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The perilous wait for the Premiership winners to be crowned is over and, unfortunately for Celtic, they are no longer the dominant force in Scottish football.

It’s an eventuality which could cause havoc with the club’s plans. Will the likes of Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard stay? It feels unlikely.

On the chalkboard

Edouard has been a player who has been at the forefront of Celtic’s success in recent years. After signing during the 2017/18 season, the Frenchman has racked up an almighty tally of 81 goals in 161 outings.

The forward has been catching the eye for a while now and it was perhaps a surprise that he didn’t leave Parkhead last summer.

He has stuck around, however, and is now being linked with the Premier League once more. The likes of Leicester, Arsenal and West Ham have all been mentioned as possible destinations, so keeping hold of him won’t be easy.

Edouard has been a revelation in Glasgow but, with Celtic finally relinquishing their grasp on the title, now seems like the ideal time for him to leave in search of a new challenge.

With that in mind, the Hoops would need to sign a replacement in the summer window.

The solution

It’s easier said than done but finding someone who can score goals on a regular basis will be how they replace Edouard. After all, the likes of Albian Ajeti and Patryk Klimala have hardly proved able deputies this term. They have just nine goals between them in the league while their French star has 16 on his own.

One man with whom they could replace him should he leave is Genk striker Paul Onuachu. Speaking on A Celtic State of Mind podcast last week, Celtic pundit Colin Watt touted him as someone who the Bhoys should target, saying:

“One that I think people should go and take a look at [is] Paul Onuachu. He’s a Nigerian striker that plays for Genk; he was formerly of FC Midtjylland, and he’s scored almost 100 goals in five seasons, 6ft 7in tall. Roughly, the going price for him is about £7-10m.”

His colossal height means he’s a fearsome striker to come up against, and when you add pace and the ability to score goals into the equation, he’d make a fine Edouard successor.

Onuachu has found the net on 26 occasions this term in Belgium, using his frightening power to smash opponents to one side. He has always had a natural gift and, when considering his height, it’s no surprise to see him prove so successful in the professional game.

FC Ebedei’s talent spotter Churchill Oliseh, once said: “As soon as I saw him, I knew he was special.” Oliseh knows a talent when he sees one; he was the man to spot Obafemi Martins and bring him into the limelight for instance.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-hunt-stories-wagner-marsch-martinez-lennon-news” title=”The last stories on Celtic’s hunt for a new manager!”]

Onuachu could just be his proudest capture yet. Oliseh continued: “For a player with his height, he has good dribbling ability. People of his height only rely mostly on their aerial strength, but he can play, both in the air and on the ground. And he has speed.”

Combine dribbling with goalscoring ability and you have a defender’s nightmare. His mere presence is enough to have opponents running for the hills. In the Belgium Pro League this term, the 26-year-old has won 108 aerial duels.

That’s an obscene tally, one which should have Celtic’s recruitment team foaming at the mouth. He would seem a very capable replacement for Edouard.

AND in other news, Celtic could find their next Turnbull in 19 y/o weapon never-seen in the first-team…

They may not have secured all three points, but Nottingham Forest continued their recent good form with a 1-1 draw at Derby on Friday night.

Chris Hughton’s side have really picked things up in recent weeks, with their 1-0 loss to Swansea earlier this month their only defeat in eight Championship games.

And on Friday, Forest could, and probably should have, won the game after dominating the second-half. While James Garner may be the player in the headlines following his goal, it was Anthony Knockaert who arguably stole the show.

The Frenchman was at his supreme best, channeling his inner Lionel Messi with a couple of incredible tricks and skills with that wand of a left foot. But it wasn’t just the flashiness that made the £35k-a-week earning ace stand out.

His overall game carried a lot of substance and he was Hughton’s real star on the night.

As per Sofascore, he completed 100% of his attempted dribbles against the Rams, spinning left-back Lee Buchanan this way and that – the Derby ace would finish the game with the lowest match-rating of any outfield player on the pitch and it was no surprise why given how he struggled to cope with Knockaert.

The Forest gem also sent in six crosses and provided one key pass, while he showed his ever-improving work rate by making three tackles and two interceptions – both of which were comfortably higher than his season average.

The Athletic’s Paul Taylor simply dubbed him as “impressive” for his display, while The Nottingham Post gave him the second-highest match rating of any player on the pitch, with 8, saying: “A real livewire at times and produced an insane piece of skill in the second half when he beat two players with a neat turn. Such a classy player.”

