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Celtic are beginning to put the wheels in motion for the remainder of their transfer window and are on the verge of announcing a new signing, according to reports.

Brendan Rodgers confirms Celtic close to arrivals

In what has been a slow-moving summer for Celtic, six new players have walked through the door in the form of Kieran Tierney, Callum Osmand, Ross Doohan, Benjamin Nygren, Shin Yamada and Hayato Inamura.

Nevertheless, supporters’ appetite to see more done ahead of their side’s Champions League playoff round tie is only growing stronger, which has prompted Brendan Rodgers to address the Bhoys’ transfer dealings ahead of this weekend’s Scottish Premiership opener against St Mirren.

He stated: “We still have work to do in the market but I’m really excited. The focus is really on the players that are here, and they’ve been working very well and hopefully by the end of the month, we’ll be a stronger squad for the end of the transfer window.

“We hope this week there might be some news on that, but I think coaches in the transfer market don’t move at the same pace.”

After leaving Burnley upon the expiry of his contract, free agent midfielder Josh Brownhill is someone Celtic could look to swoop for amid interest in his signature from elsewhere, though if he were to arrive, it may suggest one or two could depart to streamline the Hoops’ engine room.

Go Ahead Eagles star Jakob Breum has been frequently linked with the Bhoys. While his situation is evolving, Celtic are now poised to announce a signing that will be welcomed by supporters as they push the button on reinforcements.

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey set to undergo Celtic medical on Friday

Taking to social media platform X, Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph confirmed Manchester City’s Jahmai Simpson-Pusey will undergo his Celtic medical ahead of signing on a season-long loan basis.

The reporter stated on Thursday afternoon: “UPDATE: Manchester City centre-back Jahmai Simpson-Pusey is due to travel to Glasgow (Friday) to undergo a medical with Celtic. The 19-year-old is set to join the Scottish champions on a season-long loan deal.”

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey in the Premier League – 2024/25 (Fotmob)

Pass accuracy

93%

Duels won

3

Recoveries

3

Dribbled past

1

Touches

125

Admittedly, his senior career has yielded six appearances so far. However, the 19-year-old won the Premier League 2 Player of the Season award in 2024/25, and he is highly rated at his parent club.

Celtic fought off competition from Strasbourg to sign Simpson-Pusey, and he will compete with Cameron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales and Auston Trusty for a place in the Bhoys’ back four.

Previously labelled “unbelievable” by Pep Guardiola, all that is left now is for minor details to be ticked off before he will officially be unveiled at Parkhead.

Australia restricted Sri Lanka to 93 and were in a spot of bother themselves at 35 for 3 in the chase, when Mooney steadied the ship

Firdose Moonda05-Oct-2024

Megan Schutt took 3 for 12, and went atop the table for most wickets at Women’s T20 World Cups•ICC/Getty Images

Australia began their T20 World Cup defence with a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka, who slumped to a second defeat in less than 48 hours to leave their semi-final hopes hanging by a thread. Australia kept Sri Lanka to under 100, and knocked off the runs inside 15 overs. But their speed of run-scoring was not enough to put Australia on top of the group ahead of New Zealand on NRR, which could prove crucial in a pool where they have already been two upsets.While it was relatively straightforward for Australia, they would be the first to admit that they were not at their most clinical best. Their bowlers sent down five no-balls and two wides, and the 13 extras were the fourth-highest contributor on a sorry Sri Lanka scorecard. That continues a trend of Australia conceding the most number of extras since the start of last year, and is a discipline they would want to tighten up on.Nitpicking aside, Australia held the advantage early thanks to medium-pacer Megan Schutt, who finished with the best figures among the bowlers on a spinner-friendly track. Between them, spinners Ash Gardner, Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham bowled 12 overs, which cost only 55 runs while they shared four wickets.Sri Lanka’s only real resistance came from a 31-run fifth-wicket stand between Harshitha Samarawickrama and Nilakshika Silva, and they were the only batters to get more than 20. Sri Lanka ended up well short of a par total, but initially made a fist of defending it. They had Australia 35 for 3 and were fielding excellently, but did not have enough runs to make a game of it.Beth Mooney hit 43*, and sealed the chase in the 15th over•ICC/Getty Images

