Celtic are pushing on with their hunt for another domestic treble, but they will also be planning ahead for the summer window to navigate potential incomings and departures.

Celtic expecting movement in both directions this summer

The Bhoys only require three more victories at a maximum to guarantee a fourth successive Scottish Premiership title and travel to St Johnstone this weekend hoping to hasten the process ahead off taking on Kilmarnock next Saturday.

Brendan Rodgers could also secure the Scottish Cup should he navigate past the Perthshire side at Hampden later in the month followed by either Hearts or Aberdeen in the final. Still, the Irishman will have one eye on a summer transfer window that is set to produce incomings and outgoings at Parkhead.

Notably, Kieran Tierney will complete an emotional return to Celtic on a free transfer once his contract at Arsenal officially expires. Expected to be joined by plenty of new faces, the Scotland international is likely to become the preferred choice at left-back ahead of next season’s Champions League qualifiers.

Honing in on the engine room, the Hoops also have Augsburg midfielder Elvis Rexhbecaj on their radar and the Kosovo international may be attainable for a fee between £3 million and £3.5 million.

Celtic’s upcoming fixtures as run-in begins for Brendan Rodgers

St Johnstone (A)

Scottish Premiership

Kilmarnock (H)

Scottish Premiership

St Johnstone

Scottish Cup semi-final

Optimism is high in Glasgow’s east end over new signings, though several key stars may be linked with moves elsewhere following an excellent campaign for all involved at Parkhead. Reo Hatate, Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda are all players Rodgers will be desperate to keep hold of heading into 2025/26.

Nevertheless, the former Liverpool boss may be forced to part ways with one of his established core in the off-season, per recent developments.

Dinamo Zagreb table significant offer to sign Celtic's Greg Taylor

According to The Daily Record, Dinamo Zagreb have put forward a contract offer to Celtic star Greg Taylor that is deemed to be a ‘significant increase’ on his current £15,000 weekly pay packet at Parkhead.

The Scotland international has also attracted interest from Major League Soccer, which isn’t dead in the water, but a switch Croatia’s reigning champions appears to be his likeliest port of call. Rodgers previously emboldened him to extend his time at the club, though has now publicly conceded defeat on that front.

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Taylor has gone on to become a valiant servant for Celtic since arriving from Kilmarnock back in 2019, registering nine goals and 32 assists in 208 appearances across all competitions.

Playing his part in the Bhoys claiming ten trophies, the Greenock-born man has earned respect from his peers north of the border after seeing off the likes of Boli Bolingoli, Diego Laxalt and Alexandro Bernabei for the first-choice left-back slot in Glasgow.

However, all good things come to an end, and it appears that Tierney’s arrival from Arsenal has prompted Taylor to look elsewhere as he approaches the prime of his career.

Newcastle United have now joined the race to sign a “future Ballon D’or winner”, who has 18 assists to his name already this season, but there could be fierce competition for his signature, according to a report.

Newcastle keen to strengthen in attack

A new striker may be required at St. James’ Park this summer, should Alexander Isak make it clear he wants to leave, with recent reports suggesting the forward wants to sign for Arsenal.

Fiorentina’s Moise Kean and Lille’s Jonathan David are among the targets at centre-forward, but in truth Newcastle will be hoping a new top striker is not required, given that it would be very difficult to replace Isak.

That said, Eddie Howe may feel some more options are required in wide areas, with the Magpies recently joining the race for Southampton’s Tyler Dibling, although the winger will not come cheap, as the Saints are set to demand as much as £100m.

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Contact has also been made over a deal for AFC Bournemouth winger Dango Outattara, with a number of options from within the Premier League being considered.

However, there are also some targets from further afield, with a report from The Boot Room revealing Newcastle are now interested in signing Lyon winger Rayan Cherki, who is set to be available for a bargain fee this summer.

Lyon are set to sanction Cherki’s departure for less than £25m, and there is no shortage of interest in his signature, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Aston Villa also keen.