While Garner may take the post-match plaudits for getting his name on the score-sheet, it was Knockaert’s energetic and skilful display that really saw Forest dominate proceedings against Derby.

It seems Crystal Palace’s quest to find a new striker has taken an interesting twist, if recent reports are to be believed.

What’s the word?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle could be set for a return to Crystal Palace in the summer.

Gayle joined Newcastle from the Eagles in the summer of 2016 and has scored 34 goals and supplied 10 assists across all competitions during his time at St James’ Park.

However, the centre-forward has fallen down the pecking order under Steve Bruce after nearly five years on Tyneside and it is understood that a possible return to his former club could be on the cards.

Imagine Gayle and Wilfried Zaha

Palace have been desperately trying to find a new frontman for what feels like forever.

Belgian striker Christian Benteke’s form has been patchy at best, as he hasn’t hit double digits since the 2016/17 season, and the least said about Steve Parish’s decision to sign Alexander Sorloth from from Danish side FC Midtjylland, the better.

In the last few months alone, Wilfried Zaha has had to shoulder the burden of scoring the majority of Palace’s goals, which has only made his absence even more obvious on the few occasions where he has missed a game this season.

Given his excellent goal record for the Eagles, Gayle fits the bill for Roy Hodgson’s side, as his versatility means he could be deployed at the top of the pitch or on either flank.

During his time at Selhurst Park, the £7m-rated 31-year-old bagged 25 goals and three assists in 74 appearances in all competitions via Transfermarkt.

His childhood coach Dave Bricknell lavished praise on his former young charge, saying: “He was a lovely lad. By then, people had started ringing up about David Beckham, who was becoming the real megastar. But even then I thought: ‘One day, they could be ringing me up about Dwight’.”

“I remember one tournament in Holland where we played a penalty shoot-out and Dwight took penalties with both of his feet. He always had that fantastic technique.”

Palace must swoop for Gayle in the summer, as they simply cannot afford to pass up on the opportunity to sign a proven Premier League goal-scorer who won’t cost Palace a penny. Get it done, Eagles, before somebody else does.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace exclusive: Pundit baffled by latest Milivojevic decision after breaking Covid restrictions…

According to La Repubblica, via SportsWitness, Crystal Palace are still chasing Fiorentina striker Christian Kouame.

What’s the word?

It’s claimed that Palace are keen to land the 23-year-old, whose contract runs until 2023, and the Serie A outfit are open to offloading the versatile forward in January.

However, Roy Hodgson’s side will have to make a ‘really impressive offer’ in order to prise Kouame away from the Artemio Franchi Stadium.

After arriving at Fiorentina from Genoa in the summer, Kouame’s fortunes have somewhat taken a turn for the worse, with just one goal in 15 appearances across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

However, this has done very little to deter Hodgson’s interest – but you’d imagine that his rapid decline of form will rightfully give the board some major cause for concern.

Avoid Kouame at all costs

Palace desperately need a new recognised striker, that much is blindingly obvious, as their overreliance on Wilfried Zaha has finally caught up with them.

Connor Wickham is currently spending another spell on the sidelines due to injury, while Michy Batshuayi has struggled to shoulder the burden having so far failed to find the back of the net this season, via Transfermarkt.

Christian Benteke, who has started two of the past three games in a row, has shown glimpses of his former self, but his contract will run out at the end of the season, which has cast doubts over his future at the club.

Kouame clearly has potential – 15 goals in 63 games for Serie B side AS Cittadella is a decent return – but he just simply isn’t the right man for the Eagles.

Is he any better than Batshuayi? Probably not.

The Belgian striker is several years older than the Ivory Coast U23 international but they both offer a very similar style of football. Both players like taking potshots, with Batshuayi topping the head-to-head battle with 1.2 shots per game, but they are both lack the ability to hold on to the ball and dictate play.

Hodgson needs a centre-forward who can hit the ground running and reach double digits, not a £15m-rated flop who has only managed to score twice in 22 appearances for Fiorentina.

A veteran striker like Olivier Giroud may be better-suited to the task at hand, as the Eagles were linked with a move for the French international last year, although it’s unlikely Chelsea will be willing to let him go in January, given their poor run of form in recent weeks.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke badly let Roy Hodgson down against Leicester City… 

Mohammed Salisu looks to be in contention for his first appearance in a Southampton shirt on Monday night when the Saints face Brighton and Hove Albion away from home.