Australia’s awesome startIf there was any thought that Australia would be anything less than their absolute best as their tournament got underway, that was swiftly dismissed as they got off to the perfect start. Schutt started proceedings with the tournament’s second maiden over, and Gardner followed up with a second, which immediately raised questions of Chamari Athapaththu’s decision to bat first.She got bat on ball in the third over, when she guided Schutt past backward point for two, but the over ended badly when Vishmi Gunaratne was given out lbw off the last ball, and reviewed to no avail. Schutt got the ball to tail in from outside off and pin Gunaratne on the back pad in front of middle and leg stump. Ball tracking confirmed her dismissal.Things got worse two balls later, as Gardner beat Athapaththu’s sweep shot and asked for a review after the on-field decision seemed to suggest it was sliding down leg. But ball-tracking judged it to be hitting leg, and Athapaththu had to depart for a second single-figure score to start the World Cup. Sri Lanka were 6 for 2 in the fourth over.Sri Lanka fail to cross 100 second timeSri Lanka’s batters can’t be blamed for trying to make something happen in their search for runs, but their attempts to be attacking were unsuccessful as they could not get the ball to clear the boundary. Samarawickrama, who battled hard to score 23 off 35 balls, was the first to play a poor shot when she swung at a full, wide delivery from Molineux without much conviction, and popped a simple return catch to the bowler.Hasini Perera only faced four balls for her 2, and was then given a gift when Wareham sent down a filthy full toss which she swiped at, but towards Gardner, who took a good catch over her right shoulder. And in the final over, with runs needed to put up a respectable total, Anushka Sanjeewani tried to lap Schutt but ended up scooping the ball straight to Wareham at short fine leg.Udeshika Prabodhani cleaned up Alyssa Healy in the first over of the chase•ICC/Getty Images

Alyssa’s aggression = Udeshika’s rewardSri Lanka were under the pump when they conceded eight runs off the first three legal deliveries of the Australia innings, but Udeshika Prabodhani had the perfect response. Her fourth ball was on a length and angled in, and Alyssa Healy shaped up for the leg-side flick, but the ball held its line and beat her completely to find off stump. Prabodhani closed out the over without conceding another run, and from nowhere, Sri Lanka were in the contest.Beth bosses itWhen Wareham was run-out in the third over and Ellyse Perry was bowled, the match teetered on an upset. But then, there was Beth Mooney. Arguably the best chaser in the women’s game, she took her time upfront and found her first boundary after the powerplay, when Inoshi Priyadarshani offered a full ball down leg, and Mooney paddled it fine for four.She was into her work when she sent Sugandika Kumari over mid-on for four, which reduced the runs required to under 50. In typically responsible fashion, Mooney was there at the end, unbeaten on 43, and hit the winning run in the 15th over.

Arsenal seem to have finally woken up this summer.

The club may not have officially announced any new signings yet, but over the last few days, the North Londoners have made rapid progress on several targets.

Brentford’s Christian Norgaard seems to be as good as in following the news that Thomas Partey is probably leaving, and talks to sign Christian Mosquera appear to be progressing very well indeed.

There has even been plenty of talk around Eberechi Eze moving to the Emirates, and in more good news, the club are also linked with a goalscoring phenomenon who’d be a dream teammate for the Englishman.

Arsenal target attacking reinforcements

While there were some murmurings of Arsenal being somewhat interested in Eze last summer, they never felt like anything more than loose rumours.

Transfer Focus

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

However, in the last couple of days, what felt like nothing more than paper talk appears to have developed into something more, with stories claiming that talks have already been held and that the North Londoners are ready to do battle with Tottenham Hotspur for his services.

There is no doubt that the Premier League-proven international, who can play in multiple positions, would be an excellent addition to Mikel Arteta’s squad, but in even better news, reports are now heavily linking the club with someone who could get even more out of him at the Emirates.

