Tag Futebol

Scott McTominay could be on his way back to the Premier League after Newcastle United entered the race to secure his signature alongside a number of rivals.

The Magpies, with their PSR problems behind them, have set their sights on building a side capable of staying inside the Premier League’s top four and that may start with their midfield.

Already, those at St James’ Park have tied Sandro Tonali down to a new deal at the club after holding secret talks with the Italian and now rumours are emerging as to who could join the former AC Milan man.

At 25 years old, Tonali is increasingly likely to play a key role under Eddie Howe for years to come and Newcastle could even decide to build the heart of their side around the midfielder, whilst also pursuing the likes of Elliot Anderson.

The Nottingham Forest star has been linked with a return to Tyneside just over a year since leaving Newcastle for the Midlands in what would be a sensational move.

Howe even went as far as to admit that there’s some regret that Newcastle were left with no choice but to sell Anderson amid PSR problems last year. That alone suggests that he’d be more than happy to welcome the England international back with open arms.

By signing Anderson just after securing Tonali’s future, PIF could also be opening the door for a Ballon d’Or nominee to take his place in Newcastle’s midfield.

Newcastle in pole position to sign Scott McTominay

Newcastle are now in pole position to sign McTominay from Napoli alongside Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, according to TeamTalk. Both sides are reportedly joined by Barcelona in the race to welcome the Scotland international, who is also expected to be offered a new deal in Italy.

When McTominay left Manchester United in 2024, the Red Devils were happy to show him the door. Now, over a year later, he has the world at his feet and was even a 2025 Ballon d’Or nominee. His rise has been sensational, and he could yet make a return to England to end some unfinished business.

Not just Joelinton: Newcastle's "true legend" may now be on borrowed time

Newcastle may well part ways with this Howe mainstay at the end of the campaign.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 29, 2025

To no surprise, Howe also reportedly believes McTominay is the perfect fit for his Newcastle side and views him as someone who would help the Magpies stay in the Champions League.

Described as “special” by former Man United boss Jose Mourinho, the midfielder has finally realised his full potential and now has another big decision to make.

Ross Wilson now wants Newcastle to sign Joelinton heir

MatériaMais Notícias

Para o duelo diante do São Luiz nesta quarta-feira (24), Eduardo Coudet entende ser necessário poupar alguns titulares, e a escalação do Internacional deve ter algumas diferenças em relação a equipe que estreou no Campeonato Gaúcho.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

O técnico argentino pretende rodar o elenco no começo da competição para observar os atletas à disposição. No entanto, Robert Renan, cedido pelo Zenit-RUS ao clube gaúcho até o fim de 2024, e Hyoran, contratado nesta janela de transferências, devem começar a partida.

➡️ Desentendimento entre Flamengo e Internacional emperra negociação de Thiago Maia

CONFIRA A PROVÁVEL ESCALAÇÃO DO INTERNACIONAL

O Colorado deve ir a campo com: Anthoni; Hugo Mallo, Igor Gomes, Robert Renan e Renê; Rômulo, Hyoran, Gustavo Campanharo e Gabriel Barros; Pedro Henrique e Luiz Adriano.

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Coudet não terá à disposição Rochet, Ivan e Matheus Dias (lesionados); Alan Patrick e Mercado (suspensos); Maurício (convocado para a Seleção Brasileira Sub-23); e Thauan e Lara (afastados).

O Internacional encara o São Luiz nesta quarta-feira (24), às 19h (de Brasília), no Estádio 19 de outubro, em Itajaí, pela segunda rodada do Campeonato Gaúcho.

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Campeonato GaúchoFutebol NacionalInternacional

The magnitude of Tottenham Hotspur’s victory over Brentford in the Premier League last weekend cannot be understated. Had the Bees taken the spoils against their old boss, Thomas Frank, the atmosphere down N17 may have become poisonous.

But Spurs rallied after a tough run of results, secured three points, restored the faith that this new system, more pragmatic, better organised, will stop spinning its wheels and start showcasing actual progress.