It was confirmed by Ralph Hasenhuttl earlier in the week that the Ghanaian, who joined from Real Valladolid during the summer, could make his first appearance for the first-team against Graham Potter’s side.

The Austrian manager has suggested previously that Salisu needed to learn how to play in this Southampton side and improve his fitness before he could be considered for selection, but it seems as if he has done enough to convince his manager that he is ready to play against the Seagulls on Monday.

Following Southampton’s collapse against Manchester United last weekend, which saw them lose 3-2 despite winning 2-0 at the break, Hasenhuttl must consider making some defensive changes to his side, and that includes handing 21-year-old Salisu a start.

Jannik Vestergaard was full of praise for the young defender earlier this year, saying: 

“He looks comfortable on the ball, has an amazing physique and is just generally a nice guy.

“Quiet for now, but it’s always difficult coming as a new player, so maybe he’s just saving up his words for later!

“But I think he’s a big talent and he has a lot of years ahead of him.” 

However, the Danish international might not be too happy if Salisu takes his place in the first-team, after what was a nightmare display from the 28-year-old last time out, as he earned a 5.97 rating for his display.

Therefore, Vestergaard, who earns £60k per week at Southampton, would certainly be lucky to keep his place, and Hasenhuttl must hand Salisu a spot in his starting XI on Monday evening.

Brighton have produced some very solid performances recently and showed against Liverpool last weekend that they can get in behind a defence, so it would make sense for the Saints boss to entrust Salisu to start alongside Jan Bednarek, rather than Vestergaard, who isn’t the most mobile of defenders.

Hopefully for Salisu, who is valued at £10.8 million by Transfermarkt, this can be the first of many appearances in a Southampton shirt, as he looks to have a big future ahead of him at the South Coast club.

And, in other news… Saints club update could spell bad news for 26 y/o Hasenhuttl is “not always so happy with” 

سجّل الدولي البرتغالي دييجو جوتا، مُهاجم ليفربول، الهدف الثاني لفريقه في مرمى آرسنال بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويواجه ليفربول نظيره آرسنال على ملعب “آنفيلد”، بالجولة الثانية عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | مشادة عنيفة بين كلوب وأرتيتا في مباراة ليفربول وآرسنال

وجاء هدف جوتا في الدقيقة 52 بعد خطأ فادح من مدافع آرسنال نونو تافريز الذي أهدى الكرة على طبق من ذهب لـ جوتا.

وحصل جوتا على الكرة داخل منطقة الجزاء، ثم راوغ مدافعي آرسنال، وأسقط أحد المدافعين أرضًا، وراوغ الحارس رامسديل وسدد الكرة في الشباك الخالية.

ليفربول كان تقدم في النتيجة برأسية من ساديو ماني، في الدقيقة 39 بأسيست من أرنولد (شاهد هدف ماني). شاهد هدف جوتا في آرسنال

Manchester United should consider themselves fortunate they picked up all three points after the Red Devils edged to victory in a gruelling encounter with West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford on Saturday night.

Several players were at fault for the poor performance, especially in the second half as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side survived a controversial penalty call, before referee David Coote pointed to the spot at the other end only moments later.

Bruno Fernandes forced a fine save from Baggies goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, although he was handed a reprieve by the referee after the former United keeper was adjudged to have strayed well off his line, with Fernandes firing into the top corner with his second attempt.

Marcus Rashford, who has been in such red-hot form this season, was uncharacteristically underwhelming, as he only managed to win seven out of 13 ground duels and missed one big chance, whilst Juan Mata didn’t offer much going forward either, with zero shots on target all game.

But it was Anthony Martial who massively let Solskjaer down with his disappointing display, as he has once again failed to find the back of the net in the Premier League so far this season.

The £54m-rated beast (via Transfermarkt) was rather wasteful leading the line, as he lost possession a staggering 18 times, which was more than Mata and Rashford. He also missed one big chance and delivered just one key pass throughout the game, via SofaScore.

Quite why the Frenchman played the full 90 minutes we’ll probably never understand, especially when you consider the fact that United were clinging on to a one-nil lead in the second half.

Martial took 60 touches of the ball, so he should have been able to spearhead the attack, but this wasn’t the case as the misfiring striker only managed just two shots on target, only to be denied by Johnstone with two excellent saves on both occasions.