At least that’s according to a recent report from journalist Buchi Laba via Caught Offside, who has reaffirmed Arsenal’s intense interest in Viktor Gyokeres.

He has revealed that due to the “crazy money” RB Leipzig are demanding for Benjamin Sesko, the Gunners have now reignited their interest in the Sporting CP star, and even though an offer has now been made, the club have restarted talks with the player and his camp.

In terms of the money needed to get the deal done, the report has revealed that the Portuguese outfit are asking for a fee in excess of £60m, although it is not entirely clear what the exact amount they want.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get done, but given Gyokeres’ incredible ability, it’s one Arsenal should be fighting for, especially as he’d be a perfect teammate for Eze.

Why Gyokeres would be an incredible teammate for Eze

While there are undoubtedly numerous reasons why Gyokeres would be an excellent teammate for Eze at Arsenal, from his experience of playing abroad to his rise from the Championship to the Champions League, one stands out above all others: his output.

In fact, this reason goes both ways, as the Sporting star will want to join a club that has a creative and prolific number ten in the heart of the midfield, which is exactly what the Englishman could be.

For example, in 34 Premier League games this season, the former QPR gem scored eight goals and provided eight assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.12 games.

In contrast, Martin Odegaard produced 11 goal involvements in 30 games, at an average of one every 2.72 games.

With that said, what is it about the Swedish international’s output that would make him such an incredible teammate to pair up with the Crystal Palace star this summer?

Well, simply put, instead of being impressive, or brilliant even, the former Coventry City star’s record in front of goal over the last two years has been nothing short of otherworldly.

For example, since moving to the Lisbon outfit in the summer of 2023, the Stockholm-born “monster,” as dubbed by one analyst, has made 102 appearances, totalling 8417 minutes, in which he has found the back of the net on 97 occasions, and provided 28 assists for good measure.

Gyokeres’ recent form
Season	23/24	24/25
Appearances	50	52
Minutes	4169′	4248′
Goals	43	54
Assists	15	13
Goal Involvements per Match	1.16	1.28
Minutes per Goal Involvement	71.87	63.40′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In other words, the 27-year-old goalscoring “powerhouse,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, has maintained an average of 1.22 goal involvements every game, or even more impressively, every 67.33 minutes.

Even if he was only able to produce a third of those numbers in England, he would still be one of the most dangerous forwards in the country and, in turn, help send Eze’s goal and assist numbers to the moon.

Ultimately, while it might cost a pretty penny, Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign Gyokeres this summer, as he could be the difference between another second-place finish and glory.

He'd be better than Norgaard: Arsenal hold talks to sign £20m midfielder

The exciting midfielder could be a future star for Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 25, 2025

West Bromwich Albion fans will want to see their team break free of their tag of nearly-men in the Championship promotion race this coming season.

The Baggies have now been outside the luxuries of the Premier League for four seasons on the spin, with Carlos Corberan clinching a playoff spot for the West Midlands side during the 2023/24 season, only for a semi-final exit to crush their promotion dreams.

It will be up to rookie manager Ryan Mason to finally guide West Brom back up to the Premier League, with the powers that be at the Hawthorns going down a brave, new route in offering the inexperienced 33-year-old the reins.

He might well look to utilise his former Tottenham Hotspur connections when attempting to land gems in the transfer market, with Mikey Moore one North London prodigy that continues to stick out.

Latest on West Brom's pursuit of Moore

It has been a long-standing rumour at the Hawthorns this summer that West Brom are interested in bringing the 17-year-old sensation to the Championship.

After all, the teenage attacker does boast an astounding return of 19 goals from 24 appearances for Spurs’ U19s, on top of also showing off his class in senior action when powering home his first-ever men’s goal for Thomas Frank’s men last season in the Europa League.

But, it could be argued that West Brom are already strong down both the left wing and right wing – where Moore regularly roams – with Tom Fellows, Jed Wallace, and Mikey Johnston all at Mason’s disposal. Between them last season in the second tier, the entertaining trio would tally up a hefty 27 goal contributions.

