nunez’s six-goal and five-assist haul under Slot’s wing.

You might say that the forward is playing in a league of inferior quality to that of the Premier League, but he was hardly a liability for Liverpool as he bowed out, scoring 11 goals and adding four assists from merely 13 top-flight starts in 2022/23.

This is a potent level that wasn’t always on show from the Brazilian maestro, but he didn’t neglect the nuts and bolts of his skill set, also ranking among the top 1% of Premier League forwards that year for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 13% for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for ball recoveries and the top 16% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

With Nunez still lacking that keen edge and overall style that would see him live up to the lofty price tag and provide Slot’s team with Salah-rivalling quality, it’s somewhat frustrating that Liverpool failed to renew the striker’s contract way back when.

Was the reported £85m outlay really necessary? Have Liverpool received bang for their buck? Firmino, while earning a pretty at £179k per week on Merseyside, was matchless in his dynamic and creative forward role.

Given that Luis Diaz, a natural left winger, has been routinely preferred to Nunez at number nine this season, you have to wonder whether Liverpool would have been better off retaining his services and allowing him to jockey with the younger and more athletic Colombian, especially with Cody Gakpo also brought into the mix and now performing so well.

One thing’s for sure: Firmino is comfortably at the table of Liverpool’s great forward players, every bit as important as the most clinical Salah throughout the bulk of Klopp’s illustrious reign.

He’s outscoring Nunez this season, and while, yes, it’s in Saudi, you wouldn’t bet against him clinching a higher tally were he a valued member of Slot’s squad this season.

Slot has found Liverpool's new Salah who's having an "extraordinary season"

Liverpool brushed Tottenham aside to set up a Carabao Cup final tie with Newcastle.

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By
Angus Sinclair

Feb 7, 2025

Andre Onana is reportedly ready to fight for his Manchester United future despite the club considering a move for a Serie A goalkeeper.

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• Onana fighting for Man Utd future
• Wants to stay and compete for his spot
• Red Devils linked with Serie A stopper

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Sun claims that the 29-year-old wants to knuckle down, keep his spot in the starting XI and get United 'back to where they should be' at the top of the game. The report adds, however, that the Red Devils are also keeping tabs on Torino keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, not to mention that Altay Bayindir wants to usurp Onana as the club's number one.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Onana has made nine mistakes leading to a goal in all competitions since his £44 million ($58m) move from Inter Milan in 2023, and those costly errors have raised questions about his future at United. If they do sign another keeper, such as Milinkovic-Savic, this summer, the writing may be on the wall for the Cameroon international.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Milinkovic-Savic, 28, began his career at United aged 17 but ended up leaving due to work-permit problems. He has since developed an impressive reputation in Serie A with Torino.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Onana will have a few more chances to impress head coach Ruben Amorim this season, starting with United's home clash against fellow strugglers West Ham on Sunday.

Chelsea are looking at arranging a swap deal with Dortmund that involves Carney Chukwuemeka and Jamie Gittens as they initiate their summer rebuild.

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• Chelsea looking at offloading Chukwuemeka
• Blues face stiff competition from Arsenal for Gittens
• Maresca also eyeing move for goalkeeper

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chelsea are pursuing a swap deal involving Carney Chukwuemeka and Jamie Gittens, BILD reports. Chukwuemeka, who is currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund until the end of the season, was signed by the Blues in 2022 but hefty competition for places at Stamford Bridge saw him deemed surplus to requirements. Indeed, the Premier League side are apparently now looking at moving him on in a permanent transfer, that would see Gittens head in the opposite direction.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Intriguingly, Arsenal's interest in Gittens could complicate matters. German publication even claims that the Gunners are now a 'step ahead', although the €100 million (£85m) asking price is way more than they're prepared to pay. That could open a window of opportunity for Chelsea, if they can tempt Dortmund into agreeing to a Chukwuemeka-Gittens swap.

• KOBEL ALSO IN CHELSEA'S SIGHTS

  According to , Chelsea are also exploring the possibility of bringing in Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. The transfer negotiations have been described as a 'poker game', and despite the Switzerland international being happy in Germany, he may well be keen on progressing his career, should Chelsea make the Champions League. The fee could be a stumbling block, however, with Dortmund apparently asking for €60m (£51m).

