Liverpool and FSG have reportedly made contact to sign a new striker who has been compared to Manchester United struggler Joshua Zirkzee.

Liverpool charging for Premier League title as Man Utd and Zirkzee struggle

The Reds are on course to lift the Premier League title in Arne Slot’s first season in charge at Anfield. It has been a brilliant campaign under the Dutchman, however, it could still be an extremely busy summer on Merseyside.

The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are all out of contract at the end of June, with the former set to move to Spain with Real Madrid. Talking recently, Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool need to sign “at least five” players ahead of the 2025/26 season.

“I’m excited to see where Arne Slot will take Liverpool because it looks like they’re going to win the league, but there are still so many areas to improve. He needs a centre-back as back-up to the two that we have, he’ll need a right-back with Trent Alexander-Arnold likely to leave.

“I think he needs a centre midfielder to replace Endo, someone younger and that he trusts, a centre-forward to play and a left-winger. There are at least five or six players he needs to get in – three to go straight in the team and three to be strong back-ups.”

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Meanwhile, Liverpool’s rivals, Man Utd, have had a season to forget under Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim. The Red Devils have been in the bottom half of the Premier League for large parts of the season, and one player who has struggled is Zirkzee.

It has been claimed that Man Utd regret signing the forward from Bologna last summer and are looking to sell him alongside goalkeeper Andre Onana. Interestingly, Liverpool have now made contact to sign a striker who has been compared to the Man Utd forward.

Liverpool in contact to sign Mohamed Amoura

According to reports coming out of France and shared by Sport Witness, Liverpool are one of three clubs who have made a move to sign Royale Union Saint-Gilloise attacker Mohamed Amoura.

Currently on loan at Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, Amoura could sign permanently for the German side this summer for €14m plus €4m bonuses. However, Wolfsburg may then sell the Algeria international for €40m (£33.3m) and make a quick profit, with Liverpool chiefs making contact over a deal.

Fellow top-four rivals Arsenal and Nottingham Forrest have also made an approach, but it is unclear if the three teams have contacted Amoura and his agents, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise or Wolfsburg.

Forwards Amoura has been compared to

Club

Joshua Zirkzee

Man Utd

Omar Marmoush

Man City

Lois Openda

RB Leipzig

Charles De Ketelaere

Atalanta

Florian Thauvib

Udinese

Compared to Zirkzee by analytics site FBref, Amoura has netted 10 Bundesliga goals for Wolfsburg this season, and by the looks of things, a move to the Premier League is on the cards.

With the clock ticking down towards the final ten minutes at Craven Cottage, it looked as if Chelsea were hurtling towards a grim 1-0 defeat to near neighbours Fulham.

However, the Champions League chasing outfit managed to conjure up a dramatic fightback instead to win the tight Premier League clash 2-1, which has now sent Enzo Maresca’s Blues up to fifth in the ever-changing league standings.

With the likes of Nicolas Jackson suffering from an off-day, Maresca and Co had to rely on the heroics of faces such as Pedro Neto over the misfiring striker to secure the golden win, with the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers winger scoring the game-clinching strike right at the death.

Neto's performance in numbers

Indeed, Neto stepped up to the mark valiantly when other Chelsea forwards decided to duck away from the spotlight, with Jackson only managing one meagre effort on goal before he was hooked off on the 73rd-minute mark.

Away from the Chelsea number 15’s uninspired showing, however, the Portuguese attacker would send the away masses packed into Craven Cottage into delirium when his fierce effort was smashed home past a startled Bernd Leno.

Away from this last-gasp moment of quality, the Blues number seven was constantly involved in play in a positive manner, with the 25-year-old firing two other efforts at the German’s net away from his 93rd-minute winner, alongside winning four ground duels when attempting to launch attack after attack.

Having also looked likely in the Ipswich Town draw in the league before this win on the road – with five key passes tallied up against Kieran McKenna’s challengers – Neto will pray he can nail down a starting spot down Chelsea’s left flank off the back of his further standout display against Marco Silva’s hosts.

