All posts by h79snht.top

أسفرت مواجهة برشلونة ونابولي في دوري أبطال أوروبا، عن محادثة بين الطرفين بشأن أحد لاعبي الفريق الإيطالي.

والتقى برشلونة ونابولي في دور الـ 16 ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، وحسم الفريق الإسباني التأهل لربع النهائي.

وكشف برانيسلاف جاروسيك، وكيل أعمال ستانيسلاف لوبوتكا، لاعب خط الوسط السلوفاكي لنابولي، عن وجود محادثات مع برشلونة.

لوبوتكا لاعب خط الوسط البالغ من العمر 29 عامًا، والذي ينتهي عقده في عام 2027، لم يخفِ أنه معجب بفريق برشلونة.

وأشار وكيل لوبوتكا إلى ثناء تشافي هيرنانديز مدرب برشلونة، على لاعب نابولي، في مباراة دوري أبطال أوروبا الأخيرة ضد برشلونة، وناقش هذا الأمر مع ديكو المدير الرياضي للنادي الإسباني.

وقال ممثل لوبوتكا في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية: “لقد تحدثنا عن ذلك مع ديكو، برشلونة سيوقع معه، ولكن يجب أن تحدث أشياء كثيرة أولاً”.

وسبق وعلّق تشافي حين سُئل على لوبوتكا في مؤتمر صحفي: “أود أن أقول لوبوتكا يعجبني على مستوى بناء المباريات، فهو لا يفقد أي كرة، أود رؤيته في ناد مثل برشلونة، إنه يحدث فرقا كبيرا لنابولي”.

اقرأ أيضًا | لابورتا يلمح إلى إمكانية بقاء تشافي ويؤكد: برشلونة فوق الجميع

وأكمل وكيل لوبوتكا: “لقد أرسل لي ستانيسلاف لقطة شاشة لتصريحات تشافي، لقد قمت بتصويره في إحدى المرات التي تحدثنا فيها عنه لأن تشافي يسألني عدة مرات عن لوبوتكا”.

وأردف: “لوبوتكا يبلغ من العمر 30 عامًا تقريبًا، ولم يتبق أمامه سنوات عديدة كمحترف، إنه يرغب في اللعب لنادٍ يقاتل من أجل الفوز بدوري أبطال أوروبا”.

وحين سُئل عن عروض الدوري السعودي لوكيله، أفاد: “في الصيف الماضي التقينا بالإدارة للحديث عن عرض من المملكة العربية السعودية، لقد وعدوا بالكثير من المال، لكنه قال اللعنة عليهم! لن نتعامل معهم”. 

England eased to a 117-run victory in their first warm-up match in West Indies, but the batting was more impressive than the bowling

George Dobell in St Kitts25-Feb-2017
ScorecardBen Stokes was in the runs, but the bowling wasn’t quite so successful•Getty Images

