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Everton just about secured another season in the Premier League after a difficult relegation battle and are now looking at options to strengthen the squad, with a new transfer update emerging on one particular target.

What’s the latest?

According to the Daily Mail, the Toffees are eyeing up a move for Nottingham Forest youngster Brennan Johnson this summer.

As per the report, Johnson is at the top of Everton’s transfer list alongside Burnley defender James Tarkowski, and their offer will depend on the outcome of the Championship play-off final this weekend.

If Forest secure Premier League promotion on Sunday, then the Wales international will reportedly open talks to extend his contract at the City Ground, and a move away from his boyhood club would seem unlikely in that event.

Richarlison 2.0

Amidst speculation that Richarlison could leave Goodison Park this summer, Frank Lampard could use the opportunity to develop some upcoming young talent, and Johnson could be Richarlison 2.0 for Everton if he makes the move to Merseyside this summer.

The £20m-valued ace, who was hailed “unbelievable” by ex-Forest manager Sabri Lamouchi, has been phenomenal for the Reds, scoring 19 goals and registering nine assists over 52 appearances in all competitions. He has a goal involvement every 159 minutes this season, which is an astonishing return for a 21-year-old.

Johnson’s output has not only guided his team to potential Premier League promotion, he has also gained individual recognition as he was named EFL Young Player of the Year recently too. That will all be a huge attraction for Everton, who are desperate to improve their goalscoring return next season.

The Toffees’ top scorer in 2021/22 was the aforementioned Richarlison with 11 goals and five assists in all competitions. He was the only player in blue to hit a double-figure goal tally during the campaign.

Lampard’s side finished the season 16th in the Premier League, with the fifth-worst goal difference out of all 20 teams, and this will need to drastically improve if the Merseyside club want to avoid another relegation fight next term.

The young Forest attacker, who was dubbed a “talent” by football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, could thrive under the watchful eye of an attack-minded coach like Lampard. The 43-year-old is experienced in nurturing young players such as Champions League winner Mason Mount, so the prospective signing of Johnson could be a major coup for Everton if it comes off, and also a huge opportunity for the Welshman to grow his career.

AND in other news – “Sources tell me..”: Journalist drops big Everton transfer claim, it’ll delight supporters

Rangers undoubtedly had a rollercoaster 2021/22 season with plenty happening on and off the pitch at Ibrox.

Having said goodbye to the former boss and hello to Giovanni van Bronckhorst as their new manager, the Dutchman got Rangers to the Europa League final and secured the Scottish Cup in his final game of the campaign.

One player that was a rather prominent figure for the Ibrox club this season was midfielder John Lundstram.

After making the move to Rangers in the previous summer window on a free transfer from Sheffield United, the 28-year-old went on to make 47 appearances for the Gers across all competitions in his debut season.

With a passing success percentage of 90.2%, the Englishman has shown how capable he is on the ball as well as how much of a useful defensive figure he is by racking up an average of 1.3 tackles per game in the league.

Now that this very busy season has finally come to an end, the focus can now turn to the summer transfer window and give Van Bronckhorst the chance to make whatever changes to the squad that he sees fit.

With that in mind, one midfield figure that has been linked with a move to Ibrox in recent weeks that could be a good fit next to Lundstram is Abdoulaye Sissako.

Since joining Belgium club Zulte Waregem back in 2019, the £4.5k-per-week midfielder has gone on to make 63 appearances for the Belgian club across all competitions, chipping in with three goals and eight assists along the way.

Having racked up an average of 1.7 tackles per game in the Belgian league this season, the Frenchman certainly has the defensive capabilities to be a solid addition to Van Bronckhorst’s squad.

This, therefore, could make a midfield duo of Sissako and Lundstram a rather scary prospect for Rangers’ opponents next season given the duo’s individual difficulty to play against.

Taking into account how his current side have been close to getting relegated from Belgium’s top division, this could pave the way for Rangers to pounce this summer and try and convince Sissako to make the move to Ibrox, helping them to win trophies domestically and in Europe instead of sticking with his current struggling side.

In other news: “Would be surprised”: Journo drops behind-scenes Rangers claim, it’s bad news for GvB

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka, according to journalist Fabrice Hawkins. 