The magnitude of Xavi Simons’ magnificent solo goal, breaking his duck, cannot be understated, but neither can the fact that some Lilywhites are still flattering to deceive after last season’s inconsistency, and that needs to change.

Spurs' most disappointing players in 25/26

Simons has probably been the most salient disappointment at Tottenham this season, but there is hope that the Dutch playmaker has turned a corner after a standout showing last time out.

However, Randal Kolo Muani’s struggles rage on, the French loanee yet to score in a white shirt. There’s a real player in there, but given Spurs’ attacking problems, Frank will expect more.

Analyst Raj Chohan clearly feels Tottenham need to make a change in the engine room, calling Rodrigo Bentancur a “candidate for worst centre-midfielder at a big six club”.

Bentancur is directly inhibiting Spurs’ central build-up play, but he’s not alone in flattering to deceive, with Pedro Porro’s creativity unable to detract from some really poor defensive displays, lacking awareness and physicality in the challenge.

Most Dribbled-past Defenders in the PL (25/26)

#

Player

Stat

1.

Mats Wieffer

19

2.

Neco Williams

18

3.

Pedro Porro

17

4.

Hugo Bueno

16

5.

Matty Cash

16

Data via WhoScored

Porro has been well below the standard this season, but he is not alone in struggling to adapt to Frank’s tactics. Indeed, there’s another defender who simply can’t bring it all together at the moment, and in this, he runs the risk of becoming the London club’s new version of Ryan Sessegnon.

Spurs' new version of Ryan Sessegnon

In 2019, Tottenham signed Sessegnon from Fulham for a whopping £25m fee. He had enjoyed a stunning start to senior life at Craven Cottage, but fell by the wayside after incessant hamstring injuries, five in five years down N17.

One half-season loan spell aside, in 2020/21 with Hoffenheim in Germany, the fact that the 25-year-old only made 57 appearances tells much of his problems, unable to reach the potential that was clear for all to see.

Sessegnon is now enjoying a measure of revival back at Fulham, but his door at Tottenham has been closed, and fans may be worried that lightning is striking twice with Destiny Udogie, who has struggled for form this season after a few injury-hit years in the capital.

Udogie, 23, also has a shoddy track record on the fitness front, with Frank confirming ahead of Tottenham’s Champions League tie against Slavia Prague this week that the Italy international is sidelined until the new year after tweaking his hamstring against Brentford.

For a player who was considered by Clinton Morrison on BBC Sport to be “the best left-back” in the country when he broke onto the scene in 2023/24, this is a real concern. Udogie appears somewhat stagnant, having yet to raise his level to the standard that he can surely reach.

There will be heightened fears that this season could become another write-off after this latest blow. Udogie needs stability and a landscape on which he can take forward strides, and having been ruled out for the remainder of the calendar year, Spurs’ left-sided balance has been knocked out of kilter and so have the defender’s chances of restoring full fluency.

Sofascore outline the player’s struggles, and it’s not pretty reading. Udogie has only won 46% of his duels in the Premier League this season, completing 27% of his dribbles and averaging only 0.6 key passes per match. One coach said that he “needs to wake up” from a defensive perspective this term.

So much has been left to be desired by a rising star who has ebbed and flowed and found himself lower on the chart than he would have envisaged a few years ago.

If injuries continue to weigh him down, we may be looking at Sessegnon 2.0 here.

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Tottenham Hotspur will feel hard done by after salvaging a draw against Newcastle United on Tuesday evening, having come unstuck after Anthony Gordon dispatched a controversially won penalty for the home side.

There’s a case to be made that Rodrigo Bentancur had infringed play in the box, but the tussle was waged between two players – one of whom was the 6 foot 7 Dan Burn – and there’s also a case to be made that Bentancur was pulled to the floor by the Newcastle defender.

Even as Cristian Romero’s brace rescued his side, Thomas Frank will know the pressure valve has not been released, and he still has much to prove if he is to cement his managerial berth in north London.

