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Leeds United defender Leo Hjelde is reportedly close to an exit, according to Sky Sports reporter Gianluca Di Marzio.

What’s the latest Leeds transfer news?

It has been a summer of frustration at Elland Road for new owners the 49ers Enterprises, with a number of players seeing clauses in their contracts activated to allow them to leave on loan following relegation from the Premier League.

There have also been permanent exits for Rodrigo and Tyler Roberts and just four arrivals, one of which being former defender Sam Byram on a free transfer. It could get worse before there are any signs of the tide turning, with Wilfried Gnonto refusing to play over the past seven days as he looks to force a move away before the deadline.

Read The Latest Leeds Transfer News HERE…

Another potential departure could well be Hjelde, who got the nod at left-back from Daniel Farke on the opening day vs Cardiff City. The teenager was brought off at half-time against Cardiff and Shrewsbury Town in the EFL Cup, and it seems as if his days at Elland Road could be numbered.

Di Marzio, a Sky Sports reporter, shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding Serie A side U.S. Salernitana and their attempts to secure four new signings relatively quickly.

One of those was Hjelde, with the report stating that the parties are ‘very close’ to an agreement, one they want to ‘close soon’.

Who else could leave Leeds?

Hjelde has struggled so far this season with his two early replacements, and in total, the 19-year-old has made just seven senior appearances for the Whites after joining from Celtic back in 2021. However, he has been hailed by his former manager at Ross County John Hughes in the past, who said last year:

“In terms of potential he plays a way beyond his age, with a maturity that is two or three years above himself. He’s only just turned 18, he’s just a baby, but he’s 6ft2 and still has a bit of growing to do. That’ll come. He’s an athlete, quick, nobody would run him. He had a great recovery if someone did go by him, and technically he’s very good.

“He’s still got a lot to do in terms of getting where he wants to get but it’s fantastic for Leeds, a really good signing. If he fulfils his potential Leeds have got a real proper centre-half on their books. He’s got that ‘I’m a player’ about him. It’s not in an arrogant way, it’s a belief.”

Should the full-back depart, Farke would be left with just Junior Firpo as his only recognised left-back, meaning Pascal Struijk could be forced to fill in once again as the club possibly look for a replacement.

However, alongside Hjelde, Gnonto and Luis Sinisterra could also be on the move, with the latter another who was unavailable last time out against Birmingham City. A number of additions appear to be needed at this moment in time due to the sheer number of exits so far, and if Hjelde, Gnonto and Sinisterra were also to depart, it could be a frantic final few weeks of the window at Elland Road.

Arsenal are set to be forced back into the market, following the devastating news recently disseminated through the mainstream media…

Who could Arsenal sign to replace Jurrien Timber?

Having hobbled off in the Gunners’ opening-day victory over Nottingham Forest, fans had their worst fears realised on Monday as The Athletic released an article regarding Jurrien Timber’s fitness.

Within, it detailed how the Dutchman’s knee ailment was far more serious than first expected, with his absence expected to be lengthy.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

As such, Mikel Arteta will likely look to add to his summer spending in an effort to offset this hefty blow, with The Express suggesting some potential stand-ins.

One such name is Joao Cancelo, who despite having agreed personal terms with Barcelona, could have his head turned given should the north London outfit offer him a suitable package. After all, they do retain an interest in the Manchester City maverick, who is valued at just €40m (£34m).

What position does Joao Cancelo play?

Despite being a natural right-back by trade, the Portugal international rose to prominence a few years ago when he traded Juventus for the Etihad.

At the time, Pep Guardiola was struggling to nail down a true starter for his left-back spot, and to fill that vacancy he decided to try something new. Slotting the 29-year-old in an unorthodox role, the right-footed gem starred, inverting from defence into midfield and providing plenty contributing to attacks.

His standout campaign arguably came during the 2021/22 season, where he maintained a 7.33 average rating, buoyed by his seven assists, 85% pass accuracy, 1.1 key passes and 2.3 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

There was little he could do wrong, and everything he touched turned to gold as they strolled to Premier League title success.