The 21-year-old is viewed as one of the most talented youngsters in Europe, and his performances this season mean he could be in line for a big move to the Premier League this summer.

Cherki wowing for Lyon this season

The Frenchman has been in simply incredible form for Lyon this term, collecting eight goals and 18 assists in all competitions, having shown serious signs of development.

Given his ability to set up his teammates, the starlet ranks in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for assists per 90 over the past year, while also placing very highly on some other key metrics.

Statistic

Average per 90

Assists

0.68 (99th percentile)

Shot-creating actions

7.26 (99th percentile)

Progressive passes

9.75 (99th percentile)

Successful take-ons

3.17 (96th percentile)

Such is the Lyon star’s ability, The Athletic’s Alex Barker has made the bold claim he could win the Ballon D’or at some point in the future.

If Cherki is able to replicate his current numbers in the Premier League, Barker’s bold prediction is not completely out of the question, so it is very exciting news that Newcastle are in the race for his signature.

Tottenham Hotspur and Daniel Levy have splashed the cash on a number of attacking players in recent years after losing Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.

The likes of Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson joined in big-money deals from Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest respectively, but before the duo moved to north London, Richarlison was a marquee signing from Everton.

Costing in the region of £60m, big things were expected from the Brazilian, but it hasn’t worked out for Richarlison at Tottenham. The attacker, who has been used through the middle and on either wing during his time at Spurs, has also suffered various injury problems and is on the treatment table again as the run-in begins.

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Richarlison did hit double figures for goals in the Premier League last season, but he failed to hit these heights in his other two campaigns for Spurs and was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia last year and a return to the Toffees in 2025.

And with Tottenham’s forwards drawing another blank in their 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in midweek, another striker will surely be on Levy’s wishlist in the summer.

Here, we’ve looked at a handful of centre-forwards Spurs could target to replace Richarlison.

1 Jonathan David Lille

One centre-forward set to be a man in demand this summer is Jonathan David, who is on course to become a free agent at the end of the 2024/25 season.

The Lille star has scored more than 100 goals for his current employers, taking his overall career tally to over 170 goals. He’s been linked with a move to Tottenham in recent times. The Canada international appears to be keen on a move to Barcelona, though, so Spurs may find it difficult to persuade David to move to north London.

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ByRoss Kilvington May 27, 2025 2 Liam Delap Ipswich Town

Liam Delap has been a shining light in a struggling Ipswich Town side this season and looks set to be on the move even if the Tractor Boys avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The former Man City youngster is into double figures for top-flight goals this season and starred at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a 2-1 win for Ipswich in November, grabbing a goal and an assist.

Spurs have since been linked with a move for Delap, who could prove to be a long-term upgrade on Richarlison.

3 Ademola Lookman Atalanta

Ademola Lookman appears to be at the peak of his powers and has starred in Italy for Atalanta in recent years, including scoring a hat-trick in the 2024 Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen.

The Nigeria international came through the ranks at Charlton Athletic, but struggled to make a telling impact at Everton and RB Leipzig, as well as during loan spells at Fulham and Leicester City.

However, with Atalanta, Lookman has impressed in a new central role as a second striker or as a centre-forward, finding the net regularly in Serie A and the Champions League.

He’s been linked with a Premier League return, and perhaps Spurs should be in the race if they want to replace Richarlison adequately.

4 Mateo Retegui Atalanta

Another attacking star playing for Atalanta is Mateo Retegui, who is the current top scorer in Serie A with 24 goals in 28 games at the time of writing.

The Italy international is averaging a goal every 79 minutes and one of the best goal conversion records in the league, resulting in rumours of a £50m move to Arsenal.

At 25 years of age, he could be an ideal replacement for Richarlison, though Spurs may need to act fast if they want his services.