Frank's struggles at the Spurs helm

Tottenham have been something of a mixed bag in the Premier League this season. Their home performance woes have spilt from last year into the current term, with the defeat to Fulham meaning three have been lost on the bounce in the top flight.

Tactically, Tottenham are not creating enough. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are sidelined, have been since the summer, but this is no excuse for the stunted playmaking quality that has been on show. Spurs’ players are not maximising their own skillsets.

Frank is a more pragmatic manager than Ange Postecoglou before him, but his Brentford side still produced clinical and concise attacking play.

Man City

2nd

26.7

Chelsea

4th

24.0

Arsenal

1st

23.5

Crystal Palace

5th

22.7

Liverpool

8th

22.2

(18) Tottenham

11th

12.6

Now, much has been left to be desired in his Lilywhites team, and ENIC Group could be forced into cutting off their new manager and replacing him with a summer target.

Indeed, Daniel Levy (remember him?) interviewed Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, as per TalkSPORT, who confirm that he has his sights set on a move up the ladder, albeit with a preference to see out the season.

Given the depth of Tottenham’s interest, this could be a deal revisited. And anyway, it’s not like the Spanish tactician has done anything to deter suitors this year.

Why Iraola is a better stylistic fit

Iraola is a young manager, but he has taken to the Premier League with ease, inculcating his aggressive, attack-focused football at the Vitality Stadium and recording Bournemouth’s highest-ever points total (56) last year.

He has transformed Bournemouth from a band of hard-batting, relegation-contending troops to an easy-on-the-eye attacking force, so intense and energetic. The fact he boasts a superior points-per-game record to Frank in the Premier League only adds fuel to the argument.

It’s a style of football that feels tailor-made for a club like Spurs. To dare is to do, after all, and one of the biggest criticisms of Frank’s tactics has been a pragmatism and lack of creative ambition.

The Spaniard has even been generously named “the best coach in the Premier League” by journalist James Horncastle for his impact on the south coast, and though the Cherries are struggling for form right now, with four losses from five outings, there’s little question that he has laid out his credentials at the top.

Talented players like Xavi Simons are struggling. Tottenham are in a rut. Could Iraola provide the solution? His ability to adapt – evidenced after a summer exodus – could also play favourably into a north London outfit who have undergone a fair amount of chopping and changing in recent years.

It is not yet time for ENIC chiefs to push for a managerial change, but Frank will know that he will soon be on borrowed time if unable to prove that his tactical vision is slowly taking root at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Should push come to shove, Iraola may well prove the perfect replacement, his self-defined “rock and roll” brand of football aligning with Spurs’ free-flowing identity.

The new Son: Spurs prepared to pay £65m to sign "world-class" talent

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to fork out a hefty sum to land a new attacker for Thomas Frank.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

The Baltimore Orioles led the Cleveland Guardians 6-2 when Nolan Jones came to the plate to lead off the top of the 7th. The Guardians outfielder ripped one down the line for what might have been an extra-base hit.

First baseman Ryan Mountcastle made a diving stop and popped up in time to make a throw to first. While pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano had hustled over to cover the bag, Jones got there first and Mountcastle's throw hit him right in the stomach.

Jones immediately crumpled to the ground, but based on how quickly he recovered and was able to have a laugh about it, you can be certain where the baseball hit him.

He'll probably have.a bruise, but based on the second angle, it appears he took the ball straight in the stomach. If that throw is about six inches lower there is no laughter. Just a bunch of uncomfortable baseball players collectively saying, .

Jones headed back to the dugout three pitches later when the Orioles turned two and Baltimore held on to win.

أمضى جارى لينكر، مهاجم إنجلترا السابق، بضع دقائق مع أحد الصحفيين من ملعب “أزتيكا” الذي شهد مباراة ربع نهائي كأس العالم 1986 الأسطورية بين الأرجنتين وإنجلترا، حيث فاز راقصو التانجو بهدفين لهدف.