His Spanish boss led the praise back in 2020: “He played exceptionally, with the ball and without the ball. He is a special talent. Defensively sometimes he needs to be consistent but when he is consistent, his focus is fantastic. He’s a fantastic guy and a football player.”

Former professional footballer Ahmed Elmohamady supported such a claim, outlining just how much the defender had evolved: “PEP has improved so many players over the years but Cancelo became a world-class player."

This kind of creativity, in the role that Arteta likely envisioned Timber fulfilling for the campaign, would have fans speedily forgetting the frustrating injury saga that is set to drag on.

Last term in the Eredivisie, the 22-year-old’s 7.03 average rating was underpinned by his four goal contributions, paired with a 92% pass accuracy and 1.4 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

Considering he mainly operated as a centre-back, these were figures sure to improve in the more advanced role set out for him. Especially given, when compared to others in that role across Europe, he still sits in the top 1% for passes attempted, pass completion, progressive passes and progressive carries all per 90, via FBref.

If they are to be without the former Ajax star for the bulk of the season, it is certainly worth adding to their ever-growing list of big-money signings acquired this window.

After all, it would all be worth nothing if they allowed such a blow to derail what promises to potentially be the year where they finally overthrow the Citizens.

Normally the season-opener, the tournament has been deferred to the beginning of next season because of a cramped international calendar

Arun Venugopal25-Aug-2017

The Duleep Trophy doesn’t find a place in the 2017-18 domestic calendar that kicks off with the Ranji Trophy on October 6. Normally the season-opener, the tournament has been deferred to the beginning of next season given the cramped international calendar that has India playing 20 limited-overs games from September to December.A BCCI official said the Duleep Trophy was conducted in a year-and-a-half cycle and not necessarily on an annual basis. The Duleep Trophy featured three teams – India Red, India Blue and India Green – last year and was played with the pink ball under lights. The official said the tournament, which would continue to be played with the pink ball, was better suited to be played at the beginning of the season than in the middle or the end.Ranji Trophy groups

Group A: Karnataka, Delhi, Assam, Maharashtra, Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, Railways
Group B: Jharkhand, Gujarat, Kerala, Saurashtra, Haryana, Team Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir
Group C: Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Baroda, Tripura
Group D: Himachal Pradesh, Vidarbha, Punjab, Bengal, Services, Goa, Chhatisgarh

“If you remember, ahead of the World T20 year [in 2016], we didn’t have the Duleep Trophy because there was no relevance in holding it when we were looking at selecting a T20 side,” the official told ESPNcricinfo. “Last year, we had a 13-Test season, so starting the Duleep Trophy before the Tests had greater relevance and we had time to do it. The Duleep Trophy takes 24 days [to finish], and with such a long season and with all venues being occupied – obviously we can’t do it in June or July – we had only September.”And, this year we are starting the international season on September 17 which means the team would assemble on September 10 or 11. That’s the reason we decided to defer it to the beginning of next season, which is again a Test season with India playing West Indies and touring Australia and New Zealand. The Duleep [Trophy] will then form the basis for selection in the longer formats.”New BCCI tournaments