5 Randal Kolo Muani PSG & Juventus

Before signing Mathys Tel on loan from Bayern Munich, Tottenham were heavily linked with a move to sign Randal Kolo Muani, only for the Frenchman to join Juventus on loan.

There is an option for Juventus to make their move for the forward permanent in the summer, but if they don’t and Spurs decide to send Tel back to Bayern with an upgrade on Richarlison on their shopping list, they could look at returning for Kolo Muani.

He scored five goals in his first three games as a Juventus player, showing his quality in front of goal – something Richarlison has struggled with during his time with Spurs.

6 Evann Guessand Nice

Another forward who was recently on Tottenham’s radar was Evann Guessand of Nice, who, at 23 years of age, could be a smart signing in the long term in north London.

Like Richarlison, the Ivory Coast international has played across the front three and is having his best career to date in terms of both goals and assists. He appears to be a star in the making, so Spurs could be on to a winner with Guessand should they go back in for him this summer.

7 Serhou Guirassy Borussia Dortmund

If experience is what Spurs feel they need in the final third, Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy could be the man to replace Richarlison.

The Guinea international was reportedly open to joining Spurs before his move to Dortmund in 2024 and has continued to score goals on a regular occurrence at the Signal Iduna Park.

Now in his late 20s, Guirassy has already scored more than 10 goals in the Bundesliga and 10 in the Champions League this season, so he could be an excellent addition at the right price.

8 Moise Kean Fiorentina

One forward who already has Premier League experience is Moise Kean, albeit during a period in his career he’d probably want to forget.

While playing alongside Richarlison at Everton, Kean struggled at Goodison Park, but has since found form once again in Italy, firstly with Juventus and now with Fiorentina.

Still only 25 years of age, Kean has already enjoyed the best goalscoring campaign of his career in 2024/25, and he may feel he has unfinished business in the Premier League.

9 Brian Brobbey Ajax

Spurs reportedly made a late enquiry for Ajax forward Brian Brobbey during the January transfer window, with some claiming he could be a dream addition for Dejan Kulusevski.

A powerful striker who has been dubbed as a future star by many, Brobbey now has more than 50 goals for Ajax in over 150 games, hitting double figures in the last two Eredivisie campaigns.

With Tottenham keen, he could be another to keep an eye on heading into the summer.

10 Lois Openda RB Leipzig

Lois Openda was mooted as an “interesting Richarlison replacement” in 2024, but as we know, a move never materialised.

Plying his trade for RB Leipzig, the Belgium international has continued to impress in the Bundesliga, reaching 21 goals and assists combined in 2024/25 heading into April.

Primarily an out-and-out centre-forward, Openda could form an eye-catching partnership with Solanke, with the former’s pace and the latter’s strength possibly causing havoc for defences.

Liverpool are believed to be keeping tabs on a Vinicius Junior-esque starlet with a massive future in the game, according to a new transfer update.

Liverpool close in on title as transfer rumours ramp up

The Reds need just one more win to seal the Premier League title, following Sunday’s 1-0 triumph away to relegated Leicester City. They could even be crowned champions on Wednesday evening, should Arsenal lose at home to Crystal Palace, which feels unlikely.

Away from the on-pitch action, Liverpool continue to be linked with new signings, ahead of what promises to be a busy summer at Anfield. Nottingham Forest right-back Ola Aina has been mentioned as a potential replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, should he depart for Real Madrid.

Bryan Mbeumo has also been mentioned as an option for the Reds for many months now and the Brentford ace is still being discussed as a summer target. A £50m bid for the Cameroonian is reportedly likely to be accepted by the Bees at the end of the season.

Liverpool are thought to have made contact with RB Leipzig ace Xavi Simons over a switch to Anfield, too, even though he only joined permanently from Paris Saint-Germain in the January transfer window.

Liverpool keeping tabs on Leicester teenager Monga

According to a report from Spain, Liverpool are eyeing a summer move for Leicester City teenager Jeremy Monga, who is considered one of the brightest young prospects in English football.