The lowdown: Rising star

A product of the Auxerre academy, the Paris-born youngster joined the Europa League winners in 2018 and has rapidly developed a burgeoning reputation in the Bundesliga.

Since arriving in Germany, the 22-year-old has made 139 appearances for Frankfurt, directly contributing to an impressive 19 goals from a predominantly central defensive role.

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Fast approaching the final year of his contract (Transfermarkt), it appears inevitable that the next step in a blossoming career is on the horizon…

The latest: United cited

Taking to Twitter, French journalist Hawkins confirmed interest from the Red Devils, AS Monaco and Tottenham in acquiring the services of Ndicka.

He stated: “Evan Ndicka is very courted. Tottenham and Man Utd are tracking the Frankfurt defender, recent Europa League winner. In Monaco, his name comes up insistently if Benoît Badiashile is transferred. Ndicka does not rule out playing UCL with Frankfurt next season.”

The verdict: Exciting prospect

Signing the 6 foot 3 20-times capped France youth international would be a hugely promising statement as Erik ten Hag begins his tenure at Old Trafford by attempting to freshen up the squad.

Described as the ‘complete package’ by German reporter Christopher Michel, this is a move that would make an abundance of sense, particularly as Eric Bailly has been linked with a departure in recent days.

So far this season, Ndicka has scored four times and provided another four assists in 44 appearances across all competitions and played 100 minutes in the European final success over Rangers to earn a 6.90 Sofascore rating for a monstrous performance containing a massive seven clearances and seven successful aerial duels.

Partnering a talent of this magnitude alongside either Harry Maguire or compatriot Raphael Varane would be a tantalising prospect that Ten Hag and John Murtough should be doing everything possible to make a reality.

In other news: Man Utd source: Sensational transfer twist as Erik ten Hag now hijacking move for ‘golden boy’. 

Very few teams have won three back-to-back trophies in the shortest format. Here is the list

Namooh Shah31-Aug-2025On Sunday, Oval Invincibles will be eyeing their third consecutive Men’s Hundred title when they face Trent Rockets, the winners of 2022 edition. Let’s have a look at the teams who have won three or more consecutive tournaments in men’s T20s before.

Victoria

Victoria won the inaugural season of the Australian T20 competition in 2005-06, beating New South Wales with opener Brad Hodge scoring the tournament’s first century. In the next season, they won all three league matches (one was washed out) to top the table and then defended 160 against Tasmania in the final, with Mick Lewis taking four wickets to seal consecutive titles. In 2007-08, Victoria suffered their first ever defeat to Western Australia in the league stage but bounced back with three straight wins before beating the same opponent in the final to complete a hat-trick of titles, the first team to do so in T20s.

Sialkot Stallions

After a poor start in the inaugural Pakistan National T20 Cup, Sialkot Stallions bounced back with six straight league wins in 2006 followed by knockout victories over Faisalabad Wolves to claim their maiden title. In 2006-07, they extended their streak with four more wins and beat Karachi Dolphins by 14 runs in the final for back-to-back trophies. The 2008-09 season saw them stretch their winning streak to 16 games, capped by a seven-wicket victory in the final to complete a hat-trick of titles.Shoaib Malik led an invincible Sialkot Stallions side in the 2000s•AFPIn 2009, the Stallions became the only team to win a domestic T20 competition four successive times. Their success against Lahore Lions in the final meant they had won 20 consecutive games. In 2009-10, they added a fifth straight title with a one-sided final win over Faisalabad Wolves, extending their winning streak to 24 matches, a record that still stands. The team was led by Imran Nazir and Shoaib Malik during this golden run.

Wayamba

Wayamba won three consecutive titles in the Sri Lanka Domestic T20 Cup from 2008 to 2010 under Jehan Mubarak. In 2008, after losing once to Ruhuna in the league stage, they turned the tables in the final with a 31-run win to claim their first trophy. In 2009, Wayamba defended their trophy by beating Basnahira South in the final by five wickets, the same side that had defeated them in the league. In 2010, they went unbeaten through the league stage before easing past Basnahira South by nine wickets in the semi-final and winning the final, against Ruhuna, by a massive 95 runs to complete a hat-trick of titles.