One-day tournament for the Under-23 age group

Under-16 zonal women’s inter-state tournament

Under-19 women’s inter-state and all-India T20 tournament

In line with the same principle, the Vinoo Mankad Under-19 50-overs tournament will precede the four-day Cooch Behar tournament, with the Under-19 World Cup being scheduled for January-February next year in New Zealand. Despite India playing a number of limited-overs games in the next few months, the Vijay Hazare 50-overs senior tournament hasn’t been advanced.”The thing is even if Vijay Hazare starts in October-November it will spill over into December,” the official said. “However, even the knockouts of Ranji Trophy will be over before India go to South Africa. That way everyone can participate in these games before the South Africa tour begins.”The quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy are scheduled to be held from December 7 to 11, while the semi-finals will take place from December 17 to 21. The final will be held from December 29 to January 2.In a letter to all the member units, BCCI’s general manager (cricket operations) MV Sridhar wrote that pitch-preparation would be overseen by a curator of the board’s grounds and pitches committee. Sridhar also wrote that the central curator’s decision in the overall preparation of the pitches would be final. “This decision is more to ensure that the wickets are standardised as per the directions of the technical committee.”The Ranji Trophy will also revert to the home-and-away format for league fixtures in accordance with the recommendations of the BCCI’s technical committee which decided to shelve the neutral-venue experiment after just one season. In another significant change to the structure of the tournament, the 28 teams in the competition have been split into four groups of seven each. They have been grouped based on their average points in the last three years.Karnataka and Delhi will headline the matches in Group A, which will also see an interesting tussle between Maharashtra and last year’s quarter-finalists Hyderabad. Group B’s marquee encounter will feature Gujarat and Jharkhand, who clashed in the last four in 2016-17, while Mumbai and Tamil Nadu will resume their rivalry in Group C. The game between Punjab and Bengal is expected to be the highlight of Group D.The new group format means that with a maximum of six games, each team will play at least two fewer matches in the league phase than in the previous years. While a few coaches expressed concerns over fewer opportunities for players, the official defended the decision and said that there was a bigger gap between games now. According to the BCCI’s schedule, a copy of which is with ESPNcricinfo, there is a minimum of four days between each round, with a week’s break during Diwali.”This is something we discussed in the captains’ and coaches’ enclave with everyone,” the official said. “There were in fact complaints that there was no gap between Ranji Trophy matches. There was only a gap of three days earlier and in that your travel takes up one day. Even in Vijay Hazare, the gap between one-day games was very less. At times, we were forced to play two or three matches in a row which is not correct. We could never give that gap because we had to complete our entire schedule in a span of six months.”These are healthy changes. The bowlers had to be given relief. In current-day cricket, with so many formats, spacing [out games] and managing bowlers’ workloads is important. For batsmen it is never a problem, but we are seeing a burnout of bowlers because playing three formats has a very big impact on your body.”With balls frequently going out of shape in the Ranji Trophy last year, the quality of the SG Test balls was a major cause for concern. The official said that a new variety of ball called the SG Test LE would be introduced in the domestic season and will be used for the home Tests against Sri Lanka.”This is imported leather being used on Indian cricket balls for the first time,” the official said. “There have been many trials over the last one year in smaller games and side games and even in Test conditions with the manufacturer. We saw the reports and obviously it looks like a much-improved product. Too many balls were losing shape and not surviving long enough, but we are confident that this ball will remain durable.”

File photo – Chris Jordan claimed three wickets to help bowl out Gloucestershire•BCCI

Sussex boosted their hopes of reaching the knockout stages in the NatWest T20 Blast after easing to a five-victory win over Gloucestershire at Hove.The visitors were bowled out for 138 in 18.4 overs after an excellent bowling and fielding display by the hosts, led by Chris Jordan and George Garton who both took three wickets. Sussex stuttered when they lost 4 for 16 in 23 balls, but Laurie Evans supervised the chase with an unbeaten 45 and two sixes in the 18th over took Sussex to their second successive win at home with 14 balls to spare.Chris Nash and Luke Wright had launched the reply with 42 for the first wicket before Gloucestershire dragged themselves back into contention. Nash moved to 394 runs in this season’s Blast before top-edging Matt Taylor to short fine leg then former Sussex seamer Chris Liddle struck twice against his former club when he removed Wright and Stiaan van Zyl in successive overs.Skipper Ross Taylor’s poor run continued when he was lbw to Benny Howell for 2 but Evans and Brown steadied the ship with 25 for the fifth wicket. Brown was caught off a leading edge leaving Sussex needing 56 from eight overs.Wiese struck two straight sixes to ease the tension in the home crowd before Evans, who had been badly dropped by wicketkeeper Phil Mustard on 30, finished it off in style, heaving Liddle onto the roof of the pavilion before pulling him high over the scoreboard.Gloucestershire had been put in and made a disastrous start with skipper Michael Klinger, their leading scorer in this season’s Blast with 261 runs, edging Wiese to slip off the first ball of the match. They were 2 for 2 at the end of the first over when Ian Cockbain was run out by Jofra Archer’s direct hit from short fine leg but the experienced Mustard (43) and Cameron Bancroft (37) rebuilt the innings nicely with a stand of 77 in 7.5 overs.The muscular Mustard hit two sixes and six fours and his side were in a decent position to push on in the second half of their innings when they reached 79 for 2 in the ninth over. But left-armer Garton had other ideas. He had Mustard caught behind off a thin edge and in his next over uprooted Bancroft’s middle stump with a searing yorker.Gloucestershire never recovered and lost their last six wickets for 46 runs as Jordan and co made short work of their lower order.The England allrounder bowled Payne and Liddle in the 19th over to end the innings and add to his earlier wicket of Jack Taylor, who was caught at long on. Jordan took 3 for 17 while Garton finished with 3 for 35, his third wicket coming after some agile fielding on the midwicket boundary by van Zyl who parried the ball back inside the rope and caught it even though he was on the ground.It epitomised an excellent fielding performance by Sussex who go to the Kia Oval on Sunday for a game pivotal to both sides’ chances of finishing in the top four.