Chelsea and Manchester City are also thought to be interested in signing the winger, who recently became the first-ever player born in 2009 to play in the Premier League, and the second-youngest appearance-maker in the competition’s history.

Monga is a player who is being talked about as a special prospect, with scout/writer Jacek Kulig heaping praise on him and even comparing him to Madrid superstar Vinicius.

“Very positive on the ball, unpredictable, and confident of his skills. Doesn’t hesitate to use his weaker left foot and is capable of dribbling, passing, and scoring comfortably with it. Player has the potential to become a key player in a top European club.”

Liverpool should always be looking to sign the biggest young talent around and Monga could be an exceptional signing, maturing into a sensational player over time.

To have already played in the Premier League at the age of just 15 is an incredible achievement, and he was even introduced as a late substitute against the Reds on Sunday, making his second senior appearance in the process.

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Monga has already made a combined 23 appearances for Leicester at Under-21 and Under-18 level, shining way above his own age group, so Liverpool pipping rivals to his signature could look like a masterstroke over time.

Celtic do a lot of things right on the pitch and that is why they have had so much success in domestic football over the years, with a treble on the cards this season.

The Hoops are set to win the Scottish Premiership title for the fourth season running and made their way to the final of the SFA Cup with a 5-0 win over St. Johnstone at Hampden Park on Sunday.

Brendan Rodgers has built a relentless team that is hungry to win at every opportunity, which is evidenced by their form this season across all competitions.

It took German giants Bayern Munich to narrowly knock the Hoops out of the Champions League, whilst they have already won the League Cup, and are on course to win the Premiership and the SFA Cup.

Celtic do not get everything right, though, as no club can be expected to be perfect in all areas, and one aspect of the game that they may want to improve is their pathway from the academy to the first-team.

Callum McGregor, 31, is the only academy graduate to have started more than six league games for the club this season, whilst no academy graduate under the age of 26 has started a single league match, and the Hoops have fumbled exciting prospects from their youth set-up in the past.

How Celtic fumbled Karamoko Dembele

Karamoko Dembele joined the Bhoys at the age of 10 in 2013 and, unbelievably, played for the U20 side at the age of just 13, which led to comparisons to Barcelona legend Lionel Messi.

David Feeney, who coached the forward at youth level, compared him to the Argentine icon, saying: “I think he is very similar to Lionel Messi. If he has the right guidance, then the sky is the limit for him.”

Dembele went on to make his first-team debut in the Premiership at the end of the 2018/19 campaign, playing 45 minutes off the bench against Hearts, but he only played seven times in the following two seasons and then suffered a fractured ankle in the summer of 2021 that stunted his development under Ange Postecoglou.

After just ten appearances and 133 minutes of action on the pitch for the first-team, Celtic and Postecoglou opted to release the young forward in the summer of 2022.

Dembele joined Stade Brest on a free transfer ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and has spent the last two seasons on loan in England, with Blackpool and Queens Park Rangers, respectively.

Starts

29

13

xG

N/A

1.14

Goals

8

2

Big chances created

15

4

Key passes per game

2.0

1.1

Assists

13

4

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old attacker has provided quality in both League One and the Championship since the start of last season, scoring ten goals and providing 17 assists.

The left-footed whiz may not have lived up to the Messi comparison yet, but he has still forged a decent career for himself so far and is one that Celtic fumbled before he got the chance to prove himself with regular minutes on the pitch.

Dembele is not the only promising youngster who has been fumbled by the Scottish giants, though. The Hoops had Ben Doak emerge at a similar time and also failed to see the best of his talents at Parkhead.

Why Ben Doak was Karamoko Dembele 2.0

Just like Dembele, Doak came up through the youth ranks in Glasgow and caught the eye enough at academy level to earn a first-team breakthrough at a young age.