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Chelsea and Dortmund will continue talks to see if an agreement can be reached, both regarding the Chukwuemeka-Gittens transfer and also a proposed switch to Stamford Bridge for Kobel. The Blues will soon be able to ramp up their summer plans, with them having just three Premier League games remaining. They're also favourites to lift the Europa Conference League and take a 4-1 advantage into their semi-final second leg against Djurgarden on May 8. As for Dortmund, they're currently fifth in the Bundesliga table and a failure to make the top four could lead to many star names, including Kobel, seeking an exit.

The January transfer window officially slammed shut for business last Monday and Chelsea went through the month without any major additions to their squad.

19-year-old central midfielder Mathis Amougou joined from Saint-Etienne on a permanent deal to provide competition in the midfield positions in the second half of this season and beyond.

He was the only first-team signing of the window for the Premier League giants, however, as they opted against any moves for a new goalkeeper or number nine.

The Blues, who were dumped out of the FA Cup by Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend, will now have to aim for a successful end to the campaign with largely the same squad that they had in the first half.

Chelsea are fourth in the Premier League and competing to win the Conference League, which means that there is still plenty to play for in the months to come.

One player who could have a big role to play in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign is forward Christopher Nkunku, who was linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window.

Christopher Nkunku's failed January exit

Football Insider recently reported that Enzo Maresca has attempted to appease the France international after the attacker remained in London after the deadline passed.

Chalkboard

The 27-year-old forward’s future was up in the air throughout the window as he was linked with an exit away from Chelsea amid interest from multiple other European sides.

It revealed that the former RB Leipzig star was a target for Manchester United in the closing stages of the window, as Ruben Amorim’s side looked to bolster their attacking options. They were in talks with the Blues over a deal for the striker, but they failed to reach an agreement before the deadline.

Football Insider added that Chelsea also explored a swap-deal with Bayern Munich that would have seen Nkunku join the Bundesliga giants in exchange for Mathys Tel making the move to Stamford Bridge in the opposite direction.

The young attacker, however, completed a move on loan to Tottenham Hotspur, with an option to make it permanent in the summer, and that ended any chance of a swap deal for Nkunku.

Last week, Maresca claimed that they had always planned to retain his services, saying: “We planned since December to keep Christopher Nkunku. It was our intention. For sure now he will have bigger role. He played half an hour vs West Ham. Hopefully he can get more minutes and help us.”

Football Insider’s report suggests that Chelsea did explore multiple avenues to part ways with the forward, though, and his form in the Premier League to date suggests that they were right to look at the possibility of moving him on.

Christopher Nkunku's struggles at Chelsea

The Blues officially completed the signing of the French attacker from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023 for a reported fee of £52m, after his impressive form in the Bundesliga.

Nkunku racked up 70 goals and 54 assists in 172 appearances in all competitions for the German side, which suggested that he had the potential to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch at Stamford Bridge.

The issue facing Chelsea upon his arrival, though, was about where he was going to play. Nkunku played in a front two for Leipzig and the Blues only play with one striker – Nicolas Jackson.

He has featured in a multitude of positions throughout his career, in midfield, on the right or left flank, as a number ten, as a second striker, and as a centre-forward, without nailing down one.

The majority of his appearances for Chelsea, to date, have come as a striker, with 24 outings in that role, but he has also played 11 times as a number ten and played eight games as a winger.

As you can see in the table above, Nkunku has failed to offer much in the way of quality in any of those positions in the Premier League over the last 18 months, with just six goal contributions in 31 games.

Chelsea, however, may already have a player who could be the end of the Frenchman in the form of Estevao Willian, who is due to link up with the squad in the summer.

Why Estevao could be the end of Nkunku

The Premier League giants agreed a £29m deal to sign the 17-year-old Brazilian forward last summer, but he will not be able to officially join the club until his 18th birthday in April of this year.