وحققت الأرجنتين فوزًا مثيرًا على إنجلترا في تلك المباراة بهدفين لهدف، والتي شهدت هدف الأسطورة دييجو مارادونا الشهير بيده، حيث قال آنذاك: “جزء منه برأسي، وجزء منه بيد الرب”.

وقال لينكر، في تصريحاته التي نشرتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية: “لقد سجلت الهدف الذي لا يتذكره أحد في ربع النهائي (في إشارة إلى هدفه لصالح إنجلترا ضد الأرجنتين)، لم أر يد الرب لأنني كنت على الجانب الآخر من الملعب، زملائي عرفوا ذلك لأنها كانت واضحة للغاية، عندما شاهدتها على التلفاز، حسنًا، كان الأمر مؤسفًا لنا”.

ومع ذلك، أكد لاعب برشلونة السابق أنه لا يحمل ضغينة تجاه مارادونا، الذي يعتبره أحد أعظم اللاعبين على مر العصور، تحديدًا بسبب أهداف مثل الهدف الثاني ضد منتخب بلده، عندما راوغ نصف لاعبي المنتخب الإنجليزي ليسجل الهدف الأكثر شهرة في تاريخ كأس العالم، والذي يراه “الأفضل على الإطلاق”.

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يعترف لينكر بوجود مشاكل مع الحكام في تلك المباراة، حيث قال: “لدي مشكلة بسيطة مع الحكام، لأنني أعتقد أن مساعد الحكم شاهد الهدف، لكنهم كانوا خائفين بعض الشيء من قول أي شيء للحكم”.

وعن هدف مارادونا الآخر ضد إنجلترا، الذي وُصف بـ”هدف القرن”، قال: “رأيته من منظور مختلف، لكنه كان شيئًا مميزًا للغاية، أعتقد أنها المرة الوحيدة على أرض الملعب التي فكرت فيها بالتصفيق للفريق الآخر أو أي شخص آخر ضدنا، لكن هذا الهدف كان معجزة، إنه أفضل هدف على الإطلاق، فهناك أهداف كهذه، ولكن ليس في مباراة بهذه الأهمية”.

وعن المقارنة بين ليونيل ميسي وكريستيانو رونالدو، قال: “إنه لأمر لا يُصدق ما حققاه معًا على مدار عشرين عامًا، مع التنافس بينهما أيضًا، الأفضل على مر العصور بالنسبة لي هو ليونيل ميسي، لقد فاز بكل شيء وفعل كل شيء، يقدم أشياءً مذهلة على أرض الملعب، لكن كريستيانو أيضًا لاعب رائع، هداف مذهل”.

كما تحدث عن أحد أفضل المهاجمين في عصرنا، إيرلينج هالاند، الذي يصفه بأنه “آلة تسجيل أهداف”، قبل أن يعرب عن أسفه لأنه لم يختر أن يصبح مواطنًا إنجليزيًا.

The New York Yankees felt like they were on top of the world. They (Aaron Judge, then Giancarlo Stanton) hit back-to-back home runs off elite closer Emmanuel Clase to tie and then go ahead of the Cleveland Guardians in the eighth inning of Game 3 of the ALCS. But then Guardians outfielder Jhonkensy Noel hit a home run in the ninth inning to tie it and send it to extra innings. Then David Fry hit a walk-off home run to end it.

For a moment, it felt like the Yankees going up 3-0 was a sure thing. Now, it's 2-1, and the Guardians are very much in this series.

After the game, Boone was asked if he ever felt like the Yankees had the game, "in the bag." He was clearly ticked at the question, responding and almost mocking the reporter's ask, saying, "That's, come on, no. Stop it with that."

The reporter clarified that the celebration from the Yankees dugout gave the impression that the team felt like they had won it. "It's the playoffs, man, you hit [game-]tying home runs and go-ahead homers… That's what it looks like."