The left-footed starlet played 25 minutes over two matches off the bench in the Scottish Premiership at the age of 16 in the 2021/22 campaign under Postecoglou, which meant that he made his senior bow at the end of Dembele’s time at Parkhead.

Unfortunately, however, it was also the end of Doak’s time in Glasgow because he was out of contract at the end of that season and decided to move on to new pastures.

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The Scotland youth international decided to join Premier League giants Liverpool for a compensation fee of just £600k, which meant that the Bhoys lost him on the cheap because they could not get him to commit his long-term future to Glasgow.

Celtic may look back on his time at the club with regret and wonder if they could have done more, with extra game time on the pitch, to convince him to stay.

Doak played ten first-team games for the Reds in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns combined before joining Middlesbrough on loan last summer, thriving in the Championship this season.

Starts

21

Goals

3

Big chances created

7

Key passes per game

1.9

Assists

7

Dribbles completed per game

1.5

As you can see in the table above, the 19-year-old star has racked up ten goals and assists combined in 21 starts in the division, whilst Dembele has managed two goals and four assists for QPR in the same league at the age of 22.

These statistics suggest that Doak, who was described as a “generational” Scottish talent by analyst John Walker, could be an even greater prospect than Dembele, whilst playing in a similar position on the flank.

The Middlesbrough loanee has shown great promise in his performances in the Championship and, therefore, will be another Celtic academy graduate who the club may look back on with regret as they failed to extract the maximum out of his talent before his time at the club was up.

Doak only had 25 minutes on the pitch for the Hoops at senior level and his form for Boro in England suggests that the Scottish giants could have had an incredibly exciting wing talent on their hands if they had managed to keep hold of him back in 2022.

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Aston Villa were knocked out of the Champions League in dramatic fashion on Tuesday night as they beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-2, only to go out 5-4 on aggregate.

The Villans went 2-0 down early on but brilliantly battled back to put themselves 3-2 ahead on the night, only to fail to find a late equaliser to take the tie to extra time.

Irrespective of the final outcome, it was a sensational effort from Unai Emery’s team as they fought to the very last second to save their campaign, with impressive performers across the board – including Marcus Rashford.

Why Marcus Rashford is now undroppable

After a difficult start to the match, losing possession in the build-up to PSG’s first goal, the Manchester United loanee went on to play a key role in the spirited attempted comeback.

The England international completed four dribbles on the night and two of those came in the build-up to Ezri Konsa’s goal, as he impressively beat two defenders before putting the ball on a plate for the defender to stroke the ball into the bottom corner.

Rashford, who also had two shots on target on the night, was constantly trying to make things happen for the Villans – attempting nine dribbles – and provided the PSG defence with plenty of problems.

The United loanee has now produced three goals and two assists in his last seven appearances for Villa and should be undroppable at this point, due to his form in front of goal, but he is not the only player who should now be considered undroppable.

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Expand Collapse Why John McGinn is undroppable

John McGinn stepped up with a phenomenal display for the Villans against PSG on Tuesday and should now be as undroppable as Rashford for Emery.

The Scotland international has not been a guaranteed starter at times this season, coming off the bench in each of the last two Premier League matches, but his showing against PSG should change that, as it was one that was rewarded with a 9/10 player rating by the Birmingham Mail.

McGinn, who also scored off the bench against Southampton last time out in the top-flight, was a constant nuisance to the PSG team with his all-action performance in midfield, getting stuck in as well as providing quality on the ball.

Vs PSG

John McGinn

Minutes

66

Goals

1

Assists

1

Pass accuracy

75%

Dribbles completed

2/2

Duels won

4

Fouls

3

Stats via Sofascore

The Villa star, as you can see in the table above, made three fouls and won four duels to break up play, but he also scored a deflected strike from distance and teed up Youri Tielemans for his goal.

McGinn also had more touches (40) than the Belgian wizard (31), which shows that he was constantly taking responsibility in possession to make things happen, and lost the ball 15 times.