He isn’t the only figure who could now be deemed as undroppable in the eyes of Maresca, considering one of Neto’s attacking teammates was equally as energetic and impactful in steering the Blues to their 16th league win of the entertaining campaign.

8/10 Chelsea star now as undroppable as Neto

Maresca will still feel irked that it took his team until the 83rd minute to turn the tie around with a number of his key first team personnel letting him down.

But, a major plus for the ex-Leicester City boss to cling onto will be the energy and drive shown by Tyrique George when he entered into the contest, with the homegrown Chelsea product only needing to amass four touches before he left a lasting impact on proceedings.

Fresh off scoring his first ever senior goal for his boyhood employers in the Europa Conference League, George would get his fading team back on level terms versus the Cottagers with a confident and assured finish trickling in after the ball was flicked it into the teenager’s path.

With Jackson’s wastefulness in front of goal well documented, alongside the ongoing struggles of Christopher Nkunku in West London, the answer for Maresca up top between now and the close of the season could be persisting with the Camden-born starlet.

Minutes played

75

12

Goals scored

1

1

Assists

0

0

Touches

46

4

Accurate passes

31/35

2/2

Shots

1

1

Showing off his ability to be a livewire from the start when bagging one of Chelsea’s three goals in Poland in mid-April, George does look ready for more first-team opportunites moving forward, with his cameo against Fulham – which saw him complete 100% of his passes – resulting in a high 8/10 post-match rating being awarded to him by The Express’ Fraser Watson.

Bold calls such as these might see Chelsea sprint ahead to secure Champions League football, with Maresca needing everyone in his camp to be playing at their optimum to get over the line.

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Sheffield United’s automatic promotion dream is now over with Burnley and Leeds United confirmed as Premier League-bound on a disappointing Easter Monday for the Blades.

Earlier in the day, before United’s pivotal showdown with the Clarets, Leeds resoundingly thumped Stoke City 6-0 in the Championship, with Daniel Farke and Co then needing Chris Wilder’s men to slip up and lose to seal a return to the top-flight.

Their wish would come true to the dismay of the away side at Turf Moor, with their pain only intensified when you consider the hosts also clinched a dramatic passage back up to the top-flight when beating the visitors 2-1.

Anel Ahmedhodzic suffered from a rare off-day in Lancashire, with his clumsiness right before the half-time whistle gifting Josh Brownhill the decisive spot-kick that sent the Clarets up a league.

Ahmedhodzic's off-day at Turf Moor

Ultimately, United’s dismal run of four losses from their last five Championship outings has cost them the glory of automatic promotion, but the Bosnian brute certainly didn’t help matters when putting in a rare bad performance.

The number 15 was definitely fired up for the crunch contest, but it resulted in his overall game looking rash and hot-headed rather than focused, culminating in him clattering into Hannibal Mejbri to gift the home side a golden penalty.

Brownhill would calmly tuck away the opportunity to juxtapose Ahmedhodzic’s reckless approach, with the out-of-sorts 26-year-old going on to commit four fouls in total, on top of uncharacteristically winning just 33% of his duels.

Wilder will need his usually reliable colossus to be more switched on ahead of some huge playoff clashes to come, but whilst Ahmedhodzic did cost his team dear, there was one underperformer for the Blades who was just as bad as the defender in offering very little throughout.

The Blades dud who was just as bad as Ahmedhodzic

It was always going to be a tough ask for the Blades to get the better of a dogged Burnley side, considering the stern hosts have only shipped 15 strikes all season long.

Tom Cannon did manage to break his goalscoring duck at Turf Moor to raise a smile, but it was the efforts of Ben Brereton Diaz down the right wing that would have worried away spectators, irrespective of the ex-Leicester City man managing to salvage some personal pride.

Minutes played

60

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

16

Shots on target

0

Accurate passes

5/9 (56%)

Total duels won

0/4

The numbers from the table above do make for some dire reading, with the Chilean only managing a meagre 15 touches of the ball from his forgettable 60-minute stint.