Trinidad & Tobago

Trinidad & Tobago, the most successful team in the Caribbean T20 Cup, won the last three editions under Denesh Ramdin. In 2011, they went unbeaten, sealing the title with a final win against Hampshire. In 2012, despite a league defeat to Windward Islands, they bounced back to dominate both knockout games and retain the trophy. In the final edition in 2013, played in a round-robin format, T&T again finished unbeaten in the league, topped the table and qualified directly for the final where they defeated Guyana by nine wickets to claim a hat-trick of titles.Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo lift their captain Denesh Ramdin after a hat-trick of titles•WICB Media

Titans

Titans dominated South Africa’s domestic T20 circuit by winning three consecutive titles under Albie Morkel, topping the table in each of those three seasons (2015 to 2017). In 2015, they defeated Dolphins to claim their fourth T20 title, having previously won in 2005, 2008 and 2012. In 2016, they clinched the title by edging past Warriors by just six runs. In 2017, once again facing Dolphins in the summit clash, Titans completed the hat-trick with a commanding seven-wicket victory.

Jaffna Kings

Jaffna Kings (known as Jaffna Stallions in 2020) became the first and only franchise to win the first three editions of the Lanka Premier League, under Thisara Perera. In the inaugural 2020 season, they beat Dambulla Viiking in the semi-finals and outplayed Galle Gladiators in the final. In 2021, renamed as Jaffna Kings, they topped the table and once again defeated Gladiators in the final for back-to-back trophies. The 2022 season saw them finish second on the table before overcoming Gladiators in the semi-finals and Colombo Stars by two wickets in a thrilling final, thereby becoming only the second team after Victoria to win the first three editions of a men’s T20 tournament.*Comilla Victorians also won three consecutive BPL titles in 2019, 2022 & 2023 but didn’t participate in the 2019-20 edition of the tournament which was won by Rajshahi Royals.

While neither Abhimanyu nor Rahul put forward a strong case at the top, there were encouraging displays elsewhere

Alex Malcolm09-Nov-2024Related

• 'They are incredibly tough' – Gambhir backs Kohli and Rohit

• Gambhir: Rahul can open if Rohit misses first Test

• McSweeney opens for Australia A as he firms for Test spot

• Harris 'pretty well-equipped' to open against India in Perth

• Batting issues loom over Australia with big five in focus

Abhimanyu Easwaran

The 29-year-old endured a difficult two games and did not help his cause for a Test debut in Perth despite coming to Australia in red-hot form. He returned scores of 7, 12, 0 and 17 in Mackay and Melbourne. He ran himself out in the second innings in Mackay, but his other dismissals would be of concern to India’s selectors. He was caught behind the wicket three times with the extra pace and bounce of Australia’s pitches causing issues, despite falling to three seamers who aren’t express pace or particularly tall. In Mackay, he edged Jordan Buckingham to the keeper trying to defend when caught on the crease. In the first over in Melbourne, he was squared up by a rising delivery from Michael Neser and caught in the gully off the shoulder of the bat. In the second innings he sliced a tentative drive to gully again off Nathan McAndrew. The manner of those dismissals won’t help his case to be Rohit Sharma’s replacement, should India’s captain not be available for the Perth Test, given Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc would be another step up in pace and bounce.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

KL Rahul

It was a big ask for Rahul to step straight off the plane and perform without much preparation in Australia, although it wasn’t a problem for Jurel. To be fair to Rahul, he didn’t do a huge amount wrong in returning scores of 4 and 10 while opening on a difficult pitch at the MCG. In the first innings he nicked a beauty from Scott Boland that he could have easily missed. He had to play at a ball angled into off stump that seamed away enough to catch the edge. He looked comfortable against the quicks in the second innings compared to his team-mates, but fell in bizarre fashion to Corey Rocchiccioli’s offspin. Rocchiccioli’s first ball was an innocuous offbreak that Rahul thought was spinning down the leg side. He decided to let it go, it didn’t spin as much as he thought it might and it sneaked through the small gap between his thighs and ricocheted onto off stump. Australia A opener Marcus Harris noted that Rahul looked all class in his brief stays but whether it was enough to convince India’s selectors that he is the ideal Rohit replacement remains to be seen.Dhruv Jurel made fifties in both innings of the second unofficial Test at the MCG•AFP