It was a terrific captain’s performance by the Scottish midfielder and one that should convince Emery to make him an undroppable figure in the team for the weeks to come.

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Crystal Palace are now “interested” in signing a “fantastic” Premier League player, who is set to be available for a bargain fee in the summer transfer window, according to reliable reporter Ben Jacobs.

Palace set sights on new midfielder

Palace may have their work cut out trying to keep hold of some of their key players this summer, with the likes of Marc Guehi and Jean-Philippe Mateta attracting widespread interest, alongside Adam Wharton, with Liverpool now ready to sign the 21-year-old.

With attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze also catching the eye, Oliver Glasner may be tasked with bringing in at least one new midfielder in the summer transfer window, and the manager has several potential options in mind.

Sunderland’s Chris Rigg is of particular interest, with the Eagles racing a number of their Premier League rivals for the 17-year-old, while they are also eyeing a move for Rigg’s teammate, Jobe Bellingham, who Glasner is believed to be a big fan of.

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According to Ben Jacobs, Crystal Palace have now joined the race for a new central midfield target, with the reporter taking to X to reveal they are now “interested” in signing Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.

With Leicester’s relegation from the Premier League now confirmed, they could be in line to lose one of their key players on the cheap, with Ndidi set to leave for just £9m due to a clause included in his contract.

There is widespread interest in the central midfielder, with Premier League rivals Everton and Fulham also emerging as potential suitors, while Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli have him on their “radar”, although they are yet to make an official approach.

"Fantastic" Ndidi has talent to remain in Premier League

Leicester’s performance in the Premier League this season has been nothing short of dismal, having collected just 18 points throughout the campaign, but the Nigerian midfielder has impressed in the top flight in the past.

The Lagos-born maestro was once described as a “monster” after impressing against Liverpool, while he has also been lauded as “fantastic” by members of the media, in light of his performances for Nigeria at international level.

Not only that, but the 28-year-old has been one of the standout players in a poor Leicester side, and he has performed well across a number of key attacking and defensive metrics over the past year, indicating he is a well-rounded midfielder.

Statistic

Average per 90

Assists

0.18 (84th percentile)

Tackles

3.37 (96th percentile)

Clearances

3.06 (97th percentile)

Aerials won

2.32 (95th percentile)

At just £9m, Ndidi could be a shrewd acquistion for Crystal Palace this summer, and they should be in a strong position to win the race for his signature, having shown they can compete for major honours by progressing to the FA Cup final against Manchester City.

Last week, ahead of the Manchester derby, Kevin De Bruyne announced he will be leaving Manchester City at the end of the season, upon the expiration of his contract.

Pep Guardiola declared this a “sad day” for everyone connected to the club, hailing the Belgian as “one of the greatest” players to ever grace the Premier League with his presence.

Considering De Bruyne scored 106 goals and registered 176 assists in 414 appearances for the Citizens, so far, winning 16 trophies, it’s easy to understand why.

This news, of course, immediately sparked plenty of transfer rumours, speculating who the Sky Blues may target to fill this gigantic void, but do Man City already boast a “future superstar” capable of becoming the next De Bruyne? Could they save themselves millions this summer?

Manchester City's interest in Wirtz and Gibbs-White

As reported by David Ornstein of the Athletic, Manchester City have both Florian Wirtz and Morgan Gibbs-White ‘among the options [they] will consider to replace’ the outgoing Kevin De Bruyne.

Adrian Kajumba and Lyall Thomas of Sky Sports outline how incoming sporting director Hugo Viana is driving much of the Citizens’ recruitment strategy, stating that he is ‘monitoring many players’.

TalkSPORT host Max Scott believes Gibbs-White has been “one of the best players in the Premier League” this season, with the Englishman having scored five goals and accumulated nine assists for Nottingham Forest.

Meantime, Ruairidh Barlow of Football España labels Wirtz a ‘generational talent’, citing Stephan von Nocks’ report in Kicker that claims the 21-year-old is likely to leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of this season.