What a great leveller this game can be.A few days after becoming the most expensive overseas player in the IPL’s history, Ben Stokes saw his only complete over of England’s first warm-up match in St Kitts thrashed for 23 by a 20-year-old playing only his eighth List A game.To be fair to Stokes, who had earlier made a half-century, the 20-year-old is some talent. Shimron Hetmyer, the former captain of the West Indies side that won the Under-19 World Cup, timed the ball beautifully and, having clipped Stokes’ first ball for six over square leg, laced a couple of boundaries through the off side before finishing the over with a pull over mid-wicket for another six. Two wides and a no-ball completed the picture and meant that, at that stage, Stokes’ last 10 deliveries in an England shirt against Caribbean opposition – going back to Carlos Braithwaite’s four sixes – had cost an eye-watering 47 runs.Under normal circumstances, none of this would warrant much attention. Even the best endure bad days, after all, and warm-up days like this exist to help brush off the rust. All recent evidence suggests that, come the big occasion, Stokes will be the man England rely upon.But coming, as it did, a few days after Stokes’ auction success, it demonstrated the pressure that he will be under every time he steps on to a pitch these days. He can no longer be considered a promising allrounder in the developmental stage of his career; he is a world star whose every move will be studied and followed. There will always be great expectation; there will always be scrutiny. His life has changed and it may not all be for the better.Still, with four of their top five making half-centuries and a final victory margin of 117 runs, Stokes’ tough over was a minor blip in a generally satisfactory day for England.It showed how far they had come since they last visited St Kitts. At that time, less than two years ago, they were still reeling in the aftermath of their wretched 2015 World Cup performance. During their match against a St Kitts Invitational XI, it was announced that Paul Downton, the managing director of the England teams, had been sacked and the coaching staff were informed, ominously as it transpired, there would be no further changes “while they were on tour.” Peter Moores was subsequently sacked the moment England returned.They are a much-changed white ball side now. It’s not just the personnel that is different, though the absence of the top run-scorer and wicket-taker in their ODI history (Ian Bell and James Anderson respectively) is notable, but that the mentality has changed. Remarkably, given how poorly they performed in the most recent global ODI event, several bookies make them favourites for the Champions Trophy to be played in June. It seemed unthinkable in April 2015.Chadwick Walton made 121 in the run chase•Getty Images

It’s not hard to see what their resurgence has been built upon. Their uncompromisingly aggressive batting helped them race to 239 for 2 at the 30-over mark here and, with Joe Root and Eoin Morgan well set, it appeared a world record List A score might be achievable. Only one side in history (Surrey against Gloucestershire at The Oval in 2007) have ever reached 450 in a List A game and there seemed every chance England could become the second.As it was, they scored a relatively modest 140 from the final 20 overs of the innings despite nearly 100 in the final 10. With the balls softer and the pitch slowing, timing the ball became more difficult and it took some muscular late hitting from Stokes, who was dropped three times in an innings that become more fluent as it progressed, and Liam Dawson to take them above 350.Still, with Jason Roy looking in sublime form – he did not field due to a hand bruised by a succession of tough fielding drills but is not a serious injury concern – and runs for Root and Morgan, England could be well satisfied with this work out for their batsmen.Only Sam Billings, who was brilliantly caught at point, and Jos Buttler, who played-on attempting to force the pace, missed out but both are likely to have another chance on Monday. Billings, in particular, probably needs to take every chance with Alex Hales potentially returning imminently.The bowling was less impressive. While Steven Finn, who had not taken a wicket in any form of cricket since September despite having racked up some air miles, all but ended the match as a contest with wickets from the second and fourth balls of the second over of University of West Indies Vice-Chancellor’s XI reply, there were times when Morgan seemed to lack the options required to stem the flow of runs.Not for the first time, the edge offered to the side by the extra pace of Mark Wood was sorely missed. Chris Woakes (rested) and David Willey (injured) were also missed, but it may be upon Wood’s seemingly fragile ankle that England’s Champions Trophy hopes rest.That the UWI side made over 250 was largely due to the excellence of Chadwick Walton. A good enough player to have represented West Indies in two Tests – albeit during the Floyd Reifer period of captaincy when the best players were unavailable due to a disagreement with the board – he was also part of a record Caribbean List A score only a couple of weeks ago when he made a century as Jamaica amassed 434 against Trinidad and Tobago in the Super 50 competition. He has played a few ODIs, too, and made it into a full strength Test squad as a reserve keeper.At one stage, he thrashed Dawson (who was otherwise admirably frugal) for three successive sixes, while Liam Plunkett was hit for the shot of the day: a straight driven six that thundered back over the bowler’s head.Such things will happen in limited-overs cricket. As Jermaine Levy, the latest man to concede 100 in a List A match, will tell you: modern white-ball cricket is very much a batsman’s game.

Newcastle United have seen huge improvements and progress since their Saudi-led takeover less than two years ago and the credit for their rise can be both attributed to the arrival of Eddie Howe, as well as their incredible recruitment.