Moreover, with experience perhaps preferred when looking for fresh recruits down the wing as ex-Derby forward Tom Lawrence continues to be linked, the Baggies might look to other faces in the Spurs academy to bolster their squad, with a loan return for this striker potentially on the menu as a better pick-up than Moore.

How Mason could seal a better signing than Moore

If there was an area on the pitch that fills West Brom with anxiety, it would be up top in the centre-forward position.

West Brom haven’t been blessed with lady luck in this department, considering Josh Maja found himself out of action from January onwards last campaign when picking up an unfortunate injury, away from Daryl Dike also being a regular member of the Hawthorns treatment room.

Josh Maja

26

12

44

Karlan Grant

44

7

4

Devante Cole

16

0

0

Daryl Dike

11

1

133

Therefore, to ensure they don’t leave themselves short on numbers in attack, West Brom could soon welcome back former loan face Will Lankshear to Mason’s camp, with Football London reporting earlier this week that the Baggies want to secure the temporary signature of the 20-year-old once more, alongside other Championship suitors sniffing around.

Lankshear did endure a testing loan stint with the club last season, with zero goals picked up across 11 appearances, but he was shoved into the deep-end arguably, considering he joined the building right in the midst of West Brom’s promotion push falling flat.

He only started four of those league clashes too, and with such a glowing track record in youth circles at Spurs – much like Moore – Mason might well be the perfect manager to get the most out of Lankshear in a senior set-up, having worked with him closely in North London.

Amazingly, the “phenomenal” forward – as he was labelled by journalist John Wenham – has an even sturdier goal tally next to his name for the Spurs U21s than Moore has managed in his age bracket, with a venomous 26 strikes amassed from just 35 contests.

Even if Maja is back to full fitness this coming season, adding in Lankshear wouldn’t hurt, with the 20-year-old hotshot no doubt able to enhance his game bouncing off of such an experienced EFL head.

With their highest average age across the lineup coming in at 28.7 last season, adding in stars of the future, such as the England U20 international, could be a worthwhile move, as Mason attempts to leave his mark on the Baggies to try and push his new employers up the league.

After Nat Phillips: West Brom could sign "sublime" Fellows replacement

If West Bromwich Albion are powerless to Tom Fellows leaving, this sublime star joining the building could be his best possible replacement.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 24, 2025

Celtic enter the market with a clear idea of where they need to strengthen and could now turn to a recognisable name to solve their quest to land another centre-forward, according to a report.

Celtic's quest to add attacking firepower

Adam Idah and Daizen Maeda ended the campaign as Celtic’s only two senior centre-forward options, while Johnny Kenny came in from the cold to supplement their output from the bench.

Late attempts in January to secure a striker fell through, despite the Bhoys’ failed pursuit of Danny Ings from West Ham United following Kyogo Furuhashi’s departure to Rennes.

Nevertheless, the calculated decision to stick with what they had at the time has allowed more time to make sure the right man arrives to bolster Brendan Rodgers’ pool of attacking talent.

Youssef El Kachati was mooted as a Celtic target. However, the former Morocco Under-23 international looks set to join NEC Nijmegen under freedom of contract on a three-year deal from Telstar.

Rodgers could potentially be left with more work to do on that front if Fenerbache or Tottenham step up their interest in Japanese forward Maeda. Both clubs are keen to deal him in, though have been told a fee in excess of £21 million is required for his services.

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The Bhoys are set to witness movement in both directions this summer…

Posts 1 BySean Markus Clifford Jun 6, 2025

Left-back, centre midfield and on the flanks have been mooted as areas of the field where Celtic could look to enact squad surgery, whetting the appetite for a summer of significance before they enter the Champions League qualifiers at the playoff phase.

Encountering a quick turnaround, the Bhoys may now look to a former player who is available on the market to add some expertise in front of goal.

Celtic hero Kyogo Furuhashi wants to return to Parkhead

According to reports in France, Celtic are ‘ready’ to offer an olive branch to former striker Furuhashi following his frustrating spell at Rennes, where he has yet to score in six appearances.