He received an average rating of 7/10 for his efforts from 90min, who claimed he ‘should have broken the deadlock with a simple scoring chance early on, but couldn’t fire past Johnstone’ and added he was ‘kept under wraps for the rest of the game,’ whilst Samuel Luckhurst was even more scathing in his assessment, noting he ‘had an early header saved before he squandered a gilt-edged chance soon after’ and accused him of ‘going through the motions at times.’

Paul Scholes recently criticised the 24-year-old following the defeat by Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League for his “non-existent” movement as the Red Devils suffered their second defeat in four days after being humbled by Arsenal, which paints an all-too familiar picture.

Solskjaer should have taken Martial off long beforehand to save him from further embarrassment as he once again failed to make much of an impression.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Marlon Harewood baffled by Paul Pogba’s Manchester United situation…

According to The Daily Mail, Aston Villa transfer target Josh King is now available for around £10m in this summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent weeks had suggested that the Bournemouth striker, who’s now playing in the Championship after the Cherries’ relegation from the Premier League last season, is on Villa’s radar, and that the Midlands club were even going to table a £16m bid.

Now, The Daily Mail claim that with just days left before the close of the window, Bournemouth have slashed King’s asking price to just £10m, as they battle against the financial struggles facing teams over these past few months.

The report further adds that Italian side Torino could provide Dean Smith’s side with competition for the Norway international’s signature.

Bargain for Johan Lange

Described as the “complete package” by his former boss at Bournemouth, Eddie Howe, King would give Villa a proven option in the Premier League to really compliment Ollie Watkins.

Whilst the new signing from Brentford has enjoyed a fine start to the new campaign with two goals in four games, he has still never experienced top-flight football in England prior to this season

In King, Villa would be getting someone who has played 161 times in the Premier League, scoring 48 goals. And if Smith was watching the Norwegian closely last season, then he would have seen him give Tyrone Mings a run around in their 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth in August 2019.

As well as getting on the score-sheet, the £45k-a-week earning ace looked a major threat all game, firing off two shots and completing two out of his three attempted dribbles.

King also contested a mammoth 21 duels and won eight of them, which were both game-highs. Mings on the other hand struggled to live with the pace and the movement of the striker, conceding possession 16 times and committing two fouls.

If Lange can now get him for £10m, shortly after they had reportedly made a £16m bid, it would be a masterclass.

MatériaMais Notícias

A partida valia muito pouco. Ao Corinthians, campeão brasileiro há duas rodadas, estava em jogo a busca por alguns recordes e a manutenção da invencibilidade de dez jogos. Já o Sport, sem mais chances de chegar ao G4, jogava por sua dignidade, uma despedida honrosa diante da torcida em 2015 e… A chance de carimbar as faixas do Timão. Foi isso que o Leão fez na Arena Pernambuco. Superior do começo ao fim, a equipe da casa venceu por 2 a 0, com gols do zagueiro Matheus Ferraz e do atacante André.

Repleto de reservas, o time alvinegro nem de longe pareceu aquele que encantou, faturou o campeonato com sobras e ainda goleou o rival São Paulo na última semana.

Os donos da casa também não foram primorosos, mas apresentaram o suficiente para não sofrerem sustos. O goleiro Danilo Fernandes foi pouquíssimo acionado e o único susto que sofreu foi aos 44 minutos do segundo tempo, quando o zagueiro Edu Dracena quase marcou após bate e rebate na área.

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Além da falta de motivação, os comandados de Tite mostraram um pouco de desorganização. Por dentro, diferentemente de como está habituado a jogar, Jadson não rendeu como pode. Vagner Love também esteve abaixo do esperado, e aqueles que poderiam aproveitar a chance para mostrar trabalho estiveram apagados, casos de Cristian e Danilo, por exemplo.

Já do outro lado Diego Souza aproveitou o clima amistoso para dar dribles ousados e jogadas de efeito. O Sport envolvia o adversário com troca de passes e chegadas pelas pontas. Em uma delas, após escanteio curto, Renê cruzou da intermediária, a defesa corintiana fez errado a linha de impedimento e três jogadores surgiram livres na cara de Walter. Matheus Ferraz era um deles e, de cabeça, mandou para a redes.

Nem mesmo atrás do placar o Timão acordou. As famosas e eficientes triangulações elaboradas por Tite não surgiram e a equipe trocava passes sem efeito.O castigo veio no fim. Marlone, impedido, cruzou rasteiro, e André anotou o segundo.

Ao Sport, consolo neste fim de ano. Ao Corinthians… nada que abale a festa do hexa, que deve seguir domingo que vem, contra o Avaí, no “adeus” à Itaquera em 2015.