Newcastle United defied expectations and cleaved their way into European contention last term with a fourth-placed Premier League finish, and could now consolidate their newfound stature by signing Southampton's Tino Livramento.

Are Newcastle going to sign Tino Livramento?

According to talkSPORT, the relegated Saints have touted the 20-year-old at £50m after Newcastle lodged a recent offer of £30m for Livramento, who made just two appearances last term due to a long-term injury sustained in April 2022.

This might seem exorbitant, but Southampton's stance is seemingly that the precocious talent played no part in such a dismal year and as such should not see a deprecation in value.

The south coast club signed the emerging ace from Chelsea for just £5m but inserted a £25m buyback clause into the contract, and the Saints hierarchy evidently believes that for Newcastle to find fruit in their pursuit they must stretch closer towards that ballpark figure of £50m.

What position is Tino Livramento?

Having signed Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid for £12m in January 2022, Newcastle unearthed a new focal point from the right-back position to spearhead an ascent that has carried the club away from relegation worries at the bottom of the Premier League and toward Champions League football just 18 months on.

The England international has made 53 displays for the Tyneside outfit, scoring three goals and supplying ten assists to date; he also played an important role in securing the division's joint-best defensive record of 33 goals conceded – alongside champions Manchester City.

Once hailed as a "revelation" by pundit Simon Jordan, Trippier has been immense, but at 32-years-old his influence will not last forever and targetting a worthy successor is paramount to ensure the robustness of the outfit continues.

Livramento played next to no part in Southampton's 2022/23 travails but did impress across the previous campaign, earning an average Sofascore rating of 6.85 after making 28 appearances, making 1.9 tackles and 1.7 clearances and interceptions per game, earning praise as a "future star" by former teammate Theo Walcott, who also called him "fantastic".

One player who could benefit from his arrival at St. James's Park is Anthony Gordon, with the 22-year-old Englishman not quite hitting the ground running since completing a £45m transfer from Everton last January, scoring just one goal from 16 appearances.

Gordon is a nimble and progressive winger and has been called "fearless" by Newcastle icon Alan Shearer, and with both the Liverpudlian and the Southampton starlet in the maiden phase of exciting careers, they could form an innate partnership down the right flank.

Livramento's aforementioned defensive metrics highlight his prowess at protecting the base of his team, which could allow Gordon to thrive as he grows into his skin and harnesses his end product over the next several seasons.

Trippier is a dynamic option and can help Gordon at present with his masterful ball-playing skills, but indeed, several years down the line his presence will have waned and the changing of the guard could reap rewards across several facets of the pitch with Livramento the heir.