The Ligue 1 outfit are set to part ways with the 30-year-old this summer, and it is now said that the Bhoys icon is in favour of completing a sensational return to Parkhead. However, Bournemouth are also lurking in the distance and could submit an offer.

Kyogo Furuhashi’s excellent time at Celtic

Appearances

165

Goals

85

Assists

19

Rennes boss Habib Beye is set to omit Furuhashi from his pre-season plans and will put him up for sale after he failed to live up to expectations at Roazhon Park.

Labelled “excellent” by Rodgers, he made his move to France for roughly £10 million mid-season, though he has only completed 120 minutes of football, coming mostly as a substitute.

Truthfully, it did seem like a strange move in January for the Nara-born man in light of his new club’s close brush with relegation, but a swift exit would suit all parties, including the player and his desire to be considered for Japan’s 2026 World Cup squad.

Whether he could achieve that feat at Celtic remains to be seen. Either way, the prospect of Furuhashi returning to Glasgow’s east end could soon become a reality.

The bad news is that Tottenham Hotspur picked up their 21st defeat of the Premier League season last night, but the good news is that there is just one more game to go.

In fact, the even better and more consequential news from last night was probably that the North Londoners didn’t lose any more important first-teamers ahead of the Europa League Final next week.

However, with all that said, Ange Postecoglou can’t be particularly pleased with his team, as even though they had some good chances and put in a far better showing than they did on Sunday, they’re still going into their most important game in years off the back of a defeat.

2

Goals

0

1.56

Expected Goals

0.32

2

Big Chances

1

18

Total Shots

3

69%

Possession

31%

579

Passes

260

40

Touches in the Penalty Area

8

5

Fouls

12

15

Tackles

9

Moreover, while some players made a good case for why they should stay in the team, like Wilson Odobert and Son Heung-min, other players most certainly did not.

Odobert & Son's game vs Aston Villa

So, while they might be rather small, let’s start with the positives then, like Odeobert and Son.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

The former moved from the right wing to the number ten position in the absence of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, and while he didn’t exactly blow us away, he offered something fresh.

While he was guilty of a mistimed shot here or a dodgy pass there, the Frenchman was incredibly busy and, at points, interchanged with his fellow attackers in a way that could cause problems for Manchester United on Wednesday night.

It was a performance that left a somewhat favourable impression on the Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who awarded him a 6/10 match rating.

He gave the same rating to Son, praising him for showing some of his ‘trademark bursts down the left flank’, which at points were the team’s best moves.

Moreover, while his end product wasn’t ideal, journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor argued that he looked “quicker with the ball at his feet than he has in months.”

In all, while it would be hyperbolic to suggest either player was fantastic last night, it would also be fair to say they both showed enough to be in contention to start the final, which cannot be said for one of the other starters.

The Spurs star who has to be dropped

Unfortunately, there were a few players who were rather unimpressive last night, such as Mikey Moore and Pape Matar Sarr, but the starter who has to be dropped ahead of Wednesday is Archie Gray.

Now, it should be said that the former Leeds United gem has generally been great for Spurs this season and has done an admirable job filling in across the backline.

However, just like last weekend against Crystal Palace, the versatile 18-year-old really struggled in the middle of the park.

If he wasn’t making a poor pass, he was struggling to cope with the defensive side of the game, and there was more than one occasion in which the Villans simply bypassed him without much trouble.

Kilpatrick wasn’t particularly impressed with him either, awarding the Englishman a 5/10 match rating at full-time and writing that he ‘struggled to impose himself on the game.’

Ultimately, while it was another night to forget for Spurs, Son and Odobert showed that they might be able to make something happen on Wednesday. On the other hand, Gray reminded Postecoglou that he is not ready to start in the middle of the park.

He'd send Tel packing: Spurs race to sign £19m "future ballon d'Or winner"

The incredible talent would be an unreal signing for Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 16, 2025

Celtic have had mixed success in the Scottish Premiership since the club returned to action after the final international break of the 2024/25 campaign.