"You never have anything in the bag in the playoffs, no. It's, you never take anything for granted. So no, I mean, but you're gonna celebrate big moments all the time like that."

After going ahead late and seeing his closing pitchers succumb to the Guardians offense, that feeling of never having it in the bag was all too real for Boone to even entertain the idea after Game 3.

Game 4 is Friday night.

Manchester City have now opened talks to sign an “exceptional” Real Madrid player, who has been personally requested by manager Pep Guardiola.

Man City unbeaten in nine after Villarreal triumph

Man City extended their unbeaten run to nine matches in all competitions by defeating Villarreal 2-0 on Tuesday evening, with Erling Haaland once again getting on the scoresheet, and the striker is now just one game away from breaking one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s records.

After a turbulent 2024-25 campaign, City appear to finally be rediscovering their best form, having also moved up to second in the Premier League, but it has now emerged that Guardiola is keen to bring in some extra attacking firepower.

Haaland is in the form of his life, but a report from Spain reveals Man City are keen on bringing in another attacking midfielder to provide for the 25-year-old, having opened talks over a deal for Real Madrid star Arda Guler at Pep’s request.

Since the arrival of Xabi Alonso, Guler has emerged as a key player for the La Liga side, which means they are extremely reluctant to sanction a departure, but that hasn’t stopped Guardiola’s side recently opening negotiations.

Guardiola is personally keen on the attacking midfielder, as the manager believes he suits City’s style of play, but the Blues may need to break their transfer record to get a deal done, with it being reported the 20-year-old is valued at over £130m.

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ByDominic Lund Oct 21, 2025 "Exceptional" Guler would be statement signing for Man City

The youngster has been one of the Spanish side’s most important players this season, chipping in with three goals and five assists in 11 matches in all competitions, and he was recently compared to two former Real Madrid stars by Alonso.

The Madrid boss said: “Not just because of his background, but because of the quality he has. He is a mix between Ozil and Guti, because Guti knew how to play close to the box and give the final pass.”

Despite only turning 20 earlier this year, the Turkey international already has plenty of first-team experience, being lauded by Statman Dave as a result of his performances for Fenerbahce during the 2022-23 campaign.

Signing Guler would be a real statement of intent from Man City, but in truth the move seems very unlikely, given that Real Madrid have no plans to let the starlet leave, and he remains under contract until 2029.

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke will surely be pleased with how his side has adapted to Premier League football after their promotion from the Championship.

The last six teams to have come up from the second tier have all been relegated at the first time of asking, and the Whites, Sunderland, and Burnley are hoping to avoid making it nine from nine.

Leeds have racked up eight points in seven matches in the Premier League so far this season, lifting them above the relegation zone, in what has been an impressive start to the campaign.

They lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur last time out in the top-flight at Elland Road, but they had a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth and a 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, which included a stunning goal from Anton Stach, prior to that.

The German central midfielder smashed his free-kick right into the top corner for his first goal for the club after his move from Hoffenheim in the summer window.

Another signing from the summer transfer window who has impressed since his arrival at Elland Road is exciting wide attacker Noah Okafor.

Where Noah Okafor ranks among Leeds United's attackers

It may not be unfair to suggest that the Switzerland international is the best and most effective attacker within Farke’s first-team squad in the Premier League this season.

Okafor, who was signed from AC Milan, has hit the ground running in English football with two goals in four starts in the Premier League, per Sofascore, which is twice as many goals as any other player in the team has managed.

He is the only Leeds player who has scored more than one goal this season in the top-flight, with his strikes against Wolves and Spurs, and that suggests that the forward is, at the very least, the most effective goalscorer in the attacking ranks.

25/26 Premier League

Noah Okafor

Leeds attacker rank

Sofascore rating

7.06

1st

xG

1.16

2nd

Goals

2

1st

Minutes per goal

153

2nd

Big chances created

1

2nd

Dribbles completed per game

2.2

1st

Key passes per game

0.8

2nd

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Okafor ranks either first or second in a host of key attacking metrics for the Whites in the Premier League, which speaks to how influential he has been at the top end of the pitch in the early stages of the campaign.