On top of that, Brereton Diaz also failed to register a single on-target effort at James Trafford’s formidable goal, alongside only managing to muster up a weak five passes of the ball that found their intended target.

Whilst Ahmedhodzic was notably poor, he did manage to at least win three of his duels during the contest, with Brereton Diaz then unsurprisingly hooked off by Wilder for Jesurun Rak-Sakyi to gain a run-out.

After all, Rak-Sakyi had at least bagged in United’s last away contest before this miserable outing to Lancashire, with his late efforts at Turf Moor seeing him conjure up one successful dribble among other promising moments.

If the Blades are to bounce back from this agonising promotion near-miss, Wilder could now have to axe Brereton Diaz from his forthcoming lineups, knowing full well that lethal displays are needed in the lottery of the playoffs.

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Already preparing for the summer transfer window, Aston Villa sporting director Monchi reportedly sent scouts to watch one of his attacking targets in action last weekend.

Aston Villa's Turkish recruitment mission revealed

The Villans rarely seem to get things wrong in the transfer market these days, for the large part, they’ve got Monchi to thank for that. Their sporting director particularly excelled in the January window, welcoming both Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford online whilst also signing Donyell Malen on a permanent deal from Borussia Dortmund.

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Unai Emery’s side have only benefitted from that recruitment ever since too. As things stand, they’ve still got both the Champions League and FA Cup to play for and are set to battle until the very last to secure qualification for Europe’s elite competition next season. But Monchi isn’t resting there.

The likes of Dusan Vlahovic have already made the headlines regarding a potential summer switch to Villa Park and those in the Midlands certainly have the ambition to make such a move happen. Given that the Juventus star is also worth just £33m this summer, it wouldn’t be absurd to suggest that Monchi could land a bargain deal, either.

Away from the Serie A star, meanwhile, the Villans have reportedly set their sights on another attacking target. According to The Boot Room, Monchi sent fresh scouts to watch Baris Alper Yilmaz last weekend as his Galatasaray side squared off against Besiktas in one of the biggest games that Turkish football has to offer.

Ultimately, Yilmaz ended the day on the losing side as Besiktas handed Galatasaray their first league defeat of the season, but that may not be enough to dissuade Villa from making their move this summer.

Despite a game to forget, the 24-year-old has still managed 11 goals in all competitions this season to attract the interest of Villa, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United.

"Special" Yilmaz could replace Rashford

Whilst Rashford’s loan spell has so far been a great success, it still remains just that and it remains to be seen whether Villa will trigger their option to secure his signature on a permanent basis this summer. Instead, they could turn their attention towards the younger Yilmaz, who could prove to be just as successful under Emery.

Praised throughout his time in Turkey’s top flight, former coach Ilker Puren told reporters when asked about Yilmaz: “I think Baris Alper Yılmaz can play very comfortably for many teams in the Premier League at the moment. He’s a very special player.

“We worked a lot together. If Barıs Alper improves himself with his final ball, he can easily play for the best clubs in the world such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Arsenal.”

In the last eight of the Champions League, Villa have been among those top clubs this season and could now make a statement by signing Yilmaz when the summer arrives.

He wasn’t at his best as Galatasaray lost last weekend – recording just 0.10 expected goals and 0.06 expected assists – but Yilmaz is undoubtedly a player to watch in the coming months as Villa prepare their move.

Aston Villa are now in a three-way race to sign an “incredible” midfielder who is ready to leave his current club this summer, according to a report.

Villa stepping up midfielder pursuit

As we approach the summer transfer window, Villa seem to be particularly keen on adding a midfielder to their ranks, having submitted an offer for Rosenborg’s Sverre Nypan last week, and Fabrizio Romano has recently dropped a further update.

A deal for Nypan appears to be edging closer, but given that the Norwegian is just 18-years-old, Unai Emery may be keen on bringing in a central midfielder with a little more experience at the top level, and contact has been made over FC Barcelona’s Marc Casado.