The Magpies will make their long-awaited return to Champions League football next season after securing the final spot inside the Premier League top four last season and showing significant development in their competitiveness in cup competitions; reaching the League Cup final at Wembley earlier this year too.

Howe and his strong recruitment team have secured the signings of several talents over the last 18 months with Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman, Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Alexander Isak all becoming crucial to the huge strides forward that the North East outfit have taken.

Now the Newcastle boss will face a massive challenge ahead of him when competing on the European stage against the most elite clubs in the world, so making sure the right players with the right experience are acquired, and adding quality depth in key positions will be absolutely essential if they are to compete comfortably in every fixture.

Indeed, AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali is close to being confirmed as the first signing of the summer at St James' Park, however, there is no doubt that Howe will be keen to add even more talent to his squad to continue to build for the future.

One player who has been linked with a move to Tyneside this week is LOSC Lille wonderkid Carlos Baleba, with reports in France suggesting that Newcastle are set to compete with Manchester United and West Ham United to secure the €30m (£26m) midfielder.

Who is Carlos Baleba?

The 19-year-old talent has been polishing his skills and developing his central midfield role in Ligue 1 with Lille and found himself earning a much more frequent role in the first team last season, which has attracted interest from Premier League clubs.

Over 19 league appearances, Baleba has tallied up an 84% pass completion rate, successfully completed 63% of his dribbles and won 50% of his duels combined, despite only making five starts and averaging just 26 minutes per game.

Not only that, the Cameroon-born youngster ranks in the top 10% across the top five European leagues for positionally similar players when it comes to blocks, successful take-ons, progressive carries and shots on goal, proving that he has a diverse skill set that could benefit from the nurture and development Howe can provide at Newcastle to nail down his best attributes.

Such a move from Ligue 1 could well see Newcastle now repeat their Guimaraes masterclass by securing a deal for the youngster as the club has had massive success when recruiting from the French top-flight with the Brazilian midfielder arriving from Olympique Lyonnais, Sven Botman being secured from Lille and Allan Saint-Maximin signing from Nice.

Now a cult hero at St James', the Brazil international has more than earnt his praise after a stunning campaign throughout 2022/23 that saw him post ten goal involvements.

Although Baleba is only just starting out in his career and is still yet to reach his full potential, the teenage sensation is already earning high praise from the glimpses of talent he has shown so far, with his Lille teammate Jonathan David claiming:

"Carlos is young, but he brings something different, which is very good for us. He is powerful, strong, he drives the ball very well."

Strong and powerful would aptly describe Guimaraes too, but although Baleba perhaps won't arrive with the same level of hype, the Magpies know how to spot a promising prospect from Ligue 1 when they see one.

Tottenham Hotspur star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is open to leaving Spurs this summer as La Liga giants Atletico Madrid open talks for him.

Who is leaving Tottenham?

Ange Postecoglou has already sealed the signings of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, playmaker James Maddison and the incoming winger Manor Solomon.

The trio follow Sweden international winger Dejan Kulusevski, who has signed permanently for Spurs following an 18-month loan spell from Juventus.

It's been reported that the Lilywhites are chasing a new centre-back as well, with links surrounding Tosin Adarabioyo of Fulham, Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba, Wolves' Max Kilman and Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven.

It could end up being a busy summer at Hotspur Way, but to make room for these new arrivals, certain squad members will inevitably have to make way.

Indeed, Hugo Lloris, Ivan Perisic, Davinson Sanchez, Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier, Ben Davies, Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon and Tanguy Ndombele have all been tipped to potentially follow Harry Winks out the door.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, despite being a mainstay under a succession of Spurs managers over the last few seasons, is also a player who could very well depart this window.

The Dane is attracting interest from Atletico, with journalist Sami Mokbel of The Daily Mail sharing what he knows on Twitter.

Mokbel claims the Spanish side have opened talks over a deal for Hojbjerg, who in turn is "open" to leaving Tottenham as he eyes a fresh challenge.