Analyst Ben Mattinson previously described him as a “superstar” who could be a “future Ballon d’Or winner” and went as far as to say that he is on the same level as “early Santos Neymar”, which speaks to how impressive the youngster has been in his home country.

The teenage attacker primarily plays on the right flank and his arrival at Stamford Bridge in the summer would provide Maresca with another attacking option to finally ditch Nkunku by unleashing the teenage sensation.

Chelsea would have the likes of Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke, Jadon Sancho, Estevao, Cole Palmer, and Nicolas Jackson to compete in the positions that Nkunku can play in, which suggests that there would be plenty of cover available to part ways with the French forward.

As you can see in the table above, the 17-year-old lit up the Brasileirao in the 2024 campaign with his ability to score and assist goals on a regular basis for Palmeiras.

He has showcased his quality in the Brazilian top-flight week-in-week-out at the age of just 17 and Chelsea will be hoping that he can translate that form over to the Premier League next season.

Chelsea already have their next Kante in "magnificent" 20-year-old prodigy

The new N’Golo Kante could be set to emerge at Chelsea.

By
Connor Holden

Feb 10, 2025

If Estevao can hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge and emerge as an immediate first-team option for Maresca then his arrival could be the end for Nkunku, who has struggled for game time and form as it is.

Gregor Kobel has been instrumental in Dortmund's qualification for the Champions League and he could now stay put, despite being linked with an exit.

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• Many clubs have been scouting Gregor Kobel
• Goalkeeper helped Dortmund secure top four
• May now be willing to remain in Germany

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chelsea and several other clubs have been linked with a move for Gregor Kobel. There was intense speculation that the Swiss goalkeeper might switch allegiance, but according to Kicker, Borussia Dortmund's recent performance under head coach Niko Kovac, and the fact they've qualified for the Champions League, could derail the transfer plans of interested clubs.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Dortmund's form dropped considerably in the middle of the season under former manager Nuri Sahin. The board then appointed Niko Kovac as the head coach in February. Kovac's arrival had an immediate impact on the team, as they went on to qualify for the Champions League, finishing fourth. Kobel, who had been expected to leave at the end of the season, suddenly became an instrumental part of the team. Now, following qualification and his recent performances, it's being suggested that the Swiss international might end up staying at the club.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Borussia Dortmund secured Champions League qualification in the dying moments. Kobel who played a crucial role in the club's qualification was asked about his future post-match, the Swiss goalkeeper said, "I do not comment on such things at all. It was important to me that we were in the Champions League, because this club simply belongs in the Champions League. It is been a hell of a four years here."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GREGOR KOBEL?

  Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund have been in talks and exploring options that can help land the Swiss international at Stamford Bridge. Apparently, Dortmund is asking for €60m (£51m) for the goalkeeper. With the newfound UCL qualification, it will be exciting to see how things unfold at Signal Iduna in the summer and whether he now, ultimately, decides to stay.

Celtic’s European campaign is on the cusp of coming to an end, but what an adventure it has been.

The Bhoys reached the Champions League knockout phase for the first time in 12 years, collecting 12 points and remaining unbeaten at home, most memorably beating RB Leipzig 3-1 at Parkhead in early November.

However, the first knockout round looks set to be a bridge too far, beaten 2-1 by Bayern Munich in Glasgow on Wednesday night, although Daizen Maeda’s late header does give them a slither of hope heading to Bavaria on Tuesday.

Domestically, Brendan Rodgers’ side sit 13 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership, on course for yet another treble, having already hoisted aloft the League Cup, but just imagine how good this team would be if they hadn’t lost their most highly-rated academy graduate.

Jota's return to Celtic

To much excitement, Jota returned to Celtic in the January transfer window, returning from Stade Rennais for a reported £8.5m, 18 months after departing for a Saudi Pro League for a joint-club-record fee of £25m.

The Portuguese winger marked his second debut in hoops with a goal against Motherwell at Fir Park, after which he actually burst into tears, so delighted to be back in Glasgow having endured, as he put it, countless “difficult moments” since departing.

Speaking on TNT Sports prior to Wednesday’s clash with Bayern, Rodgers admitted that Jota “is not quite at the physical level yet” to start as he looks to rebuild his fitness, hence why he’s largely been reduced to cameos off the bench so far.