Of course, both are unquestionably high-quality talents, but do Man City already boast a bigger future star on their books?

Man City teenager could be the perfect De Bruyne replacement

Manchester City signed Claudio Echeverri from River Plate for a reported fee of £12.5m back in January 2024, before the teenager spent the remainder of the calendar year back on loan with la Banda.

His arrival in Manchester was then delayed further, as he was allowed to compete at the South American U20 Championship in Venezuela, a key figure in the Argentina team that finished second at the tournament, scoring six goals in nine matches.

Analyst Ben Mattinson labels Echeverri a “future superstar”, while journalist Guillem Balague believes he will be among the “next sensations” of Argentine football.

Meantime, writing in the Guardian’s Next Generation of 2023 series, Juan Carlos Pasman praises his ‘excellent close control and dribbling skills’ as well as his ‘exceptional first touch’ and ‘first-rate’ passing ability, labeling him a ‘classic number ten’.

As noted by Pro Future Stars, Echeverri ranks as the third-best ‘infiltrating midfielder’ aged 21 or under, as per CIES powered by Wyscout, so let’s assess his career statistics so far.

River Plate

48

4

8

Argentina U20s

12

6

3

Argentina Olympics

4

1

0

The table outlines both that Echeverri has end-product, especially showing this for Argentina’s U20s, but that he is also very inexperienced, having played a little over 2,500 minutes at senior level for River Plate.

Thus, he is still yet to feature in a matchday squad for Manchester City, hoping that Guardiola will hand him his debut before the end of the season, or perhaps during this summer’s Club World Cup.

So, while it is probably a big ask to expect Echeverri to replace De Bruyne straight away, he is certainly showing the potential to do so one day. As such, the Citizens could potentially save themselves from forking our for the likes of Wirtz and Gibbs-White this summer.

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It’s fair to say West Bromwich Albion’s season hasn’t gone to plan in the Championship with Tony Mowbray axed after just 17 clashes back at the Hawthorns helm.

Losing the steady presence of Carlos Corberan abruptly has ultimately derailed the Baggies’ promotion push, leaving Mowbray with the tough task of picking up the pieces after the Spaniard walked away for a chance at Valencia.

Unfortunately, the 61-year-old would only pick up a meagre five victories from those 17 games, with the failed promotion chasers now after another new manager to freshen up the stale environment.

Marti Cifuentes has been the main name getting all the buzz, but the second-tier underperformers could now opt to appoint this left-field name instead of landing the Queens Park Rangers boss.

West Brom keen admirers of Cifuentes' alternative

Indeed, reports in recent days have suggested that talks have been held between the Baggies and the Hoops over a deal for Cifuentes, with West Brom clearly a fan of what the 42-year-old has managed to achieve to date at Loftus Road.

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But, he isn’t the only face being considered for the vacant job post, with journalist Darren Witcoop taking to X recently to confirm that the Championship side are also ‘admirers’ of current FC St. Pauli head coach Alexander Blessin.

Blessin took over the reins at the German giants from Fabian Hurzeler, with the 51-year-old perhaps following Hurzeler’s career path even more if he too takes the leap to relocate to England.

After all, when glancing at Blessin’s career achievements so far as a manager, he could actually be viewed as an upgrade on Cifuentes, meaning he might well become the main desired target if QPR aren’t willing to sanction a move.

Why Blessin could be an upgrade on Cifuentes

Before looking more in-depth at Blessin’s varied CV as a manager, there are a multitude of reasons as to why West Brom have cherry-picked Cifuentes as a candidate to replace Mowbray.

Last season saw the ex-Hammarby boss transform QPR’s fortunes on the pitch, with relegation looking nailed on at one point under the previous tenure of Gareth Ainsworth, only for Cifuentes to lift the once downtrodden Hoops all the way up to 18th and six points clear of the dreaded drop-zone.