Listed No. 1 in the ICC rankings for bowlers in ODIs and T20Is, Imran Tahir was “sad” and “down” after going unsold at the IPL auction two months ago. But an injury to Mitchell Marsh opened a door for Tahir: he was signed as a replacement and shone with 3 for 28 in Rising Pune Supergiant’s seven-wicket win in their opening match against Mumbai Indians.After Mumbai raced to 41 for 0 in four overs with consecutive sixes from Jos Buttler, Steven Smith brought on Tahir, who bowled Parthiv Patel around his legs and then removed Rohit Sharma and Buttler within the space of three balls in his next over.”The way they were playing it looked like they were going to end up getting 200,” Tahir told after the match. “I always love challenges, and when I bowl I always look to get wickets. I was very fortunate to get Patel out and obviously, the next two wickets were very special. Those guys were really good against spin bowling and it was very special for me that I got them out and [I’m] really, really happy with the way the ball came out. I’ve been here for one week and I’m trying to do well because it’s a new team and they gave me a lot of confidence.”I always come on the ground with a smile on the face but inside I’m always ready to fight and try to give as much as I can. I love doing what I’m doing and I always look for a challenge.”Tahir expressed how disappointed he was when no franchise picked him at the auction in February, when he had a base price of INR 50 lakhs. He had been released by Delhi Daredevils after an unimpressive IPL last year, playing four matches for five wickets with an economy rate of 8.62.”I was obviously sad not to be part of this league [in the auction] but there’s nothing I can do about it,” Tahir said. “But really relieved and pleased with myself about playing the way I’ve been playing and just deliver it today.”I’m grateful to god and my family supported me, especially my wife. I was quite down when I didn’t get picked in the league. But our life carries on and I came here to prove myself again, that’s what my job is. I don’t blame no one for not picking me. My job, if someone picks me, is to come and perform, that’s what we do for a living.””I always come on the ground with a smile on the face but inside I’m always ready to fight”•BCCI

Supergiant played two legspinners – Tahir and Adam Zampa – in the absence of R Ashwin and left out Faf du Plessis from the XI. Zampa, their highest wicket-taker last season, did not impress as much as Tahir on Thursday, with 1 for 26 from three overs, but Ajinkya Rahane said the strategy of playing two attacking legspinners worked for them.”Both of them are attacking, both of them look to take wickets, and that’s very important in T20,” Rahane said. “Zampa did well for us last year, and Imran Tahir is a world-class bowler. It’s good to have them both in our side, and we, as a team, know they’re always looking to take wickets.”Rahane gave Supergiant’s chase of 185 impetus, scoring 60 off 34 that featured six fours and three sixes. He brought up his half-century off only 27 balls; Supergiant were 79 for 1 in the ninth over.”When you’re chasing 180-190, it’s important to continue the momentum after the first six overs,” Rahane said. “I knew I was batting really well, and striking the ball well. So, for me, it was really important to play with that same momentum. Smith was completely new [on the pitch] at that time. So, I just wanted to take my chances and play my normal shots. I mean, I didn’t take any risks. But it was important for both of us to keep rotating the strike and hit one boundary or six in an over.”When you are chasing 180 plus, it’s the openers’ job to consolidate the innings. For me and Mayank [Agarwal], our discussion was to play positive cricket. We did not set any target for the first six overs. We just wanted to play our attacking game, and later on just capitalise on that. Unfortunately, he got out, but I was batting well. And Smith was there, I told him I’ll take my chances, and he should just carry on and play a long innings.”