Dhruv Jurel

Jurel was the best batter on both sides in the second unofficial Test, and made a serious case to be selected as a specialist batter at some stage in the Test series if there are concerns about Sarfaraz Khan’s ability to handle the pace and bounce of Australia’s quicks in Australia. Jurel looked a class above everyone on either side and played Scott Boland, Michael Neser and Nathan McAndrew with ease. His 80 in the first innings was near flawless in some of the toughest batting conditions of the match. He pulled, cut and drove superbly in between defending and leaving with conviction. He was equally good in the second, although he did benefit from a big slice of luck on the third morning. He uppercut Boland on 25, forgetting deep third had been placed for the stroke. Ollie Davies ran in and dropped a difficult but catchable chance. He went onto make another classy 68 but fell for the second time in the game caught in the deep trying to launch an offspinner over the top. He also kept tidily as expected.

Nitish Kumar Reddy

Aside from a good 38 in the second innings in Melbourne, Reddy did not have a huge impact with either bat or ball in the two matches. He made 0 and 17 in Mackay and then 16 and 38 at the MCG. The two innings in Melbourne were important as he shared critical partnerships with Jurel to give India A some hope after top-order collapses. But he fell three times to the medium-pace of Beau Webster. The tall Tasmanian has an outstanding first-class record with the ball in recent years, but he is the not the same threat level that Australia A’s main quicks are, let alone the Test quicks, given he bowls predominantly under 130kph. Reddy was bounced out three times across the series, twice trying to pull and the other skipping down the track and trying to cut. With the ball he took just one wicket for the series from 31 overs. It was the important scalp of Nathan McSweeney in the first innings in Mackay, but batter error played a big part. He conceded four an over in the first innings at the MCG when scoring was incredibly difficult against the seamers.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Prasidh Krishna

The tall right-armer was one of the shining lights for India A and could well have rocketed into calculations for the Border-Gavaskar series given how well he bowled. He took 10 wickets at 17.30, including 4 for 50 in the first innings at the MCG and two wickets in an over at the start of the second to give Australia A a fright. He caused Australia A’s best opener, and Australia’s possible Test opener, Marcus Harris no end of problems, knocking him over three times. Only two of his wickets were of specialist bowlers. His accuracy and his bounce at good pace are ideally suited to Australian conditions. He also made a critical contribution with the bat in the second innings at the MCG, making 29 off 43 with five boundaries to give his side hope.

In the midst of what could amount to the greatest power-hitting season by a catcher in baseball history, Mariners backstop Cal Raleigh leads all of MLB with 46 home runs. He's just two homers away from tying the single-season record for the most long balls by a catcher in baseball history—and eight shy of tying the record for the most belted by a switch-hitter in a single campaign.

And yet, as difficult as it is to believe, Raleigh could have even more home runs this season were it not for one all-too-familiar obstacle that has altered the fates of many tasks: weather.

Raleigh has had seven home runs prevented by wind, including an eighth-inning double in Friday's 11-9 win over the Mets, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com. Not only does he lead the majors in homers, he also leads the majors in would-be homers if not for the wind.

If you're thinking, The answer is yes. Since 2023, Statcast's wealth of technology has included Weather Applied Metrics, which has provided the capability of measuring the effects of wind in-game.

If not for wind, Raleigh would have already broken the catcher record, and would have been just two homers shy of clearing Mickey Mantle's mark for the most home runs hit by a switch-hitter in a season, 54, set in 1961.

As it stands, Raleigh is well on his way to at least owning the greatest slugging season by a catcher, as he still has 39 games remaining in the regular season to swing for the fences.

And hope the wind, which has been especially unkind to him, isn't blowing.

Kylian Mbappe is in danger of missing Real Madrid's massive Champions League clash with Manchester City due to an injury to his left leg. The French striker was absent from Los Blancos' open training session the day before the game against Pep Guardiola's side at the Santiago Bernabeu, handing yet another headache to under-pressure Real coach Xabi Alonso.