But, the Spaniard has struggled at points this season to kick on, with a sobering 5-0 loss to an already promoted Burnley side more than kicking his side in the teeth last match.

Whilst Blessin has equally had to navigate choppy waters this campaign in the German top-flight (six points above the relegation zone), his overall resume as a manager to date does look slightly more impressive than his counterpart’s.

Most notably, the Stuttgart-born coach was an overwhelming success in Belgium with Royal Union Saint-Gilloise before the Bundesliga beckoned.

FC St. Pauli

33

9

7

17

Union Saint-Gilloise

58

36

12

10

Genoa

33

11

12

10

KV Oostende

65

26

11

28

RB Leipzig (U17s/U19s)

87

56

6

25

Away from some hiccups at his current employers, Blessin has largely been a success wherever he’s been managing all across Europe, with his celebrated 58-game stay at Union SG even seeing him lift the Belgian Cup.

Overall, the West Brom target has steered all of his teams to an impressive 138 victories from 276 career games. To add context, Cifuentes has a lesser 130 from a heftier 321 clashes.

With his expansive 3-5-2 set-up also potentially suiting the likes of wide man Tom Fellows, this might well be a match made in heaven if a move is signed off on, with the Baggies hopeful they can pick up their next Corberan-style figure shortly to put Mowbray’s dismal return firmly in the past.

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Leeds United are thought to be getting closer to signing a £130,000-a-week star who has actually been compared to another rumoured target in Kalvin Phillips.

Phillips linked with return to Leeds from Man City

The Whites clinched promotion from the Championship to the Premier League on Monday evening, sparking wild scenes at Elland Road hours on from a 6-0 win over Stoke City.

Daniel Farke and the Leeds players watched on from Elland Road as Burnley beat Sheffield United 2-1, a result which sent the Whites and the Clarets up with two games to spare.

On the pitch, attention will now be on winning the title with victories over Bristol City and Plymouth Argyle, however, behind the scenes, preparations are already being made ahead of the transfer market.

A number of players have already been linked with a move to Yorkshire, including former star Phillips, who has found it difficult since leaving Leeds for Manchester City in 2022.

The holding midfielder has struggled to break into Pep Guardiola’s plans, which saw him loaned out to West Ham at the beginning of 2024 before joining Ipswich Town for the current 2024/25 campaign.

However, with the Tractor Boys on course for an immediate return to the Championship, Phillips could be on the search for another new club and is thought to be keen on re-joining Leeds. The 29-year-old is thought to be pushing for a return to Elland Road as he also looks to reignite his career at international level.

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However, Leeds, Farke and the 49ers have other midfield targets in mind, such as Borussia Monchengladbach ace Julian Weigl. Now, another midfielder has been linked with a move to Yorkshire, and it could be a sea that doesn’t cost Leeds a penny.

Leeds close to signing Everton star Doucoure for free

According to reports in France, Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure is ‘getting closer to Leeds’. The Toffees star is out of contract at the end of the current campaign and could therefore move to the Whites for free.

Those at Elland Road are keen on the £130,000-a-week midfielder, who recently spoke out about his Everton future. “I can’t talk too much about that but obviously you know it may be my last few months here at the moment. Everything is quiet from the club side. Obviously I love the club, I always said. Let’s see what happens in the next couple of weeks.”

When asked about signing a new deal with Everton, the 32-year-old added: “Why not? To be honest I love this club. I always said I wanted to stay. Obviously my contract is running out but I love the club.”

Similar players to Abdoulaye Doucoure

Club

Kalvin Phillips

Man City

Manuel Ugarte

Man Utd

Joao Gomes

Wolves

Amadou Onana

Aston Villa

Ilia Gruev

Leeds

Interestingly, Doucoure, who can play as a holding, central or attacking midfielder, has been compared to Phillips among others by Football Transfers. Now, a cut-price move to Yorkshire could be one to keep an eye on over the coming months.