FICHA TÉCNICA
SPORT 2 X 0 CORINTHIANS

Data/Horário: 29 de novembro, às 17h (de Brasília)
Local: Arena Pernambuco, em Recife (PE)
Árbitro: Ricardo Marques Ribeiro (Fifa-MG)
Assistentes: Kleber Lucio Gil (Fifa-SC) e Bruno Boschilia (Fifa-PR)

Cartões amarelos: Diego Souza, Marlone, Rithely, Wendel, Ronaldo e André (SPO); Jadson e Malcom (COR)
Público e renda: 19.048 presentes / R$ 836.300,00
Gols: Matheus Ferraz, aos 23’/1ºT (1-0) e André, aos 45’/2ºT (2-0)

SPORT: Danilo Fernandes; Samuel Xavier, Matheus Ferraz, Durval e Renê; Rithely (Ronaldo, 6’/2ºT), Wendel (Neto Moura, 33’/2ºT), Marlone, Diego Souza e Élber (Maikon Leite, 26’/2ºT); André.
Técnico: Falcão.

CORINTHIANS: Walter; Fagner, Edu Dracena, Gil e Uendel; Cristian (Lincom, 38’/2ºT), Bruno Henrique, Rodriguinho (Malcom, 25’/2ºT) e Jadson; Romero e Vagner Love (Danilo, 19’/2ºT).
Técnico: Tite.

أكد أوجستي بوش المدير الفني لفريق كرة السلة بالأهلي، سعادته بعد التتويج بالبطولة العربية على حساب الكويت الكويتي، خاصة أنه اللقب الأول له بعد قيادة القلعة الحمراء.

وكانت إدارة الأهلي قد احتفلت بتتويج فريق كرة السلة بالبطولة العربية وتكريم الجهاز الفني واللاعبين.

طالع| الأهلي يكرم فريق السلة بعد التتويج بالبطولة العربية لأول مرة في تاريخه

وقال أوجستي في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة الأهلي: “بدأت عملي في برشلونة خلال عام 2008، وهنا في الأهلي نجد الجماهير تدعم فريقها بشكل كبير، خاصة على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي، لكن في برشلونة الأمر مختلف، الجمهور ليس قريبًا من الفريق ولا يوجد الدفء الذي أجده هنا”.

وأكمل: “عندما تتتوج بطولة مثل البطولة العربية تحتاج أن تحتفل، وأنا أحب أن أحتفل بالبطولات لأن هذا يترجم الجهد الذي بذلناه لتحقيق البطولة، ولكن لا يوجد وقت لأن هناك منافسات أخرى قادمة”.

وأردف: “هدفنا التتويج بكل البطولات، لكن هناك مراحل لتحقيق ذلك، وهدفنا أن نتحسن في كل يوم، وسنحارب للفوز بالبطولات، وأحاول خلق علاقة قوية مع اللاعبين، ليست صداقة، لكن علاقة قائمة على الاحترام، لأنني لست من الشخصيات التي تسعي لخلق علاقات صداقة، لأن هذا يؤدي إلى تخطي بعض الحدود”.

وأشار: “أشعر بكل الدعم وحتى الضغط من جمهور الأهلي، الجمهور لا يطالب فقط بالبطولة لكن بالطريقة التي نفوز بها، وأريدهم أن يتفهموا أن أي فريق في العالم لا يستطيع الفوز بكل البطولات”.

واستطرد مدرب سلة الأهلي: “شاهدت بعض مباريات الأهلي في كرة القدم، وأحب الاستراتيجية التي يلعب بها الفريق، وأعلم أن الأحمر أحرز بطولات عديدة في إفريقيا تحت قيادة موسيماني، وأشعر بدعم الجمهور لي وللاعبين واعتقد أنه بنهاية الموسم سيكون لدينا فرص أكثر للاحتفال”.

وأوضح: “بعد نهاية الدوري الموسم الماضي وأنا مدربًا للزمالك قضيت أسبوعًا أفكر في تحديد مصيري، هل أبقى مع الأبيض أم أرحل، وأنا مدير فني أوروبي وأفتخر بالتدريب في مصر، لكن كنت أتطلع للتدريب في أوروبا”.

واختتم: “بعد نهاية عقدي مع الزمالك وعندما تأكدت بشكل رسمي أنه لا توجد فرصة لي للعمل في أوروبا، تلقيت عرض الأهلي ووافقت”.