The Swiss speedster, who scored in the 2-1 defeat to Spurs last time out, is an electric dribbler who can score goals and create chances for his teammates, which makes him an invaluable part of Farke’s attack.

Despite that, Transfermarkt have Okafor as the 13th-most valuable member of the squad, at £11m, and the seventh-most valuable winger or striker, even below Jack Harrison at £12m.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

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Another player who is worth even more than the Switzerland international, despite his impressive form in the Premier League, is central defender Pascal Struijk, whom the Whites have hit the jackpot with since his move to the club from Ajax.

Leeds have hit the jackpot with Pascal Struijk

The Dutch central defender joined the club at U21 level on a free transfer at the start of 2018, as his contract with Ajax was due to expire, and he was able to rise through the ranks at Thorp Arch.

Struijk made seven appearances for the U21 team before he emerged as a regular first-team squad member in the 2020/21 Premier League season under Marcelo Bielsa, playing 27 times, per Transfermarkt.

The left-footed star has since racked up 166 appearances for the first-team in all competitions for the West Yorkshire outfit, and has started all seven of the club’s league matches this season.

Struijk was particularly important to the club’s promotion to the Premier League last season, scoring five goals in 35 appearances, as he formed a reliable partnership with Joe Rodon.

The 26-year-old titan, who scored two late goals in a dramatic comeback against Sunderland, kept 14 clean sheets in 31 starts in the second tier last term, per Sofascore, which speaks to how defensively solid the team were with him in it.

Farke has kept his faith in both Rodon and Struijk, despite the signings of Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw, in the Premier League so far this season.

The German boss described him as a “crucial” player back in 2023, and he still relies on the Dutchman, even if his performances this term have not quite been up to scratch.

25/26 Premier League

Pascal Struijk

Percentile rank vs CBs

Tackles

6

Bottom 34%

Duels won

19

Bottom 40%

Duel success rate

43.2%

Bottom 3%

Aerial duel success rate

46.4%

Bottom 13%

Interceptions

2

Bottom 9%

Blocked shots

2

Bottom 34%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Struijk currently ranks among the worst centre-backs in the division in a host of defensive statistics, which suggests that he needs to improve his performances if he wants to remain in the side.

Despite his slightly concerning form at this moment in time, the Dutch star is valued at a whopping £15.6m by Transfermarkt, which means that he is worth more than Okafor (£11m). He is also the joint-fourth most valuable player at the club, per Transfermarkt.

Considering that the Whites picked him up from Ajax’s academy and he started his career in England at U21 level, it is fair to say that Leeds hit the jackpot when they signed Struijk back in 2018.

He has developed into, at the very least, a Championship promotion-winning central defender, and one of the most valuable players in the squad at £15.6m.

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At the age of 26, Struijk also has plenty of time left ahead of him to increase in value, but he must first turn his Premier League form around and show that he is good enough to start week-in-week-out in a top-flight side that can avoid relegation.

Celtic secured their place in the semi-finals of the League Cup on Sunday with a fantastic 4-0 win over Partick Thistle away from Parkhead at Firhill.

The Hoops strolled to a comfortable victory against the second tier outfit, who have not been in the Scottish Premiership in seven years, with four different goalscorers.

Hyun-jun Yang, Liam Scales, Sebastian Tounekti, and Luke McCowan all got their names on the scoresheet, and Tounekti was particularly impressive again.

The summer signing from Hammarby caught the eye against Kilmarnock, creating four chances (per Sofascore), and played an important role in the first goal against Partick Thistle with his pass for Benjamin Nygren, before going on to score his first goal for the club.

Brendan Rodgers will hope that the comfortable win will provide his squad with the confidence that they need to hit the ground running in the Europa League against Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday night.

