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Celtic’s superb start to the 2024/25 campaign continued as they lifted their first trophy by winning the League Cup on penalties at Hampden Park on Sunday.

They beat their Glasgow rivals Rangers 5-4 on penalties, after a 3-3 draw in regulation time, and already have one piece of silverware secured for the season.

The Hoops are also nine points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, with 14 wins in 15 matches, and appear to be on course to land a fourth straight league title.

Brendan Rodgers won the top-flight and the SFA Cup in the 2023/24 campaign and has already lifted the only domestic trophy – the League Cup – that he missed out on last term.

His team have also performed well on the European stage. Celtic have only lost one of their six matches in the Champions League and are in the play-off places as it stands.

There are some players in the squad, however, who have not contributed much to the team’s success across all competitions and could be moved on when the January transfer window opens for business next month, including winger Luis Palma.

Why Luis Palma should be sold

It was recently reported by 67HailHail that two teams from the MLS are weighing up whether or not to swoop for the Honduras international ahead of their 2025 campaigns.

Atlanta United and Orlando City are both said to be eyeing up a possible move for the former Aris winger, who has found game time hard to come by at Parkhead this season.

He has only played 98 minutes, across four appearances, in the Premiership so far this term – 20 other players have spent more time on the pitch in the league than Palma within the squad.

The left winger has produced zero goals and zero assists in seven outings in all competitions, in what has been a disappointing follow-up to a fairly decent first season in Scotland.

Although Palma’s form dipped in the second half of the campaign, the forward showed plenty of promise with his displays at the top end of the pitch in the Premiership.

Appearances

28

Starts

18

Goals

7

Big chances created

14

Assists

9

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old wizard was far from useless in the top-flight last term, with 16 direct goal contributions in 28 appearances.

Palma showcased his ability to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch, as both a scorer and a creator of goals, and had the ability to score goals out of nothing, as shown in the clip below.

Unfortunately, though, the forward has only scored two goals in the Premiership in 2024 and has found himself near the bottom of the pecking order under Rodgers, with the likes of Hyun-jun Yang, Nicolas Kuhn, James Forrest, and Daizen Maeda ahead of him.

Therefore, Celtic should take advantage of the MLS interest in Palma and brutally ditch him from the squad. However, they should also swoop to sign another attacking midfielder to take his place, amid interest in Chelsea’s Carney Chukwuemeka.

Celtic's interest in Premier League youngster

It was reported by The Boot Room earlier this month that Celtic are one of the clubs that have been offered the opportunity to sign the England youth international in the January transfer window.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The outlet claimed that the Hoops and their Scottish rivals Rangers have both been told that the door is open for them to swoop for the former Aston Villa academy graduate ahead of the second half of the season.

It stated that he is not a part of Enzo Maresca’s plans moving forward and that all parties are working towards an exit next month, as he has also been offered to teams across Europe.

Carney Chukwuemeka

The Boot Room revealed that Chelsea would be open to selling him on a permanent deal, or loaning him out, depending on what offers come in for his services.

Football Insider have since added that Celtic could make a loan move for the attacking midfielder, but that they would need the Premier League side to contribute towards his wages.

Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not the Blues are willing to do that, Rodgers securing a move for Chukwuemeka would allow him to finally cash in on Palma.

Why Celtic should sign Carney Chukwuemeka

It would be somewhat of a gamble by the Hoops because the 21-year-old gem has yet to play regularly at first-team level in his career to date, which means that he would come in as a raw talent with potential, rather than a known quantity.

Celtic are already thriving across all competitions, though, and this means that they can afford to take a short-term risk or two in the transfer market, as they are not in desperate need of guaranteed hits in the January window.

The England U20 international is not an out-and-out left winger, like Palma, but has played on the left flank and as an attacking midfielder in his career, which means that he could provide cover across the frontline, as well as being a central midfield option.

Chukwuemeka’s former teammate James Norris once claimed that the midfield ace is a “a bit like Pogba” and that is backed up by Villa insider Charlie Jennings’ description of his style of play.

He told Sempre Milan: “Carney is an outstanding ball carrier from deep areas of the midfield. He is known for marauding, mind-boggling dribbles through tight areas and compliments this with a delightful array of passes.”