Ross Taylor has suffered a low grade tear of the right calf but will bat if required in the Dunedin Test against South Africa. There is no word on whether he will be able to take any further part in the series.Taylor underwent a scan on Friday morning and had a short net session, after limping off the field in the 43rd over in the second day when he was 8. He received treatment overnight, which included icing on the area, and remains restricted in his movements.He can resume his first innings at any time, but will only be able to bat at five down – or when the time he has spent off the field as elapsed – in the second.After the second day’s play, Taylor’s team-mate Trent Boult admitted the team were concerned about his injury, his second in the same area in less than three years. Taylor missed a three-match ODI series against South Africa in 2014 for the same reason. “It’s a shame for us. He is a big player,” Boult said. “He is obviously disappointed. The way he walked off, it doesn’t look too good. We will see tomorrow.”Taylor is New Zealand’s second-highest Test century-maker on 16, one behind his mentor Martin Crowe. Earlier this season he became their leading century-marker in ODIs, but has lost his place in the T20 side.If this Test goes the duration there are only three days before the second Test starts in Wellington on March 16, which gives New Zealand six days to name a replacement if necessary. One man they cannot turn to is Martin Guptill, who will need six weeks of rehabilitation on his hamstrings ahead of the Champions Trophy. Colin Munro, Neil Broom and Dean Brownlie are believed to be in contention for a call-up if needed.

Chelsea's need for a new goalkeeper has been apparent for a while now, with Kepa Arrizabalaga's ability constantly being questioned pretty much from the day he arrived from Athletic Bilbao in a mammoth £72m deal five years ago.

Edouard Mendy appeared to be the solution to Chelsea's problems, but he struggled for consistency and is now on the verge of joining Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli.

Are Chelsea going to sign a new goalkeeper?

Chelsea have been linked with their fair share of goalkeepers this summer, including the likes of Leeds United's Illan Meslier, Andre Onana of Inter Milan and Porto stopper Diogo Costa.

AC Milan keeper Mike Maignan is another who has been mentioned, with Matt Law detailing in a report for The Telegraph that he remains 'under consideration'.

Is Mike Maignan an upgrade on Kepa Arrizabalaga?

Whether it is Onana, Maignan or any other high-profile goalkeeper, bringing in a new number one this summer has to be high on the list of Pochettino's priorities.

Kepa had an upturn in form midway through last season, but he otherwise underwhelmed – again – and came in for criticism from Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp following Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Everton in March.

"The keeper is so poor [for Ellis Simms' goal]. He doesn't make nearly enough saves… The keeper should do better."

Redknapp is not alone in questioning Kepa, with Gary Neville previously stating Chelsea "will not win a league with a goalkeeper that is letting goals in from outside the box and doesn't dominate his area."

That is not quite as strong as what former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot said in 2020 when labelling the Spain international "a liability". All this for the most expensive goalkeeper in history, too.

Kepa conceded at a rate of 1.17 goals per 90 minutes across 39 matches in all competitions last season, as per FBref, which compares to 0.92 for Maignan in 32 games for Milan.

That can be down to factors out of Kepa's control, of course, such as a poor defence – which would not be wrong in Chelsea's instance – but he is also outperformed in a number of other metrics.

For example, Maignan kept a clean sheet in 34.4% of matches last season, compared to 30.8% for Kepa. Maignan also saved two of the six penalties he faced, including one from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in Milan's Champions League quarter-final win against Napoli, whereas Kepa saved none of the three he faced.

Kepa is often praised for his shot-saving ability, though even that is pretty much on a par with Maignan – 73.8% of shots saved for the Spaniard compared to 73.7% for his potential future rival.

Perhaps more tellingly, Maignan is also better with the ball at his feet, completing 30.7% of his passes to Kepa's 28.5%.

Signing a player of Maignan's quality will not come cheap, with Italian outlet Corriere della Sera suggesting any possible move will cost around €70m (£60m), but Chelsea must surely now end the Kepa experiment if they are to re-establish themselves as one of the Premier League's elite.

Liverpool have strongly been linked with a move for Micky van de Ven this summer and now a new update has emerged on the player's price tag.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Micky van de Ven?

According to German news outlet WAZ (via Sport Witness), Liverpool will need to meet a price tag of €30m (£26m) to secure the signing of the VfL Wolfsburg centre-back this summer.

As per the report, it is claimed that no offer has been tabled for the player at this point but the Reds have been keen on securing a deal for some time, with Van de Ven also interested in a move away from Germany.

Should Liverpool sign a defender this summer?

It is no secret that a much-needed midfield rebuild has become the highest priority for Jurgen Klopp and his new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke this summer, but there is also a good opportunity to strengthen the defensive set-up too.