"Atletico Madrid open talks with Tottenham over move for Pierre Emile-Hojberg," said Mokbel.

"Player fully open to opportunity to join La Liga club."

In his piece for The Mail, it is also claimed Spurs are unwilling to do business right now, but talks are certainly ongoing to make the move happen.

Hojbjerg is a personal transfer target for Atletico boss Diego Simeone, who has told his recruitment staff to actively explore a move for the 27-year-old.

What's been said about Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg?

The Denmark international has been praised by pundits and members of the press alike for his contribution at Spurs in the last 12 months.

Called "sensational" at times by members of the press, despite his "limitations", and former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson is in no denial over just how good Hojbjerg can be.

Speaking to Football Insider at the back end of last year, the former England shot-stopper said Hojbjerg was playing his best football under Antonio Conte at the time.

"I’ve been surprised by how much he has stepped up this year," said Robinson.

“I thought he was the one who would make way for Yves Bissouma. The club spent a lot of money on Bissouma. I think Hojbjerg recognised that and stepped up.

"He is playing to a level that we have never seen before. He is playing his best football in a Spurs shirt."

Conte, meanwhile, has previously called the former Southampton star "fantastic".

"Pierre, no one asked me about him, but I think in every game he is doing a fantastic job," said Conte.

“Every player is improving their level and for this reason Tottenham is going up and up."

دخل فينيسيوس جونيور، نجم فريق ريال مدريد، في نوبة بكاء خلال ظهوره في مؤتمر صحفي اليوم قبل مباراة البرازيل وإسبانيا غدًا.

وكان فينيسيوس جونيور عرضة للإساءات العنصرية في أكثر من مباراة لـ ريال مدريد.

وقال فينيسيوس جونيور في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ذا صن” الإنجليزية: “أنا آسف، أريد فقط أن ألعب كرة القدم، وأن أفعل كل شيء من أجل ناديي وعائلتي، وألا أرى السود يعانون أبدًا”.

وأضاف: “لم أفكر قط في مغادرة إسبانيا، لأن ذلك سيعطي العنصريين ما يريدون، لن أترك أفضل نادٍ في العالم، أريد اللعب فقط، لقد فكرت حقًا في الاعتزال”.

وواصل البرازيلي تصريحاته قائلًا: “سأبقى حازمًا وقويًا لأن الرئيس والنادي يدعمانني”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كارفاخال: مواجهة فينيسيوس صعبة.. وإسبانيا ليست عنصرية

وأردف: “العنصرية اللفظية لا تحدث في إسبانيا فحسب، بل في جميع أنحاء العالم أيضًا، في كل يوم أعود إلى المنزل أشعر بالحزن، لا أحد يدعمني”.

واستمر: “مع كل شكوى أشعر بالسوء، لكن يجب أن أظهر هنا وأظهر وجهي، لقد طلبت المساعدة من يويفا، الفيفا، اتحاد أمريكا الجنوبية والاتحاد البرازيلي، وهي مجموعات كبيرة ويمكنها محاربة ذلك”.

وفي إشارة إلى الملاكم الأسطوري محمد علي، قال: “الآن أفهم المزيد عن العنصرية، لقد درستها، ولهذا السبب أتحدث بمثل هذه اللياقة، كان محمد علي مثالاً، وأنا هنا للتحدث نيابة عن البرازيليين، لأن كثيرون يدافعون عني في هذا”.

Vinicius Jr got emotional during the press conference because all the questions were about racism…

“Sorry, I just want to play football, do everything for my club and my family.”