Minutes

67

Pass accuracy

89%

Key passes

2

Dribbles completed

3/5

Duels won

7/11

As you can see in the table above, the midfielder showcased his ‘mind-boggling’ dribbling skills in his most recent performance for Chelsea in the Conference League, completing three of his five attempted dribbles.

Chukwuemeka, who has scored 12 goals and produced 14 assists in 76 games as a midfielder in his senior and youth career combined, has shown promise in Europe for the Blues – as shown by his performance against Astana, but is yet to prove himself on a consistent basis.

Celtic must now offer him the chance to come in on loan and show what he can do domestically and in Europe for the Hoops, allowing Rodgers to brutally bin Palma in the process.

Celtic thought they had the next Tierney, now he's not played in 10 months

The Celtic youngster has not kicked on in the same way that Kieran Tierney did.

ByDan Emery Dec 17, 2024

Zimbabwe, New Zealand, West Indies, England, South Africa and Pakistan will tour

Andrew McGlashan29-May-2022Australia’s home international season will begin in late August and the men’s team faces one of their busiest summers as the catch-up of Covid-impacted series continues in the final months of the current future tours programme.The men’s side will face Zimbabwe (ODIs), New Zealand (ODIs), West Indies (T20Is and Tests), England (T20Is and ODIs) and South Africa (Tests and ODIs) in the 2022-23 campaign – in addition to the men’s T20 World Cup – with the first two of those series taking place in Townsville and Cairns, starting on August 28, as international cricket returns to the Top End. The last time Australia’s men played in the region was 2008 although Townsville has since hosted internationals involving Papua New Guinea.The women’s team will host Pakistan for ODIs and T20Is in January before the T20 World Cup in South Africa while they are also set to travel to India for five T20Is before Christmas.The three men’s ODIs against South Africa, set to take place after the Test series in mid-January, remain to be confirmed after a request from CSA to have them moved but no alternative window has yet been found. It is understood CSA had hoped to play them before the Test series to enable players to return home in time for the recently-announced domestic T20 league.”Our strong intention is to play them as scheduled and we’re working through that with South Africa,” Peter Roach, Cricket Australia’s head of operations and scheduling, said. “This is a really busy season of cricket and finding a spot will be difficult, but we’re engaged in that discussion with South Africa and we hope to finalise that in the coming weeks.”The T20Is against West Indies and two bilateral series against England will be squeezed in either side of the men’s T20 World Cup with the T20Is acting as warm-ups. Australia will also make a whistle-stop tour to India in mid-September for three T20Is. Originally, West Indies were slated for three T20Is but one match has been dropped due to the tight window with the CPL finishing in late September and them being involved in the qualifying phase of the World Cup.Australia men’s home season, 2022-23•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe five men’s Tests of the summer will take place across barely six weeks with Perth (November 30-December 4) hosting the opening match against West Indies followed by a day-night game in Adelaide (December 8-12). South Africa will play at the Gabba (December 17-21), MCG (Boxing Day) and SCG (January 4-8) before the ODI series wraps up the men’s home schedule ahead of a tour to India next February and March.That order of Tests means a move away from the tradition of the Gabba being the opening match (although that has also happened a number of times in recent years) but it allows both West Indies fixtures – played before the holiday period – to have a greater primetime slot on Australia’s east coast television market while CA are also looking ahead to when the Gabba is not available during its redevelopment for the 2032 Olympics.”We also know the Gabba’s going to be offline for a couple of years,” Roach said. “Taking the chance to look at some different opportunities when we’ve got the chance to us makes a bit of sense. We’ve got a very good record in Perth too. Moving away from fortress Gabba is not something that scares us.”After last season featured two women’s Tests against India and England, there are none on the calendar for the upcoming summer but they remain central to Cricket Australia’s ambitions. The two limited-overs series against Pakistan will take place from January 16-29 across Allan Border Field, North Sydney Oval and Manuka Oval with the teams then heading to South Africa for the T20 World Cup where Australia will defend their title.Unlike recent seasons, no women’s internationals have been scheduled for September with an eye on player workload heading into the World Cup while March has also been left vacant in case a Women’s IPL gets off the ground.There are some tight turnarounds in the men’s schedule with the first ODI against England in Adelaide taking place just four days after the T20 World Cup final on November 13, should either side make it that far, and there is a maximum of four days between Tests once that format begins on November 30.Pakistan Women tour of Australia, 2022-23•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe ODIs against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in northern Queensland – both series which have been postponed due to Covid – are unlikely to feature a full-strength Australia side with a handful of players having deals in the Hundred which runs until early September while some may also be rested.Having not played any ODIs in the previous home season the men’s team have 12 scheduled in 2022-23. The three matches against South Africa are set to start earlier in the day than would be traditional to free up the evening for BBL matches. They could be the last home ODIs played in January as CA looks to create a window in the calendar for the BBL so that Australia players can be more involved.The domestic schedules will be announced in the coming months. The WBBL will take place from mid-October to late November with the BBL expected to start after the West Indies Test series and it may run into early February.With the men’s T20 World Cup also in October and November, plus Sheffield Shield, Marsh Cup and WNCL matches to slot in, it has meant a challenging jigsaw puzzle to find suitable venues for all the formats. The expanded WNCL – now a full home-and-away tournament – is likely to start in late September ahead of the WBBL.Both West Indies and South Africa are expected to have warm-up matches ahead of their respective Test series.