The Hoops made a fast start to the last stretch of the season when they hammered Hearts 3-0 at Parkhead in their first game after the break, thanks to two goals from Daizen Maeda and one from Jota.

However, they followed that up by being beaten by bottom-of-the-league St. Johnstone away in the Premiership in their most recent match on Sunday.

It was a disappointing performance and result for the Hoops, who could have little complaints about the scoreline after they failed to produce the kind of quality supporters have become used to seeing from them in the final third.

The difference in Callum McGregor’s performance between the two matches illustrated the difference in Celtic’s play, and why the former Scotland international is so integral to Brendan Rodgers’ style of play.

Why Callum McGregor is integral for Celtic

In the 3-0 win over Hearts, the left-footed star completed a staggering 99% of his attempted passes – making 66 of 67 – and assisted Maeda for the opening goal with a through ball that split open the Jam Tarts defence.

The Scottish ace also won two of his three physical duels during the match, whilst also making two interceptions, and was not dribbled past a single time by an opposition player, which shows that he excelled in and out of possession.

This meant that McGregor was able to impact the game at both ends of the pitch, by effectively screening in front of the back four and using his quality on the ball to create the opening goal.

Against St. Johnstone, however, the captain played the full 90 minutes and did not create a single chance for his teammates despite having 79 touches of the ball and completing 94% of his passes.

Minutes

64

90

Key passes

2

0

Assists

1

0

Pass accuracy

99%

94%

Duels won

2/3

1/6

Interceptions

2

0

Dribbled past

0x

1x

As you can see in the table above, McGregor’s use of the ball and his actions defensively were nowhere up to the standards he set during the win over Hearts, as the Saints midfielders got the better of him far too easily in physical duels.

The difference in his performance correlating with the difference in results speaks to how integral he is to Celtic, because he is the heartbeat of the side and much of the team’s success depends on him playing to his level in the middle of the park.

McGregor, who has started 28 of his 29 appearances in the Premiership this season, provides a metronomic presence at the base of the midfield, controlling games for the Hoops, but allowed his level to drop against St. Johnstone and it contributed to the loss.

There is a former Celtic player, however, who has gone on to develop into being an even better player than the Hoops skipper in a deep-lying midfield role, as Ryan Christie has thrived since moving on from Parkhead.

How much Celtic sold Ryan Christie for

The Hoops reportedly sold the Scotland international to Bournemouth for a reported fee of £1.5m in the summer of 2021, having spent six years at Parkhead.

Christie made 151 appearances for the Premiership giants during his time in Glasgow, scoring 42 goals and providing 44 assists, before his move down south to the Championship – at the time.

During his time with the Hoops, the left-footed whiz predominantly played as either an attacking midfielder or as a winger as part of the midfield set-up, as he looked to impact games with goals and assists.

Christie was capable of the spectacular, as shown in the clip below, and even racked up an eye-catching tally of 21 goals and 16 assists in 45 appearances in all competitions during the 2019/20 campaign.

At that point, it seems unlikely that anyone would have predicted that Christie would go on to become an upgrade on McGregor in the number six position, as he was thriving as an attacker before his move to Bournemouth for £1.5m.

However, that is what has happened as the former St. Johnstone star has gone on to become an exceptional deep-lying midfield player in the Premier League at the Vitality.

Why Christie is now an upgrade on McGregor

Since signing for the Cherries, the bulk of the 30-year-old star’s appearances for the club have come as a defensive midfielder or a central midfielder, which is a big change from purely playing as an attack-minded midfielder or winger for Celtic.

If you compare Christie’s performances against McGregor’s over the past 365 days, whilst both now play in similar positions in midfield – unlike their time together at Parkhead, then it appears as though the left-footed ace would be an upgrade on the Celtic captain.

As you can see in the chart above, the Bournemouth star offers significantly more out of possession whilst also providing his team with more from an offensive perspective, when it comes to creating chances and building play that leads to shots.

Similar conclusions can be drawn by comparing Christie’s form in the Premier League to that of McGregor’s in the Champions League in the 2024/25 campaign, as shown below.