Joel Matip will be in the last 12 months of his contract when Premier League football resumes in August, whilst Virgil van Dijk will turn 32 this summer, so although the immediate future may not be threatened in the back line it will be vital not to repeat mistakes made in the centre of the pitch where quality had dwindled over last season.

Indeed, Ibrahima Konate has been showing strong signs he is a worthy successor to replace Matip when he eventually departs and has earned growing trust from the German coach to start in important games, however, finding him a partner for the future of the centre-back partnership would be advantageous.

As a result, FSG must sanction the signing of Van de Ven this summer as he could not only bolster the quality options available to Klopp next season but also build a strong partnership with Konate too.

Over 33 Bundesliga appearances last season, the 22-year-old titan – who is "dominant" in the eyes of scout Jacek Kulig – tallied up an 88% pass completion rate, kept 11 clean sheets and successfully completed 70% of his dribbles, proving himself to be a front foot defender.

Not just competent in possession, he averaged 1.4 tackles, 3.1 clearances and won 3.8 duels per game, proving he is a huge presence on the pitch.

Not only that, Liverpool currently only have right-footed centre-back options in their squad, which means that Van de Ven could be a hugely valuable asset to Klopp next season as the Dutchman is left-footed and could provide a previously unseen balance in the back-line alongside Konate.

The Liverpool defender boasts strengths in tackling, successful take-ons and aerial duels won – ranking in the top 21% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues over the last 12 months – using his towering 6 foot 3 stature to dominate opponents.

Meanwhile, Van de Ven is much stronger winning ground duels (60%), whilst ranking in the top 15% for progressive carries, successful take-ons and progressive passes received, demonstrating that he is better on the ground and is much more progressive when in possession.

With that being said, the signing of Van de Ven would be a major piece of business for Liverpool as he offers something different to Konate and combining the defensive duo could form a deadly pairing that could dominate at Anfield for years to come.

Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond remains engaged in efforts to find a replacement for recently-departed head coach Ange Postecoglou.

The 57-year-old completed a move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur last week and the Hoops are now in the market to appoint a new manager.

Sky Sports recently reported that Brendan Rodgers, who has already enjoyed one successful stint with the Scottish giants, has held talks with the club. And they are now set to hold further discussions with the Northern Irish coach in the coming days as they attempt to bring him back to Parkhead.

However, if they fail to convince the former Leicester City boss to take the job for a second time, then Desmond could find a dream alternative in Bodo/Glimt's Kjetil Knutsen, who is also reportedly on Celtic's radar.

What is Kjetil Knutsen's style of play?

The Norwegian manager plays a "kamikaze" style – as described by his captain Ulrick Saltnes – once explained his own philosophy by saying:

“Dominating doesn’t just mean scoring but also having the possession of the ball and dictating the rules of the game."

These comments show that the 4-3-3 tactician plays an intense brand of attacking football that results in his side being able to dominate the opposition, which has led to terrific results during his time with Bodo/Glimt.

Rodgers won seven trophies in less than three years at Parkhead and would come in as a proven winner, but Knutsen has also achieved great success in Norway and has proven that he knows how to win titles too.

The 54-year-old has won two Eliteserien titles in the last three years, whilst his side have won ten of their 11 league games so far in the division during 2023, which suggests that he is on his way to a third.

Knutsen has also shown signs of promise with his work in European competitions.

In the 2021/22 campaign, the promising coach reached the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League and won seven of his 11 matches in the tournament, which suggests that the potential is there for him to be a success on the continent.

Whereas, Rodgers failed to reach the last-16 in any European setting during his time in Scotland and, therefore, there are still question marks over his suitability to take the club forward outside of domestic football.

The Bodo/Glimt boss would not come in as a proven quantity in Scottish football as the Northern Irish manager would, but his impressive work in Norway – domestically and in Europe – suggests that the 54-year-old could be an excellent alternative to Rodgers if Desmond is unable to convince the former Liverpool chief to take on the job for a second time.