We are with you, @vinijr! 🥺🤍

pic.twitter.com/mQOE9lvs70 — TC (@totalcristiano) March 25, 2024

New Zealand seamer Tim Southee has been ruled out of the third Test against South Africa in Hamilton due to a hamstring injury he sustained in the hosts’ eight wicket-loss in Wellington

Firdose Moonda in Hamilton23-Mar-20171:15

Moonda: Depleted New Zealand left with plenty of problems

New Zealand have suffered a third major injury blow in three Tests with news that vice-captain Tim Southee has been ruled out of the Hamilton match with a hamstring tear. Although only a grade one tear, Southee will not be risked in an attack that is still waiting on confirmation of whether Trent Boult, who sat out the Wellington Test with an upper leg injury, will be able to lead it. At the other end of the line-up, New Zealand are without their most experienced batsman Ross Taylor, who suffered a calf tear in the first Test and has not been able to participate in the remaining two.Southee’s absence leaves New Zealand with four other seam options: Neil Wagner, Matt Henry, who is yet to play in the series, and allrounders Colin de Grandhomme and Jimmy Neesham. It is likely New Zealand will choose between three of the quartet to feature in an attack that is set to include both specialist spinners.Jeetan Patel and Mitchell Santner are the two slower bowlers in the New Zealand squad and both played in the first Test in Dunedin, at the expense of Southee, on a slow, low surface. The Hamilton one is set to be similar, although it is also expected to take some turn. With New Zealand deciding not to add legspinner Ish Sodhi to their squad, the two tweakers will likely be in the starting XI.This is Southee’s second injury of the summer. In September, he was ruled out of the three-Test series in India after an ankle ligament strain. He went on to play the four home Tests against Pakistan and Bangladesh, against whom he picked up his 200th Test wicket, before sitting out the first Test against South Africa in Dunedin and being brought back for the second. There is no word on whether the injury will affect Southee’s participation in the IPL, which starts on April 5.Since Boult’s Test debut in December 2011, New Zealand have played only three matches without both Boult and Southee, none of which the side could win.South Africa have an injury concern of their own. Quinton de Kock suffered damage to a tendon on his right index finger and could need up to six weeks on the sidelines. A late call will be taken on de Kock’s availability on Friday afternoon.

OPPO Mobiles will pay INR 1079 crore (approx USD 162 million) for five years after they beat the only other bid of INR 768 crore (approx USD 115 million) from Vivo

Arun Venugopal07-Mar-2017

OPPO Mobiles India, the smartphone manufacturer, has won the Indian team sponsorship rights for a five-year period, starting April 1 2017. OPPO Mobiles will pay INR 1079 crore (approx USD 162 million) for the duration of their contract having beaten the only other bid of INR 768 crore (approx USD 115 million) from Vivo, another smartphone manufacturer. The minimum reserve price was set by the BCCI at INR 538 crore (approx USD 81 million).The bids were opened in the presence of both parties at noon on Tuesday. OPPO’s was worth INR 4.61 crore (approx USD 693,000) per match for bilateral series and INR 1.51 crore (approx USD 227,000) per match for ICC sponsored tournaments. The existing team sponsor, Star India, whose contract expires on March 31, had paid INR 1.92 crore (approx USD 289,000) and 61 lakh (approx USD 92,000) per match for bilateral and ICC tournaments respectively. The team sponsorship rights bring with them the opportunity to display a commercial logo on the men’s, women’s, Under-19 and A teams’ kits.The five years rights period starts on 1st April 2017 and continues until 31st March 2022, during which India play 14 home series and 20 overseas series, which also include the ICC Champions Trophy, ICC Cricket World Cup and the World T20 events.BCCI CEO Rahul Johri said the bid revealed the value of a partnership with the India team. “Star India gave us 203 crore (approx USD 30.5 million) in four years. OPPO has paid us 1079 crore over five years, which far exceeds the previous highest [contract],” he told ESPNcricinfo . “It really shows the true value of Indian cricket and the belief that companies have in Indian cricket. Because only once you have belief can you put in that kind of amount.”Johri said nine companies – “OPPO, Vivo, Star India, PayTM, Hero, Group M, DNA, DBS Bank and Encompass ” – had obtained the tender document following which two – OPPO and Vivo – submitted bids. Johri then went on the explain the process by which the winning bid was selected. “The tenders come into envelops, there is a technical evaluation and a financial bid. First, the technical bids are opened and examined for completion in terms of legal requirements by the BCCI lawyers and lawyers from Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas. And, all financial aspects of the bid are evaluated by Deloitte. Once Deloitte tabulated the final numbers, we showed both parties each other’s numbers and the one with the higher number gets [the contract].”Diana Eduljee, member of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators, said they were satisfied with the bidding process. “There was transparency and everything was in order,” she said in a press conference in Mumbai. “We are very happy with this bid because it has put cricket first and everything else in the background. This is a very positive sign and positive beginning for all of us. We hope to go forward from here.”Star India CEO Uday Shankar had said they decided not to bid again given the “volatility” surrounding the game and was particularly apprehensive about the lack of clarity over the Future Tours Programme.Johri, however, dismissed those concerns. “That [FTP] is already part of the tender document,” he said at the press conference. “Today’s result is testimony that there is no ambiguity. We play 259 games in total.” He also rejected the suggestion that big brands were no longer interested in investing in Indian cricket. “If you look at somebody putting 1079 crore for a five-year sponsorship, the company in its own right is a big company. That is testimony to the confidence in BCCI and Indian cricket,” he said.Sky Li, global vice-president and president of OPPO Mobiles India Pvt Ltd., said OPPO aimed to reach new heights alongside the India team. “Cricket in India isn’t just a sport, it is also a way of life, a culture, even a religion,” he said. “OPPO is the most adored youth-centralised brand. In India we also have been growing fast.”