• Mbappe a surprise absentee from training

  Alonso made no mention of any injury to Mbappe in his press conference ahead of the City game, but in the training session that followed it, reporters noted that the striker was absent along with midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

  Spanish radio station Cadena Cope reported that Mbappe had suffered an injury in his left leg, making him a serious doubt for the game with City.

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  Injury spells more pain for Alonso

  Mbappe has been Madrid's standout player this season, with 25 goals across La Liga and the Champions League, plus four assists. He is also on course to break Cristiano Ronaldo's record for the most goals for Real in a calendar year. The Frenchman has been responsible for half of the team's goals in the Spanish top flight and a remarkable 75% of their goals in Europe's top competition, netting a stunning four strikes in his last continental outing against Olympiacos.

  Alonso is under huge pressure following Madrid's dismal 2-0 defeat at home to Celta Vigo on Sunday, which also saw Alvaro Carreras and Fran Garcia sent off and key defender Eder Militao hobble off with a muscle injury that is set to keep him out for up to four months. The result left Real trailing Barcelona by four points in the title race, while they have won just two of their last seven games in all competitions.

• Mbappe-Haaland showdown at risk

  With Mbappe having scored 25 goals for Madrid and Erling Haaland on 20 strikes in 20 games for City, the game was expected to be a showdown between the two most ferocious strikers in Europe, who are also set to face off in the World Cup next year when France take on Norway.

  Mbappe ran riot when Madrid met City in last season's competition, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-1 win at the Bernabeu in the second leg of the knockout play-off and also netting in the 3-2 victory in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland struck twice in the first leg but missed the second leg due to injury and has failed to score in his previous two visits to the Spanish capital.

  "At the end of the day, we must defend as a unit and show serious defensive commitment," said Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. "We're up against a top side with Haaland, and his current form is unbelievable. If we play at our best level, we can win this game. We will talk about the game plan with the coach now. 

  "We have a lot of injured players in defence, but we have a lot of players who can perform at a high level in that position. They're an excellent team, especially on the ball. They like to have the ball, and we'll have to be very compact both when we defend and when we have the ball to create chances."

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  Guardiola could seal Alonso's fate

  Alonso faced several questions about his uncertain future at Madrid in the press conference and there is speculation that defeat to City and his former coach Guardiola – with whom he spent two years at Bayern Munich – could see him sacked just seven months into succeeding Carlo Ancelotti in the Bernabeu hotseat.

  Alonso put on a brave face amid the questioning and insisted he maintains a good relationship with the squad and with the club's hierarchy. "We are all in the same boat," Alonso said. "We have to go through positive and negative times. We need to believe the next game is an opportunity and tomorrow we have a very exciting game for all of us, and we need to keep our eyes open to have that energy so the Bernabeu enjoys what it sees. Communication [with the board] is constant. We are united, we are all together in this and I have a good relationship with them."

  Tchouameni also declared that the players backed the coach and said it was up to them to improve their recent run of poor results. He said: "If we don't win games, it's because we have to do things better with and without the ball, with commitment from everyone and play better in defence and attack. We hope to improve and win more games because what's happening now cannot go on."

  "We're all together. If we want to win games, we all have to fight, coach and team in the same direction. It's us who are on the pitch, and we have to do things better out there. We have a good opportunity to change the dynamic and pick up more points in the Champions League."

Micky Van de Ven was left blown away by the performance of a Tottenham Hotspur star in the 2-0 victory against Brentford at the weekend.

Tottenham secure first Premier League win since late October

The pressure has been mounting on Thomas Frank in recent weeks, with it even emerging that Tottenham were considering a move for Barcelona manager Xavi as a replacement, but the Dane may have bought himself more time courtesy of a victory against Brentford.

Spurs breezed to a 2-0 win against the Bees, which was their first triumph in the Premier League since winning 3-0 at Everton at the end of October, with Richarlison opening the scoring after 26 minutes, finding the back of the net for the seventh time in all competitions this season.

Xavi Simons was the creator, and the Dutchman then went on to score his first goal since moving to north London just before half-time, sealing all three points for Frank’s side in the process.

Simons has received heavy criticism for making a slow start to life at Tottenham, with Jamie O’Hara left particularly scathing after the defeat against Fulham, but he clearly has the full support of teammate Van de Ven, who singled the attacking midfielder out for high praise after Brentford.