As noted by Josh McCafferty of the Herald, Jota was “delighted” to be back at Celtic Park, starting as the Hoops smashed Dundee 6-0 last mid-week.

However, despite being widely known as a “superstar”, the returning hero faces some serious competition to get into this team on a regular basis.

Maeda, who currently occupies Jota’s preferred position on the left, has scored 11 goals since Boxing Day, with right-back Alistair Johnston describing him as “one of the most in-form players in Europe”.

The Japanese forward nodded home from close range on Wednesday, thereby becoming the first Celtic player since Joe Craig in 1977/78 to score four or more goals in a single European Cup campaign; Mo Johnston, Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton, Kenny Miller, Georgios Samaras and Moussa Dembélé all reached three.

Having said all of that, as much as the Celtic support love both Maeda and Jota, as well as Nicolas Kühn too, they may have let the best winger of the lot slip through their fingers.

Celtic lost Scotland's next great superstar

Ben Doak did not spend much of his youth career at Celtic, but his introduction to senior football did come bedecked in hoops, debuting as a late substitute during a must-win match against Dundee United in January 2022, before also coming off the bench for Ange Postecoglou’s team during a famous Old Firm victory three days later.

However, this did not convince the teenager to sign professional terms with Celtic, departing for Liverpool for just £600k in compensation soon after.

During his first two seasons on Merseyside, Doak saw first-team opportunities limited, making only ten appearances, but has exploded onto the scene since joining Middlesbrough on loan last summer.

Still only 19 years old, he has scored three goals and provided seven assists in the EFL Championship for Boro, while Jota, meanwhile, boasts just two goals and two assists across his time at Rennes and Celtic in 2024/25. There’s a reason why journalist Henry Winter has lauded him as a “huge prospect”.

This may not sound amazing, but let’s have a deeper look at his season stats.

As the table shows, Doak is a high-level dribbler and excellent chance-creator, and his performances on Teesside have certainly caught wider attention, with Don Smith of the Evening Standard reporting that Liverpool rejected a £15m bid from Crystal Palace for his services in January.

Meantime, he’s also made his senior international debut in recent months, trusted by Steve Clark to start all four of Scotland’s UEFA Nations League matches in October and November, repaying the manager by setting up John McGinn’s last-gasp winner against Croatia at Hampden, that helped save the Tartan Army from relegation.

That night, as noted by Gregg Evans of the Athletic, he gave the world’s most-expensive defender of all-time Joško Gvardiol nightmares, with Ewan Murray of the Guardian adding that the Man City man left Hampden ‘bamboozled’ by Doak’s ‘searing pace’.

Martin Watt of BBC Sport labels him a ‘wonderkid’, while Sam Blitz of Sky Sports hails him as Scotland’s ‘new superstar’, hence why Celtic supporters must be wondering what could’ve been had Doak chosen to stay.

Worth 2x more than Kyogo: Celtic star proved that he could play for Bayern

Celtic fell to a narrow defeat in the Champions League on Wednesday night…

By
Robbie Walls

Feb 13, 2025

Jesse Lingard will consider his future at FC Seoul when his deal runs out later this year, despite "finding peace" at the club.

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• Lingard has 'found peace' at FC Seoul
• Still set to consider his future
• Contract runs out in November

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lingard has enjoyed a fruitful spell in South Korea after suffering a difficult spell on and off the field, a period during which he left Manchester United and struggled at Nottingham Forest. However a return to England remains a possibility, with the 32-year-old claiming he is considering his next steps ahead of his contract expiring in November.

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  WHAT LINGARD SAID

  Lingard told : "I've thought about the future quite a bit. Not much can happen this season so I just want to concentrate on football. But other possibilities are out there – of course you are going to think about it. We are only human. We will see what happens when the [transfer] window opens."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lingard has scored 10 goals in 42 appearances for FC Seoul, assisting four more, and claims he is a much happier person since making the switch. He added: "It's been an amazing experience. Different cultures, the people are amazing, the city is amazing. I feel I've come on leaps and bounds mentally. I think the move has improved my outlook on life. I'm out here to find peace. Happiness is peace at the end of the day."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LINGARD?