يستعد منتخب إسبانيا لخوض مباراة ودية، مساء اليوم الثلاثاء، ضد منتخب البرازيل في إطار مباريات فترة التوقف الدولي الحالي.

ويستضيف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” المباراة الودية التي ستجمع بين إسبانيا والبرازيل، الليلة.

كانت إسبانيا قد تعرضت للهزيمة من كولومبيا بهدف دون رد، وفازت البرازيل بنفس النتيجة على إنجلترا، على الصعيد الدولي الودي.

ويخوض منتخب إسبانيا منافسات بطولة كأس أمم أوروبا، يورو 2024، في الصيف، بينما يشارك منتخب البرازيل في بطولة كوبا أمريكا. موعد مباراة إسبانيا والبرازيل الودية اليوم

من المقرر أن تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة 10:30 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 11:30 بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة إسبانيا والبرازيل الودية اليوم

تُذاع المباراة عبر قناة beIN Sports HD 2. معلق مباراة إسبانيا والبرازيل الودية اليوم

سيعلق حفيظ دراجي على أحداث مباراة اليوم.

ويُمكنك متابعة أحداث المباريات لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا.

Newcastle United massively overachieved this season. Despite their monstrous new investment under a different regime, the club is still miles ahead of its projected trajectory.

With this has come the dreamy, and previously unreachable Champions League qualification, which means that Eddie Howe must accelerate his attempts to add sufficient depth to his squad to make it capable of challenging on multiple fronts.

The Magpies have already kickstarted this process with the sensational signing of Sandro Tonali for a whopping £55m and due to their excessive budget they find themselves linked to a flurry of different players.

One of the most high-profile sees Harvey Barnes touted with a move to St James Park, but with Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur also keenly tracking the Leicester City man, it could become a complicated deal.

Therefore, a cheaper and more attainable alternative is available in the form of Jesper Lindstrom.

What’s the latest on Jesper Lindstrom to Newcastle?

According to FootballTransfers, the 23-year-old is keen on a move to Newcastle.

Lindstrom is intent on playing Champions League football next season and is willing to push for a move out of Germany to achieve this, despite generally being happy at Eintracht Frankfurt.

This outlet believes this decision was accelerated by the 2022 Europa League winners' dismal end to the last campaign as they recorded just two wins from their final 13 Bundesliga games as Oliver Glasner was fired in May.