Simons needs to build on his Brentford performance

Frank will no doubt be delighted the Netherlands international appears to be finding his feet, receiving a SofaScore match rating of 9.5 after registering a goal and an assist against Keith Andrews’ side.

Having finally shown what he can produce, the 22-year-old needs to build on that performance, starting on Tuesday against Slavia Prague, with Spurs set to host the Czech side in their sixth Champions League game.

Forget Simons: Spurs "liability" is now becoming the new Ndombele

This Tottenham star is flattering to deceive in spite of his immense talent.

By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 6, 2025

Frank’s side have looked bereft of ideas at times this season, with only a Richarlison wonder goal preventing them from suffering an even heavier loss against Arsenal back in November.

As such, Simons needs to step up, and Tottenham will be hoping the former RB Leipzig man can start recording similar attacking numbers to what he did during his time with the German club, registering 22 goals and 24 assists in 78 games.

Barcelona have confirmed a fresh injury setback as midfielder Fermin Lopez has been ruled out for around two weeks with a soleus problem in his right leg. The midfielder, who has been key for Hansi Flick this season, will now miss crucial La Liga and Champions League clashes. His absence arrives just as Pedri nears his return, reshaping the midfield picture during a demanding run of fixtures.

• Barcelona lose midfield mainstay

  Barca have confirmed that midfielder Lopez will miss the next two weeks after suffering a minor injury to the soleus muscle in his right leg during Thursday’s training session. It is a major setback for Hansi Flick, who had only just received good news with Pedri cleared for a return against Alaves. 

  The club explained in a statement that the midfielder "has a small injury to the soleus muscle in his right leg, and his estimated recovery time is around two weeks.”

  The timing is damaging for Flick, as this lay-off rules Fermin out of key La Liga and Champions League fixtures after a heavy 3-0 defeat against Chelsea. And, now the midfielder is expected to miss matches against Alaves, Atletico Madrid, Betis and Eintracht Frankfurt, and it remains uncertain whether he will recover in time to face Osasuna on December 13, only two days after the predicted recovery window ends.

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  Injury sustained in Athletic Club clash

  Fermín had been enjoying a strong season and recently reached 100 appearances for the first team. While highlighting his contribution. His availability had been particularly valuable at a moment when Barca are visibly struggling in the midfield marked with injuries, making this injury even more disruptive for Flick’s squad planning.

  Beyond the medical report, the context of Fermin’s injury offers insight into why his absence could weigh heavily on the team. reported that the midfielder is still dealing with the effects of a forceful challenge suffered against Athletic Club, a tackle from Oihan Sancet that resulted in a red card for the Bilbao player. Despite continued discomfort, Fermin pushed himself to start Barca’s Champions League match at Stamford Bridge, where the team suffered a heavy defeat.

  He played just over an hour before being substituted, and the accumulated strain appears to have contributed to Thursday’s setback in training. This latest issue marks his second injury of the season and arrives at a time when Barca’s injury list had finally begun to shrink, with only long-term absentees Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Gavi still out.

• Pedri returns but midfield still a challenge for Flick

  While the loss of Fermin is a concern, Barca did receive a boost in the form of Pedri’s recovery. The midfielder trained normally on Thursday and is expected to be available for the Alaves clash. His return offers Flick more options and could allow the club to manage workloads more carefully, particularly after the intense calendar that has carried the squad into physical fatigue.

  Pedri’s return also opens the door for Dani Olmo to reclaim a starting role in attacking midfield, especially with Flick keen to rotate and protect key players. Fermin’s absence had already influenced Tuesday’s lineup in London, where Barcelona struggled without midfield balance and control.

  This period demands careful squad management, with Barca chasing ground in La Liga following their Champions League setback. Flick must now rely on the depth of his midfield, including Pedri, Olmo and Frenkie de Jong to navigate the next two weeks.

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  What next?

  Fermin is expected to miss at least four matches, most importantly a key matchup when Atletico Madrid visit Camp Nou, and the crucial Champions League clash against Eintracht Frankfurt. 