One Celtic player who needs to step up on the pitch in the coming weeks after a string of unimpressive displays is central midfielder Reo Hatate.

Why Reo Hatate needs to step up for Celtic

The Japan international put in a decent showing against Partick Thistle, a Championship outfit, but it was not a mesmerising performance that made up for some of his recent outings.

Hatate’s form has not been up to the standards that he has set himself throughout his Celtic career, particularly with his displays in the Champions League qualifier clashes against Kairat.

The Hoops failed to qualify for the league phase of the competition, losing on penalties after two 0-0 draws, and the midfielder’s lack of contributions in and out of possession played a part in that.

Minutes

90

105

Shots on target

1

0

Pass accuracy

84%

68%

Big chances created

0

1

Duels won

0/8

3/15

Fouls committed

3

4

Possession lost

16x

25x

As you can see in the table above, Hatate was far too wasteful with the ball at his feet and weak off the ball, losing the majority of his duels, across the two matches.

The 27-year-old star also failed to score a goal or create a ‘big chance’ for the team in his last two appearances in the Scottish Premiership for the Hoops, which shows that he has struggled in recent weeks outside of his showing against a lower tier opponent.

Hatate scored ten goals, including the one in the clip above, and created 14 ‘big chances’ for his teammates in the Premiership in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, but he has been unable to deliver the same level of consistency in the final third this term.

This is why the Japan international needs to step up for the Scottish giants, because he is capable of being an exceptional performer for the club in the middle of the park with his ability at the top end of the pitch.

If Hatate is unable to recapture the form that his output last season proved he is capable of, Rodgers must consider removing him from the starting XI for a period of time.

The emergence of Colby Donovan, who has started the last two matches at right-back, shows that the manager is willing to provide academy talent with a chance if they are ready to be thrown in.

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With this in mind, Rodgers could find the next version of Donovan, who has been a solid performer in the last two matches with his defensive reliability and composure in possession, by unleashing Sean McArdle to replace Hatate in the XI.

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Of course, the manager does have club-record signing Arne Engels, who joined for £11m from Augsburg last summer, Luke McCowan, and Paulo Bernardo also at his disposal to select in midfield.

However, the minor success of Donovan, who won five of his nine duels and had 101 touches (per Sofascore) against Kilmarnock, could inspire the head coach to look to the academy once again.

McArdle is not a complete stranger to first-team football at Parkhead. Rodgers rewarded his strong form for the B team with two appearances for the senior side in the Premiership towards the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

The 18-year-old star made his first-team debut as a 17-year-old against Hibernian in the Premiership, playing eight minutes off the bench in a 3-1 win.

As the manager said in the clip above, the young sensation earned his chance through his form for the B team, and it is down to him to take the next step in his career.

McArdle, who Rodgers claimed has “got a wee edge to him”, then played a second match against Aberdeen, again off the bench, and showed promising signs in both outings.

Minutes

8

9

Passes completed

8/8

11/12

Key passes

0

1

Dribbles completed

0

1

Duels won

1/2

1/1

Possession lost

1x

1x

As you can see in the table above, the teenage whiz only lost possession twice in those 17 minutes, plus stoppage time, of football, whilst creating one chance for the side.

McArdle’s form at youth team level for Celtic also suggests that he can provide the goal threat that Hatate offers at his best, with seven goals in 53 matches, per Transfermarkt.

The Scottish starlet has scored in both of his appearances in the Challenge Cup this season, per Sofascore, including one against Alloa Athletic earlier this month.

These statistics show that he can provide a threat at the top end of the pitch to go along with his composure in possession, as evidenced by his pass accuracy in his first two first-team outings.

He was not phased by the occasion against Hibernian or Aberdeen, showing his class on the ball in both games, and this suggests that he has the mentality to take that next step to be Donovan 2.0 this season.

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It is now down to Rodgers to provide McArdle with that opportunity to impress once again to see if he can emerge as a genuine alternative to Hatate, who has been a shadow of himself of late.