  Lingard's availability is likely to spark interest among clubs around the world, despite the fact he turns 33 later this year. He said: "I'm still playing football and I'm enjoying myself. I still have many years of playing football ahead of me – I'm 32 but the stats don't show that I'm 32."

Celtic have enjoyed so much success both on and off the field at Parkhead in recent years thanks to their player-trading model of buying young players, giving them a platform on which to shine, before selling them on at a profit.

This, as noted by Mark Pirie of the Daily Record, saw the club named the ‘best-run club in Britain’ last year by the Fair Game Index.

However, one player, signed by Ange Postecoglou on the cheap, is still at the club, and remains a key figure in Brendan Rodgers’ side, earning rave reviews.

Ange Postecoglou's biggest successes in the transfer market

When Ange Postecoglou arrived at Celtic in 2021, as David Hytner of the Guardian puts it, the club was a complete ‘mess… in need of a reboot’ and a mass squad overhaul.

The Australian himself admitted “I was a joke” when he arrived, but defied all expectations by winning five out of six domestic trophies, departing for Tottenham having delivered a treble.

As noted by Callum McFadden of Breaking the Lines, the primary factor behind Postecoglou’s success was his excellent recruitment.

A total of 32 players were signed during Postecoglou’s two-year reign in Glasgow, so here’s a selection of the very best.

12 players who featured in the table and, of the eight who’ve departed, including Jota, who’s of course returned, Celtic have made a profit of around £65m in the transfer market alone, Matt O’Riley’s move to Brighton the most lucrative.

However, it’s one of these signings, still at the club, who is starring at the moment.

Celtic colossal centre-back

When Cameron Carter-Vickers joined Celtic, initially on loan, in 2021, he was surplus to requirements at Tottenham, having made just five appearances for Spurs, one of which had come earlier that summer, starting a Europa Conference League qualifying defeat to Paços de Ferreira that Nuno Espírito Santo did not take particularly seriously.

Nevertheless, north of the border, he’s been invaluable for Celtic, with Postecoglou describing him as “outstanding”, also calling him both a “leader” as well as the “best defender in the league”, hence why his move was made permanent for £6m the following summer.

Overall, the 27-year-old has made 148 appearances in hoops, winning eight major trophies, taking his tally to 18 caps for the United States during this time too, with Graham Ruthven of Total Soccer Show believing his performances in Scotland should make him USA’s first-choice at next summer’s World Cup on home soil.

So, let’s have a look at some of Carter-Vickers’ stats.

As the table outlines, when compared to other centre-backs, he ranks highly for both in-possession and out-of-possession statistics, his tackles and interceptions numbers are hampered by the fact Celtic average almost 74% possession in the Premiership this season.

Nevertheless, the American has become irreplaceable in this side, with Rodgers labelling him “top class”, while former U.S. U20s manager Tab Ramos says he has always been impressed by Carter-Vickers “aggressiveness in the air”, underlined by the percentage of aerial duals he wins, ranked third for this metric in this season’s Champions League (minimum 20 duals contested).

His performance against Bayern Munich in Germany last Tuesday led to Alex Barker of the Athletic stating that he was convinced Carter-Vickers to be “the best centre-back outside Europe’s top five leagues”. Fine praise indeed.

According to Transfermarkt, the 27-year-old is now worth more than double what Celtic paid for him, with his value currently at its highest point (£11.5m), reinforcing his status as a bargain signing.

To put that into context, he’s worth more than record-signing Arne Engels (£9m), according to the same source, and worth more than a man who Alistair Johnston believes is “one of the most in-form players in Europe”, Daizen Maeda.

The Japan star is worth £6.5m in the eyes of Transfermarkt, a figure that only goes to prove how great a signing his American teammate has been.

Rodgers has unearthed a new Celtic superstar & it's not Daizen Maeda

The Celtic sensation had more touches than Jota in the win over Aberdeen.

By
Dan Emery

Feb 26, 2025