The Austrian was reportedly a mentor to Lindstrom and this has prompted the player to search for a new challenge at a higher level.

It was previously revealed that he could leave the club for around £26m.

Why do Newcastle want Jesper Lindstrom?

The attacking midfielder has been at Frankfurt since 2021 and has made 77 appearances in all competitions, recording 27 goal involvements. He was a pivotal figure in the club’s sensational run to Europa League, providing four assists and playing for 70 minutes in the final, as they secured a penalty shoot-out victory over Rangers.

Domestically, the ten-cap international has also shown himself to be a formidable asset as he was named the Bundesliga Rookie Award last year, as he registered ten goal contributions in the division.

The Dane carried this form into the last campaign, raising his goal and assist tally to 11. He is a player who is constantly improving, and his statistics are similar to that of Harvey Barnes, who will supposedly cost almost double his price at £50m.

Lindstrom is closely ranked to the Englishman in a number of metrics including: goals per shot (0.16 vs 0.13), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.94 vs 3.30), and % of shots on target (42.2 vs 43.4).

Furthermore, although Barnes is an impressive goalscorer, he still has much to improve on regarding build-up play, residing within the lowest 23% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for passes attempted per 90, pass completion, and progressive passes per 90.

Although a lesser-known name, Lindstrom is described as a “huge talent” and could emerge as an extremely smart acquisition if Howe opts for this route.

Celtic may have had their hopes of landing Fabian Rieder this summer boosted significantly, with Blick, via the Daily Record reporting that the player's agent has quashed a move to one rival suitor.

Who is Fabian Rieder?

The 21-year-old currently plays his football for Young Boys in Switzerland, having come through the youth ranks there and worked his way up. He was handed his first taste of Swiss Super League action back in 2020 as an 18-year-old and went on to feature on 23 occasions for the club.

It also led to his first silverware too, with his team storming to the top of the table. His gametime has only escalated from there, with Rieder since managing a further 63 games and yet another league crown to go with it last season. With his confidence flowing, he also managed his best ever goal contribution haul in 2022/23, with seven goals and four assists from the centre of the field in the league.

The youngster predominantly features an attacking midfielder, but can slot in further back if needed. He's also been utilised on the right flank before too, showing that the Swiss star is flexible and can prove to be a useful option in a number of areas.

His showings for Young Boys have also caught the eye of his national team, with the 21-year-old finally given his first-team debut for Switzerland in 2022. He has since made four appearances at international level – and there will likely be more where that came from if he can keep up his form.

Are Celtic signing Fabian Rieder?

Having been so impressive, there are now plenty of teams from across Europe on his tail. Scottish Premiership side Celtic are one of the main teams who are believed to be considering a swoop for the midfielder, although no official bid has yet been tabled for the talent

A move to Germany could also be possible for Rieder according to different sources, with Wolfsburg chasing a deal. However, according to a report from Blick, via the Daily Record, the Hoops have been gifted a boost in their pursuit of the wonderkid.

That's despite talk that he could soon be on his way to either Wolfsburg or Borussia Monchengladbach, the midfielder's agent has revealed that no deal is close yet and that the Wolfsburg talk isn't even correct.

He said: "Not true. Gladbach is one of the interested parties, that's right. We are in contact with the club, that's true too. But not only with Gladbach. And first the path must be cleared financially for an immigration of this dimension. In other words: Gladbach has to sell first. Fabian is at the top of the list at Gladbach."

Even though Rieder is still only 21-years-old, he's already emerged as a real talent who has a lot of potential in the future. Having seen him in action, football talent scout Jacek Kulig has labelled him as one of the "biggest jewels" in the top tier of Swiss football at the moment and also called him a "high-quality" midfielder.

It means that he is already standing out in the entire division despite his youth – and with the potential to get even better, Celtic could have a really exciting signing on their hands if they can beat Monchengladbach to his signature.