Back in October, it was revealed that Emery had personally requested the signing of Athletic Club’s Oihan Sancet, with the manager being left “captivated” by the midfielder’s performances, which indicates the Spaniard is a big fan.

Now, there has been a new update on Aston Villa’s pursuit of Sancet, with a report from Spain revealing they are now in a three-way race for the 24-year-old, alongside Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

The Villans are said to be closely monitoring the Spanish midfielder’s development, and their presence in the Champions League should give them a good chance of winning the race for his signature.

The Pamplona-born maestro is ready to leave Athletic Club this summer, but a deal will not be cheap, with the La Liga side set to hold out for his release clause of €80m (£69m).

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The attacking midfielder has previously been lauded as “incredible” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and he has been one of his side’s top performers in La Liga this season, having averaged a 6.97 match rating.

The Spain international has been particularly impressive in front of goal, having scored 16 goals in all competitions, including 15 in 23 La Liga games, which is a phenomenal record for a midfielder.

As a result, the Athletic star ranks in the top 2% for non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, while also ranking very highly on some other key metrics for midfielders.

Statistic

Average per 90

Non-penalty goals

0.64 (98th percentile)

Pass completion %

82.3% (86th percentile)

Progressive passes

5.78 (86th percentile)

Sancet could be a fantastic signing for Aston Villa this summer, and they should be well-placed to compete for his signature, should they manage to qualify for the Champions League once again.

Celtic find themselves on the cusp of another league title and could now look to press ahead in their pursuit of an exciting attacker this summer, according to reports.

Celtic look to finish campaign with a flourish ahead of summer window

Brendan Rodgers has enjoyed another brilliant campaign in the dugout at Parkhead and will look to lead his side to the Scottish Cup final this weekend if they can navigate past St Johnstone at Hampden Park.

Following last weekend’s results, Celtic now only need a point to secure the Scottish Premiership crown for a fourth season in succession. The Bhoys travel to Tannadice next Saturday in their first post-split fixture, which may be where they can finally celebrate with their supporters.

Looking ahead, Rodgers appears to have already set his stall out in advance of the summer window. Danny Ings has emerged as a suggested target at Parkhead as his contract at West Ham United continues to run down.

Mathias Kvistgaarden is on Celtic’s radar after another sparkling season at Brondby, though it remains to be seen if the Bhoys will meet his £13.5 million valuation.

Celtic’s fixture run-in after post-split fixture announcement

St Johnstone (N)

Scottish Cup semi-final

Dundee United (A)

Scottish Premiership

Rangers (A)

Scottish Premiership

Hibernian (H)

Scottish Premiership

Aberdeen (A)

Scottish Premiership

St Mirren (H)

Scottish Premiership

Aberdeen or Heart of Midlothian (N)

*Should Celtic advance to Scottish Cup final

Clearly, there is a desire within the walls at Parkhead to make sure the Scottish champions are equipped for Champions League qualifiers next season.

There is no automatic league phase qualification guarantee, so Celtic need to be proactive as they prepare to enter the final qualifying round.

Either way, the Hoops have now found out how much they will need to pay for a reported summer target, per recent developments.

Celtic find out fee needed to sign Stoke City star Million Manhoef

Over the last few days, information has come to light revealing that Celtic are interested in a move to sign Stoke City winger Million Manhoef and Rodgers has taken a personal interest in bringing the Dutchman to Parkhead.

Now, EFL Analysis report that the Bhoys will need to pay £10 million to land Manhoef. They will also field interest from Championship duo Sheffield United and Burnley alongside Belgian Pro League sides Genk and Club Brugge for his signature.

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Labelled “really exciting” by journalist Dean Jones, the 23-year-old has registered six goals and four assists in 35 appearances this campaign.

Financially, Manhoef’s £12,500 per week pay packet would fit into Celtic’s wage structure, and Rodgers’ men have shown a willingness to shell out sizeable fees for premium talent on the market.

However, it remains to be seen whether they will repeat the trick this summer. Champions League football isn’t a guarantee this year, so any lavish spending may have to wait until their European fate is secured.