  Should recovery go as planned, the midfielder could return around December 13, which places Osasuna at home as his earliest realistic comeback match. However, Barcelona will not rush him, especially given the recurring nature of soleus injuries. But, the club will hope the setback lasts no longer than the two-week window and that the young midfielder returns in time for a crucial December period.

Celtic’s wait for a European away win is over.

On Thursday night, despite falling behind inside 11 minutes, the Hoops fought back to beat Feyenoord 3-1 at De Kuip; Yang Hyun-jun, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren the scorers on a famous night in Rotterdam.

Before this, the Celts had failed to win any of their last 16 European fixtures on the road, dating back four years.

In fact, since reaching the UEFA Cup Final under Martin O’Neill in 2003, they have won only six times on the continent, excluding qualifiers, enjoying wins over Spartak Moskva, Anderlecht, Rosenborg, Lazio, Ferencváros and now Feyenoord across the last 22 seasons.

In terms of this season, the victory propels the Celts up to 21st in the gigantic Europa League table, a major boost to their hopes of reaching the knockout stages, with games against Roma, Bologna and then Utrecht still to come.

So, which Celtic star looked like an £100m player during this win at De Kuip?

Celtic's new manager latest

Since returning to the club on an interim basis, O’Neill could hardly have done much better.

He has won three Premiership matches out of three, ousted Rangers in the League Cup semi-finals and now claimed a memorable European victory in the Netherlands; the shellacking against Midtjylland in Herning the only blot on his copybook.

Nevertheless, for how much longer will he remain in interim charge?

Well, the 73 year old, alongside Shaun Maloney, will still be at the helm for Sunday’s clash with Hibernian at Easter Road, but could that be the final game of their tenure?

That’s because, according to widespread reports, the club are now in advanced talks with Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy, with some optimistic that the Frenchman could be in place in time for next Wednesday’s clash with Dundee.

Considering they take on current Premiership leaders Hearts and then the side top of Serie A Roma thereafter, the board will be desperate to get Nancy in as quickly as possible.

Assuming the Frenchman was watching Thursday’s win over Feyenoord, potentially while enjoying some Thanksgiving food in Ohio, one player in particular surely will have caught his eye.

Celtic's best player vs Feyenoord

Towards the end of Brendan Rodgers’ tenure, Reo Hatate found himself no longer a guaranteed starter, only on the bench for the Europa League home defeat to Braga, before not getting on at all during a dismal goalless draw with Hibs in September.

Nevertheless, having been made a key figure under O’Neill, he was the star of the show in Rotterdam.

Hatate spectacularly set up Yang’s equaliser before, soon after, coolly slotting home the second, rolling the ball into an unguarded net from long-range after some trademark closing down by Daizen Maeda forced Timon Wellenreuther into a catastrophic error.

Overall, the midfield maestro completed 89% of his passes, took two shots, created one big chance and registered nine ball recoveries, underlining that he was everywhere.

After a 3-3 draw with Rangers at Ibrox last year, Brendan Rodgers asserted that Hatate “gives it away too much for my liking”, labelling him “sloppy’, a sign of his decline in form and importance.

Now though, he is playing at a comparable level to Enzo Fernandez, according to FBref, who note that the players are statistically and stylistically similar among those in their position across Europe.

That is a sign of Hatate’s recent revival, not least with Fernandez having not too long ago been signed by Chelsea for a fee of around £107m from Benfica.

Such a comparison is no unwarranted either, with Hatate arguably putting in his best performance of the season against Feyenoord, while operating in a Fernandez-esque, more advanced midfield berth

Meantime, the Japanese star is proving just what a goal threat he is in Europe too, scoring against both Midtjylland and Feyenoord, also registering an assist at De Kuip this week.

Given how impressive Hatate has been since first arriving at Parkhead almost four years ago, it is frankly a surprise that a Premier League club has not come in and poached him.

Celtic supporters will hope that remains the case, with the 28-year-old likely to be a central, undroppable figure when Nancy does finally arrive.

As good as Hatate: Celtic flop showed he can be "world class" under Nancy

Celtic beat Feyenoord 3-1 at De Kuip in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, and one player showed his “world class’ potential, as good as Reo Hatate.

By
Ben Gray

Nov 28, 2025