Taylor Twellman is "not sure this USMNT would qualify" for the 2026 World Cup if they were not co-hosts, with important questions being asked.

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United States preparing to fill role of co-hostsFlopped at Copa America & in Nations LeaguePotential yet to be unlocked in exciting squadFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The United States are, as a nation, counting down the days to the showpiece event that will be staged in North and Central America during the summer of 2026. Canada and Mexico will also be throwing open their doors to fans from every corner of the planet.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The US were expected to go well on home soil, with ex-Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino appointed to oversee the development of what is considered to be an exciting squad – one that includes the likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna. Concerning setbacks have, however, been endured while heading down that path.

DID YOU KNOW?

On the back of Copa America humiliation in 2024, as the USMNT failed to make it out of the group stage, humbling defeats have been suffered against Panama and Canada in CONCACAF Nations League competition – leading to widespread criticism of underperforming players and coaching staff.

GettyWHAT TAYLOR TWELLMAN SAID

Ex-USMNT star Twellman has posted on social media, as he seeks answers to difficult questions: "Thankfully there are 48 teams and automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup because I’m not sure this @usmnt would qualify in the old format.

"How many of the players HAVE to play well to further their career both in earnings and club stature?! Do they HAVE to play well for USMNT to improve their club situation on a daily basis?! How important is success to the manager?! If he fails will that follow him to his next job?! Does he have any pressure?!

"Does the federation know or understand what’s wrong and how to fix it?! Has the dwindling attendance since 2018 at games caught their attention?! Has the sport grown in recent years?! These are things I’m thinking about and have been since 2018. I don’t know if I know the answers either."

Vitor Pereira failed to make it three wins from three since taking charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers, despite a fairly evenly matched game against Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur side.

Wolves took the lead after just seven minutes, with Hwang Hee-chan finding the back of the net, before goals from Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson put Spurs 2-1 up going into half-time. But a late equaliser from Jorgen Strand Larsen rescued a point for his side, making it seven from a possible nine in their last three games.

Wolves held more possession than Tottenham, with 52%, took 11 shots (just two fewer than Spurs) and generated 0.51 xG, whilst Tottenham only generated 0.99 xG themselves. There were plenty of good performances for Wolves, but one man in particular saved them in the dying embers of the game.

Jorgen Strand Larsen's performance in numbers

Wolves made the signing of Strand Larsen this summer, joining from Celta Vigo on an initial loan deal (costing £2.5m). However, if certain clauses are triggered, this deal will automatically become a permanent deal, costing a further £23m.

Since joining the club, the 24-year-old has made 20 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals, providing three assists and totalling 1,551 minutes played.

Larsen came on at half-time against Tottenham, scoring his goal in the 87th minute with his only shot of the game. He only needed nine touches, making four of his six passes, and, of course, most importantly, scoring the goal to earn his side a point.

Performance in Numbers

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In fact, one player in particular will be thanking Larsen for his impact off the bench, as a poor performance from a certain individual nearly cost Wolves points on the board.