The Premier League is back, and it’s quite the fixture for Everton supporters to sink their teeth into.

Last month’s Merseyside derby still lies fresh in the memory, James Tarkowski having sent Goodison Park into ecstasy after firing a last-gasp equaliser past Alisson Becker. Moving to Bramley Moore this summer, it was a fitting finale for a historic fixture in English football.

Now, Anfield awaits David Moyes and his Toffees troops. The turnaround under the Scotsman’s wing has been startling, amazing, with Everton currently nine games unbeaten in the top flight.

But this is sure to be a tough one. The title-chasing Reds were knocked out of kilter before the international break, but will be looking to return to form and move closer toward the title.

Everton, of course, will do everything in their power to prevent that.

23/24

Premier League

2-0 loss

22/23

Premier League

2-0 loss

21/22

Premier League

2-0 loss

20/21

Premier League

2-0 win

19/20

FA Cup

1-0 loss

Everton team news

Merseyside’s red patch has not been a happy place for Everton in a long time; barring one euphoric result, Everton have been consigned to defeat with deflating regularity.

However, Moyes’ men outplayed their neighbours for sizeable chunks of February’s 2-2 draw and there’s every chance they capitalise on Liverpool’s injuries and recent loss of form.

The Blues do have issues of their own, though, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin still sidelined.

Key attacking outlets Iliman Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil have reached the end of their rehabilitation, but this one may come a smidge too soon for them.

Thus, Abdoulaye Doucoure is bound to reprise his industrious role at the attacking point of midfield, while James Garner and Idrissa Gueye should continue their solid partnership in the basal area.

But what of the flanks? Everton need to prepare to absorb waves of artillery but equally must strike when they can. Well, with options slim out wide, Jack Harrison may return to the right, leaving a newly welcomed talent with room to leap forward and take his own starting berth.

Everton's answer to Szoboszlai

Szoboszlai is one of Liverpool’s most important parts, bringing his own brand of football to the number ten spot. With just seven goals and six assists across 40 matches this season, he’s not the most prolific, but his firebrand energy makes for a difficult foe.

He’s a real handful, but Everton could have their answer in Charly Alcaraz, who joined on loan from Flamengo in January and needs to complete five appearances from nine available to settle at Everton as a permanent feature.

Alcaraz, 22, has played six times and started thrice in the Premier League since joining, bagging a goal and an assist each on his first game from the opening, during a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.

Technically gifted, versatile and tenacious, the Argentina talent has the trappings of a high-level star in the future, with journalist Antonio Mango hailing him as a “special talent.”

Likely to feature off the left of Doucoure, should he start, Alcaraz has averaged 1.6 key passes and 3.6 successful duels per PL game this season, as per Sofascore, also completing 60% of his dribbles.

It’s a skill set that aligns somewhat with Szoboszlai’s, among those in their position in Europe’s top five leagues, as noted by FBref – more on that below.

Goals scored

0.17

0.18

Assists

0.17

0.18

Shots taken

3.40

2.41

Shot-creating actions

3.06

4.29

Pass completion

84.6%

83.4%

Progressive passes

5.43

5.07

Progressive carries

2.04

2.57

Successful take-ons

1.19

0.91

Ball recoveries

5.09

5.31

Tackles + interceptions

3.06

1.78

Clearances

1.19

0.54

One of Liverpool’s staple attributes is their ability to keep the energy levels up, overwhelming opponents when legs begin to tire. Szoboszlai is fundamental in that regard, his indefatigable running, his drive, his doggedness.

Everton could do with such a player to strike back at Anfield, showing Slot’s squad once again that they are capable of expansive dynamism.

No longer is this a desolate unit lacking the means and confidence to. Avoiding defeat against Liverpool would lead to a ten-match unbeaten streak, and Alcaraz’s performance will be crucial toward achieving this.

Everton will rely on their defensive strengths for sure, but they will also need to meet fire with fire in some phases and Alcaraz’s involvement from the outset could be the perfect way to combat the energy and dynamism Szoboszlai will bring to the table.