These statistics, this season and over the past 365 days, suggest that the former Bhoys ace would currently be an upgrade on McGregor in midfield, by doing more to help out his defence whilst also providing more creativity with his passing from a deep-lying role.

The Scottish ace was hailed by former Cherries defender Joe Partington earlier this year, as the former Celtic man was lauded for his consistency in the middle of the park.

Partington said: “Ryan Christie’s consistency this season is incredible. His level is so so high – his ability to look exceptionally in control of what he’s doing. I hope its not underwhelming to say he’s outstandingly basic.”

He added: “His touch is always perfect, his pass is always the right weight at the right time at the right angle – he plays the pass to the right player in the right moment into the right space.”

Christie, who has started 27 of his 29 appearances in the Premier League, has consistency to go along with his quality on the pitch, and consistency has been an issue – albeit over just two games – for McGregor since the international break.

However, there is no guarantee that he would have developed in the way that he has if Celtic had kept him at Parkhead, as the midfielder may have stuck to his role as an attacker, rather than being moved further back into a number six position.

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Celtic must ruthlessly drop Nicolas Kuhn from the starting XI to unleash this star.

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Therefore, the Hoops may not see Christie as one that got away from them from that perspective, but he was still a quality player who was sold for a relatively small amount of money, which should be frustrating for the Scottish giants.

Somerset’s quarter-final hero hoping to sign off with more silverware despite impending departure

Matt Roller12-Sep-2025Sean Dickson is a sports psychologist in training and does not have to look far to find a compelling case study for his second career.On Saturday night, Dickson walked out to play his final innings for Somerset at Taunton’s County Ground determined to prove the club’s management had made a mistake in not offering him a new contract; 43 minutes later, he walked off having dragged them to T20 Blast Finals Day almost single-handedly.”I was very clear on what I wanted to do: I wanted to sign off, and I wanted to sign off properly,” Dickson says. “It was a fire within me to go and prove that they’ve made the wrong decision, and I wanted to show them that… Normally, nerves are flowing, but I just took a deep breath, looked around, and just took it in for a bit. I set out to go and prove a point.”He proved it emphatically, hitting 71 not out off 26 balls. Somerset needed 33 off the last two overs, then 19 off the final five balls; Dickson took them across the line in four. “That was my best T20 innings,” he says. “Everyone wants to be in that position where they need to score 20 off the last over and hit sixes to win the end of the game… It’s quite nice to say I’ve done it.”Related

• Scott Currie relishing 'dirty work' as Hampshire target more Blast success

• No regrets for Dickson as Somerset lose their third title in a week

• Devastating Dickson powers Somerset to Finals Day

• Glamorgan sign Sean Dickson on two-year deal

Few would have seen it coming when Dickson, once a first-class triple-centurion with Kent, first signed for Somerset three years ago, ostensibly to strengthen their red-ball batting. He has struggled in the Championship, averaging 20.41, but his T20 record for Somerset is phenomenal: he averages 38.32 for them while maintaining a strike rate of 155.51.Somerset’s decision to let him go is not without logic, and Dickson acknowledges there is plenty of talent in the club’s “remarkable” academy. They have several promising young batters – including Tom Lammonby, Archie Vaughan, and James and Thomas Rew – and know that they need to offer them first-team cricket across formats to keep hold of them in the longer term.But he was clearly hurt by it nonetheless, describing the realisation that he would not be offered a deal as “heart-breaking”. He will instead spend the next two seasons at Glamorgan, who have effectively signed him as a replacement for Sam Northeast; the proximity will enable his young family to stay put in the south-west, where his eldest daughter recently started school.Dickson turned 34 last week and could have several years left ahead of him: during his time at London Spirit in the Hundred, he sought advice from coach Justin Langer on how he could become a “permanent player within the franchise system”. But he is already setting himself up for life after cricket, launching a sports psychology business early last year.His interest in the field started over a decade ago when he was diagnosed with generalised anxiety: “I just thought it was normal to have these situations where there was almost a dissociation from me being able to be in the present moment. It wasn’t.” He has since completed a masters in it, and is working towards his full accreditation.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();