Andre's performance in numbers vs Spurs

Another one of Wolves’ summer signings, Andre, who was signed from Fluminense for a fee of around £21m, was the one who let down his side against Tottenham, giving away a penalty, and being hooked off at around the 69th minute mark.

The 23-year-old has made 15 appearances so far this season since joining the club, contributing to two clean sheets and totalling 982 minutes played.

Stat

Andre

Minutes

69

Touches

32

Accurate Passes

26/27

Key Passes

1

Ground Duels Won

2/6

Aerial Duels Won

0/1

Tackles

1

Dribbled Past

1

Penalties Committed

1

Andre was given a 4/10 match rating by Birmingham World’s Charlie Haffenden, which was the lowest score given to any Wolves player.

Not only did the Brazilian give away a penalty, but he also only won two of his six ground duels, and lost his only aerial duel in the game, losing 71% of his total duels against Tottenham.

His passing stats do, however, show he was neat and tidy on the ball, but due to the absence of Mario Lemina in midfield, Andre was needed for duel-winning purposes, alongside his on-ball quality, which is why those lost duels and poor defensive decisions stood out.

Wolves continue their three-game unbeaten streak since Gary O’Neil was sacked and replaced by Pereira, and the Portuguese coach could make some changes for their next game, if he believes one of his other midfield options deserves a chance after Andre’s performance, with Tommy Doyle one of those waiting in the wings.

Imagine him & Cunha: Wolves lodge enquiry to sign Raul Jimenez 2.0

Wolves are showing interest in a German international…

ByRoss Kilvington Dec 28, 2024

Lamine Yamal has been warned that he must "take responsibility" of his body as Hansi Flick discussed the prospect of resting the Barcelona winger.

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Flick wants to manage Yamal's minutesHas already clocked over 3000 for BarcaMight not get a start against GironaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 17-year-old prodigy has been an integral part of Barca’s campaign this season, featuring in 39 matches across all competitions. With an impressive tally of 13 goals and 17 assists, Yamal has cemented his place as a key contributor to the team's title ambitions.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

If Yamal does not feature in the starting lineup against Girona on Sunday, it would be the first time in four months that he begins a match on the bench. The last time he was named as a substitute was on November 30 against Las Palmas, when he was recovering from an ankle issue. Even then, it was not a tactical decision, as he was introduced at half-time to help his team.

WHAT FLICK SAID

With crucial matches looming, Flick is eager to avoid burnout among his key players, particularly as Barcelona continue to compete on multiple fronts.

"I think Lamine is very intelligent and knows how to manage the game," the manager said. "I spoke to him this morning to find out how he is, and he is very positive. I always speak to the players. If they feel something, they can come and tell me what is happening to them.

"Every player has responsibility for their bodies. If something happens or there is something different to normal, they have to speak. That's what we want because in my experience as a player, if you notice something and you don't take care of it, something ends up happening. I want the players to take responsibility for their bodies. It's an important thing when you play as a professional, at a level like Barcelona."

DID YOU KNOW?

Yamal has already played 3,181 minutes this season, making him the fifth most-utilised player in the squad – trailing only Jules Kounde, Raphinha, Pedri and Pau Cubarsí.

Danny Lamb, George Balderson share six wickets as Will Williams impresses on debut

ECB Reporters Network12-Jun-2022Warwickshire 292 (Hain 130, D Lamb 3-43, Balderson 3-68) vs Lancashire Sam Hain’s high-class century kept Warwickshire afloat as Lancashire’s bowlers impressed on the opening day of their LV=Insurance County Championship tussle at Edgbaston.The home side was all out for 292 just before the close with Hain the last to fall for 130. The accomplished knock continued the 26-year-old’s excellent red-ball form, his last four championship innings having brought 449 runs for twice out.After choosing to bat, Warwickshire leaned heavily on Hain as other batters got in but then found ways of getting out against a Red Rose attack which persevered well on a good batting pitch.

4 runnsss from @SammieHain

Bears: 124/3

Match Centre https://t.co/pl7LqItrDJ

#YouBears | #WARvLAN pic.twitter.com/xNmUrbR0X8

— Warwickshire CCC (@WarwickshireCCC) June 12, 2022