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Manchester City captain Kevin De Bruyne will leave the club this summer after 11 glory-laden years at the Etihad.

The Belgian has made over 400 appearances for the club, but his contract won’t be extended into the 2025/26 season.

This means Pep Guardiola will be on the lookout for a potential replacement for the 33-year-old when the summer transfer window opens in a few weeks.

There have been a few names linked, and one is starring in the Premier League already; Morgan Gibbs-White.

Manchester City make Morgan Gibbs-White a key target

According to the Daily Mail, City are now considered the frontrunners to sign the Englishman in a mega summer deal.

Any potential move will cost the club significantly, however, as Nottingham Forest value the midfielder at around the £100m mark.

They have paid this fee before, signing Jack Grealish in the summer of 2021, but will they look to splash out again? Especially given their spending spree in January.

Gibbs-White has been impressive this term. Across 31 matches, he has scored five goals and grabbed nine assists, helping Forest into the Champions League places in the table.

Do City have to spend this sort of money to find a De Bruyne replacement ahead of next season? Or do they have one lurking in the academy, waiting to be unleashed in 2025/26?

How City can forget De Bruyne and Gibbs-White

Guardiola has been brewing several young talents over the last couple of seasons. The likes of Phil Foden and Rico Lewis have made great strides under the Spaniard while Nico O’Reilly is now forging a real career for himself at the Eithad.

Yet, he’s not the only youngster looking to make a positive impression heading in the 2025/26 campaign.

Indeed, Divine Mukasa could well be the next one to make the step up and showcase his prodigious talents for the club.

U18 Premier League

20

16

15

Premier League 2

2

0

0

UEFA Youth League

8

0

3

EFL Trophy

2

0

1

FA Youth Cup

5

1

6

The 17-year-old has been in simply sublime form this term, scoring 17 times while also registering 25 assists across just 37 matches for the U18s and U21s this term, highlighting how effective he has been in the final third.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Academy scout Antonio Mango has hailed Mukasa as a “game changer” amid his wonderful contributions this season, and it looks like the time has arrived for Guardiola to unleash him at senior level.

He has even gained caps at U18 level for England, making his debut against Portugal in September last year and going on to play a further four times for his country at the time of writing.

A natural attacking midfielder, there is no doubt Mukasa could be City’s very own Gibbs-White should he make the grade at senior level. He has a keen eye for goal, but also loves creating plenty of chances for others in the final third.

If Guardiola wants to save the club around £100m, promoting the 17-year-old and giving him a few minutes here and there could be the best policy ahead of next term.

After a few years, the supporters might even forget about the exploits of De Bruyne with Mukasa himself having compared himself to the Belgian.

It’s safe to say this kid is the real deal. That much is certain.

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Celtic are likely to have several reinforcements up their sleeve this summer and may look to strike in the market for a proven goalscorer to supplement their options in attack.

Brendan Rodgers set for an exciting summer at Celtic

With the Scottish Premiership season now hurtling towards the final hurdle, Celtic are now waiting to find out the order of their post-split opponents to determine where they will confirm themselves as league champions.

The Bhoys’ convincing win over Kilmarnock, coupled with Rangers’ draw at Aberdeen the following day, has left Brendan Rodgers’ men needing one point to clinch a fourth successive top-flight title to cap off another excellent campaign.

While the prospect of a domestic treble is firmly in sight, the Irishman has already turned his attention to the summer transfer window, and Celtic are said to be lining up a deal for Mathias Kvistgaarden to strengthen their forward line.

The Brondby star is a long-term target at Parkhead, though he is unlikely to be the only name pursued in Rodgers’ mission to bolster the ranks ahead of upcoming Champions League qualifiers.

Slovan Bratislava forward David Strelec is another on Celtic’s wishlist. After the Hoops tried and failed to land his services in January, he may be attainable for a package of £5.9 million inclusive of add-ons.

Celtic’s slim pool of striking options – should Brendan Rodgers target reinforcements?

Daizen Maeda

Appearances – 45 Goals – 31 Assists – 9

Adam Idah

Appearances – 47 Goals – 14 Assists – 1

Johnny Kenny

Appearances – 5 Goals – 0 Assists – 1

Another action-packed window is nearly upon us and the reigning Scottish champions are expected to make inroads in their quest to beef up a slim pool of talent at centre-forward.

Now, there could be an intriguing target on the agenda, according to former Liverpool star turned prominent pundit Didi Hamann.

Hamann: Danny Ings is 'certainly' on the radar of Celtic

According to reports relayed by The Daily Record, Hamann noted that West Ham forward Danny Ings will ‘certainly’ be on Celtic’s radar. The German pundit has backed the England international to prove a hit north of the border should a move to Parkhead materialise.

He stated: “Could Danny Ings be a success at Celtic? Absolutely. His playing time at West Ham has been restricted, and I think Celtic would be a great option for him.

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“The standard of football is not quite as high as the Premier League, and I think he could get a new lease of life up there. He will certainly be on the radar of Celtic and maybe Rangers because he has a proven record of putting the ball into the net. If you make chances for him he will show you where the goal is for sure.”

Earning £125,000 per week at West Ham, Ings has scored 121 career goals in total, with 120 coming at club level alongside a solitary goal for the Three Lions against Wales in 2020.

Despite the initial concern about his wages, the 32-year-old is set to leave the London Stadium on a free transfer at the end of the season, which may appeal to Celtic in their pursuit of a prolific marksman.

After a period where he has been limited to 15 appearances at the Hammers, most coming as a substitute, there could be a viable route to Ings reigniting his career under Rodgers.

With their play-off hopes drifting away in the Championship, Blackburn Rovers have reportedly turned their attention towards the transfer window and signing a future star from the Premier League.

Blackburn suffer another play-off setback

Now as many as seven points adrift of the top six, Blackburn’s play-off hopes are all but over after a frustrating 2-2 draw against Sheffield Wednesday in a game that could have ended far worse. The Owls initially raced into a two-goal lead in the first-half courtesy of Yan Valery and Djeidi Gassama, only for Tyrhys Dolan and a late Yuki Ohashi strike to pull Blackburn level.

Deciding to focus on the positives of his side’s second-half comeback rather than how their play-off ambitions are drifting away, manager Valerien Ismael told reporters: “We showed a great mentality and we learned from the previous weeks. From two nil down to come back from behind we stopped the bleeding and we take more positives from negatives from that game.

“We said we have to stay calm, but that we had to stay on the front foot and be active and we have to be the first to score the next goal. We got the second. It is a little step but at the moment we take what we can get. We stop the bleeding first and it was a great second half.”

Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season

Latest English Football League Championship standings 2024/25.

By
Stephan Georgiou

Apr 22, 2025

As much as the Blackburn boss will be glad to see his side’s run of five straight defeats come to an end, however, there’s no doubt that he’ll have one eye on welcoming certain improvements this summer in pursuit of the play-offs once again. And that could yet see those at Ewood Park turn their focus towards a Premier League youngster.

Blackburn racing to sign Adam Berry

Joining a hectic Championship race, Blackburn Rovers now want to hijack Stoke City’s deal to sign Adam Berry from Nottingham Forest this summer, according to TeamTalk. The 19-year-old is set to become a free agent at the end of the season when his current Forest deal expires and has also attracted interest from Norwich City to form a three-club race for his signature.

Initially a Manchester United academy product, the young winger has since impressed in Forest’s setup but looks destined to go in search of senior football in the coming months. Whether that comes at Blackburn remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t be the first time that Ewood Park played host to a young top flight talent.

It wasn’t so long ago that they were reaping the rewards of loaning Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton. Now though, they seemingly want to welcome a Premier League youngster on a permanent basis.

Compared to both Stoke and Norwich too, Blackburn should be in a position to offer the highest ambitions in their current state as they once again push to secure a place in the top six next season.